Love Island fans are left in hysterics as Yasmin takes a savage swipe at Dejon in Snog, Marry, Pie challenge as they declare 'give her the 50k now!'
Dejon Noel Williams
NAME: Dejon Noel Williams
AGE: 26
FROM: London
OCCUPATION: Semi-pro footballer and personal trainer
WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FOR? Someone who is beautiful on the inside and out, looks after themselves and is healthy
CLAIM TO FAME? My dad being an ex-professional footballer. I've met all kinds of famous people through him. When I was younger it was weird because he was just my dad, but we'd go to a game and fans were asking for photos. I've met David Beckham, he was really nice.
Megan Moore
NAME: Megan Moore
AGE: 25
FROM: Southampton
OCCUPATION: Payroll specialist
WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FOR? I'd like to meet someone who is tall, with a nice tan, nice eyes and a nice smile. He needs to have a good fashion sense and a really good, funny personality that I can get on with
HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR LOVE LIFE? Bankrupt, right now. But we're going to make sales and get on that corporate ladder and be booming. Profits, profits, profits!
Tommy Bradley
NAME: Tommy Bradley
AGE: 22
FROM: Hertfordshire
OCCUPATION: Landscape Gardener
WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FOR? A girl who is very ambitious, with a big personality, caring, but also someone that doesn't take themselves too seriously. I don't know if that's asking for too much, but I want a bit of everything. I haven't got a specific type in terms of looks, though.
WHAT WOULD YOU BE CEO OF? Taking hours to do my hair
Alima Gagio
NAME: Alima Gagio
AGE: 23
FROM: Glasgow
OCCUPATION: Wealth Management Client Services Executive
WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FOR? A tall man with a handsome face. You know when you just look at a guy and they have that Disney prince look to them? That's it
WOULD MAYA HIRE YOU FOR YOUR FLIRTING SKILLS? I think she'd hire me because I'm a good flirt. I always ask guys on a night out to guess which country I'm originally from. If they get it right, they can get my number.
But they never guess correctly so it works really well if you don't want to give a guy your number. I'm originally from Guinea Bissau. If they're close and I really fancy them, I'll give them my number anyway.
Ben Holbrough
NAME: Ben Holbrough
AGE: 23
FROM: Gloucester
OCCUPATION: Private Hire Taxi driver
WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FOR? Someone sexy, good looking, good chat, good vibes, nice teeth and good eye contact - they're all the traits I look for. Oh, and also a cute smile, I just look at you and know I can be around you all day, every day.
HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR LOVE LIFE? Bankrupt. I'd have been out of business a long time ago. That's exactly why I'm here.
Helena Ford
NAME: Helena Ford
AGE: 29
FROM: London
OCCUPATION: Cabin Crew
WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FOR? Somebody funny or Northern. I feel like Northern people have much more banter than Southerners. If you look through my previous dating history, you'll see I clearly go for personality. You can pretty much laugh me into bed.
WOULD MAYA HIRE YOU FOR YOUR FLIRTING SKILLS? I would say hire but then quickly fire soon after. It would only be a temporary contract.
Shakira Khan
NAME: Shakira Khan
AGE: 26
FROM: London
OCCUPATION: Construction Project Manager
WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FOR? Someone who is tall, charming, witty, with big arms, a good smile and just really funny.
HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR LOVE LIFE? Booming, but they're all frogs. It's a busy love life but I've not found 'the husband', I'm looking for 'the one'. I'm looking for the ring.
Harry Cooksley
NAME: Harry Cooksley
AGE: 30
FROM: Guildford
OCCUPATION: Gold trader, semi-professional footballer and model
WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FOR? The girl next door that makes me laugh and can hold eye contact with me. I don't think I'd go for the most obvious girl, I like a real sweet girl.
CLAIM TO FAME? I'm the body double for Declan Rice. So when he does a shoot, any body close ups will actually be me. You'll never see my face, but you'll see my shoulder or chest, that kind of thing.
Conor Phillips
NAME: Conor Phillips
AGE: 23
FROM: Limerick
OCCUPATION: Professional rugby player
WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FOR?Someone who is really sure of themselves, ambitious, a bit of a go-getter and good craic. I like dark eyes and I don't mind a dominant woman.
WOULD MAYA HIRE YOU FOR YOUR FLIRTING SKILLS? Definitely hire. I ask girls if they want to go halves on a baby. It doesn't work, but it gets them laughing. It's an ice-breaker, not a serious question of course!
Toni Laites
NAME: Toni Laites
AGE: 24
FROM: Connecticut
OCCUPATION: Las Vegas Pool Cabana Server
WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FOR? I'm looking for darker hair, definitely muscular but not too muscular. Super fit. Clean hair cut. Someone that can make me laugh - I'm super outgoing. And someone that's quite active. Maybe one day we could start our own family together.
I WANT TO DATE A BRITISH GUY BECAUSE... I've lived in three different states and I'm still single. It's time to try something new! I have some British friends and they're pretty charming. I think all Americans love a good accent. British men are just more polite, with better manners.
Yasmin
NAME: Yasmin Pettet
AGE: 24
FROM: London
OCCUPATION: Commercial Banking Executive
WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FOR? I'm looking for a guy who is fit, has a nice body and who is funny with a bit of banter.
WHAT'S YOUR BIGGEST ICK? A guy that's stingy.
Emily
NAME: Emily Moran
AGE: 24
FROM: Aberdare
OCCUPATION: Insurance Development Executive
WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FOR? Someone with emotional intelligence for one. Someone who is really confident but not cocky. They can hold a room, communicate… oh, and biceps!
WHAT'S YOUR BIGGEST ICK? Bad manners, being rude, not saying please and thank you. I'd rather someone be overly polite than not say it at all.
Harrison
NAME: Harrison
AGE: 22
OCCUPATION: US college soccer player and student
WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FOR? Personality is a big thing, so it depends who I vibe with in there.
WHAT'S YOUR BIGGEST ICK? I don't like it when girls have celebrity crushes. If I'm with a girl I want them to have eyes for me, not talking about another guy when we're watching a film, ha!
Giorgio
NAME: Giorgio
AGE: 30
OCCUPATION: Account manager
HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT BEING A BOMBSHELL? I'm excited, it's given me a really good opportunity to look at things from the outside so I know what I'm going in for.
WHAT'S YOUR BIGGEST ICK? Chewing loudly!
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The Sun
an hour ago
- The Sun
M&S' new £3.80 picnic snack is even better than their £5.50 cult buy & here's more picky bits we guarantee will be a hit
WITH summer in full swing and the weather heating up, there's no better time to stock up on picky bits. And luckily for foodies, M&S have really come through with a new selection of snacks that are perfect for warm days. 6 6 6 6 So if you can't be bothered to cook dinner tonight and aren't sure what to buy that will leave you feeling satisfied, look no further. Not only has the new M&S Strawberry Sandwich proved a hit with many, but now, social media users are scrambling to get their hands on the brand-new viral crisps and dips which start at just £3. Following on from their previous viral dips, which included sell-out flavours - New York Deli Pastrami Dip, Chicken Caesar Dip and the Whipped Herby Greek Feta Dip - M&S have now added some new must-try versions to their fridges - and they are sure to get your mouth watering. Shoppers can now tuck into the Chicken Shawarma and Cheesy Ploughman's Dip, both of which are advertised as perfect for 'park days, picky teas and picnic vibes.' Here, Fabulous' Senior Writer Abby Wilson, a self-proclaimed M&S superfan, managed to fill her basket not only with the new delicious dips, but also a selection of other unmissable savoury winners. So if you can't decide which buys you should nab or leave on the shelf, you'll need to listen up, as this foodie shares her honest thoughts… M&S not only sell over 70million pots of nibbles and dips every year, but have since received the title of "the undisputed home of picky bits" and I can certainly see why. Calling all dip lovers - if you can't get enough of crisps and dips and are on the hunt for a new snack that's bound to go down a treat this summer, M&S have got you covered. I have one very simple word to describe the two new loaded dips - unreal. The Topped Chicken Shawarma Dip is spiced, creamy and succulent, while the Topped Ploughman's Dip is a yummy statement on a British favourite. I'm a die-hard Aldi shopper but I trialled M&S for a week, I was so surprised, I'll definitely be back Both of which are £3.50 and are certainly worth the cash - you can expect unique and unmissable flavours in dips you've never seen before on the high street. While the Chicken Shawarma dip contains marinated pulled chicken and tangy pickled red onions, the Ploughman's buy is full of chutney, tender pulled ham hock and crunchy silverskin onions. Not only are they great with crisps, but they're so good they could even work as a sandwich filler too. And it's not just loaded dips that M&S have nailed this season - there's also a collection of other dips that are spot on too. The Extra Smooth Houmous is just £3 and is one of the nicest I've tried - it's simple but packed with flavour and very smooth. Meanwhile, the Middle Eastern-inspired Labneh Dip has a vibrant basil and mint dressing and is crafted with creamy strained yoghurt. It's brilliant with breadsticks and is almost too good - so if you're trying to watch your waistline, buy it at your own risk. Another dip that gets a solid thumbs up from me is the Roasted Red Pepper and Walnut Dip. It's quite similar to M&S ' other new dip - the Roasted Red Pepper and Aubergine Dip (both of which are £3.50 each) - but the walnut version takes the top spot thanks to its rich, nutty flavour. And if you want crunchy crisps that not only scream luxury but will pair perfectly with these dips, M&S have got you sorted. While I wasn't a fan of the Extra Virgin Olive Oil Crisps with Serrano Ham, the Extra Virgin Olive Oil Crisps with Black Truffle are delicious. They have a strong taste of truffle but are not too overpowering, and get a solid 10/10 rating from me. The crisps are also available in Mediterranean Sea Salt, which have a pretty average taste but I believe will be a crowd-pleaser. The crisps are all £3.75 a bag, so they're certainly not cheap, but they're said to contain 'exceptional-quality potatoes', which ensure delicate, golden crisps, that are great for dipping (or dunking in my case.) Next up in the chain's new summer snack selection are the Mature Cheddar and Marmite Sausage Rolls. I was so surprised by these - I'm not a fan of Marmite, but these are truly phenomenal. The cheesy flavour is out of this world and the sausage isn't gristly like many supermarket sausage rolls often can be. They're so good I scoffed one in a matter of seconds, but could easily eat the whole pack in just a few minutes - and at £3.80, while they're not that purse-friendly, they're certainly worth every penny. As well as tasting divine, if you ask me they're actually better than the cult favourite 'Best Ever Sausage Roll', which is also from M&S and sets shoppers back an eye-watering £5.50. But the M&S deluxe picky bits don't stop there - shoppers can also nab the new M&S Grilled Turkish Green Olives and the Spanish Mini Fuet (a type of pork sausage) and Cheese. They're tasty but both pretty basic and I'm not totally convinced I can say they're worth £4 and £3.90 each. Meanwhile, the Dressed Giant Butterbeans is a random idea but it definitely works. If you hate parmesan and can't stand garlic then these aren't for you, but if you want something that's rich and perfect paired on a platter with pork pies and cold cuts of meat, this £3.90 should go straight in your basket. But you'll need to move fast if you want to stock up on these picky bits, as like all M&S finds, once they go viral on TikTok, they're sure to sell out quickly. Unlock even more award-winning articles as The Sun launches brand new membership programme - Sun Club 6 6
The Guardian
an hour ago
- The Guardian
‘Smellmaxxing' and ‘frag heads': how the gen Z perfume boom came up roses for indie brands
'Will the girl who I just met at the perfume store please comment the perfume you recommended,' wrote Chappell Roan on Instagram last month. 'You said it smelled like lipstick.' The post went viral and the scent – Girl of the Year by the Los Angeles perfume house Thin Wild Mercury – instantly sold out. It's hard to think of a more appropriate perfume for the performer. The house describes it as having 'top notes of lipstick and incense; middle notes of 'smoker's leather jacket' and a base of sandalwood, orris root and vintage fur'. The brand – whose name is culled from a Bob Dylan quote – is one of a growing set of perfumers reinventing scent for new fragrance fans. Like bedroom DJs or T-shirt screen-printers before them, they're changing the culture of an established industry. The global fragrance market is the biggest it has ever been and still growing; it is set to generate revenue of about £45bn in 2025, according to Statista. The UK market alone reached £1.74bn in 2024 and, if growth continues apace, will top £2bn by 2029 according to a 2024 Mintel report. This growth is driven by gen Z and millennials, who have formed a unique relationship with fragrance due to social media and Covid isolation – PerfumeTok drove 45% of social media scent sales in the US by 2023. Instead of a dab behind the ear, they prefer scent layering – wearing two or more perfumes at the same time – and scent wardrobing (matching fragrances to different occasions). Eighty-three per cent of gen Z wear fragrance as often as three times a week, according to a recent report by Circana. Perfume took off, somewhat unexpectedly, during lockdown, says Suzy Nightingale of the podcast On the Scent. 'It was expected the fragrance market would fall, but it boomed,' says Nightingale, an award-winning perfume blogger. 'People discovered they could punctuate their day with moments of difference – travel with their noses, revel in nostalgia or excite their senses with novelty. I think that was when people realised it's not about 'attracting a partner' or having a signature scent – if it ever was. It's donning an invisible cloak of protection, empowering yourself.' Successful perfume influencers play a key role in the storytelling side of these products. Theatrical and charismatic TikTokkers such as @professorperfume and @jeremyfragrance explain new scents so vividly that their followers sometimes buy without smelling the perfume first. They spin tales of the weird girls and confident boys who wear these scents; PerfumeTok influences 66% of gen Z purchases. Teenage boys have become surprising cognoscenti when it comes to luxury aftershave. The TikTok term for scent layering in this age group is 'smellmaxxing', a buzzword that became so prevalent that the New York Times defined it last year as a 'term for enhancing one's musk'. According to a 2025 US trend report by Piper Sandler, teenagers are spending more money across beauty categories in general, but fragrance has grown the most – up 22% year on year. On a recent visit to Bloom Perfumery, a boutique selling independent and niche fragrances in the UK, I watched a boy who couldn't have been older than 16 chat about cologne with an assistant twice his age with a genuinely inspiring level of passion and sophistication, beaming through his braces as he discussed smoky notes. 'There's been a lot of pearl-clutching commentary worrying about how much [teenagers] spend,' says Nightingale. 'But if you actually bother to talk to the younger generations thronging the halls of perfumeries from Boots to the Black Hall of Harrods, you discover they're saving their pocket money – sometimes for years – and taking on part-time jobs to explore scent.' While previous generations were satisfied with scent juggernauts such as CK One, Le Male, Poison or Opium, an emerging group of 'frag heads' wants more. The idea of personalising your scent – smellmaxxing or scent layering – is key for them. Still, what 16-year-old can afford to layer a £90 Loewe scent with something marginally cheaper from Armani – and to that end, how did such expensive scents become the norm? As luxury scents boomed post-pandemic, so too did dupes – replicas of designer products. Offering luxury style at low prices, dupes feel more Robin Hood than guilty secret. Some new brands got their start providing vegan or cruelty-free alternatives to blockbuster fragrances, notably Eden Perfumes, a family-run business in Brighton now lauded for its own scents as much as its knockoffs. Meanwhile, the high street stepped up to do what it does best: producing designer style at affordable prices. The Zara perfume counter is currently the place to go if you want to smell like a million dollars for less than £20. While logos and bottle designs are easy to trademark, you cannot trademark a scent nor patent a perfume recipe under UK law. Some dupes can be poorer quality than luxury brands, but they're safe as long as you use common sense. A trusted retailer will follow safety standards; an unknown one may not be as stringent. Sign up to Fashion Statement Style, with substance: what's really trending this week, a roundup of the best fashion journalism and your wardrobe dilemmas solved after newsletter promotion As well as dupes, 'niche perfumes' gained traction. While cosmetics giants such as Coty, Guerlain and Estée Lauder have dominated since the early 20th century, independent pioneers appeared who followed their instincts and taste rather than market research. Brands such as Le Labo, Sol de Janeiro and Byredo changed the game – Le Labo's Santal 33 was the fashion circle's signature scent and a Santal 26 candle appeared in Beyoncé's Lemonade film in 2016. Victoria Beckham and Sienna Miller namechecked Byredo as their favourite perfumer. It is no wonder these brands have now been snapped up by LVMH and other conglomerates. More indie scents launched after lockdown, including complicated and counterintuitive fragrances. The idea of perfume as confrontational, confusing art grew. The Canadian brand Zoologist found fame for its award-winning Bee scent (notes of ginger syrup, royal jelly and broom) in 2020, as did Inexcusable Evil by the Romanian perfumer Toskovat, with its bouquet of bandages, blood and burnt flowers. This year brings Silver Haze from Alloy Studio, which evokes 'a backseat smoke session' and has notes of cannabis, chocolate powder and strawberries. Food-inspired fragrances are the latest perfume craze with scents like pretzels and cherries finding favour. Some fans went deep, obsessing over process, rarity or a unique note in a scent, discussing them like oenophiles on Reddit and dedicated scent chatrooms. Some turned to DIY, using Sam Macer's YouTube channel and forums such as Basenotes to swap tips on sourcing ingredients and aroma combinations. For a few, the hobby became a side hustle and finally a career. Indie companies looked to creators who had taught themselves to blend new scents. As the industry traditionally requires a chemistry degree, a spell at a (preferably French) perfume school – such as ISIPCA in Versailles – then an apprenticeship at a fragrance house, this influx of new blood has been a huge shakeup. You can buy perfume ingredients such as fixatives, solvents and scent compounds online, so, like microbrewers and bakers before them, self-taught perfumers simply got stuck in. 'There's a definite sense of punk-rock impresarios to some indie brands,' says Nightingale. 'Not tied up in shareholders' opinions and having to panel-test everything so that it's acceptable rather than exciting.' At a time when beauty conglomerates are turning to AI and science for new scents, it's refreshing to find gatecrashers at the party. The Spanish company Puig used 45m brain readings from men aged 18-35 to finesse the ingredients of the cologne Phantom by Paco Rabanne before its 2021launch – the result was a commercial bestseller. Independent perfumers can bring a bit more imagination to the process. The British scent company Earl of East recently collaborated with the musician Bon Iver, who they asked to do a blind smell test, then used his answers to create a custom scent inspired by his latest album. The resulting range of mood mists and candles instantly sold out. The creation process for the two products couldn't be more different, but the world smells better because both of them exist. Paul Firmin, a co-founder of Earl of East, thinks the lack of formal education behind the brand is a strength. It started as a hobby and a market stall but is now stocked globally. It holds workshops for customers who want to make their own perfumes. 'We've worked hard to demystify scent, encouraging people to engage with it in a way that feels personal rather than intimidating,' says Firmin. 'Removing outdated boundaries – like the idea that scent should be tied to gender – has also opened up the space. That distinction was a ridiculous concept in the first place.' Another autodidact is Maya Njie, a Swedish-born, UK-based perfumer, who started her fragrance house in 2016. While studying surface design at the University of Arts London, Njie got sidetracked. 'I was exploring storytelling through photography, print and pattern and I began incorporating scent.' She was inspired by family photo albums; holiday snaps of Gambian beaches led to her perfume Tropica, which combines sea salt, pineapple and coconut. 'Being self-taught has given me the freedom to approach perfumery from an artistic and instinctive place,' she says. 'I can do this as the brand owner as I'm only working to my own brief.' Nightingale wishes the new indies of perfume received more support from the industry. 'I see so many tiny brands fall by the wayside. I'd love to see retailers celebrate them more – giving them shelf room among the big corporate-owned names.' Cathleen Cardinali, co-founder of Thin Wild Mercury, found that nothing beats word of mouth. As she posted on social media after Roan's viral message: '[Our] customers went crazy tagging us in an international pop superstar's Instagram because they were so excited by the notion that she might like their favourite little indie perfume brand.' If you're looking for the smell of lipstick, sun cream from a day at the beach, smoking in a car, or have some other olfactory fantasy, this new generation of self-taught perfumers are waiting to play it out for you.
BreakingNews.ie
an hour ago
- BreakingNews.ie
Gallagher brothers on special edition Big Issue covers ahead of Oasis shows
The Big Issue is featuring the Gallagher brothers in two special editions of the magazine this week ahead of their upcoming reunion tour. Two special edition covers, each featuring either Liam or Noel Gallagher, will be on sale from Monday, including a complete retrospective on the history of Oasis, with interviews and contributions from those who have photographed, promoted and created sleeve art for the band over the years. Advertisement In addition, there is a collection of Liam and Noel's best Big Issue interviews. The publication has spoken to photographer Kevin Cummins, who captured the big moments, including both cover images, as the band blazed a trail through the 1990s. Commenting on an early session, Cummins said: 'That's a particular favourite really. If I was their mum, I'd love that session. I'd say: 'Oh, that's a really lovely picture of you two.' 'Plus they look like they like each other. Which of course, they do, but you know… you spend too long with your brother… I can understand all that really easily.' Advertisement Oasis have reunited for a tour (Zak Hussein/PA) A limited run of 10 collector's copies, signed by Kevin Cummins, will be available from the Big Issue Shop, with proceeds supporting Big Issue's work to end poverty in the UK. The long-awaited Oasis Live '25 tour kicks off in Cardiff on July 4 before a run of shows in London, Manchester, Edinburgh and Dublin. Paul McNamee, UK Editor of the Big Issue, said: 'These covers are a celebration of a band that defined a generation. Over the years Big Issue has been with them, as a band and solo. Our interviews provide incredible insights to the Oasis story. 'The Gallagher rivalry is part of the story, but the music is key. That said, we're keen to see which side Big Issue readers pick. Advertisement 'Don't miss out – choose your side. Or go for both! The Big Issue will always be here showing to spotlight cultural forces.'
