I was a student struggling to find my purpose when I noticed a table for bone marrow registry on the campus concourse on my way to class.

It was April 2015. Already a blood donor, I was immediately interested and didn’t hesitate to ask how I could join the Be The Match programme.

I’ve always had a passion to help others but knew there was a slim chance that I could ever actually be a match. The fact that a chance existed, however, made it worth it to me.

One year later, I received a call that changed my life forever. I was a match to a one-year-old girl with leukaemia.

Shock and disbelief surged through my mind: ‘How could little ol’ me from Alabama be a match for someone in this world?’

I was asked if I wanted to move forward with the process. An immediate ‘yes’ drowned the thoughts of disbelief in my mind, and I knew instantly what I was supposed to do.

This was my purpose. I didn’t know the name of the little girl and I didn’t know where she was.

I did, however, know that she didn’t deserve what was happening and she had her whole life ahead of her. I knew that I would do whatever it took to give her and her parents a fighting chance.

I was overcome with emotion that I had finally learned who this special family was and where they were

Due to anonymity rules of Be The Match, I would not learn anything about my little recipient until one year after her transplant.

We exchanged anonymous letters before the surgery and the transplant date through our coordinator.

I also sent her a pearl necklace as a token of assurance that I was on her team and devoted to doing everything I could for her.

Her transplant was set for the day after my extraction procedure.

My bone marrow surgery was the easy part – the hard part came with waiting an entire year to learn if it was successful or not, as well as waiting to – hopefully – exchange contact information.

The year passed and I reached out to my coordinator to initiate the consent of releasing my contact information. Thankfully, they wanted the same thing, and we were given the gift of direct contact with one another during August 2017.

I learned my recipient’s name when her mother, Talia, emailed me; this was the first message between us. This angel whom I had consistently thought about was Skye, and she was from California.

I was overcome with emotion that I had finally learned who this special family was and where they were.

We spoke verbally for the first time right before Thanksgiving and immediately felt a bond that seemed like we had always known each other. Hearing Skye’s voice for the first time deepened the affection I already felt for her.

Over the next few months our relationship grew and, in March 2018, I sent her a birthday gift along with a special invitation – to come to my wedding.

There was also an exclusive offer just for her: would she be my flower girl? I knew the idea was far-fetched and highly unlikely, but I wanted them to know how important they were to me and that Skye was that special to me.

Skye was still on oxygen at the time, but Talia assured me they weren’t saying no and would let me know if there was any way they could make it.

Two months later, I received a text with miraculous news – Skye was off oxygen and given the green light to travel. I bawled at the news and was overwhelmed with joy. I couldn’t believe I was going to meet them for the first time during such a special life event.

I met Skye and her parents the night before the wedding. I walked up her and fell to my knees smiling.

It was the most precious moment that I never could have predicted to happen to me. I gave her a flower girl outfit, and they gifted me with a locket in which Skye’s picture was on one side and inscribed on the other was ‘This heart beats with yours’. It was a perfect way to describe our special connection and crystallised the bond that we’ll have for years to come.

Seeing her in her beautiful flower girl dress the next day was breathtaking.

My day was already perfect and having her with me made it the ultimate fairytale. She’s the most inspirational three-year-old with the best little attitude. She tugs at the heartstrings of everyone she meets, especially mine.

She’s my hero and I’m honoured that I get the privilege of watching her grow.

Miraculous things can happen from the bone marrow registry and Skye is living proof of that. You just have to be willing to take the first step.

It changed my life and it’s powerful enough to change others as well. How I feel can best be described by the last line in my favourite poem by Ralph Waldo Emerson: ‘To know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is to have succeeded.’

MORE: Exes who agreed to marry each other if they were single at 50 fall in love and tie the knot

MORE: I feel so guilty for passing on a hereditary disease I didn’t know I had to my daughter

MORE: My dad and I have helped each other through bipolar disorder: Here’s our story

Gluten-free food isn’t actually free of all gluten. Confusing, right?

Across most of the world, for a food to be labelled gluten-free it must contain less than 20 parts per million (ppm) of gluten. What this means is that gluten-free food is not devoid of gluten. It just has tiny amounts in it, deemed ‘safe’ for people with coeliac disease to eat.

Coeliac disease is an autoimmune condition that affects roughly 1 in 100 people in the UK. When people with coeliac disease consume gluten their immune system destroys the villi in their small intestine, meaning they cannot absorb nutrients.

But how much gluten is safe for a coeliac to consume?

There is no agreed amount of gluten that people with coeliac disease can eat before harming their intestines. Some studies suggest that consuming under 10mg of gluten a day can cause symptoms, while others suggest that 80mg causes no harm.

One thing from this is clear: everybody is different and individuals need to know their own limits.

It’s a bit like alcohol. People learn the hard way about their limits, but most people eventually reach a point when they know how much they can handle.

If a food has 20ppm of gluten in it then that equates to 0.002%, or to put it another way, 20mg of gluten in every kilogram, or around 10mg in a 500g loaf of bread. In other words the more food you consume with 20ppm gluten in, then the more gluten you are consuming.

What an individual with coeliac disease has to judge is how many milligrams of gluten they can consume before having a reaction; bearing in mind that some people have no obvious external effects.

Interestingly Coeliac UK state: ‘People with coeliac disease can eat unlimited amounts of products with gluten at a level of 20 ppm or less.’

This seems counter-intuitive given that every coeliac has a different threshold to gluten.

Companies don’t have to declare exactly how much gluten is in gluten-free food – they just have to ensure it’s under 20ppm.

Being someone who produces a wholegrain gluten-free flour blend I know that when I get my flour tested I get a figure for how many parts per million gluten it contains (for those who are interested it is 5 or less).

I reached out to Genius, Nairns, Schar, Honeybuns and Celia, who all replied to my request and said that their products averaged at under 5ppm. However, other companies did not respond to my request.

If you follow a gluten-free diet and still have symptoms, it may be time to look at how much processed gluten-free food you eat. You may just be accidentally eating too much gluten without realising.

If you love a specific gluten-free product but still experience symptoms, chat to the makers to find out how much gluten it contains.

And of course, if your symptoms aren’t budging no matter how careful you are of gluten, speak to a medical professional.

Vicki Montague blogs at the Free From Fairy. She has irritable bowel syndrome and a child with coeliac disease. She aims to make life easier for others by sharing her free from recipes, tips and advice.

MORE: A look inside London’s first ever vegan patisserie

MORE: Woman who thought bloating was gluten intolerance was actually pregnant

Arriving at your holiday destination rested and relaxed is crucial but can really be a struggle if you’re on a long-haul or overnight flight (or both!).

Screaming children, noisy eaters, announcements and those loud people who don’t mind being hungover on day one of their holiday can mess with your ability to snooze the flight away.

However, Sealy UK’s sleep expert Neil Robinson has shared his top tips for not just a comfortable but right way to sleep on a plane – so you can wake up ready to make the most of your holiday.

1. Avoid the pre-holiday buzz

Yes, a pint or three at Gatwick’s Wetherspoons is for many mandatory before a holiday, but is it really worth it?

Mr Robinson says: ‘Alcohol can have a negative impact on our rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, which is often considered the most restorative stage of the sleep cycle.

‘While you may fall asleep faster after a couple of drinks, you’ll spend less time in your REM phase of sleep – meaning you’re more likely to feel unrested and drowsy.’

Saving that well-earned drink for when you arrive at your destination can not only make you more rested and ready, it may feel even more deserved.

2. Bring your eye mask 

No, you don’t look like an idiot, and even so, who cares when you get your beauty sleep?

Metal Gear film director wants to make a Metroid movie (and he’s got a good pitch)

Eye mask and travel pillows are essential for a proper sleep while buckled up on a plane.

The sleep expert said: ‘Planes are full of bright lights – from the overhead reading lights to the blue light emitted by the TV screens – which can have a negative impact on our slumber.

‘When we witness a light form, it stimulates a nerve pathway from the eye to the brain this stops us from feeling tired, making it harder to drift off.

‘Wearing an eye mask will help to block out these lights and help you fall asleep and stay asleep.’

3. Avoid technology

It has been said before, but it’s probably even more important while trying to sleep while seated on a cramped plane.

Mr Robinson said: ‘While it may be tempting to watch a film or read on your tabled during the flight, the blue light emitted from the screens impacts our levels of melatonin, the sleep-inducing hormone.

‘By avoiding technology for a minimum of 30 minutes before you’re planning to get some kip, you can help ensure a better quality sleep.’

4. Pick your seat carefully

If you’re planning to sleep from take-off to landing, don’t pick the seat right by the toilets, even if it’s the window one.

If you’re legs are long you can always try to snatch the oh-so-comfortable middle aisle (by the emergency exits).

The expert explained: ‘While many people just think “seat or aisle” when choosing their seats, it’s also important to think which row you’re sitting on.

‘Passengers tend to congregate around the toilets, making this area of the plane noisier and more likely to cause you disturbance when you’re trying to rest.’

5. Bring socks

It’s easy to jump into your shorts and sandals from your holiday wardrobe even before leaving the UK, but forgetting about the chilly air con on the flight can cause a lot of discomfort.

Mr Robinson advised: ‘With the harsh air-conditioning on planes, it can sometimes be difficult to stay warm during the flight, so it’s important to pack some comfy and thick socks in your hand-luggage.

‘Having warm feet helps you drift off faster, as well as having a less restless sleep.’

6. Put in some ear plugs

This one is self-explanatory, but essential, with Mr Robinson saying: ‘With everything from screaming children, pilot announcement and coughing passengers, there are lots of noises that can keep you from getting that all important shut eye.

‘Ear plugs can help to muffle this and turn it into soothing ‘white noise’.

7. Time it right

We all plan our holiday outfits to feel comfortable and look good, sort out or holiday currency to avoid any hassle upon arrival and buy sun cream to avoid sun burn, but why not prepare your body for the time change?

Alisson on verge of joining Liverpool over Chelsea after Jurgen Klopp intervention

Mr Robinson advised: ‘To try to avoid feeling jet-lagged during your holiday, it can help to try to set your body clock to your destination’s time by working out the best time to sleep on the flight.

‘By beginning to shift your sleep schedule early one, you’ll feel more energised to get up and getting going even on that first day.’

With that sorted, all you have to do is remember your passport!

Call off the search for that perfect black one-piece.*

*Or just send me your bookmarked links. I’m still struggling.

It turns out this summer’s hottest swimwear trend is not, as we thought, classic swimsuits or even the upside-down bikini, but tape.

Yes, tape, as gloriously shown off by Black Tape Project at Miami Swim Week.

Black Tape Project is the work of Joel Alvarez, a tape artist who sells, well, tape. So it makes sense that he’s pitching the idea of tape in place of swimsuits.

He’s decked out models in tape arranged in pretty out-there designs, strategically placed to cover up the pubic area and nips.

The fun thing about tape is that it doesn’t sag or droop as a regular swimsuit would, and it doesn’t need to be one piece of fabric to stay up, so it’s possible to create more daring designs.

Think gravity defying bikini tops, unconnected tape decorating the legs and vulva area, and fancy stripes along the ab area.

The designs do look pretty cool, but we have some concerns.

Will the tape stay stuck when slathered with sun cream, sea water, or our own sweat? Will we be left with both nips exposed and tape hanging down from our bellies if we dare to do anything other than sit still and look pretty?

More importantly: How do we remove the tape without giving ourselves a dodgy wax job in the process? Just the thought of yanking tape off our nipples is enough to make us wince.

On the plus side, making your own tape bikini means you don’t have to faff around with swimwear shopping and working out your best size – you can just stick the tape wherever you need it.

Plus the trend will finally give us a use for all that washi tape we’ve been keeping in our drawers for Pinterest projects.

Take a look at the designs below for further inspo.

MORE: Forget the wine, Bordeaux is now a weekend break all about brunch and vodka

MORE: Swimwear campaign features women with disabilities, body hair, stretch marks and scars

Greggs is a universal food that brings together all people in the love of pastry.

When you’re skint, though, it’s even better – eating something warm and comforting bought from the change in your pocket. And who’s more skint than students?

It seems that a large number of students have overlooked a massive offer that Greggs have going, which means they’ve overlooked plenty of free sausage rolls.

Simply showing your student card and buying a sandwich deal entitles you to either a cheese and onion bake, sausage roll, snack pack, or sweet treat totally free of charge.

You can also get an apple or banana, but in this economy that seems like a bad deal given how much they cost.

Since most students live off of meal deals (totally not generalising), getting a freebie from something you’d buy anyway is not too shabby.

If you have a student card, you can also get a free cheeseburger or McFlurry at McDonald’s when you buy any extra value meal.

On top of that, plenty of shops will take 10% off at the till if you present your card, which is a small consolation for the £9k a year in fees.

MORE: Don’t bother getting a new bikini, the next big swimwear trend is wearing tape

MORE: How to sleep on a plane and wake up holiday fresh

If you’ve ever wondered why you just look better after a good night’s sleep, you’re not the only one.

There’s no scientific way to work out if people who sleep more are more attractive, but what bed company Sealy have done, is work out how much sleep we need to feel better looking.

In their study, they found that more than half of respondents felt that sleep had an impact on their appearance, with those who slept better saying they had brighter eyes, and clearer and brighter skin.

The perfect timing for this beauty sleep is apparently around 9 hours and 10 minutes, running from 9.45pm to 6.55am the next day.

The only thing people put in front of sleep in terms of beauty was diet. Exercise, fashion, makeup, and grooming trailed behind.

Although this is a study based on people’s responses, there’s a lot of truth in it.

Your body recovers while you sleep, producing skin-plumping collagen and boosting blood flow.

With increased blood flow is the increased delivery of nutrients to different parts of your body such as skin and hair, which is where the ‘well-rested’ look comes from.

On top of this, when you’re sleep deprived your body produces more of the hormone cortisol. This can prompt everything from hair loss to inflammation of the skin.

Essentially, you can be applying every cream under the sun, but without rest your body will struggle to repair itself.

Now you have a great excuse to curl up and go to bed early. And they said beauty was pain?

MORE: We’ve all been oblivious to the fact students get free Greggs sausage rolls

MORE: Don’t bother getting a new bikini, the next big swimwear trend is wearing tape

Amazon Prime Day is in full swing and if you’re interested in beauty, they have deals that won’t disappoint.

They’ve already dropped prices across on their own-label products, so if you’re in the market for an Echo dot, Fire Stick or a Kindle, now is definitely the time to buy.

But, if you’re a beauty addict and an Amazon Prime member you can now stock up on your favorite beauty items, with major deals across hair, makeup and skincare products.

And affordable beauty brand Maybelline New York is offering some of their most popular products at discounted prices, including their cult favourite mascara Maybelline Lash Sensational and blogger-approved Maybelline Eraser Eye Concealer.

Here’s the products to buy from Maybelline New York before the clock strikes midnight.

Maybelline Sweet Cheeks Make Up Gift Set For Her

Now £7.45 was £24.99 (Save 70%)

Maybelline Mascara Lash Sensational 01 Very Black

Now £4.99 was £8.99 (Save 44%)

Maybelline Eye Shadow Palette Blushed Nudes

Now £8.95 was £11.99 (Save 25%)

Maybelline Eraser Eye Concealer 01 Light 6.8ml

Now £6.29 was £8.99 (Save 30%)

Maybelline Brow Tattoo Longlasting Tint Dark Brown

Now £11.36 was £12.99 (Save 13%)

Maybelline Lasting Drama Gel Eyeliner 01 Black

Now £7.28 was £8.99 (Save 19%)

Maybelline x Gigi Hadid Eye Contour Palette Warm

Now £6.70 was £9.57 (Save 30%)

Maybelline French Kiss Lip Kit Gift Set for Her

Now £7.99 was £9.99 (Save 20%)

MORE: 22 best beauty and upcoming deals on Amazon Prime Day 2018

MORE: Amazon Prime Day 2018: The most popular deals so far

Summertime is glorious isn’t it? Picnics, barbecues and beers in back gardens, festivals, football, gigs and road trips.

It can also be quite expensive – beers and barbecue don’t buy themselves, after all.

Often, despite promises of shared costs and the best intentions, the ‘we’ll all chip in’ theory remains just that, and the person hosting/who is organised enough to pick up the picnic/buy the tickets ends up out of pocket.

It’s partly because it’s such a hassle collecting money – if you don’t harass your mates on the day with constant reminders to pay up their cash, your only option after the event is to hijack the WhatsApp group, spamming them with bank details they’ll lose (and ask you for five more times til they pay up) and requests for embarrassingly small sums of money.

Even small amounts can add up though – and often the same people – the ones who put their hands in their pocket the quickest – get stung time after time.

There is an easier way to split the cost of summer: PayPal’s new Money Pools feature allows you to set up a shared fund with a few taps.

Then, you can send the link to your friends in the group chat, email or text. All they need to do is click the link and with a couple of taps of their own, make their payment.

You can keep track of who has paid up and who hasn’t without constantly checking your bank account, meaning the payment police can stand down.

Even the amount and what the payment is for can be included in a message when they open up the link.

No memory power is required – so you can all just get on with this sensational summer.

Here are just a few things you can use Money Pools for – why not send this on to that friend who still owes you money for last weekend’s picnic in the park.

Roadtrips 

‘We’ll all chip in for petrol’ they said when you offered to drive. 300 miles and a full tank of petrol later, you’re 80 quid down and they seem to have forgotten how they got to the festival.

It’s a fact of life that the driver on the roadtrip never gets all the cash back for the petrol (and the road snacks they bought when they filled up) – despite everyone’s best intentions. 

When the trip is over and the hangovers are fading along with the memories, it’s just awkward to interrupt the sharing of holiday highlights to ask for a fiver each for the petrol.

Skip the awkwardness by setting up a Money Pool while you’re all still in the car – and task someone else with reminding the passengers. 

Festival tickets 

If you’re the organised one in the group, you’ll know the pain of shelling out a significant amount for festival tickets and trying to get the money back from forgetful friends who don’t understand you’re counting the days, if not minutes, til payday. 

If you have a PayPal Money Pool set up, you can just send the link to your friends as a reminder – all they need to do is click the link, and in a few taps, they can pay.

The ‘Shall we watch the footy at yours?’ (again) party

Wait a minute… what’s this? You ended up getting the beers in for every single World Cup party just because your telly is the biggest and all your mates descended? Well, the England dream may be all over, but it’s not all bad: the Premier League starts in three weeks.

If your house is the home of football that’s fine – but to avoid becoming the all-expenses-paid catering as well, set up a Money Pools and send it round as soon as the team get to yours.

Weddings

It goes without saying you can share the cost of a wedding present with Money Pools – but it’s good for sharing the rest of the costs too.

Someone will be in charge of sorting the shared accommodation, after-party supplies and petrol money or travel tickets to the venue. Set up a ‘Wedding Fund’ Money Pool and share it with everyone in your part of the bride and groom’s entourage.

The holiday fund

Flights, accommodation, hotel bar, dinners out and drinks – there are so many shared costs of holidays it can be hard to keep up with who owes what, who paid for it and where they left their account details. Was it on the original email chain? In a WhatsApp? An SMS?

It’s almost impossible to keep track – and the result is often that your efforts to pay peter out.

With Money Pools you can just ping a link with the amount owed and what it’s for and take the pain out for everyone.

Suddenly summer seems a whole lot smoother (and less expensive).

Forget the low light levels and sh*tty weather of winter, it’s summer that makes my mental health take a nosedive.

Scrolling through Facebook and Instagram can leave you with the impression that summer is one long round of margaritas, weddings, hard bikini bodies, airport Prosecco and hours spent lounging on an inflatable pizza slice in an impossibly blue infinity pool.

For some people however, summer is a time of massively increased anxiety.

I’ve hated summer since I was a teenager. From June to August, I would carry around a shroud of shame and self-loathing, constantly kicking myself for not going to enough parties or having a festival experience. Why wasn’t I ‘making memories’? Why wasn’t I having enough fun?

Years later, I still put myself under pressure in the summer months, berating myself for my lack of social engagements.

Why aren’t I going on a girls’ holiday? Why haven’t I starved my body into submission ahead of bikini season? Why haven’t I ever been to Glasto?

Why am I wasting the hottest days inside, feeling depressed and anxious and like a big summer failure?

Festivals and holidays aren’t cheap, and I get caught up in feeling sh*t about my finances and how I’m a let down because I don’t have the money to be able to do the same things as those people who look like they’re having Lit Summers™.

I’ll torture myself with other people’s social media accounts, comparing my own summer activities unfavourably to theirs. Summer highlights my inadequacies and makes me feel even more like a waste of space.

Summer isn’t fun for everyone, and it turns out I’m not on my own in feeling this way.

With the hot weather triggering a rash of swimwear pics across social media and summer fashions encouraging people to bare more flesh than usual, body image issues can be a big part of summer anxiety.

Hannah* struggles with body dysmorphia and summer is a particularly difficult time for her.

‘Body dysmorphia means that I don’t see my body how it really is,’ she tells Metro.co.uk. ‘When I look in the mirror, I see this disgusting, bloated mess and I hate myself so much for it.

‘My brain is constantly fixating on how big my stomach feels or whether my thighs are touching. Even when I’m at work, worries about my body and how horrible it must look are buzzing round my head.

‘Summer means even more opportunities to see my friends and people I admire with nice, toned bodies in crop tops and little shorts and bikinis, and I know I can’t wear that stuff without having a panic attack in my room and punishing myself by twisting my stomach and pinching my fat really hard.

‘I hate my body all year round but it summer it takes up all my headspace. It’s so exhausting.’

Body anxiety in the summer affects people of all genders.

Scott gets major anxiety because of how he looks in summer clothes. He told Metro.co.uk: ‘I’m not very body conscious and when I’ve got my arms and legs out, I feel so anxious.

‘I hate wearing shorts because my legs are too hairy and I don’t wear vests because my arms are thin and flat.

‘I see buff gym guys wearing them and they look great, but on me, not so much. I can’t stop thinking about how people might be looking at my body and judging me.’

Even if you’re not worried about your body, other people’s uninvited and unwanted responses to how you look can make summer into an anxious time.

As someone with obvious self-harm scars, the rude stares and quick looks of disgust people give me when I’m showing my arms or legs in shorts, skirts and summer dresses can be really distressing. When I’m more covered up in because it’s colder outside, this isn’t so much of an issue, but in summer it happens every single day.

Street harassment can also make people – particularly women – feel anxious and uncomfortable in the hottest months.

Diva says: ‘I feel more anxious specifically in the summer because I seem to get more street harassment, regardless of what I’m wearing. I could be wearing jeans and a T-shirt, but I still get yelled at in the street.

‘The other day I was wearing a denim skirt, sitting in the passenger seat of my friends car and out of the corner of my eye I could see a van driving next to us. I saw the man was motioning something at me and driving parallel to us, my window was open and I heard him shout “nice legs”. I tried to ignore it but he did it THREE more times until he turned off a different road.

‘So, I tend to wear jeans in summer even when it’s really hot. I used to feel okay wearing skirts or shorts if I was in a car, but I don’t anymore.

‘I avoid leaving the house alone. I prefer going outside with my boyfriend, but even then I’ve had men yell at me in the street.

‘It makes me feel really dehumanised and as if I exist solely for men. In the moments I am catcalled or harassed I feel like I have no rights, if I say I don’t want to speak to them I’m challenged on it, as if I’m being unreasonable.’

For some people, summer brings up memories of trauma.

Lucy* has borderline personality disorder (BPD), severe anxiety and depression, and she finds summer difficult because it means that her partner will look at other women.

She told Metro.co.uk: ‘Summer is when people show themselves off, look prettier than ever, seem to smile more, go out more, etc.

‘I can’t do that, because my partner might look at the pretty girl sunbathing or laughing – he can’t help himself. He knows it’s a trigger for me, as I’ve suffered from this for years, but it’s such a “man thing” and he’ll do it anyway.’

For Lucy, early experiences of neglect and abandonment have shaped her adult relationships. The jealousy she feels is a fear response. It’s her brain bringing up old memories of being let down or left by people who cared for her, and sounding the alarm bells because it fears that this trauma might be repeated.

Lucy says that she doesn’t leave the house very often. ‘I don’t like busy places either, and in the summer everywhere is busier, so I suffer from panic attacks. To avoid anxiety attacks, I’ll just stay in the house.’

Psychotherapist Sam Carbon says that summer anxiety is common and she comes across many cases of it in her clients ever year.

‘In private practice, I witness the effects of summer anxiety. The dramatic change in the temperature, pace of life, loss of routine, absence of support can evoke feelings of anxiety and loneliness which can be destabilising.

‘For some clients, the immense pressure to be seen having fun can cause low moods and depressive states. Bodies are more visible which can trigger body image issues along with financial worries as summer can be expensive..

‘It’s important to acknowledge your thoughts and feelings and consider your boundaries when there is a pull to be a certain way during the summer months.
By being aware and accepting that you’re suffering and that the emotions are not permanent, you can begin to create the summer that you want for yourself, rather than for the sake of others.

‘Self-compassion, exercise and mindfulness are great ways to transform your relationship with summer anxiety.’

Summer anxiety can be overwhelming, particularly if you’re trapped in a cycle of constant comparison.

It’s much easier said than done, but step away from social media for a bit if you need to. Remember that most people share a carefully curated highlight reel online, and it’s unlikely that you can never really know what someone’s life is like or what their mental state is by looking at their Instagram account.

If you know summer’s a tricky time for you, go easy on yourself. If you want to stay in and re-read all the Harry Potter books instead of going to the barbecues of people you don’t like that much anyway, or take your later in the year instead of jetting off on holiday in the summer, do that.

F*** what you think you should be doing in summer. Do what you want to do, what you can handle doing and what makes you feel good instead.

The perfect summer doesn’t exist anyway.

*names have been changed

MORE: People with self-harm scars should be able to show their skin without shame

MORE: Instagram doesn’t have to be bad for you if you’re recovering from an eating disorder

By outsourcing vital services, universities may be putting vulnerable students at risk.

With student suicides high on the agenda and waiting lists for campus mental health services showing no sign of becoming shorter, some universities have decided that the best way to deal with the issue is to pass it on to someone else.

In a move apparently designed to shift the burden of providing mental health care for students on to either the NHS or the private sector, some universities are outsourcing some or all of the mental health services.

They plan to rebrand mental health services as ‘wellbeing services’ that are staffed by ‘wellbeing practitioners’ who do not necessarily need to be trained counsellors. Existing staff are being told that they must reapply for jobs as ‘wellbeing practitioners’ or they could be made redundant.

Getting rid of experienced campus counsellors has been slammed as ‘perverse and dangerous’ by the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP).

BACP chair Andrew Reeves told The Guardian: ‘The fact that some universities are considering downgrading or reducing counselling services within their institutions is a huge cause for concern, particularly seeing as mental health needs among students are often complex.’

When 95 university students in Britain took their own lives in the 2016-17 academic year, it could be construed as poor timing that some universities are seeking to make student mental health care into someone else’s problem.

In a damning statement earlier this summer, universities minister Sam Gyimah told university vice-chancellors that the time had come to prioritise the mental health of students.

Gyimah said: ‘There are some vice-chancellors who think that university is about training the mind and all of these things are extra that they don’t have to deal with.

‘They can’t do that… It can’t be something that belongs to the wellbeing department of the university. This requires sustained and serious leadership from the top.’

Unfortunately, some universities don’t seem to have got the message.

The universities of Hull, Wolverhampton and Essex are among those choosing outsourcing rather than putting resources into improving the in-house care available.

According to these universities, they are improving the services offered, but the softer focus on ‘wellbeing’ could put students with more serious mental health problems at risk.

University of Essex Registrar Bryn Morris told Metro.co.uk: ‘The whole motivation for these changes is to respond to student need and demand.

‘These changes will increase the number of staff working for our Student Wellbeing service and increase the availability of student counselling at our Colchester Campus by 30%. By increasing appointments with a wellbeing assessor, we will also reduce the waiting time for students to be seen.’

However, questions may well be asked about why the university hasn’t simply chosen to hire more trained counsellors to keep up with student demand, instead of outsourcing to an external service.

Last month, Essex advertised for three ‘university wellbeing assessors’. The role did not require counselling, psychology or psychotherapy qualifications.

Appointments with unqualified staff who are not counsellors could do more harm than good for students experiencing severe mental distress.

Katy* says that assessment appointments are incredibly traumatic for her.

‘I’ve got a history of sexual abuse and bullying, and having to tell a stranger about why I’m getting flashbacks or I’m super anxious or I feel really depressed is horrible. It stirs all that trauma up and then you go away with no support or anything.

‘I do assessments and then I just have to sit with all those awful memories. It’s so much worse when it’s with someone who isn’t properly trained. You can really tell if they are or not by how they speak to you and how they respond to information you give them.

‘I’ve come away from assessment appointments wanting to kill myself because they’ve been handled so badly.’

It’s not clear which external provider will be used for counselling at the University of Essex or how many spaces for new patients this external provider has.

In 2015, the University of Hull outsourced its counselling to Let’s Talk, a free NHS service. The University of Wolverhampton plans to focus more on prevention than treating students currently suffering.

Wolverhampton’s consultation document says: ‘To increase the number of counsellors misses the opportunity to implement new approaches’, which is an interesting path to take when it’s precisely trained mental health professionals like counsellors that are in demand.

Alan Percy, Head of Counselling at the University of Oxford, says that these ‘new approaches’ are little more than cuts with fancy names.

He told The Guardian: ‘If, after a “wellbeing” review a university is employing fewer trained and qualified counsellors than previously, then that is a cut. If, after a review of support services, students have to get counselling from an external provider not embedded into the university, that is a cut.

‘If students have to get counselling from the already overstretched and underfunded NHS services, that is a cut. And if students are offered telephone or online counselling without the option of a face-to-face meeting with a counsellor, then that is yet another cut.’

Even before this move to ‘wellbeing services’, students experiencing mental distress have struggled to be taken seriously by university services.

Tessa* told Metro.co.uk that she had to ‘beg for help’ when she had an eating disorder at university.

‘I was told to try the NHS and a charity, and the charity told me I wasn’t a priority case so I should go back to the university for help.

‘On campus, the first doctor I saw asked me if I had actually tried to “just stop making yourself sick” when I was suffering from bulimia. I felt like it wasn’t viewed as an actual health issue but as something I chose to do.

‘I then became scared of going to the doctors. By this point it was impacting my work at uni so I spoke to my Head of Year who was amazing. She arranged for me to go back to uni doctors with my best friend and helped me write down everything I was too scared to say was wrong with me.

‘Six months after I first went to doctors (two years after my eating disorder started) I was given the option of counselling. That counselling helped me overcome my bulimia and without that support, I probably would have failed my degree and still be battling an eating disorder now.’

Although it was slow in coming, the help Tessa received from her university counselling service enabled her recovery. A ‘wellbeing service’, with a focus on mindfulness, healthy eating and exercise, would be completely inappropriate for someone with a serious eating disorder like anorexia or bulimia.

It would also be a poor sticking plaster for students experiencing issues with depression, severe anxiety, bipolar, obsessive compulsive disorder and borderline personality disorder, all of which can require support from trained professionals.

Tessa says: ‘Universities have a responsibility to look after their students and I think the move to shift this responsibility to NHS services is shocking and disgraceful. Trained counsellors probably saved my life. I was in a pretty dark place and that man helped me out. I dread to think how many people in my situation now and in the future won’t receive the help that I did.’

With most universities charging students £9,000 a year in fees, questions will certainly be asked about why this money isn’t being channeled into providing students with the experienced, qualified, in-house counsellors that are so keenly in demand.

*names have been changed.

MORE: Demand for private counselling soars due to long NHS waiting lists

MORE: Women with learning disabilities are missing out on vital cervical screenings

While on a holiday in Alabama, US, Nicole Hughes made sure her three-year-old son Levi had his life jacket on all day.

He kept it on while swimming, flying a kite and even when eating snacks.

It was only while he ate his Spaghetti-Os dinner that Levi took it off.

After Nicole handed him a brownie as a treat, she went upstairs to the kitchen of their holiday home, only for a couple of minutes.

When she glanced over the balcony at the gated pool, she screamed out in horror. Levi, wearing a t-shirt matching all the other members of the large family, had drowned at the deep end of the pool.

Although Nicole’s tragic story has changed her forever, she wants some good to come out if it, working to make sure other parents  never share the same unfortunate fate.

The Tennessee mother-of-three has introduced a Water Guardian tag – a simple card, the size of a credit card hung by a lanyard clearly outlining who is in charge of the kids around the pool area.

‘I hate I have this story. Hate it,’ she tells Metro.co.uk.

‘But I know I have to change the conversation on drowning and bring awareness because my heart breaks each time I see a new story about a child who has drowned.

‘I know as a parent of three kids, it’s so easy to get distracted when around water. A child can drown in less than one minute. They fall in, gasp, breathe in, and then sink.

‘Almost 70% of children drown when they aren’t swimming. With Levi, we were cleaning up from dinner, he slipped away from our heavy doors and down a flight of stairs. Then he fell into the pool. Nobody talks about how drowning also happens during non-designated swim times.

‘Why did I not know that drowning is the leading cause of death for a child in the one to four-year-old age group?’ she says. ‘Why did I not know about the dangers of drowning during non-swimming times?’

Now Nicole wants other parents to know what she didn’t the day her child died.

She wants parents to wear a physical tag so a designated supervisor can look out for the children at all times.

It should act as a reminder to the supervisor to not take their eyes off the child for a minute. The card the child is wearing can then be spotted by the supervisor easily.

‘The reaction to the scheme is tremendous. People, especially caretakers of young kids, are messaging me all day, telling me that this is so simple yet it makes so much sense.

‘The tag also provides accountability because if another person sees someone wearing the tag on the phone or leaving the pool, they can hold that person accountable.

‘The other purpose of the tag is to hang it up on a beach or lake house where there is access to water. It serves as a reminder to people staying there (people who are out of their typical routines) that drowning is quick, silent, and often happens when you don’t expect it.’

You can get in touch with Nicole and learn about the initiative on Facebook page Levi’s Legacy. And you can order the tag online as an individual one, group tags or in bracelet form.

MORE: A mere 1% of children’s books feature Black, Asian, and ethnic minority main characters

MORE: People may think mums should stay at home but not all of us can afford to

MORE: Gender equality improves sleep quality

Your sex life will most likely change in some way after you have kids.

If you’ve had children and noticed a dip in all the situations that used to get you all hot and bothered, then you know you’re not alone.

But it’s 2018 so we’ve learned that there are many different ways of having sex, not always penetrative.

So exactly what kind of sex are parents not having?

A survey by bedding company Leesa of almost 1,000 parents revealed how having children changed parental sex lives.

Sex doesn’t come to a halt instantly post-childbirth but does drop quickly, as perhaps you might expect. Making out, vaginal, and oral sex takes the biggest dip after having kids.

Couples interviewed in the study reported having sex 19 times a month before kids which decreased to 10 times after kids.

What is perhaps surprising is just how many people were fine with the new ways of intimacy. Just over half (57%) said they were dissatisfied with less frequent sex but that left 21% who weren’t fussed about it and 22% actually preferring the new setup.

Not only did the frequency of sex drop but also the quality of it, with almost half (46%) saying it had all dropped after becoming parents (blame the lack of sleep).

One dad told Metro.co.uk: ‘Children make you tired. They’re totally worth it but we’re tired. Mentally, physically, sexually, and emotionally tired – there’s definitely a connection between becoming a parent and your sex life.’

Making out and vaginal intercourse took the biggest dip in terms of acts of intimacy after having kids. Male oral sex stayed the same in terms of popularity before and after children.

The survey also looked at how libido changed between men and women after welcoming a child into the world.

It found that mums have a greater decrease in their sex drive than dads. 61% of women said they wanted less sex after kids, while only 30% of men felt the same way.

As well as finding the time to get off with each other, getting away from the kids was another issue for the parents.

The research gets confusing when oral sex appears on both the most increased and most decreased lists of things that happen after childbirth.

This indicates that for some it really takes the place of sex while, for others, it’s something that goes wildly out of favour.

They’ve also listed cuddling as part of your sex life.

It’s interesting that it takes the place of making out, showing that Netflix and chill really does just mean literally Netflix and chill again.

‘The parent part has made us more constricted with time, but more creative in places,’ a second dad told Metro.co.uk.

‘This has also has opened us to more ways of enjoying sex.’

And it’s definitely not just dads who are getting creative.

‘A lot of the decline in our sex life right after kid(s) was the fear of becoming pregnant again because I wasn’t on birth control,’ Mum Charlie told us.

‘Once my husband had a vasectomy, my desire went back up. It is still not to the levels it was before kids though because of our work schedules and such.’

An embarrassed 15% of parents said they their kids have walked in on them.

‘We both shouted out of surprise when the door opened, and he ran out before getting a good look at anything,’ Hannah told us,

‘He never mentioned it or asked about it’.

Louise and her partner were surprised by their’s son’s candour.

‘He said “I know what you are doing” and walked out,’ she tells Metro.co.uk.

Ignorance was the way forward for Tom when his son walked in on them.

‘Honestly we did not discuss the incident at all simply because my son, my wife and I were all embarrassed and ashamed,’ he says. ‘Subsequently, we acted as if nothing had happened.’

One couple was left red-faced when their child wanted to join.

‘He had been taking a nap, so we thought he was still sleeping. We did not know he walked in until he said, “I want to wrestle too, daddy”.

‘We asked him to leave our room and we told him we would be out in a few minutes.’

It seems like having children really does get in the way of sex but, as it turns out, around half of you are actually ok with the way it’s turning out.

The other half, however, get to it.

MORE: Gender equality improves sleep quality

MORE: People are loving this woman’s response to being asked if she’s a slut

MORE: Which menstrual cup is right for you?

Get ready to start filming some Instagram Boomerangs, because Aldi is soon going to be selling a colour changing gin.

The Forest Fruits gin comes from McQueen Gin, a company based in Scotland, and starts off a pale sapphire, changing to pink when tonic, or any other mixer or garnish, is added.

While it sounds magical, there is actually some pretty simple science behind the colour-changing drink: it’s distilled with the blue petals of the Asian butterfly flower, which changes colour when the PH levels are adjusted.

Dale McQueen, managing director and co-founder of McQueen Gin, said: ‘Not only does our new artisan gin taste great, but it also brings a little bit of theatre to gin o’clock.

‘Perfect to share with friends, it’s a delicious fruity gin with a difference.

‘Add a squeeze of lime first and see what shade of pink the gin goes, then add the tonic and it will change again.’

Graham Nicolson, group buying director, ALDI Scotland said: ‘We’re always looking for new and innovative products, and this is a fantastic addition to our range of Scottish Gins. It is our second collaboration with artisan distiller McQueen Gin, and we’re confident it is going to be very popular.

‘We’re proud to champion local suppliers and already have some more exciting collaborations with McQueen Gin in the pipeline.’

Sadly, the gin is only going to be on sale in Scottish Aldi stores, for £19.99 – but we’re hoping we start seeing it appear on shop shelves across the UK soon.

MORE: How much gluten is in gluten-free food?

MORE: From hipster cafes to chilled out parks, here’s how to explore Stockholm like a local

Bond is back… in Lego form, as Metro talks to the design director at Aston Martin and the other big kids responsible for the amazing new set.

There’s a scene in the surprisingly excellent Lego Movie where the father figure, played by Will Ferrell, desperately tries to defend his obsession with Lego to his young son; insisting it’s not a toy (even though they bought it at a toy store) and that the age range on the box is ‘only a suggestion’. It’s a scene whose logic will seem very familiar to both adult Lego fans and the people that put up with them, but it’s particularly relevant to Lego’s latest licensed marvel.

It might have made its movie debut half a century before most younger Lego fans were born, but the iconic Aston Martin DB5 has now been officially recreated in Lego for the special Creator Expert line of sets aimed at adult (well, 16+) fans.

The DB5 was unveiled for the first time today at the Lego Store in London’s Leicester Square, with Miss Moneypenny herself Naomie Harris on hand to show it off, and display it next to a real life version of the car.

Lego have made lots of licensed cars before, including the recent Bugatti Chiron, but this isn’t any old DB5, it’s James Bond’s DB5. Which means it has every gadget from the movies, including revolving licence plates, retractable machineguns, a bulletproof shield, wheel-mounted tyre scythes, and a hidden telephone and radar tracker.

All the gadgets were shown off by Lego designer Michael Psiaki, a huge grin on his face as the assembled press oohed and aahed at each little detail.

The set is only being sold at Lego stores and online, so kids aren’t going to run into it at the local toy shop, but 007 still seems a surprising licence for Lego to work with, considering only a few decades ago their toys were strictly non-violent.

‘When we design these products we’re targeting adults. And that’s who we want to get their hands on these models and build them’, Psiaki tells us. ‘People build as kids, and that’s fun, and then they kind of grow out of Lego. But we found that there’s kind of this urge to continue building when people get older. And so our goal in this product line is to get people that have kind of moved away back into it.’

‘This car, the James Bond DB5, really does that. I think there’s so many people, my age but both older and younger, that connect with it. Not only because it’s the car but all of the added gadgets that come on top of that. That just makes it such a cool toy, but more than a toy. Something that you just want to put on your shelf and show off.’

Licensing toy cars is a surprisingly complex and exacting process, made more difficult with Lego because on the one hand it’s the biggest toy brand in the world but on the other cars aren’t generally made out of little square bricks, so it can be difficult to get the look just right. And yet by happy coincidence it transpires that Aston Martin design director Miles Nurnberger, who was also at the reveal event, was directly inspired by Lego.

‘I’m a self-confessed fan’, he admits with a guilty grin. ‘It’s the reason I got into design. I just played with Lego as a kid. My parents say they count Lego as a blessing, because I could just create. I could make my world, make objects, spaceships, you name it – you had to think in 3D and that was the core of how I became a designer. And you hear it a lot from designers of any industry.’

‘I was obsessed with the stuff! My parents used to kill me because I used to dump it all on the floor, so of course the old treading on a Lego brick was a big problem! It’s so creative, it’s so imaginative… it’s honestly one of the core reasons I became a designer.’

The only problem with the set is that there’s no little Sean Connery minifigure to go with it, because it’d be absurdly out of scale with the car itself. Psiaki is unsure whether a smaller scale DB5 might be released in the future, because that’s not his area, but he just about manages to hold back a grin when asked about the possibility of a Lotus Esprit.

Nurnberger tries to affect an air of disapproval at the question, but is clearly intrigued when Psiaki answers, ‘You never know what’s coming… that’s all I’ll say!’

The James Bond Aston Martin DB5 costs £129.99 for 1,290 pieces and went on sale today (at 10:07 no less) from official Lego stores and online.

If you can’t do the time, then don’t do the crime. It might be hard for humans to take heed of the message but for dogs, more so probably.

One little doggie certainly didn’t choose the thug life and realised the error of his ways after managing to get arrested.

After trespassing regularly into a property that didn’t belong to him in New Jersey, the pug – known locally as Bean – was caught by the Cape May Police Department.

And they meant business, getting the pooch to pose for a mugshot and everything.

But, just… take a look at the little thing.

‘This is what happens when you run away from home,’ cops wrote on the Facebook page, adding ‘this guy was captured sneaking through yards’.

But the wee trespasser was called a ‘handsome criminal’ as he looked sheepishly at the camera while being officer propped up by an officer.

Bean wasn’t spared the jailhouse treatment either, as he was locked up and held in custody until his owner came to claim him.

The runaway delinquent was even pictured mournfully peering out of a holding cell.

Commentators on the page inquired about his treatment.

User Matt wrote: ‘Any word on whether the police ruffed him up after he was taken into custody?’

Almost 2,000 people joined in on the jokes and quips after the post went viral.

‘Officer: “Do you know why I stopped you?” Dog: “This isn’t my collar I swear”,’ wrote Joe.

And of course, one person had to make a pun, saying: ‘He didn’t choose the pug life. The pug life chose him.’

Don’t worry though, little Bean is back with his family and his bail was paid in cookies.

Let’s just hope he’s learned his lesson.

MORE: Burger King gives terminally ill dog free cheeseburgers for the rest of his life

MORE: Mum shares simple tricks to stop toddlers wrecking the bathroom

Plus size model Tess Holliday has started a petition to take down an appetite suppressant lollipop advertisement that is currently up in Times Square, New York.

The model, who was recently on the cover of Health magazine, shared an image of the ad, alongside a link to her petition, which she is asking others to sign.

Her petition, ‘Remove Flat Tummy Ads From Times Square’, has so far received nearly all of its 10,000 signature goal.

Tess wrote: ‘There’s an ad up in Times Square marketing appetite suppressant lollipops to young women and I need your help getting it taken down.

‘Telling young women and girls to ignore or suppress their hunger is dangerous. Join the campaign calling for Flat Tummy Co. to take their billboard down immediately.

‘Hunger is your body’s way of communicating when it needs food, which gives us energy, without which we cannot survive. There is something deeply wrong when marketers tell women that their appearance (based on sexist body standards) is more important than their health and survival.

‘As a fat woman, I can’t tell you the number of people who’ve told me that I should stop eating, or eat less. Or the number of people who’ve treated me terribly because of my size. We need to stop telling women and girls that they are only worth how skinny they are.

‘Messaging like this makes us more likely to start restrictive diets which too often lead to eating disorders. Diet culture is making us sick – and Flat Tummy Co. is profiting off it by selling us candy that’s not even FDA-approved.’

The billboard was first spotted by Random House social media manager Sophie Vershbow, who has suffered with anorexia in the past.

She tweeted: ‘Hey Twitter, Let’s use our power for good by guilting @FlatTummyCo into taking down their Times Square billboard advertising appetite suppressants. Love, A former-anorexic teenage girl.’

The tweet went on to be retweeted by nearly 1,000 people and liked by over 2,000.

Flat Tummy Co’s lollipops, which are said to kick cravings and suppress appetites, first hit headlines after Kim Kardashian promoted them on her Instagram.

Though she has since changed the caption after considerable backlash, the original caption stated that the lollipops were ‘unreal’.

The photo received criticism from both Kim’s followers and other celebrities including Jameela Jamil, who took to Twitter writing: ‘No. F*ck off. No. You terrible and toxic influence on young girls.

‘I admire their mother’s branding capabilities, she is an exploitative but innovative genius, however this family makes me feel actual despair over what women are reduced to.’

Since the petition was shared, people have been expressing their anger over the billboard across social media, with many furious at such a toxic message being directed to young women.

With the petition, Tess hopes the advertisement will be removed and that young women will stop being targeted by such unhealthy messages.

Metro.co.uk has contacted Tess for comment, and will update this article if she responds.

MORE: Hit the snooze button, beauty sleep is definitely a real thing

MORE: How much gluten is in gluten-free food?

This July a whole host of hot new beauty products have dropped and beauty fans everywhere are rejoicing.

From a undetectable loose powder, to a limited edition ghd x Lulu Guinness gold styler in support of Breast Cancer Now, there’s some seriously exciting new beauty launches.

But there’s a lot to pick from right now. So if you’re feeling overwhelmed, we’ve rounded up 11 new beauty launches you need to know about.

1 Huda Beauty Easy Bake Loose Powder

The beloved brand’s newest launch, Easy Bake Loose Powder comes in 8 shades including ‘Cupcake’, ‘Banana Bread’, ‘Cinnamon Bun’ and ‘Coffee Cake’.

The reflective, silky smooth baking powder is essentially a setting powder that helps to brighten and blur the complexion whilst keeping shine at bay.

And if you’re a bit baffled by ‘baking’, Huda Kattan shows you how to bake your face like a pro on her blog here.

Huda Beauty Easy Bake Loose Powder, £28.00, cultbeauty.co.uk

2 ghd Gold by Lulu Guinness

Not only will this limited edition styler from ghd help make your locks straight, shiny and gorgeous, £10.00 from every purchase goes to Breast Cancer Now.

This year’s ghd annual pink collection (which has raised over £10million over the past 14 years for breast cancer charities) features Lulu Guinness’s iconic lip print with a pretty pearlescent coordinating heat-resistant bag.

Pucker up!

ghd Gold by Lulu Guinness, £139.00, lookfantastic.com

3 LIXIRSKIN Soft Clay Rubber

This pretty pink 2-in-1 no-bits exfoliator and mask will help to unblock pores and smooth the surface of skin thanks to its blend of keratolytic enzymes and white clay.

And as it’s grit-free, it’s good for the environment and won’t leave skin red and raw.

LIXIRSKIN Soft Clay Rubber, £28.00, cultbeauty.co.uk

4 BECCA x Chrissy Teigen Endless Bronze & Glow

If you’re looking for a sun-kissed glow in a compact BECCA and Chrissy Teigen have you sorted.

The limited edition powder features two of BECCA’s much-loved Shimmering Skin Perfector Pressed Highlighters and one shade of Sunlit Bronzer.

And they can be worn individually or swirled together for a glowing and gorgeous finish.

If it’s good enough for Chrissy…

BECCA x Chrissy Teigen Endless Bronze & Glow, £30.00, cultbeauty.co.uk

5 Charlotte Tilbury Bar of Gold Highlighter Palette

Unsurprisingly, beauty addicts and bloggers alike have fallen head-over-heels for this dreamy palette from Charlotte Tilbury.

The Bar of Gold Highlighter Palette contains a trio of highlighters including Charlotte’s best-selling original Bar of Gold Highlighter.

To flawlessly illuminate your skin Charlotte Tilbury recommends “dusting any or all of the 3 shades across different parts of the face” and “applying as eyeshadow or on top of lip makeup”.

We predict a sell-out.

Charlotte Tilbury Bar of Gold Highlighter Palette, £49.00, charlottetilbury.com

6 Elemis Limited Edition Pro-Collagen Rose Cleansing Balm

If you’re a die-hard fan of Elemis’ Pro-Collagen Cleansing Balm, you’re bound to love this version of the original and bestselling formula.

The limited edition luxurious cleansing balm, has been infused with ultra-nourishing oils and English rose extract, to leave skin super-soft and glowing.

What’s more, this supersized pot has been created with British fashion house, Lily and Lionel in support of Breast Cancer Care.

Elemis Limited Edition Pro-Collagen Rose Cleansing Balm, £68.00 (worth £82.00), lookfantastic.com

7 Dr Roebuck’s NO WORRIES Hydrating Face Moisturizer

If you want a vegan-friendly, no-frills moisturiser Dr Roebuck’s NO WORRIES Hydrating Face Moisturizer is a good option.

The lightweight moisturiser has been formulated with Vitamin E, Rosehip Oil, Hyaluronic Acid and Macadamia Oil to help penetrate deep into the moisture barrier, leaving skin silky smooth and perfectly hydrated.

Dr Roebuck’s NO WORRIES Hydrating Face Moisturizer, £30.00, spacenk.com

8 MIMITIKA Sunscreen Body Spray

There’s really nothing too special about sunscreen, but if you’re going on holiday this summer you must-try MIMITIKA Sunscreen Body Spray.

The nourishing SPF 30 body spray, is super lightweight and provides broad spectrum defence against harmful UVA and UVB rays.

It also contains a natural active ingredient that stimulates melanin production for a natural golden glow.

MIMITIKA Sunscreen Body Spray, £21.50, spacenk.com

9 The Ordinary Ascorbic Acid + Alpha Arbutin 2% 30ml

Yet another affordable skincare launch from The Ordinary to add to our bathroom cabinets for the ultimate #shelfie.

The Ordinary Ascorbic Acid + Alpha Arbutin 2% is one of the new products that have launched this Summer by the Canada-born skin-care line.

It’s vegan-friendly and formulated with a powerful combination of ingredients to help diminish dark spots, even tone and reduce the look of fine lines.

The Ordinary Ascorbic Acid + Alpha Arbutin 2% 30ml, £10.00, beautybay.com

10 Beautiful Escape Second Edition Beauty Box

For the second year in a row some of our favourite brands have clubbed together to release a beauty box.

This year’s box features eight summer must-haves fit for your next flight abroad including; Origins GinZing Energy-Boosting Moisturizer and a diddy Bobbi Brown Eye Opening Mascara.

And the contents (which FYI is worth over £70.00) is encased in a on-trend palm tree wash bag – nice eh?

Beautiful Escape Second Edition Beauty Box, £25.00, selected sites inc. maccosmetics.co.uk

11 Dior Backstage Face and body foundation 50ml

Dior has finally released a collection of products that won’t leave you bankrupt.

The new affordable line from Dior includes a plethora of brushes, palettes and 40 (yes, you read that right) shades of foundation.

Their Face and Body Foundation promises a second skin finish and that’s both waterproof and sweat-resistant.

And okay, it costs £29.00, but it’s still less expensive than their other base offerings *adds to basket*.

Dior Backstage Face and body foundation 50ml, £29.00, debenhams.co.uk

Attention, chocolate fanatics: You can now buy actual Oreo cakes, and they sound amazing.

Okay, so they’re actually cake bars and look a little bit like mini rolls but given an Oreo twist.

The rectangular bars are made using dark chocolate cake, creamy Oreo frosting and are then coated with a layer of Cadbury chocolate.

Currently, they’re pretty rare and are only selling in B&M stores – they started appearing in stores a couple of weeks ago – or online elsewhere.

The first time we’ve tracked them back to was in April this year.

The discount retailer is selling them in boxes of 12 for £2 – which is pretty great considering they’re going for around a fiver online.

With Oreo and Cadbury owned by the same parent company, it’s easy to see why so many product collaborations are popping up.

If you’re in the US, you’ll be happy to know you can also get your hands on an Oreo cake – this time in ice cream form.

The cookie brand has just joined forces with Carvel to create an Oreo ice cream cake.

While it essentially looks like one giant Oreo, it’s filled with sandwich cookie chunks, vanilla ice cream and whipped icing, and comes topped with a giant Oreo wafer.

The ice cream came is available in Target and can serve up to 12 people – though let’s face it, who’s really going to be sharing?

MORE: Tess Holliday kicks off petition to take down flat tummy advert in Times Square

MORE: You’ll soon be able to buy a colour-changing gin in Aldi

A job in the creative industry might seem like a lifelong dream for some.

If you’ve always hoped of writing, acting or being behind the cameras it can be pretty difficult to find a job or get funding for the right courses or qualifications to take.

It makes it particularly difficult if you’ve got parents who insist you’re better off doing something more ‘traditional’ can also get in the way.

So, Maisie Williams, otherwise known as the fierce Arya Stark in Game of Thrones, has decided to give people a helping hand with her new app, Daisie.

The app will be released in August and was also made in collaboration with filmmaker Dom Santry to give budding creatives and even seasoned pros a leg up in the industry.

Hopefuls can showcase their portfolio, network with leaders in their field, apply for work opportunities and bring their projects to life.

But it’s not for influencers to use the platform to gain more followers hence why Maisie has mandated that follower count not be taken into consideration when picking artists. She wants people to find success based on their talents alone.

‘I want creative industries to be seen as a serious career decision, and I also want it to be easy for creators to be paid fairly,’ the actress told Teen Vogue.

‘Our main focus is on community and closing the gap between experienced creators and people just starting out.’

Model Adwoa Aboah was one of the inspirational women Maisie used to advertise the app on Instagram.

‘Another thing that hugely inspires me is this generation of young women and young people leading a mindset of change and striving to not just “go along” with the things that we don’t agree with,’ Maisie wrote.

‘Adwoa Aboah is a great example of a young person who is using her platform in an effective and inspirational way.’

Although Linkedin and Facebook are often used to search for such jobs, Daisie aims to provide a more seamless experience, with a targeted built-in audience, a targeted support system and will start ad-free.

It comes at a good time as many have recently argued that exposure, albeit a good thing, doesn’t pay bills (platforms which promise artists exposure in lieu of payments have been criticised for benefiting from free labour).

Maisie said the app should bridge that gap and that the ‘creator-first’ network will end with the artist finding lucrative work.

‘I think strength comes through numbers and creating a talented community will represent the various creative industries in the best possible way,’ she added.

‘It’s also difficult for genuine connections to be made even though we all share a common passion for the creative arts.’

You can join the app no matter what your background, whether you dance, draw, or are even interested in app creation.

MORE: You’ll soon be able to buy a colour-changing gin in Aldi

MORE: This pug got arrested and please just look at his mug shot

Regardless of your views on the European Union, we can surely all agree that the Europeans know their way around cheese.

Popping to the supermarket and seeing the huge array of cheeses on offer is undoubtedly on of the highlights of any foodie’s European getaway – stocking up the fridge is a summertime rite of passage.

Well, cheese-loving Brexiteers, we’ve got some pretty bad news for you – ditching the EU might mean ditching the dairy, too.

Research conducted by the London School of Economics on behalf of the food brand Arla (who also produce Lurpak and Anchor) suggests that Britain’s exit from the EU could have catastrophic effects on cheeseboards in the UK, with prices on dairy products looking set to soar.

Butter and yoghurt are also likely to be affected, due to Britain’s dairy-heavy diet and resultant dependency on European imports.

‘Our dependence on imported dairy products means that disruption to the supply chain will have a big impact,’ says Ash Amirahmadi, the UK managing director of Arla Foods.

‘Most likely we would see shortages of products and a sharp rise in prices, turning everyday staples like butter, yoghurt, cheese and infant formula into occasional luxuries. Specialty cheeses, where there are currently limited options for production, may become very scarce.’

It’s all because of that pesky World Trade Organisation, who – if the UK defaults to their rulings after exiting the European Union – would place heavy tariffs of up to 68% on cheese products travelling from overseas to the UK.

So, unless you’re willing to dig deep, looks like it could spell ‘goodbye’ to your Gouda, ‘bye bye’ to your brie, and ‘sad to see you go’ to your manchego.

That last one might need work, We admit it’s a bit… cheesy.