propaganda people are falling for
+ the existence of meat donuts, coffee machines at home, and dusting powder
Hey, Ilze here and sun’s here too, so here’s your friendly SPF reminder; because as a timely meme going around says – reminding someone to wear sunscreen is a sign of genuine love and care. And yes, you need to reapply every few hours. Even on cloudy days. Even in Northern Europe. Anyone who’s hung out with me on a sunny day knows I’ve got zero shame. I will whip out my Korean (!) SPF saviour at a packed bar, on a dancefloor, in between pizza slices.
Normalise SPF applying in public. It should be as mundane as using hand sanitizer or touching up your lip balm. But for you, my shy kings and queens, I found something more low-key: behold the perfect sunstick—compact, hydrating, zero white streaks. Aging gracefully, yes. Skin cancer, no.
🗞️News
The Bear season 4 trailer is here. Premieres June 25
Rihanna dropping her first song in three years and it’s for the Smurfs movie
Cannes: mixed reviews for almost everything, from Scar-Jo’s and Kirsten Stewart’s debuts to Eddington with Pedro Pascal & Joaquin Phoenix. The only consensus seems to be about Pedro Pascal’s sleeveless top.
Europa League: Tottenham Hotspurs won the league last night - RIP ‘trophyless’ memes. Hug the Manchester United fans in your life.
Balenciaga names Pierpaolo Piccioli (ex Valentino) as creative director.
airBnB introducing new features like room service and surfing lessons. Just in time when Spain blocks more than 65,000 Airbnb listings.
Letterboxd launching video rental service.
Eurovision under fire for allegedly undermining the legitimacy of the voting process this year. Fans say it’s starting to feel less like a song contest… and more like a rigged reality show.
Europe’s Best Employers 2025: OneAdvanced; Bionorica; LinkedIn.
🧂Trends
At home coffee machines
The recent Aimé Leon Dore x La Marzocco espresso machine ($11,660, anyone?) pushed the topic in the spotlight: everyone’s elevating their at-home barista game with some serious coffee gear. Coffee machine brands such as De’Longhi (13.7%) and Sage (3.5%) both reporting stark sales increases. Makes sense - add that to marathon running and vinyl hoarding and you got the millennial crisis toolkit.
The propaganda I’m not falling for
“The Propaganda I’m Not Falling For” trend is all over TikTok and IG: people list the ideologies they’re not buying into. Clean girl aesthetic, Labubu, skinnytok are frequent targets. Users are also giving topic-specific list, e.g., for dating and movies.
ConcertsHouse Calls
The All-American Rejects are ditching arenas for backyards - literally.
They’ve been playing cozy house shows, and fans are very into it. Whether it’s a clever marketing tactic, a revolution against Ticketmaster, or just a peak recession pop punk revival - it seems to be working. Could this be the future of live music?
Regardless, pop punk is so back.
Sexual wellness
Oh! Collective just opened its first brick-and-mortar store in Amsterdam, meanwhile Kourtney Kardashian launched libido-boosting gummies, promoted by Julia Fox (she’s also the face of another intimate care brand), meaning sexual and intimate wellness industry is becoming mainstream with the market estimates to reach $140.5 billion by 2032.
Dusting Powder
TikTok’s “Black Girl Shower” community has brought back a retro fave: dusting powder. Think soft, scented skin, vintage vanity vibes, and a cloud of luxury after every shower.
Dusting powders faded from the mainstream due to concerns over talc, despite being a pivotal step in smelling good back in the day. Now, enthusiasts are crafting DIY versions using cornstarch based powder and perfume.
Sardine Summer™ ?
Following up from Fisherman-Core; Sardine Chic is real - in your pantry and your wardrobe. We saw this coming a year ago; perhaps sardines are the summer trend marking our roaring 20’s.
Sardine forks, beaded sardine bags (↑300%), and we’ve even spotted a few sardine tattoos too. Sardine-themed fashion is booming (clips, tees, pajamas, jumpsuits), and obviously cooking ‘em is too: sardine pasta, rice, dips… sardines are a lifestyle now.
READER REPORT*: Meat Donuts May Be A Thing Now (???!!!)
Apparently there’s a weird little trend happening in the Netherlands right now: supermarkets are selling quite a few donut-shaped meat patties. Creatively cutting corners for shrinkflation or just cutting holes for fun?
Not saying it’s the next crompouce, but... something’s going on.
[This trend was brought to attention by a reader. You could be next.]
season you again next week…
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