Newsweek #4: Dystopian thoughts and the perfect lipstick
This newsweek is the most mixed bag of all: EU elections, great newsletter recs, a movie with bad reviews that I love, and all the perfect red things.
The internet never sleeps, and neither did I, thanks to insomnia. Instead of sleeping, I consumed a lot of content, read newsletters, watched movies, and found some bits and bops worth sharing.
But before I share the fun stuff, let me remind all the citizens of the European Union that we have an election this week. From 6-9 June (depending on which country you are based in), we are electing the European Parliament for the next five years.
It is also one of those elections that we tend to forget about because the European Union seems to be this concept that isn’t tangible. It was founded to secure long-term prosperity and peace for the countries on our continent. But right now, many are questioning the idea of the EU. There are demands for independent currencies, closed borders, and isolation from the globalized economy.
Making those demands often seems like an easy fix to a complicated problem. But what if the EU - as we know it - actually disintegrated? What if borders actually closed and economies and laws changed back to what they were before we became the EU?
This video tries to answer that very question. Joko and Klass, two German TV personalities, have won a game with one of Germany’s biggest TV channels ProSieben. As their prize, they won 15 minutes of unedited air time.
The video is in German but has English subtitles.
Newsletters
I consume news daily, but I am very purposeful about how I consume it, and from where. I tend to be a bit of a newsjunkie and try to gather all the information I possibly can, but that can often lead to doomscrolling.
One newsletter I am really enjoying right now is the Sensemakers newsletter from Tortoise. Their news matrix is a great gauge to find out what stories to focus on, without ending in a doomscroll. It also is very informative, yet manages to be entertaining at the same time. I highly recommend subscribing if you want to read the news regularly, but struggle with the overwhelming volume of bad headlines.
Instagram vs. Reality: reflections on life in Napoli after one year abroad. Brenna wrote this fun essay about her life in Napoli. I can’t really summarize it as it wouldn’t do the piece justice. Its a quick read and it made me smile.
Pride Month - My Personal View, written by JP Clark, who writes HOME & HORT. Such a moving newsletter. It put a smile on my face and made me cry a little at the same time. It truly shows how angry words from a stranger just stay with you, forever. Whoever is celebrating (but I think everyone should): Happy Pride Month🌈
Movies
I finally watched Force of Nature (Thy Dry 2). The release date was moved due to the SAG-AFTRA strike, and then, no cinema near me had it in their schedules. So I had to wait until the home cinema release.
Force of Nature is based on a book by Jane Harper - which I loved deeply. It is one of those thrillers that made me change my mind about the plot with every page - which is rare. I usually spot a plot twist from a mile away. Not with this one. And I am also a sucker for an Aussie accent and thrillers that play in rough and harsh nature. So it is unsurprising that this was right up my alley.
Roadshow Films
The movie reviews, well, let’s be honest, are bad. But let me be the one to tell you that the reviews are very wrong. If you have read the book and then watched the movie, you will be pleased to know that it is EXACTLY as described in the book. And if you haven’t read the book, I still think it makes for a great movie. The nature cinematography is phenomenal.
Music
This recommendation is technically one for the “people” section, but it is honestly more about music: Shayne from Factory Records.
Yes, I am sharing/recommending a TikTok Account.
And yes, I am fully aware that I just published an essay about how I am tired of scrolling social media. And I still stand by that essay. But some accounts do God's work by recommending great music that you either never heard before or have forgotten about. And that is fun and worth sharing, in my opinion.
Things (indoors)
Before I go into the list of all the indoor things I love and like to share, let me tell you that it is a total accident that all of these things are red. I swear, I didn’t plan it.
The Notebook
I am a self-proclaimed papyrophiliac, a lover of all things paper, notebooks, and stationery. And I think I’ve found the absolute perfect notebook. The paper, the size, the color - it is heaven.
Let me introduce you to the Leuchtturm Paperback B6+ notebook:
Leuchtturm1917
Especially the one in “Fox Red” with dotted paper. The paper itself is heaven to write on, it lays flat when open and the format is the perfect mix of your regular medium size notebook, but smaller. More minimal.
Some people will probably skip right over this section, but if you are a lover of stationery, please let me know. I also have very strong opinions about the perfect pens and sticky notes…
The Lipstick
I love wearing lipstick that doesn’t feel like lipstick. Adding some color to my lips makes me feel more put together, but “real” lipstick makes me feel unclean because there is something stuck on my lips. One of my all-time favorite lipsticks is the Almost Lipstick by Clinique in Black Honey because it feels more like a lip balm. But the color is more of a fall and winter color, at least on me.
So for the summer, I used a real red lipstick over a lip balm and “smeared it into my lips”. The actual term for this is bouche mordue, meaning “bitten lips”. But that red lipstick was old and was halfway on its deathbed. So I went shopping and found the best replacement ever:
L’Oreal Glow Paradise Sheer Lipstick in 350 Rouge Paradise. It can be applied in layers, so you are in charge of the intensity of color. It is nourishing and feels like a lip balm - exactly what I was looking for.
The Wine
My current hyperfixation dinner: Toast with camembert, cherry marmalade, and a good glass of red, specifically this one: La Vieille Ferme Rouge, the “red wine with the chicken and the rooster”, as I like to call it.
XOXO
Annika