Once upon a time, “in living colour” was the phrase that promised the fullest version of an experience. It meant encountering something as it was meant to be seen—vivid, immediate, tangible, and right in front of you. Three decades on and we’ve retired the words in lieu of something else: In real life.
It’s a curious evolution of language. We no longer compare reality to television. Instead, we compare it to Instagram, TikTok, and carefully curated, filtered feeds. A handbag looks and feels more luxurious in real life. A celebrity is nicer and better mannered in real life. A restaurant’s great vibes are something best experienced in real life. The phrase has become our way of distinguishing authenticity from the polished versions we encounter through our myriad screens.
Meeting our July cover star, Nicole Lee Wen, reminded me why that distinction matters. There is remarkably little difference between the Nicole you see on screen and the one who arrives on set. She is quick-witted, self-aware, and refreshingly candid about the realities of building a creative career. In our cover story “Flip the Script”, she speaks just as openly about rejection as she does ambition, and about nearly losing her life as a teenager as she does launching her own production company rather than waiting for opportunities to arrive. There is no performance; only purpose.
That spirit sits at the heart of our July issue. Across these pages, we look beyond the hype to explore what genuinely works, what truly lasts, and the people creating meaningful careers and living life on their own terms. Because while trends move faster than editors at a sample sale, authenticity never goes out of fashion. That’s the thinking behind our encompassing ELLE Beauty Awards 2026, where our panel of beauty insiders and experts cut through the marketing noise to spotlight more than 80 of the very best products for your beauty routine, from head to toe.
Perhaps that’s why “in real life” has become the phrase of our time. It’s no longer simply about seeing and experiencing something in person. It’s about discovering that what is real is often far more compelling than what’s curated. And that’s definitely something worth celebrating.