Pretoria News Weekend 2021-08-28

Skin complexion has been an issue for many people of colour, and not just for women. And according to a new local study, men are just as likely as women to use creams for their skin complexion. Around one in eight Black, Indian and Coloured students at the University of the Western Cape (UWC) said they used skin lighteners, despite being aware of the dangers of some of the products. The study had 400 respondents from the university. Lead researcher Dr Farzana Rahiman, from the medical bioscience department, said these products are used by 10% of men and 12% of women in the study, which was published in the International Journal of Women’s Dermatology. “To my knowledge, this result (about men’s use) is one of the first to be reported…

Angelina Jolie has criticised the US for the “chaotic” withdrawal from Afghanistan. The 46-year-old actress – who has completed humanitarian work as a Special Envoy for the UN High Commissioner for Refugees – has expressed anger at the decision to withdraw American troops from the country, which has led to the Afghan government falling to the Taliban. In an op-ed for Time magazine, Angelina wrote: “Whatever your views on the war in Afghanistan, we probably agree on one thing: it should not have ended this way. “Giving up the idea of a peace agreement between the Afghan government and the Taliban, appearing to cut and run, and abandoning our allies and supporters in the most chaotic way imaginable, after so many years of effort and sacrifice, is a betrayal and…

Natalie Portman loves how her latest Miss Dior perfume ad focuses on the female character’s pleasure. The 39-year-old actress has hailed the beauty brand for making a fragrance commercial where the woman’s “expression of herself” is the focus rather than being smelled by a man. Speaking to WWD, she said of her character in the film: “It’s so much about this woman wanting to be really paying attention to her own pleasure. “You really get the sense that she wants the fragrance for herself, as an expression of herself. And I love that, because that’s really felt like a shift from the early days of fragrance ads always being about romance and, you know, someone else smelling you. With this, you get the sense that she’s enjoying her own scent.”…

Inkoo Kang The view from Professor Ji-Yoon Kim’s (Sandra Oh) glass cliff is beautiful, in a brown-brick, old-book-smell sort of way. Vivaldi trumpets on the soundtrack as the literature scholar drives into campus on a wintry, bare-branched day to start her tenure as Pembroke University’s first female chair of the English department. The stone paths and dark-wood halls she passes on the way to her spacious, lamp-lit office foreshadow the inflexibility Ji-Yoon will soon face from the administration and her colleagues, who have entrusted her to save the department from falling enrolment and soaring irrelevance, but are unwilling to do their part to ensure that any change actually takes place. Like its premise, Netflix’s The Chair, is a mix of old and new. It’s a feather-light farce with lazy…

Sacha van Niekerk sacha.vanniekerk@inl.co.za BEING a bridesmaid is a wonderful honour, but it’s about more than holding a pretty bouquet and walking down the aisle. Now that you’ve been chosen, it’s time to start preparing for what this role means. This list is your guide leading up to the big day. Pick a bridesmaid’s dress: Help shop for a dress, attend fittings and, if required, pay for your dress. This will also include doing some shopping alone – for accessories and shoes. You can wear ones you own, but they will need to be approved by the bride. The minor details can be ironed out via a group chat dedicated to all things bride and bridesmaids. Plan the bridal shower: A bridal shower party is held anywhere from a…

Gerry Cupido geraldine.cupido@inl.co.za South Africa’s “King of Couture”, designer Jacques LaGrange, celebrates 22 years of haute couture excellence. this month. Born and raised in Paarl, LaGrange’s love for fashion was inspired by his mother’s love of beautiful clothes. “I loved shopping with her. Organza, lace and ribbons. I loved the feeling of satin against my skin. “I made miniature hats and decorated them with flowers. Made earrings and doll dresses that became dresses for my sisters. I loved anything and everything creative,” added LaGrange. He was the first boy who broke all the rules by opting to take needle work and home economics during high school at Paarl Gimnasium. Even though he’s enjoyed a successful career for over two decades, the couture designer said the years have gone in a…