Latest news with #RainbowBar
South Wales Argus
08-06-2025
- Entertainment
- South Wales Argus
Torfaen Pride celebrated in style as hundreds brave the rain
Torfaen Pride ran on Saturday. And with more than 70 food and craft stalls, a funfair, multiple bars and two main stages full of performers, there was something for everyone! This was the event's second year and the rain couldn't keep people away. Organised by LGBTQ+ Charity Friends of Dorothy Cymru, over 5,000 came along to the jamboree. The Rainbow Bar owners 47-year-old Becky Romani and 48-year-old Keeley Baxter (Image: NQ) Becky Romani, 47, and 48-year-old Keeley Baxter run Newport lesbian cocktail business The Rainbow Bar which is based in Caerleon. Becky attended her first Pride with her 47-year-old girlfriend Kelly Devile. The trio had the following to say about today's event. Becky said: 'We are really chuffed to be here representing the LGBTQ+ community and we are very excited to be here. 'We are lesbian owned and lesbian run bar, and we are best friends and we set it up originally as a bit of a hobby and we are just enjoying life together." Girlfriends Becky Romani and Kelly Devile (Image: NQ) She added: 'There's a huge community. Just reach out. It's so important that people do. "No one should be on their own or sad. "They need to come here and see everyone is welcome.' Amy Adams is a transgender woman. The 56-year-old said: "It's something for all the community, not just LGBT. Transgender woman Amy Adams at Torfaen Pride (Image: NQ) 'I'm trans, and when you see Pride mentioned you get some people saying, 'how much is that going to cost the council?' Today the council is charging us to use the park. 'How many times do you get a free event with live music that doesn't cost people a penny and you can just turn up?' Friend's Rhi Jones 25, Shanon Charles 28 and David Parrish 28 at Torfaen Pride (Image: NQ) Rhi Jones, 25, talked about gender identity and how Pride is a safe space. She said: 'I think it's so amazing seeing so many people! I came out as pansexual and struggled with my gender identity. 'Don't listen to people who are going to be negative or try put you down. 'There are communities here if you walk and talk to someone at Pride, they will help you and be nice there's no judgement here.' They also recommended the following platform for LGBTQ+ mental health services. 'Regarding mental health platforms Melo is great. They're part of the NHS and have outlets for people who are LGBTQ+ and Trans.' Tammy Paxton Newport based Drag Queen on stage (Image: NQ) Tammy Paxton is a drag queen from Newport. The self-described "hostess with the mostest" talked about how Pride was historically a form of protest and how exciting it is for Torfaen Pride to be running once more. Tammy said: 'I preformed the first year here as the hostess with the mostest and I'm here once again to take the reins on a fantastic event. 'It's absolutely lovely to see the first time around we had such a wonderful turn out and we've got even more people here it's amazing!' Tammy Paxton Newport based Drag Queen in her dressing room (Image: NQ) Tammy added: 'One thing people forget though is that Pride is fundamentally a protest, we have to attend our Pride and it's about making the queer community feel safe and visible.' Torfaen Pride organiser Jamie Wake with a rainbow umbrella (Image: NQ) Jamie Wake, aged 47, is the key organiser behind Torfaen Pride. He said: 'The weather was touch and go but after every rainstorm there's a rainbow and it's time to shine bright today. 'Last year we had 5,000 people and today there's people everywhere and it's a free day!'
Forbes
05-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
How To Build An Unforgettable Fragrance Wardrobe This Spring
A fragrance wardrobe is a personal collection of scents that you can mix, match, layer or wear alone depending on the mood, season, or occasion. I was 14 when I first bought my very eau de toilette: Heaven by Gap. I felt all grown up, wearing a scent that I believed was a clear reflection of my adolescent identity. Since then, my preferences for fragrances have evolved to include: a fresh citrusy spritz for the summer, something heady and mysterious for nights out, and an investment cult perfume for when I want to make an entrance. It was only when I began to explore the colorful world of Maison Francis Kurkdijan that I discovered the joys and creative possibilities that cultivating a fragrance wardrobe can bring. The Discovery Set from Maison Francis Kurkdijan was my portal to the world of fragrance wardrobes. As it is in fashion, a fragrance wardrobe is a personal collection of scents that you can mix, match, layer or wear alone depending on the mood, season, or occasion. This modern and highly personalized approach to wearing perfumes or eau de toilettes allows you to create combinations that are fresh and uniquely yours. For instance, I've been layering Le Labo's Thé Noir 29 (a scent I've been wearing for the past five years) with a spritz of Bond Number One. The result: a strikingly familiar scent with a musky, delicious surprise. LE LABO Thé Noir 29 Bond Number One Eau de Parfum This Spring, consider fragrances that reinvent signature florals or bold, classic scents. Seek out the most compelling narratives that inspire enigmatic perfumes from cult favorites like 19-69 and D.S & Durga. This is also the season to celebrate your inner child with a deliciously fruity fragrance. Here, a round up of the key fragrances for Spring, Editions de Parfums Frederic Malle Portrait of a Lady Created by Dominique Ropion, Portrait of a Lady from Editions de Parfums Frederic Malle was recently repackaged into a striking red flacon to mark its 15th year. The iconic fragrance highlights the opulence of the Turkish rose as set against lush notes of amber, incense, and sandalwood. Essences of patchouli and cypress linger, highlighting the contrast between light and shadow. Rainbow Bary by 19-69 Created by cult luxury brand, 19-69, Rainbow Bar draws from 1980s glam rock counterculture. This bright and spicy scent was named after the infamous Rainbow Bar on LA's Sunset Strip. Top notes include bergamot, cypress, warwood and cardamon. At the heart of this evocative eau de parfum are accords of marine breeze, fresh basil, elemi, artemisia, grape seed, and bourbon. They are reminiscent of 'the clear blue skies, the sunshine and the warm glow that embrace the West Coast.' Rainbow Bar lingers with essences of nutmeg, vetiver, cedarwood and pimento seeds. Invisible Post by 19-69 19-69's Invisible Post was inspired by the hippie movement of 1967, known as the Summer of Love. During this time, information and ideas were shared with the community through a communication network called the Invisible Post. The playful, woody perfume echoes the exuberance of a generation that was determined to 'trash the previous generation's old values and embrace a new consciousness of freedom, sex, drugs, and rock'n'roll.' Invisible Post opens with notes of petit grain, green fig and tangerine. It then transports the olfactory senses to the vast fields of palm leaf, black currant, and cyclamen. Tonka beans and sandalwood linger. Greenpoint by Bond No. 9 Bond No. 9's Greenpoint is a classic fragrance with a playful twist. Created in collaboration with Mane Master Perfumer Claude Dir, it echoes the fashionable, part bohemian-part industrial vibe of Brooklyn's edgy maritime neighborhood: Greenpoint. Initial olfactory impressions reveal notes are made of pear, zesty bergamot, and spicy pimento leaf. At the heart, a bouquet of roses, magnolia and jasmine. Greenpoint's lingering notes include: blonde cedar, tree moss, sea amber and musk. Kurky by Maison Francis Kurkdijan French perfumer Francis Kurkdijan bottles some of his most intimate childhood memories in a bottle of Kurky. This new fragrance from the renowned maison is a fun, fruity and nostalgic call to connect with our inner child. Kurky is a tutti-fruit medley of peach, raspberry, musk and vanilla sillage that is every bit a childhood perfume–made for adults. Kurkdijan writes: 'It is an invitation to dare, to experience life through a rainbow of colors… Kurky is a scent that instantly reveals itself exactly as it is, like a big grin and a rush of positivity. ' I Don't Know What by DS & DURGA When exploring the countless possibilities of a fragrance wardrobe, begin with DS & Durga's I Don't Know What. Created as a fragrance enhancer, this clean, sparkling scent enhances notes and nuances of other perfumes. It blends bergamot with vetiver acetate, civettone, firsantol, and ambrox super. I Don't Know What can also be worn alone as a light, crisp and refreshing spritz of 'je ne sais quo.' Brown Flowers by DS & DURGA DS & Durga founders, David and Kavi Molz, present fragrances through detailed narratives accompanied by a curated Spotify playlist. The recently launched Brown Flowers, for example, presents an unexpected olfactory journey into the realm of floral scents. 'Think of it as a floral with a cool side,' says the fragrance duo. Brown Flowers embodies the modernist from the 1070s–a chic eccentric who wears jasmine (a concoction of her own) and drinks liters of French pressed coffee. The fragrance, writes the team, is a combination of 'aging vials of umber hues, weird brown orchids, coffee flowers, and dry jasmine buds littered with faded citrus peels.'
