Posts in category: Life Style

Admitting to using AI usually elicits one of two reactions: an enthusiastic “Isn’t technology great???” or a more skeptical eye-roll from someone who dreads a future resembling the once-fictional Her.

I used to be more like the latter until last Wednesday night, when my loud neighbours decided to host a rowdy get-together at 1 a.m. What I needed was a text message script—a kinder, more socially acceptable way of saying “Can you STFU” without making our next elevator run-in super awkward. So I turned to ChatGPT as a desperate, last-ditch effort. Long story short? No more late-night noise—and we’re still on great terms.

While there’s been plenty of chatter about all the ways AI could ruin our lives (and don’t worry, we’ll get into that), this surprisingly useful moment made me wonder: Well, what else could ChatGPT be good for? Sure, I wouldn’t expect an algorithm to solve nuanced existential questions about whether to end a long-term relationship or how to finally “fix” my seasonal depression. But when it comes to uncomfortable everyday conversations, maybe, just maybe, it’s got some potential.

So being the ever-curious journalist, I decided to throw a few of my own relationship dilemmas at ChatGPT to see what kind of advice it could offer. Then, to get a sense of how solid those suggestions were, I tapped real, very qualified human therapists to evaluate them. And finally, we rated ChatGPT’s therapy on a scale of 1 to 10. Here’s where AI really showed promise in helping us navigate awkward, difficult scenarios with the right words—and where it fell short.

1. Telling a messy partner or roommate to be cleaner

Question: How do I tell my partner I want them to be a little cleaner without nagging or micro-managing?

ChatGPT answer: Hey, can we talk about something real quick? I’ve been feeling a little overwhelmed by the mess lately—it’s not a huge thing, but it’s been kind of wearing on me. I totally get that we both have different thresholds for clutter, and I’m not expecting perfection at all. But it would mean a lot to me if we could both be a bit more mindful about keeping things tidier. I think it’d make the space feel a lot nicer for both of us.

Therapist says: This response isn’t terrible, says Ciara Bogdanovic, LMFT, owner and founder at Sagebrush Psychotherapy in Los Angeles. It does a good job of acknowledging the other person’s perspective. “But it wasn’t done in a way that I think was very effective,” Bogdanovic says. For instance, the request to “be more mindful” is way too vague. “It’s difficult to get a result when you’re not being explicit and clear,” she says, suggesting you spell it out for them instead. Straight-up ask your SO to fold and put away the laundry, or make it clear you’d appreciate the dishes being done within, say, 24 hours. The more direct you are, the more likely you’ll see the change you’re hoping for.

Building muscle is more than just hitting the gym and lifting weights. It’s about smart, targeted action. Whether you’re looking to tone, strengthen, or bulk up, the right approach can help you build muscle faster and more efficiently. To accelerate your progress, consistency, precision, and proper technique are crucial. We’ve gathered top expert advice on how to optimise your workouts, nutrition, and recovery to maximise muscle growth.

Ready to take your strength to the next level? Here’s how to build muscle effectively.

#1 Focus on the area you’re working on

“First of all, choose the right disciplines and vary them. For example, yoga isn’t enough if you’re aiming to tone your legs, and running won’t strengthen your abdominal muscles like Pilates. It’s essential to work with a qualified coach who can guide you effectively. And don’t skip the protein at every meal—it’s crucial for muscle building. Take inspiration from athletes or Joseph Pilates’ methods and focus on the area you’re working on. Contract those muscles—like your glutes when you’re on all fours—for quicker, more effective results and improved body awareness.”

Julie Pujols, founder of the Pilates Booty/Colour Sculpt methods

#2 Add weights

“It’s essential to know your body well, and to know how to execute an exercise correctly to achieve your goal. Regularity is also going to be an essential ingredient. The more you strengthen your body, the more muscular you’ll become. Stop doing 35 minutes of mat work every day and opt for polyarticular exercises, mobility, stretching and gentle, deep strengthening like Pilates, for example. Add weights to challenge yourself. There’s no need to work out for one hour a day to build muscle: 20 to 25 minutes are just as good if your workout is well planned. Finally, favour disciplines that insist on breathing, hypopressives and stomach vacuum to firm up your belly properly and quickly.”

Anaïs Jazmine, founder of the BellySculpting

#3 Work deep muscles

“It’s important not to think in terms of speed, but in terms of lasting results. Once you’ve grasped this concept, I’m a firm believer in the Barre method to build muscle (especially lengthening). The opposite of the cycling or bootcamp effect. This method was developed in the 70s by an injured dancer and combines Pilates with ballet movements and postures. So you work your deep muscles, your posture and you never bulk up. I’ve been hooked since 2015.”

When A-list stars attend the Met Gala, they will often use fashion to transform into characters for the night – donning bold, theatrical ensembles that are deliberately more extravagant than their everyday style. For Kim Kardashian, however, the red carpet has always been an extension of her signature body-conscious aesthetic. Over the years, her appearances on the steps of the Metropolitan Museum of Art have served as a Leigh Bowery-esque excercise in physical enhancement.

Read more: Met Gala 2025

Kardashian’s Met Gala journey began in 2013, attending the Punk: Chaos to Couture ball while pregnant with her first child. Her now-iconic floral Givenchy gown – a high-neck, long-sleeved design complete with matching gloves – quickly went viral. “There were all these memes about me and this couch,” she told Vogue in 2019. “I cried all the way home.” At the time, the reaction stung, but in hindsight, delivered a powerful lesson: you’ve got to own it. The look remains one of the most talked-about Met Gala moments to this day.

Since then, Kardashian has continued to embrace fashion that emphasises form and figure. For the 2019 Camp: Notes on Fashion theme, she wore a custom Thierry Mugler creation made of dripping crystals and wet-look silk organza, designed to evoke Sophia Loren emerging from the sea in Boy on a Dolphin. Beneath it all, she wore a waist-cinching Mr Pearl corset so tight she was unable to sit. “I used to dream about this night,” she said at the time. “I used to sit at home on my computer looking at all the pictures of everyone, dreaming about attending a Met Ball without even believing it would happen.”

In 2021, Kardashian went viral yet again – this time in a head-to-toe black Balenciaga ensemble that covered her entire body, including her face, rendering her unrecognisable beyond her own infamous silhouette. It was a stark departure from her usual skin-baring designs. “What’s more American than a head-to-toe black look?” she said. The look was about anonymity, about being a type of cultural icon without the need to show skin or face. “At first,” she added. “I didn’t get it. ‘I can’t go to the Met and cover my face; what is my glam team going to do?’ But I trust Demna 100 percent. You have to have that trust so that even when you’re taking a big risk, you know it’ll be worth it.”

President John F Kennedy in 1962. “Nowadays everyone wears sheer dresses, but back then that was not the case,” said Kardashian. “In a sense, it’s the original naked dress. That’s why it was so shocking.” Wearing the historic dress required intense preparation, including a controversial crash diet. “I always thought she was extremely curvy. I imagined I might be smaller in some places where she was bigger and bigger in places where she was smaller. So when it didn’t fit me I wanted to cry because it can’t be altered at all.”

And then there was the 2024 Met Gala, when Kardashian appeared in an organ-bruising Maison Margiela corset that had spectators questioning whether or not she could even breathe. The waist-cinching design had been a memorable feature in John Galliano’s spring/summer 2024 couture presentation, with behind-the-scenes photographs displaying the painful welts left behind on his models’ torsos. It was an extreme measure to undergo – precipitating months of waist-training and breathing classes – for nothing more than a red-carpet photograph.

As the next Met Gala approaches, expectations for Kardashian’s look are sky-high. Revisit her best moments, here.

To find the missing links, write down your thoughts and ideas, Sag. Nope, not on your laptop or phone but by putting pen to paper – why not also intend for your guides to surround you and guide you at the same time? This simple act is extremely efficient in eliminating clutter and confusion, only helping you bring forward what is of prime importance to you. Do we hear you say, what if I forget something? Well, your angels remind you that you are safe, and what is not for you will not make its way onto your paper when you are executing this exercise.

Cosmic tip: A lenient heart is a kind one – extend it to yourself.

You wish to slip into an easier way of life, Capricorn. And this may be the time for you to simply be. Don’t think too much, just receive. You are settling karma, your tough times are behind you. And although continuously striving forward even against the odds may feel like muscle memory, this is not the time to take rough routes. Pick the most scenic path to your destination and remember your worth is not defined by how much you do. You exist and hence you are worthy.

Cosmic tip: Break free from past habits that don’t belong in your life anymore.

Moving job roles, profiles or considering a transition into a new purpose/profession, Aquarius? The only thing that works for you is creating from a relaxed mindset where there are no deadlines – but also, focused vision directs you towards what you can see deep within. You know everything is working at its own pace, so try not to push things ahead of their time and simply let the cosmos guide you forward. The more you get comfortable with who you are, the more swiftly the Universe will deliver to you what is meant for you.

Cosmic tip: You no longer need to live on scraps, go for the meatier parts of life. You deserve it.

If you are tired of mindlessly fluctuating between the ebbs and flows of life and your ‘productivity’, pause. Reflect on what you are feeling currently, and then look up the current phase of the moon. Try tracking your inner cycles with that of the moon over the next month and then validate it the following month. You will decode when you work best, when you need rest, and then you will be able to tap into your innate power of the spoken word. What you speak becomes your reality, so be mindful of the seeds you sow, and when confused, remove judgement out of the picture and go for a walk.

Cosmic tip: Understand the signs being sent your way.

Summer dressing doesn’t have to be one way or the other. You can wear lightweight straight suits like Deepika Padukone or lightweight dresses and skirts like Ananya Panday. This week’s best-dressed celebrities come to your rescue with breezy desi silhouettes and laid-back resort looks for intentional summer dressing.

Ananya Panday brought her signature Gen Z spin to Italian glamour at Lake Como for Chanel’s Resort 2025/2026 showcase. Having her fill of scenic boat rides and pasta-filled afternoons, the newly minted Indian ambassador for the house stepped up with a tiered black midi dress from Chanel’s Métiers d’Art collection. The shimmering cuffs, subtle sequin detailing, and dramatic V-neckline helped nail the fine balance between old-school couture and contemporary cool, while the functional pockets and fluid skirt fused utility and elegance in one clean stroke. All in all, la dolce vita done the Chanel way.

Kiara Advani’s recent getaway looks were a nod to comfort and nostalgia. The standout piece was her cable-knit jumper from Sandro Paris, crafted in a wool-cashmere blend and finished with red and blue stripes—the kind last seen on vintage cricket sweaters. The relaxed silhouette, V-neckline, and snug cuffs ticked all the comforting notes for the mom-in-the-making, while a woollen shawl with knotted fringe added a layer of warmth. If you are planning to unwind in laid-back luxe with some retro sport chic thrown in, take notes.

Kareena Kapoor Khan’s green kurta set, designed by Arpita Mehta, is a testament to the classic status of the straight-cut suit. The structured kurta is a regular for many celebrities thanks to the versatile offerings that it lends itself to—simple breezy cottons for everyday wear, or elevated with embroidery, sequins, and pearls for festive settings.

While Mehta’s love for butti work and sequins came through in the detailed embroidery, the one-shoulder drape of the dupatta also added to the regal appeal. Statement jhumkas from Malabar Gold & Diamonds and gold heels completed the look. For hair and makeup, the actor stayed with her signature kohl-lined eyes and soft, loose waves.

Kapoor Khan loves her straight-cut suits. Think about her red silk kurta set by Sabyasachi, featuring gold-embroidered borders that she wore for Ganesh Chaturthi. Her vibrant red bandhani dupatta and oversized danglers had set the festive mood on a regal note. Or the pristine chikankari suit by Abu Jani Sandeep Khosla fit for a summer wedding.

Ahead, we line up some of the other statements she made with the kurta set.

And that’s just the start of it. Kiernan and her team also fastidiously deliberate where, exactly, tables are placed in the dining room. It’s partially due to aesthetic reasons: the decor for the Met Gala changes every year, and therefore, the larger composition does too. Everyone needs to have a clear view of the stage, for example. And, well, perhaps not a clear view of their ex. “We try and think a lot about sight lines and where people have sat in the past. And we try to make sure someone isn’t staring into the eyes of a former flame,” Kiernan says.

It’s a task she approaches with the utmost planned precision. Perched on an easel in Vogue’s conference room is a massive foam-core board, affixed with individual velcro tabs. (The “Lilah labels” as Kiernan calls them, which are named in honour of their inventor, Vogue’s own Lilah Ramzi, are “virtually indestructible,” Kiernan says.)

Frances McDormand’s name tag peeks through from behind a plate at the 2018 Met Gala.

Photographed by Corey Tenold

The guest list of the Met Gala changes each year, which means the Met Gala seating chart does too. Yet Kiernan keeps an archive of every one she’s worked on, unintentionally creating a fascinating pop-culture archive in the process. “There have been quite a few versions of the seating charts over the years,” Kiernan says, laughing. “It’s fun for me to look back through them, to see who was invited, who was sitting next to whom, and to recall the collaborations that might have come out of that. They’re almost little time capsules of what was going on each year.”

There’s something mildly antagonistic about wearing a deep, heady perfume in the middle of an Indian summer. It’s impractical, maybe even a little masochistic, but I’ve always gravitated towards scents that carry weight. Vanilla, tonka, amber. Fragrances that announce themselves softly but firmly, that linger like the last note of a song long after the room falls silent.

But CHANEL’s CHANCE EAU SPLENDIDE, the newest addition to the house’s cult-favourite CHANCE line, caught me off guard. As CHANEL launches on Nykaa’s e-store and into select Luxe doors, I found myself facing a question I thought I’d long resolved: what does a summer scent smell like, to me?

CHANCE EAU SPLENDIDE opens with a crisp, tangy burst of raspberry, like biting into fruit that’s just come out of the fridge, perfectly chilled and full of life. It’s sparkling but not saccharine, and it immediately sets the tone: playful, yes, but with a sense of control that doesn’t dip into the juvenile. The heart blooms into rose geranium, a note that wears its floral identity lightly, cut with a minty coolness that stops it from tipping into powdery nostalgia. It feels modern, freshly snipped, almost aerodynamic.

Just when you think you’ve got the measure of it, the base reveals itself: white musk and cedar. It’s clean, but not clinical. Understated, not underwhelming. It doesn’t shout for attention, but it gets it anyway. Like slipping on a white satin shirt that somehow fits just right.

This is what surprised me: CHANCE EAU SPLENDIDE isn’t trying to dazzle. It’s not aiming to be sexy or quirky or trend-chasing. It simply is. A fragrance that meets you where you are, and then subtly elevates the moment. It doesn’t layer itself over your identity, it syncs with it.

And it thrives in heat. Fragrance behaves differently in summer, especially the kind we know in India. Notes bloom faster, wear longer and move farther. Heat amplifies top notes like raspberry, making them feel even juicier and more effervescent. On warm skin, the rose geranium sharpens just a little, like the edge of a well-pressed pleat. Even the white musk feels less like a base note and more like skin after sun. Clean, warm and intimate.

In case you didn’t know, Sonam Kapoor’s love for the Lady Dior bags goes back to her film Aisha (2010), where her character carried versions of the carry-all. So when she was named the Indian ambassador for Dior, the moment came full circle for her. But her closet isn’t limited to the iconic bag, from D-Journey to Linen Totes—her collection is exhaustive. As she headlines our May-June cover, we round up all the times Sonam Kapoor has worn the brand’s signature pieces, along with special appearances from other luxury brands like Valentino, Bottega Veneta and Tod’s back in the day.

D-Journey

Kapoor styled her all-white pantsuit with sleek, straight hair and natural makeup. She elevated her look with Dior’s D-Journey bag from their Spring/Summer 2025 collection.

Lady Dior

Good news about finances, good news about your emotional relationships, good news about new adventures – sounds perfect, Sag. embark on enthralling journeys within your heart and in your life saying yes to all that sits well within your core. Your independence and confidence are the main plugs that keep things in place – so cherish this as it deserves to be. If you want to do something more challenging, go out there and make it happen.

Cosmic tip: Learn. Explore. Execute.

The more you tighten your grip, the more you push yourself in a dingy dark place of lack and unfulfillment. Capricorn, your ideas and visions are beyond your current timeline but this doesn’t mean they are not possible. You may simply need to consider all you have at hand and make the most of what is available to get to the next step. It is not your resources that need to shift, it is the energy you pour into making optimal use of the resources you already have. In the long term, it will all work out, as long as you hold your ground, fuse work and play while being fierce and gentle at the same time.

Cosmic tip: It’s time to focus on establishing a structure to the current chaos to get things moving.

New contracts, collabs, leads and much more awaits you. You may be at the cusp of beginning something new with someone more experienced or this could also be indicative of an inner maturing and wisdom that is guiding you forward. Yes, it may seem like a lot to handle, but it is not impossible to see things through. Time is of essence and you must look for creative ways to settle in, pick momentum and perhaps even brainstorm. Aquarius, this is not happening to you. It is all coming together for you.

Cosmic tip: Open up your eyes and heart to the endless possibilities.

Your life doesn’t need you to have a non stop work approach, Pisces. What it needs is for you to open yourself up to connection, take the time and make the space to have more going on than just the essential to do lists. We don’t mean you need to extend yourself further than you already have. What this means is that you carve out time and space for things that help you unwind, people that lift you up and you will notice that opportunities simply begin to flow. Align your life, declutter your mind and watch seeds for long term growth sprout.

Cosmic tip: What is not aligned must change.