How do you compete with everyone’s breathtaking holiday pictures on Instagram? Outdo them by posing with crocodiles, obviously.

Photographer Ken Kiefer had no qualms about organising a bold photoshoot with carnivorous crocs at Chinchorro Banks in Mexico.

He took a two-hour boat ride with his wife Kimber and model Melodie Trevino for the shoot, before she managed to keep a straight face and pose underwater just metres away from the formidable creatures.

The brave models held their breath as they came face-to-face with the deadly reptiles during the daring shoot.

The team used bait to entice the American crocodiles and ensured safety divers were on hand to intervene if needed.

Ken, 49, said: ‘Kimber and I were thrilled to be able to finally get in and create images with these magnificent predators. It is one of those places whose sheer beauty and immensity is overwhelming.

‘My favourite capture is the one of my wife with the boat, safety divers and friends all above witnessing the beauty of the crocodile.”

In the images, the models popped a squat on the ocean floor next to the crocs all the while smizing and keeping calm.

Wearing fabulous red and yellow dresses, Kimber and Melodie kept their composure even as the crocodiles came near them.

The pair still posed looking straight into the creature’s eyes.

‘During the time with the crocodiles, we stayed on a fishing shack with no power or plumbing and only the necessities that we bought with us,’ explained Ken.

‘There are approximately 500 wild American crocodiles living in the centre lagoon of Chinchorro Banks but usually, only a few at a time come outside the mangroves to the fishing shack.

‘Several of them over the years have learned to swim near the shack to scoop up fish remains that the fishermen throw into the water after cleaning their catch.

‘In order to keep the crocodiles interested and near the shack, we tied fishing lines with no hook onto invasive lionfish that we ourselves speared on the nearby reefs, after removing all of the spines from the lionfish.

‘Safety divers can be seen in a few of the photos but were always in prime position to keep the models safe from any contact with the crocodiles.

MORE: Nude yoga teacher says it’s important to see different sides of women’s bodies

MORE: Netflix’s ‘Insatiable’ is wrong – you don’t need to be thin to be your best self

MORE: Girl documents the adventures of her malformed hand, Fred, on Instagram

Desi Napoles, an 11-year-old from Brooklyn, New York, started dressing up at home when he was two, using whatever he could find.

When he was six, he got his first princess gown in the style of Frozen’s Elsa which made him want to dress up outside his home too.

Mum Wendy had some qualms but decided to let him do what made him happy. And so began Desmond Is Amazing – his drag act who has strutted on runways, performed with RuPaul and walked the Pride Parade.

Desmond advocates for LGBTQ rights and is now opening a clubhouse for kid drag acts to inspire other young people and promote anti-bullying and suicide prevention.

How did you get into drag?

When I was two years old I used to take my mum’s heels, bed sheets, towels or even cardboard and put them on my body to make pretend dresses and on my head to make pretend wigs.

I loved playing dress up. Sometimes my mum would be watching RuPaul’s Drag Race and I would stop playing with my toys and watch it with her.

I thought the drag queens were so beautiful and amazing and I said ‘I want to do that!’. So I just kept dressing up and it’s what I like to do.

Where do you perform and what is the reception to that?

I always get a positive reaction.

People will clap and be smiling when I am done. I also do public speaking to give speeches and I always get a good reaction to that too.

I’ve spoken at Fairleigh-Dickinson University, Teen Vogue Summit, GLSEN Awards, Children’s Museum of the Arts, and for the NYC Commission of Human Rights.

It makes me so happy to inspire people with my words.

What kind of comments or criticisms do you receive from people?

My mum goes through my social media before I am allowed to look at it to take off any hate comments or messages so I don’t usually see stuff like that.

But one time I saw that someone had written ‘burn it with fire’. I thought that was really mean and rude. I don’t receive any criticism from people in public.

What kind of things would you like to do in the future?

When I grow up I want to do exactly what I am already doing. I want to be a drag queen, an LGBTQ+ advocate, a model, an author, an actor, a fashion designer, and a singer.

Who are your drag icons?

RuPaul is my biggest drag icon. I like all the drag queens and kings. It’s hard to pick a favourite because they all have something different that I like.

How is it navigating school life and studies with your personal interests? What do your friends think?

My mum schedules my photoshoots and interviews for only after school so that I don’t have to be out of school. But now that it is summer I don’t have to worry about that as much.

I play at the park almost every day. I didn’t really tell my friends at school about doing drag because I didn’t want to be a distraction and I didn’t know if they would understand.

Who are your style icons?

My looks are androgynous and my style is ‘avant drag’. I’m inspired by RuPaul, the Club Kids, the Blitz Kids, Andy Warhol, Keith Haring, Marsha P. Johnson, Dragula, John Galliano, Alexander McQueen, and Comme Des Garçons.

Any last words?

My motto is: ‘Be Yourself, Always’.

Wise.

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

MORE: Companies need to stop piggy-backing off Pride if they’re not going to be year-round allies

‘Has anyone else noticed how everyone seems to be calling their boyfriends “Daddy” during sex now?,’ a friend asked recently.

Yes, we all agreed.

It’s all over social media, you can buy t-shirts with the words ‘Daddy’s girl’ or ‘Yes Daddy’ plastered over the front and ‘make her call you Daddy’ seems to have become a synonym for being great in bed.

Even Ryan Reynolds has been drawn on the subject

Now people are @ing him many times a day with all sorts of Daddy requests. We can’t recommend searching them out.

Why?

Funnily enough, studies on this subject are tricky to pin down but Google search results indicate that since 2004 there has been a sizeable increase in people searching for the words ‘call me daddy’ and other related terms.

But, irrespective of where it came from, why do people get off on using the word ‘Daddy’ in the bedroom?

While Justin Lehmiller, a social psychologist and author of Tell Me What You Want, struggles with the same lack of peer-reviewed proof of the increase, he has some clear ideas as to why it might be such a draw:

‘I suspect a big part of the appeal here has to do with the fact that using the “Daddy” label helps to establish a dominant-submissive dynamic,’ he tells Metro.co.uk.

‘More than anything else, It seems that people’s use of this term is tied to a desire to give up some degree of power or control to their partner.

‘The isn’t surprising because in the survey of over 4,000 adults that I performed for Tell Me What You Want, I found that submission was one of the most popular fantasy themes to emerge.

‘In fact, 87% of participants said they’d fantasised about taking on a submissive role during sex. Not only that, but people were more likely to fantasise about submission than dominance, and they fantasised about submission more often, too.

‘To the extent that people are indeed using the term “Daddy” to refer to their partners more often than they were in the past, this may just reflect increasing comfort with acknowledging an interest in submission.’

So, is there anything wrong with wanting to call your other half Daddy?

‘It’s probably nothing we need to worry about,’ Justin says.

‘While some people might think this is creepy because they associate use of this term with incest fantasies, I don’t think that’s what’s going on here.

‘The popularity of this term says more about the popularity of BDSM interests than anything.’

While Freud was always obsessed with children wanting to have sex with their parents of the opposite gender (the Oedipus complex), experts say it rarely, if ever, has anything to do with it, instead talking about that power dynamic.

Despite that, many find the use of the term offensive and/or a huge turnoff, with some going as far as saying those who use the term are ‘weirdos’

As is so often the case with sexual fantasies, it might be a bit weird or confusing and you might not understand why you like it.

But as long as both parties are comfortable and consenting, then there’s no reason to waste time feeling guilty.

MORE: UK’s first black Miss Universe Great Britain tells us why representation matters

MORE: We served out-of-date food at our wedding and everyone loved it

High price equals quality, right? Not anymore – or at least not when it comes to vodka.

There’s a new contender for top shelf spirits, and it will cost you less than a cocktail in a fancy bar. This year, Co-op has come out swigging, as one of the biggest winners in the yearly International Spirits Challenge.

The supermarket’s own label spirit, Imperial Vodka, costs just £12.49 and was voted one of the best in the world with it winning a gold medal.

It claims the title alongside other well-known vodka brands like Belvedere and Nikka Coffey Vodka, which cost three times as much, at £38 and £42 respectively.

In a double whammy, Co-op’s French grain vodka, which costs more than Imperial, also won silver (£17.49).

Marks and Spencer, Lidl and Waitrose-owned vodkas also all won gold medals.

It’s the 23rd year for the International Spirits Challenge, where industry experts sampled 1,500 spirits from nearly 70 countries, proving that some jobs are more fun than others.

Supermarket spirits are trending across the board; earlier this year, Aldi won six medals for its own brand whisky, while Lidl beat Sipsmith and Beefeater in a blind taste test by the Good Housekeeping Institute.

‘We’re proud to be bringing home the trophy for our English-produced vodka beating many worldwide rivals,’ said Simon Cairns, category trading manager for beer, wine and spirits at Co-op.

‘It couldn’t have come at a better time. The team has been working exceptionally hard to continue to increase the strength of our entire beer, wine and spirit range, and both of these accolades are great recognition for the fantastic work by our passionate buying team.’

Although the supermarket currently only sells the now award-winning alcohol in its stores, who knows, you might be ordering a Co-op and soda in your local pub very soon.

You can find the full list of winning spirits here.

MORE: Lidl’s gin beats Sipsmith and Beefeater in blind taste test

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

MORE: Aldi’s £10 gin declared one of best in world by experts

You’ve probably heard of white privilege – the term for the advantages that you automatically experience if you’re a white person. But have you heard of thin privilege? 

The first, most important thing to know about privilege is that just because you have it doesn’t mean that your life has been easy. Being thin or white doesn’t mean that you’re life *isn’t* hard. It’s just means that your body size or your skin colour isn’t making it any harder.

You can be thin, white, rich and talented and still struggle. You could be poor, fat, Black, disabled and gay and still have a charmed life. But statistically it’s less likely.

So, thin privilege. As you might be able to guess from the words ‘thin’ and ‘privilege’, it’s an expression for the benefits that come with being thin, or specifically, not being fat.

Those benefits are things like being more likely to get hired (being obese is proven to impact on your ability to get hired), avoiding abuse from strangers, being able to fit comfortably on planes and trains without worrying about needing seat belt extenders or having to move the arm rest, and without panicking that someone will make a comment about your body.

Other examples of thin privilege are being able to eat in public without being shamed for it, and being able to shop in standard High Street brands and knowing that they’ll stock your size (something which people who are a size 12, 14 and 16 experience, despite possibly not regarding themself as thin.

Just like with white privilege, where you can be ‘white passing’ (aka light skinned and less likely to be racially profiled) you can be ‘thin passing’ which means that even if you’re not skinny you’re not big enough that people notice, make comments or have unexplained rage towards you.

Being a medium size person comes with a measure of thin privilege, which isn’t a binary but exists on a sliding scale.

Cora Harrington, author and lingerie expert took to Twitter to explain what thin privilege is. If you’re still confused about what it means, check out her thoughts here.

Whenever the word ‘privilege’ is used it’s tempting to have a knee jerk reaction and want to defend yourself. But try to remember, it’s not an insult or a failing. There’s nothing wrong with having privilege. Most of us have a measure of it. All anyone is asking is that you’re aware of it, and that you try to use that awareness to overcome the prejudices that we all have ingrained inside us.

MORE: Why do people call their sexual partners ‘Daddy’?

MORE: UK’s first black Miss Universe Great Britain tells us why representation matters

Few people are as determined to tick off their 2018 New Year’s resolutions as Jessica Morris.

Teacher saves student’s dying mother by giving her a kidney

Instead of the usual health or alcohol-related promise, she vowed to save a life this year and now she has, by donating her kidney to a stranger.

And she did it all through the help of advertising website Craigslist.

The 30-year-old surgical technician from Orange County, California, began browsing the internet in search of a worthwhile cause.

A couple of hours away in San Francisco was David Nachere, also 30, who was in urgent need of a kidney. The pair met up just two months before the operation, and Jessica decided to donate her organ to him.

The kidney companions found each other when Jessica was searching for someone to help on the Facebook group, Kidney Donors Network, and stumbled across David’s Craigslist ad.

David had been suffering from end-stage kidney failure for six and a half years, and had resigned himself to the idea of dying. And, if not for Jessica’s timely intervention, would have suffered that fate.

‘I’d been looking for a while – but it remained just an idea that I wanted to do, rather than actually seriously going through with it,’ Jessica explains.

‘It’s easy to say you’ll do something, it’s another thing altogether to follow through with it. I was pretty straightforward with David, he probably thought I was weird. He was skeptical and hopeful, but you can tell he was refusing to get too excited about it.’

The donation process can be very tough as donors don’t always match and need to be approved for surgery. Patients on dialysis can feel very dejected after long periods of not finding a suitable donor.

‘It didn’t sink in for David that his life was really about to change until he got the call to schedule the surgery,’ Jessica said.

‘I saw a different side of him in the hospital. He really is an amazing person, I’m so happy I was able to help him.’

David’s kidney had failed him when he was just three months old. He has endured 27 operations throughout his life and was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease prior to finding out his kidneys could no longer function.

So, the freelance writer made one last attempt to find someone and posted the advertisement.

When they first met, they instantly got along and quickly received the approval they needed to go through with the operation, which was scheduled to be performed two months later.

Their recovery experience also created a bond between the pair, who now hope to go backpacking together.

‘David has become like a brother to me,’ Jessica added.

‘In the hospital it felt like he was my twin. He will always be a part of my family and I will always be a part of his. This has been the most memorable experience of my life.

‘We are all seeking a purpose in life, and you will never find one more rewarding than being someone’s hero’.

MORE: Make sure you check your pee before you flush for signs of cancer

MORE: Dogs can pass illnesses to humans

MORE: We served out-of-date food at our wedding and everyone loved it

It might just take one sip of coffee to wake you up in the morning (or a gallon, for some) but even taking a whiff of it has its benefits.

A new study looking into the effects of coffee aromas and brain activity has found that the scent of the brew can sharpen performance and productivity.

So if you hate the taste of the stuff, you can now go around sniffing your colleague’s mugs and tell them it’s for work purposes.

And what’s more, it doesn’t have to be caffeinated for the sniffer to receive its benefits.

Researchers from the Stevens School of Business in New Jersey found that after splitting 114 students into two groups – one exposed to smells and one without – the group who smelled the beans performed ‘significantly higher’ in testing.

A whiff of coffee helped the students believe and expect that they would do better in a computer adaptive test that measures skills in a variety of areas, known as the Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT).

Coffee is associated with energy and alertness, so respondents may have carried out a self-fulfilling prophecy – they predicted they would do better, so they did.

‘It’s not just that the coffee-like scent helped people perform better on analytical tasks, which was already interesting,’ said lead researcher Adriana Madzharov.

‘But they also thought they would do better, and we demonstrated that this expectation was at least partly responsible for their improved performance.’

Researchers also discovered that smelling decaffeinated coffee had a similar outcome, and created a placebo effect.

It’s the associations made by the students who smelled it (given decaf coffee smells the same as the regular stuff) that may have helped them perform better.

The study size is very small so tests aren’t conclusive yet, though scientists are working on it, specifically with a focus on finding out whether the aroma could help us stay awake for longer.

Considering the horror stories you hear about drinking too much coffee, and occasionally hearing about the benefits, it’s good to know that you may not have to gulp down mammoth amounts of it, in order to get the benefits.

MORE: A new study reveals you’re more likely to drink if you’re single

MORE: You can now use your placenta to plant a tree

MORE: Dad’s four-year-old daughter adorably guides him through diarrhoea

Let’s say you meet someone online, and you like them.

The date, rather than being awkward is actually quite fun. You want to see them again. You’re trying not to but a little bit of your brain is thinking about introducing them to your friends and going on holiday. And then they announce that they’re not monogamous.

You might be familiar with non monogamy. If you’re down-with-the-kids you might even understand how polyamory works. But what about people who aren’t polyamorous, but instead practice relationship anarchy?

What is relationship anarchy?

Relationship anarchy is when you have relationships (sexual, romantic, both or neither) with multiple people.

How does it work?

Relationship anarchists enjoy their relationships with a variety of people without needing to label them. So there is no husband, wife, boyfriend, girlfriend, friend with benefits, f**k buddy – no labels at all.

How is it different from polyamory?

Polyamory has rules – you delineate between who is and is not a partner. It’s common in polyamory to have primary and secondary partners, which forms a hierarchy. In relationship anarchy there are no boundaries between relationships and sexual or romantic relationships are not held as inherently more valuable than platonic ones.

What’s the point?

The idea is that instead of making people a priority by awarding them titles, you spend time with whoever you feel close to, and enjoy the people in your life on the basis of their personalities and how they make you feel, rather than a specific role.

Relationship anarchists find it unhelpful to create hierarchies within their relationships, or to promise to love a partner in a specific, static way without knowing how you might both change in the future. RA allows a fluidity in relationships, as opposed to the traditional monogamous ‘all or nothing’ stance.

RA allows people to make specific commitments to individual people and be dictated to by them, rather than following a traditional blue print. For instance, sexual monogamy might not be on the cards, but instead a commitment to always watch new episodes of Game of Thrones together, or only ever do a specific sexual kink with each other.

If you’re considering embarking on an open relationship, you might want to read a book about it, for instance Rewriting the Rules. You also might want to consider talking to an open minded relationship councilor. Remember, there is nothing wrong with rejecting monogamy, but an open relationship inst for everyone. Wanting monogamy doesn’t make you boring.

MORE: Student reveals how she eats for free by bin-diving outside supermarkets

MORE: What is thin privilege?

If you’re a fan of Kinder Bueno, you’ll be over the moon to know you can now buy teeny tiny pearls of your favourite stuff.

Instagrammer JunkFoodGuru from Germany revealed that Kinder Bueno Pearls now exist – and they look amazing.

The pearls are balls of chocolatey goodness, filled with wafer and the signature hazelnut cream.

They’re available in 190g bags, decorated in the standard Kinder Bueno design.

But, sadly, they’re not available in the UK yet; we’d have to travel to Germany to get them. *sob*

And so, if you’re wanting something similar, you’ll have to stick to the Kinder Choco-Bons; miniature ovals with the same delightful hazelnut filling and hazelnut pieces.

Though it seems Germany is ahead of us there too, as its stores are also stocked with white Choco-Bons.

Obviously, we’re gutted we won’t be able to get out hands of any of the new Kinder products.

But, don’t cry into your Kinder eggs just yet, because the UK does have a new treat – rectangular Oreo cake bars that look like mini chocolate rolls.

The bars are made with dark chocolate cake, creamy Oreo frosting and are coated with a layer of Cadbury’s chocolate.

Currently, they’re pretty rare and are only available in B&M stores – they started appearing on the shelves a few weeks ago – or online elsewhere.

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

And they’ll hold you over until Kinder decides to give us a taste of their pearls – Kinder, are you listening?

MORE: We served out-of-date food at our wedding and everyone loved it

MORE: 4,000 have signed a petition to bring back Cadbury’s Snowflake

MORE: You can now buy the infamous Cadbury’s Dream bar again

Love Island is nearly over and we’re already getting ready to find a new Netflix series to binge-watch, so we can replace the 9pm void that’s set to hit our schedules.

Love Island’s Frankie Foster ‘slept with woman hours before reuniting with Samira Mighty’

But don’t worry, if you’re not quite ready to forget how loyal Georgia is or how cute Jack and Dani are together, Primark has got your back with its latest collection.

The super cheap fashion store has released a Love Island themed line, and it includes a new top inspired by Georgia’s favourite word.

Primark announced the #Loyal T-shirt on Instagram yesterday, where it received 36,000 likes, alongside the caption ‘You know us, babe. 100%’

It’s priced at £6 and comes as part of a range, which features a whole bunch of merchandise including homeware, shoes, pyjamas and shorts.

Take a look at some of the other new Love Island bits below.

There’s a Dr Alex themed tee

That pairs perfectly with these cute shorts

We’d wear this by the pool

We need this

Love Island decor, anyone?

The dreaded message

Before the drama happens

We’re loving this Islander tote

Everyone needs a bum bag for festival summer

And finally, the ultimate Love Island hoodie to wear as you watch the final

The collection is available in Primark now, and apparently there’s also a ‘Do Bits Society’ T-shirt that we need to get our hands on.

Here’s to being kitted out in everything Love Island for the final.

‘Cause we’re loyal, babes.

MORE: Burberry burned £28.6 million worth of clothes last year

MORE: Love Island’s Ellie Brown reveals she’s moved in with millionaire Charlie Brake one week after being booted from the villa

MORE: Love Island’s Laura Anderson may need to look away now as her dad shares epic throwback

When it comes to getting ready, sometimes you need a second opinion.

Other people are probably better at judging your ensemble objectively.

Chloe Morello, an Instagram model, asked her followers for some wardrobe advice to see if her socks matched her outfit.

But, what she should’ve been asking was whether the design on her gold sequined skirt was too obvious – after all, a penis can distract people from your choice of footwear.

The Australian blogger, 27, seemed to have completely glossed over the phallic print and, obviously, users had a field day.

Chloe wanted to know if her sparkly socks co-ordinated with her black vest top, and sequined mini skirt.

‘Guys, need your help! Do these socks ruin the outfit?’ she captioned her post.

No one was looking at her feet though, as they all pointed to the dick print.

‘The sequin schlong actually makes the outfit,’ wrote one cheeky user on Instagram.

‘Not sure the socks work for me – but the golden d*ck looks great,’ said another.

Others had a few questions.

‘Rocking the socks but is that a penis on your skirt? Is there a theme that I’m not getting?,’ said one.

‘Is this supposed to be what I think it is on the front of the skirt?,’ asked the other.

But, it turns out Chloe had the last laugh as she knew about the phallic symbol all along.

Posting another image a few days later, where husband Sebastian was seen rocking the socks, she revealed he was the one who drew the knob.

Will penis etchings on random items ever stop being a thing?

Probably not.

MORE: A penis so big it can be seen from space has popped up on Google Maps

MORE: The next hot menswear trend is wearing trousers with a penis pocket

MORE: Nude yoga teacher says it’s important to see different sides of women’s bodies

Now that the sun’s out (all summer, really), you might want to head to the garden or the park with a good book.

Don’t have a novel to sink your teeth into?

Not to worry, for everyone’s favourite furniture store has got you covered.

In partnership with the Man Booker Prize, Ikea has revealed plans for ‘reading rooms’, which will allow members of the public to drop in, pick up a work of literature, and even take it home – for free.

So, kind of like a library, but with better furnishings and close access to Swedish meatballs.

The project will allow people to read and take away a copy of one of the 13 longlisted titles in the literary competition.

Organisers of this new venture hope to celebrate reading for relaxation, and aim to encourage the nation to read more at home.

The initiative comes after research conducted by Ikea found that 64% of Brits believe TVs, laptops, and smartphones bring stress into the home.

Furthermore, research from the University of Sussex found that reading just six minutes a day can be enough to reduce stress levels by 68%.

‘The reading rooms give us a chance to use our retail space to inspire people to think about the importance of relaxation at home,’ said Luis Lopez, head of living rooms of IKEA UK and Ireland.

‘Reading at home is good for your health and the living room is the perfect, tranquil setting to do so, providing a peaceful haven from the outside world. In partnering with The Man Booker Prize we know we are giving people the chance to read the best of this year’s books.’

Gaby Wood, literary director of the Booker Prize Foundation, urged people to read to reclaim their imagination.

‘If you associate reading with holidays then you probably associate it with indulgence,’ she said.

‘And – it’s true – reading fiction can be, at its best, a form of escapism. But that doesn’t make it a guilty pleasure; it’s more like a fast route to better health. Our homes are filled with devices that allow the digital world to encroach on our private lives.’

As if we needed another reason to spend time in Ikea.

The reading rooms will be open from Tuesday 31 July to 5 August at the Wembley store in south London.

You can book one-hour slots for free online.

MORE: Ikea suits are available to buy and they literally match your bed

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

MORE: UK’s first black Miss Universe Great Britain tells us why representation matters

You’re dating someone. You like them, but for whatever reason, you break up.

A few weeks or months later they start dating someone else and then, a year or so later you find out on the grape vine that they’ve moved in, or they’ve got engaged, or maybe they’ve had a baby.

A bit galling, right? You were the person who taught them what they didn’t want from a relationship. Or, even worse, you were the person who ironed out all of their worst qualities. You explained that leaving wet pasta in the bottom of the sink was a no go, or that socks really do need to come off during sex.

Then, after all that teaching and fixing, they go off and the find someone else who assumes that they just came that way. You’ve created a perfect specimen of humanity and then lost it to someone else. All your hardwork: gone.

Now imagine that this happens to you not just once, but multiple times.

Carlie, 29 from West London told me that this has happened not once, not twice but four times to her. ‘My university boyfriend dumped me and then met his wife. They’ve got kids now.

‘My first boyfriend when I moved to London left me for a girl he fell in love with online and now they live together in Sweden. I had a Tinder date turn into a six-month relationship, which ended after we realised we weren’t well suited and THE NEXT DAY he met his now fiancée.

‘Even my best friend met her partner after we got really close. I genuinely believe that I’m a kind of lucky charm.’

She is not alone.

Three of my previous girlfriends went on to meet people that they married after I broke up with them,’ Tom*, 25 from Walthamstow tells Metro.co.uk.

‘Two of them now have kids.’

So how does it feel to realise that your magic genitals bestow the ability to find love on the people who sleep with?

‘At first I found it funny,’ Tom says.

‘But by the third time I started to get really freaked out, like I was passing on people who maybe I should have stayed with.’

And sometimes this can turn to anger.

‘I was furious’ says Carlie.

‘I felt like I was dating these guys and making them really great, basically like training a puppy, and then when they were over their bad habits they’d find someone else who would end up getting all the benefits of my hard work.

‘Even some of my friends would spend lots of time with me and then suddenly find they met the love of their life. I spent a lot of time wondering why it was happening for everyone else but not for me.’

Eventually, you’ll be happy to know, it did happen for Carlie and for Tom. Carlie has been with her boyfriend for two years and they’re moving in together. Tom has a baby with his girlfriend and they also live together.

Did they have any advice for other one-before-the-oners?

‘Not really’ said Tom. ‘Don’t get obsessed with it. My mates thought it was hilarious and told everyone about it, which didn’t help. It’s probably just a coincidence.’

And Carlie agrees that it probably isn’t about you.

‘Try not to let it get to you’ Carlie says.

‘It doesn’t mean there’s anything wrong with you, it’s mostly luck, and it’s just a sign that you were a good person to be with and your ex left the relationship feeling emotionally healthy enough to meet someone else. If anything, it’s a skill.’

So there you are. Even if you are the training bra of boy/girlfriends, it doesn’t mean you’re going to end up alone. And the person who you end up with might well have been ‘fixed’ by someone before you.

MORE: Blogger asks followers for style advice, doesn’t notice the penis design on her skirt

MORE: Should you keep windows shut during hot weather, does it actually keep your house cool?

If you’re an artist and you’ve grown sick of having to carry around your colouring pencils with you wherever you go, one beautician has created some nail art to help you out.

Introducing: Colouring pencil nails.

They’re exactly what they sound like – nails that are actual colouring pencils.

No, really, they come with real lead and everything.

The design was created by Nail Sunny, a nail art chain in Moscow, known all over the world for its quirky designs like the pooping butt and cow udder nails, and possibly the weirdest of them all: the nails with miniature nails attached to them.

In a recent post, the brand shared its new pencil look, asking followers what they thought, and the picture has so far received more than 12,000 likes.

The nail art features blue, yellow, red and green pencils, which have been painted to look like wood, and come with leaded tips so that you can colour with them.

To create this remarkable nail art, the artist adds clear acrylics to the nail, before painting it in a chosen colour.

Then, with the help of black and white blended strokes across the nail, you get a wooden, pencil-like effect.

Next, they use a nude paint for the end of the pencil, before sticking actual pencil lead onto the tips, which has been carved out from real pencils.

We’re not sure how practical they’d be, bar offering constant opportunities for doodling, but we’re actually in love with the idea.

MORE: Upgrade your manicure with the jelly nails trend

MORE: These are the top ten fashion brands in the world right now

MORE: If you missed the news in 2018, you can follow what’s been going on through nail art

A woman with a port wine stain covering more than half of her face has found acceptance thanks an online community of people who also have birthmarks.

Thanks to the support that she found online, Anne Antonelli, 43, from Oklahoma, has decided she never wants to get her birthmark removed.

The gene mutation (which affects one in 3,000 people) is caused by the formation of capillary blood vessels near the surface of the skin, leaving a permanent pink, red or purple stain. In Anne’s case, her face, neck and chest are affected.

Two years ago Anne took part in a professional photo shoot and posted the pictures online. After receiving positive comments from other users and making friends who have the same birthmark, she started feeling comfortable showcasing the markings on a regular basis.

Anne found, after positing pictures of herself online,that she began to love her birthmark.

These days she’s working as an accountant and loves her job, but Anne does believe that her birthmark is the reason that she has previously lost out on job opportunities.

She now feels totally confident going out in public, and loves how she looks, saying: ‘I got a huge response from posting my pictures online and because of that response, I became aware that a lot of people actually have a port wine stain.

‘I have so many more birthmark buddies now and it’s really fun. I didn’t have that when I was growing up.

‘I would see someone with a port wine stain once in a while and I would just look at them because I didn’t know how to react. Now when I see someone else with one, I give them a high five.

‘My birthmark tells me who is comfortable with me, who is not, who is worth my time and who is not. I never want to get rid of it.

‘There are tons of people who spend months and even years in a bad friendship or relationship before seeing the person’s true colors. I can see them in five minutes. That is truly a gift.

‘I’ve been giving and getting a lot from others by sharing my story and what I’ve gained from that is self-acceptance.

‘It takes a lot of energy and self-esteem to go out in public, but now I’m at the point where I have more good days than bad.

‘I’ve learned that other peoples’ reactions have nothing to do with me. I’ve had jobs as an adult where I can tell things are not right and it just tells me I don’t need to work there.’

Anne, who is currently single, hasn’t fallen in love yet, but she’s not bothered about it.

Referring to herself as a ‘strong female’, she says she is instead focusing her energy on her career goals and not paying much attention to men.

She said: ‘I still have goals and dreams that I’m more focused on at the moment. If I meet someone who is worth my effort, that may change.

‘It’s not easy for anyone. If it were easy, we all would have met someone years ago. I know my worth and I refuse to settle.’

While laser surgery for removal is a thing of the past for Anne, she plans to start getting more treatments in order to maintain the birthmark.

She said: ‘I think it’s important to keep getting treatments for health reasons, but definitely not for removal. I love my birthmark.’

If you’re struggling with self esteem because of a birthmark, you might want to consider joining a birthmark support group like Birthmark Support.

MORE: Models manage to pose underwater for photoshoot with crocodiles

MORE: These are the top ten fashion brands in the world right now

A picture of an oversized pink jumpsuit that actually looks like a pair of humongous trousers is making its way across Twitter – and people can’t stop laughing.

An American boutique called Cassie’s Corner has started selling a pink jumpsuit, that appears to be drowning the wearer.

The design is created in a bardot style and has holes for the arms, but is otherwise shapeless, as though the brand had measured it for the giant in Roal Dahl’s novel, the BFG.

Originally spotted on a Facebook advertisement, people are now sharing the picture on Twitter to voice their opinions.

Writer Sali Hughes shared one of the first photos

And the responses aren’t positive

The jokes were endless (just like the legs of the jumpsuit)

Honestly, we’re not fans of the jumpsuit, either.

The only positive thing about it is that it actually has pockets, which, let’s face it, when it comes to women’s jumpsuits is a rarity.

But aside from that, it just reminds us of all those posts from Pretty Little Thing customers who ordered trousers that were longer than they were.

And nobody wants that.

MORE: Primark has released an entire Love Island collection

MORE: Blogger asks followers for style advice, doesn’t notice the penis design on her skirt

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

Have you ever chilled in the garden, spotted a majestic caterpillar, and thought ‘this is the perfect photo op’?

Well, some people with a keen eye have grabbed a camera, snapped the scene, and submitted their pics to the International Garden Photography competition.

The award, which runs in association with the Royal Botanic Gardens in Kew, holds competitions and exhibitions every year specialising in garden, plant, flower and botanical photography.

Mayflies by Petar Sabol from Croatia took first place and Ian Gilmour’s Salad Burnet Flower (U.K) came second, with Unfurling by Ashley Moore from the Kings Canyon national park, U.S, in third place.

Here are the macro winners:

MORE: Woman with birth mark covering her face finally accepts she’s beautiful

MORE: Here are our favourite pictures from the Astronomy Photographer of the Year 2018 awards

MORE: From refugees to skateboarders… iPhone photography award winners revealed

Britain’s most pampered pup owns three cars and a boat – and has had £40,000 spent on her in her short lifetime.

Princess Cleopatra Superchill the Staffordshire Bull Terrier has had a life of luxury that includes 65 outfits and 175 pairs of sunglasses and even a bespoke £1,500 pram so she doesn’t get her paws dirty.

She’s just celebrated her seventh birthday, when her owner Anthony Welsh spent a further £1,000 on lavish gifts for the pooch he describes as his ‘daughter’.

Cleopatra was treated to the finest tennis balls, a posh feeding station and her very own custom-made mountain bike in honour of her special day.

She was then thrown her own beach party at the Marino Lounge dog-friendly cafe at New Brighton, on the Merseyside coast, along with her bulldog boyfriend, Frank, and Frank’s owner, Toni Green.

The pup even got to eat a doggy birthday cake, doggy steak and had balloons and presents – which she opened herself by ripping the wrapping paper off with her mouth.

Though it may be a little overboard, Anthony, 57, loves spoiling his dog.

With no partner or children, adorable black, white and brindle Cleo gets all of his attention.

Anthony’s obsession began when he rescued Cleo from being locked in a cage when she was just a year old.

Speaking about Cleo’s tough start in life, Anthony said: ‘We rescued her along with her mother when she was just a pup.

‘She was so quiet and completely different to the larger than life character she is now.

‘She was actually diagnosed with depression so I was on a mission to make her happy.

‘In six months I noticed a huge difference in her temperament and we’ve gone from strength to strength.’

He added: ‘Cleo is just amazing, she really is one in a million.

‘People may think I spoil her but she’s like a daughter to me and if I have the means why not give her everything.’

Alongside lavish parties, Anthony exercises Cleo daily on foot and buys her the best dog food which costs around £40 a bag.

Cleo also has three kids’ sports cars – a 4×4, a convertible white sports car and a racing car – which each cost £500.

The preened pooch – who even goes for regular manicures – rides around in her vehicles in her countless outfits for every occasion and a number of tiaras.

Cleo is also given daily massages and has songs sang to her when it’s time to go to bed.

Anthony added: ‘She makes me smile every single day. I feel love from Cleo every single day of the week.

‘She’s unbelievable. She’s a legend.’

MORE: A rescue cat has become the unlikeliest of best friends with two sheep

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

A 22-year-old couple became parents after fostering a girl just seven years younger than her.

Sally-Ann and Ryan Jones fostered a fifteen-year-old girl, who ended up being a bridesmaid at their wedding.

The couple had decided to foster a child under seven before having kids of their own – but after learning how old the girl they would be fostering was, they insisted they felt ‘ready’ for it despite her age.

Sally-Ann and Ryan foster with The Adolescent and Children’s Trust. They said although the application process was ‘intense’, they felt ‘very supported’ by the charity.

Sally-Ann told Coventry Live: ‘At first, we were a little nervous about what to expect and how the match would work. Would she respect us as carers, would we get the balance between understanding her and parenting right?

‘Fortunately, other than a few minor challenges expected with parenting a teenager, the placement was very successful and she fitted really well into our family.

‘We found that people would just assume that she was our family member or a friend, which helped when transporting her to social activities with friends and to school, as she preferred to keep her peers from knowing that she was in foster care.’

One of the most amazing moments for the family was when the foster daughter agreed to be a bridesmaid at Sally-Ann and Ryan’s wedding.

‘We felt so honoured that she agreed to play such a key role on our special day after only living with us for just a few months,’ Sally-Ann said.

Sally-Ann and Ryan no longer live with the teenager, who moved out at the age of 17 after two years with the couple – but they’ve had other placements since, all between the ages of seven and fifteen.

Sally-Ann said: ‘She stayed with us until just after her 17 birthday, when she decided she wanted to live independently in an area she had lived in previously.

‘Without meaning to sound too cliché or sentimental, I feel that fostering is something I was made to do.

‘I feel honoured to have found my purpose in life and something worth all the worries and unexpectedness.

‘Most of all, fostering brings feelings of accomplishment, pride and joy.’

MORE: We served out-of-date food at our wedding and everyone loved it

MORE: Please stop asking very rich people how they’re affording to buy a house

Instagram can provide major style inspo. From colourful hair trends to swimwear fashion and even ways to position your feet to create banging photos.

Have you ever wondered, though, which things are the most popular sartorial staples online?

If you’re a trainer enthusiast then you’ve probably come across Adidas NMDs before. Even if you’re not into them, you’ve most likely seen them at some point because they’re the most Instagrammed crepes in the world.

Anyone who owns or wants a pair can’t stop advertising it all over the social media app.

The guys at Forward2me, a delivery service, collated all the data and found that the athletic brand dominated the charts.

Even the Adidas Superstars, first released in 1969, is still proving to be popular, coming in at fourth most Instagrammed. And that’s around the world, remember.

Forward2me used Instagram to tally how many times certain shoes appeared in feeds based on their accompanying hashtags.

The subtle design of the NMD, available in black, pink, white, and grey amassed a whopping 2,432,395 tags on the app.

Adidas dominated the top five which also saw the brand’s Kanye West line –  the esteemed Yeezy’s – in second place, with Vans in third, Adidas Superstars in fourth, and Converse All-Stars in fifth place.

Yeezy 350s gave the NMDs a good run for their money with its own respectable 1,647,719 tagged posts on Instagram.

Nike Air Maxes made their first appearance in sixth place, closely followed by its Air Huaraches before Adidas returned with two more popular sneakers in the form of the Neo and Ultra Boost.

And no, dad trainers, otherwise known as the Nike Monarch, did not make it to the list, unfortunately.

MORE: You can now carry your colouring pencils on top of your nails

MORE: Primark has released an entire Love Island collection

MORE: Blogger asks followers for style advice, doesn’t notice the penis design on her skirt