“Who is the guy on your post?” last week this question popped up in my (Ilze writes) DMs from curious friends after I painstakingly documented a long-weekend jamboree on my Instagram, involving a guy who happens to be single and a friend. This coincided with the online gossip of The Bear’s co-stars Jeremy Allen White and Ayo Edebiri having a fling, after they were caught showing physical affection in public [Tweet, khem, x with the video], reigniting the age-old When Harry Met Sally debate about whether straight men and women can just be friends, given the potential for sexual attraction.
Coming from a nation where men are outnumbered, fostering unreasonable competition among women, I’ve often struggled to secure a guy friend. But I found a solution. See, usually when friends enter relationships, they tend to drift away—especially the male pals, given that multitasking is involved. But, listen, 3rd wheeling can be wonderful if your friends make excellent choices, introducing you to some stellar new buddies.
P.S.
[Dazed & The Cut’s recent take on inter-gender friendships.]
P.S.S.
In case you haven’t noticed The Bear’s season 3 trailer is out.
We’re in the era of 'smell-maxxing'! The self-care industry's latest obsession is all about fragrance. Bloom Perfumery is just London’s hotspot (see our older newsletter), but the fragrance craze is global. From everyone at the club reeking of Dior or Paco Rabanne, Amsterdam wafting with Le Labo Santal 33 (Ilze asked - when did everyone agree THAT’s the fragrance?), to the Diptyque home hype and hair perfume craze on the horizon.
Fragrance influencers like Jeremy Fragrance, with his quirky reviews, Emma, a perfume school grad, and Luna, exploring themed and niche perfumes, have contributed greatly to the trend. There are even reviews of perfume bottle atomizers now.On top of that, celebrities are leaving behind making skincare brands, now it’s back to making scents - there’s Bella Hadid’s new line Orbella that just came out recently.
But with everything, there’s an ongoing uncovering of some really dark stuff in the industry - subsidiaries of L'Oréal and Estée Lauder allegedly used jasmine oil sourced from child labor in their luxury perfumes. Let’s try our best to make sure the brands we purchase aren’t involved in anything shady before securing the scent.
Croissant ice cream. Putting ice cream into croissants is the latest way Amsterdamers are pissing of French and one of the many croissant hybrids popping off lately - cruffins, croffles, broissants, not to mention how double-baked/flattened croissants - almond ones in particular - have become somewhat a staple in bakeries around Europe.
We get it, there’s something lovely about hearing French swearing. Ilze sent the latest ‘damer creations to her French friends:
A 'haute cuisine couture' moment. Food patterns and food iconography are gracing us everywhere now, from clothing pieces to posters to hang on walls. It’s not exactly the Warhol cans aesthetic, we’ve noticed a lot of cherry, sardine, and pasta patterns and pictures adorned by people recently. Almost like a revival of the ‘tomato girl’ aesthetic of summer 2023 - where Mediterranean food and that sun-kissed all natural look took over summer.
Canned fish aren't just on our tees but on dining tables too. What likely began in Scandinavia now finds itself on the menus of every self-respecting wine bar across Europe.Opening a can might be the bare minimum these places can do, but we're not complaining, especially since it's encouraging more home consumption. The Guardian recently wrote how these tinned goodies are good for the planet (the lowest carbon footprint of any animal food source) and our health (hello B12 and omega-3)
Plus, you can make your meal look like a fancy wine bar plate. Here’s a slapper sardine recipe:
Belt bags or fanny packs are making a comeback, balancing the oversized bag domination we’ve been experiencing lately. Perfect for a festival season when our Health’s app is experiencing an unprecedented uptick in steps. But pick it wisely as it is easy to look like a drug trafficker.
An ear-resistible accessory: earplugs are gracing the ears of concert goers and ravers more so than ever. We’ve all possibly fiddled with the tiny foam inserts at some event or the other, but ear protection at musical events has recently become really mainstream. It's not just for those with hearing sensitivities anymore—everyone's on board.
Alpine Hearing Protection is still a classic, but every third person Ashe meets has Loops (thanks, marketing team). But Eargasm Earplugs are also gaining popularity, especially in the rave scene (maybe because they’ve now got glow in the dark and light up earplugs).
Of course, there’s a plethora of other brands more focused on ear protection itself - but whether it’s custom ear fitted plugs or one of these (or even the foams) protecting your ears is what’s truly in . And we hope that continues.
Forget minigolf, word on the streets of Vienna is that ping-pong makes for a great date. Most city parks boast a table, ideal for a lively after-work game or a charming date activity. Just bring your own gear and enjoy.
See you next week in our first summer (!!!) season trendsletter! Btw we’re cooking up a summer reading list to keep you off-screen during tanning seshs. Hit us up if there’s a book you want to recommend at couldyoupassthesaltplease.yahoo.com
and don’t forget to use SPF.
