Starbucks has just released three new cheesecake frappuccinos and they all look delicious.
To cash in on the heatwave, Starbucks has just launched some summer fraps for anyone with a sweet tooth.
There’s the blueberry cheesecake frappuccino, a mocha cheesecake frappuccino, and finally, a caramel cheesecake frap.
The blueberry cheesecake frappuccino looks delicious
(Picture: Starbucks)
As does the mocha version
(Picture: Starbucks)
Though the caramel cheesecake frap is perfect for anyone with a super sweet tooth
(Picture: Starbucks)
Each frappuccino is made using milk, frappuccino syrup, flavouring, and come with a swirl of sauce and a crumbled biscuit topping.
In other Starbucks news, the coffee chain is going to start charging its customers for paper cups.
The long-awaited ‘latte levy’ will launch tomorrow, 26 July.
It means you’ll be charged an extra 5p for taking a paper cup instead of bringing your own.
This change follows a three-month trial across London stores which showed a huge 126% increase in the numbers of customers using their own reusable cups.
To encourage people to bring their own cups, Starbucks is giving away a 25p discount off any drink as long as you bring your own cup in.
Following the 5p cup charge, by 2020, Starbucks will have implemented a global ban on plastic straws, showing total dedication to removing the amount of plastic ending up in the ocean.
It’s not just elderly people who can feel lonely or isolated.
I’m 26 and sometimes I feel so empty and alone I can hardly bear to inhabit my own skin.
My diagnosis of borderline personality disorder (BPD) definitely affects my ability to maintain stable relationships, and having generalised anxiety means that I can panic in new situations or in social contexts with people I don’t know. I’ve also got a history of abuse and trauma, and this makes it difficult for me to ‘read’ other people and correctly interpret gestures, body language, facial expressions and speech.
I’m trapped in a vicious cycle of being lonely partly because I have mental health problems, and loneliness making my mental health worse.
The worst thing about loneliness is that it’s so hard to tell other people that you’re struggling.
Loneliness carries its own social stigma, which means that people are more likely to keep their feelings hidden than share them with others.
I worry that people will see it as a symptom of me having an unpleasant personality or not being a nice person to spend time with, and then I worry that those things are true.
Feeling unpopular, unwanted, ashamed and alone all combines to make a poisonous soup of mental distress.
Loneliness also taps into a wider sense of inadequacy around what I’m ‘supposed’ to be doing in this period of my life.
I always imagined my 20s to be fun. I thought I’d have all the independence of adulthood without being particularly weighed down by the accompanying responsibilities I might have to put up with in my 30s and beyond.
My 20s would be about holidays, barbecues, doing the pub quiz with a big group of friends, weddings, having annual meet-ups with school and university pals, and keeping up with ever-buzzing WhatsApp groups for the sharing of gossip and inconsequential daily trivia.
It’s really not like this at all.
In Britain, 18-34 year olds are more likely to often feel lonely or depressed than people over the age of 55. According to an ONS report, the UK is now the loneliest country in Europe.
Theresa May has appointed a new ‘minister for loneliness’ to honour the legacy of murdered MP Jo Cox and to tackle an issue that’s believed to affect around 9 million people in the UK.
We hear a great deal about loneliness in older people living alone, but away from group chats and Instagram stories, millennials are lonely too.
And loneliness affects everything.
A study from Kings College London this year shows that lonely millennials are more likely to have mental health problems, be unemployed and feel negatively about their ability to succeed in comparison to their peers who don’t feel lonely. This was found to be true regardless of gender or wealth.
Meaningful connections with others are a huge factor in whether or not someone is happy.
(Picture: Ella Byworth for Metro.co.uk)
Humans are social creatures and we require reassurance, stimulation, validation and comfort from others. Loneliness can be corrosive, leading to bitterness, self-doubt and an increased fear of ‘putting yourself out there’ in social situations.
Some people take great comfort from the avenues for connection available online, but social media makes me feel much lonelier. It’s like constantly being reminded that a huge party is happening elsewhere that I’m not invited to.
I seem to spend a great deal of time scrolling through my Instagram and Facebook feeds, seeing people I know spending their weekends with huge groups of friends. It makes me feel like there’s something really wrong with me because I don’t have that.
Logically I know that these people usually still live in the same area as their school or university friends, or they simply have the kind of easygoing, amenable type of personality that lets them slot easily into a group of new friends like a round peg into a round hole.
I feel more like the square peg/round hole kind of person.
It must feel like having a soft, cosy blanket wrapped around you to know that there’s a group of people who regularly want to spend time with you.
I’m paralysed by a fear of rejection from people I do know, and I freeze when confronted with people I don’t know at all at networking events or things that people have invited me along to. I’m suspicious that these invitations come from a place of pity.
My firm belief is that once people get to know me, they won’t like me at all.
I’ve moved from my hometown to five different cities during my adult life due to study and work, and this sense of transience and rootlessness might be a contributing factor for why I feel lonely.
It’s easier at school or university, when you have a ready-made group of people in the same area who are living vaguely similar lives. The workplace is a different setting altogether. If by some stroke of luck you do actually want to be friends with your co-workers, they might want to leave everything work-related at the door each day.
The graduate job market and concentration of creative roles in certain areas of the country could also have a role to play here.
I took the first graduate job that was offered to me after my Masters because I was convinced I wouldn’t be offered anything better, and I moved to a town where I knew absolutely no one.
The job was a bad fit with a punishing commute that made my weight drop dangerously. I ended up working from home because I was locked into a tenancy agreement, completely isolated and severely depressed.
Lucy* has had similar experiences of moving for work and finding it a lonely business.
She tells Metro.co.uk ‘I moved for a dream job in fashion and although I loved my work, I was so lonely.
‘I was living in a house share with people who were fine, but not my friends. I didn’t really make friends at work either. Everyone had already formed their own bonds and groups and I felt like there wasn’t any room for me.
‘Among people I knew from uni, it was actually pretty common for people to move to completely new places for a job. I think everyone worried that if you didn’t take what you were offered, you wouldn’t get anything else.
‘I got so depressed because I was lonely that I fell back into a really toxic long-distance relationship with a guy who I knew was basically abusive, and I started binge eating.
‘I ended up moving back to where my family is from and getting a job there.’
There are lots of reasons that people in their 20s feel lonely. We’re often told that it’s the elderly who are the lonely ones, but youth is no guarantee of happiness, fulfilment or the ability to maintain friendships.
Austin told Metro.co.uk that he became isolated due to a relationship.
‘Over the course of a relationship, I sacrificed my happiness for another person,’ he explains. ‘Now I’m left pretty estranged from my old friends and struggling to make new ones my age.
‘The sting comes from wanting those connections, having it hang there sent or seeing the dreaded “read/seen”. Being lonely, in my opinion, is more about that sting than actually being alone.’
You can be lonely even if you don’t live alone. (Picture: Phébe Lou Morson for Metro.co.uk)
You don’t have to be totally alone to feel lonely.
I live with my fiancé, I work in an office with other people, and I do have some friends, but I still feel incredibly lonely.
Sometimes I ring a mental health helpline if my anxiety and loneliness get too hard to handle. Other times, I just crawl under the duvet and imagine having a group of friends to spend Friday night with.
After uprooting my life yet again and moving to a new city, I regularly hide in bed after work, too nervous to ask anyone I know in this busy, strange metropolis if they want to go for a drink because they might say no.
The fear of pain or rejection stops me from reaching out.
Rachel Boyd, Information Manager at the mental health charity Mind, tells Metro.co.uk: ‘Feeling isolated from others or the world around you can have a significant impact on how you’re feeling. Having a mental health problem increases your chance of feeling lonely, and feeling lonely can have a negative impact on your mental health.
‘No matter what age you are, people are naturally social creatures and most of us feel the need for social contact and relationships in one form or another.
‘Being sociable and connecting with other people is rewarding in its own right and can help significantly improve your mental wellbeing. But if you’re feeling low or anxious, reaching out to others can be hard and many people isolate themselves from friends and family.
‘Life can be challenging at times and when you’re living with a mental health problem the ups and downs of day-to-day life can be that much harder to manage.
‘In your 20s, you may be facing lots of stressful issues around finances, employment, housing and relationships that can affect your mental health.
‘You may find that friendships change as people’s life circumstances do, or that moving away from home or staying at home while others move away make you feel isolated. Many people find volunteering, starting a hobby or exercising can help manage feelings of loneliness.’
I know I need to take steps to stop these feelings of loneliness eating me alive. The first one was writing this article.
If you are concerned that feelings of loneliness are having a negative impact on your mental health, try an online community like Mind’s Elefriends or visit Mind’s info pages on loneliness.
That’s going to hog a lot of space wherever you put it
Harry Potter fans have got a lot of saving to do if they’re going to get their hands on what is a truly magical, and gigantic, Lego set.
A few weeks ago, Lego unveiled a new range of Harry Potter sets and figures. They all looked really good, including an impressive Hogwarts Great Hall that recreated the main section of the castle in minifigure scale.
But it turns out that’s child’s play compared to the new set they’ve just announced.
Lego Hogwarts Castle is the second-biggest Lego set ever made, at a staggering 6,020 pieces. That’s still smaller than the Ultimate Collector Series Millennium Falcon but ahead of the 5,923 pieces of the Taj Mahal.
As you can imagine that number of bricks (and having to pay for the Harry Potter licence on top) doesn’t come cheap but if you’ve got a spare £429.99 knocking around then it looks well worth it.
The ultimate Lego Hogwarts for the committed fan
Of course, the ‘real’ Hogwarts Castle is huge, so to ensure you don’t need to buy a new house to display it in everything has been shrunk down to microscale.
That means instead of ordinary minifigures you get 27 non-posable microfigures for characters including Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, Hermione Granger, Albus Dumbledore, and the Dementors.
It’s a trick Lego have used only a few times before, to portray really big vehicles and buildings (the last one was the now retired SHIELD Helicarrier) and as you can see it looks fantastic.
You do still get four regular minifigures anyway, of Hogwarts founders Helga Hufflepuff, Godric Gryffindor, Rowena Ravenclaw and Salazar Slytherin. And on top of that are fantastic beasts such as Aragog the Acromantula and a Hungarian Horntail (aka a dragon).
That’s a lot of bricks
The castle itself features the Great Hall, Dumbledore’s office, Dolores Umbridge’s classroom, Hagrid’s hut, the Whomping Willow, and a microscale Ford Anglia.
The completed castle measures over 22” (58cm) high, 27” (69cm) wide, and 16” (43cm). So, yeah it’s big. It’s also suggested for ‘children’ of 16 years and older, which as usual is secret code for being aimed more at parents than kids.
Hogwarts Castle is set number 71043 will be released from 15th August 2018, so you’ve got just enough time to apply for an evening job to pay for it.
The prestigious Man Booker prize longlist has been released and it’s full of incredible novels.
For the last two years, the prize has been won by American novelists, but this year, only two US writers have been longlisted, assuaging fears from some that the prize would be dominated by American authors.
Previously awarded to literary heavyweights like J.M Coetzee with bleak South African drama Disgrace and Salman Rushdie with Midnight’s Children (NOT the book he was issued with a fatwa over, if you were wondering), the Booker prize was started in 1969.
Other notable winners include dystopian goddess Margaret Atwood, historical fiction favourite Hilary Mantel and Yann Martel with the Life of Pi.
The author who wins will receive £50,000 in prize money.
The 2018 longlist nominees are:
Belinda Bauer
(Picture: Jay Brooks/Man Booker Prize/PA Wire)
CWA golden dagger and Theakston prize winner Bauer’s thriller Snap where an 11 year old boy is left in charge of his younger sisters when their mother disappears on the M5.
Nick Drnaso
(Picture: Alex Bliss/Man Booker Prize/PA Wire)
Drnaso’s haunting graphic novel Sabrina about a girl who goes missing is the first book of this format ever to make it on to the longlist.
Anna Burns
(Picture: Man Booker Prize/PA Wire)
Her novel Milkman is set in the midst of the Troubles and tells the story of a young woman pursued by an older paramilitary officer.
Sally Rooney
(Picture: Jonny Davies/Man Booker Prize/PA Wire)
Rooney’s coming of age novel Normal People follows two characters from school in a small Irish town to university in Dublin, exploring the triumphs and heartache of love and friendship.
Esi Edugyan
(Picture: Man Booker Prize/PA Wire)
Edugyan’s novel Washington Black is a 19th century adventure that spans the globe from the Caribbean to the frozen wastes of the Arctic.
Guy Gunaratne
(Picture: Cade Moulla/Man Booker Prize/PA Wire)
Gunaratne’s debut In Our Mad And Furious City is set against the backdrop of a London housing estate during a hot, dangerous summer where an off-duty soldier is murdered.
Richard Powers
(Picture: Man Booker Prize/PA Wire)
Powers has written about enviornmental issues before, but the scope of The Overstory, an expansive story of a family and the trees that they plant, will alter your human perception of time and scale.
Johnson’s debut Everything Under that explores the fraught relationship between mother and daughter.
Rachel Kushner
(Picture: Chloe Aftel/Man Booker Prize/PA Wire)
The Mars is Kushner’s impeccably-researched dive into the prison industrial complex.
Sophie Mackintosh
(Picture: Sophie Davidson/Man Booker Prize/PA Wire)
Mackintosh’s impressive debut The Water Cure tells the story of three newcomers who are washed up on a remote island inhabited by three girls under the control of their mother and father.
Michael Ondaatje
(Picture: Daniel Mordzinski/Man Booker Prize/PA Wire)
The author of The English Patient returns to London in 1945 with Warlight.
The Long Take, the melancholic tale of a D-Day veteran drifting through American cities looking for somewhere to stay, combines both prose and verse.
Donal Ryan
(Picture: Anthony Woods/Man Booker Prize/PA Wire)
Ryan weaves the stories of three very different people in From a Low and Quiet Sea, a novel recently praised by Roddy Doyle.
This year’s longlist is packed with amazing offerings and we’re very excited to read the lauded debuts from some of the authors above.
The inclusion of the graphic novel may prove controversial, as will Robin Robertson’s ‘novel in verse’ but the Man Booker prize committee has chosen to honour creativity and talent over a narrow definition of what the word ‘novel’ means.
With all the amazing creations on the 2018 longlist, it’s safe to say that the rest of our year’s reading is sorted.
Make sure you’ve got some free time in August, because an Espresso Martini Festival is coming to London.
The festival first took place last year, as London’s first ever Espresso Martini Festival, courtesy of Mr Black, and it was a massive success.
So much so, that they’ve decided to bring it back for a second year – this time with a dedicated space for the celebration of coffee culture.
The festival will be taking place in bars all across London between 16 and 19 August, celebrating the capital’s most famous cocktail export, whilst Mr Black’s Church of Coffee pop-up space in Shoreditch will keep the coffee liqueur flowing throughout the weekend.
The event comes in partnership with DrinkUp.London, the team behind London Cocktail Week.
(Picture: Getty)
100 top cocktail bars across the city will be taking part in the four day festival, selling £6 variations of the espresso cocktail.
Alongside the eponymous serve, each bar will also be rustling up a unique coffee-based cocktail that makes use of Mr Black coffee liqueur.
As well as the bars, Mr Black will be holding its own popup space, Church of Coffee, at The Old Truman Brewery in Shoreditch, where you’ll be able to sip on cocktails and learn more about the espresso martini.
There’ll also be lots of food, music and other cocktails on offer – with masterclasses and workshops to those with an interest in alcohol.
This will include Belvedere’s Espresso Art-Ini masterclass, Doughnut Time’s donut decoration class; a bottomless brunch; and London’s first dedicated Cold Brew pop up bar.
(Picture: Shutterstock)
What’s more, to celebrate the launch of the festival, Mr Black will be giving away free Espresso Martinis to the first 1,000 visitors.
If you fancy attending the festival, all you have to do is purchase a digital pass on your phone.
It costs £10 and will give you access to each of the cocktail bars where drinks will cost just £6. And, whilst the hub space will be open to all, ticket holders can enjoy the cocktails on offer for just £6.
Tom Baker, Founder of My Black, says: ‘Our 2017 festival went off! Watching groups of coffee loving humans walking from bar to bar in London quaffing some of the world’s finest Espresso Martinis was really humbling and we’re excited to do it all again this year.
‘2018 will be bigger, better and boozier with over 100 bars taking part and the launch of our Church of Coffee. We’ve secured a dedicated space in The Old Truman Brewery which we’ll bring together all things booze and coffee culture together under one roof for a big caffeinated party.’
The unthinkable has happened: it has been hot in the UK for four solid months.
Since summer usually means trench foot at festivals and rained-off barbecues, it’s ok to admit that the back-to-back scorchers and rooftop barlife have blown the budget.
Despite the fact it’s only July and we’re not even a month into summer, a whole lot of us are totally skint.
The answer? Start sharing the cost.
Think after-work wine in the park instead of pints in pubs, barbecues in back gardens instead of dinners out and road trips instead of flying abroad (to somewhere that is probably less sunny than England is now anyway).
See also: Rowing boats in Richmond, rounders (all you need is a kit for £10 with bat, ball and posts), retro sports days.
Not only are these ideas cheaper to pull off, but you can all chip in to share the cost – and that’s where PayPal’s new payment sharing feature Money Pools comes in.
Money Pool PayPal
A Money Pool is an easy way to chip in for a joint party without harassing your mates for cash when they are miles from a cash point (because who carries cash these days?).
It lets you set up a shared payment with just a few taps.
Just visit the PayPal app and tap ‘Money Pools’. Choose from a non-specific contribution amount if you’re chipping in different quantities or a specific amount if you’ve divided things up.
You can also enter the reason for the Money Pool and more detail if you need to.
Then all that remains is to send your most enthusiastic friend off to buy the beer while everyone pays up.
We spoke to a few people who have used Money Pools already and this is what they said.
‘My first time using a Money Pool was for the hen do of a friend – and I have used it for every shared payment since. It was so much easier than finding out the bank details of a mutual friend I had never paid before and having to set up a new payee with my bank, which always fails and means I have to call them up. Half an hour on hold to the bank later and I end up giving up – until the next embarrassing reminder to pay drops into the WhatsApp group or email chain.
Or even worse – you turn up at the hen do and realise you haven’t paid…
(Picture: Ella Byworth for Metro.co.uk)
‘I was a bit of a naysayer until I actually used it,’ says Alex. I’d thought it couldn’t be any easier than, say banking apps. But the problem is, the payee has to be on those new banking apps too – and it’s still vanishingly rare outside of the London bubble. Pretty much everyone is on PayPal though. I also like the way you can describe what the payment is for, specify the amount (I always forget with shared payments and have to go back and hunt for the email the original details came in) and the fact you can use a pic – it gives handing over your hard-earned cash more of a personal touch.
Sophie has just sent one out for a girls’ holiday in Rye after first sending out multiple totals and her husbands, then her own, bank details and realising no one was paying up – because she had confused them with too many details and changing amounts. ‘People at their desks all day don’t have time to copy out bank details, find their secure key and set up new payments,’ she says. ‘Once I realised literally no one had paid, I sent out the Money Pools link with a fun pic and a message and the money came in that morning. It’s just so much quicker for people, particularly my lame friends who are not on top of their life admin.’
The app gives you a list of who has paid up and who hasn’t without constantly checking your bank account – and you can screengrab and it drop that into the group Whatsapp to shame the ones yet to pay. So much fun to be had.
No memory power is required – so you can all just get on with this sensational summer.
HOW - AND WHEN - TO GET YOUR PALS TO PAY UP PETROL MONEY
(Picture: Ella Byworth for Metro.co.uk)
You don’t need to offer your friends money every time they take you 10 minutes down the road to the pub. But if you are asking them regularly to go out of their way to drop you off or you’re teaming up for a roadtrip, you should offer to share the cost. Paying the full cost of a 300mile journey could cost between £60 – £80 or more, depending the car, the speed and the driving conditions, which can add a significant whack to the driver’s budget if it doesn’t come back to them – and buying them a bottle of Diet Coke and some Quavers at the garage doesn’t exactly fill the gap.
If you have far-flung weddings, festivals, camping trips or concerts to plan for, remember that just because you’ve decided not to get the train (because it’s too expensive and inconvenient), doesn’t mean the journey is now a freebie.
As the passenger: Be thoughtful about your driver. Offer them money for petrol – and ask genuinely how much it will cost so you can chip in more than just a token fiver. If they refuse – plenty of people don’t like asking for money from friends – set a Money Pool up for them and collect the funds while they are driving. Include enough for snacks at the petrol station too.
As the driver:
If the journey is long enough to think about petrol money, broach it early on. Don’t assume people will offer petrol money. Don’t wait until the trip is over to ask. And don’t assume they know how much to give.
Set up expectations by suggesting you share cost when you offer to drive – and give a ballpark figure for how much it might cost.
You can use an online journey price fuel calculator tool to help – or just work it out when you’ve got there and know how much half the journey costs.
Remember, if your friends are used to filling up a tiny 2-door and you’re taking them in an SUV, they may not have any idea a full tank could cost upwards of £80. If you haven’t given them an amount, don’t be surprised if they hand you a fiver for their fifth thinking they are being perfectly generous.
The ideal is to fill up when you’re all in the car so it’s clear how much you put in and how much you go on to use. If that’s not practical though, you can simply tell them lightly that a tank costs £80 and you expect to use it all there and back.
DO: Introduce the topic early to eliminate awkwardness later on. Say ‘How about I drive and you guys chip in for the petrol?
DO: Be specific. Don’t assume they will know how much to offer.
DO: Remind them. People are more likely to be forgetful than tight or malicious. They’d feel much better about getting a reminder than being talked about behind their back. Send the Money Pools link when you have established the cost, and don’t be shy to send it again – with a screengrab of the app showing who has paid up to shame the others if you’re feeling mischievous!
If you’re worrying that your cat isn’t eating as much in the heat – don’t.
Unless they’re showing signs that they’re unwell, there really isn’t anything to panic about.
It turns out that most cats just tend to eat less in the summer, especially if it’s really hot.
This is because cats do not need as much energy during the summer months as they do during the winter – when they need it to expend in the colder months trying to keep warm.
Clare Hamilton, a practice owner and head vet at Cherry Tree Veterinary Practice, in Lane End, Buckinghamshire’, says during a heatwave like the one we’re having, you can expect to not see your cat as much.
She tells Metro.co.uk: ‘It is obviously very warm outside so a cat will not need to burn off as many calories as they do in winter – when it is colder, they need calories to keep warm.
(Picture: Getty)
‘During summer it is normal for cats to spend long lengths of time outside as they are trying to find cool places to lay in the shade and are often out hunting – hence why you are probably finding that your cat isn’t coming in for food as often as normal.
‘Cats are very independent – you won’t be able to force your cat to eat something, they will eat if they want to.
‘You can try by putting something very delicious in front of them, but if that’s still not enough to tempt them, and you are concerned with their appetite, I suggest taking them to be weighed by their vet.’
Clare says there’s no need to worry as long as they’re not showing other indications that something isn’t right.
If they’re unusually quiet and wanting to be alone, vomiting, or having diarrhoea after eating, then you should head to your vet immediately.
Something else to look out for in this heat is your cat’s temperature.
(Picture: Getty)
Clare says: ‘One way to tell is by feeling the top of their ears, if they feel hot to you compared to normal, then your cat may have some form of temperature or fever.
‘Something that a lot of cat owners don’t know is that it is quite common for cats with white ears to develop skin cancer due to exposure to the sun.
‘You can buy pet-friendly suncreams to avoid the chances of this happening and to keep your cat’s ears and skin protected.
‘My advice is that if you are at any point concerned about your cat’s health, that you trust your instinct and take them to your local vet for a check up. You know your pet better than anyone.’
While your cat may not be eating as much, there are certain things you can do to make their eating experience a little better for them.
If you feed them dry food, it’s very important that it’s stored in a cool and dry place.
The bag should be used as quickly as possible to remain fresh – if it’s stale, your cat is more likely to refuse it.
Feeding wet food can be great for a cat’s hydration due to the water used in it – which is great for cats in the heat.
Ultimately, just carry on feeding your cat how you would. If they eat it, they eat it, if they don’t, they don’t.
It’s only a worry if they’re displaying any other signs of illness or if they’re lethargic.
Be happy your cat is getting the chance to play outside and chase the birds and bees – it’ll be winter before you know it, and they’ll be devouring everything in sight.
This summer, you don’t need to break the bank to get your skin to glow.
Budget retailer Aldi’s Lacura range is back for summer and beauty fans everywhere are rejoicing.
The spa-inspired Lacura Exfoliating Mud Mask and Hot Cloth Cleanser are perfect dupes of higher end brands and they’re sure to make their way on every beauty lover’s shopping list.
And the best part? They’re cheap as hell.
The Mud Mask is made with clay and green tea, witch hazel and red algae extracts. (Picture: Aldi)
The Lacura Exfoliating Mud Mask is only £5.99 and perfectly modelled on the GlamGlow YOUTHMUD. It’s made with clay and green tea, witch hazel and red algae extracts
The GlamGlow product will set you back £42, whilehe Aldi version represents an 86% saving of £32.01.
Aldi’s mask promises to balance skin, exfoliate with glycolic acid and reduce the appearance of imperfections and pores.
The Lacuna Hot Cloth Cleanser is a replica of Liz Earle’s Cleanse and Polish, which costs £26. Aldi’s version is priced at just £3.99, allowing you to save £22.01 or 85%.
The Hot Cloth Cleanser is a fraction of the price of Liz Earle’s Cleanse and Polish. (Picture: Aldi)
The cleanser is made with eucalyptus oil, rosemary, cocoa butter and chamomile and will purify and tone skin.
Both items will be back in stores from 22 July and available online from 29 July.
Skincare fans need to act fast though, because they are guaranteed to sell out.
TripAdvisor’s 2018 Traveller’s Choice Awards have named Universal’s Islands of Adventure in Orlando, Florida as the best amusement park in the world, with Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom coming in second.
The title is awarded based on TripAdvisor reviews, that are analysed for their quality by an algorithm.
The algorithm also takes into account the number of reviews a theme park gets over a 12 month period.
Universal’s Islands of Adventure features eight themed ‘islands’ that include Marvel Super Hero Island, Skull Island from King Kong, Jurassic Park and the newest addition, The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, complete with a Hogwarts Express train and an interactive Ollivanders shopping experience.
Universal’s Islands of Adventure – Orlando, Florida
Magic Kingdom – Orlando, Florida
Le Puy du Fou – Les Epesses, France
Universal Studios Hollywood – Los Angeles, California
Universal Studios Florida – Orlando, Florida
Disney’s Animal Kingdom – Orlando, Florida
Europa-Park – Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany
Tivoli Gardens – Copenhagen, Denmark
The Island in Pigeon Forge – Pigeon Forge, Tennessee
Disneyland Park – Marne-la-Vallee, France
Paulton’s Park, home of Peppa Pig World, was named the UK’s best amusement park for the third year running.
Blackpool Pleasure Beach and Alton Towers came in second and third respectively.
The best amusement parks in the UK
Paultons Park (Peppa Pig World) – Romsey, England
Blackpool Pleasure Beach – Blackpool, England
Alton Towers – Alton, England
The Milky Way Adventure Park – Clovelly, Devon, England
Crealy Adventure Park and Resort, Exeter, England
Sundown Adventureland – Retford, England
Landmark Forest Adventure Park – Carribridge, Scotland
Brighton Palace Pier – Brighton, England
Adventure Island – Southend-on-Sea, England
Drayton Manor Park – Tamworth, England
The world’s best water park was also named, with Siam Park in Tenerife topping the list for the fifth consecutive year.
Siam Park’s famous ‘Tower of Power’ drop slide sees thrill seekers drop 28m and reach speeds of up to 80km/h. As the ride finishes, they shoot through a huge aquarium filled with sharks and rays.
Siam Park’s Tower of Power
The Thai-inspired architecture, mixture of terrifying and more gentle rides, and wave pool with the biggest artificial waves in the world make Sian Park a prime destination for water-based adrenaline junkies.
Siam Park was followed by Waterbom Bali in Kuta, Indonesia in second place and Beach Park in Aquiraz, Brazil coming in third.
The best water parks in the world
Siam Park – Tenerife, Spain
Waterbom Bali – Kuta, Indonesia
Beach Park – Aquiraz, State of Ceara, Brazil
Thermas dos Laranjais – Olimpia, State of Sao Paulo, Brazil
Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon Water Park – Orlando, Florida
Aquapark Istralandia – Novigrad, Croatia
Wild Wadi Waterpark – Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Makadi Water World – Hurghada, Egypt
Eco Parque Arraial d’Ajuda – Porto Seguro, Brazil
WetSide Water Park – Hervey Bay, Australia
Siam Park also won Europe’s best water park, and the only UK destination featured on the list was the LC in Swansea.
Whether you want to scream in terror as a rollercoaster twists your insides or plan a family holiday, the places on TripAdvisor’s top 10 lists are worth considering for your next getaway.
Fashion Nova has already taken over your Instagram, dominating feeds with photos of celebs wearing their bodycon co-ord sets and bedazzled bustiers.
Now, they’re coming for the world of beauty.
In an interview with Business of Fashion, Fashion Nova’s CEO Richard Saghian announced plans to launch Fashion Nova’s own line of makeup and beauty products, called Nova Beauty.
That’s a pretty big deal. The brand currently has a small beauty section selling products by Sam Marcel and Bebella, but launching their own line will completely change up their offering.
Fashion Nova is known for offering affordable fashion, so it’s likely their beauty range will be just as budget-friendly and trend focused. Given their expertise in getting influencers to promote their clothing, we’ll also see a bunch of celebs rocking Nova Beauty lipsticks and lashes.
Sadly we’ll have to wait a while before we can get our hands on any of the stuff, though. The rollout is planned for the end of this year or early 2019.
But when the beauty launch does happen, it’s going to be big. The CEO says he wants Nova Beauty to rival Sephora and Ulta as a destination for all things makeup.
Get excited, get your makeup bag cleared, and get ready to see Cardi B rocking all the colours under the sun (they have to get her involved in the promotion, surely).
Men are more likely to exaggerate about how many people they’ve had sex with than women, new research has found.
According to the study, one in a hundred British men claim to have slept with more than 100 women – despite it not being true.
Researchers set out to discover why men tend to report more opposite-sex partners on average than women, even though the average number reported by men and women should, in theory, be about the same.
Dr Kirstin Mitchell, of the University of Glasgow, and colleagues analysed the responses of more than 15,000 men and women in the third National Survey of Sexual Attitudes and Lifestyles, known as Natsal-3.
They interviewed British adults aged 16 to 74 and found that the men reported an average of 14 lifetime partners while women reported only seven.
The researchers found that the difference can be explained by a tendency among men to report ‘extreme numbers’ of partners – leading them to estimate their total, rather than counting how many people they’ve actually slept with.
Dr Mitchell said that, together with gender differences in attitudes towards casual sex, explains roughly two-thirds of the notorious ‘gender gap’ found in many sex surveys.
(Picture: Ella Byworth for Metro.co.uk)
She said people who reported ‘very high numbers of partners skewed the average’, and the effect was stronger for men than women.
One man, who wishes to remain anonymous, tells Metro.co.uk that he can vouch for the fact that some men lie about the number of people they’ve slept with – as he’s one of them.
He said he was overwhelmed by peer pressure.
He told us: ‘I told my ex girlfriend I had slept with more girls so that she didn’t think I was a novice. It was like peer pressure but in a very odd way.
‘I said I’d slept with 13 girls, truth is I’d only ever slept with five.’
Dr Mitchell and her research team found sexual attitudes also had an impact on reporting.
The women answering were generally more conservative about their sexual experiences, and were half as likely as men to view one-night stands as ‘not wrong at all’.
65% of women were also more likely to view a ‘married person having sexual relations with someone other than his or her partner’ as ‘always wrong’ compared to 57% of men.
Dr Mitchell said the research team investigated a number of other explanations, and found that excluding paid-for partners made only a ‘small’ difference to the gender gap.
Dr Mitchell said: ‘Accurate reporting of sexual partners is crucial for many reasons, including assessing individual risk of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and estimating the rate of STI/HIV transmission.’
She added: ‘Most existing studies of reporting bias are limited to students or high-risk populations, or are conducted as ‘laboratory’ settings, so they don’t show how members of the public respond in a ‘real-life’ survey.
‘To our knowledge, our study is the first attempt to look at all the key types of explanation for the gender discrepancy within the same large and representative sample.’
Hot weather can be a pain for everyone, but for those with skin conditions the heat can bring on a suffering beyond underboob sweat.
Eczema – when patches of skin become rough, inflamed, and can be so sore they itch and bleed – can become significantly worse in the summer months thanks to sudden changes of temperature, which dry out the skin.
At the same time, the vitamin D in the sun’s rays can help treat eczema, so the answer isn’t to just hide inside a dark room from June to September.
Those with eczema may find that the hot weather – especially during the current heatwave we’re experiencing – has made their skin more sensitive, more itchy, and more prone to redness.
That’s down to the drying effect of the heat, as well as the increase in sweat, which can irritate sensitive skin even further.
What makes things worse are rapid changes from hot to cold; when you walk from the baking sun into an air-conditioned shop or return home to put all fans on blast. This adds even more dryness, worsening eczema as a result.
Add in hayfever, allergies, and the need to slather on extra sun cream, which can irritate the skin even when you don’t have eczema, and it’s clear how summer can be a nightmare when you have a skin condition.
Thankfully, there are things you can do beyond waiting for the temperature to drop.
(Picture: Ella Byworth/ Shutterstock)
Candice Brown, specialist skin aesthetician with London Bridge Plastic Surgery and Aesthetic Clinic advises upping the hydration internally and externally, picking your clothing wisely, and taking care when choosing a sun cream.
‘Hydration and correct skin moisturising is key,’ Candice tells Metro.co.uk. ‘Make sure you drink lots of water to counteract the moisture lost through sweat and avoid going outside when the sun is at its peak, as this will protect you from harmful UV radiation and sunburn.
‘Pick a nourishing moisturiser – one free from chemicals like parabens, a mass market preservative, or perfume – and apply it to your skin throughout the day.
‘Also make sure you wear loose clothing, as tight garments won’t just agitate the skin, they actually raise the body temperature and exacerbate eczema symptoms.
‘Try to wipe the sweat from your body as soon as it develops, as allowing it to sit on the skin will only irritate it.’
It’s not a wise idea to increase the number of showers you take each day in an attempt to wash away sweat, as the heat will only make dryness worse, but if you do need to have a shower it’s worth opting for lukewarm water.
Antihistemines will help to treat hay fever and lessen its impact on your skin.
When it comes to sun cream, make sure to choose an SPF higher than 30 with broad spectrum protection, as those with eczema are more vulnerable to the sun’s damaging rays, and avoid any sunscreens that contain alcohol.
Candice recommends finding a mineral-based sunscreen which contains titanium dioxide or zinc oxide, as these ingredients help to repair and soothe the skin.
Oh, and make sure to get enough sleep – it’s vital for making sure your skin is in optimum health.
‘Sleep deprivation actually causes a decrease in blood flow to the skin, stopping it from repairing and regenerating,’ Candice explains.
Plus, all that summer fun is bloody exhausting. Rest up.
If you’re a woman getting older, you’ve likely had one of your relatives advise you that your hands give away your age.
Or your elbows.
Either way, you’ll have been warned that an innocuous part of your body will reveal your age unto all, no matter how young your face may look.
The usual advice that goes along with this pearl of wisdom is to moisturise the heck out of your paws, slathering them in heavy cream before bed each night.
But it’s 2018. We’ve got loads of new ways to strive towards impossible ideals of youth and beauty.
An example: Hand injections.
This month the US Food and Drink Administration officially approved the use of a dermal filler, Restylane Lyft, in the hands – but the procedure has been offered in the UK for years.
The idea is that by injecting fillers into the hands you’ll be able to plump and smooth the skin, reducing the visibility of wrinkles and sagging skin that might ‘give away’ your age.
Dr Esho says the procedure has become increasingly popular in recent years.
‘There was originally just a focus on the face,’ the cosmetic doctor at The Esho Clinic and star of E4 body fixers tells Metro.co.uk. ‘But now many people have become concerned with looking fresh and young in the face but older and aged in the hand and neck and therefore now treat these areas in conjunction with the face to give a full overall rejuvenated look.’
‘The skin over our hands like everywhere else on our bodies ages with time.
‘We start to lose collagen, elastin and subcutaneous fat under the skin which gives the skin a “guttered” or “skeletal appearance”. Also as one of the most exposed areas of skin the overlying skin can become prone to sun damage.
‘With the use of dermal fillers we can rejuvenate aged hands by replacing loss volume and giving the backs of our hands a much more smooth appearance.
‘By injecting fillers in specific areas of hand we can help replace loss volume and there reduce sagging, smooth wrinkles and reduce the guttered or skeletal appearance gained from subcutaneous fat loss.’
There are two different ways to inject filler into the hand. An aesthetician can either inject small amounts of filler into areas between tendons where a loss of volume occurs, then massage the hand to ensure even placement, or they can use a type of hyaluronic acid called Profhilo, which stimulates the area to produce more collagen. Profhilo is injected superficially into the skin on the back of the hands at specific points called BAP (bio-active points).
The first method’s effects last on average between six and nine months, while two sessions of Profhilo performed 30 days apart can provide effects for up to a year – as well as improving the quality of the skin.
As with any cosmetic procedure, it’s crucial to take your time choosing the right practitioner and doing your research before you go ahead and inject your hands full of fillers.
Make sure you go to a registered medical professional who’s registered and experienced in the procedure, ensure all fillers used are CE marked, or FDA approved, and only have the procedure carried out in a clean, clinical setting, not at a party or in your mate’s bedroom.
All procedures involve aftercare and it’s important to check in with your practicioner after the treatment to make sure everything’s going smoothly and plan out future treatments.
Oh, and don’t go too hard too fast. A good practicioner will advise you to inject small amounts of filler rather than puffing up your hands beyond belief.
You may have seen the moving video of Swedish student Elin Ersson aboard a plane, refusing to sit down in protest of an Afghan citizen being deported back to Afghanistan.
The activist purposely bought a ticket for the flight to object to the 52-year-old man’s deportation, saying that letting him stay in Sweden will save his life.
After standing firm, she won the support of other passengers and eventually the plane crew allowed Elin and the gentleman to get off.
Though her methods annoyed and aggravated some people, most people applauded her brave activism and she is now slowly gaining international recognition.
Elin’s message was important and thankfully she saw immediate results (though we are unsure if the man was ordered to board a subsequent flight).
As one of the most empowered groups, white people such as Elin must help to enact change because society affords them the privilege.
(Picture: Facebook/Elin Errson)
Whether or not Elin’s actions directly resulted in saving the man’s life, we won’t know. He may be ordered to board a subsequent flight which would defeat Elin’s protests.
But they won’t defeat the point; Elin successfully managed to amass four million views on her Facebook clip as she live-streamed the whole situation.
Now, all the national publications are talking about Sweden’s tough asylum and the fact that the country deported 12,500 people last year, 415 of whom are Afghans.
So her point wasn’t lost and international outrage may just put pressure on the Swedish government. Either way, she’s raised awareness of the issue.
Often when white people engage in activism, they are taken seriously, revered, and supported (as they should be). Take the Parkland shooting survivors for instance.
It was the mostly white teens of the attack who became literal poster boys and girls for the anti-gun movement, featuring on the front cover of Time magazine.
At the time, many noticed that the marches, the generous celeb donations, and the outrage was considerably louder than the noise for Black Lives Matter.
March for Our Lives protest led by the Parkland shooting survivors. (Picture: Ellis Rua/Miami Herald/TNS/Getty Images)
It doesn’t always have to be life and death situations for white activities to be taken seriously.
Let’s not forget that Russell Brand, a comedian known for his rock and roll antics, managed to become soberingly involved in politics and became a leading voice of Britain’s political left.
He was able to reinvent his career when he got involved in politics (protesting against austerity, drug laws etc), getting a book deal as well as several mainstream political platforms.
The point is, white people are noticed.
Issues are often amplified when spoken or seen through white lenses. That’s why we need better allyship between white people and marginalised groups.
Russell Brand promoting his book Revolution. (Picture: James Devaney/WireImage)
And because there’s power in that, they should use it to their advantage and mobilise support and awareness for important issues like racism, xenophobia, police brutality, knife crime, while working on allyship.
It’s not to say that every white person who becomes an activist finds success or that there aren’t white people already doing wholesome, beneficial things.
It’s just that, like Elin, they are not stereotyped or have preexisting notions working against them. If a black woman were to take Elin’s place, she may be seen as just another emotional, angry black woman. A white woman doesn’t have to deal with those same stereotypes.
Rima Saini, a doctoral researcher in race at City University London, told Metro.co.uk that the work of people of colour is usually negatively racialised especially when they work on behalf of similarly marginalised groups.
‘[This is] a result of structural and inbuilt racisms and biases against racial minorities,’ she said. ‘It’s these larger structural issues that need addressing.
‘It is everyone’s social responsibility to stand against gross injustices if and when they can, not just those which personally affect them or their groups.
‘The consequences of your justice work, however, does differ depending on who you are,’ she added.
‘White people who agitate against racial justice may be able to bring a disproportionate amount of positive attention to important issues – same with men fighting for women’s rights because we tend to think people act out of rational self or group-interest rather than a broader sense of justice.’
(Picture: Getty)
Of course, there are non-white activists who enjoy power and influence, take Ash Sarkar for example.
But unless you’re white you have to be quite extraordinary – like Ash – to be given such mainstream time; quick-witted, daring, extremely knowledgable, and with the moxie to call Piers Morgan an idiot to his face.
Her fame is pretty incongruous too. You don’t expect to see a young Asian woman dominating social media and headlines for her politics, not because there aren’t enough of them out there, but because such platforms are usually reserved for white speakers.
Considering that the default setting caters to white people, they should be allies to minorities.
You can do this by knowing when to open up the floor to other voices, knowing when to listen, how to open up spaces without taking over, and research why things are problematic rather than expect an explanation. Starting the conversation in your own circles can also be productive.
Take note from other activists, like Elin, doing it right. Part of why her activism was received so warmly was because of how genuine it seemed.
Political Science research assistant Rachel tells Metro.co.uk it wasn’t performative either. ‘There was something very genuine about her stance, her mission, and the way she conducted herself overall,’ she said.
‘She wasn’t recording herself crying to display “white tears”, she was genuinely holding back the tears and remained strong and determined in her stance.
‘This is what genuine allyship looks like! She’s awesome!’
And if after all that, you’re accused of ‘white saviour complex’ then recheck your privileges, you can’t expect to ‘fix’ large, complex problems, you can only be part of the process to change it.
Today, the world’s biggest indoor theme park opened its doors to visitors who bought tickets in advance.
The massive park, a Warner Bros. themed attraction on Yas Island spanning 1.65 million square feet, is a partnership between the entertainment company and a local holding firm in Abu Dhabi.
The park has 29 rides spread through six immersive areas: Warner Bros Plaza, Metropolis, Gotham City, Cartoon Junction, Bedrock Plaza, and Dynamic Gulch.
Their aim is to bring to life all of the characters that audiences love – DC superheroes like Batman and Superman in Gotham City, animated characters like Looney Toons, Tom and Jerry and Scooby Doo. There’s even a dedicated area just for The Flintstones.
(Picture: EPA)
Reportedly, the park utilises state-of-the-art technology to bring these characters and worlds to life – guests can wander these areas and feel fully immersed in the shows and films they love.
Naturally, it also includes first class foods, shopping, and even fitness and leisure activities.
Due to the desert climate, the entire park is indoors – but specially designed to look like it’s always midday, just like in Vegas and some areas of Disney World. That is of course except for in Gotham and Metropolis, where things get a little darker.
The head of the company reckons it’s even immersive enough to make you put down your phone.
If Love Island’s Megan’s voluptuous lips have got you searching the number for your local surgeon, don’t worry, you’re not alone.
Since the villain-turned-semi-tolerable islander arrived on our screens, SISU Aesthetic Clinics reported that there’s been a 200% surge in demand for lip fillers.
And although it’s completely normalised nowadays to get fillers or nonsurgical procedures, doctors do still have some warnings for cosmetic treatments.
Dr Tijion Esho from Body Fixers on Channel 4 has shared a clip of what happens when the lips become infected following a cheap procedure.
So if you’re sensitive, look away now.
The cosmetic doctor shared the video on his Instagram, saying: ‘I get sent a lot of emergency cases. This young lady contacted me today with this video. She’s now on my emergency table.’
He urged people to be careful with where they get their treatments and warned them not to be lured by low prices offered by unqualified or unregistered practitioners.
‘Risks include bleeding, bruising, infection, and allergy’ Dr Esho told Femail.
‘In some rare but most concerning cases, this can lead to tissue necrosis where the blood vessel is blocked by preventing blood to that area of tissue which can then die, leading to disfigurement.’
‘Elements that put you at high risk are the use of unregulated products, an unsanitary clinic, poor aftercare and sharing syringes.’
Instagram users commended the doctor for his work, saying: ‘Someone needs to get you a cape! That is rank but yet so satisfying. At least she got the best in the business to fix it’.
One user was grateful for Dr Esho helping her out for a similar cosmetic mishap. She wrote: ‘Thank you so much for sorting me out! You don’t understand how much I appreciated you for doing this for me! Godsend’.
Some were too busy enjoying the video. One wrote: ‘Is it wrong that I could watch this all day?’
The 12th Annual Spirited Awards took place in New Orleans over the weekend, and London bars dominated the event.
The Savoy hotel’s prestigious American Bar – the world’s longest-surviving cocktail bar – took home three awards, including Best International Hotel Bar, Best International Bar Team and World’s Best Bar.
In fact, of 14 global awards, seven went to London cocktail bars – a hugely impressive number.
On the big win, American Bar’s manager Declan McGurk said: ‘This is an incredible achievement and a real tribute to every member of our team, who work so hard and in such a collaborative way to ensure the success of The Savoy’s American Bar.’
(Picture: The American Bar at the Savoy)
The bar also won World’s Best Bar at World’s 50 Best 2017, so they’re onto a winning streak.
However, if you want to go and celebrate with them, you’ll have to break the bank – their cheapest cocktail is £18 and they go all the way up to an eye-watering £5,000. Check out the full list of global and international winners below.
The winners of the best cocktail bars around the world:
GLOBAL CATEGORIES
Best Bar Mentor: Andy Seymour, Liquid Productions
Best New Spirit or Cocktail Ingredient: Del Maguey Single Village Mezcal Jabali
World’s Best Cocktail Menu: Dandelyan (London, UK)
World’s Best Spirit Selection: Sweet Liberty Drinks & Supply Co. (Miami, FL)
World’s Best Bar: The American Bar at the Savoy Hotel (London, UK)
The Helen David Lifetime Achievement Award: John Lermayer
INTERNATIONAL CATEGORIES
Best International Bar Team: The American Bar, The Savoy (London, UK)
International Bartender of the Year: Joe Schofield, Tippling Club (Singapore)
Best International Brand Ambassador: Ian Burrell (Global Ambassador of Rum)
Best International Cocktail Bar: Happiness Forgets (London, UK)
Best International High Volume Cocktail Bar: The Clumsies (Athens, Greece)
Best International Hotel Bar: The American Bar, The Savoy (London, UK)
Best International Restaurant Bar: Sager + Wilde (London, UK)
Best New International Cocktail Bar: Coupette (London, UK)
We should be sunning ourselves on the sand and splashing in the sea, right?
If you’re going to head to a beach, though, it might as well be one that’s gorgeous enough for the ‘gram rather than the nearest shingle beach littered with rubbish and aggressive seagulls.
Handily, Beach-Inspector has just released their winners of the best beaches in the world awards, based on tests conducted on more than 1,600 beaches on everything from water quality to beach infrastructure.
Alongside their Classic Holiday Award, Party Award, Water Sports Award, and Special Ambience Award, the beach-rating website has unveiled the list of winners of the Wow Beach Awards, given only to the most stunning beaches around the world.
At number one is Manda Bay in Kenya, perfect for snorkeling and even spotting whale sharks.
Take a look at the full top ten below and fantasise about which beach you’re heading to next.
Interracial relationships are pretty normal now, though some people still get judgement for it.
In certain communities, dating outside your race is still considered pretty taboo.
Defying the odds are Pakistani Samar Rahman and Kay Ogunro, who’s Nigerian, who posted a picture of their wedding day which quickly went viral.
Jokingly saying ‘when biryani meets jollof’ Kay spoke to Metro.co.uk about their pairing and why interethnic relationships are not the norm in some communities.
(Picture: @kaysince1991/Instagram)
Although the image was originally shared on Kay’s public Instagram, it was circulated on Twitter by a stranger which went viral.
The caption read: ‘Me and my queen flexing on everyone who said “you two can never get married”.’
The picture, which shows Kay and Samar on their wedding day throwing a deuce sign, was met with a tonne of positive comments.
‘We found out about the viral picture on Twitter through friends sending us a text saying “hey you guys are famous”,’ Kay told Metro.co.uk.
‘It’s cool to see the positive reactions. When I posted on Instagram, the picture went viral on there as well, especially in the desi (South Asian) and Muslim community.
‘I’m sure this is due to a lot of people being in the same situation. I just hope this positivity turns into inspiration for people in similar situations.’
(Picture: @kaysince1991/Instagram)
‘Interracial marriages are so uncommon in Asian communities definitely because of the older generations. They weren’t exposed to that growing up, and they have very set ways culturally and mistake it for religion.
‘In terms of women marrying outside their race, I believe that’s due to the dominance that men in the Indian/Pakistani culture feel they have over women, in any culture actually.’
Pictures on his Instagam also show the duo in traditional clothes with Samar wearing a sari and Kay wearing a kaftan and cap.
Many people applauded the couple for breaking the boundaries. One Instagrammer said on Kay’s post: ‘So happy and proud of you! I’m actually proud of the sister (Samar) and her family for breaking so many boundaries and stereotypes! May Allah (God) bless your marriage.’
Other people in interracial relationships also commended the pair saying: ‘Such a beautiful couple! Love their (wedding) colors. My husband and I are also an inter-race couple.’
Kay hopes the amazing reaction will encourage more couples of different backgrounds to celebrate their unions.
Well, if you’re prone to mansplaining – yes, you are.
The term correctile dysfunction isn’t new. A scroll through Twitter shows it being used back in June 2017, which is when the phrase spiked on Google searches, too.
It’s an alternative term for mansplaining, or jumping in to say ‘well, actually’ prematurely.
But now that a man’s brought it up, the phrase has popped back on to our collective radar. Ironic.
A guy name Liam recently took to Twitter to explain how he’d heard the term being used.
He wrote: ‘I just heard mansplaining referred to as “correctile dysfunction” and I’m pretty shook’
I just heard mansplaining referred to as "correctile dysfunction" and I'm pretty shook 🤣🤣🤣
So far, the tweet has received more than 4,000 retweets and 18,000 likes, and comments from a whole bunch of people who much prefer the term compared to ‘mansplaining’.
In case you’re not sure what mansplaining is, it’s when a man comments on or explains something to a woman in a condescending, overconfident way.
It can be even worse when they’re actually inaccurate, or using an oversimplified manner as if women are stupid.
Just to give you a better insight, here’s a few examples of mansplaining/correctile dysfunction:
I just got mansplained at a wedding about the subject I'm getting a master's degree in. What even are some men.
As mentioned above, correctile dysfunction is not actually a new term, although the meaning has shifted and changed over time.
Someone first used it back in 2006 to describe people who were pedantic about spelling.
In 2011, Urban Dictionary described it as the ‘refusal to proof read an essay’, because it’s taken you so long to do too close to a deadline that you can’t be bothered to read it through and correct errors.
In 2012, someone else described it as a relationship misunderstanding caused by AutoCorrect.
Finally, in 2017, Twitter user Addiful suggested the term should be used for mansplaining.
She wrote: ‘Motion to rename “mansplaining” to “correctile dysfunction’
Motion to rename "mansplaining" to "correctile dysfunction"
Unfortunately, it’s 2018 and mansplaining is still a thing, making correctile dysfunction very relevant.
But here’s hoping being told you have correctile dysfunction will be enough to make you take a pause and realise the person you’re talking to isn’t stupid and deserves respect.
