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i just think marias ability is always going to come across to me as such a wasted opportunity. they claim this strange connection to gramps but then that connection is ...? lackluster to hell when showcased in the way her ability / lore is presented. like youre telling me this guy saw his wife in her in some manner & chose to ?protect? her & help her out but all he does is show her where the family are? i feel if there was such an oddly strong bond of some kind that gramps made with maria ( or at least like, latched himself onto towards her idk ) then like.... showcase that?
could have made her ability be where when he sonars after she asmrs itll drop him down a lvl or two or w/e with a feeding cooldown every scream ( so for her x3 sonar route it'll actually Mean Something ). instead of yknow... her shitty one-time one-lvl decrease for her ability. like something that ACTUALLY combats blood builds..? considering how fucking fast they can get him back up anyways?
the ?scrapped? blood-bucket-healing perks... forever will be pissed they didnt let her keep this but WHY not let her be a team healer?? make it so when she gathers blood to heal herself / team, the buckets unusable for a cooldown. hell, same buckets she gathers from once ready has a one-time thing of "oh this blood has a negative affect & reduces gramps a lvl / he refuses it & the blood gathered is lost" or something. like idk man im salty as hell that Crimson Cocktail was scrapped for her.
& then if they wanted to make her a baby-co-tank then WHY does she have no actual fighter build. no part of her ability that grants her some sort of dmg shield in a sense that gramps maybe gives her?? this girl was canonically Tortured for the time she was there!! she is RESILIENT & STRONG in her own right!! physically & mentally!!!! she has an upper hand that the rest of the friends kinda dont which is she KNOWS the family / property!! why does she not have any sort of part of her ability or perks to actually showcase that?
i'd argue she'd know her way around the different traps, the different exit options, all of that shit. maria canonically should have some kind of better idea / basekit that shows shes been there for a while & SURVIVED ON HER OWN, outside of grandpas "help" in...whatever actual capacity that even was bc as it is rn? literally how tf did gramps do ANYTHING helpful when apparently all he does is sonar for her..?
sorry mini-rant over i just sincerely wish there was any actual shred of thought behind maria's ability / perks / story during her time at the house & how those experiences shape & manifest in game-mechanic sense that would ACTUALLY be remotely beneficial to bother using her ability at All.
#sowwy for the mini-rant i shush up now but -#this all just reminds me that i need to crawl back into that drafted run-down of Sweet Talk ( Renee's Version ) & get it finished#i just think there were many wasted potentials in where to take maria as a character w/ her abilities & perks & i need to remember#to sit down & finish my Fix of what i feel Sweet Talk manifests for my maria & her lore here like i did nancy & need to do for raph.
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We all love our triple-shot lattes as much as the next person, but chugging coffee isn’t fixing your dark circles, brain fog, or that kink in your neck. Deep down under that worn-out mattress and lackluster pillow, you know that sleep quality impacts everything: your energy levels, focus at work, fitness gains, sex drive, and even long-term health. Yet, one-third of adults aren’t getting the recommended seven hours of uninterrupted shut-eye. It’s no wonder we’re obsessed with viral TikTok sleep hacks, from earplugs to snore-reducing mouth tape and whatever of-the-moment trend that promises a better night’s rest. If the endless stream of melatonin gummies, sleep tech, and ASMR playlists tell us anything, it’s that we collectively need better rest.While we can’t exactly tuck you in at night, we can bring you the third annual GQ Sleep Awards, a hit list of 40 dream-worthy products that we simply can’t sleep without. We’ve tested, side-slept, and snoozed our way through the best sleep products out there, from comfy mattresses to techy upgrades like smart lamps and wearable sleep trackers—even stylish pajamas you’d actually want to be seen in. In this curated roundup, the editors of GQ have covered it all: beds, pillows, sheets, grooming essentials, and next-level sleep gear, all in the name of catching those elusive REM cycles. Consider this your green light to upgrade your bedroom.Looking for Something Specific?The Best MattressesThe Best Hybrid Mattress: Helix Midnight Luxe MattressHelixMidnight Luxe MattressA mattress so good, we’ve crowned it twice. The Helix Midnight Luxe—and its sibling, the Helix Midnight Elite—are top picks among GQ staffers. Known for its zoned lumbar support, responsive foam, and motion isolation, this hybrid mattress has earned its place in our sleep rotation. As one GQ staffer put it: “It’s a true medium feel on the firmness scale and its multiple foam layers (a support layer, a transition layer, and an extra-dense bottom foam layer) mean that you have support that still feels like it has a little bit of give.” Ideal for combination sleepers (whether you sleep on your side, front, or back), the mattress also has two cover options: a breathable Tencel or the GlacioTex cooling cover for those who run hot. This may make you ditch that innerspring mattress once and for all.The Best Cooling Mattress Topper: Eight Sleep Pod 4Pro athletes, A-listers, billionaires—they’ve all cosigned the app-controlled Eight Sleep Pod 4, and after one GQ staffer took it for a test run, we can see why. It’s essentially climate control for your mattress: a high-tech cover with built-in tubing that heats and cools in real-time to keep you at the perfect sleep temperature all night. It also tracks key sleep metrics like heart rate and breathing patterns, giving you a full breakdown in the morning—much like the Oura Ring, but for your entire bed. Our tester says that it “helps you to go to sleep quicker and find more restful sleep so that you wake up and feel ready to go rather than groggily needing to go through your day.” Heads up that it comes with a “hub” (a.k.a. a water tank central processor), so you'll need to find a spot for it in your bedroom.The Best Luxury Mattress: Four Seasons Signature MattressFour SeasonsSignature MattressYou know that deep, borderline-coma sleep you get in a fancy hotel? That’s the vacation effect, and one the Four Seasons wants to bring into your bedroom. The brand’s namesake Signature Mattress (the same one found in its top hotels and resorts) is a hybrid of plush gel memory foam, pocketed coils, and cooling layers, engineered for top-tier comfort and support. Of course, luxury like this doesn’t come cheap. The price tag is as steep as you’d expect from a mattress with “Four Seasons” in the name. But if you’re going to invest in a luxury mattress, it might as well be of top hotel quality.The Best New Mattress: Coyuchi the Natural REM MattressCoyuchiThe Natural REM MattressWith a brand as devoted to the planet as it is to deep sleep, we should’ve seen the wordplay coming: In this case, REM stands for Restorative EcoMaterials instead of that deep sleep state (though honestly, they might be one and the same). NorCal-based Coyuchi introduces its first-ever mattress that lives up to its reputation: sustainable, organic, and luxe as hell. Made from seven layers—including foam, latex, wool, and thousands of individually encased coils—this mattress is designed to relieve pressure points and support a restful night’s sleep. As you might expect, it’s free from the harmful chemicals, toxins, and dyes found in most conventional mattresses.The Best SheetsThe Best Cooling Sheets: AiryWeight Eucalyptus Sheet SetSijoAiryWeight Eucalyptus Sheet Set“AiryWeight Eucalyptus” might sound like the fancy face towels they hand out at a gym like Equinox or some high-end spa, but it’s actually what gives these Sijo sheets their edge. Its lightweight, moisture-wicking properties with eucalyptus fibers make this sheet set legitimately “cool-to-the-touch” as the brand purports. It’s also supposedly the only Tencel sheet certified by the National Allergy and Asthma Foundation, which is a huge flex. As for durability, our tester says it held up after multiple spin cycles and seems “well-made and of high-quality materials.”The Best Percale Sheets: Saatva Percale Sheet SetWe’ve raved about Saatva’s ultra-comfy mattresses, but their percale sheets deserve just as much hype. If you’re not familiar with percale, it’s a weave that gives sheets that crisp, breathable, hotel-like feel. In fact, many hotels opt for percale sheets for its breathability and mix of softness and structure—an all-around crowd pleaser for most people. Made from 200-thread count long-staple cotton, these sheets keep hot sleepers cool and bring that luxe five-star feel straight to your bedroom.The Best Sateen Sheets: Brooklinen Luxe Sateen Core Sheet SetBrooklinenSoft Cotton Sateen Core Sheet SetBrooklinen has been a big name in bedding for over a decade, and after sinking into these buttery, breathable sheets, it’s clear why: They’ve got a real knack for high-quality fabrics that don’t lose their luster after multiple washes. It’s no surprise that these sateen sheets are one of the brand’s best-sellers, thanks largely to a smoothness that doesn’t cross into “too-slippery” territory. Unlike percale, sateen uses a four-over-one-under weave, making it slightly heavier with a subtle sheen. “I’d call Brooklinen’s Sateen Sheet Set a major crowd-pleaser and therefore, a guest room hero,” says one GQ tester. “It’s the perfect median between cuddly cotton and slippery bamboo fabric.”The Best Linen Sheets: Bed Threads Linen Sheet SetBed ThreadsLinen Sheet SetYou really can’t go wrong with the relaxed, lived-in feel of linen sheets. If you’ve ever bought a pair of cotton ones that seem to lose their softness over time, you’ll love the durability of a linen option—it's thicker, stronger, and can keep up more with your weekly washes. Bed Threads makes their selection from 100% French flax linen, which is incredibly soft, temperature regulating (great for hot sleepers), and naturally eco-friendly. Plus, these bed sheets come in over twenty different colors (with some subtle striped options), ranging from a rich olive and vibrant turmeric to muted cremes and more. They add an effortlessly elevated vibe to your bedroom—without the hefty designer price tag.The Best SleepwearThe Best Buttoned-Up Pajama Set: Tekla White & Blue Poplin Long Top & BottomsTeklaWhite & Blue Poplin Long Sleeve TopTeklaWhite & Blue Poplin Long BottomsWho says “look good, feel good” can’t apply to your sleep? Like something straight out of Don Draper’s closet, these striped PJs are polished, comfortable, and relatively subtle. Coming from Tekla—a Danish brand that’s a favorite among the fashion set and has seen collabs with (equally) good tastemakers like JJJJound and Stüssy—the pajamas are a major step up from your years-old graphic tee and basketball shorts. Made in Portugal from 100% organic cotton, the PJ set is breathable, classic, and the kind of pajamas you wouldn’t mind being seen in.The Best Luxury Pajama Set: Argyle CardiganThe Elder StatesmanArgyle CardiganThe Elder StatesmanArgyle Lounge SetYou deserve the finer things in life, starting with an all-cashmere lounge set. If there’s one thing (okay, two things) The Elder Statesman gets right every time, it’s ultra-luxurious cashmere knits and killer color combinations. This two-piece matching set, decked out in an olive green, gray, and yellow argyle stitch, is equal parts cozy and statement-making. Made in Los Angeles, it makes a strong case for ditching the mundane sweats and leveling up your lounge game. But, as with all great cashmere, it comes with a high price tag to match.The Best Slippers: Velvet Pescara SlippersLeny'sMidnight Blue - Velvet Pescara SlippersTake a page from the celebs and fashion crowd wearing these slip-ons: Just because you’re walking around the house doesn’t mean your shoes should get overlooked. It’s the little luxuries that make “home sweet home” real, so ditch the flip-flops and dirty socks. These velvet slippers are just a tad fancy, provide lush comfort, and have that extra bit of edge that sets them apart from the sea of ordinary slip-ons. Handcrafted in Italy, these midnight blue slippers are the definition of laid-back luxury.The Best Robe: Brooklinen Super Plush RobeBrooklinenSuper-Plush RobePicture stepping out of the shower, wrapping yourself in a plush, thick towel... and then never having to take it off. Brooklinen’s best-selling towels are a mainstay of our home coverage, and the DTC brand's robes employ the same tricks of of the trade: absorbent, piled Turkish cotton repackaged into a calf-length, unisex bathrobe that feels as good as it looks. If wrapping yourself in cloud-like, towel-caliber cotton isn't doing it for you, extra deep pockets to hide your snacks coupled with those eye-grabbing botanical stripes alone are worth the price of admission.The Best Boxer Shorts: Skims Cotton Poplins Mens BoxerSkimsCotton Poplin Mens BoxerFellas, it’s time to retire those worn-out boxers. Who knew we’d leave it to Kim K to make underwear a style statement, even for the gentlemen. As the official underwear partner to the NBA, Skims has accomplished this and then some. These classic cotton poplin boxers are lightweight, breathable, and ridiculously comfortable, proving that your top drawer deserves an upgrade just as much as the rest of your wardrobe.The Best Sleep Mask: Lunya Washable Silk Sleep MaskLunyaWashable Silk Sleep MaskYou might think sleep masks are only for red-eye flights, but trust us, this Lunya silk mask is a total nightly upgrade. It gives you full blackout coverage, blocking out those sneaky morning rays so you can snooze just a bit longer—until your real alarm drags you out of bed. Made from soft, washable silk, it feels incredibly smooth against your skin and leaves you crease-free. Bonus: It doubles as a headband for your nightly skin care routine, so you can slather on that serum without hair getting in the way.The Best BeddingThe Best Down Comforter: Bavarian 850 Down ComforterFeathered FriendsBavarian 850 Down ComforterA feathered friend, indeed. With an exceptionally high-lofting 850+ fill power, this Bavarian Eastern European white goose down comforter will wrap you up like a plush cloud and make you never want to get out of bed. Available in four weights—summer, light, medium (the crowd favorite), and arctic—so whether you sleep hot, cold, or somewhere in between, there’s a perfect level of fluff for you. While the price tag isn’t cheap, you get what you pay for with the quality: 100-percent organic, Responsible Down Standard certified, even distribution, and downright luxurious.The Best Down-Alternative Comforter: Cozy Earth Down-Alternative ComforterCozy EarthDown Alternative ComforterIf you want to wrap yourself in a plushy comforter sans the goose feathers, Cozy Earth’s down-alternative option has you covered (literally). Filled with high quality, anti-clumping 100% recycled polyester, it yields the same plush warmth and comfort as natural down while keeping things cool when you need it. The true baffle-box construction means no lumps or flat spots, but rather a consistently even fluff. Sustainable, soft, and ridiculously cozy, this is the kind of bedding upgrade that’ll make hitting snooze a little too tempting.The Best Throw Blanket: Poppies & Lotus FlaxHillery SproattPoppies & Lotus FlaxMuch like a painting, a throw blanket has the power to transform your space and act as a work of art in and of itself. Portland artist Hillery Sproatt takes her botanical paintings and turns them into intricate knit throws, blending influences from Japanese, Scandinavian, and Eastern European design. The result is a striking pop of color that elevates any sofa, bed, or reading nook. Made in part from recycled cotton, it’s not only a piece of interior eye candy, but also sustainable and cozy, with an ideal weight for year-round use. (You may want to add this to your gift list.)The Best Quilt: Parachute Linen Box BlanketParachuteLinen Box BlanketThis isn’t your grandma’s quilt (no shade, though). If you're into luxury linen bedding, you’ve likely heard of Parachute—the Venice Beach brand that’s practically synonymous with sustainable design and high-quality linens. (Fun fact: They’ve even collabed with Tyler, the Creator’s Le Fleur.) Known for bringing that effortless luxe vibe into your home, Parachute’s quilt is no exception. Dual-sided with linen on one side and percale on the other, this medium-weight masterpiece is filled with plush yet lightweight polyester for just the right balance of comfort and breathability. Made in Portugal, it’s a quilt that’s ready to take center stage in your bedroom (and a top spot in GQ Sleep Awards 2025).The Best PillowsThe Best Pillow for Combination Sleepers: Buffy Cloud PillowAh, the elusive combination sleeper—flipping between back, side, and stomach like it’s a sport. You need a pillow that can keep up, and Buffy’s Cloud Pillow does that and then some. True to its name, this New York-based brand’s bestseller is stuffed with “extra-fluffy” recycled fill and wrapped in a silky 300-thread count Tencel lyocell shell, which wicks moisture better than cotton (because no one likes waking up sweaty). Available in three firmness levels, it’s got just the right amount of support, no matter how you snooze.The Best Adjustable Pillow: Luxome Customizable PillowLuxomeCustomizable PillowEver have that moment where your pillow feels too soft one night, and then too firm the next? We’ve been there. You may not consider a pillow to be customizable from one night to the next, but Luxome figured it out—and in a way that still feels luxurious. With three interchangeable inserts—a plush down-alternative, gel-infused shredded memory foam, and solid memory foam—you can adjust the height and firmness on the fly. Just unzip the cover, mix and match the inserts, and even adjust the fill to suit your comfort level. “Once I found my ideal combo as a side and back sleeper, I feel like it was actually providing the neck support I’ve been begging for,” says one GQ tester.The Best Down Pillow: Avocado Down PillowAvocado’s pillows (and mattresses, for that matter) have long been on our radar, making many of GQ’s “best of” lists. This year, we have our attention (and rested heads) on the ultra-comfortable Down Pillow. In line with the brand’s ethos, the pillow is filled with ethically sourced, Responsible Down Standard-certified down so you can feel good about what you’re sleeping on. The 650-fill power loft is wrapped in a crisp 400-thread-count cotton shell with triple-chamber construction to keep it all in place—no constant fluffing or uneven spots. Available in soft, medium, or firm, it’s the kind of upgrade that makes your bed even harder to leave.The Best Down-Alternative Pillow: Boll & Branch Pillow InsertBoll & BranchPillow InsertIf you’ve tried Boll & Branch’s incredibly soft bed sheets, but haven’t given their pillows a chance, let this be your sign. The brand is a go-to in the bedding world for its luxe, hotel-quality offerings and the down-alternative pillow is no different. For those who love the plush feel of down but could do without the feathers, this pillow offers the best of both worlds. Made in three densities to match your ideal level of support, it’s filled with a premium fiber that mimics the airy loft and gentle weight of traditional down. Soft yet supportive, it’s the kind of pillow that holds its shape, stays fluffy, and makes drifting off feel downright indulgent.The Best Travel Pillow: Trtl Travel PillowThis isn't your average travel pillow (and that's a good thing). Unlike the traditional U-shaped options that you can never quite adjust to the right position for a nap mid-flight (at least without a kink or two), this one’s built to support your neck with ergonomic precision. It’s soft on your skin, lightweight, and incredibly compact (about the size of a book) and slips easily into your bag. This means you don’t have to worry about holding or wearing your bulky travel pillow around the airport. “I’ll admit that I was a bit skeptical at first since it almost looks like a fleece scarf, but the minute I put it on, I was blown away by how incredibly sturdy and comfortable it was,” says one GQ tester. “It was instantly more supportive than any other neck pillow I’ve used, and I’ll definitely be packing this for my next long-haul flight.”The Best Bed FramesThe Best Platform Bed: Sun at Six Kiral Platform BedSun at SixKiral Platform BedMinimalist, but never boring. Designed by family-run studio Sun at Six, the Kiral platform bed is crafted from oil-finished white ash that’s durable, yet sleek. The traditional Chinese joinery adds an artisanal touch, while the rounded legs add playful visual interest against the square frame. Built with a low profile, it looks right at home floating in the middle of any room. The wide platforms are perfect for stashing your phone or knick-knacks, and the whole setup breaks down easily for moving. Bonus: You can snag it in a black finish for a bit more edge.The Best Bed with Built-in Storage: Thuma Classic Headboard with Under Bed StorageThumaClassic Headboard with Under Bed StorageA mix of Japanese joinery (no tools needed), top-tier craftsmanship, and a style that fits into nearly every bedroom? We’re intrigued. Made entirely from upcycled wood, the Thuma bed frame is high-quality and built to last (though it also comes with a lifetime warranty, just in case). “The ease of assembly is well worth the price tag given the many pain points that come with your typical IKEA pieces,” says GQ’s associate commerce editor Tyler Chin, who put it together in just 20 minutes. The verdict? The Thuma bed is worth the hype and the under-bed storage is an added plus.The Best Sleeper SofasThe Best Sleeper Sofa: Sixpenny Aria Sleeper SofaSixpennyAria Sleeper SofaNew York furniture brand Sixpenny knows a thing or two about inviting laid-back design, and the Aria sleeper sofa is no exception. One GQ staffer gave it a test run and said that converting it from couch to bed is “a piece of cake”—just remove the cushions, lift the base, and fold down the backrest. Unlike clunky pull-outs, it keeps its good looks even in sleep mode, making it a win for guests. The mattress leans firm (ideal for back sleepers) though a mattress pad can add extra plushness. Tested over multiple nights, it held up well, far better than an air mattress or a flimsy fold-out.The Best Modular Sleeper Sofa: OMHU The Teddy SofaWhether you’re rearranging your space for the fifth time this month or squeezing a guest bed into a tight apartment, the Teddy sofa can keep up (and look good doing it). Seven components—three chrome-plated iron bars, two long pads, and two chunky L-shaped cushions—snap together in minutes, shifting effortlessly between couch and bed. The pad leans firm (great for back sleepers, less so for side sleepers), and the deep seats invite veg-out lounging for movie nights. Best against a wall for extra support, it’s made for stretching out, kicking back, and, let’s be honest, doing absolutely nothing.The Best Sleep GadgetsThe Best Sleep Tracker: Oura Ring 4If you’re serious about sleep, the Oura Ring is a go-to tool for optimizing rest and performance. (Think insights into how long it took you to fall asleep, how long you actually slept, and your deep sleep total.) Since its launch in 2015, this sleek, low-profile ring has been a favorite among NBA stars, celebrities, and top-tier health enthusiasts. Now in its fourth generation, the Oura Ring offers more precise data on sleep patterns, activity, stress, and heart health, giving you real-time insights. With an improved eight-day battery life and upgraded accuracy, this ring is your ultimate sleep hack.The Best White Noise Machine: Yogasleep Dohm Classic Sound MachineYogasleepDohm Classic Sound MachineA sound machine isn’t just for kids; it's for anyone whose brain refuses to clock out. If your idea of winding down involves doom-scrolling or letting Netflix autoplay into oblivion, it’s time to switch things up. Originally launched in 1962, the Dohm Classic sound machine is as simple as it gets: a compact, bedside-friendly unit that produces the soothing sound of rushing air. No artificial loops, just a steady, fan-like hum that drowns out distractions and lulls you into deep REM.The Best Humidifier: Dreo Smart HumidifierA humidifier is one of those small upgrades that has a big impact. Case in point? Adding moisture to the air can help prevent dry skin, congestion, and scratchy throats—all of which can wreck your sleep. The Dreo Smart Humidifier keeps your space comfortably hydrated without hogging your nightstand or demanding constant refills. Its 40-inch mist distributes moisture evenly across the room, while the 4-liter tank means fewer late-night refills. All that, for less than whatever you impulse-bought last week.The Best Air Purifier: Blueair ComfortPure 3-in-1 T20i Air PurifierBlueairComfortPure 3-in-1 T20i Air PurifierMuch like a humidifier, investing in an air purifier can improve your sleep quality—and create a zen-like ambiance akin to a high-end spa. If you’ve ever woken up feeling congested or sluggish, an air purifier might just be the upgrade you need. The Blueair ComfortPure not only purifies the air but also heats and cools, so you can create the perfect environment for a good night’s rest. The built-in filter monitor means you won’t have to guess when it’s time for a swap, and the smart features—app control, real-time air quality readings, and automatic shutdown—make it easy to use without overthinking it. Just set it up, let it do its thing, and breathe easier.The Best Bedside Lamp: Philips SmartSleep Wake-Up Light HF3520PhilipsSmartSleep Wake-Up Light HF3520The Philips SmartSleep eases you in and out of the day with a gradual sunrise and sunset simulation, 20 brightness settings, and five wake-up sounds that won’t make you want to throw your phone across the room. It’s got the essentials—FM radio, bedside lamp, and a tap-to-snooze function that actually makes sense. Clinically proven to boost mood and energy, it’s a small upgrade that makes waking up (and winding down) a little more enjoyable.The Best Night-Time Skin CareThe Best Firming Mask: Skinceuticals Hyaluronic Acid Intensifier Multi-GlycanSkinceuticalsHyaluronic Acid Intensifier Multi-GlycanWe’re big fans of skin care that works while you sleep, and SkinCeuticals’ Hyaluronic Acid Intensifier definitely deserves a spot in your grooming cabinet. This lightweight serum-gel works for all skin types—whether you’re oily, dry, or somewhere in between—and it helps boost hydration, smooth out texture, and reduce fine lines while you’re catching some Z’s. The hyaluronic acid helps your skin drink up all that moisture, and this formula takes it a step further, ensuring everything you layer on top actually does its job. The end result? Firm, plump skin that feels super refreshed.The Best Firming Serum: Typology P63 Firming Night Serum Botanical Blend with NopalTypologyP63 - Firming Night Serum Botanical Blend with NopalWe’re not saying you need a 100-step skin care routine, but we can make a case for splurging on this firming serum. Made in France, this formula works to hydrate, repair, and smooth, a worthy addition to your nighttime regimen. It blends nopal, prickly pear, and immortelle to help tone and regenerate your skin while you sleep, gradually softening fine lines. Since nighttime is prime for cell renewal, its dry-oil texture helps everything absorb just right, leaving your skin feeling fresh and firm in the morning.The Best Firming Eye Cream: Augustinus Bader The Rich Eye CreamAugustinus BaderThe Rich Eye CreamDon’t sleep on a good eye cream. Augustinus Bader’s The Rich Eye Cream might be a little on the luxe side, but take it from us, it’s worth the investment and a little goes a long way. This butter-like formula firms, smooths, and de-puffs, helping you look less “just woke up” and more “slept like a rock.” Packed with sustainably sourced botanicals and clean actives, it also boosts elasticity and evens out your skin tone. Overall, it’s a solid addition to your nighttime routine—your under-eyes will thank you later.The Best Overnight Peel: ByNacht Über Glow Gel Peeling AHABynachtÜber Glow Gel PeelingLeave it to the skin care brand obsessed with beauty sleep to create the ultimate overnight reset. Just smooth on this lightweight gel, let it do its thing for up to 10 minutes, then rinse it off. While you snooze, a potent blend of four fruit acids and Green Malachite extract exfoliates, smooths, and revives your skin. Is this the next fountain of youth? Maybe not, but come morning, you might just wake up to a brighter, more even-toned complexion.The Best Overnight Moisturizer: La Mer The Night Recovery ConcentrateLa MerThe Night Recovery ConcentrateYour nighttime routine should look a little like this: brush teeth, wash face, and slather on a mini spatula’s worth of La Mer’s luxe night recovery concentrate. Described as an “extreme barrier wrap,” it speeds up skin recovery from visible distress and irritation, including post-derm treatment sensitivity (like that radiofrequency microneedling treatment you’ve been meaning to book). With its silky serum texture, it essentially “cocoons” fragile skin while you sleep, leaving your skin feeling stronger, calmer, and visibly less red.GQ SLEEP AWARDS 2025 CONTRIBUTORS:Danielle DiMeglio, Tyler ChinEDITOR:Ian Burke Source link
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We all love our triple-shot lattes as much as the next person, but chugging coffee isn’t fixing your dark circles, brain fog, or that kink in your neck. Deep down under that worn-out mattress and lackluster pillow, you know that sleep quality impacts everything: your energy levels, focus at work, fitness gains, sex drive, and even long-term health. Yet, one-third of adults aren’t getting the recommended seven hours of uninterrupted shut-eye. It’s no wonder we’re obsessed with viral TikTok sleep hacks, from earplugs to snore-reducing mouth tape and whatever of-the-moment trend that promises a better night’s rest. If the endless stream of melatonin gummies, sleep tech, and ASMR playlists tell us anything, it’s that we collectively need better rest.While we can’t exactly tuck you in at night, we can bring you the third annual GQ Sleep Awards, a hit list of 40 dream-worthy products that we simply can’t sleep without. We’ve tested, side-slept, and snoozed our way through the best sleep products out there, from comfy mattresses to techy upgrades like smart lamps and wearable sleep trackers—even stylish pajamas you’d actually want to be seen in. In this curated roundup, the editors of GQ have covered it all: beds, pillows, sheets, grooming essentials, and next-level sleep gear, all in the name of catching those elusive REM cycles. Consider this your green light to upgrade your bedroom.Looking for Something Specific?The Best MattressesThe Best Hybrid Mattress: Helix Midnight Luxe MattressHelixMidnight Luxe MattressA mattress so good, we’ve crowned it twice. The Helix Midnight Luxe—and its sibling, the Helix Midnight Elite—are top picks among GQ staffers. Known for its zoned lumbar support, responsive foam, and motion isolation, this hybrid mattress has earned its place in our sleep rotation. As one GQ staffer put it: “It’s a true medium feel on the firmness scale and its multiple foam layers (a support layer, a transition layer, and an extra-dense bottom foam layer) mean that you have support that still feels like it has a little bit of give.” Ideal for combination sleepers (whether you sleep on your side, front, or back), the mattress also has two cover options: a breathable Tencel or the GlacioTex cooling cover for those who run hot. This may make you ditch that innerspring mattress once and for all.The Best Cooling Mattress Topper: Eight Sleep Pod 4Pro athletes, A-listers, billionaires—they’ve all cosigned the app-controlled Eight Sleep Pod 4, and after one GQ staffer took it for a test run, we can see why. It’s essentially climate control for your mattress: a high-tech cover with built-in tubing that heats and cools in real-time to keep you at the perfect sleep temperature all night. It also tracks key sleep metrics like heart rate and breathing patterns, giving you a full breakdown in the morning—much like the Oura Ring, but for your entire bed. Our tester says that it “helps you to go to sleep quicker and find more restful sleep so that you wake up and feel ready to go rather than groggily needing to go through your day.” Heads up that it comes with a “hub” (a.k.a. a water tank central processor), so you'll need to find a spot for it in your bedroom.The Best Luxury Mattress: Four Seasons Signature MattressFour SeasonsSignature MattressYou know that deep, borderline-coma sleep you get in a fancy hotel? That’s the vacation effect, and one the Four Seasons wants to bring into your bedroom. The brand’s namesake Signature Mattress (the same one found in its top hotels and resorts) is a hybrid of plush gel memory foam, pocketed coils, and cooling layers, engineered for top-tier comfort and support. Of course, luxury like this doesn’t come cheap. The price tag is as steep as you’d expect from a mattress with “Four Seasons” in the name. But if you’re going to invest in a luxury mattress, it might as well be of top hotel quality.The Best New Mattress: Coyuchi the Natural REM MattressCoyuchiThe Natural REM MattressWith a brand as devoted to the planet as it is to deep sleep, we should’ve seen the wordplay coming: In this case, REM stands for Restorative EcoMaterials instead of that deep sleep state (though honestly, they might be one and the same). NorCal-based Coyuchi introduces its first-ever mattress that lives up to its reputation: sustainable, organic, and luxe as hell. Made from seven layers—including foam, latex, wool, and thousands of individually encased coils—this mattress is designed to relieve pressure points and support a restful night’s sleep. As you might expect, it’s free from the harmful chemicals, toxins, and dyes found in most conventional mattresses.The Best SheetsThe Best Cooling Sheets: AiryWeight Eucalyptus Sheet SetSijoAiryWeight Eucalyptus Sheet Set“AiryWeight Eucalyptus” might sound like the fancy face towels they hand out at a gym like Equinox or some high-end spa, but it’s actually what gives these Sijo sheets their edge. Its lightweight, moisture-wicking properties with eucalyptus fibers make this sheet set legitimately “cool-to-the-touch” as the brand purports. It’s also supposedly the only Tencel sheet certified by the National Allergy and Asthma Foundation, which is a huge flex. As for durability, our tester says it held up after multiple spin cycles and seems “well-made and of high-quality materials.”The Best Percale Sheets: Saatva Percale Sheet SetWe’ve raved about Saatva’s ultra-comfy mattresses, but their percale sheets deserve just as much hype. If you’re not familiar with percale, it’s a weave that gives sheets that crisp, breathable, hotel-like feel. In fact, many hotels opt for percale sheets for its breathability and mix of softness and structure—an all-around crowd pleaser for most people. Made from 200-thread count long-staple cotton, these sheets keep hot sleepers cool and bring that luxe five-star feel straight to your bedroom.The Best Sateen Sheets: Brooklinen Luxe Sateen Core Sheet SetBrooklinenSoft Cotton Sateen Core Sheet SetBrooklinen has been a big name in bedding for over a decade, and after sinking into these buttery, breathable sheets, it’s clear why: They’ve got a real knack for high-quality fabrics that don’t lose their luster after multiple washes. It’s no surprise that these sateen sheets are one of the brand’s best-sellers, thanks largely to a smoothness that doesn’t cross into “too-slippery” territory. Unlike percale, sateen uses a four-over-one-under weave, making it slightly heavier with a subtle sheen. “I’d call Brooklinen’s Sateen Sheet Set a major crowd-pleaser and therefore, a guest room hero,” says one GQ tester. “It’s the perfect median between cuddly cotton and slippery bamboo fabric.”The Best Linen Sheets: Bed Threads Linen Sheet SetBed ThreadsLinen Sheet SetYou really can’t go wrong with the relaxed, lived-in feel of linen sheets. If you’ve ever bought a pair of cotton ones that seem to lose their softness over time, you’ll love the durability of a linen option—it's thicker, stronger, and can keep up more with your weekly washes. Bed Threads makes their selection from 100% French flax linen, which is incredibly soft, temperature regulating (great for hot sleepers), and naturally eco-friendly. Plus, these bed sheets come in over twenty different colors (with some subtle striped options), ranging from a rich olive and vibrant turmeric to muted cremes and more. They add an effortlessly elevated vibe to your bedroom—without the hefty designer price tag.The Best SleepwearThe Best Buttoned-Up Pajama Set: Tekla White & Blue Poplin Long Top & BottomsTeklaWhite & Blue Poplin Long Sleeve TopTeklaWhite & Blue Poplin Long BottomsWho says “look good, feel good” can’t apply to your sleep? Like something straight out of Don Draper’s closet, these striped PJs are polished, comfortable, and relatively subtle. Coming from Tekla—a Danish brand that’s a favorite among the fashion set and has seen collabs with (equally) good tastemakers like JJJJound and Stüssy—the pajamas are a major step up from your years-old graphic tee and basketball shorts. Made in Portugal from 100% organic cotton, the PJ set is breathable, classic, and the kind of pajamas you wouldn’t mind being seen in.The Best Luxury Pajama Set: Argyle CardiganThe Elder StatesmanArgyle CardiganThe Elder StatesmanArgyle Lounge SetYou deserve the finer things in life, starting with an all-cashmere lounge set. If there’s one thing (okay, two things) The Elder Statesman gets right every time, it’s ultra-luxurious cashmere knits and killer color combinations. This two-piece matching set, decked out in an olive green, gray, and yellow argyle stitch, is equal parts cozy and statement-making. Made in Los Angeles, it makes a strong case for ditching the mundane sweats and leveling up your lounge game. But, as with all great cashmere, it comes with a high price tag to match.The Best Slippers: Velvet Pescara SlippersLeny'sMidnight Blue - Velvet Pescara SlippersTake a page from the celebs and fashion crowd wearing these slip-ons: Just because you’re walking around the house doesn’t mean your shoes should get overlooked. It’s the little luxuries that make “home sweet home” real, so ditch the flip-flops and dirty socks. These velvet slippers are just a tad fancy, provide lush comfort, and have that extra bit of edge that sets them apart from the sea of ordinary slip-ons. Handcrafted in Italy, these midnight blue slippers are the definition of laid-back luxury.The Best Robe: Brooklinen Super Plush RobeBrooklinenSuper-Plush RobePicture stepping out of the shower, wrapping yourself in a plush, thick towel... and then never having to take it off. Brooklinen’s best-selling towels are a mainstay of our home coverage, and the DTC brand's robes employ the same tricks of of the trade: absorbent, piled Turkish cotton repackaged into a calf-length, unisex bathrobe that feels as good as it looks. If wrapping yourself in cloud-like, towel-caliber cotton isn't doing it for you, extra deep pockets to hide your snacks coupled with those eye-grabbing botanical stripes alone are worth the price of admission.The Best Boxer Shorts: Skims Cotton Poplins Mens BoxerSkimsCotton Poplin Mens BoxerFellas, it’s time to retire those worn-out boxers. Who knew we’d leave it to Kim K to make underwear a style statement, even for the gentlemen. As the official underwear partner to the NBA, Skims has accomplished this and then some. These classic cotton poplin boxers are lightweight, breathable, and ridiculously comfortable, proving that your top drawer deserves an upgrade just as much as the rest of your wardrobe.The Best Sleep Mask: Lunya Washable Silk Sleep MaskLunyaWashable Silk Sleep MaskYou might think sleep masks are only for red-eye flights, but trust us, this Lunya silk mask is a total nightly upgrade. It gives you full blackout coverage, blocking out those sneaky morning rays so you can snooze just a bit longer—until your real alarm drags you out of bed. Made from soft, washable silk, it feels incredibly smooth against your skin and leaves you crease-free. Bonus: It doubles as a headband for your nightly skin care routine, so you can slather on that serum without hair getting in the way.The Best BeddingThe Best Down Comforter: Bavarian 850 Down ComforterFeathered FriendsBavarian 850 Down ComforterA feathered friend, indeed. With an exceptionally high-lofting 850+ fill power, this Bavarian Eastern European white goose down comforter will wrap you up like a plush cloud and make you never want to get out of bed. Available in four weights—summer, light, medium (the crowd favorite), and arctic—so whether you sleep hot, cold, or somewhere in between, there’s a perfect level of fluff for you. While the price tag isn’t cheap, you get what you pay for with the quality: 100-percent organic, Responsible Down Standard certified, even distribution, and downright luxurious.The Best Down-Alternative Comforter: Cozy Earth Down-Alternative ComforterCozy EarthDown Alternative ComforterIf you want to wrap yourself in a plushy comforter sans the goose feathers, Cozy Earth’s down-alternative option has you covered (literally). Filled with high quality, anti-clumping 100% recycled polyester, it yields the same plush warmth and comfort as natural down while keeping things cool when you need it. The true baffle-box construction means no lumps or flat spots, but rather a consistently even fluff. Sustainable, soft, and ridiculously cozy, this is the kind of bedding upgrade that’ll make hitting snooze a little too tempting.The Best Throw Blanket: Poppies & Lotus FlaxHillery SproattPoppies & Lotus FlaxMuch like a painting, a throw blanket has the power to transform your space and act as a work of art in and of itself. Portland artist Hillery Sproatt takes her botanical paintings and turns them into intricate knit throws, blending influences from Japanese, Scandinavian, and Eastern European design. The result is a striking pop of color that elevates any sofa, bed, or reading nook. Made in part from recycled cotton, it’s not only a piece of interior eye candy, but also sustainable and cozy, with an ideal weight for year-round use. (You may want to add this to your gift list.)The Best Quilt: Parachute Linen Box BlanketParachuteLinen Box BlanketThis isn’t your grandma’s quilt (no shade, though). If you're into luxury linen bedding, you’ve likely heard of Parachute—the Venice Beach brand that’s practically synonymous with sustainable design and high-quality linens. (Fun fact: They’ve even collabed with Tyler, the Creator’s Le Fleur.) Known for bringing that effortless luxe vibe into your home, Parachute’s quilt is no exception. Dual-sided with linen on one side and percale on the other, this medium-weight masterpiece is filled with plush yet lightweight polyester for just the right balance of comfort and breathability. Made in Portugal, it’s a quilt that’s ready to take center stage in your bedroom (and a top spot in GQ Sleep Awards 2025).The Best PillowsThe Best Pillow for Combination Sleepers: Buffy Cloud PillowAh, the elusive combination sleeper—flipping between back, side, and stomach like it’s a sport. You need a pillow that can keep up, and Buffy’s Cloud Pillow does that and then some. True to its name, this New York-based brand’s bestseller is stuffed with “extra-fluffy” recycled fill and wrapped in a silky 300-thread count Tencel lyocell shell, which wicks moisture better than cotton (because no one likes waking up sweaty). Available in three firmness levels, it’s got just the right amount of support, no matter how you snooze.The Best Adjustable Pillow: Luxome Customizable PillowLuxomeCustomizable PillowEver have that moment where your pillow feels too soft one night, and then too firm the next? We’ve been there. You may not consider a pillow to be customizable from one night to the next, but Luxome figured it out—and in a way that still feels luxurious. With three interchangeable inserts—a plush down-alternative, gel-infused shredded memory foam, and solid memory foam—you can adjust the height and firmness on the fly. Just unzip the cover, mix and match the inserts, and even adjust the fill to suit your comfort level. “Once I found my ideal combo as a side and back sleeper, I feel like it was actually providing the neck support I’ve been begging for,” says one GQ tester.The Best Down Pillow: Avocado Down PillowAvocado’s pillows (and mattresses, for that matter) have long been on our radar, making many of GQ’s “best of” lists. This year, we have our attention (and rested heads) on the ultra-comfortable Down Pillow. In line with the brand’s ethos, the pillow is filled with ethically sourced, Responsible Down Standard-certified down so you can feel good about what you’re sleeping on. The 650-fill power loft is wrapped in a crisp 400-thread-count cotton shell with triple-chamber construction to keep it all in place—no constant fluffing or uneven spots. Available in soft, medium, or firm, it’s the kind of upgrade that makes your bed even harder to leave.The Best Down-Alternative Pillow: Boll & Branch Pillow InsertBoll & BranchPillow InsertIf you’ve tried Boll & Branch’s incredibly soft bed sheets, but haven’t given their pillows a chance, let this be your sign. The brand is a go-to in the bedding world for its luxe, hotel-quality offerings and the down-alternative pillow is no different. For those who love the plush feel of down but could do without the feathers, this pillow offers the best of both worlds. Made in three densities to match your ideal level of support, it’s filled with a premium fiber that mimics the airy loft and gentle weight of traditional down. Soft yet supportive, it’s the kind of pillow that holds its shape, stays fluffy, and makes drifting off feel downright indulgent.The Best Travel Pillow: Trtl Travel PillowThis isn't your average travel pillow (and that's a good thing). Unlike the traditional U-shaped options that you can never quite adjust to the right position for a nap mid-flight (at least without a kink or two), this one’s built to support your neck with ergonomic precision. It’s soft on your skin, lightweight, and incredibly compact (about the size of a book) and slips easily into your bag. This means you don’t have to worry about holding or wearing your bulky travel pillow around the airport. “I’ll admit that I was a bit skeptical at first since it almost looks like a fleece scarf, but the minute I put it on, I was blown away by how incredibly sturdy and comfortable it was,” says one GQ tester. “It was instantly more supportive than any other neck pillow I’ve used, and I’ll definitely be packing this for my next long-haul flight.”The Best Bed FramesThe Best Platform Bed: Sun at Six Kiral Platform BedSun at SixKiral Platform BedMinimalist, but never boring. Designed by family-run studio Sun at Six, the Kiral platform bed is crafted from oil-finished white ash that’s durable, yet sleek. The traditional Chinese joinery adds an artisanal touch, while the rounded legs add playful visual interest against the square frame. Built with a low profile, it looks right at home floating in the middle of any room. The wide platforms are perfect for stashing your phone or knick-knacks, and the whole setup breaks down easily for moving. Bonus: You can snag it in a black finish for a bit more edge.The Best Bed with Built-in Storage: Thuma Classic Headboard with Under Bed StorageThumaClassic Headboard with Under Bed StorageA mix of Japanese joinery (no tools needed), top-tier craftsmanship, and a style that fits into nearly every bedroom? We’re intrigued. Made entirely from upcycled wood, the Thuma bed frame is high-quality and built to last (though it also comes with a lifetime warranty, just in case). “The ease of assembly is well worth the price tag given the many pain points that come with your typical IKEA pieces,” says GQ’s associate commerce editor Tyler Chin, who put it together in just 20 minutes. The verdict? The Thuma bed is worth the hype and the under-bed storage is an added plus.The Best Sleeper SofasThe Best Sleeper Sofa: Sixpenny Aria Sleeper SofaSixpennyAria Sleeper SofaNew York furniture brand Sixpenny knows a thing or two about inviting laid-back design, and the Aria sleeper sofa is no exception. One GQ staffer gave it a test run and said that converting it from couch to bed is “a piece of cake”—just remove the cushions, lift the base, and fold down the backrest. Unlike clunky pull-outs, it keeps its good looks even in sleep mode, making it a win for guests. The mattress leans firm (ideal for back sleepers) though a mattress pad can add extra plushness. Tested over multiple nights, it held up well, far better than an air mattress or a flimsy fold-out.The Best Modular Sleeper Sofa: OMHU The Teddy SofaWhether you’re rearranging your space for the fifth time this month or squeezing a guest bed into a tight apartment, the Teddy sofa can keep up (and look good doing it). Seven components—three chrome-plated iron bars, two long pads, and two chunky L-shaped cushions—snap together in minutes, shifting effortlessly between couch and bed. The pad leans firm (great for back sleepers, less so for side sleepers), and the deep seats invite veg-out lounging for movie nights. Best against a wall for extra support, it’s made for stretching out, kicking back, and, let’s be honest, doing absolutely nothing.The Best Sleep GadgetsThe Best Sleep Tracker: Oura Ring 4If you’re serious about sleep, the Oura Ring is a go-to tool for optimizing rest and performance. (Think insights into how long it took you to fall asleep, how long you actually slept, and your deep sleep total.) Since its launch in 2015, this sleek, low-profile ring has been a favorite among NBA stars, celebrities, and top-tier health enthusiasts. Now in its fourth generation, the Oura Ring offers more precise data on sleep patterns, activity, stress, and heart health, giving you real-time insights. With an improved eight-day battery life and upgraded accuracy, this ring is your ultimate sleep hack.The Best White Noise Machine: Yogasleep Dohm Classic Sound MachineYogasleepDohm Classic Sound MachineA sound machine isn’t just for kids; it's for anyone whose brain refuses to clock out. If your idea of winding down involves doom-scrolling or letting Netflix autoplay into oblivion, it’s time to switch things up. Originally launched in 1962, the Dohm Classic sound machine is as simple as it gets: a compact, bedside-friendly unit that produces the soothing sound of rushing air. No artificial loops, just a steady, fan-like hum that drowns out distractions and lulls you into deep REM.The Best Humidifier: Dreo Smart HumidifierA humidifier is one of those small upgrades that has a big impact. Case in point? Adding moisture to the air can help prevent dry skin, congestion, and scratchy throats—all of which can wreck your sleep. The Dreo Smart Humidifier keeps your space comfortably hydrated without hogging your nightstand or demanding constant refills. Its 40-inch mist distributes moisture evenly across the room, while the 4-liter tank means fewer late-night refills. All that, for less than whatever you impulse-bought last week.The Best Air Purifier: Blueair ComfortPure 3-in-1 T20i Air PurifierBlueairComfortPure 3-in-1 T20i Air PurifierMuch like a humidifier, investing in an air purifier can improve your sleep quality—and create a zen-like ambiance akin to a high-end spa. If you’ve ever woken up feeling congested or sluggish, an air purifier might just be the upgrade you need. The Blueair ComfortPure not only purifies the air but also heats and cools, so you can create the perfect environment for a good night’s rest. The built-in filter monitor means you won’t have to guess when it’s time for a swap, and the smart features—app control, real-time air quality readings, and automatic shutdown—make it easy to use without overthinking it. Just set it up, let it do its thing, and breathe easier.The Best Bedside Lamp: Philips SmartSleep Wake-Up Light HF3520PhilipsSmartSleep Wake-Up Light HF3520The Philips SmartSleep eases you in and out of the day with a gradual sunrise and sunset simulation, 20 brightness settings, and five wake-up sounds that won’t make you want to throw your phone across the room. It’s got the essentials—FM radio, bedside lamp, and a tap-to-snooze function that actually makes sense. Clinically proven to boost mood and energy, it’s a small upgrade that makes waking up (and winding down) a little more enjoyable.The Best Night-Time Skin CareThe Best Firming Mask: Skinceuticals Hyaluronic Acid Intensifier Multi-GlycanSkinceuticalsHyaluronic Acid Intensifier Multi-GlycanWe’re big fans of skin care that works while you sleep, and SkinCeuticals’ Hyaluronic Acid Intensifier definitely deserves a spot in your grooming cabinet. This lightweight serum-gel works for all skin types—whether you’re oily, dry, or somewhere in between—and it helps boost hydration, smooth out texture, and reduce fine lines while you’re catching some Z’s. The hyaluronic acid helps your skin drink up all that moisture, and this formula takes it a step further, ensuring everything you layer on top actually does its job. The end result? Firm, plump skin that feels super refreshed.The Best Firming Serum: Typology P63 Firming Night Serum Botanical Blend with NopalTypologyP63 - Firming Night Serum Botanical Blend with NopalWe’re not saying you need a 100-step skin care routine, but we can make a case for splurging on this firming serum. Made in France, this formula works to hydrate, repair, and smooth, a worthy addition to your nighttime regimen. It blends nopal, prickly pear, and immortelle to help tone and regenerate your skin while you sleep, gradually softening fine lines. Since nighttime is prime for cell renewal, its dry-oil texture helps everything absorb just right, leaving your skin feeling fresh and firm in the morning.The Best Firming Eye Cream: Augustinus Bader The Rich Eye CreamAugustinus BaderThe Rich Eye CreamDon’t sleep on a good eye cream. Augustinus Bader’s The Rich Eye Cream might be a little on the luxe side, but take it from us, it’s worth the investment and a little goes a long way. This butter-like formula firms, smooths, and de-puffs, helping you look less “just woke up” and more “slept like a rock.” Packed with sustainably sourced botanicals and clean actives, it also boosts elasticity and evens out your skin tone. Overall, it’s a solid addition to your nighttime routine—your under-eyes will thank you later.The Best Overnight Peel: ByNacht Über Glow Gel Peeling AHABynachtÜber Glow Gel PeelingLeave it to the skin care brand obsessed with beauty sleep to create the ultimate overnight reset. Just smooth on this lightweight gel, let it do its thing for up to 10 minutes, then rinse it off. While you snooze, a potent blend of four fruit acids and Green Malachite extract exfoliates, smooths, and revives your skin. Is this the next fountain of youth? Maybe not, but come morning, you might just wake up to a brighter, more even-toned complexion.The Best Overnight Moisturizer: La Mer The Night Recovery ConcentrateLa MerThe Night Recovery ConcentrateYour nighttime routine should look a little like this: brush teeth, wash face, and slather on a mini spatula’s worth of La Mer’s luxe night recovery concentrate. Described as an “extreme barrier wrap,” it speeds up skin recovery from visible distress and irritation, including post-derm treatment sensitivity (like that radiofrequency microneedling treatment you’ve been meaning to book). With its silky serum texture, it essentially “cocoons” fragile skin while you sleep, leaving your skin feeling stronger, calmer, and visibly less red.GQ SLEEP AWARDS 2025 CONTRIBUTORS:Danielle DiMeglio, Tyler ChinEDITOR:Ian Burke Source link
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We all love our triple-shot lattes as much as the next person, but chugging coffee isn’t fixing your dark circles, brain fog, or that kink in your neck. Deep down under that worn-out mattress and lackluster pillow, you know that sleep quality impacts everything: your energy levels, focus at work, fitness gains, sex drive, and even long-term health. Yet, one-third of adults aren’t getting the recommended seven hours of uninterrupted shut-eye. It’s no wonder we’re obsessed with viral TikTok sleep hacks, from earplugs to snore-reducing mouth tape and whatever of-the-moment trend that promises a better night’s rest. If the endless stream of melatonin gummies, sleep tech, and ASMR playlists tell us anything, it’s that we collectively need better rest.While we can’t exactly tuck you in at night, we can bring you the third annual GQ Sleep Awards, a hit list of 40 dream-worthy products that we simply can’t sleep without. We’ve tested, side-slept, and snoozed our way through the best sleep products out there, from comfy mattresses to techy upgrades like smart lamps and wearable sleep trackers—even stylish pajamas you’d actually want to be seen in. In this curated roundup, the editors of GQ have covered it all: beds, pillows, sheets, grooming essentials, and next-level sleep gear, all in the name of catching those elusive REM cycles. Consider this your green light to upgrade your bedroom.Looking for Something Specific?The Best MattressesThe Best Hybrid Mattress: Helix Midnight Luxe MattressHelixMidnight Luxe MattressA mattress so good, we’ve crowned it twice. The Helix Midnight Luxe—and its sibling, the Helix Midnight Elite—are top picks among GQ staffers. Known for its zoned lumbar support, responsive foam, and motion isolation, this hybrid mattress has earned its place in our sleep rotation. As one GQ staffer put it: “It’s a true medium feel on the firmness scale and its multiple foam layers (a support layer, a transition layer, and an extra-dense bottom foam layer) mean that you have support that still feels like it has a little bit of give.” Ideal for combination sleepers (whether you sleep on your side, front, or back), the mattress also has two cover options: a breathable Tencel or the GlacioTex cooling cover for those who run hot. This may make you ditch that innerspring mattress once and for all.The Best Cooling Mattress Topper: Eight Sleep Pod 4Pro athletes, A-listers, billionaires—they’ve all cosigned the app-controlled Eight Sleep Pod 4, and after one GQ staffer took it for a test run, we can see why. It’s essentially climate control for your mattress: a high-tech cover with built-in tubing that heats and cools in real-time to keep you at the perfect sleep temperature all night. It also tracks key sleep metrics like heart rate and breathing patterns, giving you a full breakdown in the morning—much like the Oura Ring, but for your entire bed. Our tester says that it “helps you to go to sleep quicker and find more restful sleep so that you wake up and feel ready to go rather than groggily needing to go through your day.” Heads up that it comes with a “hub” (a.k.a. a water tank central processor), so you'll need to find a spot for it in your bedroom.The Best Luxury Mattress: Four Seasons Signature MattressFour SeasonsSignature MattressYou know that deep, borderline-coma sleep you get in a fancy hotel? That’s the vacation effect, and one the Four Seasons wants to bring into your bedroom. The brand’s namesake Signature Mattress (the same one found in its top hotels and resorts) is a hybrid of plush gel memory foam, pocketed coils, and cooling layers, engineered for top-tier comfort and support. Of course, luxury like this doesn’t come cheap. The price tag is as steep as you’d expect from a mattress with “Four Seasons” in the name. But if you’re going to invest in a luxury mattress, it might as well be of top hotel quality.The Best New Mattress: Coyuchi the Natural REM MattressCoyuchiThe Natural REM MattressWith a brand as devoted to the planet as it is to deep sleep, we should’ve seen the wordplay coming: In this case, REM stands for Restorative EcoMaterials instead of that deep sleep state (though honestly, they might be one and the same). NorCal-based Coyuchi introduces its first-ever mattress that lives up to its reputation: sustainable, organic, and luxe as hell. Made from seven layers—including foam, latex, wool, and thousands of individually encased coils—this mattress is designed to relieve pressure points and support a restful night’s sleep. As you might expect, it’s free from the harmful chemicals, toxins, and dyes found in most conventional mattresses.The Best SheetsThe Best Cooling Sheets: AiryWeight Eucalyptus Sheet SetSijoAiryWeight Eucalyptus Sheet Set“AiryWeight Eucalyptus” might sound like the fancy face towels they hand out at a gym like Equinox or some high-end spa, but it’s actually what gives these Sijo sheets their edge. Its lightweight, moisture-wicking properties with eucalyptus fibers make this sheet set legitimately “cool-to-the-touch” as the brand purports. It’s also supposedly the only Tencel sheet certified by the National Allergy and Asthma Foundation, which is a huge flex. As for durability, our tester says it held up after multiple spin cycles and seems “well-made and of high-quality materials.”The Best Percale Sheets: Saatva Percale Sheet SetWe’ve raved about Saatva’s ultra-comfy mattresses, but their percale sheets deserve just as much hype. If you’re not familiar with percale, it’s a weave that gives sheets that crisp, breathable, hotel-like feel. In fact, many hotels opt for percale sheets for its breathability and mix of softness and structure—an all-around crowd pleaser for most people. Made from 200-thread count long-staple cotton, these sheets keep hot sleepers cool and bring that luxe five-star feel straight to your bedroom.The Best Sateen Sheets: Brooklinen Luxe Sateen Core Sheet SetBrooklinenSoft Cotton Sateen Core Sheet SetBrooklinen has been a big name in bedding for over a decade, and after sinking into these buttery, breathable sheets, it’s clear why: They’ve got a real knack for high-quality fabrics that don’t lose their luster after multiple washes. It’s no surprise that these sateen sheets are one of the brand’s best-sellers, thanks largely to a smoothness that doesn’t cross into “too-slippery” territory. Unlike percale, sateen uses a four-over-one-under weave, making it slightly heavier with a subtle sheen. “I’d call Brooklinen’s Sateen Sheet Set a major crowd-pleaser and therefore, a guest room hero,” says one GQ tester. “It’s the perfect median between cuddly cotton and slippery bamboo fabric.”The Best Linen Sheets: Bed Threads Linen Sheet SetBed ThreadsLinen Sheet SetYou really can’t go wrong with the relaxed, lived-in feel of linen sheets. If you’ve ever bought a pair of cotton ones that seem to lose their softness over time, you’ll love the durability of a linen option—it's thicker, stronger, and can keep up more with your weekly washes. Bed Threads makes their selection from 100% French flax linen, which is incredibly soft, temperature regulating (great for hot sleepers), and naturally eco-friendly. Plus, these bed sheets come in over twenty different colors (with some subtle striped options), ranging from a rich olive and vibrant turmeric to muted cremes and more. They add an effortlessly elevated vibe to your bedroom—without the hefty designer price tag.The Best SleepwearThe Best Buttoned-Up Pajama Set: Tekla White & Blue Poplin Long Top & BottomsTeklaWhite & Blue Poplin Long Sleeve TopTeklaWhite & Blue Poplin Long BottomsWho says “look good, feel good” can’t apply to your sleep? Like something straight out of Don Draper’s closet, these striped PJs are polished, comfortable, and relatively subtle. Coming from Tekla—a Danish brand that’s a favorite among the fashion set and has seen collabs with (equally) good tastemakers like JJJJound and Stüssy—the pajamas are a major step up from your years-old graphic tee and basketball shorts. Made in Portugal from 100% organic cotton, the PJ set is breathable, classic, and the kind of pajamas you wouldn’t mind being seen in.The Best Luxury Pajama Set: Argyle CardiganThe Elder StatesmanArgyle CardiganThe Elder StatesmanArgyle Lounge SetYou deserve the finer things in life, starting with an all-cashmere lounge set. If there’s one thing (okay, two things) The Elder Statesman gets right every time, it’s ultra-luxurious cashmere knits and killer color combinations. This two-piece matching set, decked out in an olive green, gray, and yellow argyle stitch, is equal parts cozy and statement-making. Made in Los Angeles, it makes a strong case for ditching the mundane sweats and leveling up your lounge game. But, as with all great cashmere, it comes with a high price tag to match.The Best Slippers: Velvet Pescara SlippersLeny'sMidnight Blue - Velvet Pescara SlippersTake a page from the celebs and fashion crowd wearing these slip-ons: Just because you’re walking around the house doesn’t mean your shoes should get overlooked. It’s the little luxuries that make “home sweet home” real, so ditch the flip-flops and dirty socks. These velvet slippers are just a tad fancy, provide lush comfort, and have that extra bit of edge that sets them apart from the sea of ordinary slip-ons. Handcrafted in Italy, these midnight blue slippers are the definition of laid-back luxury.The Best Robe: Brooklinen Super Plush RobeBrooklinenSuper-Plush RobePicture stepping out of the shower, wrapping yourself in a plush, thick towel... and then never having to take it off. Brooklinen’s best-selling towels are a mainstay of our home coverage, and the DTC brand's robes employ the same tricks of of the trade: absorbent, piled Turkish cotton repackaged into a calf-length, unisex bathrobe that feels as good as it looks. If wrapping yourself in cloud-like, towel-caliber cotton isn't doing it for you, extra deep pockets to hide your snacks coupled with those eye-grabbing botanical stripes alone are worth the price of admission.The Best Boxer Shorts: Skims Cotton Poplins Mens BoxerSkimsCotton Poplin Mens BoxerFellas, it’s time to retire those worn-out boxers. Who knew we’d leave it to Kim K to make underwear a style statement, even for the gentlemen. As the official underwear partner to the NBA, Skims has accomplished this and then some. These classic cotton poplin boxers are lightweight, breathable, and ridiculously comfortable, proving that your top drawer deserves an upgrade just as much as the rest of your wardrobe.The Best Sleep Mask: Lunya Washable Silk Sleep MaskLunyaWashable Silk Sleep MaskYou might think sleep masks are only for red-eye flights, but trust us, this Lunya silk mask is a total nightly upgrade. It gives you full blackout coverage, blocking out those sneaky morning rays so you can snooze just a bit longer—until your real alarm drags you out of bed. Made from soft, washable silk, it feels incredibly smooth against your skin and leaves you crease-free. Bonus: It doubles as a headband for your nightly skin care routine, so you can slather on that serum without hair getting in the way.The Best BeddingThe Best Down Comforter: Bavarian 850 Down ComforterFeathered FriendsBavarian 850 Down ComforterA feathered friend, indeed. With an exceptionally high-lofting 850+ fill power, this Bavarian Eastern European white goose down comforter will wrap you up like a plush cloud and make you never want to get out of bed. Available in four weights—summer, light, medium (the crowd favorite), and arctic—so whether you sleep hot, cold, or somewhere in between, there’s a perfect level of fluff for you. While the price tag isn’t cheap, you get what you pay for with the quality: 100-percent organic, Responsible Down Standard certified, even distribution, and downright luxurious.The Best Down-Alternative Comforter: Cozy Earth Down-Alternative ComforterCozy EarthDown Alternative ComforterIf you want to wrap yourself in a plushy comforter sans the goose feathers, Cozy Earth’s down-alternative option has you covered (literally). Filled with high quality, anti-clumping 100% recycled polyester, it yields the same plush warmth and comfort as natural down while keeping things cool when you need it. The true baffle-box construction means no lumps or flat spots, but rather a consistently even fluff. Sustainable, soft, and ridiculously cozy, this is the kind of bedding upgrade that’ll make hitting snooze a little too tempting.The Best Throw Blanket: Poppies & Lotus FlaxHillery SproattPoppies & Lotus FlaxMuch like a painting, a throw blanket has the power to transform your space and act as a work of art in and of itself. Portland artist Hillery Sproatt takes her botanical paintings and turns them into intricate knit throws, blending influences from Japanese, Scandinavian, and Eastern European design. The result is a striking pop of color that elevates any sofa, bed, or reading nook. Made in part from recycled cotton, it’s not only a piece of interior eye candy, but also sustainable and cozy, with an ideal weight for year-round use. (You may want to add this to your gift list.)The Best Quilt: Parachute Linen Box BlanketParachuteLinen Box BlanketThis isn’t your grandma’s quilt (no shade, though). If you're into luxury linen bedding, you’ve likely heard of Parachute—the Venice Beach brand that’s practically synonymous with sustainable design and high-quality linens. (Fun fact: They’ve even collabed with Tyler, the Creator’s Le Fleur.) Known for bringing that effortless luxe vibe into your home, Parachute’s quilt is no exception. Dual-sided with linen on one side and percale on the other, this medium-weight masterpiece is filled with plush yet lightweight polyester for just the right balance of comfort and breathability. Made in Portugal, it’s a quilt that’s ready to take center stage in your bedroom (and a top spot in GQ Sleep Awards 2025).The Best PillowsThe Best Pillow for Combination Sleepers: Buffy Cloud PillowAh, the elusive combination sleeper—flipping between back, side, and stomach like it’s a sport. You need a pillow that can keep up, and Buffy’s Cloud Pillow does that and then some. True to its name, this New York-based brand’s bestseller is stuffed with “extra-fluffy” recycled fill and wrapped in a silky 300-thread count Tencel lyocell shell, which wicks moisture better than cotton (because no one likes waking up sweaty). Available in three firmness levels, it’s got just the right amount of support, no matter how you snooze.The Best Adjustable Pillow: Luxome Customizable PillowLuxomeCustomizable PillowEver have that moment where your pillow feels too soft one night, and then too firm the next? We’ve been there. You may not consider a pillow to be customizable from one night to the next, but Luxome figured it out—and in a way that still feels luxurious. With three interchangeable inserts—a plush down-alternative, gel-infused shredded memory foam, and solid memory foam—you can adjust the height and firmness on the fly. Just unzip the cover, mix and match the inserts, and even adjust the fill to suit your comfort level. “Once I found my ideal combo as a side and back sleeper, I feel like it was actually providing the neck support I’ve been begging for,” says one GQ tester.The Best Down Pillow: Avocado Down PillowAvocado’s pillows (and mattresses, for that matter) have long been on our radar, making many of GQ’s “best of” lists. This year, we have our attention (and rested heads) on the ultra-comfortable Down Pillow. In line with the brand’s ethos, the pillow is filled with ethically sourced, Responsible Down Standard-certified down so you can feel good about what you’re sleeping on. The 650-fill power loft is wrapped in a crisp 400-thread-count cotton shell with triple-chamber construction to keep it all in place—no constant fluffing or uneven spots. Available in soft, medium, or firm, it’s the kind of upgrade that makes your bed even harder to leave.The Best Down-Alternative Pillow: Boll & Branch Pillow InsertBoll & BranchPillow InsertIf you’ve tried Boll & Branch’s incredibly soft bed sheets, but haven’t given their pillows a chance, let this be your sign. The brand is a go-to in the bedding world for its luxe, hotel-quality offerings and the down-alternative pillow is no different. For those who love the plush feel of down but could do without the feathers, this pillow offers the best of both worlds. Made in three densities to match your ideal level of support, it’s filled with a premium fiber that mimics the airy loft and gentle weight of traditional down. Soft yet supportive, it’s the kind of pillow that holds its shape, stays fluffy, and makes drifting off feel downright indulgent.The Best Travel Pillow: Trtl Travel PillowThis isn't your average travel pillow (and that's a good thing). Unlike the traditional U-shaped options that you can never quite adjust to the right position for a nap mid-flight (at least without a kink or two), this one’s built to support your neck with ergonomic precision. It’s soft on your skin, lightweight, and incredibly compact (about the size of a book) and slips easily into your bag. This means you don’t have to worry about holding or wearing your bulky travel pillow around the airport. “I’ll admit that I was a bit skeptical at first since it almost looks like a fleece scarf, but the minute I put it on, I was blown away by how incredibly sturdy and comfortable it was,” says one GQ tester. “It was instantly more supportive than any other neck pillow I’ve used, and I’ll definitely be packing this for my next long-haul flight.”The Best Bed FramesThe Best Platform Bed: Sun at Six Kiral Platform BedSun at SixKiral Platform BedMinimalist, but never boring. Designed by family-run studio Sun at Six, the Kiral platform bed is crafted from oil-finished white ash that’s durable, yet sleek. The traditional Chinese joinery adds an artisanal touch, while the rounded legs add playful visual interest against the square frame. Built with a low profile, it looks right at home floating in the middle of any room. The wide platforms are perfect for stashing your phone or knick-knacks, and the whole setup breaks down easily for moving. Bonus: You can snag it in a black finish for a bit more edge.The Best Bed with Built-in Storage: Thuma Classic Headboard with Under Bed StorageThumaClassic Headboard with Under Bed StorageA mix of Japanese joinery (no tools needed), top-tier craftsmanship, and a style that fits into nearly every bedroom? We’re intrigued. Made entirely from upcycled wood, the Thuma bed frame is high-quality and built to last (though it also comes with a lifetime warranty, just in case). “The ease of assembly is well worth the price tag given the many pain points that come with your typical IKEA pieces,” says GQ’s associate commerce editor Tyler Chin, who put it together in just 20 minutes. The verdict? The Thuma bed is worth the hype and the under-bed storage is an added plus.The Best Sleeper SofasThe Best Sleeper Sofa: Sixpenny Aria Sleeper SofaSixpennyAria Sleeper SofaNew York furniture brand Sixpenny knows a thing or two about inviting laid-back design, and the Aria sleeper sofa is no exception. One GQ staffer gave it a test run and said that converting it from couch to bed is “a piece of cake”—just remove the cushions, lift the base, and fold down the backrest. Unlike clunky pull-outs, it keeps its good looks even in sleep mode, making it a win for guests. The mattress leans firm (ideal for back sleepers) though a mattress pad can add extra plushness. Tested over multiple nights, it held up well, far better than an air mattress or a flimsy fold-out.The Best Modular Sleeper Sofa: OMHU The Teddy SofaWhether you’re rearranging your space for the fifth time this month or squeezing a guest bed into a tight apartment, the Teddy sofa can keep up (and look good doing it). Seven components—three chrome-plated iron bars, two long pads, and two chunky L-shaped cushions—snap together in minutes, shifting effortlessly between couch and bed. The pad leans firm (great for back sleepers, less so for side sleepers), and the deep seats invite veg-out lounging for movie nights. Best against a wall for extra support, it’s made for stretching out, kicking back, and, let’s be honest, doing absolutely nothing.The Best Sleep GadgetsThe Best Sleep Tracker: Oura Ring 4If you’re serious about sleep, the Oura Ring is a go-to tool for optimizing rest and performance. (Think insights into how long it took you to fall asleep, how long you actually slept, and your deep sleep total.) Since its launch in 2015, this sleek, low-profile ring has been a favorite among NBA stars, celebrities, and top-tier health enthusiasts. Now in its fourth generation, the Oura Ring offers more precise data on sleep patterns, activity, stress, and heart health, giving you real-time insights. With an improved eight-day battery life and upgraded accuracy, this ring is your ultimate sleep hack.The Best White Noise Machine: Yogasleep Dohm Classic Sound MachineYogasleepDohm Classic Sound MachineA sound machine isn’t just for kids; it's for anyone whose brain refuses to clock out. If your idea of winding down involves doom-scrolling or letting Netflix autoplay into oblivion, it’s time to switch things up. Originally launched in 1962, the Dohm Classic sound machine is as simple as it gets: a compact, bedside-friendly unit that produces the soothing sound of rushing air. No artificial loops, just a steady, fan-like hum that drowns out distractions and lulls you into deep REM.The Best Humidifier: Dreo Smart HumidifierA humidifier is one of those small upgrades that has a big impact. Case in point? Adding moisture to the air can help prevent dry skin, congestion, and scratchy throats—all of which can wreck your sleep. The Dreo Smart Humidifier keeps your space comfortably hydrated without hogging your nightstand or demanding constant refills. Its 40-inch mist distributes moisture evenly across the room, while the 4-liter tank means fewer late-night refills. All that, for less than whatever you impulse-bought last week.The Best Air Purifier: Blueair ComfortPure 3-in-1 T20i Air PurifierBlueairComfortPure 3-in-1 T20i Air PurifierMuch like a humidifier, investing in an air purifier can improve your sleep quality—and create a zen-like ambiance akin to a high-end spa. If you’ve ever woken up feeling congested or sluggish, an air purifier might just be the upgrade you need. The Blueair ComfortPure not only purifies the air but also heats and cools, so you can create the perfect environment for a good night’s rest. The built-in filter monitor means you won’t have to guess when it’s time for a swap, and the smart features—app control, real-time air quality readings, and automatic shutdown—make it easy to use without overthinking it. Just set it up, let it do its thing, and breathe easier.The Best Bedside Lamp: Philips SmartSleep Wake-Up Light HF3520PhilipsSmartSleep Wake-Up Light HF3520The Philips SmartSleep eases you in and out of the day with a gradual sunrise and sunset simulation, 20 brightness settings, and five wake-up sounds that won’t make you want to throw your phone across the room. It’s got the essentials—FM radio, bedside lamp, and a tap-to-snooze function that actually makes sense. Clinically proven to boost mood and energy, it’s a small upgrade that makes waking up (and winding down) a little more enjoyable.The Best Night-Time Skin CareThe Best Firming Mask: Skinceuticals Hyaluronic Acid Intensifier Multi-GlycanSkinceuticalsHyaluronic Acid Intensifier Multi-GlycanWe’re big fans of skin care that works while you sleep, and SkinCeuticals’ Hyaluronic Acid Intensifier definitely deserves a spot in your grooming cabinet. This lightweight serum-gel works for all skin types—whether you’re oily, dry, or somewhere in between—and it helps boost hydration, smooth out texture, and reduce fine lines while you’re catching some Z’s. The hyaluronic acid helps your skin drink up all that moisture, and this formula takes it a step further, ensuring everything you layer on top actually does its job. The end result? Firm, plump skin that feels super refreshed.The Best Firming Serum: Typology P63 Firming Night Serum Botanical Blend with NopalTypologyP63 - Firming Night Serum Botanical Blend with NopalWe’re not saying you need a 100-step skin care routine, but we can make a case for splurging on this firming serum. Made in France, this formula works to hydrate, repair, and smooth, a worthy addition to your nighttime regimen. It blends nopal, prickly pear, and immortelle to help tone and regenerate your skin while you sleep, gradually softening fine lines. Since nighttime is prime for cell renewal, its dry-oil texture helps everything absorb just right, leaving your skin feeling fresh and firm in the morning.The Best Firming Eye Cream: Augustinus Bader The Rich Eye CreamAugustinus BaderThe Rich Eye CreamDon’t sleep on a good eye cream. Augustinus Bader’s The Rich Eye Cream might be a little on the luxe side, but take it from us, it’s worth the investment and a little goes a long way. This butter-like formula firms, smooths, and de-puffs, helping you look less “just woke up” and more “slept like a rock.” Packed with sustainably sourced botanicals and clean actives, it also boosts elasticity and evens out your skin tone. Overall, it’s a solid addition to your nighttime routine—your under-eyes will thank you later.The Best Overnight Peel: ByNacht Über Glow Gel Peeling AHABynachtÜber Glow Gel PeelingLeave it to the skin care brand obsessed with beauty sleep to create the ultimate overnight reset. Just smooth on this lightweight gel, let it do its thing for up to 10 minutes, then rinse it off. While you snooze, a potent blend of four fruit acids and Green Malachite extract exfoliates, smooths, and revives your skin. Is this the next fountain of youth? Maybe not, but come morning, you might just wake up to a brighter, more even-toned complexion.The Best Overnight Moisturizer: La Mer The Night Recovery ConcentrateLa MerThe Night Recovery ConcentrateYour nighttime routine should look a little like this: brush teeth, wash face, and slather on a mini spatula’s worth of La Mer’s luxe night recovery concentrate. Described as an “extreme barrier wrap,” it speeds up skin recovery from visible distress and irritation, including post-derm treatment sensitivity (like that radiofrequency microneedling treatment you’ve been meaning to book). With its silky serum texture, it essentially “cocoons” fragile skin while you sleep, leaving your skin feeling stronger, calmer, and visibly less red.GQ SLEEP AWARDS 2025 CONTRIBUTORS:Danielle DiMeglio, Tyler ChinEDITOR:Ian Burke Source link
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Hello annoying best friend here to fulfill my duty by asking you to answer all of the cute asks
angel; do you have a nickname?
not really. my name is already short and I don't have a prominent quality to nickname me after. The only person who refers to me as anything other than my name is my boyfriend, but I don't think “babe/baby” really counts as a nickname lol
awe; how old are you?
24
baby; favorite color?
dark teal (blue-green? I've never found a good name for my favorite color)
bloop; spirit animal?
so because I didn't have a good answer for this, I decided to google a quiz to find out, lol. My answer was a deer. here's why;
When you have the deer as spirit animal, you are highly sensitive and have a strong intuition. By affinity with this animal, you have the power to deal with challenges with grace. You master the art of being both determined and gentle in your approach.
The deer totem wisdom imparts those with a special connection with this animal with the ability to be vigilant, move quickly, and trust their instincts to get out the trickiest situations
blossom; favorite book/movie/song?
i don't really have a favorite book, i don't read much outside of school (I wish i did)
movie: A Beautiful Mind
song: oh dear lord i cannot pick just one, but all-time favorite band of mine is Shinedown
blush; what was your stuffed animal as a child?
a little stuffed dog that looked like Kipper from the TV show, I still have him :)
breeze; most precious childhood memory?
lmao what came to mind was when i pledged to never drink, smoke, or say bad words. two out of fucking three ain't bad i guess.
bright; mermaids or fairies?
(honestly neither but) fairies
bubbles; do you have a best friend?
given the asker, i would say yes :) also i am lame and my boyfriend is also my best friend
buttercup; showers or baths?
S H O W E R S. hate baths!
butterfly; dream destination?
I've never had a huge desire to travel honestly. like sure i could say Italy or Greece look beautiful, but the actual act of traveling overseas really stresses me out lol. so i would have to say more like upper midwest, like Maine, in the fall time for all the pretty trees.
buttons; are you religious or spiritual?
i am neither
calm; favorite scent?
anything fruity - pineapple, mango, berries, apples. at least in terms of what candles i like lol.
candlelight; what did you dream about last night?
i do not remember anything from last night - the last dream i remember involved my boyfriend, dad and i being lost up north lol
charming; have you ever been in love?
currently
cozy; eye/hair color?
hazel / brunette
cuddly; what’s your favorite time period?
the 1970′s for the fashion
cupcake; favorite flower/plant?
love me a good succulent
cute; what did you get on your last birthday?
well this last birthday was amidst quarantine, so I got some candles and granola (my boyfriend knows me well lol)
cutie pie; most precious item you own?
i have no idea? what an odd question? probably some stuffed animal?
cutsie; what makes you happy?
picnics, alone time, my boyfriend, my cat choosing to cuddle with me.
daisies; describe a moment when you felt free.
I really cant think of a time I've ever felt truly free. maybe when i drove myself to school earlier this year & didn't have to wait for someone to pick me up?
daydream; how do you want to be remembered?
as a light in others lives. happy, bubbly. things i currently am not
daylight; favorite album of all time?
gosh these dang music questions. well, Nickelback - All the Right Reasons was the first album i ever bought myself. then maybe Shinedown - The Sound of Madness (i cant pick one OKAY)
dear; zodiac sign?
Taurus
delightful; concerts or museums?
concerts
dimples; have you ever written a letter?
yes? this question makes me feel old, lol.
dobby; dream job?
criminologist. some way to be reducing the mass incarceration rate in the US.
doll; how do you like to dress?
comfy, v necks and leggings. As i have gotten older i have slowly wanted to be more feminine i think, because i really want some sundresses for summer lol
dovey; any paranormal/magical experiences?
one! when i was 12ish, i swear i saw a reflection of a uniformed man (like old school soldier uniform - blue blazer with gold cufflinks) behind me in the glass of my snakes tank at the time. it was weird because the only reason i even looked that way was because my snake started shaking his tail against the glass, something that corn snakes do when they are scared, but also something that in his entire life had never done unprompted ever.
dreams; do you want or have any tattoos?
want yes, have no
drizzle; do you believe in aliens?
100%. no way we are alone in this universe
euphoric; talk about someone you love.
he makes my days so much better :)
fairy; do you have a pet?
I have one little old kitty :)
fluffy; ocean or mountain?
to vacation, ocean. to live, mountain
forever; where do you feel time stop?
the secretary of state? lol
froglet; are you a good plant owner?
I've never owned a plant lol
garden; how many languages do you know?
one :(
gem; who are your favorite tumblrs?
@cy-ne-fin
giggles; what is your aesthetic of choice?
sepia photography/old books that have yellowed into sepia. or fresh greenery on white marble.
glittery; do you like anons? why/why not?
i don't really get any anymore, but as long as they are nice or just questions/venting, im down. don't be offended if i never answer though, for some reason i never get Tumblr notifications lol
glow; list the top 5 things you like about yourself
im compassionate
im empathetic (which is similar but im struggling to get to 5 lol)
im goal-oriented
im determined (once i have said goal. again, related lol)
i guess i like my lips/lip shape
heart; silk or lace?
lace
honey; coffee or tea? how do you take it?
tea. iced, black or green really, with sugar.
hugsy; do you enjoy people watching or bird watching more? why?
bird watching because it means i am probably alone and in nature as opposed to somewhere in a crowd of people. and i wont feel creepy for watching the birds lol
hunnybunch; what sounds help you sleep?
white noise, a fan running. if that's not enough, i enjoy asmr. if i am really struggling/having anxiety, i will look up sleep stories from the headspace app on youtube (life hack to not have to pay for the app lol)
jewel; what’s your favorite kind of weather?
to be outside, i enjoy just warm enough to be comfy in pants and a t-shirt (so like 65F-ish) and sunny.To be inside, i love when it is cooler (like 50F?) and raining. I love the look, sound, and smell of rain but it is usually just inconvenient to be in.
jiggly; what do you usually like to do on weekends?
well now all days are the same for me, #quarantine, so the same thing i do every day, just about nothing, lol
joy; do you laugh loudly or giggle more?
i guess laugh loudly because i am a loud person in general. i have a deep voice
kinky; do you blush easily?
i don't think so, my embarrassment turns into sweat, not blush, lmao
kisses; what romantic cliché do you wish for most?
i guess being proposed to someday? but i don't have a certain dream way of it happening, just the fact that its happening is enough for me lol. id enjoy if someone (cough Elle or also maybe Michael lol) were secretly filming and/or taking photos of it? I am not sure how you'd manage that though
kitty; what’s your favorite time of the day?
late at night when everything is quiet
ladybug; what’s your favorite artist to listen to when you’re sad?
old school three days grace (one-x album in particular)
love; what is your favorite season and why?
i always gravitate to fall for the leaves and pumpkin patches. but honestly, i think my favorite season is spring. i love the newly budding trees and flowers, the feeling of renewal, the release from the horrible Michigan winter lol, but most importantly, spring time for my whole life as of yet has always meant that school is over for the semester! as opposed to the fall when the semester starts. this is very long winded but spring final answer lol
lovey; what is your favorite flavor of macaron and ice cream?
I've never had a macaron and blue moon ice cream
magic; what are five flaws you have?
ooooo boy
im short tempered/angry too much
im unmotivated (which is confusing maybe because i said i am determined earlier. you see, once i HAVE a goal i feel determined to finish it. but i am unmotivated to create said goals, lol)
im nonconfrontational to a fault where i always put others’ feelings before my own
i let fear of change stop me from ever taking risks/ am anxious
i am stubborn and sometimes have a hard time admitting i am wrong
moonlight; do you prefer soft pastels, warm neutrals, or cool darks?
this depends - screw pastels. warm neutrals for makeup purposes, but cool darks for aesthetic or decor purposes
munchkin; what do you look for in your significant other?
someone who feels like home. I am not entirely sure how else to explain that. you just feel peace and content with them.
paddywack; how would you describe a perfect date?
something that allows you to only be with your date - so like a picnic or hike or just a walk even. my boyfriend and i liked to walk around in the fall for me to take pictures of leaves while he played pokemon go (man i miss the pokemon go summer and i have never even PLAYED it, it was just so fun to be with him while he played)
pebbles; how do you spend free time by yourself?
on youtube usually
precious; what is something valuable that you learned in your life?
The blood of the covenant is thicker than the water of the womb. if your family is toxic for whatever reason, you do not owe them your time strictly because they are family.
pretty; do you like to cook or bake more?
cook, im not super into sweets & i want to enjoy the final product
prince; how would you describe your handwriting?
normal? like its legible but its not pretty or cute
princess; do you play any instruments? if not, are there any you wish you could play?
no:( wish i could play bass or drums
prinky; how do you relieve stress?
i don't :)
i really don't have an answer other than solving whatever is stressing me out, lol. i wish i had more mechanisms to calm me down but nothing i have tried has ever really worked
pumpkin; what is your favourite kind of fruit/vegetable?
you know these favorites questions are hard for me lol. right now, i am loving watermelon, but i also love most fruits. kiwis! vegetable, i feel like i have to say potato lol
rainbow; what was the last line of the last book you read?
lol the last thing i read had to be some academic text, so that's boring
roses; what is the most significant event in your life so far?
meeting Alex i guess, it changes my whole life path to have someone you want to do life with
smile; what is one thing that has greatly affected you?
quarantine? lol
shine; art or music?
music is art.
shimmer; do animals tend to like you?
i think so. Elle’s dog griffin loves me for some reason lol
smitten; do you collect anything?
not really
smoochies; how many pillows do you sleep with?
4
snuggle; what is your favourite candy?
jolly ranchers
snuggly; do you have a camera? if so, what kind?
nope
sparkle; do you wear jewelry?
nope
spooky; sunrise or sunset?
sunset
sprinkles; do you like to listen to music with headphones or no headphones?
headphones
starlight; what was your favourite show as a child?
Spongebob probably. unless we are talking like really tiny, toddler age, then Winnie the pooh
soft; describe your favourite spot in your house.
i live in a 2 bedroom apartment, there arent any spots. lol. my bed i guess
soothe; digital or vinyl?
i mean digital for convenience but vinyl for aesthetic
squeezed; who do you miss right now?
i mean the only person i really actively miss ever is Alex. @cy-ne-fin sometimes, but i have also grown used to living away from each other
sugary; what traits do you value most in friends?
loyalty, honesty, & humor
sunshine; do you prefer for things to be practical or aesthetically pleasing?
if i must pick, practical.
sweet; do you find it easy to open up?
absolutely not. i feel like a burden with my feelings even though i shouldn't
sweetie; do you like kids? if so, do you ever want to have any?
honestly not really. am on the fence still about ever having any
thimble; is there somebody you look up to? who are they?
not really
toot; what is something you find unique about yourself?
i am as average as they come man, nothing is unique about me lol
tootsie; what kind of friend are you?
like a background friend? like i am not very social, so we do not have to talk every day to be friends. so like im here if you need me, but i enjoy alone time.
treasure; what was something that made you smile today?
the way my boyfriend looks at me, & as i was working on this my cat came to cuddle, which i gave as an answer earlier before he jumped up here :)
velvet; are you an early bird or a night owl?
night owlllllll
whiffle; if you could have a magical power, what would it be?
the power to heal those who are hurting (including myself)
whimsical; do you prefer doing stuff at home or going out?
home home home home
whiskers; do you usually wear makeup?
not anymore, i did in high school/early college years. not I've stopped caring
wiggly; are you a messy or tidy person?
messy? kinda in the middle really.
wispy; do you like the place where you grew up? do you think you will live there when you get older?
my state, sure. my city in particular is definitely pretty boring
wobbly; have you ever wished upon a star?
I've never seen one :(
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Fran Drescher, Millennial Whisperer – The New York Times
Fran Drescher’s voice, if you ever have the chance to hear it deployed in very close vicinity over shrimp tempura and spicy tuna sushi, is actually quite soothing.
When Drescher played Fran Fine on “The Nanny,” the 1990s sitcom she created with her then-husband Peter Marc Jacobson, she was pitching her voice higher, squeezing it up her nose, acting. Back then, The New York Times compared Drescher to “the sound of a Buick with an empty gas tank cold-cranking on a winter morning.” But here in her living room above Central Park, sitting among crystals, fresh lemons, fine sculpture and photographs of herself meeting establishment Democrats, she sounds more like a Mercedes purring out of the Long Island Expressway. For those who grew up with “The Nanny” as our nanny, her voice is so embedded in the subconscious that hearing the softened version is almost therapeutic. Imagine if Nanny Fine had an ASMR setting.
“I’ve heard it’s like a foghorn, a cackle,” Drescher said carefully, balancing her plate in the lap of her little black dress. “I always just describe myself as having a unique voice.” When she left Queens for Hollywood in the late 1970s, her manager told her, “If you want to play other parts, besides hookers, you’re going to have to learn to speak differently,” she recalled. Instead Drescher leaned into her natural gifts. In 1992, she pitched herself as a sitcom star to the president of CBS: “Because of the voice, they think I’m the seasoning in the show,” she told him. “That’s wrong. I’m a main course.”
America has not heard from Drescher much lately — she has not appeared regularly on television since her TV Land sitcom “Happily Divorced” ended in 2013, and “The Nanny” is sadly hard to stream — but this week, at 62, she returns to TV with NBC’s “Indebted.” As in the pilot of “The Nanny,” Drescher appears unexpectedly on a doorstep, except this time, it belongs to her adult son (Adam Pally). She and Steven Weber play Debbie and Stew Klein, a couple of boomer dilettantes who crash their kid’s married life with the news that they’re in debt. The role of Debbie, a boundaryless hugger who swans around her son’s suburban home as if it’s her own personal retirement community, inverts the “Nanny” dynamic: Now the kids have to take care of her.
When Drescher weighed whether to take on the show, a family sitcom that draws on generational conflict, she thought of her own family. “My parents, who are still alive, thank God, were so excited about me being on network television again,” she said. “You know, not everybody could find TV Land,” she added, “but everybody could find NBC.”
The role was not written for Drescher, exactly. The pilot script had called for a “Fran Drescher type,” and when the real Fran Drescher signed on, she required a few adjustments. “People are used to seeing an annoying mother-in-law in a sitcom, but that’s not what I signed up for,” Drescher said. “When you have somebody whose persona is bigger than the part, you got to make it right for me. Or why have me?”
That meant giving Debbie Klein some passions of her own. “I had to bring myself into it,” she said. “I really infused the sex appeal, the sensuality, the vivaciousness of the character.”
“Indebted” creator Dan Levy, a comedian and producer for “The Goldbergs,” said that he originally modeled Debbie and Stew after his own parents, but that the steaminess was all Drescher. “My mom was like, ‘That’s not based on us,’” Levy said. “She elevated that to a whole level that I was not expecting.”
In the decades since Drescher first opened her mouth onscreen, the Fran Drescher type has achieved a quiet dominance over popular culture. “The Nanny” has been syndicated around the world and remade in a dozen countries, including Turkey (where it was called “Dadi”), Poland (“Niania”) and Argentina (“La Niñera”). In “The Nanny,” for anyone who doesn’t have the chatty theme song implanted in her brain, Drescher plays a Jewish woman from Queens hired to tend to the three precocious children of a wealthy English widower, Maxwell Sheffield, who is also Broadway’s second-most-successful producer (after his nemesis, Andrew Lloyd Webber). In foreign versions, the ethnicities are recalibrated — in the Russian one, the nanny is Ukrainian — but the Fran Drescher type is otherwise preserved. Wherever she goes, the ethnic striver is transplanted into a posh setting as the help, and her appealing culture and individual charm pull off the ultimate makeover — reinventing the strait-laced insiders in her own brash image.
Across the internet, Fran Fine is helping to perform similar tricks. With her pile of hair, power-clashing wardrobe and cartoon proportions, she has been fashioned into an avatar of stylish self-respect. In GIFs spirited around social media, she can be seen in a cheetah-print skirt suit, sipping from a cheetah-print teacup; inhaling a plate of spaghetti with no hands; and descending the Sheffields’ ivory staircase as if entering New York’s hottest club.
“I send this when I’m excited,” Drescher said, summoning her phone from her assistant Jordan and thumbing to a GIF of Fine twirling across the mansion in a fuchsia dress and a self-satisfied look. “How many people can send their own GIF?”
The Fran Drescher type is a kind of advisory role. First she was the world’s nanny, showing kids how to mix prints and be themselves, and now she has matured into a cool-aunt persona, modeling a fabulous adulthood. (“Broad City” made this transformation literal, squeezing Drescher into a low cut rainbow and cheetah-print dress and casting her as Ilana’s Aunt Bev, and by extension the spirit guide for a new generation of Jewish comediennes.) “I’ve never had kids, so I’m not really parental,” Drescher said. “I’m a mom to my dogs.”
“I’m kind of an influencer,” she added. Drescher has led an unconventional life, and “I share it,” she said. “It gives my life purpose.” In two memoirs, she has discussed being raped at gunpoint in her 20s, surviving uterine cancer in her 40s, and divorcing Jacobson only to acquire a new gay best friend when he subsequently came out. Recently she thrilled the internet when she revealed that she has secured a “friend with benefits” whom she meets twice a month for television viewing and sex. “I don’t think it’s that shocking a thing,” Drescher said. “I’m not in love with him.”
The kids who grew up watching “The Nanny” are now Nanny Fine’s age, old enough to properly covet her closet and cultivate a newfound respect for her persona. On Instagram, the @whatfranwore account catalogs classic “Nanny” outfits, and @thenannyart pairs them with contemporary art pieces. Cardi B once captioned a photo of herself in head-to-toe cat prints: “Fran Drescher in @dolceandgabbana.” The actor Isabelle Owens will mount a one-woman song-and-dance show dedicated to Drescher in New York this month, called “Fran Drescher, Please Adopt Me!” “As everything from the ’90s comes back, people are rediscovering her,” Owens said, noting Drescher’s fashion, her confidence, and her voice; Owens is still working to perfect her impersonation. “There are so many layers to it,” she said. “It’s so delicate and lyrical.”
The Fran Drescher type, no matter how big it gets, still risks reducing the woman behind it. “All of her is in me, but not all of me is in her,” Drescher said. “I don’t think any of my characters could have ever created and executive-produced ‘The Nanny.’” Fran Fine might have been able to wrap the boss around her red-lacquered little finger, but Drescher is the boss. When she secured her own New York apartment, in 2004, it was here, just across the park from the house that stood in for the Sheffield mansion on “The Nanny.” Soon her transformation into Mr. Sheffield will be complete: She is developing a Broadway show of her own, a musical adaptation of “The Nanny” that she will co-write with Jacobson.
“The Nanny” is a timely bid for Broadway. Drescher takes the stage’s most classic feminine archetype and gives her a modern upgrade: She is Eliza Doolittle if she refused to take her voice lessons.
That’s perhaps the biggest misconception about the Fran Drescher type — that the voice is an unfortunate obstacle, rather than a cultivated asset. Once, a fan asked Drescher about the classic “Nanny” scene where Fran Fine goes for sushi, naïvely swallows a wad of wasabi, and says, in an eerily neutral broadcaster’s voice, “Gee, you know, that mustard really clears out the nasal passages.” The fan wanted to know how Drescher had managed to pull that voice off. Sitting in her parkside apartment, perched in her producer’s chair, confidently apportioning her wasabi, Drescher revealed her secret: “I’m very talented.”
from WordPress https://mastcomm.com/fran-drescher-millennial-whisperer-the-new-york-times-2/
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TBOYD - Simple or complex?
That is the question . . . .
It will be possible to read 'The Benefit of Your Doubt' on different levels which I need to unpick to find my way forward.
How many levels of engagement does this, or any piece need?
Option One - open engagement - not led by a linear intention
At a purely sensory level, this is an immersive installation that visitors can respond to emotionally. In a darkened room, a sizeable tank-like structure emits a soft light from its open top. Gentle lapping and dripping sounds fill the space. Beyond this, pin-pointed from different directions, can be heard indistinct whisperings in various languages. These drop in and out of the overall sound-scape blending and merging with the sound of the water. Approaching and looking over the side into the tank, the visitor sees gently moving water at the bottom, which appears to be slowly rising and falling back.
The immersive environment created is, at the same time, soothingly womb-like yet discomfiting and disconcerting.
Whispering compels listening. We become quiet and focus on whispering because of profoundly ingrained survival instincts, as talking loudly with predators in the vicinity would be dangerous. Consequently, we devote more mental energy to listening to whispering. However, whispering also connotes intimacy in various ways. It forms part of our first sensory experience as babies and develops further in life as a widely used bonding mechanism, from the bandying of gossip and secrets to the 'sweet nothings' exchanged between lovers, whispering triggers the right hemisphere of the brain, the so-called emotional, intuitive side. It also triggers our Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response (ASMR) - the tingling (paresthesia) and psychophysiological response to rewarding auditory stimuli and the release of serotonin, oxytocin, and other similar stress-reducing substances.
The incomprehensibility of the content is intentional and relevant. Comprehension is not necessary; it is precisely this that creates the intended effect - a sense of dissonance, disassociation and disability, to hear a fellow human speaking but not know what is being said. That these voices are from across the globe is highly significant. That they are whispering is meaningful.
With no information regarding artist intention, no content or context and with little, if any, sense of meaning gleaned from the whispering, how might the visitor begin to read or understand this piece?
The title, "The Benefit Of Your Doubt" gives an entry point. It is was developed from 'giving the benefit of the doubt', an aphorism used as a concession when a statement or person might be believed as accurate, but veracity cannot be proven.
Can the piece, therefore, be assumed to be about truth, trust or fake news?
The only other information available would be the accompanying artist statement:
"We rarely question conventions, received wisdom or examine our unconscious beliefs and biases.
Through my work, I attempt to establish conjecture, creating thoughtscapes with the materials, experiences and titles I present.
I explore existential identity: mine, yours, theirs and ours through conceptual text, video and relational installations."
In theory, the piece as described above, with its title, and this statement should be enough for cognitive engagement, a search for meaning and interpretation to begin. Observations/interpretations might include:
truth, honesty, trust: an exploration of a post-truth world
racism - questioning our ability to understand people from different cultures and backgrounds
environmental: rising sea levels that will displace people in many countries
neo-liberalism - globalisation, the reach of capitalism
birth and rebirth, baptism
issues surrounding LGBTQ
issues surrounding disability, accessibility and inclusion
issues surrounding human trafficking
. . . to mention but a few.
The installation realised at this aesthetic level only requires recordings in a variety of languages, the content of the whispering not being significant, and these can easily be appropriated from YouTube.
Option One will create an impactful piece that offers visitors extensive opportunities for interpretation with minimal control and direction coming through any conspicuous artist intention. This resonates with my statement - Through my work, I attempt to establish conjecture, creating thoughtscapes with the materials, experiences and titles I present.
Option Two - complex and directed interpretation
In this option, the 'whispering' recordings do have content. The piece being the same in all other respects.
I wrote an abstracted prose/poem as a response to the Post Truth era brought lately under particular scrutiny by the Dominic Cummings fiasco. Initially, the idea for the work arose from the phrase 'the naked truth' and a saying attributed to Democritus, "Of truth, we know nothing, for truth is in a well", which was interpreted in Jean-Léon Gérôme's 1896 painting The Truth Comes Out Of The Well To Shame Mankind. I used as 'plot' the Roman fable of The Truth and Falsehood and wrote a monologue as if spoken by Falsehood.
The various recorded whispered performances would involve collaboration with participants from around the world, translating from English and reading/whispering my pre-prepared script in their first language in situ in their home countries.
I sent a draft of this writing to Sarah Jane Crowson however, with no contextual information and no indication of references behind the prose poem. It was eye-opening and fascinating to receive her three readings.
"I read this as having three key meanings.
One is a straightforward narrative – the protagonist goes bathing with a lover/partner/sibling and, in the manner of a dark Shakespearean comedy they swap clothes/identities and our protagonist steals the others' identity, abandoning them naked in the bathing place.
This narrative reading references Shakespeare's comedies, gender-bending, the ideas of clothes as cultural signifiers, reinforces the idea of nakedness as something which is culturally unacceptable, and hints at ideas of dualism in the good/bad twin, which evokes both modernist/classical philosophies and some folk myths (but generally re-told folk myths rather than the aural tradition).
In a second reading, the poet is writing about their psychological state and the piece is a presenting ideas of 'awakening' and 'knowledge' as a construct which causes the narrator to split psychologically (personified by the idea of the protagonist and their twin/lover). The poem explores of ideas of personal growth through the metaphor of an abandonment of an earlier self that is in some ways simple and innocent being left behind by the (potentially sold out to contemporary society and neo-liberal ideas) less virtuous and innocent self. There is a sense in 'looking so fine' that the message in this reading is that appearances can not only be deceiving but also treacherous, a 'sell-out'.
In the third reading the poem works on a meta-level, and is interrogating/critically examining ideas of the contemporary creative process. In this, it plays with the notion of 'authenticity' in creative practice, presenting the idea of the creative piece (including this poem) as a complex simulacrum of reality.
In this reading, the narrator/s are personifications of different ideas of what makes effective creative practice. This is explored through narrative as the poem discusses ideas of self and representation (through referencing ideas of clothing, nakedness, classical 'virtues' and corruption).
The piece shows frustration as the artist/creative becomes aware that they are stuck in a Mobius loop of their own invention, as they are dependent on a context with a specific value-system and understanding of cultural capital which requires them to strive for authenticity whilst being equally aware that the construct of the 'authentic' is ambiguous and relativistic – and what is a personal 'authenticity' would also often be considered uncritical and naïve (naked) within the world's cultural context."
Without distinct contextual support, Sarah's readings bear little resemblance to the 'critical, creative investigation' she later describes the source of my ideas for the piece to be.
Sarah's critique has brought me to a critical juncture both with this piece and my broader practice. I wrote a little on 'intention' in an early essay: https://hcafarp.tumblr.com/post/612217544979496960/art-acts-intentional-honesty
In the blog, I wrote: "The word 'intention' does indicate thought processes that would occur early on the evolutionary timeline of an artwork. Yet, as is the case for many artists, the primary intention is to make art: what that art speaks of and what it might be about is for others to say."
Option Two adds a considerable layer of artist intention and would be a pointless undertaking unless this process is disclosed as part of the contextualisation of the work.
As mentioned, I have since supplied her with context, and she replied, "I LOVE the parable/story/myth you're using to underpin this, and doesn't it just go to show how far myth/folktale/narrative has such great legs when it comes to interpreting it in terms of our own contemporary contexts/understandings. Good to see a critical creative investigation of fake news too. Feeds into all kinds of things, including the complex algorithm and uncritical social media."
To realise Option Two, however, would require a discernable English rendition of the whispering to signal that the whisperings in other languages has the same content. It would also require written contextualisation - an explanation of the process.
This, unfortunately, conflicts with the intended effect of the incomprehensible whispering representing hidden truth.
Also, my experience in realising 'Unremebering' (a previous audio/visual piece utilising ASMR) as an art installation was that nobody in the room actually fathomed meaning from the whisperings despite the English language version being included. Feedback suggested they would like to have accessed written text.
My uncertainty is not about the underpinning - after all, without the research and its various routes offering inspiration, the whole installation would not have evolved. The question is: will revealing further information unduly influence interpretation, and will this detract from the sensorial and aesthetic impact of the piece?
If my research and development and subsequent linear intention are made public, will it impinge upon or enhance the agency and freedom of visitors to arrive at their own interpretations?
The whisperings are intended to only be discerned as being in a different language - to hear somebody is speaking but not understand what they say. Does it not then defeat the object of the piece to disclose what they have all said?
When Mark Houghton cast in bronze a love letter from his grandfather to his grandmother that was patinated in off-white to look like the original envelope, he did not disclose background information. He presented the piece, detailed the materials used and offered its title "Testament." From these three simple elements emerged an intricate and profoundly meaningful artwork. He created a piece that resonated with meaning without any of the above explanation. This information was later disclosed to me, adding poignancy to and empathy with his artistic response but possibly impeded the personal resonance I had previously experienced with the piece - ownership of the work remained with the artist.
I could exhibit Option Two with supplementary information in the form of gallery text or in book form, thus offering an optional level of engagement. Or, I could provide no further details in the gallery but include additional material on my website.
But why? What does this achieve? Is the piece in its pure form not sufficient? The linear intention is available to the visitor, without supplementary material, as one among many other possible interpretations. In her email reply, Sarah asserts, "Good to see a critical, creative investigation of fake news", but is a critical, creative investigation a fundamental, crucial or indispensable component of the piece? The research is still there, underlying and underpinning the installation, but is it integral or ancillary.
It is my creative choice to include that research as an integral part of the work or separate it out as an interesting adjunct.
For the purposes of my degree, the critical investigation is desirable. Undeniably, my ego would also be massaged by the recognition that the piece was predicated upon a thoroughly academic approach. The question becomes: does a displayed 'how clever I am' entangle, ambuscade, narrow or detract from the piece and restrict access to independently reached meaningful engagement?
Does it add value or detract?
I think it might be useful to explore how the piece ‘plays out’ and how this aligns with my objectives for this artwork and how I hope visitors might come to understand by it.
it is immersive
it is atmospheric
it is performative
it evokes responses at an emotional level
it perplexes and disconcerts eliciting cognitive engagement
conclusions are reached
Who is my audience at this juncture? Is this how I would wish them to engage with me? Do I want to narrow down audience to an academic or au fait Fine Art audience? If anything narrowing down the scope for interpretation by offering 'explanation' and further information is counter-intuitive to a Fine Art audience?
As well as visitors interested in the arts yet having no connection to the college, my audience will predominantly consist of past and present students, tutors and staff, their friends and family, and also include artists and curators from outside institutions. A mixed audience with varying degrees of 'art appreciation'.
Simple or complex - that is the question?
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YouTube Is Shutting Down My Channel (Slowly)
What goes into YouTube deciding who lives and who dies on this site? First off, an argument that people might make is that I don't make as high of quality content as I use to. Which is untrue, because I make lots of videos and may of them are awesome. So that doesn't quite fit. My content has been consistent for the longest time. Another argument is that people get bored of the same repetitious content. Firstly, I have some of the least repetitious content, especially on the Onision Channel. But even so you can bring up Happy Wheels number four-hundred-and-fifty-two-thousand on whoevers channel and that can get a million views per video. You know? So repetition isn't necessarily a bad thing on YouTube. You could bring up controversy. You could say that suddenly I'm irrelevant because of controversy. But I've had countless incidents of controversy through out many-many years. There are a number of things that you can say are the reason my channels are no longer doing well. Like for instance on UhOhBro, where you could say well your transferring a lot of videos that some people have already seen to that channel. The problem with that theory - Onision Archive did quite well when those where transferring videos from one channel to another and then that channel plummeted as well. Onision Archive, Onision Encore, UhOhBro, Onision Speaks, Onision - all of those channels have tanked. But why now? Why are all those channels suddenly falling apart for the last few months; coincidentally right around when the adpocalypse hit. It's very confusing to see an entire network of channels go down inexplicably. When your content is consistent. When you consistently upload. You haven't reduced the quality. What is the explanation for the death of Onision? On top of that, whats really sad is the death of my channel has also effected my spouses channel. They use to pull in a hundred-thousand views per video. A video they just uploaded just over a day ago has fourteen-thousand views. (ASMR Video). Typically by now they would of had at least eighty-thousand views. So, it's not only seeing the death of my own channel but I'm also seeing the death of people I care about channels. So this is a problem and sadly this is cancerous because the source of most of my traffic for all of my social media was YouTube. So if my YouTube dies - then all of my social media starts to die as well. Now lets ask a question about this sub-glitch, because there is a sub-glitch. If you go to socialblade.com and you type on Onision, or UhOhBro, or Onision Speaks, you'll see that I've been losing hundreds of subscribers daily. Actually thousands if you combine all of them. Daily for no reason. Why would I consistently lose subscribers day after day after day regardless of the content I make unless there was some kind of glitch in the system. Now you might say, Onision - you're just making excuses. That this is all BS to convince yourself that you don't suck. Problem, I talked to YouTube and they both confirm and deny, depending on the person who I was talking to, that their was a sub-glitch. And I talked to other and they confirmed the same thing. That there is a sub-glitch and they've talked to YouTube and they had also confirmed and denied a sub-glitch. Like for instance, a while ago I contacted YouTube about paid channels - Whether or not they are being cancelled and YouTube couldn't give a strait answer until they finally said "uh, we don't think it's gonna happen. We don't think paid YouTube channels are going to get cancelled.' And then they announced that paid channels where going to be cancelled. YouTube doesn't seem to know what it's doing and they don't seem to have their story straight. But one thing we can rely on is common sense. If a YouTube channel or channels have done well for about nine years, like mine did. Consistent and beautiful growth. I would get thirty to seventy-thousand subscribers a month. If they did that consistently and then all of a sudden adpocalypse hits and then suddenly the channels start to die - that seems like an algorithm problem, doesn't it? So YouTube is picking people to kill. People that have invested their entire lifes into YouTube. They are with out notice, without compensation, without anything - ending. Firing without justification essentially. Which is convenient because we are not technically employees, we operate through 10-99's. We're contractors so they're allowed to screw us like this. But I just think it's interesting that I can pour my heart into a video these days and where I use to be able to expect a potential of five-hundred-thousand views, I can now expect a potential of maybe twenty-thousand if I'm lucky. What is that? How come YouTube is preventing people from staying subscribed to me. How come I get so many reports of people that have been automatically unsubscribed from me? How come the system is so rigged? I don't understand it. And I've seen many other YouTubers struggle for a long time. Inexplicably, especially LGBT channels. There is a select few LGBT channels that thrive and the rest - it's like they've been picked off one by one. It's kind of like the token black kid on South Park. 'See, we have a black person - we're not racist.' So YouTube is like 'See, we have a LGBT person, we're not homophobic.' It's an interesting strategy. Regardless their is something very-very wrong with YouTube. It's very-very broken. There are people that are thriving beautifully. Who are making millions upon millions of dollars because YouTube has deemed them appropriate for you to watch. It's interesting, it really is. It's interesting to see you're whole life ripped away from you because of a personal opinion that a few employees may have. Regardless, I have to make a living. Obviously. Right now I'm making enough to survive. I have pending debt but I'm remortgaging my house so I can take care of that debt and then be in debt for the next thirty years like the typical American. But I want you guys to know that if you want to make sure that you're not forced to unsubscribe. That you… To follow me on social media or something like that so you can actually keep up with me. Or if you want to see me continue to make videos successfully - patreon.com/onison. That seems to be the only site right now that isn't sucking, to put it politely. Thank you so much to everyone that has supported me all this time although I know many of you will never see this video. Many of my supports. Because YouTube doesn't show it to you. Doesn't notify you in many cases. You're probably already unsubscribed and you don't even know I'm struggling right now because YouTube has made sure that I've been silenced. It's very interesting. Alright, Thank you for watching. Now to all the haters - I hope you're enjoying my downward spiral.
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Fran Drescher, Millennial Whisperer – The New York Times
Fran Drescher’s voice, if you ever have the chance to hear it deployed in very close vicinity over shrimp tempura and spicy tuna sushi, is actually quite soothing.
When Drescher played Fran Fine on “The Nanny,” the 1990s sitcom she created with her then-husband Peter Marc Jacobson, she was pitching her voice higher, squeezing it up her nose, acting. Back then, The New York Times compared Drescher to “the sound of a Buick with an empty gas tank cold-cranking on a winter morning.” But here in her living room above Central Park, sitting among crystals, fresh lemons, fine sculpture and photographs of herself meeting establishment Democrats, she sounds more like a Mercedes purring out of the Long Island Expressway. For those who grew up with “The Nanny” as our nanny, her voice is so embedded in the subconscious that hearing the softened version is almost therapeutic. Imagine if Nanny Fine had an ASMR setting.
“I’ve heard it’s like a foghorn, a cackle,” Drescher said carefully, balancing her plate in the lap of her little black dress. “I always just describe myself as having a unique voice.” When she left Queens for Hollywood in the late 1970s, her manager told her, “If you want to play other parts, besides hookers, you’re going to have to learn to speak differently,” she recalled. Instead Drescher leaned into her natural gifts. In 1992, she pitched herself as a sitcom star to the president of CBS: “Because of the voice, they think I’m the seasoning in the show,” she told him. “That’s wrong. I’m a main course.”
America has not heard from Drescher much lately — she has not appeared regularly on television since her TV Land sitcom “Happily Divorced” ended in 2013, and “The Nanny” is sadly hard to stream — but this week, at 62, she returns to TV with NBC’s “Indebted.” As in the pilot of “The Nanny,” Drescher appears unexpectedly on a doorstep, except this time, it belongs to her adult son (Adam Pally). She and Steven Weber play Debbie and Stew Klein, a couple of boomer dilettantes who crash their kid’s married life with the news that they’re in debt. The role of Debbie, a boundaryless hugger who swans around her son’s suburban home as if it’s her own personal retirement community, inverts the “Nanny” dynamic: Now the kids have to take care of her.
When Drescher weighed whether to take on the show, a family sitcom that draws on generational conflict, she thought of her own family. “My parents, who are still alive, thank God, were so excited about me being on network television again,” she said. “You know, not everybody could find TV Land,” she added, “but everybody could find NBC.”
The role was not written for Drescher, exactly. The pilot script had called for a “Fran Drescher type,” and when the real Fran Drescher signed on, she required a few adjustments. “People are used to seeing an annoying mother-in-law in a sitcom, but that’s not what I signed up for,” Drescher said. “When you have somebody whose persona is bigger than the part, you got to make it right for me. Or why have me?”
That meant giving Debbie Klein some passions of her own. “I had to bring myself into it,” she said. “I really infused the sex appeal, the sensuality, the vivaciousness of the character.”
“Indebted” creator Dan Levy, a comedian and producer for “The Goldbergs,” said that he originally modeled Debbie and Stew after his own parents, but that the steaminess was all Drescher. “My mom was like, ‘That’s not based on us,’” Levy said. “She elevated that to a whole level that I was not expecting.”
In the decades since Drescher first opened her mouth onscreen, the Fran Drescher type has achieved a quiet dominance over popular culture. “The Nanny” has been syndicated around the world and remade in a dozen countries, including Turkey (where it was called “Dadi”), Poland (“Niania”) and Argentina (“La Niñera”). In “The Nanny,” for anyone who doesn’t have the chatty theme song implanted in her brain, Drescher plays a Jewish woman from Queens hired to tend to the three precocious children of a wealthy English widower, Maxwell Sheffield, who is also Broadway’s second-most-successful producer (after his nemesis, Andrew Lloyd Webber). In foreign versions, the ethnicities are recalibrated — in the Russian one, the nanny is Ukrainian — but the Fran Drescher type is otherwise preserved. Wherever she goes, the ethnic striver is transplanted into a posh setting as the help, and her appealing culture and individual charm pull off the ultimate makeover — reinventing the strait-laced insiders in her own brash image.
Across the internet, Fran Fine is helping to perform similar tricks. With her pile of hair, power-clashing wardrobe and cartoon proportions, she has been fashioned into an avatar of stylish self-respect. In GIFs spirited around social media, she can be seen in a cheetah-print skirt suit, sipping from a cheetah-print teacup; inhaling a plate of spaghetti with no hands; and descending the Sheffields’ ivory staircase as if entering New York’s hottest club.
“I send this when I’m excited,” Drescher said, summoning her phone from her assistant Jordan and thumbing to a GIF of Fine twirling across the mansion in a fuchsia dress and a self-satisfied look. “How many people can send their own GIF?”
The Fran Drescher type is a kind of advisory role. First she was the world’s nanny, showing kids how to mix prints and be themselves, and now she has matured into a cool-aunt persona, modeling a fabulous adulthood. (“Broad City” made this transformation literal, squeezing Drescher into a low cut rainbow and cheetah-print dress and casting her as Ilana’s Aunt Bev, and by extension the spirit guide for a new generation of Jewish comediennes.) “I’ve never had kids, so I’m not really parental,” Drescher said. “I’m a mom to my dogs.”
“I’m kind of an influencer,” she added. Drescher has led an unconventional life, and “I share it,” she said. “It gives my life purpose.” In two memoirs, she has discussed being raped at gunpoint in her 20s, surviving uterine cancer in her 40s, and divorcing Jacobson only to acquire a new gay best friend when he subsequently came out. Recently she thrilled the internet when she revealed that she has secured a “friend with benefits” whom she meets twice a month for television viewing and sex. “I don’t think it’s that shocking a thing,” Drescher said. “I’m not in love with him.”
The kids who grew up watching “The Nanny” are now Nanny Fine’s age, old enough to properly covet her closet and cultivate a newfound respect for her persona. On Instagram, the @whatfranwore account catalogs classic “Nanny” outfits, and @thenannyart pairs them with contemporary art pieces. Cardi B once captioned a photo of herself in head-to-toe cat prints: “Fran Drescher in @dolceandgabbana.” The actor Isabelle Owens will mount a one-woman song-and-dance show dedicated to Drescher in New York this month, called “Fran Drescher, Please Adopt Me!” “As everything from the ’90s comes back, people are rediscovering her,” Owens said, noting Drescher’s fashion, her confidence, and her voice; Owens is still working to perfect her impersonation. “There are so many layers to it,” she said. “It’s so delicate and lyrical.”
The Fran Drescher type, no matter how big it gets, still risks reducing the woman behind it. “All of her is in me, but not all of me is in her,” Drescher said. “I don’t think any of my characters could have ever created and executive-produced ‘The Nanny.’” Fran Fine might have been able to wrap the boss around her red-lacquered little finger, but Drescher is the boss. When she secured her own New York apartment, in 2004, it was here, just across the park from the house that stood in for the Sheffield mansion on “The Nanny.” Soon her transformation into Mr. Sheffield will be complete: She is developing a Broadway show of her own, a musical adaptation of “The Nanny” that she will co-write with Jacobson.
“The Nanny” is a timely bid for Broadway. Drescher takes the stage’s most classic feminine archetype and gives her a modern upgrade: She is Eliza Doolittle if she refused to take her voice lessons.
That’s perhaps the biggest misconception about the Fran Drescher type — that the voice is an unfortunate obstacle, rather than a cultivated asset. Once, a fan asked Drescher about the classic “Nanny” scene where Fran Fine goes for sushi, naïvely swallows a wad of wasabi, and says, in an eerily neutral broadcaster’s voice, “Gee, you know, that mustard really clears out the nasal passages.” The fan wanted to know how Drescher had managed to pull that voice off. Sitting in her parkside apartment, perched in her producer’s chair, confidently apportioning her wasabi, Drescher revealed her secret: “I’m very talented.”
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