BEAUTY 25.05.19
THERE’S A NEW PLASTIC-FREE DEODORANT THAT SMELLS LIKE PERFUME
It’s tested on dancers, not animals
We like to think of ourselves as conscious consumers. And we’re up for a bit of negotiation, too. Sure, vegan chocolate doesn't taste as good as normal chocolate, but we’re willing to go with it for the good of the planet. Of course, we love the convenience of Amazon, but independent bookshops need us, dammit.
As far as I’ve seen, we all have one exception to this ethical rule: deodorant. It’s a risky business. One dodgy underarm decision could lose you friends as quickly as you made them. So, like everyone else, we shiftily chuck a reliable bottle of Sure or Dove into our baskets, knowing that it’s not great, you know, health-wise.
We’ve all heard about the possible links between breast cancer and aluminium in deodorant, and it feels like now might be the right time to try something new. How badly wrong can an ‘I smell a bit’ situation actually go with social distancing in place? Well, there’s a brand new plastic-free, natural deodorant to add to your to-try list. You’re welcome.
It’s not cheap — £18 to be precise — but founders Ed Currie and Andy Coxon have done their best to make sure it does its job. They met while working as dancers in the West End, and set out to find a deodorant that eradicated awkward post-show odours. They couldn't — so decided to create their own.
The deodorant balm comes in three, gender neutral scent options — that thankfully bear no resemblance to the powdery chemist-bought bottles currently in our cupboards. “Personally I can't stand the artificial scents used in generic deodorants,” says Currie. “I wanted to create really beautiful, natural fragrances that anyone would proudly wear as though it was a cologne or perfume.”
Correct. Basically, we all just want a deodorant that won’t let us down on our doses of daily exercise. Oh, and we don't want plastic. Of course we don't want plastic. Unlike traditional dispensers, Akt has chosen a recyclable metal tube to package its product.
“From day one we were determined not to use plastics in our packaging,” explains Currie. “It wasn't an easy feat. Almost every single option out there uses plastic. It's a little change of habit for consumers as they need to remember to squeeze from the bottom of the tube and roll it up!” And don't forget — you can definitely take scissors to the tube to get the last dregs out.
For a luxe touch, Currie and Coxon have also designed a Gua Sha-inspired applicator — a one-off purchase of £26. But if that’s a little out of budget, something tells me fingers work just as well.
Akt’s new deodorant line is available to purchase from aktlondon.com.
Images courtesy of Akt.
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CULTURE 25.05.19
YOU CAN NOW TOUR FRIDA KAHLO’S BLUE HOUSE FROM YOUR BEDROOM
In need of some artistic inspiration? This museum’s got you covered
It’s undeniable that Frida Kahlo is an icon. Her self-portraits are some of the most recognisable paintings of the 20th century, and, understandably, people are obsessed with her legacy. Artist, socialist and feminist icon — she’s everything we’re after in a hero. If you didn't get to see Frida Kahlo’s clothing and possessions when they were exhibited at the V&A in 2018, don't worry. If lockdown’s brought us any positives, it’s that museums across the world are opening their doors — virtually, of course.
The Museo Frida Kahlo in Coyoacán, Mexico City has created a new online tour of Casa Azul (the Blue House), where Kahlo was born, lived and died. The tour takes the form of a Google Maps-style drag-able map of the building — opening the interiors that surrounded her, and the belongings that inspired her. From artworks, oil paintings, photographs, to the brushes and paints she used to create the works — you can see it all. Literally — the tour is zoom-able and everything.
“We want visitors to have a gaze of the everyday objects that built the universe of Frida Kahlo,” says director of the Museo Frida Kahlo, Hilda Trujillo. “People can see her collections, her beloved books, toys and personal objects; visit the rooms where she lived and work, the spaces that she shared with her husband Diego, her family, her friends and many of the most interesting people of Mexico’s cultural life in the first half of the twentieth century.” It turns out Kahlo’s Blue House actually had a lot of interesting visitors. According to Trujillo, attendees included Leon Trotsky, Sergei Eisenstein, André Bretón, Nickolas Muray.
Although Kahlo died in 1954, Trujillo also believes the stories that Blue House tells are just as relevant in 2020 as they were over 65 years ago. “Today, Frida is a symbol for different social concerns,” she explains. “Kahlo is an icon of women empowerment, an inspiration because of the way she faced her own disability, an avant-garde regarding sexual freedom, and a person who decided to construct her own identity.
“She is a unique artist who developed a personal language to express her creativity. She was a liberated woman who had the capability to transform pain from the injuries of the accident she had when she was young into an original and outstanding art language. Instead of giving up, Frida was a vital person who converted her home and herself into an artwork.”
So, if you’re feeling creative — or just nosey — it’s never been easier to take a look inside Frida Kahlo’s private world.
Click here to tour Frida Kahlo’s Blue House.
Images courtesy of Museo Frida Kahlo.
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FASHION 25.05.19
CLOTHES SWAPPING GOES DIGITAL – AND FREE
Untagged’s new platform means you don't even have to spend money to get new garms
Let’s think about clothes swaps for a minute. They’re good in theory, right? But if you've ever attended one, you’ll know that they don't always live up to expectations. Sometimes, it’s the wondrous delight you imagine. Other times, it’s one dog-patterned fleece hanging on a half-collapsed clothes rail in a dusty church hall. Swings and roundabouts.
Well, there’s a new clothes sharing platform that’s set to take all the uncertainty out of the situation. Launched earlier this month, Untagged is a new fashion exchange site that allows you to swap your old clothes, for someone else’s new-to-you clothes. Sounding good? The best thing is: it’s wallet-friendly. The Untagged system is based on tokens — upload your preloved clothes to the site to receive tokens, which you can then spend on the site.
If you’re unlucky enough to be cursed with a shopping addiction this one’s for you. In fact, founder Gayle Harrison was you, before she developed Untagged. “I realised that I had a shopping problem,” she explains. “And when I was looking for a solution to it, I could find one that was right for me.” Harrison found new-wave clothing rental sites too expensive, and old-school options like eBay too time-consuming.
According to Harrison, Untagged’s token system is helping to make the world of sustainable fashion accessible to those of us on a budget. “Everybody can do this without having to spend anything,” she says. “The fact is, we've got enough stuff between us to be able to dress beautifully without having to keep buying more. We will still buy new things, but we ought to supplement with much more pre-loved than we currently do.”
I don’t know about you, but with record amounts of spare time, it’s wardrobe clear out season. Of course, save your old clothes for friends, donate to charity shops once they’re open (although I'm sure they’ll be inundated). But if you’ve got something special, and you want to get something in return, Untagged might be worth a try — just remember to wash any items you receive before wearing.
With a fully developed web app to be launched in 2021, at the moment, the site is a prototype. But don't worry, it works just fine — and if you start using now, by the time it hits the mainstream next year, you’ll be a pro. So when your friends start heralding the joys of online clothes swapping, you can just smile and say: I got there first, babe.
Browse Untagged’s online collection here.
Images courtesy of Untagged.
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