Finally microbeads are banned from beauty products in the UK

January 9, 2018, 3:08 am

≫ Next: Breakups can cause acne, stomach aches, chest pain and physical heart problems

≪ Previous: M&S starts selling ‘modest’ clothing for women and people aren’t happy about it

$

0

0

Rejoice, skincare lovers. Finally, finally, microbeads are officially banned from all beauty products in the UK.

As of today, Tuesday 9 January 2018, microbeads cannot be used in cosmetic products in the UK. From July, products containing microbeads will no longer be allowed to be sold or manufactured in the UK.

That means all those exfoliating face scrubs and toothpastes containing tiny bits of plastic won’t be available to pick up in the UK.

This is brilliant news for a few reasons.

First off, microbeads are terrible for the environment, with each little plastic bead getting washed into the ocean after use, harming wildlife, clogging up our water, and… Read the full story

---

Breakups can cause acne, stomach aches, chest pain and physical heart problems

January 9, 2018, 3:16 am

≫ Next: Meet the woman trying to help you reclaim your time – and money – from f***boys

≪ Previous: Finally microbeads are banned from beauty products in the UK

$

0

0

Breaking up with people sucks.

There you are, reduced to a weepy red mess with your future plans in tatters and a phone full of pictures that you now need to either delete or keep and risk falling apart every time you open your pics app.

But it turns out that breaking up comes with even more risks than simply feeling low for a while.

We already know that ‘broken heart syndrome’ exists. According to Mayo Clinic, its symptoms include chest pains, shortness of breath and enlarging of the heart.

And curtailing romantic attachments can also have other detrimental physical effects.

Researchers at Wake Forest University have published a study… Read the full story

Meet the woman trying to help you reclaim your time – and money – from f***boys

January 9, 2018, 3:25 am

≫ Next: Keep fit and drink lots of rum: Running a Barbados marathon is the perfect way to see the Caribbean

≪ Previous: Breakups can cause acne, stomach aches, chest pain and physical heart problems

$

0

0

Perhaps the worst part of dating someone who turns out to be a deadbeat is the wasted time.

All those days spent trying to get to know them, only to find out they were a full-time playa.

If you were to add up all the time and money spent with people who really weren’t worth it, you’d probably be owed thousands.

That’s why artist Julia Arrendondo of Vice Versa Press has created the f***boy compensation invoice, so you can get what you rightfully deserve.

Read the full story

Keep fit and drink lots of rum: Running a Barbados marathon is the perfect way to see the Caribbean

January 9, 2018, 4:00 am

≫ Next: Spirit healer smears her menstrual blood on her face to take down the stigma around periods

≪ Previous: Meet the woman trying to help you reclaim your time – and money – from f***boys

$

0

0

The Barbados Marathon has a tagline of ‘Come for the run, stay for the fun’. It’s fitting, but there is so much more it could include.

You should also stay for the rum, the incredible beaches, the warm waters, the laid back vibes and the incredible food. You should stay forever, if you can.

White Christmas and New Year – why Finnish Lapland should be your next break

Barbados is perhaps not the first destination one thinks of when it comes to the gruelling 26 miles and 385 yards that make up a marathon.

Cities such as New York, Boston and London more readily spring to mind.

However, the long distance race on this small Caribbean island recently celebrated its 35th anniversary.

Not only does the marathon work on Barbados, but judging by the most recent event, it’s thriving.

Annually, the first weekend of December sees Barbados host… Read the full story

Spirit healer smears her menstrual blood on her face to take down the stigma around periods

January 9, 2018, 5:34 am

≫ Next: Meet the Naked Farmer encouraging other young farmers to get their kits off

≪ Previous: Keep fit and drink lots of rum: Running a Barbados marathon is the perfect way to see the Caribbean

$

0

0

There’s still a lot of shame around periods.

While some of us are tackling the lingering stigma around the very normal, natural process of menstruation by fighting for free tampons for students or refusing to hide our period products up our sleeve on the way to the loo, one woman has chosen to fight the power by smearing her period blood all over her face.

Yazmina Jade is a self-proclaimed blood witch and spirit healer who’s dedicated to ‘reclaiming the… Read the full story

Meet the Naked Farmer encouraging other young farmers to get their kits off

January 9, 2018, 5:48 am

≫ Next: Woman with ileostomy bag becomes world champion fitness model and face of USN

≪ Previous: Spirit healer smears her menstrual blood on her face to take down the stigma around periods

$

0

0

If you’ve ever met a young farmer, you’ll know that they have way more fun than the rest of us.

Sure, they work incredibly hard but boy can those guys party.

And that kind of ‘f*ck it’ attitude extends to their philanthropy work.

Ben Brooksby is a 24-year-old farmer from Victoria, Australia who’s managed to cajole a load of pals into stripping off and having their photos taken.

The Naked Farmer started when his photographer mate Emma Cross dared him to get naked during the 2016 harvest season.

‘We were harvesting lentils at the time and the truck was near full as she got up on the truck to take a photo… Read the full story

Woman with ileostomy bag becomes world champion fitness model and face of USN

January 9, 2018, 5:51 am

≫ Next: Bride-to-be has spent a year covered in an angry rash – and doctors don’t know why

≪ Previous: Meet the Naked Farmer encouraging other young farmers to get their kits off

$

0

0

25-year-old Zoey Wright, from Cornwall, has just become a world champion fitness model despite a long-term struggle with ulcerative colitis, a form of inflammatory bowel disease.

UC is a condition that causes ulceration and inflammation of the large intestine and/or rectum. It’s debilitating condition that causes severe abdominal cramps, rectal bleeding and heavy fatigue.

Zoey’s UC got so out of control that she ended up having life-saving surgery to give her an ileostomy ostomy bag.

For anyone not in the know, an ileostomy ostomy bag is a bag that covers a stoma – a surgical procedure that sees the small intestine being brought out and stitched to the front… Read the full story

Bride-to-be has spent a year covered in an angry rash – and doctors don’t know why

January 9, 2018, 5:59 am

≫ Next: What it feels like to have a psychotic episode

≪ Previous: Woman with ileostomy bag becomes world champion fitness model and face of USN

$

0

0

A bride-to-be has revealed how she was nearly driven to suicide after waking up covered in an agonising rash – which has left experts completely baffled.

Since waking up on New Year’s Eve 2016 to find her body coated in angry red hives, 27-year-old Kate Crawford has tried everything from prescribed medication to elimination diets to prevent further flare-ups.

Kate is currently taking the immunosuppressant drug cyclosporine, usually used by organ transplant patients to reduce the risk of rejection.

Kate says her nightmare began when she woke up in December 2016 with the… Read the full story

---

What it feels like to have a psychotic episode

January 9, 2018, 6:00 am

≫ Next: Island hopping in Guadeloupe: Here are all the best things to do in this Caribbean archipelago

≪ Previous: Bride-to-be has spent a year covered in an angry rash – and doctors don’t know why

$

0

0

I have accepted that for most of my life, I have struggled with anxiety and depression, but being diagnosed with psychosis has been a lot harder to come to terms with.

Looking back, even as a teen, I experienced distressing episodes of what I now know to have probably been delusions and hallucinations.

‘I am living inside a nightmare’ – This is what it’s like to experience psychosis

There are a number of things in my life that have negatively impacted my mental health, but I think… Read the full story

Island hopping in Guadeloupe: Here are all the best things to do in this Caribbean archipelago

January 9, 2018, 6:00 am

≫ Next: They’re not just man’s best friend, dogs are now reading buddies for children

≪ Previous: What it feels like to have a psychotic episode

$

0

0

The promise of sun and adventurous island-hopping makes Guadeloupe an ideal tropical escape from the cold blues of a British January.

The five-island archipelago, located halfway down the eastern Caribbean Sea, between Dominica and Antigua, is an overseas department of France and enchants travellers with a laid-back Caribbean style layered with strong French influences.

6 reasons you should pick Indonesia as your next destination

Two of the biggest, Basse-Terre to the west and Grand-Terre to the east, are so close, they can be connected by a short bridge. Together, their outlines form the wings of the distinctive ‘le papillon’ (the butterfly).

In between this juxtaposition of volcanoes, rainforests, sugar plantations and fashionable tourist resorts are three smaller islands, La Desirade, Les Saintes and Marie-Galante.

Below is our guide of the places you can’t miss while exploring this underrated French Caribbean archipelago.

Make the most… Read the full story

They’re not just man’s best friend, dogs are now reading buddies for children

January 9, 2018, 6:03 am

≫ Next: A gin themed spa is here and it looks incredible

≪ Previous: Island hopping in Guadeloupe: Here are all the best things to do in this Caribbean archipelago

$

0

0

Kids are being encouraged by their schools to read to dogs so they can boost their confidence.

It might sound daft but the novel idea has helped pupils at Langfaulds Primary School in Scotland grow in confidence.

The children were visited every week by an Old English Sheepdog, Willow, and a Border Collie, Skye.

Therapets Willow and Skye have been offering their ears to pupils at Glasgow schools for 18 months.

Read the full story

A gin themed spa is here and it looks incredible

January 9, 2018, 6:13 am

≫ Next: Bleeding after sex: should I be worried? What are the common causes?

≪ Previous: They’re not just man’s best friend, dogs are now reading buddies for children

$

0

0

You may want to rethink your Dry January plans, especially if you’re a fan of gin – as we have some amazing news for you.

There’s an actual spa dedicated to your favourite spirit and it sounds incredible.

The Gin Spa, in Glasgow, Scotland, opened its doors last month to gin-fanatics everywhere. It’s a brand new spa solely dedicated to the botanicals found in the spirit.

It was created by the team who launched Gin71, a gin bar in Glasgow, in 2014.

Read the full story

Bleeding after sex: should I be worried? What are the common causes?

January 9, 2018, 6:25 am

≫ Next: Game of Thrones themed hotel is made entirely out of ice

≪ Previous: A gin themed spa is here and it looks incredible

$

0

0

Many women expect to bleed a little after the first time they have sex.

Some women – but not all – will find they have a little blood afterwards because their hymen has torn.

But, later into your sex life, you may be a little worried to find some spots of blood, or more, after you’ve done the deed.

So, should you just ignore it or go into full blown panic mode?

Firstly, Dr Dan Robertson, medical officer at Push Doctor, reassures that, while it is only natural that bleeding after sex will worry most people, in most cases it’s nothing too serious.

Read the full story

Game of Thrones themed hotel is made entirely out of ice

January 9, 2018, 6:36 am

≫ Next: If you want to be paid to do absolutely nothing, this travel company wants to employ you

≪ Previous: Bleeding after sex: should I be worried? What are the common causes?

$

0

0

You can live out your Game of Thrones fantasy at this amazingly detailed hotel, sculpted entirely out of ice in honour of the show.

The intricate design comes as part of Lapland Hotels’ SnowVillage in collaboration with HBO Nordic who have created the shoutout to the fantasy drama, in Finland.

The GoT themed hotel – with rooms designed by sculptors from Russia, Poland, Latvia and Ukraine – shows off a life-sized iron throne with swords, a Hall of Faces straight out of Braavos, a white walker with illuminating blue eyes, and a Viserion-esque ice dragon that holds court in an ice bar.

Read the full story

If you want to be paid to do absolutely nothing, this travel company wants to employ you

January 9, 2018, 6:41 am

≫ Next: Vodka infused chocolate is a thing and we need to try it

≪ Previous: Game of Thrones themed hotel is made entirely out of ice

$

0

0

Do you hate your job? Do you live for the weekend? Do you wish that you could get paid to do absolutely nothing?

If so, travel company Tui wants to hire you.

It’s looking to bring on a bunch of ‘Professional Slackers’ to sit around all day doing jack all.

There are foud ‘Fakeation Specialist’ positions up for grabs and the job description is dead simple: all they want you to do is basically to kick back and relax in the Tui office.

You don’t have to have any interest at all in interacting with other colleagues and you’re positively encouraged not to be able to multitask.

‘Previous experience of sleeping at your workplace is highly appreciated,’… Read the full story

---

Vodka infused chocolate is a thing and we need to try it

January 9, 2018, 6:41 am

≫ Next: How I went from black Asian hair to blonde in one appointment

≪ Previous: If you want to be paid to do absolutely nothing, this travel company wants to employ you

$

0

0

Vodka-infused chocolate is a thing and we’re so ready to give up our Dry January vow for a taste.

Sugarfina, the company who brought us the rosé wine gummy bears, has announced a partnership with Tito’s Handmade Vodka, an award-winning, American-made tonic brand, to bring us some vodka-flavoured chocolates.

According to the product description, the the Vodka Cordials, which cost $8.50 (£6) on their own, consist of a rich, dark chocolate cordial filled with a sip of ‘super smooth Tito’s Handmade Vodka’.

Just to clarify: The chocolates contain an actual liquid centre of real alcohol. They feature an alcohol volume of 5% – and you have to… Read the full story

How I went from black Asian hair to blonde in one appointment

January 9, 2018, 7:00 am

≫ Next: People were really into fidget spinner porn in 2017

≪ Previous: Vodka infused chocolate is a thing and we need to try it

$

0

0

When I first told people I was going blonde, the reactions ranged from, ‘Oh yeah, that would look amazing!’ to, ‘But why would you do that when you have such nice, healthy hair?!’

No-one was indifferent or on the fence; everyone had an opinion on it and it made me nervous.

I’d never dyed my hair before but I figured why not go all in and go as light as possible? I’d been googling ‘blonde Asian’ for a couple of months by this point and after pinning numerous images of the late model Daul Kim, model du jour Soo Joo Park and blogger Vanessa Hong… Read the full story

People were really into fidget spinner porn in 2017

January 9, 2018, 7:00 am

≫ Next: All the reasons why you might feel pain during or after sex

≪ Previous: How I went from black Asian hair to blonde in one appointment

$

0

0

2017 was a, urm, special year.

We despaired over politics, did weird things to our eyebrows, and became strangely obsessed with little things called fidget spinners.

Fidget spinners went through the all the traditional stages of a beloved trend.

They emerged into the world with purpose, designed to help those with ADHD, autism, and anxiety.

Then they became the cool thing for kids to have. Then they were banned at a bunch of schools for being distracting. Then they became all zeitgasty and every cool young person had at least one fidget spinner to their name.

And… Read the full story

All the reasons why you might feel pain during or after sex

January 9, 2018, 8:25 am

≫ Next: The breathtaking images for Wildlife Photographer of the Year’s People Choice Award

≪ Previous: People were really into fidget spinner porn in 2017

$

0

0

Pain during sex – or dyspareunia – will be experienced by most sexually active people at one point or another.

Sometimes that’s a one-off from an over-enthusiastic thrust, or due to a long-term condition.

Apparently, around 30% of women have had problems with painful sex, and although it’s a lot lower for men at 5%, that’s still a huge amount.

We look at some of the reasons this might happen.

Read the full story

The breathtaking images for Wildlife Photographer of the Year’s People Choice Award

January 9, 2018, 8:42 am

≫ Next: Student gives rather morbid answer to teacher’s tricky riddle

≪ Previous: All the reasons why you might feel pain during or after sex

$

0

0

You don’t have to be a nature-lover to appreciate these captivating shots taken from around the world.

The Natural History Museum chose its shortlist for the Wildlife Photographer of the Year and now has a People’s Choice award to honour stunning wildlife pictures.

It’s a pretty big deal too – Wildlife Photographer of the Year is the longest-running and most prestigious competition of its kind, as part of the museum’s mission to invoke affinity with nature and curiosity about the natural world.

From birds bursting with colour to silhouettes of giraffes to fish we’re not used to seeing – here are some of the pictures.

Lakshitha Karunarathna

Read the full story