Weekend Argus Saturday 2025-12-20

My Secret Santa is peak festive behaviour. It’s awkward, it’s forced fun, and it only exists because Christmas tells us to participate. So yes, from the title alone, Netflix understood the assignment. The film feels warm and safe in the way only a Christmas romcom can. It made me crave a white Christmas I have never experienced, complete with ice-skating rinks, fireplaces, eggnog and those checked pyjamas people only wear in December and nowhere else. The aesthetic is doing most of the emotional labour here, and I respect that. Even vinyl records make an appearance, because nostalgia is a paid actor in these films. Visually, it works. From the very start, we’re dropped into a classic festive meet-cute. Two strangers meet unexpectedly, exchange cheeky remarks, and you already know how…

Popular South African YouTuber and influencer Lasizwe Dambuza has checked himself into a mental wellness retreat, opening up candidly about his struggles with burnout and depression. “This year has been mentally challenging. I’m burnt out. I’m depressed,” Dambuza told fans in a social media post this week after arriving at the facility. He shared that he will be spending a few weeks at the retreat, which means he will be offline and unable to interact with his followers over the festive season, including wishing them a Merry Christmas, as he will not have access to his phone during his stay. “I wish people could take mental health seriously. And to you watching this, please find someone in your community, in your family, your friendship, to speak to regarding your feelings,…

During a recent cinema trip to see the romantic drama Regretting You, I was left fascinated by the trailer for The Housemaid, which was shown before it started. This psychological thriller is an adaptation of Freida McFadden’s 2022 novel of the same title. However, what amplified my excitement was the stellar cast, led by Sydney Sweeney, Amanda Seyfried, Brandon Sklenar and Michele Morrone, with Paul Feig in the director's chair. By the way, Sweeney and Seyfriend also share the executive producer credits. The premise centres on Millie Calloway (Sweeney), the new housemaid for the influential Winchester family, comprising Nina (Seyfried) and her husband, Andrew (Sklenar). In case you are wondering, Morrone is cast as Enzo, a groundskeeper. The plot centres on Millie’s new role within this household, where that familiar…

As the festive season shopping ramps up, many South Africans are thinking a little more carefully about what they put under the tree. This year, global animal welfare organisation Four Paws is encouraging shoppers to make kindness part of their style choices by choosing fashion that does not harm animals. To help make that easier, Four Paws has updated its Wear It Kind brand directory, a go-to guide for cruelty-free fashion. The latest update includes more than 300 fashion brands, with 60 new additions now rated for their commitment to animal welfare. Among the newly listed brands are big international names such as Diesel, Fendi, J Crew and Dior. The directory assesses brands based on clear criteria. These include banning fur, replacing wool and down, adhering to credible animal welfare…

Think about the last time you felt truly happy. Not a polite smile. Not a “this is nice” moment. But a full-body kind of joy, the kind that feels sun-drenched and effervescent, where laughter spills out easily and time softens around you. Now think about how you felt when it ended. That quiet, hollow feeling that creeps in afterwards, the heaviness, the wistful ache has a name. Psychologists call it a post-event low, but in everyday language, it’s often described as a “happiness hangover”. And during the festive season, it shows up with surprising intensity. December and early January are drenched in anticipation. We plan trips, curate outfits, book tables, host dinners, and reconnect with old friends. Our calendars fill up, our phones buzz and our dopamine rises. Then, suddenly,…

Honey, 2025 was a full-on season of identity shifts, beauty debates, and jaw-dropping transformations from some of the biggest names on the planet. From bold style overhauls to cosmetic tweaks that had us all whispering, “How are they spending their coins like this?” These seven stars reminded us that reinvention is always in style. Kris Jenner’s new face The Kardashian‑Jenner matriarch surprised (well, maybe not that surprised) everyone with a deep‑plane facelift that literally had her looking like a Hollywood Benjamin Button. Her face now has that natural lift without the “too-tight” vibe of old-school surgery, and social media went wild, with comments about defying gravity and fans demanding to know which surgeon is turning Hollywood into a time machine. Cardi B The rapper refuses to do anything quietly, and…