Beauty

Batsheva Hay and Régime des Fleurs Collaborate on a Limited-Edition Perfume

Designer Batsheva Hay bottles her madcap sensibility with a new fragrance collaboration with Régime des Fleurs….

You can tell a lot about a person’s life from their fragrance history, and New York–based lawyer turned designer Batsheva Hay has already left quite a trail. Sweet orange blossom from Cacharel’s original eau de parfum scented much of her childhood growing up in Queens, and to this day, even a slight whiff of patchouli brings her back to Palo Alto, California, where she used to buy the earthy oil from a local farmers market as a Grateful Dead–loving undergrad at Stanford University.

Now 39 and in full command of her eponymous four-year-old brand dedicated to frilly, one-off frocks torn from the pages of Laura Ingalls Wilder, Hay is at something of an olfactory impasse. “I’m not afraid of a strong scent, but it’s been tricky for me to find one that’s exactly right,” she reveals of the impetus behind her new collaboration with the conceptual perfume house Régime des Fleurs, which translates Hay’s madcap, more-is-more approach to fashion into a maximalist’s fragrance fever dream.

“I was surprised that she really likes perfume—and that she likes so many different kinds that are totally unrelated,” admits Régime founder and creative director Alia Raza, who, after meeting Hay through friends five years ago, took her on a research trip to the perfume department at Barneys’ now-shuttered Madison Avenue flagship. “It felt like going into a fabric store and picking swatches,” Hay says of the creative process. But instead of calico prints and vintage gingham, Raza worked with smoky bergamot and a surprising water-lily note for an ethereal, aquatic quality.

“There had to be some unpredictable aspect to it,” muses Raza, who purposely shied away from the more obvious fruity floral notes that you might expect from Hay—the woman who has almost single-handedly made “cottagecore” a mainstay on red carpets and Instagram feeds, helped along by a lengthy list of supportive indie darlings and rock icons. (Courtney Love is a loyal fan.) Instead, the fragrance leans heavily on a leather-laced, heady nostalgia that reminds Hay of draping herself in her mother’s clothes and jewelry as a young girl. Her signature florals have their moment via a limited-edition custom-designed printed-glass flacon that arrives in a keepsake pouch made from a matching cotton fabric. “I love how there’s a romance to Batsheva’s clothes but also a lot of mystery when you wear them because you’re all covered up,” Raza says of Hay’s modest cuts. The look is “layered and complex,” she continues—and now atomized.

pEach perfume can come with a matching pouch featuring a custom floral pattern designed by Hay. p — Each perfume can come with a matching pouch, featuring a custom floral pattern designed by Hay.
Photo: Courtesy of Batsheva Hay

Régime des Fleurs Batsheva Eau de Parfum, $245, is available at regimedesfleurs.com

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Celebrity

Lizzo’s Bold Transformation and Powerful Message Ignite Fan Debate

Grammy winner Lizzo is back in the spotlight this time, not for her music, but for a new chapter on a different path in her life. The “About Damn Time” singer sparked a flurry of comments when she took to Instagram over the weekend, showing off a noticeably trimmer figure. But she wasn’t just turning heads with her transformation. It was the statement she made alongside it.

In the clip, Lizzo spray-painting the words “Bye B####” across the cover of her Special album felt like a bold yet symbolic move. Alongside the clip, she wrote, “End of an era.” The four words reverberated across social media, leaving fans and critics alike wondering. What era was coming to a close, and what’s next?

Lizzo’s body positivity and self-love advocacy have long been central themes of her work, which makes this moment all the more provocative. Several fans lauded her evolution, viewing it as a sign of natural maturation. Others were unsettled, wondering if her transformation changed the message she had long promoted.

Social media erupted in response. Some commended her for calling her own shots in a changing era, while others debated whether this decision was consistent with the fearless body-acceptance philosophy she had long personified.

The Special era was a watershed moment for Lizzo, cementing her place among the industry’s heavy hitters. From songs of self-empowerment to adrenaline-infused performances, she clearly illustrated that confidence isn’t about a stain on a scale. It’s about knowing who you are. By spray-painting the album cover, she appears to be closing a chapter to clear the way for something else.

Artists evolve. As musicians do, Lizzo is trying her skills out on fresh sounds; her evolution physically, emotionally, and artistically is hers to narrate. Whether this moment is a rebrand, a shift in perspective, or an artistic expression, one thing is certain: Lizzo is fully owning being Lizzo.

With an “end of an era” declaration, fans eagerly wonder what comes next. Will she bring in a new sound? A new way to think about body image? An utterly wild card project? If Lizzo has a specialty, it’s ensuring that the world never knows what to expect.

Whether you love, hate, or celebrate it, her latest move shows she still owns her narrative and is not afraid to rattle the bones.

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Celebrity

Kendrick Lamar’s “Not Like Us” Dominates Spotify’s Global Chart for Ninth Consecutive Day

Kendrick Lamar’s powerhouse hit “Not Like Us,” is showing no signs of slowing, spending its ninth consecutive day atop Spotify’s Global Chart. The track, which debuted on top on the strength of dethroning The Weeknd and SZA, shows no signs of losing momentum. Lamar’s blistering anthem has fended off all challengers, racking up 11.4 million streams this week alone, despite fresh competition from Drake and PartyNextDoor’s new album, $ome $exy $ongs 4 U.

This newest milestone only enhances the song’s already historic run. Before this week, “Not Like Us” spent two weeks at the top of the Billboard Hot 100 and a record 20 weeks at No. 1 on the Hot Rap Songs chart. The track also solidified its legacy on Spotify’s Billions Club, crossing a billion streams on the platform earlier this month.

The series, it turns out, has also been involved in a legal battle that continues to roil the industry, beyond its streaming success. (A Model Company)/Duckwrth With Allure Records, Drake Accuses UMG of Defamation, Alleges Payola Tactics at His Expense Previously, Drake Filed a Federal Lawsuit Against UMG Earlier This Year Drake Filed a Federal Defamation Lawsuit Against The Label This Year (image) Drake filed a federal lawsuit against Universal Music Group (UMG) the label that allegedly used payola tactics at his expense. UMG has vigorously denied the accusations, which adds an extra layer of intrigue to the current feud between the two rap titans.

K. Dot, you’ve done it again, and with “Not Like Us” still topping the charts and making headlines, your influence in the music world is as formidable as ever. Whether it’s record-shattering streaming figures, contentious rivalries, or cultural relevance, one thing is for sure this song isn’t leaving the chat anytime soon.

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