Through January, it can feel as though there’s no escape from the onslaught of ads that promote weight loss and dieting. All too often the messaging in adverts for dieting trends and techniques tells us that we should either be eating better (at best) or less (at worst), all in the name of becoming thinner. Counselling Directory member and eating disorder specialist Julie de Rohan tells Metro.co.uk: ‘These adverts remind us relentlessly how we fail to measure up to their ideal, and tell us we

We all need people, particularly when we’re going through a rough patch in our lives. And, whether it’s a friend, family member or romantic partner, very often turning to those closest to us can have a positive effect on our mental state.

Working from home is becoming a nightmare for some people. Having become the norm all the way back in March 2020 (was that really almost a year ago now?), working from home has turned rooms that were previously sanctuaries like kitchens and bedrooms into makeshift office spaces. While the loss of the super-early morning wake up and commute could be seen as a positive thing, for some the bad is definitely starting to outweigh the good. Unfortunately, working in our pyjamas is no longer quite such a novelty

If you’re thinking of joining the hundreds of thousands worldwide who have pledged to go vegan this January, then there are some things you’ll need to bear in mind.

It’s the first Monday in January, which means that many who work the 9-to-5 grind will be back at their laptops for the first time since before Christmas. In other words, the holiday period is officially over, and it’s time to return to normality – or as normal as things can be given current coronavirus restrictions.

The weather outside is frightful – and that can really wreak havoc on our lips. While dry patches and cracking can occur in any season, the cold weather at this gloomy time of the year can cause more severe or consistent problems, particularly with more delicate skin.

January is already well underway, and that can only mean one thing: New Year’s resolutions. While some people focus on work-based goals or spending time with friends and family, for many, the aims they set will have something to do with health and fitness. With running having been such a big deal during lockdown, it’s only natural that plenty of people would use this time as an opportunity to get started themselves, or simply to up the ante with their weekly jogs.

2021 is already looking up, with a new naked calendar from a group of tree surgeons on sale ready for the new year. For the calendar, workmen from Marvan’s Tree and Landscape Services, based in Ramsey, Essex, stripped down to their undies (at most), and posed provocatively amongst the bay trees and power tools they have on site. Not quite a calendar full of lumberjacks, this grinning group of lads are all about male empowerment.

We can all agree that lockdown is tough. For those with poorly understood mental health conditions, it can be even harder. Visual artist Luisa Freitas knows this better than most, as she struggles with a condition called trichotillomania. According to the NHS, trichotillomania (or trich, for short) is a condition in which sufferers feel ‘an intense urge to pull their hair out, and they experience growing tension until they do’. It is not an impulse that sufferers can easily control, and there is no cure.

We are firmly in the grips of the UK’s second coronavirus lockdown, and it’s safe to say we’re starting to get a bit bored. The newest set of restrictions have shut down our social lives as well as non-essential businesses like gyms. As a result, there is less to keep us occupied during these colder autumn months. That doesn’t mean you can’t exercise or get a serotonin boost when you need it, though. In fact, one of the most effective ways you can keep yourself going (both physically and mentally) is really easy: it's walking.

Restaurants, bars and other non-essential businesses have been closed for almost three weeks now thanks to lockdown two, and we’re starting to miss some of life’s little luxuries. Let’s face it, there are few things more enjoyable in life than an evening out to our favourite restaurants. But, while we’re all stuck at home again, there’s no chance of getting back to them until December rolls around. Not to worry, though, because there are plenty of fantastic restaurants offering meal kits that deliver across the UK.

Being locked down for a second time is tough, and it turns out that a majority of us are feeling the effects. During the first lockdown, research undertaken by the Office for National Statistics showed just how much loneliness had come to impact all of our lives. The numbers were quite staggering, with five percent of adults in the UK saying that ‘they felt lonely “often” or “always”’. Unsurprisingly, though, it is single people who have been feeling the effects more than most. In fact, in ne

If you’ve been anywhere near the internet this week, you’ll likely have seen pictures from Harry Styles’ latest photoshoot. As the first ever solo male cover star for Vogue US, Harry Styles has really made a splash. Decked out in a Gucci ballgown and a tuxedo jacket for the cover shot, and kilts, skirts and jewellery in other photos from the shoot, Styles blurred the boundaries between masculine and feminine fashion with his gender neutral dressing.

Healthcare workers put their lives at risk out on the frontline of the coronavirus crisis – but some are left out of the conversation. The rapid spread of Covid-19 launched the world into a long-running public health crisis. The UK’s NHS staff have rightly been praised as heroes for their tireless work in treating patients suffering from the virus, at a risk to their own health and safety. However, while healthcare agency workers make up huge numbers of the staff you see in just about any hospital, their contribution to the NHS goes largely unacknowledged.

The Covid-19 pandemic is causing disruption in all areas of our lives – including our sleep. Now that lockdown 2.0 is well under way and working from home is likely to be with us for quite some time, it’s safe to say we’re all feeling a little stressed. According to the experts, this is causing sleep problems for people all over the world and particularly in the UK, which was found to be one of the six most sleep deprived countries.

The myths that a workout should last an hour to be productive has been dispelled by the popularity of HIIT training – a type of workout that proves short periods of exercise can yield cardiovascular and muscular endurance results. These sessions might be more around the half an hour mark, but it turns out that you could save even more time on your training, as a new study by the Massachusetts General Hospital found that health benefits can come from just 12-minute bursts of intense exercise.

While exercise has undoubtedly been a saving grace for getting us out of lockdown ruts, that doesn’t mean to say that doing the same old workout routines hasn’t been getting old. Whether you’ve been running the same routes or you’ve reached a plateau with your strength training, it’s time to start mixing things up.

The festive season is officially winding down, and we’re already a good few days into the first month of 2021. Unfortunately, while the cold, dark month of January isn’t a particularly popular one at the best of times, with the ongoing coronavirus crisis it looks as though this year’s is going to be that bit more difficult to get through. But there are things we can do to keep ourselves going, including looking to new fitness challenges to help ensure our minds and bodies stay active.

While you shouldn’t feel any pressure to set stringent goals coming into the new year, it can be a good thing to look to new fitness challenges to help you pick your exercise momentum back up at the end of the festive period. And what better way to push yourself than by working on a staple exercise like the plank, which activates the muscles in your core, lower body and upper body all at once. The many muscles planking activates means it is super versatile, making it a great exercise to use in

Now that the new year has rolled around, you might be in the market for some new strength training exercises that will engage and challenge you. So what better than a dynamic movement that targets both the lower body and core? Introducing: leg raises, a fantastic exercise that can easily be worked into an existing training regime or done as a standalone exercise.

There are few things better than a good night’s sleep. Unfortunately, though, far too few of us in the UK regularly get to experience that blissful feeling that comes with being totally well rested.

Ah, caffeine. That seemingly vital life force that helps to wake us up in the morning and keeps us alert through even the most stressful days of working from home. If you’re a caffeine-drinker, whether you take it in the form of a frothy cappuccino or a comforting mug of tea, chances are you can’t imagine going a day without it. But does one of these brews have more caffeine in than the other? And, for that matter, should we really be drinking all that much of the stuff anyway?

For those under new tier four restrictions who have once again had to wave goodbye to their gyms, or for the people who just don’t have time to get out for a longer strength training session during the Christmas period, bodyweight exercises can help you stay on top of your fitness.

Plenty of people have had their normal workout routines disrupted this year, with gyms having been forced to close for months at a time. The usual holy trinity of working out the legs, arms and core during different sessions throughout the week had to be adapted, and at-home workouts became the norm for a while.

2020 is the year we all realised just how multifunctional our homes can be. Acting as everything from our offices to our gyms and everything in between, this year our living spaces doubled up as a place to keep our minds and bodies busy while the world outside ground to a halt.

Clearly, then, we just aren’t getting the necessary amount of sleep to support our busy lives and stressful days. Poor “sleep hygiene”, which basically just refers to our sleeping routine and environment, could be to blame, says Lisa Artis, deputy CEO of The Sleep Charity. But if your sleep hygiene isn’t up to scratch, then winding down in good time before you head to bed could be exactly what you need to sort your sleep out.

The festive season comes with all sorts of perks. Whether it’s Christmas jumpers, favourite holiday films or delicious food, there is plenty to look forward to when the most wonderful time of the year rolls around. A lot of us tend to enjoy a tipple during Christmas, too, with free-flowing cocktails and warming mulled wine likely to accompany our family catch-ups and Zoom office parties. But as much as we might enjoy having a drink or two to celebrate the season, they all too often come with a downside: hangovers.

Have you ever tuned into an old favourite TV show after a few years and been shocked by just how insensitive or even downright offensive their handling of topics such as sexuality, gender and race are? Sex And The City superfans Juno Dawson and Dylan B Jones have, and in their funny and insightful podcast, So I Got To Thinking, they get together to take a closer look at the multi-award winning, New York-based comedy-drama.

If you’re feeling a little stumped as to which new Christmas special to flick on, BBC Two has just the thing you need. Packed out with more famous faces than you can shake a stick at, their all new version of Cinderella is sure to keep you entertained and in the Christmas spirit.

“This series explores how fashion has been developed over millennia by social movements and culture,” says Clara, with the hopes that, “maybe, you will look at your outfits differently after listening and know the history behind each piece”

Even though we all know that keeping the coronavirus under control is absolutely vital, for this and other reasons, it turns out that many people found it harder to follow the rules during the second lockdown.

December is here which means that it’s officially time for our favourite indulgent treats, and a 31-year-old London-based cook has created the ultimate decadent winter warmer. Ilhan M. A.’s foodie Instagram account has an impressive 35k followers and her YouTube channel gets millions of views and features a mouthwatering selection of her delicious, simple-to-recreate recipes (think creamy prawn pasta and cauliflower mac and cheese).

Let’s face it: this hasn’t been a normal year. Between the social distancing and stay-at-home orders that were introduced to stem the tide of the coronavirus, much of 2020 has been spent at home and away from family, friends and partners. This, then, has been a year spent mostly indoors with the people we live with. For many office workers, this has meant adapting to a new working from home routine, in which daily meetings, co-worker camaraderie and technology meltdowns are all happening from their makeshift at-home offices.

The first advent calendar doors have been eagerly ripped open, and people are already starting to make their way through their lists of favourite holiday films. In other words, Christmas is well and truly getting underway. But, with all the good of Christmas comes the inevitable stresses, like the loss of motivation to exercise, the Christmas party anxiety, and, of course, the worries around what presents to buy for your nearest and dearest.

Star of Oscar winning movie Juno and hit Netflix show The Umbrella Academy Elliot Page has come out as transgender, with an emotional statement posted to his Twitter and Instagram accounts on the evening of Tuesday 1 December. Opening with a greeting to his millions of followers, he goes on to say that: “I want to share with you that I am trans, my pronouns are he/they and my name is Elliot.” He continues by saying that “I feel lucky to be writing this. To be here. To have arrived at this place in my life.”

Mine is a painfully common story in the community: from the refusal of family to believe that their child or sibling is transgender to the lack of affirmation in day-to-day life to the rise of tension in what could otherwise be a place of refuge for a young trans person, and the mental health issues that tend to follow. Imagine how hard it must be to face such a situation during lockdown.

The arguments in Rowling’s essay are sinister. They paint transgender women as a threat, and depict transgender men as confused, naïve victims of a harmful ideology. And within all of this calmly delivered misinformation and fear-mongering, there is the central thread that many trans men should be dissuaded from transitioning. Some of the reasons she gives are all too familiar to me.

In honour of Stylist’s Restival, this week’s Elsewhere is taking a look at how people sleep across the world; looking at research, traditions and cultural practices. Curl up and take a world tour of snoozing.

When you’re busy, finding time to keep top of your strength and fitness can sometimes feel impossible. But there are plenty of ways to strength train without having to get to a gym, and which come with plenty of their own benefits – no weights required. Every week we ask three trainers from Stylist Strong some of the most-asked questions surrounding weight training and fitness. This week they’re giving us their expert advice on how best to strength train without weights.

Having sensitive hands is a nightmare. Especially in winter, no amount of glove-wearing can make up for the fact that cold weather and indoor heating wreaks havoc on my skin. Inevitably, this makes it all the more likely that my hands will react badly to the products I use. Hand-washing in particular is a pain, especially if – like me – you struggle with contact dermatitis when the temperature drops. This poses a problem, because we wash our hands multiple times throughout the day. If I don’t use hand soap that is right for my skin, then that’s multiple opportunities for my hands to have a nasty reaction. Even the most neutral soaps can start to irritate after a while. To solve this problem once and for all, I’ve tested some of the best hand soaps made specifically for sensitive skin – and found a new favourite! If you struggle with skin sensitivity, dryness or winter rash, then these soaps might just revolutionise your winter.

Studies have shown that using your lunch breaks to get out and about can have a positive impact on everything from your concentration and creativity to your overall enjoyment of the work you’re doing. This is because walking is associated with a whole host of positive effects on both physical and mental health. One of the most apparent benefits is that making time to go for a walk is a great way to squeeze some regular exercise into your daily routine. Just 10 minutes of walking per day can reduce health risks and help improve your basic fitness, which is good for both your body and overall sense of wellbeing.

Rebecca Long-Bailey, one of the frontrunners in the Labour leadership race, voiced her unequivocal support for transgender women in a recent interview with Laura Kuenssberg. Without hesitation, Long-Bailey responded to the question “do you believe that trans women are women?” with a firm, decisive “yes”.

In the preview for an upcoming interview with Gayle King, everyone’s favourite singing, dancing, flute-playing artist got real about bereavement and mental health. The interview is part of a series running in the lead-up to this year’s Grammy Awards. Despite this being Lizzo’s first year earning any nominations for the prestigious music awards, she has been nominated a staggering eight times – more than any other artist in this year’s line-up. We didn’t really expect anything less from the woman whose music came to define 2019.

Social media is a part of everyday life these days. While it definitely does have its benefits – like increased opportunity for social interaction and a free space for self-expression – there are also plenty of downsides. Evidence suggests that the constant pressures of social media have contributed to a rise in mental health issues among young people, with 38% of 11 to 25-year-olds saying that social media has had a negative impact on the way they see themselves. The reasons why social media has such damaging potential is still relatively unknown and under-researched. So far, the only objective data available is focused on the amount of time young people spend on social media.

Aaron Philip looks like the future of fashion. During her recent runway debut for Willie Norris Workshop, she made her way down the catwalk in a killer bob with the words “queer capital” emblazoned on the jumper draped across the back of her wheelchair. The crowd were ecstatic, applauding and calling out “legend” as the rising star achieved her goal of becoming a runway model. The young model is a trailblazer who is determined to make a name for herself, and to prove that there is space to be made for other black, transgender and disabled models in the fashion industry.

Running can put your body through a lot, and conventional wisdom is now saying that you need to keep your joints strong if you want to perform at your peak and avoid injury. But knowing what balance to strike between running and strength training can be tricky. Every week we ask three trainers from Stylist Strong some of the most-asked questions surrounding weight training and fitness. This week we asked them why exactly runners need to strength train, and they gave us their expertise on which exercises are best to do and how often you should be doing them, to help you beat your personal best.

After 11 years of making videos on her NikkieTutorials YouTube channel, Dutch beauty vlogger Nikkie de Jager did something inspiring. On Monday, she announced to her 12 million subscribers that she is a transgender woman. While the love she’s received is not only heart-warming but also an encouraging sign that society is edging towards acceptance, the reason she had to make the video is not okay. Towards the end of her 17-minute-long video, she speaks out about the fact that while she has always wanted to share her story, the decision on when she would come out was taken away from her.

Australia has been devastated by ongoing bushfires.Here’s how you can help

What are powerlifting and weightlifting and how do I do them? Stylist Strong trainers answer the most googled health and fitness questions. It’s 2020 and the words on everyone’s lips are weightlifting and powerlifting. But what’s the difference between the two? Every week we ask three trainers from Stylist Strong some of the most-asked questions surrounding weight training and fitness. This time they’ve got all the info on what powerlifting and weightlifting, the difference between the two and how we can all start lifting.

Bushfires have been raging across Australia since September and show no sign of stopping. In the last weeks of December, stoked by drought and record temperatures of well over 40°C, the fires reached new levels of destruction. This has caused the country’s worst peacetime crisis in history, with almost 2,000 homeslost to the flames and a billion animals affected. The fires have also released more than two-thirds of the country’s annual carbon emissions in the three months they’ve been burning, raising fears about worsening climate change in this already hard-hit area. So far, at least 25 people have been killed and countless more displaced. In response to the disaster, celebrities from across industries have been raising awareness and giving money to crucial services. Here’s some of the biggest celebs who’vedonated, and how you can too.

As if NBC’s upcoming reboot of Saved By The Bell wasn’t exciting enough, the recent announcement of the show’s lead character has got us positively buzzing. Transgender actor Josie Totah will be playing the role of Lexi, the queen bee of Bayside High. As a “beautiful, sharp-tongued cheerleader and the most popular girl at Bayside High”, Totah’s character is set to be a landmark character for transgender representation.

Veganuary has come around again, and lunchtime favourites like Greggs, KFC, Wagamama and Leon have all risen to the occasion. Being vegan isn’t always the easiest thing when eating out. If you don’t have time to meal prep or just fancy grabbing a bite on the go, choices have generally been limited. But veganism has skyrocketed over the past few years, with about 600,000 of the British population now estimated to be vegan according to the Vegan Society. Our favourite food spots have had no choice but to keep up.

A couple of weeks ago, I didn’t have much of an idea of what “Joint Enterprise” actually was. I didn’t realise that it is a law, which states that if a person is considered to be involved or linked with someone who has committed murder, then that person can be “prosecuted and punished as if he were a principal offender” (CPS). And I had no idea of its huge significance, or its impact on so many people across the country. My cousin, who is studying Psychology and Criminology at the University of

Prima, December '19.

The Global Climate Strike that took place last Friday was a historic event, with inspiring young people, climate activists and celebrities alike all taking to the streets to demand action on climate change. And, notably, it was often outspoken women who were leading the charge.

Based upon Jane Austen’s manuscript of the same name, Sanditon was started in January 1817 under the original title of The Brothers. Unfortunately, though, the story was left unfinished in the months before her untimely death. Because the snippet left by Austen was only 11 chapters long, the story will likely be unexpected for those familiar with the literary giant’s completed works. Which means that, basically, this will be Jane Austen, but not as we know it. But we’ll soon be introduced to a completely

Margot Robbie is killing it. Thanks to her Oscar-nominated turn in I, Tonya and her breakout performance in The Wolf of Wall Street, the Australian actress and producer has cemented herself as a silver screen regular and a critics’ favourite.

rom speaking out about the abortion ban in Alabama to putting Piers Morgan in his place when he attacked her for opening up about her post traumatic stress disorder, Lady Gaga has never been afraid to speak up. And now a video has been unearthed that shows that the award-winning singer and actor has been confidently calling out bad behaviour for more than a decade.

Caster Semenya is a double Olympic champion, and she’s a three-time world 800m champion for South Africa. But her stellar running career has been overshadowed by a fight over whether or not she should be allowed to compete.

Britain is being thrust from grey, drizzly days and thrown into the sunlight, with the majority of the UK being hit by a heatwave that is predicted to see us through the rest of the week. During the day, this might mean air-conditioned offices, chic lightweight trousers, keeping hydrated and (hopefully) some after-work drinks at the nearest bar with a terrace. But once the sun sets and the scorching days turn into close, humid nights, it can be a lot harder to see the brighter side of the current high temperatures.

From the SS19 UNCENSORED issue of Lippy Magazine.

From the AW18 ALIEN issue of Lippy Magazine.

The first Monday in May has come and gone, and with it one of the most eagerly anticipated and widely watched fashion events of the year: the Met Gala, which fundraises for the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute and celebrates its upcoming exhibition. This year the theme of the exhibition and, by extension, of the Met Gala itself, was Camp: Notes on Fashion. And the flamboyance of the occasion was well-reflected in the looks that celebrities donned as they ascended the Met stairs.

Having to use the bathroom is the most basic and universal of human functions, with the ability to do so in private being widely considered a fundamental tenet of human dignity. But, more often than I find comfortable, I hear people professing disgust at acts of public urination; for many, though, it might be the only way for them to relieve themselves as and when they need to.

November 20th is the annual Transgender Day of Remembrance, and this year alone we remember the 369 trans people who were murdered in the most despicable of ways. Something crucial to note, though, is that we do not mourn only because of the devastating losses to our community, or because of the level of threat that many trans people still face on a daily basis, although those are certainly poignant enough reasons. Rather, we gather as a community, to mourn and to remember, in large part because the rest of the world refuses to.

Last weekend I attended the Manchester leg of the RuPaul’s Drag Race queens’ “Heels of Hell” tour. It was a fabulous evening, full of spectacular performances, banter with the audience, buzzing with that special energy that can only be found in a room full of likeminded people, meeting in appreciation of something they love.

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Announcement page for Lippy Magazine's Creative section, started and run by me.