Halloween may be over, but the tricks and treats are still rolling in and brands are already defrosting faster than a turkey crown on Christmas Eve. This week, we’re in that weird seasonal limbo where skeletons meet Santa, and the internet can’t decide whether to scream or sing.

So, in the spirit of spooky season fading into sparkle, here are four moments that caught my eye.

Kayla Nicole’s Toni Braxton revenge ballad

When Toni Braxton sang, “He wasn’t man enough for me”, I doubt she thought she’d be soundtracking the shadiest cultural moment of 2025, but alas, here we are.

Kayla Nicole, former wife of Travis Kelce, channelled her inner Braxton for Halloween, performing a spot-on rendition of the icon herself. Dress, dance routine, and all. Now, on its own, that’s a serve. But against the backdrop of Taylor Swift’s “The Life of A Showgirl”, an album that felt like it defo held some Kayla shade, it became something much juicier.

It wasn’t petty; it was poetry. A classy clap back that didn’t need a single caption - just a perfectly timed lip-sync and a Toni lyric that said what some were thinking.

He wasn’t man enough, indeed.

The NYC Halloween Parade: millennials’ flash mob fever dream

The New York City Halloween Parade this year was pure vibes. Thriller performances in the street, a Miss Congeniality routine that had TikTok live foaming, and a crowd that actually got the memo about having fun again.

I stumbled across it on my FYP and somehow ended up watching 30 straight minutes with my boyfriend, both of us completely hooked. It was like a flash mob reborn for the TikTok generation: nostalgic, unfiltered, and with just enough camp to make millennials feel seen.

It reminded me of what Halloween should be. Not polished influencer reveals or $400 costumes, just people in the streets dancing, laughing, and living out their main-character moments.

Mariah Carey is defrosted

And just like that, she thawed. The undisputed Queen of Christmas returned with her annual ‘its time’ moment, this year, transforming from full Halloween glam into her sparkly Christmas self.

I’ll say this: I loved the idea. But somewhere during her flight around town handing out Sephora gifts, it took a cheesy turn. Mariah’s annual thaw is practically a cultural tradition at this point. She doesn’t need branding; she is the brand.

Last year’s GHD defrost was the perfect example of how to do it subtly and smartly. This year felt a little too product placement-y. Less “All I Want for Christmas,” more “All I Want for Q4 Conversions.”

Shelter’s Christmas Ad

And then there was Shelter.

I don’t even have the words. I cried so hard I genuinely said out loud, “I don’t like this”, not because it was bad, it genuinely is brilliant, but because it was too real.

The story of a little boy singing along to Bonnie Tyler, living his best life, with a reveal that it’s the cheesy song that plays whilst his tearful mum sits on hold waiting for a proper home for them both. No stop it, I’m welling up all over again.

As someone who grew up in the original Peckham and saw moments like that up close, it didn’t feel like an ad, it felt like a memory. The casting, the writing, the silence between scenes… it was guttingly beautiful.

I’ll be donating. But I cannot, and will not, watch it again.