If you’re David Beckham you could make a potato sack look good. Thankfully, Beckham didn’t need to resort to that this time around. Lending him a hand in the wardrobe department was Dior’s new creative director of menswear, Kim Jones.

The result? Head-to-toe in Dior, naturally. This included a black double breasted blazer with the unique omission of the six-button design in favour of just two. It’s a more casual look helped by Beckham’s omission of a tie with a white dress shirt buttoned all the way up.

What’s a standout though is his kicks. Those aren’t Converse/Jack Purcells you’re looking at – those are the latest designer sneakers from Dior’s winter 2018 collection featuring embroidered patchwork fabric throughout. Paired to the suit, it’s an interesting look which straddles the fine line between casual, formal and fashionisto.

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A great day in Tokyo celebrating my friend @mrkimjones and his new @dior collection. An incredible show by an incredible guy. WOW!

A post shared by David Beckham (@davidbeckham) on Dec 2, 2018 at 9:31am PST

The post David Beckham Rocked The Most Casual Sneakers With A Suit To The Dior Party appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

The Grand Canyon. The Great Barrier Reef. Mount Everest. Victoria Falls. You may not be able to remember all seven natural wonders of the world; but you could be forgiven for thinking there were only seven of them.

Well two scientists now reckon they have an eighth to add to the list: the Pink and White Terraces of New Zealand’s Lake Rotomahana, which were thought to have been destroyed in the late 1800’s by an eruption of a nearby volcano.

In a recent Frontiers Earth Science journal paper, researchers Andrew Martin Lorrey and John Mark Wooley argue that the fabled geothermal masterpiece was not destroyed in the 1886 eruption, and is preserved, Pompei-style, underneath a 10 metre coating of mud and ash.

As reported by Traveller, “A 19th century diary and hand-drawn maps have led scientists at New Zealand’s National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research to confirm the location of the country’s lost natural wonder – the Pink and White Terraces.”

As stated in Lorrey and Wooley’s report, “Notes by Ferdinand von Hochstetter (b. 1829–d. 1884) has recently supported claims that the former Pink and White Terraces survived the 1886 eruption, and that they may be located under tephra adjacent to the modern lake margin.”

The two believe that our understanding of New Zealand’s largest historic volcanic eruption is “incomplete,” and that new technology combined with the insights they have gleaned from the 19th century German-Austrian geologist’s diary could ultimately lead to the excavation of what was once known as the eighth natural wonder of the world.

“The terraces formed over thousands of years as silica-rich water emerging from springs and boiling geysers crystallised into giant tiered staircases. The White Terrace covered more than three hectares while the smaller Pink Terrace was used for bathing on the lower levels. There was also a smaller, lesser known feature called Tuhi’s Spring, or the Black Terrace,” (Traveller).

Before Mt Tarawera erupted in 1886, Lake Rotomahana’s Pink and White Terraces were, “The greatest tourist attraction in the southern hemisphere and the British Empire, and shiploads of tourists made the dangerous visit down from the UK, Europe and America to see them,” Rex Bunn, another scientist, told The Guardian.

“But they were never surveyed by the government of the time, so there was no record of their latitude or longitude.”

This means greater significance than usual has been placed on Ferdinand von Hochstetter’s maps—the only resource currently available. Whilst his work has been studied in the past, disagreements have been common, and Lorrey and Wooley believe “modern geomorphic techniques” and “geophysical data” (if they get the funding to gather it) will help resolve this controversy.

In the Frontiers Earth Science Journal, they said, “We harnessed a wider amount of unique historic data than (has been used) previously to locate the sites of Lake Rotomahana’s former sinter terraces.”

According to them light detection and ranging (LIDAR) data suggests the need for a reconstruction of Hochstetter’s (1859) survey, particularly the southern margin of former Lake Rotomahana, to search for the lost wonder.

Although this isn’t the first time someone has claimed to have located the lost terraces (back in 2017 another group of scientists requested funding to prove a similar theory), Lorrey and Wooley are hoping to be the first to get (significant) funding to prove it.

Early signs indicate the scientists have the Tūhourangi Tribal Authority, for whom the (potential) discovery holds immense cultural significance, onside. And as Lorrey and Wooley point out, new technology could help their case, as virtual reality would enable a search to take place using far less invasive methods as have been considered in the past, like draining the lake.

The post Scientists Believe They've Located The Eighth Lost Wonder Of The World appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

We wouldn’t recommend diving into your girlfriend’s makeup bag or shoe collection any time soon, but that doesn’t mean you have nothing to learn from her. Somewhere along the line, someone decided guys should only use “manly” products – like, I dunno, beer-scented soap and bacon toothpaste – and the idea stuck. But who likes to be limited? Screw the status quo and start thinking for yourself. Rebels are sexy. Even rebels in women’s fragrances are sexy. These 5 are worth a try:

Black Orchid by Tom Ford

Opulent, dark, luxurious, sensual – Black Orchid is an utter showstopper all round. In the floral-spicy heart of the scent dwells the Tom Ford black orchid, layered between top notes of French jasmine, black truffle, ylang-ylang, black currant and citrus and a base of patchouli, sandalwood, dark chocolate, incense, amber, vetiver, vanilla and balsam. The jet-black, art deco-inspired bottle is the perfect companion to Black Orchid’s dramatic allure.

Bois des Iles by Chanel

A warm, woody scent created in 1926 by Master Perfumer Ernest Beaux and Parisian couturier Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel, Bois des Illes is evocative of a stroll through an autumnal forest. Dry and spicy notes derived from precious woods spiral into a heart of sweet flowers, including iris, rose and jasmine, and vanilla. According to Chanel, Bois des Illes was the first woody fragrance created for women.

Portrait Of A Lady by Frederic Malle

Frederic Malle’s Portrait of a Lady is named after the 1881 novel by Henry James and designed by Dominique Ropion. Notes of raspberry, cassis, rose, cinnamon, clove, benzoin, sandalwood, patchouli, frankincense, ambroxan and white musk combine to form a baroque and sumptuous fragrance that floats between oriental and chypre. If you’re after longevity, this one’s a keeper.

She Wood by Dsquared2

Dsquared2’s She Wood arrived on the scene in September 2008 following the success of He Wood for men. The creation was built from the base of the men’s scent, and shaped by adding notes more typical of a fragrance for women. The result is a potion that’s far from classically girly. Top notes: lemon, neroli and jasmine. Heart: violet, heliotrope and musk. Base: cedar, vetiver and amber.

Féminité du Bois by Serge Lutens

The post 5 Women's Fragrances You Shouldn't be Afraid To Try Or Buy appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

Unavoidable punishment. A righting of scales. Bodily revenge. Religious or not; hangovers are generally seen as your cosmic comeuppance.

Put simply: you swallowed Sunday’s happiness with Saturday’s tequila, and now you’re going to pay.

But before you stock up on Berocca and Gatorade, one man who spent 10 years ‘studying’ hangovers has some tips he would like to impart.

After having ‘tested’ everything from skydiving and ‘polar bear swims,’ to saline IV drips and pickled eggs (as well as classics like hair of the dog), author Shaughnessy Bishop-Stall has concluded that hangovers are best cured by a bunch of ingredients available in your local pharmacy.

As reported by The Guardian, “To prevent the hangover, Bishop-Stall will quaff – after drinking but before sleep – milk thistle, for the liver; the amino acid and immune system aid N-acetylcysteine; vitamins B1, B6 and B12, which boost metabolism; and that famous gift to Jesus, frankincense – an anti-inflammatory.”

He does not appear to promote a particular brand or product, however there are various pills of this description currently on the market. If you are in the US, Les Labs sells a popular hangover cure, while in Australia the up and coming brand seems to be Rejoove.

Chris Healy, Rejoove managing director told us, “We have invested a lot into our R&D to deliver what really is an innovative way to help relieve hangover related symptoms.”

New this year, Rejoove is now looking to introduce, “Australia’s first innovative Dual Formula… all-natural hangover remedy,” which, “Combines vitamins, herbs and amino acids to help relieve symptoms of occasional alcohol consumption,” to the public consciousness (and to the Christmas tree of your mulled-wine-obsessed uncle).

Rejoove includes a “drinking formula” and a “sleep formula.” The former is taken before or during your drinking session to boost your soon-to-be-required nutrient profile, the latter is taken after drinking, just before you go to sleep, and is designed to knock you out and reduce feelings of nausea.

“I still woke up at 3am, but I was so completely pizzled on Milk Thistle that I passed out almost immediately.”

“I can’t say I was feeling daisy fresh,” the article continues, “But without Rejoove kicking my liver into gear I would have looked like something you dredge from a river homicide scene.”

The post Hangovers Cure: Man Claims To Have Found After 10 Years appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

This article first appeared on WhichCar.com.au

Right now, seven Wheels and WhichCar journalists and their entourage are toiling away in an isolated warehouse somewhere in the badlands west of Port Phillip Bay. Their task is to sift through all the cars that launched in 2018 and decide which, if any, deserves the title of Wheels Car of the Year (COTY) – a highly coveted consumer award.

We won’t be able to tell you the result or even a short list until closer to the big announcement in January, but amassing every significantly new or updated vehicle launched over the last 12 months is a fantastic barometer into the evolution of the modern car – a riveting insight into emerging automotive trends.

Nearly 50 brand new machines rolled out to greet the judges at Wheels COTY, and D’Marge went along to unearth nine cool new features we reckon will hit the mainstream in the next year.

#1 The Future Is Electric

Here’s a real eye-opener to get us started. This year, five of the 24 Wheels COTY contenders are powered by either hybrid or fully electric powertrains. That’s 20 percent, and that product onslaught is only going to intensify with brands from Mercedes-Benz to Jeep all talking electric in the years ahead.

That said, only one percent of new car sales in Australia are electric or hybrid. So, while the rest of the world continues to ride the alternative energy bandwagon, spurred by government incentives and spiraling fuel prices, we Aussies are a bit reluctant to embrace our post-petrol future. Expect that to change in the next few years as the electric flood from overseas rises.

#2 LED Matrix Lighting

In 2014, a trio of Japanese scientists were awarded the Nobel Prize for Physics for inventing the blue LED. They were recognised and honoured not because it meant you could now have the coolest set of tree lights, but because blue light is essential for creating white light, and with the advent of super efficient white LEDs, the global power demand for lighting is plummeting.

It’s good news for cars too with wasteful incandescent lighting now all but extinct in the automotive landscape, but the other advantage is arguably the most beautiful car lights yet seen.

Audi’s A8 was proudly showing off its organic LED tail lights, but a majority of the cars parading this year have piercingly bright and pure white LED headlights as well. Here’s to professors Akasaki, Amano and Nakamura who, quite literally, made the world a brighter place.

#3 Fully Digital Instrument Clusters

The days of the needle are dead. Conventional gauges are being replaced by virtual versions and sophisticated digital screens in place of traditional dials.

The advantages are obvious and beg the question: why has it taken so long? If you love the classic look of circular gauges with pointers sweeping elegantly around, you can still have that, but the versatility of a small LCD screen allows almost unlimited customisation options as well.

A number of different themes can be specified depending on your mood or the layout can be tailored to display the most important information according to the driver’s requirements. Audi’s Virtual Cockpit will even allow the entire display to be allocated to just the navigation map for maximum clarity and minimum distraction.

Of the 24 models at COTY this year, half have fully digital instruments.

#4 Two Tone Paint Schemes

Once the preserve of conspicuous 1950’s muscle cars, two-tone paint jobs are making a return without looking gaudy.

Volvo offers its cool XC40 small SUV with a contrasting roof to match the plethora of other typically Swedish design touches. And it’s not alone. Many brands are now offering different roof colours and eye-catching panel matches. Peugeot will even sell you a hot hatch that has the entire rear end in matte black. In an age when safety and aerodynamic design constraints are funnelling cars into similar aesthetics, expect more car makers to offer unusual paint schemes in an effort to stand out.

#5 Huge Wheels

When the Mini was first sold, it had 10-inch wheels. Cute. Today though, the modern equivalent Mini has a rim that’s nudging almost double that, and the trend of super sized wheels is showing no signs of stopping.

Our diameter king this year was the Bentley Continental GT which turned up shod with 22-inch hoops, followed closely by the Porsche Cayenne rolling on 21-inch wheels. We started counting those with 20-inch hoops and quickly lost count.

It seems, when it comes to wheels, size really does matter and the handsome proportions of a massive tyre housed under a muscular wheel arch are resonating well with the discerning public so you’ll see more of that.

#6 360 Degree Cameras

With all the parking assistance systems fitted to modern cars, it’s frankly staggering there are any vehicles on our roads with scuffed bumpers, but technology is making it even harder for you to glance a gatepost.

Dizzyingly clever algorithms allow the images from four separate cameras – one on each side of the car – to be combined into a single image that appears as though you have a drone hovering above you as you park.

The technology is getting even cleverer and now the electronics can create a 3D view of your car as you manoeuvre. With a pinch or swipe, you can steer that virtual drone around to another angle of the car and impossible parking spots really are looking like a thing of the past.

#7 Tablet Style Infotainment Screens

Banking, dating, gaming, organising your life, taking pictures and navigating – a massive part of our lives is now intrinsically woven into the tablet device, so it makes sense that car makers are adapting information and entertainment systems to feel similar.

At the centre of Mercedes-Benz’s new MBUX system, a 12-inch touchscreen forms the intuitive point of interaction for users, and is fused seamlessly to the equally sized dash cluster, but it’s not unique.

Virtually all brands now have some form of ‘floating’ infotainment screen that offers touchscreen operation similar to tablets and smartphones, and the technology housed within is getting exponentially smarter by the day.

#8 Keyless Operation

When it was first invented, remotely operated central locking set a new benchmark for car convenience, but that was a long time ago and the modern-day equivalent doesn’t even require you to remove the ‘key’ from your pocket.

Not only do increasing numbers of cars offer technology which senses the correct key in the cabin and allow the driver to start the engine by simply pressing a button, the technology also allows doors to be unlocked by simply touching a door handle.

Of the cars on test this year, the ultra-sexy Alpine A110 has arguably the coolest interpretation. The credit card-sized key has buttons for locking and unlocking, but leaving it in the beautifully made leather case and letting the car work it out is easily the smoothest way of boarding this bantamweight sports star.

#9 Seven Seaters

Hauling more than five passengers used to require the least sexy form of transport known to humankind: the people mover. But with the skyrocketing popularity of SUVs, many manufacturers are now incorporating a third row of seating at the larger end of the spectrum.

Holden’s freshly launched Acadia is one such example but it joins an already busy marketplace, with seven seaters emerging from all the key players in recent years. At the event this year, the Hyundai Santa Fe and Mazda CX-8 also weigh in with three-row SUVs that couldn’t further removed from a glorified van with windows. And they’re selling like hot cakes.

The post The Biggest Trends In Cars For 2018, According To Industry Experts appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

In an era where sexual misconduct is no longer tolerated, it appears that women have one remaining ‘safe zone’ where they can live out their most debaucherous tendencies: the nightclub.New Australian research published in the UK journal Ethics and Behaviour found that women groping men in nightclubs was generally more tolerated than men behaving in the same way.The study which was conducted by the Edith Cowan University accounted for 381 regular nightclub patrons (342 female, 39 male, all heterosexual) within the ages of 18 to 30. It surveyed the subjects on four key behaviours in nightclubs (below) and found that both sexes believe that it was “socially acceptable” for women to be “handsy” in a nightclub setting.The study’s researcher, Aimee Wrightson-Hester, attributes this to the perception that this kind of behaviour is more damaging to women than it is to men.“The stigma and harm perceived to occur when men engage in these behaviours (was viewed as) worse than when women do it,” Wrightson-Hester told the SMH.Even more surprising from the study was the fact that some male subjects admitted that if the woman was attractive, they’d welcome the action of groping.“It seemed to be that if the man perceived the woman as attractive, they would be more OK with the behaviour.”So does this mean that men in nightclubs are just happy-go-lucky male sluts? Close, but not quite.The wider part of the study actually confirmed that men tended to engage in groping, grabbing, and pinching a person on the buttocks much more than women –  a behaviour which is so common in nightclubs that it’s almost become normalised. It’s when the tables are reversed though that things get interesting.“The question of consent is far less clear in the highly eroticised setting of a nightclub, so people say they largely turn a blind eye because you can’t be sure whether an individual’s sexual behaviour is being welcomed or not,” says Wrightson-Hester.So is it an issue that today’s women are becoming more like men? This writer thinks not.The line is essentially down to your own personal preference, values and boundaries. If a lovely grandmother tapped us on the behind at the local shops before uttering the words “cute button” with a sly wink, we’d laugh it off and walk away before becoming the butt of the joke amongst buddies. But that’s just us and we’re not advocating that kind of behaviour – which is exactly what the study found.“(Despite the fact) that all the behaviours were rated as unacceptable (by both genders) they’re still occurring,” adds Wrightson-Hester.

The post It's "Socially Acceptable" For Women To Grope Men In Clubs, New Study Finds appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

The most divisive shoe brand in recent history, Crocs are a product you either love or hate. Unfortunately for the aficionados, 90% of the human population hate them.

They were included in Time Magazine’s list of 50 worst inventions. They inspired Jon Wilde to say, “The guys who wear them are probably fine, decent people, except… they’ve made a big mistake, and they should be reminded of it, repeatedly.”

The criticism goes on.

Enraged by Crocs’ attempt to rebrand their squeaky foam clogs as something “so uncool that it’s cool” (a la Balenciaga’s ugly dad sneakers and Supreme’s deliberately over the top logo) the blog I Hate Crocs said: “The strategy now appears to be a kind of tacit acknowledgement of their crapness combined with ironic attempts at high fashion.”

But as it turns out, the unfashionable 10% of the population that like Crocs, and the executives of the most ridiculed company in history will get the last laugh, because Crocs are actually a crazy profitable business, turning over US$1.023 billion last year alone.

In their latest financial report, Andrew Rees, President and Chief Executive Officer of Crocs said, “We had a strong final quarter of the year, which enabled us to meet or exceed our revenue and gross margin guidance for the fourth consecutive quarter… we focused on our strategic objectives: simplifying our business to reduce costs, improving the quality of our revenues, and positioning ourselves to drive sustainable, profitable growth.”

“Looking at 2018,” he continued, “Our Spring/Summer collection is being well received. We expect moderate wholesale and double-digit e-commerce growth to be offset by the loss of retail revenues associated with store reductions… (as well as) continued gross margin gains and completing our SG&A reduction plan.”

“This lays the groundwork for generating top line growth in 2019 and, ultimately, delivering double-digit EBIT margins.”

Broken down into figures, Crocs’ most recent fourth quarter revenues were $199.1 million, growing 6.2% over the fourth quarter of 2016, or 3.8% on a constant currency basis. In addition, top line growth was achieved and Crocs wholesale and e-commerce businesses grew at double-digit rates.

This led to a gross margin increase of 45.4%—340 basis points over the previous year’s fourth quarter, and losses from operations of just $30.4 million, which is 23.7% better than 2016’s fourth quarter losses of $39.8 million.

Although the stats are not yet out for 2018, the report is optimistic, predicting gross margin to be up by approximately 70-100 basis points from their 2017 gross margin of 50.5%.

The post Everyone Makes Fun Of Crocs, But Their Revenue Proves The Joke’s On Us appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

The AMG GT R was already formidable as the 12th fastest production car to ever lap the notorious Nurburgring (as of writing). In theory, the German marque’s new AMG GT R PRO should go one better thanks to it’s go-fast approach. And it did, according to Mercedes-AMG – by six whole seconds on the Green Hell.

Debuting at the L.A Auto Show, the AMG GT R PRO lifts racing technology directly from AMG’s GT3 and GT4 program in order to create a road car that is as close to possible as its racing counterpart.

The result is essentially a race car with headlights, number plates and a legitimate reason to say: “but officer, it’s stock!”

Oddly enough for a road-race car the power plant has remained unchanged from the GT R model. That means 430kW of power and 700Nm of torque derived from a twin-turbo 4.0-litre V8 sent to the rear wheels. Still, that’s not too shabby considering the 0-100km/h sprint time of 3.3 seconds.

The performance refinement instead comes from custom driver-adjustable suspension, an adjustable front stabiliser bar and other performance chassis appointments to make cornering quicker.

There’s even added rigidity thanks to a carbon fibre panel in the rear and improved stopping power with ceramic composite brakes and forged lightweight wheels.

On the aero front the car sees a revised front splitter, spoilers, wheel arch louvers, fins and side mirrors. To finish things off, customers get the choice of a racing stripe which extends from the front of the car to the back – electric green for the grey body colour or dark grey for any other body colour.

If you want to go any faster you’ll have to wait for the Mercedes-AMG Project One hypercar.

The post Mercedes-AMG GT R PRO Is Not For Leisurely Sunday Cruisers appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

When you think about upping your chances in the dating arena, you typically consider hitting the gym, eating better, brushing up on your social skills or (once the dry spell reaches inflexion) reading articles on how you can become ‘scientifically’ more attractive.

What you probably haven’t considered is your location in the world’s space-time continuum. But as it turns out, your year 10 social science teacher was right: everything has to do with Geography.

So if your dated one liners, dad bod and all consuming job aren’t reeling in the hook ups, it might not be you! You could just live in a very un-horny suburb.

Tinder have just released a ranking of the thirstiest suburbs in Sydney, in terms of right-swipes (the direction that signals one is keen to ‘match’ with a potential partner).

But before you go rent a studio apartment somewhere trendy in the city, hold up. As reported by The Daily Mail: “It seems the quieter suburbs are where the matching magic happens.”

Sitting prim in the top spot is Wetherill Park in Sydney’s west, about 34 kilometres from the city, after scoring the most ‘right-swipes’ this year.

This is followed by the Iceburgs snapping (and prolific right-swipers) of Bondi, a regular on the list, this year coming in at number two, thanks to its population of local millennials, Gen Z singles and open-minded backpackers.

North of the bridge the right-swiping saw an increase on last year, with North Sydney coming in at number three, Ryde at number six and Manly at number fifteen.

Looking west, Parramatta has since slipped down to fourth (after finishing first in 2017), while Bankstown has proved conservatism and stanced cars are no barrier to (swiping for) a hook up.

Southern suburbs dominated the rest of the list with Kogarah, Miranda, Caringbah and Brighton-le-Sands all making the top 15.

This marks a change from last year’s data, with locations like Chatswood, Hurstville and Surry Hills dropping off the radar completely.

The post Tinder Reveals The Thirstiest Suburbs In Sydney  appeared first on DMARGE Australia.