From the Group Chat: Papal Conclave Meme Madness, Caveman Skincare, and "Poker Face"

EDITOR’S NOTE

Happy Sunday and Happy Mother’s Day (hi, mom). We did it, people. One Met Gala and one conclave in the same week — and we lived to tell the tale. Was it a distraction from my actual to-do list? Absolutely. But it also was an excuse to explore every corner of Peak Internet™. Not that I needed an excuse…but here’s what I discovered:

• The ultimate cool-girl shoe for anyone (read: me) who refuses to show their toes, no matter the season. New Yorkers, you get it.

• “Gen Z’s Favorite DIY Denim Trend” is surprisingly wearable and Gigi Hadid-approved. 

• Khloé Kardashian’s kitchen pantry is even more unhinged than I remember — and yes, that’s a compliment. 

• Not only are we allowed to wear black all summer, there’s even a chic way to do it without overheating. 

• Apparently, we should all be gearing up for “GTFO Summer.” Interpret at will. (Mom, I think this means you and I should take a vacation.)

— Alex Carr / Editorial Director / Brooklyn, NY

💍 Is getting engaged…basic? Given the recent wave of “quiet proposals,” we’d guess yes.

👀 The hottest sandal of the summer is one part Teva, one part yacht rope, all chaos.

😬 Gen Z’s latest act of fashion anarchy? Bermuda shorts. With biker boots. 

🙏 Good news, millennials: The pants that were once your entire personality in college are now back.

Fellow literal laymen, the “Pope Games” have ended. The first-ever American pontiff has entered the villa (sorry, Vatican). So, let us give thanks to the internet for blessing our algorithms with days of Succession-level scheming, sacrilegious stan behavior, and profoundly unserious takes on the papal conclave. Inside the window-covered Sistine Chapel, it was all solemn vows and spiritual discernment as the 133 red-robed cardinals gathered for a process more secretive than a Kardashian pregnancy to elect the next leader of the Catholic Church. Their phones? Confiscated. The room? Bug-checked. The vibes? Holy. But outside — or, more correctly, online — it was total chaos. Not since Fleabag’s Hot Priest has the internet gone so hard for a cassocked king. Think: K-pop-style fancams of favorite cardinals (two words: “Tagle core”), betting pools hotter than March Madness, hilarious “Pope Games” rankings (finally, a good use for AI), and the crowning of Pope Crave as the definitive papal meme account (*slow clap* for this one). Even the Vatican seagulls — who posted up on the Sistine Chapel roof — got their 15 minutes. 

Of course, the frenzy may have been turbocharged thanks in part to the Oscar-nominated Conclave, which gave the world — and, reportedly, some cardinals — a crash course in papal protocol. But even with two hours of Ralph Fiennes furrowing his forehead, we naturally still have questions about what went down during the World’s Most Exclusive Sleepover. Namely: What were they doing — besides, uh, “raw-dogging” it (as one anchor awkwardly put it) — during their downtime? Cardinal Timothy M. Dolan reportedly brought his Michelangelo biography, but surely someone packed a copy of Mel Robbins’s The Let Them Theory. Did Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa (not a typo) whip up some late-night pies? Was there an “Imagine” sing-along? (We know at least one of them knows all the lyrics.) It’s safe to say we’ll probably never really know, but consider our souls stirred — and our For You Pages full.

After the morning shed, it seemed a more extreme skincare routine was not possible. Not so. Enter: the “caveman method,” which involves doing nothing to your skin. No picking. No touching. No tools. No products. Not even a splash of water. While the no-routine routine has existed since, technically speaking, the Stone Age, it’s having a modern resurgence on — you guessed it — TikTok. Leading the charge? Influencer Tia Zakher, who started documenting her experience and visible skin changes (including flakiness, discoloration, and a scaly texture) in viral videos that have racked up millions of views, comments, and, yes, questions. Now, before you toss your entire bathroom cabinet, we should probably tell you that derms are not on board with this ultra-minimalist regimen. Because while your skin might appreciate the occasional break, experts warn that skipping cleanser can lead to a build up of oil and dirt. And ditching SPF? Well, that’s a recipe for sun damage. Which is all to say: We’ve come a long way since the Flintstones.

Call it a Met Gala miracle: Rihanna and Ciara hugged it out and buried the hatchet like that legendary Twitter spat never happened.

Gap Linen-Blend Easy Wide-Hem Pants

Caroline, Senior Commerce Editor, here. In case you needed more evidence that the Gapaissance is alive and well, allow me to introduce you to the brand’s linen line — specifically,  these wide-leg pants, which are quickly becoming the crowning glory in my everyday wardrobe. Not only do I like that the slouchy silhouette pairs well with fitted tanks and sandals, but I also think they look quite expensive, despite the under-$100 price tag. I have them in both brown and black (wearing white linen in the city is a fool’s errand) and I was pleasantly surprised that even the darker shades are still perfectly breathable. (Lesson learned, never question the Gap.) Plus, the linen doesn’t feel flimsy or overly delicate — so much so that I’ve thrown them in the dryer (not an accident, just impatience) and the material held up just fine.

Buckle up, your favorite wisecracking human lie detector is back on the road — and back on the case(s). After a two-year break, Poker Face — the Columbo-esque, murder-of-the-week series from Knives Out creator Rian Johnson — has returned to Peacock, with Natasha Lyonne once again in the role of Charlie Cale. Season 2 picks up with Charlie still on the run in her powder-blue Plymouth Barracuda, crisscrossing small-town America and solving crimes along the way. This time, Lyonne’s joined by a new lineup of impressive guest stars  — including Cynthia Erivo, Justin Theroux, Kumail Nanjiani, Melanie Lynskey, Awkwafina, and Katie Holmes. Expect more lies, more dead bodies, and more Charlie giving zero f*cks.

Trending products and brands our shopping team has been loving recently.

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Unleash your competitive side with today’s games and puzzles. Choose from an anagram word search, digital jigsaw puzzle, or crossword (with a twist). Better yet: Try them all.