Life

Trip Epiphanies: help, mushrooms made me bisexual!
How one bad trip sent a gay man into a sexual kerfuffle.

In praise of Skyrim’s oldest mystery
How a collection of insect jars led to years of conspiracy theories.

Poppers: reviewed from best to worst
From the dancefloor to a dick date, poppers give you an extra lift that lasts all of 10 seconds. But which different brands should you avoid? And which should you take back to the bedroom? We get to the bottom of it.

Daniel James scores on his Premiership debut
Photo of the day: Man Utd’s Daniel James celebrates scoring their fourth goal with Scott McTominay, Marcus Rashford and team mates at the Manchester United v Chelsea match at Old Trafford stadium on 11th August.

Meet the people making money through the thotshot economy
Selling nudes or partial-nudes is becoming big business and even those with small social followings are getting involved. Moya Lothian-Mclean investigates the new era of sex work.

The Big Mood: Mercury goes direct
One week, one mood: Moya Lothian-Mclean’s deep-dive into the feel of the week.

The strangest and most absorbing TikToks, according to Vaquera
Take a tour through, TikTok, pop culture’s new Wild West and Vaquera designer Patric DiCaprio’s favourite time-sucking obsession.
The ritualised $300 reiki haircut that will realign body and soul
Anna Hart visits mystic beauty emporium Crystal Cave LA to report on the rise of the reiki haircut.

Wish we were here
The aerial view of a beach, captured by a drone, as people sunbathe under colourful parasols and swim in the sea in the Kusadasi district of Aydin, Turkey on 23rd July.

We tried VR ayahuasca so you don’t have to
Michelle Lhooq journeyed to New York’s premier virtual reality emporium, VR World to experience Ayahuasca, Kosmik Journey.

Pro skater Tony Hawk talks tricks, trends and his new T‑shirt line
Have you ever felt the urge to ask The Birdman what trick he’d pull in Trump’s White House? Yeah, us too.

Punch drunk: Filipino kids react to the Manny Pacquiao fight
Boxing fans watch the WBA Welterweight fight between Philippine boxing champion Manny Pacquiao and Keith Thurman of the U.S. in a live public viewing on 21st July in Marikina, Philippines.

Five boys by the lake
Young boys take a rest after swimming at Qargha lake in Kabul in Afghanistan on 18th July.

How space got its buzz back
It’s been 50 years since the Apollo 11 moon landing and space tourism is blowing up. Welcome to the new-age space race.

A legit local’s guide to Florence
Luisa Via Roma’s Andrea Panconesi gives us his go-to spots for the holy trinity: pizza, wine and aperitivo (arguably the second best Italian invention after Giorgio Moroder).

Malaga’s Virgen del Carmen procession
Penitents take part in the Virgen del Carmen brotherhood procession during Malaga’s Carmen day celebrations on 16th July. Every year, an image of the Virgin, the patron saint of seafarers, is placed on a boat, which sails down the coast.

A stylish victory for Lewis Hamilton
Lewis Hamilton celebrates a record sixth win with fans after the F1 Grand Prix of Great Britain at Silverstone on 14th July.

LSD, ketamine, psilocybin, CBD: from recreation to self-medication
Will Coldwell explores how a generation is turning to conscious drug taking.

The love remains when a family is displaced from their earthquake stricken home
Chimene Jackson kisses her husband Johnnie shortly after dawn outside her parents’ home, which has been deemed uninhabitable due to structural damage from the recent 7.1 magnitude earthquake on 8th July in Trona, California.

USA players with the Women’s World Cup trophy
USA players celebrate following victory in the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup France Final match against The Netherlands at Stade de Lyon on 7th July in Lyon, France.

The Rafael Nadal Forehand in motion
Spain’s Rafael Nadal plays a forehand in his Men’s Singles second round match against Australia’s Nick Kyrgios on day four of The Championships, Wimbledon on 4th July.