CATCHING FIRE: 2016, Harry Styles and streamer self improvement
Do keep up!
Hello! This edition is brought to you by Lemsip Max Cold & Flu relief tablets and several boxes of Kleenex balsam tissues. After being extremely smug that I was in rude health over Christmas and New Year I finally got walloped by whatever this winter flu bug is. Now that I have felt its full force I regret not feeling more sympathy for its previous victims. And for this post being a day late. Sorry.
Today we’re taking the temperature of Sydney Sweeney’s new OnlyFans role, TikTok’s wrong timeline theory, the Substackers using their break ups to get paid subscribers, Twitch’s biggest streamer making videos about reading books, make-up’s new it artist and so much more. Let’s get into it…
So hot right now
Mary Beth Barone… who crushed in her role as the red carpet interviewer for the Golden Globes.
She managed to be funny AND make the celebs feel comfortable - not easy. There are so many highlights - her fangirling over Wanda Sykes was immaculate - but her time with Heated Rivalry’s Hudson Williams and the question, “what’s harder being a gay male hockey player or a straight male flight attendant?” won it for me.
IShowSpeed’s Africa tour… Just like he did during his trip to China, the mega-popular streamer is getting plaudits for opening the eyes of his western audience to countries and cultures that have historically been misrepresented.
It’s led to comparisons — that not everyone will agree with — that Speed is Gen A and Z’s Anthony Bourdain.
The streamer has so far visited Egypt, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Mozambique and South Africa and plans to visit a total of 20 African nations during his 28 day tour.
Taylor Swift’s sourdough… has become the “hottest accessory of 2026” after the Haim sisters and singer Sombr were seen clutching loaves after they had dinner together in the Hollywood Hills.
Knowing Swift’s penchant for a cash grab I fear that she’s just a few breaths away from launching a baking brand.
Nina Park… After pioneering the “you, but better” look and popularising “blurred lips”, Nina Park has become one of Hollywood’s most in-demand make-up artists.
Her instantly recognisable work on Emma Stone, Greta Lee, Charli xcx, Zoe Kravitz and Hailey Bieber has led them to be known as ‘Nina Park girls’ and for Park to gain icon status in the beauty world.
Park’s trademark soft glam look is so popular it’s inspired thousands of tutorial videos and has set the stage for her to follow in Charlotte Tilbury’s steps and build a make-up empire.
If you want to know what Park’s favourite products are she recently spilled her secrets to The Face.
Trends, trends and even more trends
2016… If you’ve spent any time on social media in the last few days your eyeballs have likely been assaulted by content about 2016. The trend started on TikTok after users romanticised the year as a simpler time that was pre-COVID, pre-Trump and the last many remember being good. It’s since morphed into being anything about the year.
2016-core was quick to catch on because nostalgia is a perma-trend and a lot of posters didn’t need to be asked twice to publish pictures of themselves looking 10 years younger.
At the same time another - totally unhinged - 2016-related trend has also bubbled up on TikTok.
