Blushing pink. Until last week, Ernesto Casillas was a nobody. But after he worked on Zendaya’s makeup for The Odyssey premiere in NYC, he’s everyone’s new hero. Casillas says her look was “sunkissed, like she’d flown too close to the sun”. That means a red blush over a terracotta (!) one on the cheeks and nose. No liner. No mascara. Every rule broken. Is this how we’re doing our faces now? So epic!
Event Context
Frozen with rage. The Book of Enoch, taken seriously only by the Ethiopian Orthodox Church, has gone viral because it mentions a cold prison for fallen angels at the end of the Earth. Randos assume this must be Antarctica. Theories are exploding on podcasts and TikTok. Antarctica is fragile enough without the conspiracy theories. Leave it alone. Also, who’s got all this free time to make up such wild stories?
Staying in. Bad news for nightclubs everywhere. Not only are Gen Zs not drinking, not spending, not boogieing. They’re afraid of discos. Not the sex-drugs-rock’n’roll part. They’re paranoid that they’ll end up in someone else’s frame, looking plastered, and going viral. Hug your Gen Z friends, folks. They’re preparing for their Netflix documentary.
Sickly sweet. Ready to cringe? An American brand has dropped a “limited-edition offering inspired by the unpredictable feeling of summer situationships”. What? It’s, “an all-day flavour fling bursting with sweet, juicy notes of strawberry, citrus and mixed berry that are simply impossible to leave on read” and “brings a cheeky, no-strings-attached feeling to every cup”. Relax, everyone. It’s just Coffee-mate mixed-fruit creamer, and Boomer copywriters.
Starry eyed. Guess who’s having a great year (and was not even in The Odyssey)? Anya Taylor-Joy. Her show, Lucky, is dominating Apple TV charts. The Gorge, last year’s Valentine’s Day release, has crossed 500 days on the streamer’s leaderboard. She was Princess Peach in The Super Mario Galaxy Movie and will play Alia Atreides in Dune: Part Three. Everyone who made fun of her wide-set eyes … she’s too busy to give you a hard stare.
Checking out. That dream all readers have, of owning a bookstore in a sleepy town and just reading all day? Jessica Fox’s The Open Book in Scotland lets you rent a small apartment and run the second-hand bookstore below. Charming. But dealing with fussy customers and learning how much money – and effort – goes into retail will soon kill the vibe. Stay in the fantasy section, people!
Righting a wrong. Who knew we’d need guidelines on how to film women’s sports? The European Broadcasting Union worked with women athletes to list red flags in camera work – low-angle shots, too-close close-ups, creepy slow-mos that zoom into the chest or groin. The new guideline report is titled Raising the Bar. But what to do when the bar is already in hell?
Staying mum. In Korea, the kids have decided it’s cool to hang out with their mums, again. They’re calling it “eommisae”, or someone who’s obsessed with shopping, dining and travelling with their mommy. Awww. But don’t let Raja Betas see this.
From HT Brunch, July 25, 2026
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