As dire news of COVID-19 continues to bombard our inboxes, our social feeds, our conversations, and our thoughts, it can be easy to feel like all hope is lost. We are in a global pandemic, and that is the jarring truth—but there’s still some good left in the world. Here are a few positive news stories to help us remember that.
Luxury sanitizer
One of the first things to fly off of shelves during the coronavirus crisis was hand sanitizer. To combat its shortage in France, luxury fashion and spirits conglomerate LVMH (parent company of Louis Vuitton, Moët & Chandon, Dior, and more) announced it has converted some of its fragrance and cosmetic factories into facilities for making hand sanitizer. The product will be donated to the local health authorities and distributed to public hospitals in short supply.
Virtual culture
With people spending more time than ever at home while self-isolating, culture can be one of the quickest things to fall by the wayside. But Conde Nast Traveler has created a comprehensive list of museums, aquariums, operas, symphonies, and more that can be streamed or toured online. Because art still matters—in fact, it matters now more than ever.
Cherry blossoms
The weather, for its part, is improving. In Vancouver (where Basenotes is headquartered), that means actual sunshine, blue sky, and the start of cherry blossom season—a time when our cherry trees erupt with delicate pink flowers. It’s a small win, but we’ll take it.
Harry’s fishnets
In an act of excellent gender nonconformity, singer and all around heartthrob Harry Styles posed for the newest issue of British magazine Beauty Papers in nothing but fishnet stockings (well, and shoes). Aside from his sex appeal, the choice clearly demonstrates his views on masculinity and femininity: as in, that they matter less and less, and that people can wear whatever they want and still look good. Soon after posting news of the Styles issue, the magazine announced on its Instagram Story that its website crashed due to an overwhelming number of orders. It seems that this Harry is his own kind of royalty.
