touch grass after reading this
and maybe find something blue...
Olá from Lisbon! Yesterday I had the pleasure of enjoying a 10-course meal at Boubou’s (the chef, Louise Bourrat—winner of France’s Top Chef 2022—is a rockstar) solo. Like any great artwork, say an orchestra performance—fine dining, for me, is a beautiful act of self-inquiry.
Solo dining is having a moment. 21% of Americans now regularly dine out alone, and solo dinners are up 14% in the UK this year. Like me, many see it as a form of self-care. Still, some admit to feeling guilty for taking up space solo or worry about being judged. To that we say: main character energy!!
Pro tip—book a counter seat and hang with cool people wielding mad knifing skills.
🗞️Newsy
There’s a global pistachio shortage, and we’ve got the Dubai chocolate trend to thank for it. RIP pistachio croissant.
Lorde’s new album Virgin comes out on June 27th and the cover seems to show an IUD
Met Gala interviewers not knowing Shah Rukh Khan pissed a lot of people off.
The Golden Globes are adding a new awards category for next year: podcasts.
Pop Crave is covering the conclave, and a parody account Pope Crave is giving live meme updates ‘from the Vatican’. + People are watching The Conclave in honor of the conclave happening rn.
Gnarly by Katseye is one of the top trending songs rn, with Katseye being searched almost 400% more than last month. Not everyone’s a fan though.
🧂Trends
Sayings That Don’t Make Sense [Podcast Edition]
It’s a bit more of a podcasty micro-trend - just guys with mics coming up with sayings that don’t exist as an exercise in creativity. Modern day proverbs all inspired by hopecore of yesteryear.
And as you know, once you hear a good bit, you’re gonna find yourself one evening emulating it with your friends.
Nila Powder
Moroccan nila powder - a traditional deep-blue powder made from Indigofera tinctoria or true indigo, is trending. It’s long been used in North African hammams for softening skin, evening tone, and brightening complexion; it’s also the the OG indigo dye.
It’s skincare properties are a niche on SkinTok. But if we have to be honest, most the viral content surrounding is about lightening skin. Just another traditional beauty product impacted by a colorist lens.
Skincare…or not to Skincare
Skincare trends have come full circle! We’re back to influencers pushing physical exfoliation as the best thing for your skin. They’re recommending ‘pore brushes’ - a little contraption with little silicone bumps to scrape your T-zone.
An some are skipping cleanser altogether now, joining the “caveman skincare” movement (aka Paleo for your face). One creator’s gone viral for it, with people online "“discussing” whether she has a growing fungal infection. Ashe thinks its just ragebait.
Color walk
People are gamifying their hot girl/boy walks by picking a color before the stroll and paying attention to anything in that shade. By consciously tuning into your surroundings, you forget about that email blunder and other overfixations —and poof, 10k steps, done.
Also, #runninggirlera is trending. Marathons are the new festivals?
Playingcards
Wanna be the coolest kid in the park? Keep a deck of cards in your pocket—UNO or classic. Perfect for an impromptu hang or killing time while the bartender takes forever with your negroni.
Cocktail watches
Our watch obsession’s still going strong, but we’ve downsized. Vogue says cocktail watches are big in NYC, and Ilze clocked the same in Paris—during dinner, all she could see were dainty timepieces on every wrist. The other thing? Flared jeans + boots combo. While Parisian men are still loyal to their choir jackets.
Pizza by slice
Pizza-by-the-slice joints are having a moment. Rori in Paris has been basking in Insta fame for a while now—serving slices on silver plates, with oysters and natty to boot. (Feels a bit too clout-chasey, but sure.) Other slices spots: Breadstall in London, Slice Society in Berlin, and Stack’s Deli’s Sunday slices in Amsterdam. Meanwhile, in NYC, food delivery app Seamless is bringing back the glory days of $1 slices (until May 20).
Twitter’s AI Convo Part III
This article is all over Twitter feeds, with people engaging in the type of debate over the future of AI in education you assume would be happening on a site like Twitter. (Also, when did ‘hey chat’ start referring to ChatGPT and not… like a third person pronoun inspired by streamers? #mycultureisnotyourcostume)
Majority of the conversation [on Ashe’s very biased Twitter algorithm] is focused on implications of the impending mass illiteracy - where people who have attained degrees have not actually studied anything.
Before you go: Got something salty for us? Trends, hot takes, news, or just need a shoutout? Hit us up on Substack, slide into our DMs on Instagram, or drop us a line to couldyoupassthesaltplease@yahoo.com
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