Have you ever wondered why there are often so many Strawberry Delights and so few Green Triangles in your Quality Street Tins?

Well, it turns out this doesn’t happen by chance. There’s an actual reason for it.

Quality Street tins are made up of three different types of sweet – fruit cremes, chocolate and toffees and fudge.

According to Nestle, each tub is broadly split into thirds, with a third dedicated to each sweet category. That’s why you will often find there are many Strawberry Delights – because it’s one of just two fruit cremes.

The reason you will find so few Green Triangles, is because it’s one of five in the ‘chocolates’ category.

A spokesperson told Metro.co.uk: ‘Each tub is broadly split into thirds along these lines which is why you will get more sweets like the Strawberry Delight which is one of only two fruit cremes and fewer of The Purple One or Green Triangle which are just two of the five, mainly chocolate based sweets.’

But there is some good news: Nestle have realised that, due to their popularity, there is a need for more Green Triangles. And they’re doing something about it.

They said: ”We do take the popularity of individual sweets into account and have increased the number of people’s favourites in this year’s assortment.

‘Our research shows that the Caramel Swirl is the sweet with the broadest appeal but other studies point to The Purple One or the Strawberry Delight as being more popular.

‘Part of the fun of Christmas is the family discussion about each of our favourites and who gets the last sweet.

‘Other factors we have to consider during the process are keeping the weight, nutritional value and cost of each tub steady so that the on-pack labelling and RRP is accurate and consistent.’

This year, Nestle has partnered with John Lewis to bring Quality Street pick and mix to eleven stores around the country, where people can choose their own chocolate mix.

Which means if The Purple Ones or Green Triangles are your favourite, you can fill up an entire box with just them.

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A 61-year-old man who rescued an injured pigeon which fell out of a tree has now adopted it as a pet.

Mike Roberts found the baby bird on his driveway and decided to take it inside before it was eaten by a cat.

He named it Fred and started hand-rearing him on diet of cheese, sweetcorn and mealworms – and has even managed to toilet train his pet.

Young birds will ‘imprint’ on humans, meaning that Fred now sees Mike as his parent and rides around on his shoulder.

The retired engineering salesman said: ‘I found him in front of my garage door – it looked very anxious.

‘I picked it up and gave it some cheese and mealworms and searched the internet to find tips and advice on what to do.

‘At the moment Fred thinks I’m his mum.’

Mike, who lives alone in Swindon, has built Fred a little perch to sit on. The bird has become a celebrity in his neighbourhood as he rides around on Mike’s shoulder as he runs errands.

‘The one thing pigeons are famous for is poo, just look at any public statue,’ he said.

‘But you would not believe how good he’s been. He goes in his cardboard box on the paper. Aside from a few mishaps he’s been great.’

Fred is on a diet of mealworms, cheese, high-energy bird pellets, raisins, sweetcorn, strawberries and his favourite blueberries.

At three weeks old, Fred is now almost able to feed himself – so will soon have to fly the nest into the care of a local bird sanctuary.

‘I will miss him terribly,’ said Mike. ‘I’ve learnt so much from this bird. It’s been a real labour of love and we have definitely built up a bond.

‘But he needs to be with other pigeons so he can learn to fly and realise “I am a pigeon”.

‘At the moment he’s so trusting – he will just land on a fence and a cat will get him. His naivety would be his downfall.

‘Pigeons can live to 12 years old, so hopefully he’ll get the best start to a long and happy life.’

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Forget selfiecinnos, one London restaurant has come up with a whole new way to display your best thirst traps.

Yuu Kitchen has just launched Manga Bao – bao buns with your favourite picture printed on the side.

The dish is made by printing your photograph onto rice paper using edible ink and then steaming it on the side.

But make sure you plan in advance – the Shoreditch-based restaurant only serves up the delicious steamed Chinese bread rolls on a Monday.

Just email your selfie or your favourite Instagram snap to them at least 24 hours before you dine and then turn up to claim your bao.

Even if you forget to send your favourite picture, everyone can choose a disc of Japanese manga comic artwork instead.

The bun – which is vegan – can be filled with a choice of 7UP braised pork belly, soy and buttermilk crispy chicken, wagu beef, soft shell crab, crispy tofu, broccoli or mushroom.

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We all hear it, dozens of times of day: ‘how are you?’

I’m willing to bet many of us are so pre-programmed in our responses, we routinely find ourselves in a seemingly never ending loop of:

‘How are you?’

‘Fine thanks, how are you?’

‘Fine thanks’…

We ask our friends and family how they are, but are we really asking, or just waiting for the usual and expected response so that we can get on with our day?

New research released by Time to Change reveals that when asked, over three quarters (78%) of us would tell friends and family we are ‘fine’, even if struggling with a mental health problem such as depression or anxiety. Our hesitance to speak out applies even when we need support the most.

When we probed into why people insist they’re fine, the answers suggest we doubt whether people really want to hear the honest answer. The top concerns were:

• Just because people ask how you are, doesn’t mean they really want to know (54%)
• I don’t want to burden people (52%)
• I’d only talk if I was confident my friend or family member really wanted to listen (39%)

This means that someone close to you might be struggling with their mental health and they’re just waiting for your cue to talk about it.

When talking about mental health, don’t feel like you need to have all the answers – just listening can make a big difference.

To tackle this, we are urging people to ‘Ask Twice’ if they suspect a friend, family member, or colleague might be struggling with their mental health. The simple act of asking again – ‘are you really ok?’ – shows a genuine willingness to talk and listen.

While there has been a positive shift in the way mental health problems are viewed in England, our research shows that in practical terms many people are still unsure of how to be more supportive.

It can be difficult to know what to say if someone does open up to you about their mental health, but you don’t need to be an expert, just being there will mean a lot. Here are some things to bear in mind when talking to them.

One of the most important things you can do is to take it seriously.  It can feel embarrassing and exposing to talk about your thoughts and feelings, especially if they’re disturbing. Don’t laugh or treat it like a joke. However strange it might seem to you, remember it’s real to them.

When talking about mental health, don’t feel like you need to have all the answers – just listening can make a big difference.

Try and show that you’re taking on board what they’re saying. You can do this by reflecting – that is, saying something simple like ‘that sounds really difficult’. You could also say something like ‘thanks for telling me’ to show that you appreciate having the conversation.

It’s natural to worry about prying when it comes to others’ mental health, but it’s better to ask questions.

It can help people to get things off their chest, and by keeping the conversation going it shows that you care. Some of the questions you might ask could be ‘what does it feel like?’, ‘what kind of thoughts are you having?’ or ‘how can I help?’

It’s also just human nature to want to fix things, but expecting things to change right away isn’t helpful. It’s not your job to make their mental health problem go away – it’s often more helpful just to listen, ask open questions and do things you’d normally do together.

You might find it helpful to learn a bit more about what they’re going through. If they mention a specific diagnosis, you could learn more about it and read personal stories by people who have experienced similar things.

To find out more about Ask Twice, including tips and the campaign film, visit: www.time-to-change.org.uk/asktwice

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Olwyn Hopkins, a 99-year-old resident at a care home in Suffolk, tried to fly on a plane when she was 19 years old.

After she got married, Olwyn had her first experience of flying in a small aircraft 81 years ago. But she didn’t enjoy the journey from Portsmouth to the Isle of Wight and it left her with a fear of doing it again.

With her 100th birthday soon approaching, her carers at Davers Court Care Home organised for Olwyn to take to the skies once more.

Olwyn, originally from Wales, was instructed on what to do on the glider flight by pilot Liz Russell before she strapped into the front seat.

‘I wanted to show people that you can do anything you want to, no matter how old you are – age has no boundaries!’ said Olwyn after she successfully took off from Felsham.

‘It was a wonderful day and I was delighted to be able to get back into an aircraft. I didn’t think I’d get the chance again after all these years, so it was a fantastic surprise.

‘It was a really memorable day – I can’t thank Rattlesden Gliding Club and the team at Davers Court enough for organising this experience for me.’

Wendy Harvey, home manager at Davers Court added: ‘It’s important for us to really know our residents and understand their wants and needs – whether it’s putting on a new weekly workshop at the request of a resident, or organising something more adventurous for them to do.’

‘When Olwyn submitted her wish to our wishing well, we were thrilled to be able to make her request happen and help her tick a real must-do off her bucket list.

‘Olwyn had a brilliant time and it was great to see her overcome a fear she’s had for so many years – she’s not stopped smiling since!’

See, it’s never too late to overcome your fears.

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Ah yes, the distant merry bells of Christmas have already started edging closer as it’s, you know, early October.

Once the equally thrilling Halloween festivities are over, everyone will soon begin wondering where their Christmas jumpers are in preparation for the holidays.

Everyone’s favourite budget supermarket Iceland is kickstarting the merriment a little early though.

They have launched something we doubt anyone has asked for or possibly even thought of – Christmas tree flavoured crisps.

The frozen food specialists have launched the novelty snacks as part of their hand-cooked range which includes seasonal specials such as pigs in blanket flavoured crisps.

Luxury lobster cocktail crisps are also part of the range, in case you were bored of its seafood cousin prawn cocktail.

The Luxury Christmas Tree Flavour Salted crisps come in a 180g bag and are made with oil from real pine needles. In keeping with Iceland style prices, they are £1.

Iceland’s Head Chef, Neil Nugent, said: ‘At Iceland we are always evolving our product range to include the latest foods and trends. The Christmas Tree Crisps have a slight ready salted flavour with a hint of pine that creates a completely new combination, unlike any other festive flavour.’

Naturally, it piqued fan interest after Instagram account Kev’s Snack Reviews shared an image of it.

Someone wrote: ‘I can’t be the only person thinking it’ll just taste like potpourri,’ while another said: ‘Pigs in blankets and lobster I’m down with… but Christmas tree?! I guess I’d have to give it a try.’

Another Instagrammar mentioned an equally dubious sounding snack. They wrote: ‘Christmas tree? Funny, I wouldn’t mind trying for fun. A friend from Ireland made me try shamrock flavoured crisps.’

We can only imagine what they taste like.

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A former station master’s house next to a railway line is now available to rent for just £9 a night.

The Station House at Tal-y-Cafn is located near Conwy in Wales and stands on the platform of a village railway station.

The line is still in use and the station is open as a request stop on the branch line between Blaenau Ffestiniog – so this probably isn’t the place to stay if you’re looking for a quiet night away, especially as the earliest train makes its way past the cottage at 5:30am every morning.

A weeks stay at the cottage costs £252 and it sleeps four people, meaning a seven night stay starts at £9 per person per night.

It has a living room, two bedrooms and a large kitchen, and obviously, it’s super easy to catch a train wherever you want to go.

The listing reads: ‘There’s a gastro pub just 50 yards away serving delicious Welsh produce, and the Bodnant Welsh Food Centre is within walking distance with a café, restaurant and farm shop which is well worth a visit.

‘The famous Bodnant Garden (National Trust) is just a little further away and has 80 acres of stunning gardens to explore, together with the plant centre and craft units.

‘At the end of the railway line at Blaenau Ffestiniog you can catch a Ffestiniog Railway steam train on a spectacular journey to the coast at Porthmadog.’

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Last week the American Senate Judiciary Committee heard Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh and Dr. Christine Blasey Ford, who accused him of sexual assault.

Now cult beauty brand Lipslut – a brand offering lipstick shades named after social and political affairs – has launched a lip colour called F*ck Kavanaugh.

The socially conscious brand opened a poll on their Instagram page asking followers the colour and the organisation all proceeds of the product should go to.

Lipslut chose the name – and with a little help from their Insta friends – the shade, which is a deep red.

Expectedly, people threw a lot of shade at the American attorney.

It’s not the first time Lipslut has gone politicial as the company launched with a similar premise, offering lipsticks dubbed ‘F*ck Trump’.

The campaign raised $100,000 which went to support charities that help families separated at the border, in the wake of Trump’s anti-migrant policies.

After over 3,000 likes and almost 500 comments on their Insta poll, Lipslut decided to send the proceeds of their anti-Kavanaugh line to RAINN – the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network – No More, the National Alliance to End Sexual Violence, and End the Backlog.

Unfortunately, shipping is only available in the U.S but you can still support any of the above charities.

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People dressed as Harry Potter characters to attend the funeral of a terminally ill Harry Potter fan who designed her own Hogwarts coffin.

78-year-old Veronica Leaning, from Grimsby, passed away from lung and bone cancer on 17 September.

At her funeral yesterday, 1 October, the grandmother-of-15’s customised coffin, emblazoned in Harry Potter memorabilia and decorated in each of the four house’s colours, was carried into Grimsby Crematorium to Hedwig’s Theme.

Dozens of mourners attended the funeral to celebrate Veronica, known as Vonnie to friends and family, for her positive outlook on life – with one couple dressing as Professor Dumbledore and Sybill Trelawney and many others carrying wands and wearing Gryffindor ties.

The service included a touching tribute from her brother Tony, who branded her ‘one of the good’uns’ before the funeral ended with Monty Python’s ‘Always Look on the Bright Side of Life’.

Vonnie, who had signed copies of all seven Harry Potter books, had insisted she wanted a fun themed funeral and had previously reached out to Warner Brothers about using the colours of each Hogwarts house on her coffin.

She was invited to several premiers by author J.K. Rowling whom she met with as well as meeting several cast members.

Vonnie hoped to leave some Harry Potter memorabilia to each beloved member of her enormous family – including her six children, 15 grandchildren and soon-to-be 30 great-grandchildren.

In a reading at the service, family members said Vonnie would have been so pleased that so many people had carried out her last wish.

Before she died, Vonnie said: ‘It’s been as good as any medicine really, reading the books, looking forward to seeing the films and collecting all of the memorabilia.

‘It takes my mind off things and gives me something to focus on.

‘We got the coffin from the undertakers because we wanted to decorate it but they wouldn’t take it back because they aren’t able to store them, so it’s been in my spare room ever since.

‘We even wrote to Warner Bros. to check that it would all be okay and my stepson painted it and stuck the stickers on for me.

‘I just want my funeral to be a celebration of the things I love.’

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‘Nice to meet you,’ you say, reaching out your hand to a new colleague. ‘Can I get you a cuppa?’ you ask, collecting people’s mugs as you do a round of hot drinks at the office.

But guess what, you’re not just being polite, you’re actually just contaminating everyone’s hands and mugs with your own poo-infested hands. That is if you are a male office worker (no, not all men, we know).

Enlightening new research by YouGov found that one in six men don’t wash their hands after having a poo at work.

YouGov put multiple scenarios to the public, asking how frequently they washed their hands after weeing or pooing at home, at work, and while out and about.

They ran an extra survey for men to see if handwashing habits changed depending on whether they went for a wee standing up or sitting down.

In all the scenarios tested, men were less likely than women to clean themselves after having a tinkle or number two.

The biggest difference between the genders was washing hands after having a wee while outside the house, with 18% of women admitting they don’t wash their hands if they use a public loo, compared to 30-32% of men (depending on whether they are sitting or standing).

Interestingly, 11% of women prefer to hold it in than go at work (the figure is 7% for men).

Some men are also completely opposed to sitting down to wee, with 13-21% saying they never do it.

In Germany a man who sits down to urinate may be called a ‘sitzpinkler’ – the word literally refers to a man who sits down to urinate ‘like a woman’, ergo is considered weak or effeminate.

Oh no, sounds like toxic masculinity is affecting people’s toilet habits again. Remember when it stopped this man from wiping his bum properly?

*Shudders*

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A mum is warning parents to check their babies’ feet after a single strand of hair almost cost her son four toes.

Alex Upton was woken up by her 10-week-old son Ezra’s cries, and was confused when he wouldn’t take milk. After checking him all over to work out what was causing his distress, she spotted that his toes were red and swollen.

A strand of hair had wrapped around Ezra’s toes and cut off circulation for around ’12 to 14 hours’.

If Alex hadn’t have noticed the hair at that point, Ezra could have lost four toes.

The condition is called a hair tourniquet, and can happen easily. While in older children and adults, a hair wrapped around a finger or toe will easily be noticed and removed, a baby’s inability to verbalise what’s causing the pain can mean a hair tourniquet isn’t spotted. Their small apendages make it easier for hair to wrap around tightly, particularly in places you might not spot such as the toes, fingers, tongue, and penis.

Alex is now urging parents to be aware of the risks of hair tourniquets, and wants every parent to know what to look out for if their baby is in pain.

Alex, from Paignton, Devon, said: ‘I’ll certainly be checking everything for hair from now on. I felt awful.

‘I just can’t believe midwives or doctors don’t warn you of the risk when you have a baby.

‘I feared Ezra might lose some of his toes and he could easily have needed [to have them removed] if I hadn’t noticed the hair then.

‘It must have been on there for 12 to 14 hours because I only noticed it in the morning.

‘Ezra wasn’t himself in the morning. His normal routine is he wakes up, has his bottle then has a nap. He wasn’t having any of his milk and was just screaming.

‘It wasn’t until I was changing him and saw the little bit of hair that I realised why he was so upset. It was just a single strand.

‘One of his toes was really swollen and it had become really red and sore where the hair was.

‘I pulled at it and realised how tightly it’d wrapped around his toes. It’d tangled around three or four of them.’

Alex managed to remove the hairs from Ezra’s toe herself, apart from the hair caught around one toe that was so tight she struggled to get it free.

She eventually managed to get tweezers underneath the hair to pull it off. After that she took Ezra to the doctor for a check-over and for antibacterial cream for the wound.

Alex fears that if the hair had been left on Ezra’s toes any longer, he would have faced amputation.

‘I’m normally really safety conscious with the kids but I had never expected this to happen to us,’ said Alex.

‘My advice to any parents would be when you’re changing baby-grows or putting on socks, or even getting them out of the bath, check thoroughly and make sure you turn clothing inside out first to remove any stray hair.

‘Hair easily gets stuck in things when they’ve been in the washing machine too, so it’s important to check.

‘I panicked a lot because I’d seen things about it before but never really it’d happen to one of my kids.

‘Luckily Ezra’s okay now and back to his normal self.’

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Content warning: This article discusses suicidal thoughts.

Mental illness is a difficult topic because – particularly here in the UK – many of us are taught to hide our feelings.

We say ‘how are you?’ a hundred times a day, but we rarely want a response; we say ‘my condolences’ to anyone we know whose parent, partner, friend or child has died, but if they start crying we become awkward.

I didn’t grow up in a household where people talked about emotions, and I spent my 20s living in a household where only one emotion was tolerated, and it was anger. I have always had lots of emotions, and in these environments I struggled.

I used to have panic attacks several times a day and I used to cry wherever I was. My depression grew, and I began to isolate myself, seeing almost nobody, weeping and hyperventilating and drinking until I passed out instead of addressing my problems.

When the few people I did speak to talked to me, they’d ask how I was.

And I would lie.

I wouldn’t talk about punching myself in the face until I was bruised, I wouldn’t talk about how often I woke up, hungover and dazed, on the floor of the kitchen or the bathroom.

When I reached my lowest, I felt alone. I felt like I had nothing to lose, but instead of hurting myself, I called a friend.

I wouldn’t talk about hiding in strangers’ doorways to have panic attacks, or locking myself in the bathroom at work to cry, or hiding under beds, curling up at the bottom of cupboards, trying to disappear, trying to not exist.

And I definitely didn’t talk about how I spent every minute of the day thinking about suicide.

I didn’t talk about the times I smashed things, burned things, screamed and shouted, I didn’t talk about the hatred I felt for myself or the shame I felt for not doing anything to fix my life or anything definitive enough to end it. When people asked how I was, I’d say, ‘fine.’

New research published by Time to Change (a charity who aim to remove the stigma surrounding mental illness) states that 78% of people would do the same thing. People in need feel like others wouldn’t care, wouldn’t want to listen or would find the encounter burdensome. This isn’t true.

When I reached my lowest, I felt alone. I felt like I had nothing to lose, but instead of hurting myself, I called a friend.

Then, my friend came to look after me. And my friend told another friend who told another friend, and even though I’d been a depressed shutaway for almost a year, I was surrounded by love.

My sister and my friends made sure I wasn’t alone 24/7 so I wouldn’t do anything dangerous and, messed up as I was, I spewed a Facebook post about what had happened to me.

The response surprised me. Rather than an exodus of contacts, people who I hadn’t seen for years began to check in, making sure I was OK.

People reached out, from every stage of my life: they knew I wasn’t fine and they still asked how I was. I didn’t lie anymore, and people didn’t stop checking in until I could say, honestly this time, that I was fine.

When we are depressed and anxious, our thoughts about others can leave reality. Yes, some people are mean when we show emotion, but plenty of others aren’t.

Until I admitted I wasn’t fine, people didn’t dig when I told them I was. Maybe they knew it was a lie – the smell of booze, the bruises, the eyes red from crying – but if I said I was fine, who were they to argue?

The thing is, people do care. People ask because they care, and people who are struggling with mental health lie. Time To Change are urging people to ask twice if they suspect that someone needs help.

My friends did, and if they hadn’t, I don’t think I’d be alive.

Sometimes one conversation is enough to help. People like me lie when we’re not fine because we don’t want to make our depression someone else’s problem, but we’ve forgotten that if we kill ourselves, that’s a problem for everyone who has ever cared about us.

Ask twice, because nobody is truly alone. Some of us just forget that.

For more information on Time To Change’s Ask Twice campaign visit: www.time-to-change.org.uk/asktwice

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We hear it dozens of times every day – ‘How are you?’

The instant response is usually ‘I’m fine’, but do we always really mean it?

A survey, by mental health campaign Time to Change, showed that 78% of people said they were fine even though they were struggling from low mood, anxiety and other mental health problems.

Of the 2,000 people surveyed, just over half said said they were worried people wouldn’t want to hear the honest answer.

Other concerns included not being confident that friends and family would want to listen, and that opening up would make them a burden to people.

But a new campaign encourages everyone to ‘ask twice’ how friends, family and colleagues are to show a genuine willingness to talk and listen.

Jo Loughran, director of Time to Change, said: ‘We all hear it dozens of times a day, “How are you?”, “Fine thanks, how are you?”

‘Our research shows that, as a nation, we find it hard to answer honestly.

‘This could mean someone close to you is struggling with their mental health – they might just be waiting for your cue to talk about it.

‘Asking twice is a simple, effective way to show our friends and family members that we are asking for real; that we are ready to listen, whether that’s now or whenever they’re ready.”

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The Duke and Duchess of Sussex made their first official visit to Sussex today.

They arrived at 10.45am to greet the crowds at Edes House in Chichester before they head on a day-long tour of the city. After that they’re planning to head to Bognor Regis, then Brighton and Hove.

Which all sounds very interesting, but let’s talk about the important bit: What Meghan is wearing for her first official visit to Sussex.

Meghan arrived in Sussex wearing a dark green leather skirt and a black silk blouse, topped with a simple cream coat.

She carried the Nina bag by Gabriela Hearst, which is currently sold out.

The blouse Meghan is wearing is the classic straight fit silk shirt by & Other Stories, which costs £69.

Her skirt is the green lambskin leather skirt by Hugo Boss, still on sale for £369. It’s a fairly edgy choice for the Duchess, but we suspect this’ll be as tough as she goes. Don’t expect a studded biker jacket next.

Meghan’s chosen a classic beige coat (she seems to have quite the collection of neutral coats, no?). This one’s from Emporio Armani, but is sold out. Sob. It’s made of cashmere so is super cosy.

We’d also like to note that it’s fairly warm in Sussex today, so wearing a leather skirt and a coat is a brave act that deserves to be commended.

Below, have a look back at Meghan’s greatest coat moments:

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First you had to worry about getting your vagina summer ready.

Then we questioned if summer penis is a thing.

Now the temperature’s dropping, it’s time to have a new seasonal genital concern: winter vagina.

Winter vagina is a catchy new condition created by The Sun. They report that a midwife claims the colder weather causes vaginas to go into ‘drought mode’, meaning you’re more likely to experience vaginal dryness.

Vaginal dryness has a negative effect on sexual pleasure, so this would be quite a serious symptom to put up with every Christmas.

Thankfully, gynaecologist and general vagina genius Dr Jen Gunter – who’s previously debunked the need for jade vaginal eggs, vaginal steaming, putting ozone gas in your vag, and using ground-up dirt to remedy period pains – has come out to say that winter vagina is not a thing we need to worry about.

Naturally, she has done so with a blog post dripping in sarcasm, suggesting that no one in Canada has sex between December and March.

‘You’ve seen a tongue on flag pole in winter? Right. Like that, only worse,’ she wrote. ‘Try ripping that shit apart without anesthesia. Talk about roughing it in the bush.

‘Winter vagina is so harsh that Canadian Labor and Delivery units shut down September through November because no one was f***ing nine months before.’

Dr Gunter points out that no one worries about winter butthole, because the air outside the body doesn’t really impact the dryness in our internal pockets.

She notes that it’s pretty tricky for winter weather to impact the vagina, ‘which is inside your body and underneath clothes’, unless you were to go ahead and shove ice up there (not a good idea).

The vagina is a self-cleaning, self-regulating haven that pretty much takes care of itself. You don’t need to warm it or cool it – it’s already at its optimal temperature. You don’t need to clean it – the vagina does that itself. The same goes for self-lubrication and discharge – that happens thanks to the vagina’s internal ecosystem, not the outside environment.

In her previous article debunking summer vagina, Dr Gunter explains: ‘The vagina cannot dry out because of the heat. I mean…I can’t even…

‘Vaginal dryness or the sensation of vaginal dryness (because those are two different things) can be the result of low estrogen, be a medication side effect, and even be from a yeast infection.

‘However, the ambient temperature and a wet bathing suit have zero impact on the vaginal ecosystem. 

‘The only way you could temporarily dry out your vagina from heat would be aiming a hair dryer inside. And for the love of everything that is holy don’t do that!

‘The vagina maintains a steady temperature because it is inside your body and human body temperature only rises with the outside temperature when someone is suffering from heat stroke. Women are not poikilotherms. The vagina maintains moisture because it is constantly producing discharge.’

Just as hot weather won’t dry out your vagina, cold weather won’t have an impact either. Because it’s entirely external to the body, and as long as you’re not doing anything silly like going out in the snow without clothes or sitting in a sauna for hours a day, it won’t have an effect.

Vaginal dryness is a serious issue, and if you’re struggling with it it’s important to chat to your GP – not wait for winter to blow over.

In short: No need to panic about winter vagina. The colder months don’t mean you’re doomed to a sex-free existence of a sad state of vaginal affairs.

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Concealer is undoubtedly one of the most powerful makeup products in any beauty lover’s collection. Fact.

Sure, skincare is key to keeping skin clear and fresh. But let’s be honest, concealer helps us hide a multitude of sins, including Netflix induced under-eye bags and breakouts, triggered by a whole weekend of cheat meals.

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But we’re not here to judge you and your love for a Saturday night takeaway – no one can resist a Domino’s deal. Rather to impart a little knowledge on the best concealers available at every price point, that actually work.

So whether you’re after sheer coverage, a brightening finish, or a more heavy-duty concealer, we’ve rounded up the best concealers that work hard to mask your circles and spots.

Revolution Conceal and Define Concealer, £4

Revolution’s Conceal and Define Concealer is one of the best high coverage drugstore concealers your money can buy.

The £4 concealer that’s been dubbed as *THE* dupe for Tarte’s Tape Shape Concealer, is proof that you don’t need to spend a fortune to cover up.

Originally the concealer had a measly shade range. But since its sell-out success, additional shades have been added from fair to dark skintones, with a variety of undertones.

Charlotte Tilbury Magic Away Concealer, £24

Charlotte Tilbury undeniably creates some of the most desirable and beautifully packaged makeup products.

And while Charlotte’s new Magic Away Concealer is sleekly designed, with rose-gold outer packaging and a handy sponge-tipped applicator. Its formula is the real star.

It contains some rather fancy ingredients including Persian Silk Tree Bark Extract that ‘magically’ helps to blur, fade dark circles and enhance the skin’s luminosity.

L.A. Girl Cosmetics Pro Conceal HD Concealer, £5

A medium to high coverage concealer in a fail-safe squeezy tube, L.A. Girl Cosmetics Pro Conceal HD Concealer, is fab if you like your photo taken.

It’s HD (high definition), meaning it won’t be obvious to the eye when wore on camera, or for your latest Instagram. And you won’t have to worry about any dreaded ‘flashback’.

It’s lightweight, buildable and also available in classic colour correcting shades, such as green for redness and peach for unwanted dark hues under the eyes.

Glossier Stretch Concealer, £15

Stretch Concealer, from US beauty brand Glossier, is brightening, subtle and downright dewy.

Although it’s not exactly long-wearing, the potted concealer has a forgiving formulation making it an ideal option for dry skin types.

However, the brands best-seller is calling out for an expansion of shades, as there’s only four to pick from.

Maybelline The Eraser Eye Concealer, £8.99

Maybelline The Eraser Eye Concealer is one of our go-to highstreet concealers and a beauty blogger favourite.

The sponge tip makes it super easy to blend out the product evenly and works wonders on dark circles and blemishes. evens out dark circles and works wonders on blemishes.

NARS Soft Matte Concealer, £24

All of NARS’ concealers are truly brilliant. But for when it’s time to bring out the big guns, NARS Soft Matte Concealer does all the hard work for you.

It’s coverage is high, so it works well to battle dark circles and blemishes – although we prefer it for the latter, as it’s shimmer-free.

Furthermore, it’s seriously long-wearing and although it’s matte, it isn’t drying or chalky.

Too Faced Born This Way Super Coverage Multi-use Sculpting Concealer, £24

The 4-in-1 concealer from Too Faced has been designed to conceal, contour, highlight and retouch.

It has a natural, comfortable finish, that’s surprisingly lightweight given it’s high coverage

The product could easily be mistaken as foundation, as the packaging is a tad bulky. But it does work well at covering larger areas quickly with its over-sized doe foot applicator.

IT Cosmetics Bye Bye Under Eye Concealer, £23.50

A little goes a long way with IT Cosmetics’ Bye Bye Under Eye Concealer as it’s extremely pigmented.

Best dispensed onto the back of your hand and applying with the tip of your fingers, Bye Bye Under Eye is heavy duty, creamy and ever-so-slightly tacky. And boy, does this stuff cover everything.

Just make sure to finish with a light dusting of setting powder to ensure stays put for the whole day.

Urban Decay Naked Skin Weightless Complete Coverage Concealer, £19.50

If you one of your biggest bugbears is uneven skin texture, you’ll love Urban Decay Naked Skin Weightless Complete Coverage Concealer, as it keeps skin smooth, thanks to it’s hydrating formulation.

It has a light-to-medium buildable coverage, blends like a dream, won’t settle into fine lines and has a brightening finish.

And it really is weightless.

Maybelline Fit Me! Concealer, £5.99

Best used to conceal redness and dark circles, Maybelline Fit Me! Concealer is creamy, weightless and more importantly affordable.

In fact, it’s finish isn’t too dissimilar to Urban Decay Naked Skin Weightless Complete Coverage Concealer, but with a lighter coverage.

Mac Pro Longwear Concealer, £18.50

If you want a lot of milliliters for your money, Mac Pro Longwear Concealer has around 3mls more product than your average concealer.

It has a liquid consistency and provides a medium to full coverage with a natural matte finish.

Overall, it’s hardworking and a fail-safe concealer that pretty much covers everything, including body tattoos.

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An awful lot of people are coming down with colds at this time of the year, but it is not just us humans who will be feeling under the weather as winter approaches.

Dogs across the country will also be getting a runny nose, getting weary and generally feeling rubbish as they come down with something very similar to our colds.

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The actual virus that your dog gets will be different from the one a human can catch, but the symptoms are very similar and they can get coughs, sneezes, runny noses and watery eyes like the rest of us.

Dogs cannot catch common colds from humans, so don’t feel bad that they are feeling unwell, but they can certainly have the symptoms of one.

It is very common and nothing to worry about as there are simple remedies you can offer your pet, similar to ones you may consider for yourself.

Drinking plenty of fluids, eating well (particularly soup) and getting a lot of rest will all help your dog return to health.

Another remedy is helping to clear some of your dog’s sinuses by inhaling steam.

You can do this by running a hot bath or shower and getting the dog to sit in the bathroom, or by running a humidifier in the room where the dog sleeps.

If your dog is showing signs of a cold, or even before that, you should try to keep them warm throughout the winter months.

Dry them off quickly and thoroughly if they have been out in the rain or snow and if they are already unwell, then keep their trips out in bad weather as short as possible.

In most cases, these home remedies will be more than adequate, but if you have a very young or very old dog then it is worth considering a trip to the vet if they are displaying prolonged symptoms of illness.

Other, more worrying, problems can exhibit similar symptoms but could need different treatment.

Kennel Cough will see your dog coughing regularly, although the hacking/honking sound should make it clear that is what you are dealing with.

An influenza virus will seem similar to a cold but your dog is more likely to be experiencing a fever, if so, you may have to see a vet.

As ever, common sense should help you prevail in these circumstances.

If your dog has the sniffles then there is no need to run to the vet, just as you would not hurry to the doctor over a cold.

However, more prolonged and serious symptoms are worth checking out with a professional.

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A mother lovingly made a crystal themed birthday cake for her son’s sixth birthday – but it ended up looking like a sparkly vagina.

Mum-of-two Kate created gold vanilla sponge cake designed to look like a geode for her son Finlay Kirven, who loves crystals, on Monday.

Kate spent two hours making and decorating the geode cake which featured a split on one side decorated with gold glitter and black and white sugar crystals.

It was only when the 36-year-old stood back to take a picture that she realised her amazing cake actually looked like a crystallised vagina.

Of course, Finlay is far too young to understand and was delighted with his cake – despite family members trying not to laugh as he blew out the candles.

Kate from Oxted, Surrey, said: ‘I was in the kitchen baking away and it didn’t occur to me what it looked like.

‘I stepped back to take a picture to send to my husband and I suddenly realised what it looked like. I was like “oh heck”.

‘I thought I was making Finlay a geode and then I thought “oh no I’ve made him a sparkly vagina”.

‘My husband had a laugh and said “it will be fine, he won’t know what it is”.

‘Finlay was delighted, he didn’t know what it was. He’s only six so he thought I’d made him a cake of his favourite rock – he thought it was brilliant.

‘When he’s 18 he might look at it differently.’

Kate, who runs her own face painting business, baked the cake on Monday and invited family members over to celebrate Finlay’s birthday after he finished school.

Kate said: ‘We had my dad, my husband’s mum and family members coming round to see him and the idea was to bring the cake out.

‘I did warn my family what it looked like. My dad would have been in hysterics if I hadn’t told him. I showed it to him and he just looked at me and I said ‘don’t say anything’.

‘They were all trying to stifle giggles while we sang ‘happy birthday’.

‘Finlay didn’t have a clue, he thought it was brilliant. It was gold and sparkly – everything he wished for.’

‘His proper birthday party is at the weekend so I’m really glad it wasn’t his cake for that party.

‘Could you imagine bringing that thing out in a room full of school mums? There’d be uproar.

‘I’m planning to make another cake for his party but this one is going to be of a penguin – hopefully that will turn out okay.

‘I keep giggling about it. I shared a picture of it on social media and I keep getting notifications about it.

‘I thought it might give a couple of people a laugh but it’s had thousands of likes.

‘It was my first attempt at that particular cake. I usually make one for every birthday and this is the first one that’s been an epic fail.

‘I’m planning on showing him the picture when he’s older. It’s definitely one to bring out for his 18th birthday.’

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Our parents may tell us off for big nights out and Prosecco-filled brunches – but a new study has revealed that we should be just as worried about their drinking habits.

Research by Massey University in New Zealand, which examined 4,000 New Zealanders aged 50 years or older, found over 40% of people over 50 are ‘hazardous drinkers’.

Hazardous drinking is a pattern of consuming alcohol were there are increased risks of injuries, violence, hospitalisation and developing chronic health conditions.

As we get older, the threshold for being a hazardous drinking gets lower because ageing slows down our body’s ability to process alcohol and we get drunk faster.

Using two tests, the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test-Consumption and the Comorbidity Alcohol Risk Revaluation Tool, anyone who goes binge drinking on a weekly basis or who drinks moderately throughout the week is identified as a hazardous drinker.

The study found that the most at risk were predominantly healthy men who frequently drank high amounts of alcohol and enjoyed a monthly session of binge drinking.

Other groups that were affected were healthy men and women who drank small amounts of alcohol very frequently, with some binge drinking.

The research also highlighted that unhealthy men and women who drank small amounts but rarely binge drink were at risk of becoming hazardous drinkers.

Approximately half of older males were hazardous drinkers, compared to around a quarter of older females.

Research co-leader Dr Andy Towers, from Massey University, says the research focused on older adults, as they are more at risk of harm from alcohol than younger drinkers.

‘As we age our body can’t process alcohol as well, making it more toxic to us,’ he explained. ‘Also, the older we get the more likely we are to develop health conditions and use medication that alcohol can interfere with. In this respect, the longer we live, the less alcohol we should drink.

‘The majority of New Zealanders wouldn’t consider their parents or grandparents to be risky drinkers, yet we’ve found that half of older men drank hazardously. This poses significant questions about how we identify and manage older drinkers in our health system.’

Although the research focused on New Zealand, figures from the Office of National Statistics in 2017 show that 30% of men aged between 45 and 64 and 15% of men over 65 admit they binge drink.

The figures are lower for women, with 23% of women 45-64 and 8% over 65 admitting they drink heavily on one day.

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If you read Bar Fox last week you will know that our new cocktail of choice is the Sidecar.

This perfectly balanced symphony of cognac, Cointreau and lemon juice is one of the key cocktails on the menu at new La Maison Rémy Martin at Claude Bosi, Bibendum, which is where we may or may not have had four at the launch last Wednesday (it’s now very much open for business).

Since it’s a classic – it was created at the end of WWI, making it 100 years old – one might think it would be easy enough to get your paws on a Sidecar.

But, since then, we have had to Google the very recipe we featured last week at three separate bars to show the bartenders, which has done nothing for our reputation for being low maintenance.

Clearly making the Sidecar is harder than it looks (it’s three ingredients, people).

Which is why this week at least, we are beyond thrilled to have found a bar to drink it where we know it’s going to be good.

It helps that the mixologist running it is the very same one who made our drinks at LMRM last week. Biased, us?

Jack Charlton, Rémy’s brand ambassador and all-round good human, is back from tonight til Saturday 7 October for London Cocktail Week with Rémy Martin x Cointreau, hosting a pop-up Sidecar bar at the Truman Brewery, also home of London Cocktail Week.

The bar will be serving up Sidecars as well as 5 twists on the classic created by 5 bartenders as part of a competition called #SidecarCup18.

The bartender whose version sells the most this week is set to win a weekend at The Ritz in Paris (where the Sidecar is said to have been created) – and the 5 finalists will be guest bartenders at the Sidecar bar – so be kind about their concoctions.

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Here are the finalists:

* The Good, The Bad & The Ugly: Alexandre Robin, East Bar Supervisor, Sketch, London

* Sweet Road: Matteo Gianuzzi, Sofitel

* Soy Bean Car: Elisabetta Luppi, Bartender, City Social, London

* Rikuo 97: Danny Laycock, Bar Manager at Issho, Leeds

* Rüya Sidecar: Kisa Alicat, Rüya, London

Oh – and get this – when you’re done, the team will take you to the nearest Tube in an actual sidecar. One attached to a motorbike.

Not only will it save you getting an Uber, it will give you a pretty cool photo op too.

You can book your free ride between 5-11pm here: Thursday, Friday, Saturday.

Elsewhere at London Cocktail Week:

Jaegermeister’s Big Chill takeover – the official sponsors of LCW – are hosting a Der Wald pop-up bar – set in a stylised German forest – with ice cold shots, events, workshops and surprising cocktails (the most surprising bit is that they are only £6). Make ours a Jaegermeister Sour. Big Chill Bar, Brick Lane (3 min walk from the LCW village)

St Germain’s programme of events –

• Monday 1 October: The Healthy Hedonist Yoga Brunch at Bourne & Hollingsworth buildings 9.30 am led by Camille Ralph Vidal
• Tuesday 2 October: Apéritifs and Pétanque at Petit Pois Bistro from 5 to 10pm. A gathering of London’s finest French bartenders.
• Wednesday 3 to Sunday 7 October: St-Germain Flower Wall at The Cocktail Village – A blossoming flower wall at The Cocktail Village, through which visitors will be handed a St-Germain Spritz in return for a token.
• Saturday 6 and Sunday 7 October: St-Germain Brunch at Bourne & Hollingsworth. A bespoke brunch menu created in collaboration with Bourne & Hollingsworth, featuring refreshing St-Germain cocktails.

Full details on London Cocktail Week available at drinkup.london/cocktailweek.

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