FEBRUARY 2018

HAVING A MINI
THE YEAR BREAKDOWN?
OF YOU!
The sect that
says it can
save you
How to ditch
the 9 to 5
forever* A NEW
THE GIRL
BEST
BODIES
EVERY
OF INSTA
How they were
NIGHT
After-class
really made antics of your
gym instructor
H O L D O N T I G H T...
ALMOST
FAITHFUL JENNIFER
Meet the new
monogamy HUDSON
DISHES ON HOLLYWOOD’S
02

9 770141 055283
OTHER SCANDAL
WWW.COSMOPOLITAN.COM/UK
*By the women who did just that
Contents
✱ On the cover
34 A NEW GIRL EVERY
FEBRUARY 2018

NIGHT After-class antics

of your gym instructor
39 THE BEST BODIES
OF INSTA How they
were really made
70 JENNIFER HUDSON
Dishes on Hollywood’s
other scandal
84 HAVING A MINI
BREAKDOWN? The sect
that says it can save you
90 THE YEAR OF YOU! How
to ditch the 9 to 5 forever
118 ALMOST FAITHFUL
Meet the new monogamy

✱ Know
9 SLEEP LIKE A BABY What’s
that? We can go to a bar in our
pyjamas and be read bedtime
stories? Count us very much in
10 CHEAP SHOT Free-streaming
services we suggest you sign
up, then sloth out, to
12 THESE BOOKS WILL
CHANGE YOUR LIFE!
We’ve found the self-help
titles that, we promise, will
benefit you far more than that
Gemma Collins biography
14 MY CULTURED LIFE
Ballet dancer Eric Underwood
is a fan of Bruno Mars and
Gucci loafers. Same
15 MISS INDEPENDENT
Q. Where do you locate
96
The world according
cinema’s mega-stars-in-waiting? to beauty blogger
Manal Chinutay
A. In indie flicks, apparently
17 THE COMPASS This month’s
cultural ups and downs

4 · C O S M O P O L I TA N

✱ low
21 FIT & YOU KNOW IT Need to
sort your gym shine? No sweat
22 HOT RIGHT NOW! Because
going for gold isn’t just for
COVER PHOTOGRAPH BEN WATTS. STYLE DIRECTOR JAMES WORTHINGTON DEMOLET. HAIR KIYAH WRIGHT FOR MUZE AGENCY. MAKE-UP YOLANDA FREDERICK-THOMPSON AT GLAMORRING.
Nicola Adams and the like
COM. NAILS HOLLY WATTS. PRODUCTION BAM PRODUCTIONS. JENNIFER WEARS, NEWSSTAND COVER: BUSTIER, FLEUR DU MAL. TOP, TRASH AND VAUDEVILLE. SKIRT, MILLY. TIGHTS, FALKE.
23 WATER-COLOURED EYES
BELT, STYLIST’S OWN. RINGS, HEARTS ON FIRE BY STEPHEN WEBSTER (RIGHT), YEPREM (LEFT). EARRINGS, JANIS SAVITT. SUBSCRIBER COVER: JACKET, THE BLONDS. TOP, BORDELLE.
Prepare to paint a masterpiece
(we mean your face, of course)
24 BEAUTY BUZZ OR BULL?
EARRINGS, MEADOWLARK. RINGS, SPINELLI KILCOLLIN. NECKLACE, JENNIFER’S OWN. PHOTOGRAPHS ELISABETH HOFF, LOUISA PARRY, LEO ACKER, SAM COPELAND
Why you could soon be
adding cannabis cream and
baking-soda serum to your
beauty booty…
29 INGE HAS ISSUES… and
only pulsating bright lights
can help her out
31 BRUSH BLITZERS We take
cleaning tools to the lab to
test which scrub up well
✱ Move
33 PUMPED UP TEA Espressos?
Out. A new kinda cuppa: in
44 SNOW BUSINESS What to
wear to hit the slopes and, more
importantly, après ski, in style
✱ Wear
47 TREASURE TOTE
Uncovered: one bejewelled
bag of pure beauty
48 TOP DRAWERS Underwear,
outerwear or just-for-between-
the-sheets wear – you decide
56 HEY, HOW DO I WEAR…
The white boot?
58 DEAR DENIM... A love letter
to our favourite fabric,
illustrated with the best
new-season styles
✱ rn
IMPRESS IN LESS …words.
Make an employer take notice
(rather than hand you yours)
64 UH-OH! THAT DID NOT GO
WELL Stop not getting the job
117
69 “KEEP YOUR EGO IN CHECK”
Amanda Berry, CEO of BAFTA,
premieres her business advice Marry yourself,
get to eat all
✱ Read the cake.
Right?
78 BODIES OF POWER Eat right,
boss work and your workout
96 COVER GIRL How one beauty
entrepreneur is leading the way
104 GRAND DESIGNS Sheer, prints,
feathers… our favourite labels
say it all works this season
✱ Lust
117 ME, MYSELF AND I News just
in: partners are so last season
120 MY BEST SEX EVER WAS…
a quickie with a stranger
121 WORST DATES EVER Don’t
you just love it when your date
mocks your moustache? Er… 47
122 FIRST LOVE Exes go dating
Arm candy with
an extra order
of dazzle: yes,
✱ Play please
125 JOIN THE JET SET Travel like
Rihanna, spend like your nanna
126 STEP UP THE SUSPENSE
Booking a break with no idea
of the details: mad or amazing?
✱ And the rest…
6 MEET TEAM COSMOPOLITAN
7 FROM THE EDITOR
62 COSMOPOLITAN BEAUTY BOX
Glam kit in the post, anyone?
67 WANT TO MAKE A MINT IN
WELLNESS? Allow us to help
68 WANT TO LIVE IN THE NEXT
COSMOPOLITAN HOUSE?
138 COSMOPOLITAN CONTRACT
48
How to feel
The wannabe influencer ◆ this happy in
your smalls
C O S M O P O L I TA N · 5
 RANDOM
QUESTION OF
THE MONTH
FARRAH STORR Ever had a job
Editor-in-Chief interview
PA to the Editor JESSICA BROWNING fail?
Deputy Editor SHOSHANA GOLDBERG Creative Director STUART SELNER
Associate Editor AMY GRIER

I told a very famous E NT ER TA I N MEN T

editor that I didn’t think Entertainment Director LOTTIE LUMSDEN
much of one journalist’s
FEATU R ES
prose style… Turns out
Senior Editor CATRIONA INNES
she was her star writer.
Features Writer JENNIFER SAVIN Features Intern DANIELLA SCOTT
A prospective employer
DESI GN casually asked where
Art Director VICTORIA HORN my boyfriend worked.
Senior Designer HARRY WINFIELD Designer JESSICA LOCKETT I replied ‘ISIS’, instead
PI CTU R ES of ‘Iris’. Which is quite
Picture Director CAT COSTELLOE Picture Editor NICOLE HOLCROFT-EMMESS different, really.

P RODU CTI ON
After saying I love to Workflow Director CHRISTINA SIMONE
read, my mind went Chief Sub-Editor HANNAH JONES
blank and I couldn’t Deputy Chief Sub-Editor STEPHANIE JACKSON
name a single book – so B EAU TY
I just sort of stuttered, Beauty Director INGEBORG VAN LOTRINGEN Beauty Editor CASSIE POWNEY
“What’s that... er... Contributing Beauty Editor BECCI VALLIS Beauty Writer LUCY PARTINGTON
one about the war?” Back in my acting days, I was
FASHI ON asked to repeat an audition
Fashion Director AMY BANNERMAN Senior Fashion Editor SAIREY STEMP because I’d “forgotten to do
Bookings Editor SOPHIE LEEN Fashion Assistant MADDY ALFORD an American accent”. I hadn’t.
COS M O POLI TA N .COM/ U K
Digital Editor CLAIRE HODGSON Fashion & Lifestyle Editor JESS EDWARDS
News & Entertainment Editor ANNA LEWIS Beauty Editor VICTORIA JOWETT
Social Media Manager LAUREN SMITH Senior Writer CATRIONA HARVEY-JENNER
Writer DUSTY BAXTER-WRIGHT Fashion & Beauty Writer LAURA CAPON
Sex & Relationships Writer PAISLEY GILMOUR Snapchat Editor CHARLOTTE WARWICK
During an interview
Multimedia Producer ALEX HERING Snapchat Animator CHARLOTTE TEMPLE
for Runner’s World,
I said I wasn’t really
CO NTR I B U TOR S I once told a recruiter I
that into running… when
AMANDA STATHAM (Travel) wasn’t planning on getting
I actually was. No idea
pregnant any time soon.
why I said that. Managing Editor DEBBIE BLACK (maternity)
They hadn’t even asked.
Acting Group Managing Editor CONNIE OSBORNE Finance Business Partner EMMA JONES

P RE S ID ENT AND CHI EF EXECU TI VE OFFI CER

JAMES WILDMAN
H EARST M AGAZ INE S U K
Executive Assistant to the President and Chief Executive Officer FAYE McNULTY
Chief Financial Officer/Chief Operating Officer CLAIRE BLUNT
Chief Strategy Officer ROBERT FFITCH Chief Operations Director CLARE GORMAN
Chief Agency Officer JANE WOLFSON Chief Digital Officer PAUL CASSAR
HR Director SURINDER SIMMONS Director of Communications LISA QUINN
Head of PR FAY JENNINGS Director, Hearst Live VICTORIA ARCHBOLD 020 7312 4105
MD, Hearst Brand Services JUDITH SECOMBE Marketing & Circulation Director REID HOLLAND
HEA R ST MAGA ZI N ES I N TER N ATI ON A L
Senior Vice President, Managing Director Asia Pacific & Russia SIMON HORNE
Director of International Licensing & Business Development RICHARD BEAN
Senior Vice President/Editorial & Brand Director KIM ST CLAIR BODDEN
Deputy Brands Director CHLOE O’BRIEN
Fashion/Entertainment Director KRISTEN INGERSOLL
International Editions Editor JACQUELYN GALGEY
Editor-in-Chief, Cosmopolitan (1965-1997) HELEN GURLEY BROWN

Head of Consumer Sales & Marketing MATTHEW BLAIZE-SMITH
Head of Subscriptions JUSTINE BOUCHER Head of Marketing Promotions CHARLOTTE CUNLIFFE
Digital Marketing Director SEEMA KUMARI PR Manager BEN BOLTON
Head of Project Management ALEXANDER STANHOPE Head of Business Management LUCY PORTER
Luxury Business Manager ROSALIE ATKINSON-WILLES 020 7439 5615
H E ARST CO M M E RC I A L
Chief Brand Officer DUNCAN CHATER
Executive Assistant to the Chief Brand Officer NATASHA MANN
MD, Beauty JACQUI CAVE MD, Fashion & Luxury JACQUELINE EUWE
MD, Fitness & Health ALUN WILLIAMS Director of Homes JULIA GOODWIN
Director of Travel DENISE DEGROOT Director of Motors JIM CHAUDRY
Client Director, Personal Finance JACQUIE DUCKWORTH
Client Direct Director, Fashion & Beauty EMMA BARNES
Director of Client Sales MATT HAYES Hearst Direct Manager LUCY PENNY
I N TER N ATI ON A L EDI TI ON S
Argentina Editor, Australia KESHNEE KEMP Brazil CRISTINA NAUMOVS
Bulgaria Chile China YVONNE LIU Croatia ALEKSANDRA ORLIĆ
Czech Republic SABRINA KARASOVA Finland STINA MANTYNIEMI
France MARIE LA FONTA Germany ANJA DELASTIK
Hong Kong RUQIYAH LAW KAM YING Hungary JOHANNA SABJÁN
India NANDINI BHALLA Indonesia FILISYA THUNGGAWAN Italy FRANCESCA DELOGU
Kazakhstan Korea HYUN JOO KIM Latin America LUCÍA SOTELO SANTOS Latvia
Lithuania VIOLETA KALIKAUSKIENE Malaysia Middle East KAVITA SRINIVASAN
Mongolia Netherlands ANNE MARIJE DE VRIES LENTSCH Philippines MARLA MINIANO
Poland HANNA WOLSKA Romania DIANA COLCER Russia ALIONA PENEVA
Serbia NASJA VELJKOVIC Slovenia MANCA ČAMPA PAVLIN South Africa HOLLY MEADOWS
Spain CECILIA MÚZQUIZ HERRERO Sri Lanka KINITA SHENOY Turkey OZLEM KOTAN
Ukraine OLEKSANDRA BURYNSKA USA MICHELE PROMAULAYKO

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6 · C O S M O P O L I TA N
 FROM THE
EDITOR
A few months back, I found myself in line at the Eurostar
check-in, queuing for a train bound for Paris. Surrounding
me were the usual suspects headed for the city of lights:
fawning new couples, elegant French businessmen, Parisian
women with delicious, post-coital hair… And there, among
them all, was a young girl, no older than 18, with red, teary
eyes. She stood just inches in front of me, flanked on either
side by two towering suitcases, in which, I guessed, she had
packed up her life. A white-haired man, presumably her
father, held her head between his palms and kissed her
lightly on the forehead before disappearing into the crowds.
I knew this young woman because 18 years earlier that
woman had been me. I had stood in line on the exact same
spot, on almost the exact same day in September, about to
start a new life in Paris. It was only for a year – ostensibly
a chance to improve my French and learn about another
culture as part of my degree course. But really, it was
about far more than that. It was about starting over – alone.
It was a chance for me to leave behind the person my
parents, oldest friends and teachers had thought or hoped
I was, and instead offered a rare opportunity to discover
who I might actually be and become.
I remember with absolute clarity the moment I landed in
Gare du Nord: friendless, frightened and with no road map
for the life I was about to embark on. It took everything
I had not to turn around and get straight back on the train
to London. But instead I walked towards the Metro station
and bought a one-way ticket into central Paris.
I won’t lie – the next 12 months were hard. I ventured
down many dead ends (friendships that weren’t quite what
PHOTOGRAPHS IAN HARRISON. HAIR AND MAKE-UP SHARI RENDLE
So much so that by the time I returned to London a year
later, I was a different person: I was my own person with my
own map and my own sense of where I wanted my life to lead.
As I stood in the Eurostar queue, I wanted so desperately
to tell the young girl in front of me that the tears she was
shedding were not a sign she was doing the wrong thing, but
that she was doing exactly the right thing. Finding yourself
is hard. But following the road map others have drawn for
you is ultimately much harder. (Typically the very moment I
reached out to touch her shoulder was the moment security
ushered her through the gates and held me back in line.)
So instead my message to you is this: wherever you are
in 2018, make sure it’s a place that you intended to end
up at. And if it’s not? If you look around and see a life that
others guided you towards, but in which you feel lost, then
know that it is never too late to make the break. But
remember, the break is only ever worth making g if you
you’re
re
prepared to follow your own
internal pathfinder. Know
that and make this year

they seemed, jobs that didn’t work out) and travelled up the one that counts…
long, romantic roads with partners that ultimately led 4 Keep in touch by following
nowhere. But every wrong path I took eventually helped me on Twitter @Farrah_Storr FARRAH ST
guide me towards the right one for me. and Instagram @farrahstorr Editor-in-Chief

WRITE MORE SLEEP BETTER DRESS WISER

MY NEW The best memories

should be kept
secret and stored in a
In 2017 I convinced myself I could
get by on six hours of sleep. My
g
face shows I can nnot.
My wardrobe is a mash-up of
sample-sale buys
and Net-A-Porter

YEAR beautiful hard-backed

book rather than
shared across
It’s eight hourrs or
018.
nothing in 20
Eye mask,
splurges. This year
I’m going for
stand-out separates

MANTRAS social media.

Journal, £21,
Kikki K
£70,
£
Olivia
O
Von Halle
V
from Colour By
Numbers at Ted
Baker. Top, £109

C O S M O P O L I TA N · 7
 I F I T ’ S H O T A N D H A P P E N I N G , I T ’ S I N H E R E ...
WORDS DANIELLA SCOTT. ARTWORK HITANDRUN CREATIVE STUDIO. VISIT 40WINKS.ORG/BEDTIME-STORY-NIGHTS/

SLEEP LIKE A BABY

If sales of adult colouring books are anything to go
by, we are a generation of grown-ups desperate to
be kids again. And what better way to feel six years
old than by having someone read you a book before
bed? At London hotel 40 Winks, guests can pop
on pyjamas and head to the bar for ‘Bedtime Story
Nights’. Better still, stay home and download the
‘Calm’ app – its ‘Sleep Stories’ has tales narrated
by the likes of Stephen Fry and Game Of Thrones’
Jerome Flynn. We’re drifting off alrea… ZZZ.

C O S M O P O L I TA N · 9
TV
Cheap shot
New year, no money? You’ll like these (Cosmopolitan-rated) free streaming services then

TUBI TV SNAGFILMS VIEWSTER

GOOD FOR COMEDY GOOD FOR DOCUMENTARIES GOOD FOR DRAMA

What is it? Off-beat comedies with the
likes of Seth Rogen. [Streams to all devices]
Top picks: Delusions Of Guinevere, about a
washed-up actor who stages her own death.
And the duds… Mega Shark Versus Mecha
Shark... Really? Wasn’t Sharknado enough?
Why we like it: The suggestions are spot
on, and you can queue shows for later.
Why we don’t: The app (which has more
content) is currently only available in the US.
When will I get bored? Depends on your
appetite for budget semi-pornos posing as
‘romantic drama’, eg Nipples & Palm Trees.
What is it? The best place for a huge
range of documentaries. [The App Store]
Top picks: Devil’s Playground – Amish teens
experiment with drugs and sex. A must-see.
And the duds… Fish Trails, a feature-length
film investigating fish migration. Er…
Why we like it: You think you’re done, then
you spot something else interesting.
Why we don’t: Fast-forwarding on high
resolution is tricky.
When will I get bored? We can definitively
tell you it’s not possible. So long, world.
It was nice to know you.
WORDS DANIELLA SCOTT. ADDITIONAL WORDS MARTHA HAYES. PHOTOGRAPHS GETTY IMAGES, MARKO METZINGER/STUDIO D, SHUTTERSTOCK
What is it? More drama than at a TOW
T
pool party. [Google Play, the App Store]
Top picks: Film-fest hit Prince Of Broadway.
No one else in the pub will have heard of it.
And the duds… Space Janitors. Seriously.
Need we say more?
Why we like it: Login with Facebook – no
need for a password you’ll instantly forget.
Why we don’t: You can’t click off the page
when adverts play. Life is tough.
When will I get bored? Not for a while –
like a trip to TK Maxx, you have to trawl
through a lot of tat to find a gem.

TOP OF THE LIST HELLO, 2018 DESTINED TO BE A DUD

Our top picks, and total duds, for the year ahead in entertainment

BEYONCÉ AT STILL ME OCEAN’S DERRY GIRLS FALLL OUT BOY TOMB RAIDER THE FIFTY
COACHELLA Lou Clark EIGHT Scrunchies, We binned Alicia Vikander ASSASSINATION SHADES
Dropping out moves to New Rihanna, Anne shell suits and our emo goes back to OF GIANNI FREED
in 2017 has York in Jojo Hathaway, Smells Like wardrobe the origins of VERSACE The franchise
cranked up Moyes’ follow- Sandra Teen Spirit; when we Lara Croft. We American Crime turns yet more
anticipation up novel to Bullock… there’s good realised even meet her Story does ‘Fifty Shades
for B’s debut Me Before basically every craic in this sweeping father, played the designer’s Of Accidental
at the festival. You and After actress you’ve Northern fringes were by Dominic murder. Cue Comedy’,
Time for sun, You. Surely ever loved is Ireland-set a car accident West – expect Penélope Cruz with lines like,
selfies and it’s time she in this female- Channel 4 waiting to confusing in a comedy “Mrs Grey will
Lemonade. had some fun. led sequel. comedy. happen. feelings. Donatella wig. see you now.”

10 · C O S M O P O L I TA N
These books
YOUR LIFE!
Really? We read a pile of self-help books to see which might

ost self-improvement books make hardcore demands on their

M readers. There’s the endless list-making, the constant inventory-

ing, the frequent, patronising assertion that life will all be fine
if you just ‘breathe’ and ‘go for it’. Thankfully, some authors
have cottoned on to the fact that we just want some good
old-fashioned advice encased in a pretty book. These are they…

The CAREER ONE The HEALTHY ONE

W
WHEN TO What’s actually in it? Real-life THE 4 Best piece of advice That
JJUMP, Mike stories from those who left PILLAR we need more Akkermansia
L
Lewis (Yellow dead-end jobs to pursue dream PLAN, Dr muciniphila in our diet. It’s
K
Kite, £14.99) careers, with Lewis’s take on Rangan a type of gut bug that is
W
Why should I what you can learn from them. Chatterjee associated with weight loss, and
listen to him? Best piece of advice ‘I feared (Penguin can be found in onions, garlic,
Because all
B life without a regular pay Life, £18.99) artichokes and broccoli. Dr
tthe bosses you cheque. An older friend didn't Why should Rangan is mad about gut flora.
admire do do. We’re
We re talking
t Arianna seem too concerned: “Careers I listen to him? Beccause he’s Most useless piece of advice
Huffington and Sheryl Sandberg, are long,” she told me.’ You a doctor. And he’s cool. And ‘Drink eight glasses of water
who loves him so much she might be worked up about your he’s also on the telly. (He’s the a day.’ Yes, we all know it’s
even wrote the foreword. decision now, but it’s unlikely resident medic on BBC One’s sensible, but a little bit basic.
Who’s it for? People who really, you will be in 10 years’ time. Doctor In The House.) You can skip… There are blue
really hate their job – but also Most useless piece of advice Who’s it for? Those of us who pages with check boxes that
like all the benefits that come ‘A gym is a good place to want to get healthy, without simplify his advice right down
with it. You know, a monthly find out what you’re capable giving up the things in life – we’re talking suggesting
pay cheque, pension and of.’ Er, has he seen us on the we love. Mainly pasta. ‘taking a bath to relax’. The
unlimited free tea bags. Lewis vertical climber? What’s actually in it? It’s most useful stuff can be
shows you how to follow your You can skip… The personal comprised of four sections: found in the detailed case
dreams without suddenly stories are a nice touch, but can Eat, Sleep, Relax and Move – studies, explaining which
yelling, “I quit and I hate get samey. So if you get bored, with detailed breakdowns on techniques have helped his
everyone here!” in the middle jump to the bite-sized advice at how to incorporate healthy patients. Give the oversimplified
of Monday’s 11am. the end of each chapter. We did. habits into all areas of your life. check boxes a miss.

12 · C O S M O P O L I TA N

The ZEN ONE
THHE GIFT
OF F SILENCE,
Kaankyo Tannier
(Ye ellow Kite,
£12 2.99)
Why should
I listen to her?
People talk about
spirituality
i i a lot these
h days,
mostly while Instagramming
pictures of trees. But Kankyo
Tannier is the real deal: a French
Buddhist nun who spent over 15
years living in a Zen monastery.
PHOTOGRAPHS GETTY IMAGES, ISTOCK
Her advice is probably more
substantial than a YouTuber
who tells you to ‘self care’
WORDS CATRIONA INNES.
with a bubble bath.
Who’s it for? Those who
made ‘calm the f*ck down’
their New Year’s resolution.
What’s actually in it? A long
chapter on what silence is,
and plenty of practical exercises
to incorporate calmness into
your life. They’re the most
useful part of the book.
Best piece of advice For
immediate calm, practise
‘sound travel’ – where you sit
and listen to every noise around
you, hearing the different
frequencies. After a few minutes
you’ll notice your breathing
slows down and you feel more
present (we tried it, it works).
Most useless piece of advice
‘Shutting your eyes will give
you more energy.’ Yeah, or is it
just an excuse for a Nana nap?
You can skip… The really
long and preachy chapter on
‘Vegetarianism Or The Art Of
Not Eating Your Friends’. We
prefer our eating habits without
a side of judgement, thanks.
The TIDYING ONE
HE GENTLE
TH
ART OF
SWEDISH
DEATH
D make our life more enjoyable
CLEANING,
M
Margareta
M
Magnusson
(C
Canongate,
£12.99)
Why should I listen tto her?
Everyone wants to be the new
Marie Kondo. Seriously, there’s
a lot of money to be made
from telling people how to fold
socks. But Döstädning (Swedish
for death cleaning) isn’t just a
cheap gimmick – it’s a Swedish
phenomenon that has been
going on for hundreds of years.
Instead of asking, ‘Does this
spark joy?’, you think of the
impact your belongings have
on others – asking ‘Will anyone
I know be happier if I save this?’
Who’s it for? Those who are
going to die. Spoiler alert:
that’s all of us, at some point.
Basically Döstädning is that
awful process of cleaning out
a loved one’s belongings after
The CELEBRITY ONE
C
CALM,
Fearne Cotton
F daily life to ensure she doesn’t
((Orion Spring,
£
£18.99)
W
Why should I
llisten to her?
Because she’s
a lot like you
(well, apart from being famous,
with a rock-star husband). She’s
juggling her career with friends,
dull admin... but she also knows
she needs time for herself.
Who’s it for? Those of us whose
schedules are packed with
‘must dos’ and heads are thick
with worry.
What’s actually in it?
Interviews with experts and
friends, such as PTSD counsellor
Yvonne Williams and – wait for it
– co-presenter Reggie Yates, for
their nuggets of wisdom, as well
they’ve died. Magnusson says
it’s a practice we should all be
adopting while we’re living, to
(and our keys easier to find).
What’s actually in it? Chapters
for each section of your house
and habits, with tips for what
to keep and what to chuck. Oh,
and lots of facts about Swedish
culture, such as the ‘fulskap’ –
a cabinet that Swedes use to
store ugly presents given to
them that they hate.
Best piece of advice ‘Save your
favourite dildo, but throw away
the other 15.’
Most useless piece of advice
‘There are now second-hand
shops. They call them
“vintage”.’ No, really.
You can skip… ‘How to discuss
death cleaning’ – it’s full of
advice on how to tell your
friends and family you might
die… and that’s why you need
a clear-out. The fact you’ve
still got your 2016 Zac Efron
calendar on the wall should
have given them a clue.
as the steps Fearne takes in her
spiral into a place of panic.
Best piece of advice
Got a job interview or have
to give a presentation? Slow
everything down. And by that,
Fearne means everything. So
not just your breathing, but
your movements, too. If you
slow down your body and
words, your beating, adrenaline-
filled heart will follow. And
she should know, she’s been
presenting live telly for years!
Most useless piece of advice
You should have a poo between
7am and 8am.
You can skip...
The final chapter where Fearne
lists all the things that make her
calm. Think ‘toes in the sand’
and ‘stargazing’. Twee overload.
C O S M O P O L I TA N · 13
 MY
CULTURED
What books
are on your
bedside table?
Wendy Williams’s
Wendy’s Got
The Heat, Apollo’s

LIFE
Angels: A History
Of Ballet by
Jennifer Homans, and Carole White’s
Have I Said Too Much?: My Life In
And Out Of The Model Agency.

When was the last time you

Dancer Eric Underwood were star-struck?
Not for a long time.
shares what’s keeping him I’ve always wanted
entertained this month to meet Meryl
Streep – that
First thing you do when you would do it.
wake up in the morning?
I watch BBC Breakfast from 7am. Current
wallpaper on
Last thing you do your phone?
before you go to bed? A picture I took of my friend’s
Brush my teeth. hand doing the peace sign.

What TV shows do you binge on? The app you can’t live

WORDS LOTTIE LUMSDEN. PHOTOGRAPHS GETTY IMAGES, REX/SHUTTERSTOCK. GUCCI LOAFERS, £505, MRPORTER.COM
I’m hooked on First Dates. I’ve without? Instagram.
watched every single episode I take a lot of pictures.
of every series.
Favourite emoji?
The last film that The ‘100’ sign
made you cry? to show that
Moonlight. It was a I totally agree
really powerful story with something.
that I hadn’t seen
told before. Who’s the last person you
followed on Instagram?
What’s oon your Otis Batterbee, who makes really nice
workouut playlist? sleeping masks – I was jet-lagged.
Bruno Mars’s
M That’s
Whaat I Like The last
reeally works. thing you
bought?
What’s
W A pair of
your go-to
y Gucci loafers.
takeaway?
t
A burger The last thing you googled?
from
fr Haché ‘The best chocolate in Brussels’,
wiith sweet- during a trip there. It was my
p
pottato fries. first time visiting the city.

14 · C O S M O P O L I TA N
 Miss independent
The best place to find the next Jennifer Lawrence? In these buzz-worthy indie flicks
1 WHO EXACTLY IS 2 FIRST ROLE 3 HAVE I SEEN HER
SHE? Meet the 20- Playing Colby
P BEFORE? Sure have.
year-old US actress Chandler in
C Remember the sassy
with the enviable soap All My Children at daughter in Big Little
Insta account. the age of four. Respect. Lies? That was her.

4 INDIE-FILM 6 RANDOM FA ACT

BREAKTHROUGH As Loves tracksuits
Darlene in coming- and has a
of-age comedy different one
drama Lady Bird. In 5 ALSO IN BBC’s for each day
KATHRYN NEWTON cinemas February. Little Women. of the week.
TYSON/STUDIO D, GREGORY ERDSTEIN, NBC UNIVERSAL. REX/SHUTTERSTOCK. BBC/ADRIAN ROGERS. BBC/PLAYGROUND/PATRICK REDMOND. *IN 2014. **OUT ON DVD IN FEBRUARY
WORDS DANIELLA SCOTT. PHOTOGRAPHS GETTY IMAGES, REX/SHUTTERSTOCK, COLLECTION CHRISTOPHEL/ARENAPAL, LACHLAN WOODS, INSTAGRAM/KATHRYN NEWTON, STUART

1 WHO EXACTL LY 2 FIRST ROLE 3 HAVE I SEEN HER

IS SHE? Super-- Playing an exchange BEFORE? If you’ve see
cool 25-year- student for Japanese
e her in anything, kudos
old Japanese- TV series Homeroomm to you. All her previous
Australian actre
ess. On The Beach Side. films are in Japanese.

4 INDIE-FILM BREAKTHROUGH 5 ALSO IN

N 6 RANDOM FACT When she
In comedy Oh Lucy!, out later Deadpooll ssets an alarm,
this year, as the niece of a 2 and The
e it always has
Tokyo woman who falls for her Outsider. to end in the
SHIOLI KUTSUNA English teacher (Josh Hartnett). number eight.

1 WHO EXACTLY 2 FIRST ROLE 3 HAVE I SEEN HER

IIS SHE? An unknown In a 2017 advert BEFORE? In a short
A
Australian actress for an energy film made with her
w
we’re tipping as the company. Gotta husband, Gregory
n
next Amy Schumer. pay the bills… Erdstein? Unlikely.

4 INDIE-FILM 6 RANDOM FACT

BREAKTHROUGH As She knows all of
a failing actress who Left Eye from TLC’s
poses as her superstar raps. “If Waterfalls
sister in That’s Not 5 ALSO
LSO
SO IN ojects comes on I go
ALICE FOULCHER Me, out in February. with her husband. nuts,” she says.

1 WHO EXACTLY IS SHE? 2 FIRST ROLE 3 HAVE I SEEN H HER

Hilarious UK actress, one of Playing a snowflake BEFORE? In that
the Standard’s 1 000 most
rd s 1,000 in The Nutcracker episode of Blackk Mirror
influential aged 10. She got with the pig. She
Londoners.* £3.85 per performan nce. played the princcess.

4 INDIE-FILM 5 ALSO IN 6 RANDOM FACT She

BREAKTHROUGH Love New BBC once sha her long
Is Thicker Than Water – a thriller hair for a p at
modern Romeo And Juliet Requiem, the Edinbu h
LYDIA WILSON with a Notting Hill edge.** as Matilda. Fringe.

C O S M O P O L I TA N · 15
 The Compass
Pointing you in the right cultural direction this month

TUDOR GAMES SPONGE SHOES

Floating our boat

Shuffleboard, Henry Christopher Kane sent
VIII’s favourite pastime models down the runway
(well, apart from in footwear adorned with
beheading his wives), is sponges. Front-row spies
the new hipster hobby of reported the catwalk was
choice. Gout not essential. super shiny afterwards.
super-shiny

M ICROCLIMATES BLOOTOX
Noo more battling your Up next in ‘weird places
workmates over the office surggeons are sticking
air-con. Evapolar’s swanky Botox’ is the scalp. Keeps
personal AC technology* your blow-dry going for
creates a ‘microclimate’ longger by stopping you
just for you. Bliss. sweating, apparently…
STUDIO D, DEVON JARVIS/STUDIO D, JASON LLOYD-EVANS, ALAMY, SHUTTERSTOCK. *EVALIGHT EV-1000, £272. **IN CINEMAS 26TH JANUARY
WORDS JENNIFER SAVIN. PHOTOGRAPHS GETTY IMAGES, 20TH CENTURY FOX, INSTAGRAM/@LEANINGTOWEROFBOOTS, BEN GOLDSTEIN/

EARLY MAN BACKWARD BOOKS

The latest creation from Instagram deems this trend
the fella behind Wallace for turning your books back
& Gromit, with voices to front visually pleasing.
from Maisie Williams and We deem it very impractical
Tom Hiddleston – cue (though handy for hiding
millennial joy overload.** inccriminating
i i i litera
li ature).

CASH RICH SECOND-TIER INVITES

Throw out your Nectar card. Those Facebook events
And that Boots one. Instead, you’re invited to a week
Sinkin our ship

download the Stocard app, after everyone else? Either

and store loyalty cards on request our presence the
your phone, rather than burst first time, or you’ll find
the zip o
on your purse. we’re too ‘bus to tend

LIAM GALLAGHER CHICC SAFETY-PIN

SAFETY PIN NAILS
N
Everyone from Oscar de la R Renta Imagine peeling off a
to Isabel Marant has offeredd mascara security sticker
their interpretation of the with these CND talons on
former Oasis frontman’s each digit. Or fishing your
favourite item – the cagoulee. keys out of your bag. Or
Mad fer it? You will be… attempting any task actually.

C O S M O P O L I TA N · 17
 FIT & YOU KNOW IT
Skincare that works as hard
WORDS BECCI VALLIS. PHOTOGRAPH LOUISA PARRY. CLINIQUEFIT, PRICES FROM £13

as you do is no easy thing to

find. And skincare that works
in sync with your sweaty,
down-the-gym complexion?
Almost impossible. Until now,
that is. The new CliniqueFit
range of products has all been
formulated with your workout
face in mind. That means a
mascara that’s both sweat
and humidity resistant, a
face powder that neutralises
redness and shine in record
time (for those moments
when you’re dashing from
barre class to bar stool),
plus a feather-lightweight
foundation that evens skin
tone without blocking pores.
Fit for purpose? We’d say so.

C O S M O P O L I TA N · 21
 Essence Metal
Kiko Water
Shock Lip Paint
Eyeshadow in
in Mercury, £3.30
233 Gold, £8.90
The cheapest way
Apply dry for a
to wear a metallic
faint smattering
lip. Also doubles
of sparkle, or
as a subtle, pretty
wet for a golden
highlighter. Sold.
gleam. Love.
Chloé Absolu De
Elizabeth And James Parfum (75ml),
Nirvana Bourbon £88 Consider the
Dry Shampoo, £25 gold bottle and
This chic dry shampoo new rose note a
smells like Don Draper’s 10th anniversary
breath at 1am. Making celebration.
us crave greasy hair.

Hot
Caudalie Premier Cru
The Serum, £90 Boosts
the effectiveness of
your daily moisturiser.
Flaky winter skin will
love you forever.

right
now!
Chanel No5
Fragments D’Or, £70
A stupidly decadent
body oil. But a rare
opportunity to say
we’re dripping in
gold. And Chanel.

This month: proof

WORDS LUCY PARTINGTON AND BECCI VALLIS. PHOTOGRAPHS GRAHAM WALSER/HEARST STUDIOS
that gold is for life, not Pantene Pro-V
3 Minute Miracle
just for Christmas Repair & Protect
Conditioner, £2.99
Won’t weigh your
Slip Pure Silk Pillowcase, hair down even
£79 More than just a mere with daily use. Now
pillowcase: this baby stops that is a miracle.
sleep-crease and prolongs Artistic Colour
blow-dries. Rejoice! Revolution
Reactive Nail
Lacquer in This
Girl Sleighs, £15
FAO magpies
everywhere,
this sparkle
is next level. Roland Mouret Une Wunder2
Amourette Etat Libre Super-Stay
D’Orange EDP (100ml), Liner in Metallic
£115 Earthy and sexy, its Peach, £12.95
name literally means ‘a Slick over your
LOVES fling’. Wear with hope usual black liner
+ 2 01 7 + and/or expectation. to amp it up
a gear or two.
Desk-to-dance-
When you see beauty floor is officially
products with this logo easier than ever.
anywhere, you can be
guaranteed they are
Cosmopolitan-beauty-
team-approved.
 Water-
coloured
eyes
Use your lids as a canvas and unleash
your inner Monet
WORDS LUCY PARTINGTON. PHOTOGRAPHS JASON LLOYD-EVANS, GRAHAM WALSER, PAVEL DORNAK/HEARST STUDIOS. BLEACH LONDON AT CULTBEAUTY.CO.UK
1 MELLOW
YELLOW
DIFFICULTY 2/3
Artistic splashes of yellow
are easier to pull off than
you think. Just go ahead
and trust us on this
one. Sharon Dowsett,
Illamasqua make-up artist
in residence, suggests
applying pastel yellow
shadow with a short brush.
“Shorter is better for this
sort of thing,” she explains.
“I use a small fan brush
that’s been chopped into
for a painterly effect.” Leave
your eyelids as a bare
canvas and concentrate
colour above the crease
and below the waterline
instead. “Bold eye looks
should always be worn
with an immaculate base
and brushed-up, natural
brows,” adds Dowsett.
Finally, continue the
artistic theme and finish
off with a natural, nude-
coloured lipstick for a
look that’s portrait-perfect.
MARY KATRANTZOU A/W 17
1
Too Faced
Just Peachy
Mattes, £33
cheeks, with a touch on
the forehead and chin for
a harmonious look.” Your
DELPOZO A/W 17
art teacher would be proud.
3
Guerlain LILAC
Eye-Stay
Primer,
LOVE
£20.50 Bleach London
DIFFICULTY 1.5/3
2 Louder Powder
in VS 1sh, £3
With artful application,
lilac shadow can be one of
2
the most flattering shades
PEACHY in your paintbox. Dowsett
KEEN suggests using primer first,
DIFFICULTY 1/3 so shadow applies better
A wash of peach and not and lasts longer. “Sweep
Illamasqua
much else is the perfect owder Eye
Po
o lilac shadow across lids,
lazy-girl look. Sounds scary, Shadow
S in blending up to the socket
but peach has pink and Hype, £17 line with a small powder
neutral undertones which brush. You can deepen the
makes it more flattering colour closer to the lashes
and less like you’ve got an
infection (which can happen
with pink, thanks to the
3 with a soft line of shadow
applied with a smoulder
brush,” she says. Add plenty
OSCAR DE LA RENTA A/W 17
red undertones). Can’t find of mascara and apply
the right shadow? Dowsett concealer under eyes to
suggests using blusher make the shadow pop.
instead. “It tends to be Lightly sculpt cheeks with
softer and more flattering. blusher, and use a neutral lip
Apply the same shade to shade. You’re a masterpiece.
C O S M O P O L I TA N · 23
 BEAUTY
BUZZ BULL?
or
We’re the first to admit there’s a pile of beauty bullsh*t to
wade through before you get to the really good stuff. Here,
we sniff out 2018’s biggest trends (and turkeys) i

Words B E C C I VA L L I S Photographs L E O A C K E R

24 · C O S M O P O L I TA N
 IS
CANNABIS
T H I S Y E A R’ S
B E AU T Y
H E RO ?

C O S M O P O L I TA N · 25
Cannabis creams
SAY WHAT? Hemp
without the high is being
hailed as the answer to
inflamed, acne-prone
skin. Rollies not required.

Turns out Bob

Marley may have
been a budding beauty
guru. Cannabis produces
a compound called
cannabidiol (CBD) that
possesses antiseptic and
antibiotic properties, and
the bit (legally) blowing
our mind is that our
bodies produce similar
cannabinoids. Basically,
these creams work in
harmony with our skin
and are capable of keeping
it in a state of calm. Hemp
oil derived from cannabis
still has some of the same
benefits, but for marijuana’s
soothing and anti-
inflammatory magic, it’s
the CBD you need (try
the Love Hemp and Lord
SHOULD
Jones ranges). Don’t worry,
YO U S L A P
though, you won’t space
B A K I N G S O DA
out when you slap them
O N YO U R
on, as they don’t contain FAC E ?
tetrahydrocannabinol
(THC) – the part that
triggers those psychedelic
side effects. See that fence? disrupts the skin’s barrier,” Caveman skin
WHERE CAN I FIND IT? There’s probably explains aesthetic doctor SAY WHAT? No, this
Find your fix in Carun a pile of baking Dr Maryam Zamani. doesn’t mean the
Face Cream (£16.99), Lord soda sitting on top of it, Which means you’re more beauty world is giving
Jones Pain & Wellness Pure because if there was ever prone to inflammation, you the thumbs-up
CBD Body Lotion (£36.95) an ingredient to divide spots and sensitivity. on chin hairs and
and Earthly Bodies Hemp opinion among beauty WHERE CAN I FIND IT? the club as a fashion
Seed Oil Soap (£3.50). scholars, this is it. While Of course, we’re not accessory. Instead, it’s
some pros believe in its saying that all products a focus on facial flora
Baking soda pore-unplugging abilities containing bicarbonate – the invisible layer
SAY WHAT? Sure, it’s and praise its natural of soda should be tossed of bacteria on your
excellent at making origins (in comparison aside (toothpaste and skin’s surface (the
glorious Yorkshire puds, to chemical exfoliants), deodorant – you’re still microbiome) that
but is scrubbing your skin others shudder at the good), but we’d advise could determine how
with this store-cupboard thought of it. “It makes sticking to AHAs for bright and peachy your
essential set to be a thing? skin more alkaline and A* exfoliation instead. complexion looks.

26 · C O S M O P O L I TA N
 Pink vitamins
“Some research from the Public
Library of Science* has also
shown that bacteria such
and combining ingredients,
the more in control of our
skincare routine we feel, so
SAY WHAT? You will lose
your millennial-pink sh*t

pros rate as bifidobacterium and

lactobacillus can help with
skin rejuvenation – which
we’re more likely to persist,”
explains dermatologist Dr
Anita Sturnham. Nice try…
over this one: astaxanthin
is a pinky-coloured
antioxidant being used

baking is why the pro-b movement

(probiotics) is exploding.
It’s an SOS for areas where
you’ve rinsed the good
more empowered to post a
photo on Instagram looking
like Walter White, maybe.
in beauty supplements
that some say is juicier
than vitamins C and E

soda as bacteria away with the bad.

WHERE CAN I FIND IT?
Zelens, Ren and NIOD
WHERE CAN I FIND IT?
Everywhere, but play it
safe: avoid the skincare
and customise cosmetics –
put together. Found at
the bottom of the ocean,
it’s this bad boy that gives
salmon, crab and shrimp

a pore have gone microflora

mad; Elemis is adding
to its Superfood range in
apps like US-based Finding
Ferdinand make it easy.
that coveted coral colour.

In case you didn’t

unplugger” February; Elizabeth Arden

has expanded its Superstart
line with a sheet mask and
probiotic cleanser and La
Roche-Posay has injected
some bio-goodness into
its cult Effaclar Duo+.
Yabba dabba doo indeed.
Home labbing
SAY WHAT? Bespoke
formulas you mix up
at home are rife, but are
they worth it, or are those
oversized science goggles
blurring your vision?
Customisable
beauty isn’t
complete rubbish. The fact
we can now create a lipstick
Back in Barney that will suit our exact
Rubble’s day, skintone, or slap on a
skin was… well… serum that’s been designed
grubbier. Double cleansing? to suit our DNA is every
WOUND HEALING VIA THE NEUROPEPTIDE HORMONE OXYTOCIN
YOUR2018
BEAUTY FORECAST
These four trends are
new candidates for
your affection…
WING WINKERS
Stretched-out flicks were
uniform across the S/S 18
catwalks (again). For a new
spin, colour in your cat
eyes with pink, lilac or
aqua, like Tom Pecheux
did at Oscar de la Renta.
HOT-HEADED
Henna isn’t hippy now
we’re all half-vegan. The
world’s first 100% natural
colour, which uses hot
water to stain hair with a
chemical-free herbal blend,
is finally on its way, thanks
to the boffs at L’Oréal
Professionnel.
MONK-Y MAGIC
Apparently we’ll be turning
to scents for sanctuary, not
get 2017 (and 14/
15/16)’s memo, antioxidants
are your best weapon in the
fight against free radicals.
And astaxanthin is the new
essential to add to your
supplement stash. It’s being
flagged as a potential
protector against UV as,
according to pharmacist
Dr Shabir Daya, “It can
naturally neutralise
single-oxygen molecules,
which are produced as
a result of sun exposure.”
Read: less chance of
pigmentation and wrinkles.
The rub is that it’s mostly
found in microalgae – not
something you can pick up
in the fruit and veg aisle.
WHERE CAN I FIND IT?
If you’re in the supermarket,
head to the fish counter
and pick anything pink –

sex appeal. And where

*FOUND IN THE ARTICLE MICROBIAL SYMBIONTS ACCELERATE

Pah! A seven-step sheet-
mask system? You’d be
laughed out of the cave.
But think about it: for all
the whizzy advancements,
our skin is more traumatised
than ever. Allergies and
sensitivities abound. And
yet, 30 years back, when
skin was less scrupulously
cleaned, these ailments were
barely mentioned. New
beauty obsessive’s dream.
But serums delivered in test
tubes, apothecary tinctures
and face injection masks?
There’s no need (unless
it’s a vit-C solution – some
degrade if pre-mixed). Just
another marketing ploy,
then? “Studies show that
the more actions we take
to prepare a product, such
as opening the packaging
do you find sanctuary?
Church. Notes of myrrh,
musk and patchouli take
the lead: think incense and
leather-bound Bibles.
PEEL-OFFS
Make-up, not masks, that
is. Following Maybelline’s
Tattoo Brow, which leaves
behind a three-day tint,
Too Faced’s Glitter Pop
Peel-Off Eyeliner is landing
pronto, and there are
whisperings that Wunder2
is working on a version, too.
prawns, wild Pacific salmon,
crab – but you need at least
4mg per day to see results,
which equates to two
salmon fillets or around
10 crabs. Not achievable?
Add a side dish of Gold
Collagen Defence
supplement (£14.95) or, for
vegetarians, Pretty Gorgeous
Skin Astaxanthin Formula
(£15.99) to your meals. ◆

C O S M O P O L I TA N · 27
 INGE HAS
Cosmopolitan’s beauty di
What’s the deal wit
DIY LED?
LED light therapy is basically
therapeutic light wavelengths that
stimulate cell function in the deeper
skin layers, giving you fewer spots
and lines as a result. Big in salons,
it’s now venturing into your home…
Surely at-home gadgets aren’t
powerful enough? You’re right
to think that these are less powerful
than those used in salons. But the
PHOTOGRAPHS SHUTTERSTOCK. GLOPRO AT HARRODS.COM. DR DENNIS GROSS AT SPACENK.CO.UK. JULEP AT QVCUK.COM. OH! K AT DEBENHAMS
benefit is you can use them more
often for the same results.
So is there proof, then?
Yes. A new clinical study shows
that low-level blue and red light
significantly reduce acne bacteria
and inflamed spots respectively.
Try Neutrogena’s neat new LED
spot-zapping pen for the proof.
That’s spots covered, but what
about lines? GloPro is an advanced
microneedling roller shown to stimulate
collagen production; just puncture
skin with it for two minutes a day
(oh stop wincing, it hardly hurts).
The red light it emits as you roll quells
redness and speeds healing, boosting
the age-busting effects of the needling.
T R I P P I N G T H E L I G H T FA N TA S T I C
Neutrogena Light Therapy
Neu
Acne Spot Treatment, £29.99
r INGEBORG VAN LOTRINGEN gets some things off her chest
PERSONAL
SO SHOPPER
S P
OBSESSED
✱ Julep Love Your Bare
Face Detoxifying
Cleansing Stick, £23
Korean cleverness: an
enzyme-rich cleansing balm
in a stick. Easy, gentle, quick.
IMPRESSED
Isn’t red light anti-ageing by itself? ✱ Rimmel Lasting Finish
Independent proof that at-home red 25hr Breathable Medium
light devices soften lines is yet to be Coverage Foundation,
produced. But users swear that the £8.99 Does what it says if
Dr Dennis Gross SpectraLite eye mask, you ignore the silly ‘25hr’
which you wear for three minutes bit. Also gives you a lovely
a day, does so in 10 weeks. The bright gglow and a clever applicator.
pp
sunshiny light will lift your spirits
and you can watch TV or cook dinner
while wearing it – I’m sold.
NON-PLUSSED
✱ Oh K! Gold Dust Peel
Off Mask, £12.50 Contains
selfie-appeal ‘gold powder’,
but won’t say how it’ll give
G
GloPro, Dr De ss SpectraLite skin the ‘glow’ it promises.
£199 EyeCare
C Pro, £175 Try an active serum instead.
C O S M O P O L I TA N · 29

BRUSH
Tmhoins th...
BLITZERS
RCHIVE, PAVEL DORNAK/HEARST STUDIOS
What would it take to make us clean
up our act and wash our brushes more
often? Beauty boffin BECCI VALLIS
ditches the Fairy Liquid to find out
PHOTOGRAPHS CHRISTOPHE KUTNER/TRUNK ARCH
Sigma Spa Express Brush Cleaning
Glove, £24 If Crocs and those silicone
oven gloves from Lakeland had a
lovechild, this would be it. Bobbles,
grooves, nodules, swirls… this has it
all. Just slide your hand into the
glove, squeeze on some liquid
soap and rub your brush
over it. Great at dislodging
gunk, but a bit gimmicky.
EcoTools Makeup Brush
Cleansing Cloths, £3.99
BEAUTY
My beef with face wipes
also applies here. Ding-
LAB
dong for convenience,
but you won’t get
a deep clean. I could
easily have wasted half
the pack on foundation
brushes so I canned
that idea and used
them to clean my
lip brush between
reds, berries
and nudes
instead, and
that did work.
It Cosmetics It’s Your Brush Love, £15
If I hadn’t seen the packaging I’d have
said this was a lightweight face oil.
Citrussy scented, a spritz onto
bristles (I found three to five
pumps worked for most brush
sizes), followed by a quick wipe
on a tissue to dry, is all that’s
needed. No sogginess so
I’m keeping it on my desk
for healthier brush habits.
Walford-Richards Designs
The Best Makeup Brush
Cleanser, £25
Works like a solid balm
cleanser – it’s activated
by warm water – but it
also means brushes take
longer to dry. Top marks
for the veggie ingredients
but you need to swirl until
it foams and I just couldn’t
get the bubbles to brew.
Editor’s pick...
StylPro Make-up Brush Cleaner,
£49.99 It’s a mini launderette! Pour
the cleanser into the goldfish-bowl
basin, attach your brush to the
battery-powered handle and dunk.
Caked-on make-up is whisked away
in 10 seconds. For the finale, hover
your brush above the water and
watch it spin-dry. The joy never gets
old and my brushes are box-fresh.
C O S M O P O L I TA N · 31
 STRETCH YOUR BODY AND YOUR MIND...

PUMPED UP TEA
When it comes to powering
through the working day, it
used to be all about knocking
back a double espresso and
hoping for the best. But
Silicon Valley CEOs have
been searching for something
more: a hot drink that boosts
WORDS CATRIONA INNES. ARTWORK PAUL FUENTES (INSTAGRAM/@PAULFUENTES_DESIGN)

your brain power. First, they

started drinking Bulletproof
(coffee laced with butter and
oil that supercharges the
mind). And now? They’ve
moved on to yerba mate, a
type of tea that contains the
same amount of caffeine as
a cup of Joe, and is chock-full
of B vitamins and zinc – both
proven to sharpen focus
and mental agility. Oh, and
devotees say it wakes you up
without giving you the jitters.
Pick up a box for £3.99 from
Teapigs.co.uk. Billion-pound
app idea? Sadly not included.

C O S M O P O L I TA N · 33
Clients regularly
demand sex day from clients

Gets propositioned
every week
 This scene. On repeat.
But with a different
woman, plucked from a
different class, is how Rich
spends his Tuesdays. And
Thursdays. And Saturdays.
Across the country, his
female counterparts are
doing the same – and if
they’re not, their clients are
wishing that they would.
“Clients hit on me all the
time,” Ashley*, 27, a personal
trainer for a well-known
nationwide gym chain, tells
me. “I meet most of them on
the gym floor, but we train
at theirs and that’s where
it turns into something
else. Recently, a client
It used to be all about rappers disappeared upstairs, then
and rock stars but, as Giselle called my name. I found
Wainwright finds out, it’s the her in the shower with
the bathroom
wellness influencers who door open –
have our attention now… I was happy
to go with it.”
“One time,
“Minutes
a girl from my after class,
class waited
You can do this! C’mon! Push
yourselves!” A handsome young outside the gym
we were at
man, the colour of a digestive for me and
it in her car
biscuit and with a six-pack that glistens offered me a lift
home,” adds spin
under the strobe lighting, bellows at the
instructor Luke*,
room. As the beat kicks in, he suddenly
31. “She told me she lived
breaks into a round of burpees, and the a 45-minute drive away,
20 or so women in his class drop down but loved coming to my
beside him, their topknots jiggling in excited class just to see me. Fast
unison. It’s Tuesday night and this HIIT forward about 20 minutes
workout is his favourite of the week. And and we were at it in her car.”
judging by the fact that this 60 minutes of
cardiac-arrest-inducing aerobics sells out WARMING UP
within 10 minutes, his clients clearly agree. It never used to be like this.
As the hour draws to an end, and Rich* Ten years ago, fitness was
doles out high fives, a petite blonde in forest- something to be done with
the curtains drawn, and
green leggings and a matching cropped
Jillian Michaels’ Shred-It
top holds his gaze that second longer.
DVD on your TV screen.
“Could I get your number… for private Wellness meant ‘Dr’ Gillian
training?” she asks. He whips out his phone. McKeith poking around
That night she texts. The following day, the general public’s toilet
they’re having sex on her living room floor. detritus, or Mr Motivator
doing grapevines in Day-Glo
legwarmers and a bandana.
But today things look very
different. Our fitness idols
are Joe Wicks, a chest-baring
31-year-old who looks like
a cross between Justin
Bieber and the world’s
most beautiful labradoodle,
Kayla Itsines and Jen Selter,
an Instagram star who paps
pictures of her cantilevered
backside in varying degrees
of squat. Can Joe Wicks do
a better forward lunge than
Mr Motivator? Probably
not. But can he look a
whole lot better doing it?
You bet. Will that make
hundreds of thousands
of us more likely to follow
his exercises? Judging by
the fact that the three books
he’s released
in the last 18
months have all
sold more than
any other UK
weight-loss title
since records
began**, the
car”
answer is yes.
The wellness
industry is worth
£2.9 trillion†, and
if sex sells, then on the gym
floor the current crop of
trainers are only too happy
to indulge their client’s
fantasies. Go into any gym
or fitness class today and
the instructors look like
demigods – all tans and
teeth and six-packs that
bulge like a bag of onions.
Gone are the days when you
only knew the name of your
instructor before you turned
up to your aerobics class.
Now, gyms and fitness
studios across the land sell
classes through the person
taking them. You don’t i
C O S M O P O L I TA N · 35

show up to any old HIIT
class. You set your alarm so
you can be the first to bag
a spot at Rich’s HIIT class.
(The Beckhams’ favourite
spin studio, SoulCycle, was
the first fitness studio to set
up with the idea that you
would book classes for the
instructor rather than the
class.) In the world of
fitness, instructors are
celebrities. And where
there are celebrities, there
are invariably groupies.
HOT & BOTHERED
A friend of mine always
turns Happn on whenever
she’s close to a gym, while
another picks her classes
based on what the instructor
looks like. The personal
trainer has become today’s
trophy conquest. I’ve not
gone to those lengths quite
yet, but after a recent break-
up I have been hitting the
gym a lot more often, in
outfits a lot more revealing
than when I was with my ex.
Alex Crockford, 27, has
the freshly shaved face,
chiselled cheekbones and
perfectly styled quiff
reminiscent of a ’90s
boy-band member. His
body, with its honey tan
and tribal tattoo on the left,
sculpted bicep, is one that
I – and his 138k followers –
know well, thanks to a grid
consisting largely of topless
workout pictures. “I get a lot
of messages like, ‘You’re hot
and sexy,’ or, ‘Are you single?’
followed by, ‘Where are
you based?’” he tells me,
admitting that 60% of his
following is female. “I’m
engaged, but I know plenty
of guys who take advantage
of the perks. Being a mini
36 · C O S M O P O L I TA N
Trainers Ciara
Madden and
Ollie Best
celebrity in their own
world? Of course they do.”
One of them is Dan*,
who has 250k followers
and admits that meeting
women is the sole purpose
behind his posts: “I wanted
a cut of the money and
the fame while doing
something I’d be doing
in the gym anyway, but
naturally, it’s helped my love
life. I’ve had relationships
with several high-profile
women, all through them
messaging me directly.”
As for the women he
doesn’t want to date? He’ll
flirt with them, for business.
“If they’re up for more, I’ll
continue, as I know they’ll
keep paying for sessions,
and that’s good for me.”
Ollie Best (pictured) has
had to take a different
approach. The 35-year-old’s Was offered
feed may contain the
standard topless shots, but £20k for sex
he also liberally peppers
it with pictures of his
girlfriend, Charli, after
receiving non-stop, pushy
requests from prospective
clients – both male and
female. “Guys tend to be
exceptionally forward. I’ve I’ve had X-rated shots sent marble (which she is only
(WORN UNDERNEATH SHORTS), ADIDAS. TRAINERS, ADIDAS. CIARA WEARS: TOP, NEW LOOK.
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had messages asking for to me, of women in lingerie too happy to share with her
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training, but then offering or topless. It’s odd, as they’re 44k Instagram followers).
to pay more if I send always so shy in real life.” She tells me she also receives
explicit photos,” he says. It’s not just male trainers ‘hundreds’ of explicit
“Women are brave behind who attract attention. “I’ve photos or propositions per
their keyboards – been offered £20k to spend day: “One guy offered me
I get bombarded the
t night with £100 if I sent him my smelly
on social media. someone,” says socks after a workout. It’s
As part of my London-based constant. It’s why I only
training, I ask
women to send
“Plenty of PT and fitness
influencer
train women now. My feed
is all about booty workouts
before and after guys take Ciara Madden for women, so if a guy
photos, which
is a standard
advantage (pictured), who
has a bottom that
messages me asking to train
him, I know what he’s after.”
industry thing.
of the perks”
p looks as though Clapham-based PT
But some take it’s been crafted Nathalie Ruck, 28, says she’s
it to the extreme. out
o of Carrara also had odd requests, such

as being paid extra to work
out in bare feet, as well as
being hit on regularly.“In
SHUTTERSTOCK. *NAMES HAVE BEEN CHANGED. **ACCORDING TO THE GUARDIAN.
LEGGINGS, GYM SHARK. SHOES, ADIDAS AT SCHUH. ADDITIONAL PHOTOGRAPHS
the first gym I worked at, I
was asked out four times in
the first month,” she recalls.
Barry’s Bootcamp’s most
revered trainer is Louis
Rennocks, 30. Scraping
into the model’s usually
ACCORDING TO GLOBAL WELLNESS INSTITUTE
fully booked classes is
something you should feel
‘very, very lucky’ about,
according to his clientele.
“You have to look a
certain way, be a certain
way in this industry. I’m
sure it doesn’t hurt that
†
Regularly
g y receives
extreme X-rated
photographs
I look after myself,” Louis
tells me. “People want
a photo at the end of the
class, of course. They’re
pretty confident, but I
always stay professional.”
“I go maybe twice a week,”
says Emma, 29.“Louis has
great energy. I know I work
out harder because of him.
He’s so fit, it makes me feel
good that a guy like that
gives me his time.”
COOL IT DOWN
This is a running theme
with every woman I spoke
to for this piece: we’re
obsessed with the personal
interest that these attractive
men take in us. And it’s a
flattery that often comes at
a time when we need it the
most. Because the majority
of us who hire personal
trainers, or begin a new
fitness regime, are looking
for a total reinvention: of
both our bodies and minds.
Myself included. It was
a brutal split that
drove me through
the doors of my
local gym a year
ago. A workout “You know
helped me feel in clients well;
control, at a time
when, outside
it becomes
a class, I wasn’t personal”
personal
eating or sleeping.
While nothing
happened with
my PT, his interest in my
life was intoxicating. But
was it him? Or the natural
high my body experienced
each week? We know that
exercise releases the ‘happy’
hormone dopamine (also
released during orgasms),
but during a workout, your
body also releases oxytocin,
the hormone associated
with falling in love. When
I leave the gym happy, it’s
because I did the work,
but after a class, I pin that
happiness on the instructor.
And, of course, each
instructor has their own
duty of care – most major
gym chains have rules in
place forbidding PTs from
dating or sleeping with
their clients. “I understand
where the attention comes
from,” says Ollie. “It always
starts off professionally, but
as you start to train, you
inevitably know clients
well and it becomes quite a
personal relationship. Now
I have a girlfriend, I can let
clients down gently, but
even if I didn’t, I wouldn’t
date one. You can’t let these
professional relationships
become blurred.”
As I pull on my leggings
in my boutique fitness
studio’s changing rooms,
I think about what it is that
really gets us going about
these
t guys. Has
m own bad
my
break-up
b affected
what I want from
a man? Probably.
Am I actually
going to get that
from a personal
trainer?
t Probably
n It’s their job
not.
to
t make us look
a feel good
and
about ourselves. It’s a
business transaction. And
that’s worth bearing in
mind if flirting during the
session becomes something
more. As with any love
interest, if they’re taking
advantage of a low point in
our lives for a quickie, then
they’re not a good trainer,
or decent human being. It’s
also important to consider
how the PTs feel about the
attention you’re plying
them with, too – for every
Rich who’s flattered, there’s
an Ollie or Ciara who finds
it uncomfortable. But as a
marketing ploy? What we’re
buying into is something
that makes us feel better
about ourselves, and that’s
no bad thing.
But then I catch myself in
the mirror – I’m wearing a
cropped top and brand-new
Lululemon leggings… OK,
maybe it is time to take
a bit of a step back. ◆
C O S M O P O L I TA N · 37
THEINSTA- The fittest bodies on Instagram give
you the
th workouts
k t that
th t built
b ilt the
them i

7.6M K A Y L A I T S I N E S

34K A S T R I D S W A N 66 K N A T A L I E U H L I N G

What she does: Trains LA’s power
players, in
ncluding Olivia Munn,
while modelling her own incredible
body in hher spare time.
USP: Armms that look like they
were carv ved by Michelangelo.
What she does: Only the world’s biggest
Fitstagrammer, who sells out stadiums,
has penned two bestsellers and toned
millions with her Bikini Body guides.
USP: Super-quick circuits that
incinerate fat.
W
What she does: Creator of NUFit,
the workout adored by go d
medallists and world cham
m mpions.
USP: Dance cardio mixed with
U w
ds
sstrength training that build
sstrong, sexy bodies.

C O S M O P O L I TA N · 39
 7
MINS Kayla’s High-Intensity Interval Session A

BEST FOR: Blasting fat

HOW TO DO IT: Set your timer for
seven minutes, and aim to complete the
following circuit as many times as you
can before it goes off. Then, if you’re up
for it, have a quick rest and do another B
seven minutes. Repeat four times
(that’s 28 minutes).

REVERSE LUNGE

1 + KNEE LIFT
Stand with your feet
slightly wider than
shoulder-width apart. Take
a big step back with your
C R OSS M O U N TA I N C L I M B E R
Start in a pla
hands on the
resting on th
ank position with both
e floor beneath you,
he balls of your feet.
Keeping your right ffoot on the floor, bring
left foot, bending both your left knee into your chest, diagonally
legs to around 900. Your towards your right e elbow [A], then return
front knee should be over to the starting position. Keeping your left
your ankle and your back B foot on the floor, bring your right knee into
knee hovering just off your chest, towards your left elbow [B],
the floor [A]. Straighten then return to the sttart. That’s one rep; do
to standing, shifting your a total of 40 reps. Yeep, that’s right – 40.
weight to your right leg
and bringing your left
knee up to your chest [B].
Bring your left leg back
down into a reverse lunge.
Alternate 12 reps per side,
for a total of 24 reps each.
A

A B

SNAP JUMP S I D E-T O - S I D E C R U N C H

2 Start in a standing position, feet

slightly wider than shoulder-width
apart. Bend at the hips and knees
into a crouch and place your hands on
the floor in front of your
yo feet [A]. Kick
both feet backwards to extend your legs
behind you, resting on the balls of your
feet [B]. Jump forward, back towards
your hands, keeping feet shoulder-width
apart. That’s one rep. Do 20 reps in total.
4 Start flat on your back, knees bent
and right foot on the floor. Rest your
left ankle below your right knee.
With your hands behind your ears, slowly
lift your head and shoulders off the floor,
twisting your torso to the right so that your
right elbow touches the floor [A]. Then
twist to the left to bring your right
elbow across your body to your

A
KAYLA left knee, keeping your knee
still [B]. Release your torso

SAYS back to the right; repeat for

12 reps. The fun’s not over
yet: switch legs and do
Feeling unmotivated? Ask yourself
B why. Tired? Hungry? Thirsty? If you 12 on the other side.
break down the ‘why’ and take care
of it, you’ll find yourself pushing
40 · C O S M O P O L I TA N through more often.
 PLANK

4 R OTATO R S
With a dumbbell
in each hand, get
into a high plank. Bend
your right elbow to lift
the dumbbell to your side
[A]. Rotate to side plank,

10 Astrid’s Upper- balancing on your left arm

as you extend your right
MINS
Body Fix [B]. Reverse, then repeat
on the other side. That’s
BEST FOR: Toning arms and shoulders one rep. Wobbly? Start in
HOW TO DO IT: Do eight reps of each a plank with your knees
move, rest, then repeat twice more. bent. In side plank, extend
your front leg only.
only You
You’llll
still be working the abs, but
you won’t fall on your face.
A B

BUFFER ON TOP

1 Stand with your feet wide, left arm

in front of you and right arm by your
side. Holding a dumbbell in each hand
with your palms facing in [A]. Lift your left
arm to shoulder height in front of you and
5
F U L L- B O D Y B U R N
Sit with your legs
hip-width apart,
feet flat on the
your right arm to shoulder height at the side.
so your left arm is to the ground and hands behind
side and your right arm is in front ower. you, fingers pointing in. Lift
Reverse the motion to return to the start your bum so your body is
position. That’s one rep. Easy, n aligned from shoulders to
knees. Bend your elbows to
do a triceps dip. Straighten.
Keeping your hips steady,
lift your left hand and
foot, then set them down
again a few inches back.
Repeat on the opposite
side – that
that’ss one rep.
rep i

SUPERWOMAN SHOULDE TRICEPS TO DIE FOR

Lie face-down on a mat, arms in front
and
of you a d llegs b
behind
h you. Lift your
arms and legs off the mat. Keeping
your arms straight, rotate them out to the
side and then around to the back, clapping
3 Stand with your feet wide and arms at your
sides, holding a dumbbell in each hand with
your palms facing in. In a fluid motion, lift
your arms out and up until they form a ‘Y’ overhead.
Bend your elbows, lowering your wrists behind your
your hands above your bum. Reverse to head; straighten. That’s one rep. Continue bending
return to the start position. That’s one rep. and straightening, and kiss goodbye to those wings.

C O S M O P O L I TA N · 41
 A B

20 Natalie’s All-
MINS
Over Toner
BEST FOR: All-over sculpting
HOW TO DO IT: Repeat the sequence
three times without pausing.

JUMPING
A
3 LUNGES
Start with your
feet together
and your knees slightly
bent [A]. Jump into

INSTAGRAM/@NATALIEUHLING, INSTAGRAM/@ASTRID_SWAN. HAIR AARON LIGHT/CELESTINE AGENCY. MAKE-UP CARISSA FERRERI, TRACEY MATTINGLY. NAILS
a lunge with your right

WORDS DANIELLE KAM, DANIELLE MCNALLY. PHOTOGRAPHS CARLOTTA MOYES, CHELSEA CHORPENNING, PERRY HAGOPIAN, INSTAGRAM/@KAYLA_ITSINES,
leg forward and your

BARBARA WARNER FOR CHANEL LE VERNIS NAIL COLOUR, CELESTINE AGENCY. STYLING MATTHEW PERIDIS. PRODUCTION FIRST SHOT PRODUCTIONS
left leg back, both
forming right angles
B

POP-UP LIFT
[B]. Immediately jump
again, switching your NATALIE
Start in a forearm plank with your
shoulders above your elbows [A].
legs to bring your left
leg forward and your SAYS
Straighten your arms to come up to a right leg back. That’s Using your body weight helps
high plank, and raise your left leg [B]. Lower one rep. Do 15 in total. you focus on form, not props
Fancy making it harder? – and form is the most
your left leg, then raise your right leg. Return
Be sure to drive your
B important part of
to the startt. That’s
That s one rep.
rep Do 15 in total.
total a workout.
weight through your
front heel to work your
glutes. Burns, doesn’t it?
A

B
STA R JAC KS
Begin with your feet together, knees
slightly bent and arms in front of your
chest [A]. Jump up, extending your
arms and legs to your sides [B]. Land in your
start position. That’s one rep. Do 15, singing
cheerleading songs (if you must).
180s start. That’s one rep.
With your feet Keep going for 15 reps.
shoulder-width To keep your bum
apart, squat down engaged, lift your chest
soo that your thighs are and look straight ahead.
almost parallel to the Come on, you got this. ◆
grround (or as close as
yoou can manage). Touch
th
he floor with your left
fin
ngertips [A]. Jump
upp, raising your left arm
above your head and
turning 1800 [B]. Return
to the squat, this time
touching the ground
with your right fingertips.
Jump up, raise your arm,
and turn 1800 back to the A B

42 · C O S M O P O L I TA N
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 SOMETIMES IT’S WHAT’S ON THE OUTSIDE THAT COUNTS
WORDS AMY BANNERMAN. PHOTOGRAPH LEO ACKER

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Mim
mi Bra, £70;
day
y briefs, £35,
Bra, £45; briefs, Stella
£58, Le Petit Trou McCartney
at Yoox.com

Bra, £36;
Bra, £22; briefs, £15, briefs, £23, Heidi
Urban Outfitters Klum Intimates

Bralet, £70;
thong, £20,
Commando

Bra, £8;
briefs, £3,
Primark
Practically perfect
Simple, sleek, comfortable underwear
that we’re also happy to show off in
Bra and briefs,
a communal changing-room: where £44 for the set,
have you been for so long? Calvin Klein
Bra, Underwear
£47.50;
briefs, Psst... Larger chested? Pretty triangle bras
£26.50,
Hanro can still be yours. Mimi Holliday’s have thicker
under-bands and shoulder straps, go up to
a size XL and are 100% gorgeous. Bra, £39;
briefs,
£29, Elle
Macpherson
Body

Bra, £55;
Bra, £65; Bra, £65;
briefs,
briefs, £130, briefs, £29,
£25, Beija
Araks.com Amaella.com
London i

Bra, £38; briefs,

£25, Calvin Klein
Underwear

Bra, £50;
briefs,
£20, Love
Stories

C O S M O P O L I TA N · 53
 Bra, £21; briefs,
£14, Freya
Cami, £95, Bra, £378;
Coco De Mer briefs, £403,
La Perla

Bra, £32;
briefs, £18,
Boux Avenue

Bra, £40;
briefs, £35,
Coco De Mer

Bra, £59;
briefs, £29,
Mimi
Holliday

Secret softie Bra, £38;

briefs, £28,
Passionata

A delicate froth of lace, sweet sorbet

shades, the subtlest embroidery… come
Bra, £60;
briefs, £48,
together in super-feminine styles that are
Wacoal also smoking hot. Deploy wisely

Psst... Silk, broderie anglaise and embroidery

all need special care. Tie up in a pillowcase, Bra, £24;
Bra, £125; briefs, £65, briefs, £12,
put on a cool wool wash with delicates liquid
Stella McCartney Debenhams
detergent and dry flat on a towel.

Bra and
briefs, £5 Bra, £36;
for the set, briefs, £23,
Primark Heidi Klum
Intimates

Bra, £19.99;
briefs, £7.99,
Lindex

Bra, £110;
suspenders,
£93; briefs,
£75, Agent
Provocateur

Camisole, £35,
Ann Summers

54 · C O S M O P O L I TA N
Cardigan, £225, Hansine.
Bra, £135; briefs, £95,
both Fifi Chachnil.
Necklace, £70; rings, from
£35 each, all Pandora

Hair Sven Bayerbach at

Carol Hayes Management,
using Kiehl’s. Make-up
Dani Guinsberg at Carol
Hayes Management,
using Estée Lauder.
Model Sam Romberger
at IMG. Fashion assistant
Maddy Alford X
HEY, 3 PERFECT

HOW
TEAMMATES
White’s an easy neutral, and
if you pick a streamlined style,
these boots will work with
your entire wardrobe. Printed
midi dresses, A-line miniskirts,
cropped jeans and even
touches of sportswear can
all make perfect pairings.

The white booot?

A guide to tam
ming this
season’s greatt white
sartorial challlenge

4 CARRY ON
It’s an outdated style rule
that your bag should match
1 WHY IT WORKS your shoes, but a white
handbag with white boots
White boots are basically black
is a sartorial triumph
boots, but with fashion edge:
(although dark neutrals also
a chic new basic that will pull
work). Structured ‘ladylike’
any outfit together. Seen on
styles that don’t compete
every catwalk, from Balenciaga
with your boots are best.
to Isabel Marant, they add a
startling punctuation point
to a monochrome look, or
freshen up winter prints. And
the best news? They’ll breathe
new life into your spring/
summer wardrobe, too.

2 BEST BOOTS
The key is to keep them
on the short side. White
can add bulk to anything,
so avoid pairs that hit your
calf (the widest part of
your leg), unless your legs
are on the lean side and
you want to create shape,
of course. Platform styles,
while fun, veer into fancy-
dress-shop territory. Block
heels? Almond toe? Sock
boots or pointy-toed kitten-
heeled styles? Spot on.
5 WEAR
AND TEAR
To keep white boots fresh,
wipe them with a dry
microfibre cloth. For worse
stains, wipe with a leather
cleaner, or make your own
– a couple of drops of clear
washing-up liquid, plus a
couple of drops of vinegar
in warm water, applied
with a cloth, will gently
ease unsightly splodges.
Or, better still, keep a Flash
Magic Eraser in your bag at
all times for those moments
when you need it to be all
white on the night.

Kate Foley Osterweis

56 · C O S M O P O L I TA N
 4 PRIM THING
A shock of white injects a fresh,
cool-girl feel to an otherwise demure,
preppy look. Take advantage of the
graphic nature of a white boot, and
pair with stripes and spots. Fishnets
stop an outfit from becoming too
Blair Waldorf (try a finer fishnet for
a more subtle and sophisticated
statement), but if you’re wearing
them with a short dress, just make
sure it’s not skintight.

Tank top, £149, Smartturnout.co.uk.

Shirt, £114; skirt, £114, both Rouje.com.
Bag, £49, Charles & Keith. Tights,
£6, Asos.com. Ring, £69, Thomassabo.
com. Boots, £55, River Island
Aimee Song

4 MOD SQUAD
A nod to mod is fine, but proceed with
caution – miniskirts are of the same
era as white go-go boots, so follow
the shoe style rules to avoid becoming
a Halloween costume. Try the ‘rule of
thirds’ styling trick: the top and bottom
two-thirds of the outfit are white,
sandwiching the middle, contrasting
WORDS AND STYLING MADDY ALFORD. PHOTOGRAPHS REX, GETTY IMAGES, JASON LLOYD-EVANS, PIXELATE, SHUTTERSTOCK

third, which, in this instance, draws your

eye to Diletta’s neat waist and belt.

Top, £34.99, H&M Studio. Skirt,

£29, Cooperative at Urban Outfitters.
Belt, £28, Urban Outfitters. Bag,
£160, Sandqvist. Sunglasses,
Diletta
Bonaiuti
£98, Aceandtate.com.
Boots, £88, Office
PSST...
Legs match your
boots? Break things
up with an inch of
black or bright sock
above the top of the
boot. Toastier, too.

4 STREET CHIC
Relax in your Sunday slouchies,
but avoid looking like a 13-year-old
gamer by elevating your sportswear
with a chic, white kitten-heel boot.
Team striped tracksuit bottoms
with a sporty slogan tee, or try
cropped Crayola-coloured jeans
with your favourite hoodie and
cat-eye sunnies for a model-off-
duty look, just like Bella.

Hoodie, £49, Urban Outfitters.

Jeans, £59, Cheap Monday. Sunglasses,
Bella
£50, Quayaustralia. Bag, £15.99,
Hadid
Mango.co.uk. Boots, £49.99, H&M

C O S M O P O L I TA N · 57
 Dear
To paraphrase Whitney
Houston, we will
always love you. And
spring/summer 18’s
styles are only going
to bring us closer…
Senior Fashion Editor S A I R E Y S T E M P

TOPSHOP S/S 18 MODERN CLASSICS

The rock ’n’ roll mini.
The chic shirt. The
Sherpa jacket. Buy now.
Skirt, £35.99, Mango
Be well-dressed forever

Jeans, £110, Levi’s

Jeans, £125,
Colmillo De Morsa
at Neutrestore
eut esto e ccom
Dress, £275,
7 For All Mankind at
Veryexclusive.co.uk
Skirt, £19.99, New Look

Dungarees, £95, Pepe Jeans

Top
p £139
Top, £139, Esse
s ntiel Antwerp
Essentiel
Skirt, £35, Waven

Jacket, £135,
Whistles
Jacket, £29, F&F

Shirt, £85,
Bag, £205, Marc Jacobs Jeans, £215, Mih Jeans G-Star Raw Jacket, £125, Topshop Shirt, £39, Warehouse

58 · C O S M O P O L I TA N
 Jacket, £70,
Jacket, £100, Wrangler Cheap Monday

Jacket, £420, Frame

Jeans, £45, Weekday Jeans, £128, Free People

Jacket, £250,
Jacket, £215, You People Current/Elliott

Dress, £380,
Ksenia Schnaider
at Stylebop.com

EVERYTHING ’80S
Tie-dye, stonewash and
Jeans, £95, Levi’s Jeans, £49, Mango
n
studs? In. Permission
to watch Flashdance
on loop? Granted
Jeans, £35, V by Very.co.uk
STELLA MCCARTNEY S/S 18

Top, £200, Diesel

Shorts, £45, Levi’s

Jeans, £120, And/Or Shorts, £150, Diesel Jacket, £108, Free People i
at John Lewis
C O S M O P O L I TA N · 59
 Top, £220;
shorts, £200,

TIBI S/S 18
both Alice
McCall

Jacket, £347,
Cotton Citizen

C
COLOURED
Not just for Euro
Euro-toffs
toffs
Jeans, £28, Next
and Christopher Biggins.
Spring’s new coloured
denim is fresh and flirty

Jeans, £140, Shorts, £187, Frame

Jeans, £25,
Replay
Jeans, Amazon
£190, Fashion Find
7 For All Jeans, £35.99,
Mankind Mango

Jacket, £200,
Jeans, £215, Diesel
Mih Jeans

Jeans, £49, Guess

Skirt, £150, Mother

Jeans, £52,
Waven

Jacket, £90, Wrangler Jeans, £230, J Brand Jeans, £129, Whistles Jeans, £28, Jeans, £129,
Dorothy Perkins Swedish Hasbeens
60 · C O S M O P O L I TA N
 Waistcoat, £200, Diesel

Jeans, £95, Levi’s

Jeans, £34.99, H&M Jeans, £190, Agolde

Jeans, £245, J Brand Jeans, £55, Urban Outfitters

Jeans, £34.99, H&M

Jeans, £284, Jacket, £90, Wrangler
Shirt, £45, River Island Frame
Jeans, £138, J Crew

Jeans, £45,
Red Herring
at Debenhams
ALEXANDER WANG S/S 18

Skirt, £38, River Island Jeans, £85, Topshop

Jeans, £199, Sandro

DISTRESSED
PHOTOGRAPHS JASON LLOYD-EVANS

There’s a knack to looking

this undone. Add kitten
Jeans, £59.95, heels to avoid appearing
United Colors too ‘Trust A Trader’
Of Benetton

Shorts, £88, Free People X

Jeans, £186, Mother

C O S M O P O L I TA N · 61
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62 · C O S M O P O L I TA N
 WORK SMARTER, NOT HARDER…

IMPRESS IN LESS
CVs… we hate writing them, and prospective
bosses hate reading them. The proof:
according to a new study*, employers spend
just six seconds scanning our painstakingly
crafted résumés. Want to make them take
real notice? Use size 11 Arial font, focus on
your achievements, and don’t include a photo
– it’s distracting. That’s the advice from
recruitment director Matthew Churchward.**
Explaining that you’re an aura-sensitive Virgo
with Pisces rising is probably also best left out…
WORDS DANIELLA SCOTT. PHOTOGRAPH LOUISA PARRY. *FROM US RECRUITMENT COMPANY THE LADDERS. **AT THE ASORIA GROUP IN LONDON

C O S M O P O L I TA N · 63
Gave that interview
your all, but b
being
ghosted by HR?
Consider these the
six deadly sin
ns to
avoid when you’re
y
next in the hoot seat

64 · C O S M O P O L I TA N
 with work, but give a portal
into what you’re like as a
person. Marathon runner?
You’re tough, with stamina.
Upcycling obsessive? You’re
creative, with imagination.
Never lost a game of
Hungry Hippos? OK, that’s
more tricky, but we can
he butterflies start the YOU READ FROM definitely take some
night before. You’ve done A SCRIPT positives from it.
While it’s tempting to
your research. You’ve memorise information YOU MOANED ABOUT
stalked whoever you’re that you can recite, beware YOUR CURRENT JOB
meeting on every online – no one wants to hire Would you spend a first
a robot. As well as your date whingeing about
platform possible. You’ve professional experience, your ex? Oh, you would?
tried on every conceivable talking about your life OK. This is awkward.
outfit in your wardrobe outside work gives Well, don’t, and then also,
employers a good idea of don’t do the equivalent
(and a lot of inconceivable the type of person they’d when you’re applying
ones too), and rehearsed be hiring. Emma Codd, for jobs. “The last thing
your most winning smile managing partner for you should do during
talent at Deloitte UK, says, a job interview is speak
more times than your “Employers want people negatively about your
mirror feels comfortable from various backgrounds, current employer,” says
with. And here’s what not corporate cutouts, ” Rupa Ganatra, founding
adding that, “Everyone’s life partner of global business
follows: the meeting goes experiences are different; summit Millennial 20/20.
well – you think. But then yours make you “This can paint
– after weeks of anticipated who you are. you in a negative
We want to hire light with the
excitement and hope – people who can prospective
nothing. This is the annual bring a range of “Never speak employer.” All
slog-cum-scrum that is perspectives and
negatively you’ll do is make
experiences to the interviewer
the New Year job market. our firm.” about your wary of how
Want to make sure that you’re NEXT TIME: employer” you’ll be talking
always the one who gets the Think of things about them in
you can shout future if they do
call back? Then it’s probably about that have end up giving
best to avoid this little lot… nothing to do you the job. i

C O S M O P O L I TA N · 65
NEXT TIME: If asked why
you’re leaving your current
job, say something that
shows you’re hungry for
the next challenge. It’s the
difference between “I’ve
been at my job for two
years, and am ready for
more responsibility” and
“I’ve been at my job for two
years, and have nothing left
to accomplish there.”
YOU ANSWERED THAT
QUESTION WRONG
The inevitable “What
are your weaknesses?”
question is there
for a reason –
it’s how the
employer eases
any doubts that
you’re wrong for
the role. But Mel
Barclay, executive
career coach
at Lee Hecht
Harrison Penna,
advises that you
tread carefully.
“Avoid talking about your
weaknesses against the
hiring criteria,” she says.
Translation? You need to
pick something that isn’t
on the job description.
NEXT TIME: Choose a
weakness that is a) relevant
to the job at hand – but not
within the criteria, and b)
fixable. Citing that you’re
not so good at public
speaking, say, but that you
have been working on it
by doing X, Y, and Z shows
honesty, without revealing
any incapabilities.
YOU TRIED TO
BE PERFECT
It’s a very fine line between
being your best self, and
being the biggest arsehole
66 · C O S M O P O L I TA N
in the office who maintains
they’ve never put a foot
wrong at work. “I like it
when people show they’re
not afraid to fail,” says
Gillian Tans, CEO of
Booking.com. “People are
often scared to talk about
failures, but we like to hire
people who aren’t afraid
to test new ideas, even if
they don’t work. I see a
candidate’s willingness
to be open about this
as an indication that they
are willing to push the
boundaries.” You heard her.
NEXT TIME: Be
specific. Instead
of just coming
up with an
“I like it when example of
a time when
people show something went
they’re not wrong, come up
afraid to fail” with five things
you learned
from it. It shows
you’re not afraid
to take risks.
YOU ASKED THEM
SOMETHING SILLY
We all know you can’t
just stay mute during the
“Any questions?” part of the
interview. But don’t balls
it up by asking something
you should already know.
“One of the most annoying
traits is when a candidate
asks too many inane
questions,” says Rachel
Parsonage, MD of beauty
company KMI
Brands. “You
can find out
so much aboutt
a company
through social
media, websites
and industry
events.”
NEXT TIME: Ask a question
that reflects your research.
Read about the company in
the business section of the
newspaper? Ask what’s next
for them. Seen an interesting
post of theirs online? Ask
who does their social
channels and say how much
you enjoy their output.
Asking something that isn’t
“So what’s the canteen
like?” will get you far.
YOU LET YOUR EGO
TAKE OVER
Letting confidence turn
into David-Brent power
play isn’t OK. “Don’t show
off. The interviewer wants
to know your strengths,
but be sure to present these
without boasting,” says Paula
Tinkler, commercial director
at chemicals firm Chemoxy.
NEXT TIME: Don’t just tell
them that you’re brilliant
at something, show proof.
Say, “At my last office,
I was put in charge of X,
and it resulted in Y for
the company.” Basically,
blowing your own trumpet
is fine, but you have to
be able to back it up. ◆
GHOST
BUSTERS
More reasons they’re
not returning your call
COLUMB-NO
You overdid
it on the
pre-interview
stalking. Note to self: if they
haven’t told you about their
recent holiday to Dubai, best
not to ask about it.
MR MOTIVATOR
You got too
excited during
the “Any
WORDS AOIFE STUART-MADGE. ADDITIONAL REPORTING CATRIONA INNES. PHOTOGRAPHS BEN GOLDSTEIN/STUDIO D. ADDITIONAL PHOTOS GETTY IMAGES
questions?” part. YES, it’s
great they have a gym. NO,
they don’t want to do 20
star-jumps with you just now.
JUDGE RUDEY
You accidentally
offended one
of their
family members. “I mean
who calls their kid Barry
these days anyway?”
They did. Apparently.
 Amy Grier Associate Rhian Stephenson
CEO, Psycle London
Editor, Cosmopolitan

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C O S M O P O L I TA N · 67
Do you want to live in the next

WORDS AMY GRIER. PHOTOGRAPHS MARK HARRISON. ILLUSTRATION SHUTTERSTOCK. TERMS AND CONDITIONS APPLY
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68 · C O S M O P O L I TA N

“Keep
your ego
in check”
Chief executive of BAFTA
AMANDA BERRY, 56, oversees up
to 200 events a year. Here’s how
she came to rule the red carpet
³ Park the problem; find a solution
If something goes wrong, it’s easy to get
caught up in looking at why – don’t.
Focus on finding a solution. My first step
is writing a to-do list, including people
I need to inform. A classic BAFTA
example would be in 2002, when the red
carpet began to foam as a result of rain
mixing with a fire-retardant treatment.
I stayed cheery and told all the celebrities,
“At least your designer shoes will be
fireproof!” Panicking in the moment gets
you nowhere, and there will always be
time later to look back at the root of the
problem to prevent it from reoccurring.
³ Don’t expect to walk in at the top
People naively believe they’ll start where
WORDS JENNIFER SAVIN. PHOTOGRAPHS CAMERA PRESS/DEBRA HUFORD BROWN
they’re going to end up – in reality, that
doesn’t happen. Always keep your ego
in check: it’s easy to become arrogant
about who you are because of the role
you do, and I never want to become that
person. Often I play down my career –
partly because that’s all anybody wants
to talk about once they hear I work
at BAFTA, and I’d rather chat about
their lives than mine, but also to keep
a balance. The organisation and role
is bigger than the individual.
³ Just admit you can’t do it all
Recognise your skills, but also accept
that you can’t do everything. Often it’s
what you do outside of your degree or
HER BUSINESS
ESSENTIALS
Mantra: My
former boss,
talent agent
Duncan
Heath, once told me
‘Assumption is the
mother of all f*ck-ups’.
I’ve carried the ideology
with me ever since.
Instagram
account: Kelly
Hoppen. She
uses social
media perfectly. Yes, she
promotes her company,
but she also promotes
causes close to her heart.
Film: Kes
[1969] had
a profound
effect on me.
It’s the story of a young
boy and the kestrel he
adopts. It shows that you
can find inspiration in the
most unexpected places.
SELF
MADE
your current job that will help to land
you an interview for your dream role,
or help you get a foot in the door –
being on the university entertainment
committee helped me far more than my
business and graphics degree [Berry left
her studies to work full-time at Thames
Television press office]. I hire people
who I connect with. Making a personal
connection with someone is far more
important than their qualifications.
³ It’s crucial to take a step back
If your current job isn’t where you want
to be in the long-term, sometimes it’s
necessary to step sideways or backwards
in order to move in a more relevant
direction. Working for BAFTA had been
a dream of mine, and when I was 28 and
working as a theatrical agent, I took a pay
cut to become a TV researcher, as I knew
it’d bring me a step closer. I later took
another [pay cut] when BAFTA hired
me as the director of development and
events – my gut instinct told me that
it was the right direction to go in.
C O S M O P O L I TA N · 69
 CELEBRITY

Jennifer Hudson’s story

is the stuff of a Hollywood
film script: the reality star
whose life has been touched by
tragedy as much as it has by triumph.
Here, she explains why she’s...

Stronger.
Wiser.
Smarter
Words LOTTIE LUMSDEN ★ Photographs BEN WATTS ★ Styling JAMES WORTHINGTON DEMOLET

C O S M O P O L I TA N · 71
 icture this: it’s Sunday evening and Her family lived in South Side,
a rough stretch of Chicago; a place
you’re sitting in the front row of riddled with crime, poverty and street
Hollywood’s Kodak Theatre wearing gangs. The youngest of three children,
she was raised by her single mother,
an Oscar de la Renta gown. Beyoncé Darnell, and grandmother, Julia. Her
Knowles and her father, Mathew, are family ran a funeral home (where

THROUGHOUT), JENNIFER’S OWN. THIS SPREAD: DRESS, MILLY. TOP, TRASH AND VAUDEVILLE. SUNGLASSES, LE SPECS. EARRINGS, DEBORAH
Jennifer sometimes performed to
a few seats along. So, too, are Cate earn money) and their life very much

PAGANI. RINGS, FALLON AND HEARTS ON FIRE BY STEPHEN WEBSTER (RIGHT HAND), YEPREM (LEFT HAND). SHOES GIUSEPPE ZANOTTI
PREVIOUS SPREAD: JACKET, THE BLONDS. TOP, BORDELLE. EARRINGS, MEADOWLARK. RINGS, SPINELLI KILCOLLIN. NECKLACE (WORN
Blanchett and Helen Mirren. On revolved around the local church.
the way in here, thousands of waiting fans and It was here that she discovered
her love of singing, and from the
photographers called your name on the red age of seven knew that would be
carpet. “Jennifer! Over here! Jennifer! Can we what could help her escape.“I was
very sheltered,” explains Jennifer,
get a picture?” And right now, George Clooney is now 36.“I slept with my mum
looking directly at you, clutching a gold envelope. until I was 16 years old. We weren’t
allowed to listen to secular music.
He is saying your name and “I had never even watched the The only way I got to hear it was
beckoning you to come on stage Oscars,” Jennifer tells me when I sit if my neighbours played it.”
with a huge smile plastered across down with her in London in the While Jennifer is certainly not
his face. The audience turns to look middle of November.“Never mind a sheltered teenager any more,
your way. The film’s director, Bill been to the Oscars. All it’s clear that in many
Condon, embraces you. Your I wanted to do on set was ways, she hasn’t really
Dreamgirls co-star, Beyoncé, gets out get my lines right and changed at all. I meet
of her seat to hug and kiss you on keep the people who hired her in a cocktail lounge
the cheek. Because you have won me satisfied. My life was “Make sure of the five-star Corinthia
an Oscar. The third black actress flipped upside down.” that your Hotel for afternoon tea,
ever to be awarded Best Actress In Of course, what makes and instead of ordering
A Supporting Role. Yes, that’s you, Jennifer’s story all
passion is from the menu, the singer
Jennifer Hudson. The girl who once the more remarkable bigger than has brought her own
flipped burgers for a living, is now
a bonafide Hollywood star. You have
is that growing up,
her aspirations to
your fear” flask along containing
a concoction of lemon
made it. Just like you told your first- “be a famous singer” juice and ‘orange citrus’
grade teacher you would, 19 years ago. seemed highly unlikely. tea. The flask reads ‘Boss i

72 · C O S M O P O L I TA N
CELEBRITY
Lady’. “One of my fans got me this,”
she explains, tapping the side with
one of her long, gold acrylic nails.
“It’s my teacup around the world.”
She doesn’t look particularly starry
today, dressed in black skinny jeans,
a grey cardigan and a huge oversized
beanie hat. There isn’t a scrap of
make-up on her face apart from a
berry-coloured lipstick, which she
74 · C O S M O P O L I TA N
clutches in her right hand. And
round her neck she wears a gold
‘Jennifer’ necklace.
She’s currently in London to
film the seventh series of The
Voice UK, on which she is a coach,
alongside Sir Tom Jones, Will.i.am
and Olly Murs. She flew in from
the US two nights ago, and is also
due to perform at an ITV gala this
evening. Back in the US, she has
also been filming The Voice (US).
It was, of course, a reality TV show
that launched Jennifer in 2004 when
she came seventh on the third series
of American Idol (Fantasia Barrino
won). When Jennifer was voted off,
Simon Cowell deemed her out of her
depth. He later apologised when she
was nominated for an Oscar. Go figure.

Before that, she had been earning
SKIRT, BOOHOO.COM. EARRINGS, RUNA. BELT,
a living working in Burger King, and
JACKET, ELIE TAHARI. TOP, MICHAEL STARS.
performing in clubs in Chicago. She
B-LOW THE BELT. RINGS, AS BEFORE
also had a six-month stint working
as a singer on a Disney cruise ship.
But undoubtedly, her career-changing
moment was landing the lead role of
Effie White in 2006 film Dreamgirls,
alongside Beyoncé, Jamie Foxx and
Eddie Murphy. She was offered
the part just a year after being voted
off American Idol. At the time, she
was living between Florida and
Chicago, recording music and
auditioning for various roles.
She had never done a professional
acting job in her life, but her portrayal
of Effie, previously played on
Broadway by Jennifer Holliday, caught
the world’s attention. Especially
her rendition of anthem And I Am
Telling You I’m Not Going, from the
pinnacle scene with Effie’s manager,
played by Jamie Foxx, when their
relationship starts falling apart.
Rolling Stone wrote, “Hudson’s film
debut is a glorious, Oscar-ready cause
for celebration. She can act. She can
nail a laugh with the sassy curl of her
lip. She can break your heart by
letting her eyes show how
she hurts. And she can
sing until the roof comes
off the multiplex.”
Meanwhile, The Guardian “I’m glad that
wrote, “The movie’s big women are
discovery is Jennifer
Hudson as honest,
taking a
uncompromising Effie. stand for
She’s marvellous, yet her
name appears in small,
themselves”
almost illegible print
on the posters.” Her
Oscar was one of countless
awards Jennifer won for this role.
Jennifer laughs, “Jamie Foxx used
to say, ‘The funny thing about this is
that she has no clue what this means
for her life.’ I went from being driven
in my momma’s car to being flown
around the world in private jets.
I had just dreamed of being a singer
and suddenly I was an actress
nominated for an Academy Award.”
She looks at me startled. “Then to
actually win the Oscar… what?”
More film roles followed, as well as
two Grammys (for her debut album,
Jennifer Hudson, and for The Color
Purple’s Broadway album). She also
sang for the Pope when he visited
New York in 2015, and at Barack
Obama’s inauguration in 2013.
CELEBRITY
It hasn’t always been an easy ride,
though. Jennifer admits that there
have been moments in her career
where she has experienced prejudice.
“There have been several situations
where I get on a plane and [the air
steward] assumes that I’m [meant
to be] in the back of the plane,” she
says. “That happens a lot. I’m like,
‘No, my seat is up there [in first
class], thank you.’
“People also assume that my home
belongs to my white driver, Charles.
One time, I was having something
moved into my house and they
wanted to know where to put it.
I said, ‘There.’ [The removal man] just
stood there. When Charles came in,
he asked him, ‘So where would you
like these things?’ Charles said, ‘She
said she wanted it right
there. You’re talking to
the wrong person.’ Stuff
like this happens in your
own home! I defy all
the odds being African
American, living in a
wealthy neighbourhood
and being a working
mom. It’s too many
foreign things in one
person! It’s so ignorant.
Race is just one of them.
I face them all.”
Talk turns to the recent Weinstein
scandal in Hollywood and the
#metoo hashtag. Thankfully, Jennifer
has never experienced anything like
this herself, but is glad that the
conversation has been opened.
“I hate that these things have
happened, but I’m glad that women
are taking a stand for themselves,” says
Jennifer. “They should have the right
to be able to do that. And no one’s
power should be able to take over
someone else’s. That’s not cool.”
Jennifer was also dealt terrible
pain in October 2008, when her
mother, brother Jason, and seven-
year-old nephew Julian were shot
dead by her former brother-in-law,
William Balfour, in Chicago. i
C O S M O P O L I TA N · 75
CELEBRITY

He was later convicted of murdering

them and given three life sentences.
Jennifer has asked that we don’t
speak about it today. But in a 2011
interview with Oprah Winfrey, she
“I don’t care if
said, “There were so many shocks I sing for the
involved in it. Like, who do I grieve
for first? Or, who do I start with?
Pope or the
It’s bits and pieces. It’s too much. local church”
Your emotions are confused.”
Many wondered how Jennifer
would get back on her feet. But
within three months she was back
to work, making her first public
appearance performing at the 2009
Super Bowl. And after that it was
business as usual for Jennifer as
far as her career was concerned.
It’s hardly surprising, given
everything that has happened,
to discover Jennifer has chosen
to stay living in Chicago to be
near her family. “I can go incognito,”
she explains. “I’m a thinker, and
sometimes in this business celebrities
tend to lose it. A lot of that is down
to putting all of your eggs in one
basket. So, if you live in LA, your
whole life is there – your personal
life and your work. Where is your
breathing room? I like to separate the
two. Going home to Chicago keeps
me grounded, sane and balanced. LA
is a bubble. There is another world
outside of that, so it’s intentional.”
She was recently dealt a further
blow when it was announced that
she and her long-term fiancé, the
former WWE wrestler David Otunga,
had split. They got engaged on her
27th birthday after dating for nearly OPPOSITE: DRESS, CHRISTIAN SIRIANO AT FARFETCH.COM.

a year, and have an eight-year-old
son, David, together. She has since
obtained a protective order against
much business sense as talent to
be able to exist. Not everyone gets
that. Fortunately, I do. I’m so grateful
for you and your next thing comes
from your last thing.”
As I am quickly learning, this is very
TOP, ZARA. SUNGLASSES, VOGUE EYEWEAR AT
SUNGLASSHUT.COM. EARRINGS, ROULE & CO

her former partner.
The news breaks just a week after
I meet with Jennifer. And yet, here
she is, business as usual, showing
no signs whatsoever of the turmoil
going on in her private life.
“All I do is my job,” she explains.
“I am a businesswoman. In this
industry you need to have just as
for that, along with having the talent
to be able to do it…
“I don’t care if I sing for the Pope
or the local church, everything is just
as precious. When I’m having my hair
and make-up done for a job, people
joke, ‘She’s really studying her stuff
– who does that?’ But it’s the nature
of this business. Your work speaks
Jennifer. Not only is she a grafter, but
she’s a survivor, too. No matter what
life throws at her, she manages to pick
herself back up, shrug off the blows
and get on with it. And that’s all down
to that little girl back in Chicago
who saw a way out, dreamed big
and made it happen. All by herself. ◆
The Voice UK is on ITV in early January

76 · C O S M O P O L I TA N

Jennifer Hudson 2017-present: Coach, The Voice (US
2016-present: Coach, The Voice UK
S)
“I love the way you guys work over
here. Everyone is far more realistic
HOME
and understanding. In the US, we
consume ourselves with work. I’m
guilty of that myself. Whereas here
you know how to split the difference.”
2017: Grammy Award for Best Musical
Theatre Album, The Color Purple
HAIR KIYAH WRIGHT FOR MUZE AGENCY. MAKE-UP YOLANDA FREDERICK-THOMPSON AT GLAMORRING.COM. NAILS HOLLY WATTS. PRODUCTION BAM PRODUCTIONS
2016: Young Nana (voice), Sing
MY CV
2015: Shug Avery, The Color Purple
on Broadway; Michelle White, Empire
2013: Performed at President Barack
Obama’s inauguration
“I love Barack and Michelle. When they
were in the White House, Michelle
INTERESTS
used to call me up and say, ‘Bring your
baby over.’ I’d be like, ‘Michelle, I can’t
just walk up and ring the doorbell.’”
2011: Winnie, Winnie Mandela
2008: Wins Grammy for debut album
2008: Releases debut studio album,
Jennifer Hudson
“It’s rare to be able to have a music
AWA R DS
or acting career, never mind both.
So, I don’t take them lightly. Music is
involved in everything I do. Even if I’m
playing a character who has nothing
to do with music, all of a sudden
[you’ll find that] the character sings!”
2008: Louise, Sex And The City
REFERENCES
“My scenes were in a train station
with people watching and shouting,
‘Hi, Jennifer!’ I didn’t know how to
concentrate. I was so overwhelmed.”
E D U C AT I O N
Dunbar Vocational High School, Chicago
“I used to have scars on my knees from playing basketball and climbing fences.
I was a bit of a tomboy. And while my sister and brother wanted to wear what was
in fashion, I didn’t care and shopped in Payless. All the kids used to laugh at me.”
CELEBRITY
2007:: Win
Winss Acad
Acade
emy Award for Best
Supporting Actress for Dreamgirls
2006: Effie White, Dreamgirls
2006
“I didn’t know Beyoncé was going
to be in it until we sta
starte
rted
d prod
production.
t
The first time I saw her I was in
Th
T
a cchoreography session stood in
fronnt of a giant mirror. My ro
room
om
used d to b
be wall to wall with
Destinyny’s Child pictures.”
2006: Siggns record deal with
Arista Reccordss
2004: Auditio ions
ons fo
forr American
i Idol
I flew to Atlantta to do it. I had saved
a lot of money ffrom singing on
Disney’s cruise sh hip and had £8,000
in the bank – I tho ought I was rich.
It was the perfect se et-up because
I could afford to be tthere during
auditions, and didn’t h have to work.”
2003: Singer on the Disne ey Wonder
Cruise Ship
“It was terrifying to be awayy from
home. I would cry every day. It was
hard, but you have to make su ure your
passion is bigger than your fearr.”
1999: Server, Burger King
“There was a microphone on the
intercom and I made that my little
stage. I would sing into it when
customers came through. The
manager was a club promoter.
He heard me sing and then started
hiring me to perform at clubs.”
1988: Starts singing in the church choir
“My grandmother was the big church
soloist and I knew that was what
I wanted to do, too. She took me
under her wing and taught me.”
 Bodies
Looking good in a
bikini is easy when
you spend your life
in a gym. But how
do you stay in shape
when you have a
24/7 career? These
women explain… i

The presenter
The junior doctor
of power
The top model

The CEO

C O S M O P O L I TA N · 79
 The TV Holds down five jobs
presenter
AJ Odudu
It’s a good job she’s a pro
on the treadmill, because
cramming everything AJ
does into a day requires
serious speed. First, there’s
the 4Music show she
presents. Then the filming
for her YouTube channel.
As a qualified personal
trainer, if she’s not leading
a class for one of the many
brands she works with,
she’ll be in one, testing out
new fitness trends for her
blog – which she writes
around modelling and
voice-over work. Just like
our average day, then… S I G N AT U R E D I S H
Nigerian Jollof rice
D A I LY
MENU WEEKDAY
8am: Breakfast, at home
I make this at least once a week.
You take regular white rice, but
add tinned tomatoes and spices
– cayenne pepper, chilli powder,
Three large tablespoons
paprika – to the cooking water
of full-fat Greek yoghurt, with
so it goes orange. I add black-
a drizzle of honey and two
eyed peas, too. I serve it with
tablespoons of Dorset Cereals’
an oven-baked chicken breast
Simply Oat Granola, which
that’s been marinated in the same
contains wholegrain oats, rye
spices as the rice and slices of
flakes and sunflower seeds. Cup
plantain, shallow-fried in olive oil.
of tea with milk and one sugar
– I stick to just one caffeinated
drink a day to encourage me
to drink more water.
11am: Snack
Kind Fruit & Nut Bar
– they’re really nutty, so
D A I LY
are full of protein.
1.45pm: Lunch, Itsu
My go-to lunch place.
MENU WEEKEND
10am: Smoothie
3pm: Late lunch
I like making my version
of a one-pot roast dinner to EXERCISE REGIME
I have the chicken teriyaki rice Made with a scoop of share with friends: lamb chops Total hours per week: 4
bowl with brown and red rice, Neat Nutrition Whey Protein with chopped sweet potatoes, My fitness schedule
red pepper, leek and petit pois. in Vanilla and lettuce, spinach, parsnips and some beetroot. varies, because I often
Plus a pot of edamame beans. apple, ginger, carrot and water. I toss everything in olive oil, try out new classes as
3.30pm: Snack 11am: Brunch rosemary and salt in a deep they launch, but I will fit
Slice of watermelon ahead I’ll have a bowl of goat’s baking tray and roast. in one spinning class and
of presenting my live show. yoghurt with buckwheat and 7pm: Light supper two Body Pump classes,
7.30pm: Dinner sunflower sprouts, topped with Goat’s cheese salad which combine cardio with
I marinate a tuna steak a poached egg, avocado and with spinach, rocket, light weight work. Every
in homemade salsa: tomatoes, rose harissa. Coffee (milk, one cucumber and a handful weekend I run 10km.
onions, chilli and soy sauce. sugar); water the rest of the day. of black olives.

80 · C O S M O P O L I TA N

The CEO
Rhian
Stephenson
A former Canadian
national athlete, Rhian
is now the business
brains behind Psycle
London’s fitness studios
– and beneath her
boardroom workwear
there’s a body to rival
Superwoman’s. She gets
up at 5.30am to exercise
before work, and then
spends her day racing
between management
meetings, team training
and viewings for new
Psycle sites in the city. And
if that wasn’t enough, she’s
also a trained nutritionist
and naturopath.
D A I LY
MENU WEEKDAY
8am: Breakfast
AJ WEARS: TOP, ADIDAS. TOP (JUST SEEN), IVY PARK. SKIRT, MONKI. TRAINERS, ADIDAS. EARRINGS, DA-IE JEWELRY.
I’ll make a smoothie
RING, GOLD PHILOSOPHY. RHIAN WEARS: JACKET, REISS. TOP, ASOS.COM. JEANS, MANGO. BOOTS, KURT GEIGER
bowl at home. I blend avocado,
spinach, lemon, blueberry,
banana and almond milk, pour
the mixture into a bowl, then
top with sunflower seeds,
pumpkin seeds, walnuts and
buckwheat. I’ll also have a black
coffee, then two litres of water
throughout the day.
1.30pm: Lunch
I usually eat at my desk,
so I’ll bring a homemade salad.
The night before, I roast big
crescent-shaped slices of
pumpkin (drizzled with melted
coconut oil and sea salt) for 20
to 30 minutes. I’ll have this with
whatever salad greens I have
in the fridge, and add slices
of spring onion, pomegranate
seeds, chopped pecans, and my
tahini dressing: half a cup of
tahini loosened with water,
two tablespoons each of fresh
lemon and orange juice, olive
oil, a minced garlic clove and
salt, blitzed until smooth.
READ
4pm: Power drink D A I LY
Cup of yerba mate (see
our Move section), Argentinian
green tea that boosts energy
MENU WEEKEND
11am: Breakfast
EXERCISE REGIME
Total hours per week: 14
and concentration.
7.30pm: Dinner
I rise later at the weekend
and go for a run. Then I make an
I teach four Psycle classes
each week. I also do two
Pad Thai-inspired
sweet potato noodles.
I use a spiraliser to make
omelette, cooked in coconut oil,
with tomato and avocado.
3pm: Late lunch
barre classes, two yoga
classes and see a personal
trainer once a week. Then I
I have socca – it’s like
the noodles, then cook in do an hour-long run or hike
boiling water for two minutes. a savoury pancake. It’s carby, at weekends. I’m a morning
At the same time, I add half but high in protein and fibre. exerciser, and now I’m CEO
a sliced red pepper and It’s just a cup of chickpea flour my days are intense. By the
a small handful each of whisked with a cup of water, a end of them, I’m exhausted.
beansprouts, sugar-snap glug of olive oil and a teaspoon n
each of cumin and salt. You
peas and pre-cooked prawns.
I drain everything and stir in cook them just like a pancakke.
the dressing – a mixture of I eat mine with hummus,
almond butter, tamari soy watercress and a salmon fillet.
sauce, rice vinegar, sesame 8pm: Dinner
oil, maple syrup and the juice I head to my local
Greek restaurant, Lemonia, for
of a lime. Then I sprinkle
with chilli flakes, chopped grilled fish with puréed bakked
peanuts and edamame beans. aubergines and tabbouleh salad.s
Cramsin14hours
of exercise per week
S I G N AT U R E D I S H
Vegan chocolate pudding
I don’t eat sugar or dairy, so tasty
desserts are hard to find. If I have a
dinner party, I’ll make this – it’s really
easy: in a food processor, blend a large
ripe avocado, four Medjool dates, four
teaspoons of raw cacoa, half a cup of
cashews soaked overnight in almond
milk, plus a pinch of sea salt. i
READ

spaghetti: courgetti mixed 3pm: Snack

The with tomato and basil sauce.

I’m always on the look-out
for recipes that can be
Homemade chocolate
hazelnut protein balls (see
recipe below).
EXERCISE REGIME
Total hours per week: 7

model created in 10 minutes.

D A I LY
MENU WEEKEND
7pm: Dinner
Poached salmon with
an M&S Santini Italian Salad.
I travel a lot for work,
so rely on a yoga and
pilates app. When I’m at

LouiseO’Reilly 11am: Brunch

I always get up early,
I love these salads; you can
put them with any meal really
easily, or I often pack one
home, boxercise classes
are my favourite as I find
time goes by so quickly.
When your Instagram to shoot my blog outfits in to grab as I head out of
bio runs over two lines, the morning light, then meet the door. When you’ve got
you know you’re busy. my friends for brunch. I’ll have allergies you have to be
Model, blogger and oat pancakes, with blueberries, prepared, so I’ll either prep
raspberries and a drizzle in advance, or rely on ready-
plus-size activist Louise of honey on top. made salads like these.
(AKA Style Me Curvy)
travels around the globe
shooting for magazines
and catalogues. By the
end of 2017, she’d taken
130 flights. Her days
can be 15 hours long,
and start with a 5.30am
Does 15-hour days
call-time. Louise normally
tries to fit in a morning
workout and, as she’s
allergic to lots of
different foods (including
wheat, dairy, beef and
eggs), always has gluten-
and dairy-free snacks
hidden in her luggage,
in case there’s nothing
on-set she can eat.
D A I LY
MENU WEEKDAY
6am: Breakfast
It’s always such an early
start on shoot days, so I grab
something light on my way to
the studio, such as a melon and S I G N AT U R E D I S H
grapefruit salad with a coffee.
1pm: Lunch
Hazelnut protein balls
These are so easy to make. It’s
Because there are
a recipe from cookbook The
so many foods I can’t have,
Little Green Spoon from a few
I always bring along my own
years ago. You just pop 150g
gluten-free wrap to shoots,
hazelnuts, 150g dates, one
which I stuff with lettuce,
scoop of vanilla protein and
cherry tomatoes and organic
a tablespoon of cacao powder
chicken strips. I’ll also have
into a blender, roll the mixture
a large bottle of water.
into balls and store in the fridge.
3pm: Snack
I’ll have a vegan
chocolate bar to give myself
a quick burst of energy.
8pm: Dinner
After such a long day,
at home I often whip up veggie

82 · C O S M O P O L I TA N
 The Works round the clock
junior doctor
Dr Hazel
Wallace
As a locum junior doctor,
Hazel does two to three
12-hour shifts a week,
when all she has time for
is a healthy breakfast and
homemade dinner with
plenty of snacks. The rest
of her time is spent on
her Influencer alter-ego,
The Food Medic – recipe
development, writing her
WORDS HANNA WOODSIDE. PHOTOGRAPHS SARAH BROWN. HAIR AND MAKE-UP PATRIZIA LIO AT S MANAGEMENT, USING YSL BEAUTY AND KEVIN MURPHY, AND
JESS BUCKLEY AT S MANAGEMENT, USING BOBBI BROWN. STYLING LILY AUSTIN. LOUISE WEARS: TOP, RIVER ISLAND. JACKET, ASOS.COM. JEANS, RIVER ISLAND.

second book and up to

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two workouts per day.

D A I LY
MENU WEEKDAY S I G N AT U R E D I S H
THANKS TO NEAT NUTRITION. HAZEL’S NEW BOOK, THE FOOD MEDIC: RECIPES AND FITNESS FOR A HEALTHIER, HAPPIER YOU, IS OUT NOW

6am: Breakfast Shakshuka baked eggs

Two eggs scrambled with
milk and turmeric, with toasted
organic rye bread, tomatoes,
mushrooms and kale. Coffee
with milk, and a pint of water.
11am: Snack
Two Kallo dark chocolate
rice cakes – I keep a stash in my
locker at work. Another coffee
with milk. I also drink 750ml
of water throughout the day.
1pm: Lunch
I batch-cook on Sundays
and Wednesdays and portion
it out for lunch over the week.
Today it’s chicken breast with
vegetables. Plus one handful
of carrot batons and a pear.
4pm: Snack
Handful of almonds.
7pm: Dinner
I’ll cook a salmon fillet
with aubergine, lentils and
steamed broccoli. Two squares
of dark chocolate, mint tea.
D A I LY
MENU WEEKEND
8am: Pre-gym snack
Shake made with a vegan
protein powder, almond milk, ice
and blueberries. Bottle of water.
Perfect for a big brunch with
friends or a quick dinner after
a long day. Sauté half an onion
in olive oil, add a chopped red
pepper, sliced courgette and
carton of passata. Season with
paprika, black pepper and salt,
then simmer for 10 minutes.
Crack four eggs on top of the pan
and pop in the oven for another
10 minutes. I sprinkle with chilli
flakes and serve with sourdough.
10am: Breakfast 8pm: Dinner
Once back home, I’ll On Saturday evenings,
make a bowl of protein oats I often head to my favourite EXERCISE REGIME
made with another scoop Vietnamese restaurant, Pho, Total hours per week: 3
of vegan protein, oats and with friends and order the I go to the gym twice a week
almond milk. I top it with Pho Ga – Vietnamese chicken for 45 minutes and focus on
chopped strawberries, noodle soup – with extra bodyweight exercises. I find
peanut butter and honey. mushrooms, and one glass a coffee en route and a good
Mug of coffee with milk. of Pinot Grigio. playlist help if I’m not feeling
1pm: Lunch
Pret’s chicken and
avocado salad, Rainbow Veggie
10pm: Dessert
Back at home, after
dinner, I’ll have two scoops
motivated. On Saturdays,
I do an F45 class (HIIT with
circuit training) or UN1T
Pot with hummus, small Hot of Alpro ice cream with grated Trooper class (competitive
Shot (orange with turmeric and dark chocolate on top, and team-based circuits). ◆
ginger) and a bottle of water. a mug of mint tea.

C O S M O P O L I TA N · 83
4 · COSMO I TA N
IN A SUBURBAN CORNER OF SCOTLAND, A CONTROVERSIAL NEW
CHURCH IS DRAWING YOUNG MEN AND WOMEN TO ITS SERMONS.
BUT AT WHAT PRICE? KATE PASOLA INVESTIGATES ›
CO PO ·

“This is how we party! We define
the party!” I belt, palms in the air.
A girl next to me in ripped jeans
harmonises alongside me. Her
bleached hair turns from blue to
purple to red as the lights above us
flash. Dry ice wraps itself around
me. “Every moment in your
freedom makes me want to dance!”
shouts the lead singer. He sways
back and forth, and I feel as though
he’s singing directly to me. The
nape of my neck tingles, but it’s not
goosebumps. It’s the glare of my
peers, bearing down on me. Because
I know that I am being watched –
and tested. There’s the guy with the
brown beard who keeps craning his
neck to check up on me. And the
girl in a cropped top who’s been
staring at me since the music began.
86 · C O S M O P O L I TA N
This is C7, a highly
contentious church that
holds two services every
Sunday, in a huge, grey
building deep within
a nondescript Glasgow
industrial estate. I’ve been
coming here for the past
month – enough time to
know the lyrics to most of
the songs – yet I’m still very
much new and eyed with
suspicion by the diehard
followers around me. Still,
I’ve enjoyed being here.
As well as the gig-like
atmosphere, we’ll watch
members being baptised
in a hot tub, or we’ll down
The Blood Of Christ (or
cheap cranberry juice,
depending on your
outlook) out of shot glasses.
It’s a very different
experience to the last time
I set foot in a church. I was
raised Roman Catholic but,
like most of my friends,
I stopped dutifully trotting
along with my parents
when I became a teenager.
It was partly because of the
dense doctrines and low-key
sexual shaming, but,
honestly? I was just really
bored. With the onset of
adolescence, a sparkly new
social life came my way.
I had no time to waste
nodding off in sermons.
Across the country,
it seems my
peers felt the
same – religion
has been on
a downward “I WAS MET
trajectory for WITH A
over a decade.
An ageing BARRAGE
population, OF HUGS”
and a
reluctance
by the church
to adapt, has meant that
between 2001 and 2011 the
number of Christians born
in Britain dwindled by 5.3
million.* This has led some
to predict that Christianity
could be a thing of the past
in the UK by 2067. And
nowhere is witnessing the
decline in church-going
more than Scotland.**
And yet it’s here in
Glasgow that C7 is thriving.
It was around March last
year when it suddenly
seemed that everyone was
talking about it, and its
events began to pop up on
my Facebook feed – there
were roller discos, street-
food festivals and open-mic
nights. On Instagram, C7
posted photos of its very
attractive worshippers.
Unlike a lot of my friends,
I’ve remained in Edinburgh,
where I studied and made
the transition from student
to full-time professional.
Large chunks of my social
circle have moved away,
to London or back to
their home towns. Some
are travelling the world.
I missed them, and I
missed the ‘societies’
culture that university
offered me. C7 seemed
similar: a diverse group of
people my age, hanging out
with a common interest.
I made my
first trip one
morning in
May, taking
the hour-long
train journey
from my
home to
Glasgow.
As I entered,
walking past
an in-house
coffee shop and
merchandise stands, I was
met with a barrage of hugs
from strangers. I’d hoped to
just stand at the back and
observe. But this was no
place for passive lurkers.
Inside, the worship band
kicked off with half an
hour of party tracks (think
Taylor Swift meets Take
That), before segueing into
a blissed-out love ballad
(about God, of course),
complete with hypnotic
visuals. Each service is 90
minutes long – interspersing
motivational readings of
passages from the Bible
with live music. There
must have been about 400
enraptured worshippers,
and soon I became one of
them, singing and swaying
in time. It was hard not to
get caught up in the energy.
I was also exceptionally
taken by the people I met
there. There was the guy
with the Cara Delevingne-
esque eyebrows who
welcomed me like a
long-lost friend, as well
as the cool opera-singing
student, who helped
co-ordinate the band.
And then there was lovely
Natalie†, who worked at
Urban Outfitters, and every
time I saw her, was wearing
a different woollen jumper,
with big, highly covetable
jangly earrings.
I could see why C7 had
captured Scotland so
rapidly. It was rebranding
religion, sticking to the
core policies, but adapting
everything else for
millennial minds. The
songs are catchy, they serve
lattes in pink take-out cups,
and the setting is as far i

C O S M O P O L I TA N · 87
away from cold, hard pew
seats as you can get.
But as I began to attend
more regularly, a queasy
feeling started to build
in my gut. I’d be enjoying
singing along when, during
a break between songs
or prayers, the big screen
would light up detailing all
the ways to donate money
to the church: PayPal, direct
debit, bank transfer, by text,
online, cash or cheque.
Around me, iPhone screens
flashed as congregation
members dropped digital
donations into the C7
bank account, and buckets
circulated for our change.
Of course, religious
donations are nothing new.
Back in the day, my parents
would happily dig into
their pockets for the parish
collection – but this was
more than just what you
could spare clanging into
the bottom of a silver pot.
Tithing, a Biblical tradition
that involves donating a
percentage of your monthly
income (historically 10%),
is widely encouraged. And
they’re aware that those form offers five bands smiled and told me, “It’s
attending aren’t rolling in for donation (£1,000 to not a ‘have to’ principle,
cash: the church’s Facebook £20,000+) all to be delivered it’s a ‘get to’ principle” – a
page is studded with within the financial year. “PEOPLE soundbite I now knew off
suggestions for those who Shortly after, senior pastor by heart from the services
need to ‘create finances’ in Jason Cask took his place GO THERE (of which three minutes are
order to donate (teaching, behind the glassy pulpit, BECAUSE spent highlighting ‘giving’).
skipping meals out or all gleaming white teeth, “I don’t even know how
selling belongings). to preach a sermon on the THEY ’RE I got that job, it was such
On my second week, idea of investing in God. BROKEN” a miracle,” she added.
an enthusiastic speaker Chatting to her later, “Every time I give, I’m like,
reminded us that today I discovered that Natalie ‘God, thank you so much!’”
was the deadline for joining didn’t just work in Urban One evening I got chatting
the ‘Kingdom Builders’ Outfitters as a supplement to Siobhan†, who said that
initiative, an ‘opportunity’ to her student loan. She did she’d decided to become a
inviting church-goers to it because 10% of her salary Kingdom Builder and give
‘carry their portion of the went to the church. When £1,000 within the next year.
load’. And that portion was I mentioned that this “God has given me so
a heavy one. The application concerned me, she simply much. He gave me a son,

88 · C O S M O P O L I TA N

he gave me everything. So if
it means that I need to take
PHOTOGRAPHS GETTY IMAGES, SHUTTERSTOCK, SARAH DONLEY. *ACCORDING TO THE
on a few extra shifts at work,
2011 NATIONAL CENSUS. **RESEARCH BY BRIERLEY CONSULTANCY, PUBLISHED IN
or have one coffee instead
of five, I would do that!”
She was also applying for
medical school and trying
to pay off an overdraft.
She said she trusted God
CHURCH STATISTICS. †NAMES HAVE BEEN CHANGED
to help her find a way to pay
the £1,000, plus her student
fees. “Like an investment?”
I asked. “I’m just believing!”
she beamed back.
This gift-based business
model is similar to global
Pentecostal mega-church
the Hillsong Network.
Kendall and Kylie Jenner
and Selena Gomez have all
attended their services. The
organisation has also been
credited with Justin Bieber’s
‘reinvention’ – after pastor
Carl Lentz performed an
emergency baptism on
him in a bathtub five years
ago. The pair were seen
downing shots together
in New Zealand recently.
And it’s a model that
works. Hillsong has a
record label, hosts festivals
and sells out arenas during
its world tours. Branches of
the church, which started
in Australia, have sprung up
in 66 locations around the
world, with four in London.
Like C7, their devotees tend
to be young, attractive and
so zealous that thousands
queue for their services.
The similarities between
the two are no coincidence.
C7’s senior pastors, Jodi
and Jason Cask, were both
involved in the lucrative
church back in Australia
– and C7 is still part of
the network. The songs
we sing are Hillsong hits.
But C7 does have its own
assured stance regarding
donations: “We believe in
the Biblical principle of
giving, which encourages
people to be generous across
all areas of their life – not
just towards the church,”
its spokesperson said. “We
teach people to live within
their means and do not ask,
nor ever expect, people to
give what they don’t have.
We believe generosity, not
just financial, results in a
positive improvement on
people’s wellbeing.”
Still, I couldn’t shake my
concerns about how C7 is
marketed, and who’s really
being targeted. I went along
out of curiosity, my head in
a good place, and with a
great support network to go
home to. But, as time went
on, I realised there was a
sadness, a trauma even, to
many of the people there,
and they needed more than
just a new social scene.
Whenever I got chatting
to someone, they’d often
mention a ‘suffering’ that
they’d experienced before
they ‘found’ the church,
then enthuse how much
these sessions were helping.
Natalie was approached
by a C7 outreach worker
on the street – she’d been
walking around in circles
crying after a terrible day
and was invited along. And
videos of members’ stories
on the Facebook page paint
a similar tale: that this is
a place that saves people.
Ex-member Finlay†
joined after losing a close
friend. He needed some
hope. But nine months later
he left after feeling that the
church had leeched off that
vulnerability. “A lot of
people go there because
they’re broken. But, in that
environment, any support
you saw was false. They’re
telling you that if you’ve
got a difficulty, whatever
you’ve got in your pocket,
you give it and ‘The Father’
is going to give you a
hundred times back. That’s
going to push someone
further into debt.” In
March, he left for good.
The more I spoke to those
drawn into the likes of C7,
the clearer it became that it
offered them steady ground
in tough times – something
to bear in mind considering
the UK’s current landscape:
young British people facing
debt, stunted job prospects
and doubts that they’ll ever
own homes. Depression
and anxiety are on the rise,
as are waiting lists for help.
And C7 offers a shelter
from the storm – it’s a short
walk from Possilpark,
an impoverished area that
once had the lowest life
expectancy in the UK. The
other direction leads to a
cluster of universities full
of new-to-town students.
Admittedly, C7 has its
benefits: a community, food
banks, training. But can
we trust this philanthropy
when it’s accompanied by a
pressure to donate cash as a
means to improve your life?
It only took a month for
C7 to get under my skin –
I was checking their Insta-
feed, singing Hillsong hits
in the shower and feeling
guilty for excess spending.
And that’s how it begins.
These groups are seductive
– especially in uncertain
times. But our hunger for
answers creates room for
exploitation. These churches
might promise brighter days
in return for pound coins,
but if I’ve learned anything,
it’s that blessed futures
don’t come cheap. ◆
BEHIND
THE SCENES
KKate Pasola
“II got
g t a taxi to C7 one day, but
didn’t have cash for the £5 fare.
I gave the driver my number and
said I’d pay later. The service was
about God rewarding those who
give a little; I donated £1. Then
I got a text from the taxi driver:
‘The fare’s on me :)’.”
C O S M O P O L I TA N · 89
NEXT STOP:

WORLD
DOMINA
W

o
bu i
g n
l i
ATION C O S M O P O L I TA N · 91
 ADELA
re was only supposed to be one winner. HUSSAIN
e woman who, after hundreds had 37, L O N D O N
eued and pitched their business ideas Founder of
our panel of experts at the inaugural Style Lyrical,
lf Made Summit, took away the coveted a curated fashion
ize: an office in one of the most connected
subscription box
rkspaces in the UK, Second Home. Give us your
e problem? There were just too many elevator pitch
od, no, great ideas. The solution: award We handpick a
capsule wardrobe
10 female founders the chance to incubate their and deliver it in
businesses for a month, and the overall winner a monthly box for
women who struggle
(see page 95), a six-month residency. Meet the to find the time to
first alumni of the Cosmopolitan Pitch Palace… shop, or who fancy
a style revamp [prices
start from £19.99].
Style Lyrical boxes
also come with cards
Alice Holden & to show you how
Fleurette Mulcahy best to style each of
the eight to 10 items
BOTH 25, LONDON of clothing received.
Co-founders of Attollo Li , ep what you love
beautiful underwear sto ke
in sizes 28D to 34GG
XGIVE US YOUR ELEVATOR PITCH
We make boobs look awesome and foc on women
with a small band and large cup size. W ombine
beautiful design with an uplift that’s un ivalle
XHOW DID YOU FUND THE BUSINESS
We won two competitions – one through Santander’s
University Entrepreneur Awards schem and got
£3,000 together in order to start worki with
a designer and making samples. At the tart we
spread ourselves too thinly, pitching to loads
of different people – we wasted a lot of ner
on those not immersed in the worlds of r ail
fashion. We got our first investors in 201 nd
that allowed us to work on Attollo full-ti
XBEST PIECE OF BUSINESS ADVICE?
Add a personal touch – we handwrite
thank-you letters. And think outside the
box. The majority of investors we pitch
are men, who don’t know what wearing an
ill-fitting bra feels like. We made our firstt
investor wear shoes that were two sizes
too small for him for our entire two-hou
meeting so he could understand the pai

92 · C O S M O P O L I TA N
 and send back what Ella Royer
you don’t, free of 26, LONDON
charge. I used to fly Founder
every week for work
– the only time I of Oiroyer,
could shop was at sandals with
6am in Terminal 5. health benefits
I was desperate for a
better way. I started
XGIVE US YOUR ELEVATOR PITCH
hearing of ‘style box’
After reading about ‘earthing’ (the practice of
companies, which walking barefoot to connect your body to the earth,
ALICE: TOP, REISS. SKIRT, TOPSHOP. FLEURETTE: TOP, NEW LOOK. SKIRT, TOPSHOP. ADELA: TOP AND SKIRT, DANTE 6 AT STYLELYRICAL.COM. ELLA:

were becoming which studies suggest can reduce stress and anxiety),
DRESS, NEW LOOK. SHOES, OIROYER. MARGARET: SHIRT AND TROUSERS, NEW LOOK. CHARLOTTE: JUMPER, NEW LOOK. TROUSERS, TOPSHOP

successful in the I wanted to try it, but it wasn’t practical for city living.
US, and set about So I designed Oiroyer sandals, which contain a copper
conductor to help you feel grounded to the earth.
bringing one to
the UK.
XHOW DID YOU FUND THE BUSINESS?
I’m freelancing at a design agency while developing
my prototype. I’ve not yet pitched to investors.
CHARLOTTE FORDYCE
How did you fund XBEST PIECE OF BUSINESS ADVICE? 25, NORTHAMPTON
the business? Know your numbers; they’re everything. I say
that as a designer who doesn’t have the best grasp
Founder and director of Out Of
We received a
£30,000 start-up
of them, but I’m working on it. The main reason Hours, a 24-hour HR consultancy
people fail is not because their idea isn’t good,
loan through but because they didn’t manage their finances
Fashion Angel, and properly. Organisations like the Prince’s Trust Give us your elevator pitch
I invested £20,000 and Virgin StartUp can help. If you run a small business, you’re likely to
of my own savings, outsource your finances to an accountant
too. I quit my job and legal issues to a lawyer, so why not your
in December 2015
to make a real go MARGARET HR? I help clients with everything from
contracts to maternity leave. The idea came
of it, moved to Bali, MORRISON- about as my dad runs his own company
as lliving is cheaper
theere, and put my
MACLEOD and, I realised, if he were to hire someone,
he wouldn’t know the correct procedures.
hou use on Airbnb to 5 6, O B A N ,
gett funds together. SCOTLAND How did you fund the business?
I allso gained an Founder of The Divine Hag, I started with £0 – because it’s all done over
extra two hours the phone and Skype, I have no overheads
perr day by ditching
organic aromatherapy sprays and can work from home. That’s the beauty
myy commute. of being your own product. The costs
XGIVE US YOUR ELEVATOR PITCH have been smaller things, like buying my
Be st piece of I’m a chartered surveyor, and while visiting business cards and web-domain hosting.
bussiness advice? houses I kept having allergic reactions to the Once I’d secured my first regular client,
plug-in air fresheners in people’s homes. The
s your idea early Divine Hag products are blended to not only
I quit my HR day job and focused on
on. I picked 10 smell good naturally, but help with conditions running Out Of Hours full-time.
women I wanted to such as sleeplessness or nausea, too.
st e and offered a XHOW DID YOU FUND THE BUSINESS? Best piece of business advice?
reallly basic version I saved between £5,000 to £10,000 and joined Make the most of untapped connections
an organisation called Enterprise Nation for £4
of my
m services, so per month. It runs events and has helped me
– you have more than you think. Branding
ould analyse the
I co pitch to huge companies, such as John Lewis. is also really important. I laboured over
resuults. From their XBEST PIECE OF BUSINESS ADVICE? getting the perfect business cards and had
positive feedback, Surround yourself with people who understand them designed by a professional (they
new I was on
I kn what you’re going through and will support you, advised me to pick colours that help
then follow the path that you think is right.
to something. tell my story). Never miss a chance to
make a great first impression. i

C O S M O P O L I TA N · 93
HARRIET
DOUGLAS
21, SOUTHAMPTON
Founder of
MiiLKSHAKE, a
platform for young
female creatives
to share their work
XGIVE US YOUR
ELEVATOR PITCH
It’s a website featuring work
from all areas of the creative
industries, from art and design
to music and film. In the not
too distant future, I’m also
planning to introduce a
MiiLKSHAKE subscription
box that’s full of work from
young, unknown creatives.
XHOW DID YOU FUND
THE BUSINESS?
I’m a third-year university
student with tuition fees
looming over me, so have
f*ck all money. But, equally,
this means I’ve got nothing to
lose and everything to gain. I’m
currently applying for a £2,000
grant from my university.
XBEST PIECE OF
BUSINESS ADVICE?
If you want to be successful,
then you need to take risks,
because either they’ll pay off,
or form your learning curve.
If somethin g ,
then you should go for it.
HARRIET: JUMPER AND TROUSERS, NEW LOOK. CAROLINE: SKIRT, DANTE 6 AT STYLELYRICAL.COM. TAMSIN: DRESS,
Caroline Syson
TOPSHOP. SARA: BLOUSE AND SKIRT, NEW LOOK. VICKY: TOP, DANTE 6 AT STYLELYRICAL.COM. TROUSERS, COS
49, HERTFORDSHIRE
Founder of PocketPA, an all-in-one
app for business owners on the go
XGIVE US YOUR ELEVATOR PITCH X BEST PIECE OF BUSINESS ADVICE?
My daughter, Megan, started working Keep on top of everything day to day
for herself aged 19, and I couldn’t find – don’t leave it till the end of the week
anything that would help her to run or the month. I’ve trained my daughter
her business on the go, so I set out to so that as soon as she gets out her
create an app that would. PocketPA is credit card to spend something on
for anyone who works for themselves, her business, she automatically presses
predominantly in a service-based the app’s ‘add business expense’ option,
industry. It will manage all of your takes a photo of that receipt, and
appointments, billings and accounts. records it there and then. She used
XHOW DID YOU FUND THE BUSINESS? to store up all her receipts – it would
I’m entirely self-funded. I already run a take her half an hour to find them
property company, so am lucky enough all in the first place – and spend ages
to be able to finance everything myself adding each one individually onto
– people have been keen to invest in a spreadsheet. If you process things
the app, but I haven’t wanted to dilute like this as you go along, you can
mine and my team’s equity. avoid that headache.
TAMSIN GORDON
26, LONDON
Founder of Glitzbox, a jewellery
rental subscription service
XGIVE US YOUR ELEVATOR PITCH
The chance to borrow different pieces of jewellery
from up-and-coming designers every month, and
either decide to buy something, or send it all back
and get new things the next month. The classic
box is £39 and contains £300 worth of jewels.
X HOW DID YOU FUND THE BUSINESS?
XHOW
I saved about £4,000 myself, borrowed some money
from my y parents and applied for a small business
loan, tottalling £10,000. I spent this on launching
the webbsite and pop-up events. Previously, I worked
as an acccount manager for Not On The High Street,
but whe en I missed out on a promotion, I took the
plunge and went freelance as a jewellery consultant.
built my website and social-media channels.
Then I b
X BEST PIECE OF BUSINESS ADVICE?
Force yourself out of your comfort zone on
a daily basis. If you don’t push yourself by
going to events (even if you’re intimidated),
testing ideas (even if you aren’t sure they’re
rright) and asking questions (even if you’re
w
worried you’ll sound naive), you’ll stagnate.
Sara Ahmadi Derfus
35, LONDON & NEW YORK
Founder & CEO of Shopest, helping
you discover fashion in real time
Give us your elevator pitch
Shopest is a location-based platform on
which you can search for the coolest pop-ups,
sample sales, individual stores and products
around you in real time. I was working in the
Garment District of New York and needed
to buy a bikini last-minute, but didn’t know
the coolest shops in the area to check out.
As a fashion designer by trade, I also knew
that incredible labels held sample sales,
but barely publicised them. I wanted to
create a better way for people to discover
independent fashion.
How did you fund the business?
My co-founder and I pooled our savings
(most of which came from another business
I founded). We’ve also had around £57,000
invested in us so far.
Best piece of business advice?
Be persistent. If you’re trying to do something
different, people will often try to dissuade
you, especially family, because it’s not a
YOUR BIG
traditional job. As long as you’ve done your
research and understand the market, then
keep going. It helps to have a side income
while you’re getting started, too.
SELF
MADE
WINNER
2017 VICKY SIMMONS
33, LONDON
Founder of Mean Mail, greetings
cards with a deliciously rude streak
AS TOLD TO JENNIFER SAVIN. PHOTOGRAPHS MARK HARRISON. HAIR AND MAKE-UP JENNI DAVIS, CHARLOTTE GASKELL,
X GIVE US YOUR ELEVATOR PITCH
Mean Mail makes greetings cards for those you love and love to hate
– our slogan is ‘beautiful cards, brutal words’. The idea came about
when I was looking for a Valentine’s Day card for my boyfriend, but
everything was too… nice. I wanted to offer something different.
X HOW DID YOU FUND THE BUSINESS?
I saved around £4,500, and went freelance as an art director in order
to save money and work on the business. The reconditioning machine
that prints the cards was the biggest expense (my mum came out
of retirement to print all the cards in a studio in her living room),
and I do everything else from my house, or the office space I won at
Second Home. The vibe there is really conducive to being creative.
X BEST PIECE OF BUSINESS ADVICE? AMI PENFOLD AT LHA REPRESENTS. STYLING KOULLA SERGI
Find your uniqueness, and ensure that everything represents that core
message. All our mail-order deliveries arrive in holographic packaging
and each envelope has our logo on the back, for consistency. ◆
WANT Harbouring dreams of launching a business? Hungry
for career inspiration? Or simply want to mix with
TO SELL the business, beauty, tech, media and fashion elite?
Come to our Self Made Summit in April and sell
your idea at Pitch Palace 2018.
IDEA? Visit Cosmopolitan.com/uk/
selfmadesummit2018
C O S M O P O L I TA N · 95
 Cover
Brains, beauty and a point of view: it’s a
millennial recipe for success that blogger
and fashion entrepreneur Manal Chinutay
has perfected. Here’s exactly how she did it i
WO R D S & S T Y L I N G I n g e b o r g v a n L o t r i n g e n
PHOTOGRAPHS Elisabeth Hoff

96 · C O S M O P O L I TA N
READ
98 · C O S M O P O L I TA N

e’s a lesson in presumption for you:
en I first saw Manal Chinutay’s
stagram feed (220k followers and
unting), I assumed she was a
udi princess. With her vaguely
iddle-Eastern beauty and elegant,
odest gowns, combined with the
xurious hijabs she has become
ous for (more of which later),
e looked the picture of wealth
d immaculate royal breeding.
n fact, 24-year-old Chinutay
Canadian, a qualified nurse,
d the daughter of first-generation
hiopian refugees. She’s also
logger with more than 335k
uTube subscribers, and a fashion
trepreneur with her own line of
jabs. Starting out doing homespun
ake-up tutorials with a camera
r mates gave her for her birthday,
e achieved all of this in just four
ars – and you get the distinct
pression she’s barely started.
ut hers is not just the familiar
ry of the accidental social-media-
r-turned-businesswoman,
teresting simply because it’s the
odel so many hope to base their
reers on. Thanks to impeccably
rtuitous timing, Chinutay is
pitalising on the Kardashian-
and Huda-led vogue for more ‘exotic’
(and less sizeist) beauty, the rise of
modest fashion, and the power of
social media to force open markets
previously under-served in the
West. In a shifting society where
aesthhetics, ethics and behaviour
are under intense reviiew, her
PEAK PEAC
Line the botto om las s with
emerald chub bby pencil a
the top ones wi w a sapphire o e,
and blend ou ut n a cat’s eye shap
pe.
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and exa aggerate the cat flick into a
NYX Jumbo
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Eye Pencil in
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lid Cobalt, £5.50
Twist in A strong, g ometric brow
Emerald, finishes thin off nice
£31
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READ
looks and point of view are
becoming central to her success,
whether she likes it or not.
The short road to success
“Doing my rather inconsistent and
mistake-ridden tutorials was a form
of escapism from homework and
work placements on a dementia
ward,” says Chinutay.“The YouTube
success just sort of happened, but
nursing was what I wanted to do,
which is why I didn’t give up my
studies and become a professional
blogger. I didn’t even know there was
money in blogging until I graduated!”
That discovery, along with moving
to the UK to marry her husband
(they met through the hashtag
#gameofthrones) and the length of
the NHS certification process, seems
to have kicked the nursing career into
the long grass for the time being.“My
career now is blogging because it’s a
job on its own,” she says. No kidding:
I have to stalk her for weeks to get
her to speak on the phone, so busy
is she doing shoots for Lancôme and
videos for Nivea and travelling to far-
flung destinations. Does she feel the
‘Mipster’ (Muslim hipster) movement
and rise of the ‘hijabista’, with Muslim
model Halima Aden as its poster girl,
is responsible for her appeal?
“I think the reason I seemed to
attract a lot of viewers from the start
was that my tutorials were far from
perfect. I was relatable to make-up-
loving girls in general.” On our shoot,
he is in thrall to make-up
sh
arrtist Kenneth Soh,
wattching his every brush
stroke and liner flick, asking
ps and making mental
for tip
notes all the way. Weeks later,
I see heer emulating some of his
work on her Instagram feed. It’s
easy to see how her passion for
make-up and eagerness to share
the thinggs she’s learned would have
th
garnere red heer a legion of followers
from all kinds of backgrounds.
hey sort f created their own i
“They
C O S M O P O L I TA N · 99
READ

community of make-up lovers,” she exact style and quality I wanted, so

says.“So I wouldn’t say it was down there was a gap in the market for
to me wearing a hijab, although making them myself. Of course, my
social media has undeniably played social-media channels, where I’d
a massive role in popularising the do turban tutorials and where all
styles and looks of so-called hijabistas. the comments and questions served
It has certainly exposed people to as market research, were key to
so many cultures and ideas that making it a viable plan, but being
were previously under the radar, an entrepreneur is hard regardless;
or even totally unseen. I’m inspired not a lot of people are equipped
by people who do and don’t dress for it. I do everything myself, from
modestly, who do really cool make-up sourcing materials to my models’
looks or don’t do make-up at all. make-up to dispatching product.
I wouldn’t know their styles and the If you want any chance of
way they do things, I wouldn’t even succeeding, it has to be your baby.”
have access to them, if it wasn’t for Knowing her followers are “a
Instagram. Nor would they have mixture of everyone from everywhere”,
ever known about me. she’s been clever to not box in her
“And, of course, with all these product.“In the same way I may
consumers using social media to buy a regular Zara scarf as a
speak up about the products they headscarf, non-Muslims will wear my
want and need, the market has woken headscarves as shawls or even ponchos
up. Evidently, there are billions of or tops; I love their creativity. And
pounds to be made from foundation then there is a non-Muslim woman
shades, dress sizes and clothing styles who wears them as hijabs, as part
that were previously considered ‘too of her embracing modest fashion.”
niche’. So not only are they finally
being produced [the turnaround The modesty debate
in terms of the choice in make-up Ah, modest fashion. It’s certainly part
shades and, specifically, undertones of the current catwalk collections, as
has been remarkable], they benefit Chinutay says – just look at the maxi
and inspire everyone. It’s helped dresses and oversized jumpers. But is it
make my culture and my style really an option for women who don’t
relevant and fashionable, I’m sure, but identify with the religion to wear the
the fact is, it’s win-win for everyone.” veil? “The hijab represents modesty;
Including her own upmarket hijab anyone who wants to practise a
business, Chinutay & Co, which she modest lifestyle can wear it as far as
started “with my own personal I’m concerned,” she says.“It would be
savings” (she won’t reveal the sum).
“I would’ve done it eventually, but
I didn’t expect to be able to do it so
different if it was worn with a bikini;
that would be misappropriation,
and therefore
“Make-up
soon. I couldn’t find hijabs in the disrespectful. is a passion
W I N G A N D A P R AY E R
Using a dark-cream colour and a liner
Sleek
Mak
k
keup
and a choice
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and up from the middle of the eye crease
and back down to the outer eye corner.
i-Art
Preecious
Liiquid Eye
C
Colour in
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Liquefy a petrol-blue metallic pigment F
Futurism,
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Pigment a small, flat brush, paint your wing and
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Mascara, £11.99

100 · C O S M O P O L I TA N
 “Modesty is often misunderstood.
As a core belief of Islam, it’s not just
about how you dress – it pertains to
mannerisms, ego, the way you hold
yourself and treat people… Western
people get hung up on the veil, but
it’s only one small tenet of living a
modest and respectful life. Men are
subject to modesty requirements as
well; they shouldn’t wear flashy
jewellery, for example, and have to
keep the area from the navel to the
knee modestly covered. It’s a gross
misunderstanding that they’re
exempt.” Does she not feel it gets
in the way of feminism, and women’s
rights to do as they choose? “On the
contrary. It’s liberating. Women are
beautiful and, due to that, sometimes
not taken seriously, dismissed or
even subjected to unwanted sexual
advances. Modest fashion almost
forces society to take women
seriously, allowing them to be seen as
human rather than as sexual objects.”
It’s a contentious subject, of course.
Aside from the argument that it is
male behaviour, not women’s beauty,
that’s at fault when it comes to
uninvited sexual advances, it’ll be
hard for many of us not to question
why on earth women should hide
their light (or their curves, or any
of their attributes) under a bushel
in order to be taken seriously.
Either way, it’s a notion that is
gaining traction: think, for example,
of Angelina Jolie embracing a
make-up-free, modestly dressed
appearance the minute she became
a UN ambassador, or even Victoria
Beckham ditching her WAG attire
(and false boobs) in order to be
taken seriously as a fashion designer
and businesswoman. Social media
is fuelling people’s exposure to
modesty, and the style that comes
with it, more than ever, and that
doesn’t only bring business
opportunities for Chinutay: it
means her own fashion options
are improving as well. “Finding
stylish clothes that fit my i

C O S M O P O L I TA N · 101
 READ

requirements has been a struggle,

but now I can get great high-street
MAKE-UP KENNETH SOH AT FRANK, USING URBAN DECAY. HIJAB STYLIST HUMAIRA WAZA AT HUMAIRAWAZA.COM. NAILS LOUI-MARIE EBANKS, USING YSL. FASHION
ASSISTANT MADDY ALFORD. SHOT AT SPRINGSTUDIOS.COM. FIRST SPREAD: TOP, FOREVER 21. SCARF, AABCOLLECTION.COM. RING, MODEL’S OWN. SECOND SPREAD:
BLOUSE (JUST SEEN), LK BENNETT. SCARF, CHINUTAYCO.COM. EARRINGS, LUCY WILLIAMS X MISSOMA. PREVIOUS SPREAD: DRESS, TOPSHOP. PLAIN SCARVES, BOTH

outfits and be 100% modest.”

All eyes
CHINUTAYCO.COM. STRIPED SCARF, AABCOLLECTION.COM. EARRINGS, PEBBLE LONDON. THIS PAGE: TOP, MES DEMOISELLES. SCARF, CHINUTAYCO.COM

But if modesty is about covering up,

or not accentuating, areas that can
be sexualised, is it not considered
immodest to wear alluring make-up,
such as the dramatic smoky eyes we
think women wearing the veil are so
good at? “There are two things wrong
with that assumption,” Chinutay
corrects me. “Islam should be
practised to the best of one’s ability,
and I follow the modesty aspect in
a way that I believe is right for the
21st century, not the 15th. What
I practise I don’t force on other
people, and Islam says no Muslim
should be judged on their personal
interpretation of the faith. Some
scholars might feel that make-up
is immodest, but it’s a passion and
a choice of mine to sometimes wear
it and that is totally fine within Islam.
“As for being an expert in the art BLUSH STROKES
Blennd a sheer pink cream
of eye make-up: that is nothing eyesshadow on lids and just past
specifically to do with Islam or the creases with a small fluffy
wearing the veil. It’s a cultural thing brussh. With a small blusher brush,
– Arabic and Indian brides wear dustt bright pink blush along the
heavy eyes, but Islam is practised creases, blending out to the
temples and in a half-moon
all over the world, and the women’s towa ards the tops of the cheeks.
make-up differs according to cultural Define the top and bottom lash
preferences, not religious ones. So I’m liness and outer corner with
thrilled to do a dramatic eye-make-up a duusky mauve, and stay
story with you, but don’t ask me for away from liner and
mascara – you’re
definitive tips, as I don’t have any goinng for a
– and I certainly haven’t been p passed soft, ethereal
on any from my mum!” ◆ wate ercolour vibe.

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Blending
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Stick in Blackm
mail, £4.49 C O S M O P O L I TA N · 103
 N O . 2 1
Top, shirt, trousers, shoes,
all from a selection, No.21.
Glasses, £160, Kaleos
Eyehunters. Rings, from
£45 each, Louise Wade

pring is one big mash-up.

Take inspiration from the
runway and stock up on the
new season’s sheerness,
prints and feathers
Photographs M A R C O P A L U M B O
Senior Fashion Editor S A I R E Y S T E M P
 M A X M A R A
Jacket, £945; bodysuit, £225;
trousers, £630, all Max Mara.
Earrings, £35, Dose Of Rose

105
 V E R S U S
V E R S A C E
Dress, £312; choker,
£260, both Versus
Versace. Earrings, £140,
Rachel Entwistle

106
 N I N A R I C C I
Dress, around £3,200; skirt,
around £890; hat, around £225;
shoes, around £440, all Nina Ricci.
Necklace, £170, Louise Wade

107
 V I T O R I A
B E K H A M
Shirt (on top), £675; shirt
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Victoria Beckham. Earrings,
£36, Dose Of Rose

108
 I S A B E L
M A R A
Jacket, £585; bodysuit,
£915, both Isabel
Marant. Earrings, £204,
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109
 A S H L E Y
W I L L I M S
Dress, £810; belt, £195,
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 S U A R E D 2
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K-Way. Dress, £3,155; shoes,
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 N R
I H
Coat, £1,950; hat, £85; earring,
£250, all Alessandra Rich
 E M I L I O
P U C C I
Bodysuit, £750; head towel,
from a selection, both
Emilio Pucci. Earrings,
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Model Ruby C at Premier

Model Management. Hair
Fabio Nogueira at Frank
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Systems. Make-up Dina at
Frank Agency, using MAC
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Design. Fashion assistants
Maddy Alford, Holly
Hampton-Thayers
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 SINGLE? SETT E E GOT YOU COVERED

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C O S M O P O L I TA N · 117
 THE
POLYAMORY
DIARIES
“Last night my wife had
After 10 years and three children together, Jack’s wife wants them both to sleep around.
L
ucy*, my wife, has had sex with
another man for the first time
in our 10 years together. And
I gave her permission. At her
behest, we are taking our first
steps into the world of polyamory
and, while I’m also free to date – and
sleep with – whomever I like, it doesn’t
exactly feel like we’re living in the free-
love paradise of our dreams just yet.
I’m upset at hearing the details
of her first date. When she gets to
the bit about her having sex with
another man for the first time, I feel
heartbroken. It leaves me wondering
if our own sex life is really that
unfulfilling. But Lucy has insisted
that polyamory will strengthen our
118 · C O S M O P O L I TA N
own bond. So now that I’m anxious
to prove this, I focus on having sex
with Lucy again as soon as possible.
The next day, I make my move in
bed… and she brushes me off. She
says she’s ‘had a long day’. I’m upset
but try to remain calm. After all,
we do at least kiss and, rather more
crucially, share a bed for the first time
since our daughter was born two
years ago. (She’s not a great sleeper, so
we took the decision to have separate
bedrooms in the hope that at least
one of us could get some sleep.)
The way we kiss feels real and full of
passion. Maybe she’s right about poly.
For the first time in the three weeks
since she dropped ‘the bombshell’ on
me, I feel hopeful. And feelings
of jealousy at her new boyfriend
seem to pass surprisingly quickly.
The next day is Friday, and I feel
much happier. In my rush to embrace
polyamory – and catch up with Lucy
in the sex stakes – I have lined up a
Tinder date (my second in three days).
It is a disaster. She’s a rich lawyer –
pretty, but also pretty self-centred. Still,
she’s a good conversationalist, and
I have vague hopes of some romance
– until, after dinner, we talk about
relationships. On her Tinder profile,
she said she wasn’t up for anything
serious. For my part, in our Tinder chat,
I mentioned my wife, although didn’t
spell out the polyamorous situation,
 sex. Just not with me”
Our columnist explains what happens when you find yourself in a polyamorous marriage
thinking it was a non-issue in a casual The fallout from the date is pretty By Sunday, the pressure has built
relationship. I was wrong. destructive. I come home in a bad even further. I buy flowers, champagne
She is surprised to find out I’m mood, secretly blaming Lucy for the and cook Lucy’s favourite Chinese
still with my wife, having awful time I’ve had. I feel food. It’s going well, but I’m so wound
assumed we were separated. forced into a horrible dating up inside wanting to make sure
She thinks the whole world I never wanted. Lucy everything is perfect – and that we
“I feel forced
PHOTOGRAPH LOUISA PARRY. *NAME HAS BEEN CHANGED

polyamorous thing sounds is, in turn, annoyed that have sex – that when the time comes,
bizarre. Despite her she’s let me go out on I take a joke she makes about not
commitment-phobic into a dating a ‘hot’ date, and now I seem having sex seriously and the situation
profile, monogamy, for her, world I never grumpy and ungrateful. explodes into a huge argument, with
still seems an important The date did end amicably, screaming, slammed doors, tears and
endgame. At one point,
wanted” but it didn’t lead to the separate rooms. I swallow a minor, but
she even describes Lucy bedroom. All this is starting deliberate, overdose of prescription
as ‘selfish’, then lashes out at to pile on the pressure. It’s sleeping pills. If this is poly, I want out.
her, claiming that the guy Lucy three nights since Lucy had sex with
The Polyamory Diaries continues in the
slept with the other night didn’t someone, and that someone wasn’t me.
next issue. Read the first instalment at
seem to have much respect for her If the idea of polyamory was to bring Cosmopolitan.com/uk/polyamory-diaries
as he rushed to get her into bed. us closer together, it isn’t working.

C O S M O P O L I TA N · 119
A D U LT N O N - F I C T I O N
MY
BEST SEX
EVERWAS…
a quickie with a complete stranger
Nicola’s* wild side was unleashed by an Irish gent, in an Irish gents...
I was in a Dublin pub
celebrating my friend’s 30th
when this incredibly hot guy
walked in. He was model-
handsome – the type of man who
normally wouldn’t give me a second
look. But he kept glancing over and
catching my eye. I made an excuse
to my friends and asked if any of
them wanted a drink, so I could
stand next to him at the bar. The
minute I got there, there was this
weird sexual chemistry between
us, like nothing I’d ever experienced
before – not even with a boyfriend.
Then he leant towards me and
whispered, “Follow me to the gents.”
It was the first thing he’d said to me,
and I found myself wanting to do
exactly that. The whole time I was
walking there, I was thinking, “This
isn’t me, this isn’t me.” I’m not usually
sexually confident at all, but there
was something about him that pulled
me in and made me feel differently.
I found him inside the toilet
cubicle, with his jeans undone –
just waiting for me.
Without saying a word, I locked
the door behind me and kissed him.
As lust overwhelmed me, I lifted up
my skirt and let him inside me.
120 · C O S M O P O L I TA N
It was fast and frantic. I put my
hand over his mouth, to stop anyone
hearing his moans, when someone
knocked on the door. It was over
in minutes – neither of us had
come, but it didn’t matter. It was
dangerous, dirty and spontaneous
– everything I wasn’t.
I was waiting for the inevitable
embarrassed exit but, instead,
he smirked (the sexiest
smirk I’d ever seen), held
my hand and led me
back into the crowded
bar. As partygoers “I had no
shrieked and laughed inhibitions…
around us, he leant
in close and suggested
I didn’t care
we go elsewhere. who saw us”
We walked out in
silence, heading towards
a back alley...
Before I knew it, he had pushed
me up against the wall and was
frantically tugging at my bra. All
my inhibitions had left me, and
as he cupped my bottom, I didn’t
care if anyone was watching.
Minutes later, we collapsed into each
other’s arms and caught our breath.
He then walked us towards Trinity
College, the city’s university, saying
it was a short cut to another bar
he wanted to take me to. I knew
it was a line, but I didn’t care.
Once we were inside the grounds,
I was down on the grass within
seconds. While his tongue explored
my mouth, his hands were on my
breasts. I could feel his hardness
through his jeans, so I reached down
and undid them, while he moved
his hand down inside my
knickers and groaned with
pleasure at my wetness. He
pulled off my pants, but after
a few thrusts, he suddenly
stopped and told me to run.
I looked up to see two
security guards running
towards us, furiously
waving torches. Jumping
PHOTOGRAPHS GETTY IMAGES. *NAME HAS BEEN CHANGED
up, I rearranged my skirt
while he pulled me along.
My heart was racing. It wasn’t until
we reached the exit that I realised
I wasn’t wearing my knickers. As we
both burst out laughing, I pecked
him on the cheek and said goodnight.
The next day, I had the biggest grin
on my face. My mates quizzed me
about my disappearance, but I kept
it a secret – they’d never think I’d do
anything like this in a thousand years.
 WORST DATES EVER Hey, we’ve all been there…

He interrupted me I quickly realised my date

mid-sentence to ask,
“Why don’t you get At the cinema, there were some was the same man who’d stage-
your moustache disruptive kids in the audience. He got dived on me at a gig the month
threaded?” then
proceeded to call me
up, ripped his hoodie off to reveal his before and broken my ankle.
Gandalf for the rest Odeon manager’s uniform and started
of the evening. having a go at them. Everyone stared. He just laughed – no apology –
FAYE, 28 JESSICA, 26 and congratulated himself
on being ‘awesome’.
REKHA, 27

I’m Au and
went on a casual pub I WENT BACK TO HIS PLACE, WHICH HE SHAREDWITH
date with an English FIVE PITBULLS... AND HIS MUM, WHO SHOUTEDUPTHE
guy… who, after After the second gin
only half an hour, STAIRS, “YOU’VE BROUGHT A GIRL BACK? WHATABOUT and tonic he said,
whispered in my ear, THE THREE KIDS YOU’VE ALREADY GOT, PHIL?” CINDY, 25 “Ah, that’s more like it.
AS TOLD TO JENNIFER SAVIN, HARRIET DOUGLAS. PHOTOGRAPHS GETTY IMAGES. SOME NAMES HAVE BEEN CHANGED

“I want to be the first You’re starting to look

Brit inside you.” a bit better now.”
MIKE, 28 SHANNIE, 23

My date tookmetoan open-

ALL THE BUSES IN BRIGHTON ARE mic night for 30 people (so,
hell, basically), and sat eyes My trainee-doctor
NAMED AFTER WELL-KNOWN LOCALS date explained
WHO’VE DIED. MY DATE WAS OBSESSED closed, swaying throughout. he specialised in
WITH SPOTTING THEM ALL AND KEPT He then asked the room, “Is gynaecology. Then
GETTING HIS PHONE OUT TO TAKE anyone else really drunk, or proceeded to ask what
pill I was on and
PHOTOS OF EVERY DOUBLE DECKER just me?” It was just him… whether it suited me.
THAT DROVE PAST. but I slept with him anyway. SIAN, 26
RACHEL, 28 DANNI, 25
✱ Got a dating nightmare to
share? Email worstdatesever
FERAL FACTOR @cosmopolitan.co.uk

HOLD YOUR HORSES CRAZY FROG TOTAL PIG OTTER LOSER

C O S M O P O L I TA N · 121
 d Dan
George an 2014
l in
at Bestiva

“I wish I’d had a pause button”

George Palmer, 25, is a PR manager

Dan and I met through Tinder four years ago. He’d

really undersold himself. His pictures were so old,
but we had great banter so I agreed to a date. I was
pleasantly surprised: he was really hot, and we got
on. Usually with dates I have to convince myself that I’ll like
them better if I give them another chance, but with Dan, it
was easy from the start. We had a lot in common, too; little
things I can’t really chat to other people about, and a lot of
family stuff that I could relate to. After a couple of dates, we
were texting almost every day and seeing each other regularly,
but neither of us wanted to rush into anything, so we weren’t
official for about six months. Dan is liberal and outspoken,
which I loved. I found it really attractive that he stood up
for what he believed in. He challenged me, and I needed
that. We didn’t just sit around watching TV either – we did
stuff together. We even went to a sushi-making class.
After we’d been together for two years, I realised I wasn’t
ready for such a serious relationship, especially as it was
my first one. I wish I’d had a pause button, so I could have
taken a breather to think, but, in the real world, you can’t
do that. I found the break-up really difficult – I still felt
like I loved him, but I knew it was the best thing for us.
I was worried about the date beforehand. It’s quite an
intimate situation, so I thought it might be awkward, but
I was happily surprised by how
well we got on. If anything, it Would you see him again?
was something for us to laugh “We’ve met for a drink since
about. It felt very relaxed and obviously enjoy each
and carefree, and we had fun. other’s company, but the
date confirmed that we were
We’d never been able to be
right to break up. We’re both
that upfront with each other happy with where we are.”
when we were together.

122 · C O S M O P O L I TA N
 Each
month, we
send two
former lovers
on a date to
see w
what
happpens

“He was different to other people”

Dan Greenberg, 25, is a marketing account manager

I knew George and I would get on the minute I saw

his Tinder profile – in one picture he was dressed as
the Jolly Green Giant. We arranged to go for a drink
and things progressed quite quickly. After about

AS TOLD TO DANIELLA SCOTT. PHOTOGRAPHS ANTONIO PETRONZIO. GROOMING JENNI DAVIS AT LHA REPRESENTS. STYLING SAIREY STEMP.
five months of dating, it was clear we were together. He was

GEORGE WEARS T-SHIRT, LEVI’S. JEANS, TOPMAN. SHOES, CLARKS. DAN WEARS SHIRT, CARHARTT. JEANS, CHEAP MONDAY. SHOES, DR
different to other people; I was totally comfortable with him.
I was finishing university and he was starting a new job, so we
were in tricky transition periods, but he was my constant. At
Bestival, about a year after we’d met, I told him I loved him.
We were both happy for some time, but once our lives were
more settled, things changed. We had different expectations
about the relationship and that caused friction. It reached
a tipping point after nearly two years, so we decided to have
a month’s break, but two weeks in we bumped into each
other and ended up going back to mine. We started acting
like we were back together, but soon started arguing again

MARTENS. GEORGE AND DAN DINED AT ETCH IN BRIGHTON (ETCHFOOD.CO.UK)

and he broke it off. It was difficult: our friendship groups
had blended together so we had to untangle our lives. On
a night out about a month later, I heard he was coming,
so I got really drunk to try and cope. As soon as he arrived,
I burst into tears and left. We hadn’t spoken properly since
then – which was about two years ago – until the date. We
avoided talking about our relationship. Although we’ve both
grown up, I can’t picture us being together. We touched on
things that happened while
we were together, but basically Would you see him again?
skirted around the main “I don’t think I’d want to
issues – that was definitely date him again – that ship
the elephant in the room. has sailed. But I would
want to hang out as friends.
4Would you like to be reunited We’ve both moved on
with your first love? Email us at so much since.”
first.love@cosmopolitan.co.uk

C O S M O P O L I TA N · 123
 BECAUSE LIFE’S ALL ABOUT THE 5-9

JOIN THE JET SET

Want in on a secret that the travel elite
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would rather keep quiet? Then listen

closely. We have made the startling
discovery that some private jet
companies let you book discounted
seats on ‘empty leg’ flights. So when
a plane is en route to pick up, or return
from dropping off, ‘the jet set’, it often
flies without passengers – and sites
such as Stratajet and 365 Aviation
let you climb aboard. You could fly
365AVIATION.COM AND WINGLY.IO FOR MORE INFORMATION

to the South of France, champagne

lunch included, for £375. Or be
chauffeured by hobbyist pilots via
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coast for half as much as the train
would cost. No more battling
your economy-class brethren for
the overhead storage – you’re
moving on to higher ground.

C O S M O P O L I TA N · 125
 the
Fed up of trawling comparison
sites looking at identikit last-
minute deals? Try the trend
for surprise trips. Select your
dates, pay and go… to God
knows where. What could
possibly go wrong?

Fashion director
AMY BANNERMAN put her
weekend getaway (and
new relationship) in the
hands of
Mystery
Break and
ended
up in…
PRAGUE
OK, EXACTLY HOW
DOES THIS WORK?
Well, it does what it says
on the tin (literally, you get
sent a tin – OK, a box –
a few days before travelling,
with all your documents in
it). We gave our dates, times,
hotel class (top, obviously),
theme (romantic, of course),
three places we DIDN’T
want to go (we thought
cities we’d been to with
exes might be a slight mood-
killer for one of our first
mini-breaks) and signed up.
BUT HOW DO YOU KNOW
IF YOU NEED TO TAKE
A BIKINI OR THERMALS?
Luckily, on Sundays all
I wear is a bikini and
thermals, so this would’ve
Cue Amy
riding off
into the sunset
been fine… but we were
given a few tantalising clues
like ‘the terrain is uneven’,
‘there are chances of rain’
and ‘you won’t need your
swimmers’, but I still found
packing roulette more
challenging than having
to dress a tetchy celebrity.
AND... HOW WAS THE
BIG SURPRISE?!
Waking up and heading
to an airport with no idea
about our final destination
added another level to my
day-of-travel buzz. I’m glad
we didn’t peek into the box
until the very last minute
(in Joe’s Coffee House,
Stansted Airport, sipping
prosecco at 8am) when
we discovered it was…
PRAGUE! After checking
into Hotel Pod Věží (four-
star, clean, central, hooray),
we followed the sound of
hip-hop and ended up at a
Czech dance-off being held
on a little island in the river.
Dining-wise, as cabbage
dumplings and potatoes
do not tend to go hand-in-
hand with romance, we
feasted on pasta and red
wine at two amazing little
local Italian restaurants: La
Bottega and Pastař.
MYSTERY ASIDE,
WHAT ELSE DID
YOU GET UP TO?
Wouldn’t you like
to know! We found
the city a bit
selfie-stick heavy
so ventured up the
steep streets to the
Žižkov Television
Tower, which has
sculptures of giant
babies crawling
up the side of it
Prague: making
sleet look
picturesque
since 1,300BC
(naturally). There’s a
restaurant at the top with
the best views of the city, but
Boyfriend was a bit hangry,
so we didn’t make it that
far… We did, however,
stumble across a gem of a
thrift shop, Bohemian Retro
Vintage (in Praha 3). We
also sniffed out the biggest
flea market in Europe on
the outskirts of the city
(it’s only there on Saturdays
and Sundays). Boyfriend
bought himself a camel
saddle (what else?), and
me some amazing vintage
’80s Dior-esque shoes.
ARE YOU CONVERTED
TO SURPRISE TRAVEL?
Putting your holiday plans
in the hands of a stranger
is scary. It would be great as
a gift for a non-control-freak
because half the fun was all
the guessing in the run-up. i
Two nights, based on two
people sharing a double
room, including flights
and hotel (departing on a
Friday), from £224.50 per
person; Mysterybreak.co.uk
C O S M O P O L I TA N · 127

Senior designer HARRY
WINFIELD went on a
mates’
break with
Srprs.me
and ended
up in…
MALAGA
OK, EXACTLY HOW
DOES THIS WORK?
The website lets you choose
a theme: city break or
backpacking (up to 49 days.
So tempting). Then we
selected dates, listed a few
places we weren’t interested
in visiting and Srprs.me
sorted a three-day trip.
Job done. You get your
own page on the site with
a countdown clock, and you
can invite friends to see
where you’re off to (after
you find out yourself).
BUT HOW DO YOU KNOW
IF YOU NEED TO TAKE
A BIKINI OR THERMALS?
Assuming you mean trunks
(I don’t have the heavage
for a bikini), we received
a weblink with a weather
forecast and hints about
the kind of landscape we’d
be dropped into, but to
be honest, it didn’t really
matter – my approach to
packing is chaotic at the
best of times. I’m always
relieved to find I’ve put in
a matching pair of shoes.
AND... HOW WAS
THE BIG SURPRISE?!
I have a confession: I
cheated. A couple of days
before we were due to fly,
a scratch card arrived in the
post with a code revealing
128 · C O S M O P O L I TA N
Do not climb this
flagpole unless asked
by Malagan officials
Bonus: pretend
you’re actually
in King’s Landing
our mystery destination
online and I couldn’t resist.
But it was great – mainly
because my mate misheard
and thought I said Malia
(in Crete) rather than
Malaga (in Spain). We
rocked up to our assigned
four-star hotel – Room
Mate Valeria – and found…
a double bed Gibralfaro castle hike – be
for two. Cosy. advised, Converse are not
After that, it ideal footwear for this. On
was straight day two we hit Playa de la
to the rooftop Malagueta beach, where
bar (Dutch we soaked up the sun until
courage for hunger struck and we
the inevitable wandered into Chiringuito
fight later on Tropicana for lunch. Pricey,
about exactly yes, but the food (paella,
who would tuna carpaccio, monkfish,
be big spoon). you get the idea), and
Finally, we location – right on the sand
mopped up – are worth shelling out for.
Estrellas with ARE YOU CONVERTED
the best tapas TO SURPRISE TRAVEL?
I’ve ever eaten I liked the spontaneous
at Pepa y Pepe exploring and relief of not
in town. having to sort anything
MYSTERY ASIDE, WHAT before you go. I’d definitely
ELSE DID YOU GET UP TO? do it again. Just maybe with
Shopping. Despite there twin beds next time…
being hundreds of shops in
this flashy corner of Spain,
we both ended up buying
the same jacket, so a rota A three-day city break for
two people flying from
has since been drawn up Stansted Airport and staying
to decide who gets to wear in a mystery hotel, from
it. We also tackled the £100 per person; Srprs.me

Features intern DANIELLA
SCOTT took a gamble on
a mystery
overnight
stay in the
UK with
Wowcher
EAST GRINSTEAD
OK, EXACTLY HOW
DOES THIS WORK?
A few days before, I was
emailed information about
how to get there and they
either forgot to tell me not
to open the attachment or
assumed I wouldn’t. I did.
“East Grinstead?” I asked my
colleague. “I think it’s next
to Croydon,” she replied,
instantly crushing my
dreams of a Scottish castle.
BUT HOW DO YOU KNOW
IF YOU NEED TO TAKE
A BIKINI OR THERMALS?
I’d selected a single-night
trip, so knew it wouldn’t be
far. Plus, I’d been told there
was a spa, so I decided I’d
need swimwear, but could
PHOTOGRAPHS SERGE GUERAND/BLAUBLUT-EDITION/AUGUST, GETTY IMAGES, MARC MILLAR
leave the factor 50 at home.
AND... HOW WAS
THE BIG SURPRISE?!
To understand East
Grinstead, all you need to
know is: there’s a funeral
director on the high street
a few doors down from a
shop that sells air rifles, and
it’s the only place this side
of 1965 selling packets of
full-size Parma Violets.
Still, the Alexander House
Hotel And Utopia Spa was
a mini-break DREAM: beds
bigger than my flat, a spa,
two restaurants, champagne
bar and a personal concierge
service. Real five-star stuff.
MYSTERY ASIDE, WHAT
ELSE DID YOU GET UP TO?
I went straight to the hotel
to stew in the outdoor
The East Grinstead
version of
getting steamy
jacuzzi. Sufficiently pruney,
I went for dinner in the
Reflections Restaurant, and
consumed all the gnocchi
and prosecco in sight.
Meanwhile, my personal
concierge ran me a bath, so
I could reprune post-dinner.
ARE YOU CONVERTED
TO SURPRISE TRAVEL?
If you’d asked me in the
first hour, I’d have said no.
But the next day, after an
autumnal stroll through
the posh grounds and
a languorous breakfast,
I realised I was really very
relaxed. And that I wouldn’t
have known how calming
it was outside my comfort
zone had I not been sent
there unwittingly. ◆
A one-night mystery
break in the UK, from £99;
Wowcher.co.uk
Asking a stranger
to watch your pawn
may cause offence
UNKNOWN
ADD-ONS
Five more ways to
give your holiday the
“Huh? Amazing!”
treatment
SURPRISE
DINING
Control freaks,
look away. Each
of Michelin-
starred chef Tom Kitchin's
seven-course tasting menus
at The Kitchin (Thekitchin.
com) in Scotland remains
a surprise until the dishes
land in front of you. *Crosses
fingers for a cheese board*
RANDOM
ACTIVITY
Mirumplan
(Mirumplan.
com) may sound
like a contraceptive, but
actually organises surprise
activities in Spain tailor-
made for you. Crucially they
tell you what to pack, so
you don’t end up zip-lining
in a ballgown. (Again.)
STRANGER
THINGS
The MissTravel
(Misstravel.com)
app helps you
set up dates while you’re
globe-trotting, so you could
end up with a much bigger
surprise than expected in
your hotel room.
UNEXPECTED
SPARE
ROOMS
Surprise Suite
(Airbnb.co.uk) in
Bali runs five-star villas and
hotels around Ubud and,
if you don’t mind risking it,
often has cheap last-minute
rooms up for grabs (think
£27 a night, not £270).
You have to be prepared
to potentially move rooms
every night, so pack light.
C O S M O P O L I TA N · 129
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in the past year.”
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