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Hotel Chocolat launches cookie dough Easter egg sandwiches

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Hotel Chocolat is doing cookie dough and chocolate spread Easter egg sandwiches Credit: Hotel Chocolat
(Picture: Hotel Chocolat)

Easter may still be a little while away yet, but Hotel Chocolat is getting us excited with the new release of their chocolate egg sandwiches.

In the wake of other brands releasing their Easter eggs, Hotel Chocolat has relaunched its legendary chocolate sandwiches – and no, they don’t involve any actual bread.

The ‘sandwiches’ are made out of wedges of chocolate, surrounded by two halves of a chocolate Easter egg.

Hotel Chocolat is doing cookie dough and chocolate spread Easter egg sandwiches Credit: Hotel Chocolat
(Picture: Hotel Chocolat)

Flavours of the sandwiches include Cookie Dough & Ice Cream and Chocolate Spread. Yum.

The Cookie Dough & Ice Cream flavour features white and raspberry half-eggs, sandwiched with crunchy caramel milk chocolate, raspberry and vanilla melt and malty caramel cookie crunch with pecan.

Hotel Chocolat is doing cookie dough and chocolate spread Easter egg sandwiches Credit: Hotel Chocolat
(Picture: Hotel Chocolat)

The traditional flavours will also be available: Lamb & Mint – a white chocolate lamb sandwiched between mint chocolate, and Caramayo – white halves of Easter eggs sandwiched with caramel milk chocolate.

The sandwiches are made with 50% milk chocolate and 50% praline, making them a super fancy Easter luxury.

The sandwiches were modelled using a 3D scanner, which created the slices based on the shape of a loaf of granary bread to make them look and feel like the real thing.

Hotel Chocolat’s chocolate sandwiches are currently selling for £10 each.

No, they’re not cheap, but we think they are worth the cash.

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MORE: Dior-themed afternoon tea launches in time for London Fashion Week


This woman wants to use the skin from her own amputated leg to make a handbag

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Mock up designs of Joan's ideal skin bag
Mock up designs of Joan’s ideal skin bag (Picture: Sewport.com)

A woman who is soon to have her leg amputated wants to use her own skin to make a handbag.

Joan, who is 55 and from Manchester, has peripheral arterial disease, and as a result of this condition she will need to have her lower left leg surgically removed.

Rather than let her discarded leg become medical waste, Joan is now on the hunt for a designer willing to turn her dream into a reality.

She took her request to Sewport.com who have mocked up potential designs of the handbag and are hoping to connect her with designers willing to work with human skin.

Joan’s budget is £3,000 to secure her personalised accessory, and she is hoping for a medium-sized bag with a short strap.

In her original request Joan wrote; ‘I know it is a bit odd and gross, and some might think I’m crazy, but it’s my leg and I can’t bare the thought of it being left to rot somewhere.

‘It’s part of me and I want to keep it.’

Joan's original sketch of her skin bag
Joan’s original sketch of her skin bag (Picture: Sewport.com)

Experts at Sewport.com are keen to find Joan a suitable designer to fulfill her needs.

On the website they commented: ‘It came to light that she got in touch with us after seeing the request from the lady who wanted the dress made from her Mother’s hair, and was inspired to do something similar.

‘Before you say “ew gross!”, we’ve spoken with the woman and her reasoning behind it is actually understandable and very personal.’

Joan just can’t stand the idea of medical waste – of human body parts being unceremoniously disposed of.  She’s going to do everything in her power to stop that from happening to her leg.

‘I don’t know if this is even plausible, but I’m thinking if we use animal skin for garments and accessories then why can’t the same be done with our skin,’ explains Joan.

‘Surely there is someone out there that can apply the same methods.

‘I know it’s gross, but people keep their baby’s umbilici chords and have relative’s ashes on display, so it’s not really that weird if you think about it.’

MORE: Hotel Chocolat launches cookie dough Easter egg sandwiches

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As MPs call for a 1p clothing tax, these are the high street retailers already fighting to cut waste

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(Picture: Getty)

We know that fast fashion is hurting the environment. Churning out endless waste in the name of new clothes every season is contributing to greenhouse gases, pollution, and the over-use of water.

But now MPs in the UK are trying to help retailers cut down on the amount of waste they produce by charging a 1p tax on every garment they sell to fund a £35 million annual recycling scheme.

MPs want to end the era of ‘throwaway fashion’, and are urging retailers to take responsibility for the waste they create and rewarding companies that take positive action.

‘In the UK we buy more clothes per person than any other country in Europe,’ revealed Mary Creagh from the Environmental Audit Committee.

‘Fast fashion means we over consume and underuse clothes. As a result, we get rid of over a million tonnes of clothes, with £140 million worth going to landfill, every year. Fashion retailers must take responsibility for the clothes they produce.’

Some companies are better than others though in their commitment to reduce waste and promote sustainable methods of creating new clothes.

Some of our favourite high street retailers are not as ethical as we like, but others are paving the way for better sustainable fashion and beauty.

Here are some of your fave shops that are doing good things for the environment:

Woman with smartphone shopping clothes in clothing store
(Picture: Getty)

Lush

Unsurprisingly, Lush is one of the most ethical beauty and skincare brands. As well as being the woke brand we all need to see more of (supporting trans rights), Lush is committed to tackling plastic dumping in the ocean, offering nonplastic or recyclable packaging, and refuses to test on animals.

The company also supports various organisations such as the Hunt Saboteurs Association and Plane Stupid, which campaign against the airline industry expanding.

Their products are mostly made in the UK too, reducing their carbon footprint and prohibiting the use of underpaid foreign workers.

Marks and Spencer

Whether you use M&S for your lunchtime meal deal or to buy all your office attire, the supermarket and clothing brand is up there with the top ethical places to shop.

The Ethical Consumer Guide also placed it as second on their supermarket ranking table.

M&S was named the UK’s most ethical high street clothing retailer in Ethical Consumer Magazine for its Plan A scheme. The campaign covers over 180 specific commitments to tackle social and environmental issues for which they provide annual updates.

John Lewis

Rival to M&S, John Lewis is also committed to being better for the environment and being good to its employees. Employee satisfaction is high in its stores as the employee-owned business mean workers have a share in company profits and have a say in how the business is run (an annual bonus is shared out among all employees at a fixed rate, depending on hours worked).

The partnership also joined the Ethical Trading Initiative, an alliance of business, trade union and voluntary organisations that work to improve the lives of poor and vulnerable people working in factories and farms worldwide.

H&M

Though H&M has been embroiled in fast fashion scandals in the past, in recent times it has shown an effort to change its reputation. The H&M Conscious Exclusive collection is dedicated to using organic material and creating items made out of scrap materials like discarded candlesticks.

The Swedish retailer is certainly on the right tracks to ethical fashion.

ASOS

Like H&M, ASOS also has its own ethical range called ASOS Eco Edit which includes the ASOS Design recycled underwear range, made from old plastic bottles and fishing nets. It has also set targets to produce 100% sustainable cotton by 2025.

While other brands are following suit. It’s also important, on a personal level, to ensure we are not just throwing away clothes and products that haven’t fulfilled their full potential.

We might also want to be mindful of how to fix our belongings rather than throwing them away.

It might sound like effort, but it’s all in aid of a better, cleaner and more ethical future.

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Woman called a ‘train wreck’ for her lips says trolls are just jealous of her pout

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PIC FROM Kennedy News and Media (PICTURED: SHAUNA SARGEANT, 22, WAS INSPIRED BY HER BULLIES TO DO A 'GREEN WITH ENVY' MAKEUP LOOK) A makeup artist who suffers daily ridicule over her ??1,300 fake lips has hit back at 'jealous and bitter' internet bullies who branded her a ???train wreck you can???t stop looking at???. Shauna Sargeant is constantly subjected to cruel taunts from internet trolls who steal photos of her latest makeup looks and post them with nasty comments mocking her large lips. The 22-year-old finds her pictures plastered across social media almost every day with hurtful captions such as 'trout pout' and 'fish lips'. Another described her as 'someone who got the laughs sucked out of them???. But Shauna refuses to let it get her down as she loves her luscious lips, which contain 4ml of fillers, and works hard to pay for them. The freelance beautician is adamant that people who insist on ???slating??? her must be jealous - and even did a ???green with envy??? inspired makeup look to hammer home her defiance. SEE KENNEDY NEWS COPY - 0161 697 4266
Shauna has spent £1,250 on keeping her lips topped up with filler (Picture: Kennedy News and Media)

Makeup artist Shauna Sargeant has said critics of her lips are just jealous.

Shauna has spent £1,250 on keeping her lips topped up with 4ml of filler. She says she works hard to pay for her pout and chose to get fillers to deal with insecurities – so trolls who call her a ‘train wreck’ for her ‘trout pout’ and ‘fish lips’ hurt.

The 22-year-old says almost every day she spots her pictures across social media with hurtful captions and comments.

Shauna won’t let the cruelty stop her from investing in lip fillers, as she says those who criticise her looks must be jealous.

Shauna said: ‘I’ve had my lips done and people look at me like I must be in the clinic every day but I’m really not.

‘People just don’t know what they’re talking about.

‘People that go and get their lips done have obviously had insecurities about that so to pick up on that and make fun of it is a really low blow.

‘But it’s a daily thing, I see it all the time. I’m in a makeup group where I post my pictures and everyone is so supportive but my photos are being stolen.

‘It’s happening to me and so many girls, we’re being slated.

‘Our pictures are taken without permission and they’re just being ridiculed. It’s disgusting and totally uncalled for. I just don’t see the need for it.

PIC FROM Kennedy News and Media (PICTURED: SHAUNA SARGEANT SAYS ONLINE BULLIES ARE 'JEALOUS' OF HER CONFIDENCE) A makeup artist who suffers daily ridicule over her ??1,300 fake lips has hit back at 'jealous and bitter' internet bullies who branded her a ???train wreck you can???t stop looking at???. Shauna Sargeant is constantly subjected to cruel taunts from internet trolls who steal photos of her latest makeup looks and post them with nasty comments mocking her large lips. The 22-year-old finds her pictures plastered across social media almost every day with hurtful captions such as 'trout pout' and 'fish lips'. Another described her as 'someone who got the laughs sucked out of them???. But Shauna refuses to let it get her down as she loves her luscious lips, which contain 4ml of fillers, and works hard to pay for them. The freelance beautician is adamant that people who insist on ???slating??? her must be jealous - and even did a ???green with envy??? inspired makeup look to hammer home her defiance. SEE KENNEDY NEWS COPY - 0161 697 4266
The makeup artists says she’s often trolled for her appearance (Picture: Kennedy News and Media)

‘One person said my lips look like I’ve had the laughs sucked out of me like in Monsters Inc. That’s nothing to do with my makeup, it’s actually just mocking my face.

‘I definitely think they’re posting out of jealousy. Maybe they’re just bitter they don’t have the confidence to go out there and try new looks like I do.

‘Even if I fall flat on my face, I still tried. But they like to ridicule people for having that confidence.

‘I’m trying to take it as a compliment. They’re stealing my photos so I must be doing something right. I’m not stealing their photos.

‘I worked hard to pay for the lips I wanted so I’m definitely going to flaunt them.

PIC FROM Kennedy News and Media (PICTURED: SHAUNA SARGEANT BEFORE SHE STARTED HAVING LIP FILLERS TWO YEARS AGO) A makeup artist who suffers daily ridicule over her ??1,300 fake lips has hit back at 'jealous and bitter' internet bullies who branded her a ???train wreck you can???t stop looking at???. Shauna Sargeant is constantly subjected to cruel taunts from internet trolls who steal photos of her latest makeup looks and post them with nasty comments mocking her large lips. The 22-year-old finds her pictures plastered across social media almost every day with hurtful captions such as 'trout pout' and 'fish lips'. Another described her as 'someone who got the laughs sucked out of them???. But Shauna refuses to let it get her down as she loves her luscious lips, which contain 4ml of fillers, and works hard to pay for them. The freelance beautician is adamant that people who insist on ???slating??? her must be jealous - and even did a ???green with envy??? inspired makeup look to hammer home her defiance. SEE KENNEDY NEWS COPY - 0161 697 4266
Shauna decided to pay for fillers after years of feeling self-conscious about the size of her lips (Picture: Kennedy News and Media)

‘And I decided to use the negativity to inspire me and did a green with envy makeup look. It went down really well.’

Before having fillers Shauna had been self-conscious about the size of her lips, and often used lip liner to overdraw them.

Two years ago she decided to take the plunge and pay £230 for 1ml of filler in her lips. Since then she’s had four more injections at £230 a go, spending a total of £1,250 so far.

The makeup artist has to visit the clinic once every four months to maintain her lips’ size.

That’s expensive, but Shauna doesn’t mind investing that money in her looks, as she credits her lips for boosting her self-esteem.

PIC FROM Kennedy News and Media (PICTURED: SHAUNA SARGEANT WORKED HARD TO PAY ??1.3K FOR HER LIPS) A makeup artist who suffers daily ridicule over her ??1,300 fake lips has hit back at 'jealous and bitter' internet bullies who branded her a ???train wreck you can???t stop looking at???. Shauna Sargeant is constantly subjected to cruel taunts from internet trolls who steal photos of her latest makeup looks and post them with nasty comments mocking her large lips. The 22-year-old finds her pictures plastered across social media almost every day with hurtful captions such as 'trout pout' and 'fish lips'. Another described her as 'someone who got the laughs sucked out of them???. But Shauna refuses to let it get her down as she loves her luscious lips, which contain 4ml of fillers, and works hard to pay for them. The freelance beautician is adamant that people who insist on ???slating??? her must be jealous - and even did a ???green with envy??? inspired makeup look to hammer home her defiance. SEE KENNEDY NEWS COPY - 0161 697 4266
Shauna has been called a ‘train wreck’ for her ‘fish lips’ (Picture: Kennedy News and Media)

She said: ‘I love my lips, I’m so happy with them. They have helped me become more confident.

‘Before I had them done, I was really self-conscious. I felt really insecure. I had had tiny lips and I used to overdraw them so they looked bigger.

‘When I decided I really wanted to start getting into makeup artistry seriously, I decided to get them done.

‘I started off with 1ml and I thought I was going to come out with massive artificial lips straight away but they only looked a little bit bigger. You have to build them up.

‘I like the size they are now. I get a 1ml top up every four to six months. That’s how long they last but nobody seems to understand that.

‘There’s so many misconceptions about having your lips done.

‘I would tell anyone thinking about having their lips done that if they can afford it and they’re happy then go for it. Do what makes you happy.

‘My lips have stopped me being so self-conscious and helped me go out and meet more clients and go to more events.’

PIC FROM Kennedy News and Media (PICTURED: SHAUNA SARGEANT, 22, IS A FREELANCE MAKEUP ARTIST) A makeup artist who suffers daily ridicule over her ??1,300 fake lips has hit back at 'jealous and bitter' internet bullies who branded her a ???train wreck you can???t stop looking at???. Shauna Sargeant is constantly subjected to cruel taunts from internet trolls who steal photos of her latest makeup looks and post them with nasty comments mocking her large lips. The 22-year-old finds her pictures plastered across social media almost every day with hurtful captions such as 'trout pout' and 'fish lips'. Another described her as 'someone who got the laughs sucked out of them???. But Shauna refuses to let it get her down as she loves her luscious lips, which contain 4ml of fillers, and works hard to pay for them. The freelance beautician is adamant that people who insist on ???slating??? her must be jealous - and even did a ???green with envy??? inspired makeup look to hammer home her defiance. SEE KENNEDY NEWS COPY - 0161 697 4266
Shauna refuses to let the bullies stop her from loving her looks (Picture: Kennedy News and Media)

Shauna hopes that by sharing her experiences online, she’ll inspire people to think about people’s feelings before trolling them on social media.

Shauna said: ‘I’m so sick of seeing people tear each other down.

‘I think they use fake accounts. And I think being online definitely makes it easier for people. It dehumanises it.

‘It’s not easy to insult someone to their face because you see that raw emotion of upset or anger but on social media you’re protected.

‘They are just words you’ve typed on a screen. They haven’t even come out of your mouth so it’s like you haven’t really said them or done anything.

‘It’s like the trolls don’t see real life and digital life as the same but it is all the same and those words have real consequences. They hurt just the same.

‘My appearance is very important to me so seeing someone ridicule it, it’s taken very personally. It’s all I think about on a daily basis.

‘When I see those posts, I start shaking and my anxiety goes through the roof. I only started taking my makeup seriously recently and I’ve seen some really good pay offs from it.

‘The support from my makeup group has helped so much but then someone has to come along and try to knock you back down.

‘I think people should just ignore the bullies.

‘At the end of the day, you are your own biggest critic and you’ve probably said worse to yourself than anything anyone else can ever say to you.

‘The only one living your life is you and the only one who can make you happy is you so I won’t let them get in between me and my love of makeup or my lips.

‘And to the bullies, I’d tell them to put that negativity into something positive.

‘If they put that energy into saying one nice thing or doing one good deed, the world would be a much better place.’

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Cafe Rouge launches Free-Flowing Fridays with bottomless beer and prosecco

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(Picture: Getty)

Cafe Rouge has announced Free-Flowing Fridays with bottomless prosecco, beer, or mocktails.

To celebrate Cafe Rouge’s 30th birthday, they’ve launched Free-Flowing Fridays: a chance to catch up with friends with a two course menu with bottomless prosecco, beer or mocktails for £30 per person.

The offer is two courses from the Evening Set Menu plus free-flowing prosecco, Stella Artois, mocktails or soft drinks for £29.95 per person.

Or, you can choose three courses for an extra £4.

But sadly, you can’t just walk in at 5pm and sip endless prosecco until midnight.

The free-flowing bookings are two hour slots only, and only drinks that are actually finished will be topped up.

Of course, the bookings are for over 18s only and all members of the party must be ordering from the evening set menu.

Oh, and drinks cannot be shared – but who wants to share alcohol anyway?

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Burberry apologises for showing hoodie with ‘noose’ around the neck at London Fashion Week

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This Feb. 17, 2019 photo shows a model wearing a creation by Burberry at the Autumn/Winter 2019 fashion week runway show in London. The chief executive and chief creative officer of luxury powerhouse Burberry have apologized for putting a hoodie with strings tied in the shape of a noose on their London Fashion Week runway. Marco Gobbetti, the brand???s CEO, said in a statement that Burberry is ???deeply sorry for the distress??? the shirt has caused and has removed it from the autumn-winter collection. Riccardo Tisci, Burberry???s creative director, also apologized. He said ???while the design was inspired by a nautical theme, I realize that it was insensitive.??? (Photo by Vianney Le Caer/Invision/AP)
(Picture: Vianney Le Caer/Invision/AP)

Burberry has apologised for sending a hoodie with strings tied in the shape of a noose down the London Fashion Week runway.

The show, which took place on Sunday, received complaints from people who said the design made light of suicide and lynchings.

One model, Liz Kennedy, who walked in the show but did not model the hoodie, wrote a powerful post about the impact of the design, stating she was ‘ashamed’ to have been part of the show.

‘Suicide is not fashion,’ wrote Liz. ‘It is not glamorous nor edgy and since this show is dedicated to the youth expressing their voice, here I go.

‘Riccardo Tisci and everyone at Burberry it is beyond me how you could let a look resembling a noose hanging from a neck out on the runway.

‘How could anyone overlook this and think it would be okay to do this especially in a line dedicated to young girls and youth. The impressionable youth. Not to mention the rising suicide rates world wide.

‘Let’s not forget about the horrifying history of lynching either. There are hundreds of ways to tie a rope and they chose to tie it like a noose completely ignoring the fact that it was hanging around a neck.

Mandatory Credit: Photo by REX/Shutterstock (10109332ao) Model backstage Burberry show, Backstage, Fall Winter 2019, London Fashion Week, UK - 17 Feb 2019
(Picture: Rex Features)

‘A massive brand like Burberry who is typically considered commercial and classy should not have overlooked such an obvious resemblance.

‘I left my fitting extremely triggered after seeing this look (even though I did not wear it myself). Feeling as though I was right back where I was when I was going through an experience with suicide in my family.

‘Also to add in they briefly hung one from the ceiling (trying to figure out the knot) and were laughing about it in the dressing room.

‘I had asked to speak to someone about it but the only thing I was told to do was to write a letter.

‘I had a brief conversation with someone but all that it entailed was “it’s fashion. Nobody cares about what’s going on in your personal life so just keep it to yourself” well I’m sorry but this is an issue bigger than myself.

‘The issue is not about me being upset, there is a bigger picture here of what fashion turns a blind eye to or does to gain publicity.

‘A look so ignorantly put together and a situation so poorly handled. I am ashamed to have been apart of the show. #burberry. I did not post this to disrespect the designer or the brand but to simply express an issue I feel very passionate about.’

After backlash snowballed on social media, Burberry announced that they would remove the ‘noose’ hoodie from the collection. They also issued an apology for the design.

Burberry CEO Marco Gobbetti said: ‘We are deeply sorry for the distress caused by one of the products that featured in our A/W 2019 runway collection Tempest.

‘Though the design was inspired by the marine theme that ran throughout the collection, it was insensitive and we made a mistake.’

Need support? Contact the Samaritans

For emotional support you can call the Samaritans 24-hour helpline on 116 123, email jo@samaritans.org, visit a Samaritans branch in person or go to the Samaritans website.

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One of the rarest species of deer in the world born at Newquay Zoo

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PIC: APEX 18/02/2019 One of the rarest species of deer in the world has been born at a British zoo. The Philippine spotted deer was born at Newquay Zoo in Cornwall and is hailed as another breeding success for the Cornish charity zoo and the first of this species to be born anywhere in the UK this year.?? This is one of the rarest deer species in the world, classified as Endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. It???s thought that fewer than 2,500 are left in the wild, due to illegal hunting and deforestation.?? The Philippine spotted deer, also known as Prince Alfred???s deer or Visayan spotted deer, was born on January 10th. Keeper Tracey Twomey said: ???With the Philippine spotted deer being one of the most globally threatened deer species, each birth is extremely important for the conservation of the species. "Mother and baby are doing very well, both are strong and healthy. "We look forward to seeing this little one grow up and hopefully have little ones of her own.??? SEE STORY BY APEX NEWS - 01392 823144 ---------------------------------------------------- APEX NEWS AND PICTURES NEWS DESK: 01392 823144 PICTURE DESK: 01392 823145
(Picture: APEX NEWS AND PICTURES)

Yes, the current political landscape in the UK is a nightmare on fire. It’s natural to feel a bit down.

But there are lovely things happening here, too.

Need an example? Take a look at this rather cute deer.

This is not just any cute animal, to be clear. This deer is one of the rarest deer species in the world – and it’s just been born at Newquay Zoo in Cornwall.

See? That’s something good.

The Philippine spotted deer, also known as Prince Alfred’s deer or Visayan spotted deer, was born on 10 January

The species is classified as endangered, so this is a massive breeding success for the zoo.

Alongside being very cute, Philippine spotted deer are an interesting breed. They’re nocturnal, located mostly in the rainforests of the Visayan island of Panay, and eat grass, leaves, and buds from the forest.

PIC: APEX 18/02/2019 One of the rarest species of deer in the world has been born at a British zoo. The Philippine spotted deer was born at Newquay Zoo in Cornwall and is hailed as another breeding success for the Cornish charity zoo and the first of this species to be born anywhere in the UK this year.?? This is one of the rarest deer species in the world, classified as Endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. It???s thought that fewer than 2,500 are left in the wild, due to illegal hunting and deforestation.?? The Philippine spotted deer, also known as Prince Alfred???s deer or Visayan spotted deer, was born on January 10th. Keeper Tracey Twomey said: ???With the Philippine spotted deer being one of the most globally threatened deer species, each birth is extremely important for the conservation of the species. "Mother and baby are doing very well, both are strong and healthy. "We look forward to seeing this little one grow up and hopefully have little ones of her own.??? SEE STORY BY APEX NEWS - 01392 823144 ---------------------------------------------------- APEX NEWS AND PICTURES NEWS DESK: 01392 823144 PICTURE DESK: 01392 823145
(Picture: APEX NEWS AND PICTURES)

While the one that’s been born is still rather small, it will grow to be one of the largest species of deer native to the Visayas, reaching around 125cm long and 80cm tall.

In case you were wondering, the smallest type of deer in the world is the pudu, which when born is around the size of a rabbit.

You can tell the difference between the Philippine spotted deer and other species thanks to its pattern of beige spots and white fur on the chin.

Keeper Tracey Twomey said: ‘With the Philippine spotted deer being one of the most globally threatened deer species, each birth is extremely important for the conservation of the species.

‘Mother and baby are doing very well, both are strong and healthy.

‘We look forward to seeing this little one grow up and hopefully have little ones of her own.’

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Mixed Up: ‘People try to guess my ethnicity – they always guess wrong’

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Mixed-race is the fastest-growing ethnic group in the UK. It means your parents hail from two (or more) different ethnicities, leaving you somewhere in the middle.

Welcome to Mixed Up, a series looking at the highs, lows and unique experiences of being mixed-race.

Alongside the unique pleasures and benefits of being exposed to multiple cultures, being mixed comes with complexities, conflicts and innate contradictions.

Mixed Up aims to elevate mixed narratives and look deeper at the nuanced realities of being part of this rapidly growing ethnic group.

Lara Datta is half Indian. She’s sick of explaining her ethnicity and finds it insulting when people try to guess where she’s from.

Head shot of Lara Datta
(Picture by Jerry Syder for Metro.co.uk)

‘We used to eat with our hands and until my mum and dad split up we didn’t know how to use a knife and fork,’ Lara tells Metro.co.uk.

‘We would just eat Indian style. That was until I was about eight. I never got any weird comments about it though, and I attribute that to the area I grew up in.’

Lara was born and grew up in midlands city Leicester. A census in 2011 named Leicester the most ethnically diverse region in the East Midlands. The multiculturalism of her upbringing had a profound impact on Lara.

‘It was so mixed – everyone was different, but at the same time we were all the same, we all understood each other’s cultures,’ explains Lara.

‘At my primary school, we celebrated Eid, Hanukkah, Diwali, Christmas. They made sure that we learnt about each other, that we understood each other.

‘So when Muslims started to be vilified in the media, I didn’t understand it because I had grown up around loads of Muslims, and I know that’s not what Islam is about.

‘I do feel really lucky that I grew up in Leicester, because I felt like I developed a good understanding of other cultures.’

It wasn’t until Laura went to university in Manchester and starting meeting people from every corner of the UK that she realised that attitudes in Leicester were the exception rather than the norm.

‘I started to meet people who were from small villages, or very white areas – they would be asking questions like, “what’s Eid?” And I would be so shocked. I was quite naive and I thought that everyone knew about every culture.

Lara Datta as a baby with her parents
Little Lara with her parents (Picture: Lara Datta/Metro.co.uk)

‘When I was growing up I didn’t even really think about being mixed-race because there were so many mixed-race people, and everyone was treated the same. It was only when I left Leicester that I started getting the questions – “What are you?” “Where are you from?”‘

For many mixed-race people their ethnic ambiguity can be the source of much scrutiny. It can become quite a burden having to spell out your heritage to people. And there is a difference between curiosity and ignorance.

‘I started to notice that pretty much every day I would have to be explaining to someone what my ethnicity was – or people would try to guess, and they would always guess wrong,’ Lara tells us.

‘The only people who ever really guess right are Asian people. But they normally assume I am Indian, they never ask if I am mixed.

‘I get all sorts of guesses – Venezuelan, Turkish, Greek, Spanish – it annoys me. I know I do look quite ambiguous, but I don’t like the fact that there is no acknowledgement.

‘Even the people who will say – “oh I just thought you were white” – it completely erases my real identity.

‘People will ask me if my hair is real – they assume it’s dyed, or it’s a weave. I have to explain to them it looks like this because I am half Indian. It’s just a real kind of ignorance to not have any concept of how different people can look.

‘I understand that some people do grow up in areas where it is predominantly white, or a predominantly Asian, or black area – it’s almost fair enough that they do have that ignorance. They’re not seeing it first-hand. I see now that the diversity of my upbringing was a real privilege.

‘But I do think a lot of the ignorance comes down to education. Our curriculum focuses on a very narrow perspective of British history. How Britain and Europe “discovered” all of these countries, but we’re not being taught about other people’s cultures.’

Lara with her dad
Lara with her dad (Picture: Lara Datta/Metro.co.uk)

Lara thinks attitudes are changing. Not necessarily improving, but she says there is an openness around discussions on race and identity that there never was before. For Lara, the fact that these conversations are even being had is a huge step forward.

‘Non-white people are starting to talk about their race and their experiences, and with social media I think more people are listening to that,’ explains Lara.

‘Seeing those conversations happen has made me feel like there are people who I can relate to. When I think about it – the only person I can really relate to is my brother, because he is the same mix as me, he has grown up the same as me.

‘Even within the mixed-race diaspora there are some people who are deeply connected to one or both sides of their heritage, but that is something I really struggled with when I was younger.

‘There’s this stereotype that Asian people have like 20 cousins, but I’ve got one cousin, I didn’t grow up going to those big family functions. So when I went to those kind of events with friends I just felt like the odd one out.

‘I didn’t feel like I fit in. And my English family is small as well, so I didn’t have a traditional British household in that sense either. So I felt like I didn’t really fit in on either side.

‘Hearing other people’s similar experiences is comforting, because it makes me realise that I’m not the only one who has been through that.

‘Now that more mixed-race people are talking about their identity, maybe that’s a new community that we can tap in to and find belonging in. Maybe it’s OK to have a bit of both and create your own culture and your own experiences.

In the context of race, privilege is a complex concept. It seems to be that the closer your proximity to whiteness, the more privilege you have. But when you’re mixed, where do you fit on that scale?

‘As a mixed-race person you never get your white privilege,’ argues Lara.

‘You’re always seen as “other”, so you might not identify with the non-white side of your family, but you can never be seen as white. You can never get the privileges that come with that.

‘To qualify for white privilege you have to be fully white, or completely white-passing. I will either be seen as non-white, or European.

Laras dad with his mum and sisters on his wedding day
Laras dad with his mum and sisters on his wedding day (Picture: Lara Datta/Metro.co.uk)

‘I have had people around me make racist comments and expect to laugh, because they don’t realise that I’m not fully white. I have experienced a lot of racism second-hand in that way, through people making horrible comments in front of me.

‘And then when I have challenged it they haven’t liked it at all.’

Lara’s mum is English. Her dad is Indian, by way of Uganda. Like so many immigrants with Indian descent, the effects of the displacement of Partition have ricochet through the generations.

‘My dad came to the UK in 1968 when he was 14, he has been in England longer than anywhere else.

‘My dad’s parents were from the Punjab, but the area they are from is now Pakistan. When they were young, Pakistan didn’t exist, it was all India. And after Partition they had to leave and they pretty much went straight to Uganda where my dad and all his siblings were born.

‘When they came to the UK, my granddad was a police officer and my grandma was a teacher, but they couldn’t get jobs here because it was so racist.

‘My granddad had quite an idealistic view of Britain. I think he thought it was going to be amazing. But the reality was very different.

‘My dad and my aunties have talked about the experiences of racism they had going to school. My dad was one of three non-white kids in the whole school. It was just vile the stuff that he was subjected to.

‘He went to university in Leicester and he loved it because there were so many more non-white people, he wasn’t facing the same kind of racist abuse there – so he just stayed.’

When your family has been subjected to awful, violent racism, it is hard not to think about it intersectionally. Lara is affected by racism directed at all ethnic groups – it’s a repulsion that ripples way beyond her own family and her own direct experiences.

‘It hurts when I think about the racism my dad went through. And when I think about the racism teenage black boys face – being physically abused by people in positions of power – it just makes me sick because it doesn’t have to be that way.

‘It’s a lack of understanding of culture at the root of it. It comes down to education and tackling systemic racism because this goes way beyond the surface level, it is present at every level in our society.’

Mixed Up is a weekly series focused on telling the stories of mixed-race people. Next week we meet Jessica and Alyssa who founded Oxford University’s first Mixed-Heritage Society.

MORE: Mixed Up: ‘I’ve been called a liar because I look so much whiter than my brother’

MORE: Mixed Up: ‘Being half Filipino makes me more palatable as a black woman’

MORE: Mixed Up: ‘I used to pretend I understood Swahili out of shame and guilt’


How often should you wash your towels?

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(Picture: Getty/Metro.co.uk)

Can you be a proper grownup without a full collection of towels?

Apparently not.

But while you may make do with just the two (one for body, one for hair, right?), there’s an obvious issue: if you only have enough towels for one shower, what do you do when those towels are in the wash?

If your answer is ‘I just hardly wash my towels’, you are living life all wrong.

Despite only being used against your already clean body, towels do indeed need to be washed – and likely more often than you think.

Ralitsa Prodanova, cleaning expert with Fantastic Services, tells Metro.co.uk that towels should be washed between every three or four uses.

She says: ‘Every time you use your towel to scrub your body, dead skin cells cling to the material and linger there.

‘If you get a musty smell when you bring the towel up to your nose, that’s bacteria growing on the towel itself.

‘And because towels are often warm and damp, they’re the perfect breeding ground for bugs and germs. It’s why you should keep on top of the cleaning schedule.’

Failing to regularly wash your towels could cause skin irritation and breakouts.

Candice Brown, specialist skin aesthetician with London Bridge Plastic Surgery and Aesthetic Clinic, tells us: ‘It’s long been thought that drying your face with a dirty towel can lead to acne outbreaks, in the same way that not changing your pillow case regularly can have the same effect.

‘When you dry your face, you leave tiny amounts of oil, dirt and make-up detritus on it.

‘The towel becomes laced with bacteria. And then, later that day, you smear it all back on your face the next time you dry it, transferring bacteria to your pores encouraging pimples and causing irritation.

‘And if you’ve got really dry skin, or eczema, you’re particularly prone to a flare-up.’

How to wash your towels:

  • Wash your towels every three or four uses
  • Wash at a high temperature to kill of bacteria
  • Cut back on the amount of detergent you use to make sure your towels don’t feel stiff
  • Avoid fabric conditioner – you don’t need it for towels
  • Put your towels in the dryer rather than letting them air dry
  • Put a tennis ball in with your towels in the dryer to keep them fluffy

That’s why some people recommend avoiding towels entirely when it comes to your face, simply letting your skin air-dry after cleansing.

Not everyone has time to hang about waiting for their skin to dry, mind you, so it might be worth investing in multiple towels for your face so you can wash them after every other use.

‘I would advise using facial sponges,’ says Candice

‘These soften when soaked in water for a gentle and effective cleanse or deep exfoliation.

‘Boxed tissues are also recommended to pad the skin dry, as these can be disposed after use.’

When towels aren’t regularly cleaned, they’re not only ripe for bacteria, but may not be as effective as drying you off after a shower.

‘You want your towel to be as clean and as fluffy as possible, so that it remains effective at removing water from your body,’ Ralitsa explains.

‘And to do that, wash them at as high a temperature as possible, but read the label to make sure you’re not going to shrink them.

‘Try to use a bio powder, particularly for white towels, as it contains special enzymes which help to break down dirt and stubborn stains. Most bio powders also have a bleaching agent, too, which keeps white towels nice and bright.

‘Avoid using a fabric conditioner too often, as this reduces the towel’s ability to actually collect moisture.

‘Meanwhile a cycle in the tumble dryer ensures your towels are nice and fluffy.’

That’s important to note – while towels are good at drying your body, they’re not great at drying themselves. Don’t faff around hanging your towel out to dry in your bathroom after a wash, as it’ll sit in damp and start to smell. A go in the tumble dryer is your best bet.

MORE: Your toothbrush is probably covered in poo particles

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Lynx makes ASMR tutorials to show you how to shave your balls

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Need some assistance getting your ‘little furry nutsack as fresh and smooth as the day you were born’?

Or do you get tingles down your spine listening to whispers and fingers tapping a mirror?

Lynx’s new campaign appeals to people who sit in either camp.

The grooming brand has released a set of ASMR (that’s autonomous sensory meridian response, or just videos and sounds that stimulate pleasurable physical sensations) videos called Lynx Shavetorials, that show a kind man getting naked and shaving himself with a new Lynx product.

The man, named Matthew, shows viewers how to shave their balls, chest and legs, so the videos are genuinely quite handy, but for those who don’t fancy a shave, his whispered tones and the scratch of a razor on a coconut are deeply satisfying.

Claire Fynn, Skin Cleansing Brand Specialist at Lynx, said: ‘ASMR is a huge trend at the moment, with many people finding it relaxing and calming to watch.

‘There’s been an increase in men looking for tips on grooming, so we created a series of light hearted Shower and Shave tutorials. We hope that guys will find them useful, whilst giving them the confidence to feel great too.’

Lovely.

We’ve popped the video for testicle shaving at the top of this article, and the videos for chest and legs grooming below. Do enjoy.

MORE: How often should you wash your towels?

MORE: After being diagnosed with no sperm, I started a group for men to talk about fertility

MORE: What can cause a penis to smell?

Husband and wife photograph over 100 women’s breasts

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*MANDATORY BYLINE* PIC FROM Kym & Tonya Illman - (PICTURED: Tonya Illman photographs a Breast Project Participant) - More than 100 women have bared all to pose for close-up portraits with a difference the shots only feature their BREASTS. Husband and wife snapper duo Kym and Tonya Illman, from Perth, Western Australia, have produced a montage of 108 womens boobs, including those of transgender woman and women who have battled breast cancer. Their Celebration of the Breast project features women aged 18 to 88 years from every corner of the globe to showcase their mammary glands down to every freckle.SEE CATERS COPY
(Picture: Kym and Tonya Illman)

We’ve had photo collections of vulvae and penises, so it only makes sense to have one for breasts.

Husband and wife Kym and Tonya Illman, from Perth, Australia, have taken on the task of photographing more than 100 women to celebrate boobs in all their wonder.

Content warning: Shockingly enough, this article does include photos of naked breasts and nipples.

They’ve created a montage of 108 women’s breasts, including those of a transgender woman and women who have survived breast cancer.

The project, called Celebration of the Breast, features women from 18 to 88 years from all around the world, showing their breasts without any airbrushing.

Kym, 51, said: ‘It took 13 months to find all of the women.

‘It wasn’t an overly difficult task, we just had to speak to a lot of women and sell the idea.

‘The average age of the breasts pictured is 44 years.’

*MANDATORY BYLINE* PIC FROM Kym & Tonya Illman - (PICTURED: All of the participantss breasts) - More than 100 women have bared all to pose for close-up portraits with a difference the shots only feature their BREASTS. Husband and wife snapper duo Kym and Tonya Illman, from Perth, Western Australia, have produced a montage of 108 womens boobs, including those of transgender woman and women who have battled breast cancer. Their Celebration of the Breast project features women aged 18 to 88 years from every corner of the globe to showcase their mammary glands down to every freckle.SEE CATERS COPY
(Picture: Caters News/Kym and Tonya Illman)

None of the photographs show the women’s faces, and each one is left nameless – it’s all about the breasts.

Each woman involved received a finished montage as a thank you for taking part, so they could see their breasts and the glory of everyone else’s.

The current work stands at 4ft by 6ft, but Kym and Tanya have no plans to stop now. They want to photograph 108 more women to make the project even bigger.

The project will now be shown at galleries and exhibitions throughout 2019, and the Cancer Council will use the image in their breast cancer awareness program.

*MANDATORY BYLINE* PIC FROM Kym & Tonya Illman - (PICTURED: All of the participantss breasts) - More than 100 women have bared all to pose for close-up portraits with a difference the shots only feature their BREASTS. Husband and wife snapper duo Kym and Tonya Illman, from Perth, Western Australia, have produced a montage of 108 womens boobs, including those of transgender woman and women who have battled breast cancer. Their Celebration of the Breast project features women aged 18 to 88 years from every corner of the globe to showcase their mammary glands down to every freckle.SEE CATERS COPY

*MANDATORY BYLINE* PIC FROM Kym & Tonya Illman - (PICTURED: All of the participantss breasts) - More than 100 women have bared all to pose for close-up portraits with a difference the shots only feature their BREASTS. Husband and wife snapper duo Kym and Tonya Illman, from Perth, Western Australia, have produced a montage of 108 womens boobs, including those of transgender woman and women who have battled breast cancer. Their Celebration of the Breast project features women aged 18 to 88 years from every corner of the globe to showcase their mammary glands down to every freckle.SEE CATERS COPY

MORE: Photo series explores what it’s like to be non-binary

MORE: Mixed Up: ‘People try to guess my ethnicity – they always guess wrong’

MORE: Women convicted for going topless on a beach to protest gender inequality

Woman who had surgery to rebuild vagina using bowel waits for womb transplant to become a mum

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PIC FROM Caters News - (PICTURED:Tara Gratton, 37, from Stakeford, Northumberland, with her partner Stuart Pretswell, 34) - A woman who underwent pioneering surgery to have her vagina rebuilt using her BOWEL is now waiting for a womb transplant in a bid to finally become a mum. Tara Gratton, 37, claims doctors were left baffled by her partially formed vagina before she was diagnosed with Mayer-Rokitansky-Kuster-Hauser syndrome (MRKS) a congenital disorder that affects the female reproductive system.SEE CATERS COPY
(Picture: Caters News)

When support worker Tara Gratton was 14 years old, she was told she did not have a vaginal tunnel, womb, cervix, or fallopian tubes, and only had one kidney.

The 37-year-old from Northumberland was diagnosed with Mayer-Rokitansky-Küster-Hauser syndrome (MRKS) – a congenital disorder which affects the reproductive system.

As a teenager she had pioneering surgery to rebuild her vagina through using her bowel, allowing her to have sex.

Tara was left devastated by not being able to have children but after meeting partner, Stuart Pretswell, 34, the couple began researching their options.

She is now on the waiting list for a womb transplant – with the couple hoping, through using her own eggs, they’ll be able to start their own family.

‘My (initial) surgery was a risky one as it involved using two inches of my bowel to create a new tunnel opening,’ she explained.

‘I was really young but naturally I was embarrassed about my condition back then as it was so rare.

‘After the surgery I had to have lots of dilation therapy – which essentially stretched my vagina.

‘Doctors thought I didn’t have any ovaries but as I grew older, I discovered that they were wrong – I did have ovaries which meant it was possible for me to have children – but I would have to go through IVF and alternative routes.’

PIC FROM Caters News - (PICTURED:Tara Gratton, 37, from Stakeford, Northumberland when she was younger) - A woman who underwent pioneering surgery to have her vagina rebuilt using her BOWEL is now waiting for a womb transplant in a bid to finally become a mum. Tara Gratton, 37, claims doctors were left baffled by her partially formed vagina before she was diagnosed with Mayer-Rokitansky-Kuster-Hauser syndrome (MRKS) a congenital disorder that affects the female reproductive system.SEE CATERS COPY
Tara was 14 when she had the surgery to build her vaginal tunnel using her bowel (Picture: Caters News Agency)

Tara was first diagnosed with constant kidney infections before doctors did further tests and realised she had MRKS – a rare disorder that affects one in 5,000 women, in varying degrees.

Tara has since applied for the womb transplant trial that has only recently become a viable option.

With a long waiting list, Tara is also looking into surrogacy as a possible path.

She said: ‘We have two embryos in storage and are raising money to cover any potential costs from surrogacy.

‘Now I want to help others like me by speaking out.

‘It took me a long time to get a diagnosis, and to find help – but with more awareness, more support could become available.’

Some of the injections Tara  has had to have
Some of the injections Tara  has had to have (Picture: Caters News Agency)

To spread awareness, Tara joined LivingMRKH, a support group in the UK.

Tabitha Taya, founder of LivingMRKH added: ‘The road to parenthood for those with MRKH can be challenging, but not impossible, it’s important to remember the condition does not define us and there are options available to make our journey a little less stressful and isolating.

‘We hope Tara’s courage to share her journey provides hope and inspiration to our fellow community.’

MORE: Women praised for talking openly about their vulvas in ‘raw and honest’ 100 Vaginas film

MORE: Meet the women who were born without a womb

MORE: After being diagnosed with no sperm, I started a group for men to talk about fertility

25 people tell us what annoys them most in porn

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couple in bed
(Picture: Ella Byworth for Metro.co.uk)

While sex is amazing, few people can get you off quite like yourself.

So it’s nice to have a little alone time, to stick on a video, grab a toy – unless your hands and fingers are good enough – and have some fun.

Finding the perfect video can be hard, though.

If you’re picky, you’ll know how to use the filter tools all too well. But that doesn’t stop some annoying things happening throughout: long fingernails, excessive moaning and too much spit, we’re looking at you.

Metro.co.uk spoke to 25 people to see what grinds their gears (and not in the good way) about porn when they’re trying to get off.

Here’s what they said.

‘The whole thing is just false and ridiculous’

‘The fact most women have tiny, hairless vulva and tiny labia.

‘If they have small breasts they are perky and if they have large breasts they are rounded and they have obnoxiously flat stomachs and no marks.

‘Then the males have muscles and are toned and all have the same sized penis and both are always wearing makeup and make the same noises and faces to show how staged it is. The whole thing is just false and ridiculous.’

This is so true – why even order it?!

‘The pizza NEVER gets eaten.’

When the hygiene isn’t up to standard…

‘When fingers/penises/toys go in multiple orifices without cleaning or swapping condoms beforehand!

‘Seeing something go from an anus straight into a mouth or vagina, in particular, is just so irresponsible.

‘People who don’t get an in-depth sexual education might not realise the risks of cross contamination and think this is ok.’

Where is the context?!

‘Hate when things are just beginning to heat up and then suddenly they cut to them having vigorous sex with no transition whatsoever.

‘Also when you watch something without fully checking the title and it then turns out to be someone shagging their step sibling/parent.’

‘Over the top scenarios’

‘Over the top scenarios before the sex begins. A lot of them are repetitive and many of the actors don’t put in much effort.’

THE NAILS!

‘Very much a real concern – the long nails. It’s off-putting and makes me cringe every time.’

‘You people expect me to believe that a lesbian is turning up for a sesh with long fake nails? My vagina says no, thank you.’

(Picture: Ella Byworth for Metro.co.uk)

‘The unrealistic look of women’s bodies’

‘The unrealistic look of the women’s bodies, it makes us feel like we should all have boobs that sit up by our chin and a bum someone could eat their dinner off.

‘These women spend lots of money before a “shoot” on nails, tan, hair and makeup it’s all fake.’

Watching women and men be objectified

‘Objectifying women and men, the whole fakeness of the situations. The feel that sex is somehow dirty and taboo.’

This is a big issue:

‘Never get to find out if the plumber actually fixes the boiler.’

‘Ridiculous representation’

‘It sets unrealistic expectations of sex for young people.

‘Ridiculous representations of sex between two women. Fake orgasms. Women seemingly having the time of their lives while being repeatedly jabbed in the soft stuff with a full set of acrylic nails.

‘The unreal expectations it leads to…which I guess works for both genders. Women think all men are big or built like they are in the films, and men appear to think all women are super skinny with perfect appearances.’

A valid point:

‘No one’s ever like,”“Hang on, I’m falling off the bed!”‘

When there isn’t much going on fashion-wise…

‘A stunted imagination when it comes to wardrobe choices, especially for women.

‘It’s like no one has discovered a choice of fashion past tight top and small skirt. I mean I know that most folk don’t wear clothes for long in porn but c’mon!

‘If you’re badly dressed I’m not in to it.’

'I felt like I was in a bubble': Why men pay to see a dominatrix Dominatrix sex man woman domination kink whip tease fetish Liberty Antonia Sadler for Metro.co.uk
(Liberty Antonia Sadler for Metro.co.uk)

The umprompted moans

‘When a woman’s moaning and no one’s even touching her.’

When you’re expecting a masterpiece

‘The angles like when it’s not even well directed. It’s tragic.’

When you don’t understand the categories…

‘The fact that there is even an ‘incest’ category. That shit is just not ok and I don’t know how anyone can get off to that.’

**ILLUSTRATION REQUEST** Reasons why I don’t like receiving oral sex (Almara Abgarian)
(Picture: Ella Byworth for Metro.co.uk)

And this is an incredibly fair point:

‘I hate the unrealistic portrayals of pizza delivery guys and plumbers, but it’s never IT technicians.’

Too much focus on genitals

‘The over zooming in on the genitals just to make sure you know that they are there.’

Bad lighting. What’s the point?

‘Bad lighting. I’m here to see all the stuff. Not like shadows and grainy footage.’

There is no equality when it comes to oral sex in porn:

‘The HUGE focus on blowjobs followed by only 10 seconds of some sh*t head for the women.’

(XX) men explain what a blowjob really feels like
(Picture: Ella Byworth for Metro.co.uk)

Please stop with the sloppiness

‘The extra wet and sloppy over the top gagging and slurping sounds during bj’s, especially with headphones. Makes my skin crawl.’

Too much ass action

‘The eating things out of a very stretched ass. I know almost everyone has seen the cereal out the ass porn. And to much ass to mouth.’

THE CLIT IS THERE TO BE PLAYED WITH

‘No clit stimulation whatsoever. Girl, is it really that fun?’

When the guy is so much louder than the girl during straight porn

‘When you can hear the guy more than the girl. Like… all you can hear is the guy moan, really off-putting.’

The fact it’s all pulling out…

‘The fact that no man finishes inside a woman anymore. Spends an hour banging away only to pull out, and finish himself off on her perfectly made up face.’

And finally, the noises

‘I have to turn the volume off because I just can’t deal with all the fake noises.

‘WHY are you screaming when he isn’t even going that deep.

‘WHY are you moaning so much when he’s ignored your clit for the past fifteen minutes.

‘And HOW is anal not hurting you? I just don’t get it.’

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How to clean your makeup brushes and what to use

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(Picture: Getty Images)

When was the last time you cleaned your makeup brushes?

Cleaning makeup brushes is something that has to be done, but not necessarily something we enjoy doing – a little like taking the bins out.

In short it’s a chore, especially if you’re a makeup lover and have a makeup brush collection any MUA would be proud of.

But it’s important to keep those bristles clean, why? Well, we hate to break it to you, but if you don’t clean your brushes bacteria will build up and cause breakouts, clogged pores and in some cases infections. Enough said.

So to help you Hinch your brushes, we’ve selected the very best makeup brush cleaners.

Sigma Spa Express Brush Cleaning Mat

Sigma Spa Express Brush Cleaning Mat
(Picture: Beauty Bay)

This silicone mat may look a bit gimmicky, but those bobbles, grooves and swirls make dislodging gunk easy.

You simply stick the suction cup mat to your sink, add a little water, brush cleanser and get cleaning.

It’s convenient, easy to use and effective. And best of all, your hands stay dry, so you won’t suffer from pruney palms.

Just remember to avoid getting the barrel of the brush wet, as this will warm up the glue keeping the bristles in place and cause shedding.

Sigma Spa Express Brush Cleaning Mat, £19.50, beautybay.com and cultbeauty.co.uk

 

Real Techniques Makeup Brush Cleansing Gel

Real Techniques Make-Up Brush Cleansing Gel
(Picture: Amazon)

The ladies who bought us some of the best makeup brushes in the biz have released their very own brush cleansing gel and it’s great for a deep clean.

Thoroughly dampen the brush bristles in warm water, add a drop of gel onto the brush head, rub between fingers (or use cleaning mat), lather for a few minutes and rinse.

To dry, squeeze any excess water out of the brush and lie them flat with the tips hanging off the edge of the counter so they reshape properly.

Real Techniques Make-Up Brush Cleansing Gel, £5.95, amazon.co.uk, and boots.com

 

StylPro Makeup Brush Cleaner and Dryer

StylPro Makeup Brush Cleaner and Dryer
(Picture: Argos)

This gadget is like a washing machine, but for your brushes – snazzy eh?

To use, all you need to do is fill the bowl with warm water and brush cleanser, attach your brush to the battery powered handle and let it whizz around in the soapy solution for 10 seconds.

And if you thought that was good, it also has a spin cycle, so it dries your brushes too.

What’s not to love?

StylPro Makeup Brush Cleaner and Dryer, £35.99, argos.co.uk and lookfantastic.com

 

IT Cosmetics IT’s Your Brush Love

IT Cosmetics IT’s Your Brush Love
(Picture: IT Cosmetics)

For a quick brush cleanse, the IT Cosmetics IT’s Your Brush Love is our top pick.

Just spritz the citrus scented cleanser onto the damp brush and swipe the brushes over a tissue using gentle circular motions.

It’s fast-drying, works well on natural or synthetic brush hair and is formulated with antioxidants and vitamins A, C and E.

IT Cosmetics IT’s Your Brush Love, £15, boots.com, cultbeauty.co.uk and itcosmetics.co.uk

 

Beautyblender Blendercleanser Solid

Beautyblender Pure Solid Cleanser
(Picture: Cult Beauty)

If you’d like your beloved BeautyBlender to last forever and remain bug free you, forget microwaving your sponge (just no) what you need is a solid brush cleanser.

There are a handful of beauty sponge cleansers available from the likes of Revolution and Japonesque, but Blendercleanser eliminates all traces of make-up.

Activated by warm water, you massage a small amount (a little goes a long way) into your damp sponge, rinse, squeeze and repeat until the water runs clear.

Beautyblender Blendercleanser Solid, £15, cultbeauty.co.uk, boots.com, spacenk.com and beautybay.com

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Experts recommend ignoring advice for psoriasis on YouTube

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(Picture: Getty)

Got psoriasis or other skin concerns?

You’re better off chatting to your GP or a dermatologist before trying out any remedies from YouTube.

A new study found that more than 10% of video advice for psoriasis on YouTube are ‘potentially dangerous’, and that two thirds of videos analysed provided ‘misleading or even dangerous content’.

Researchers at the University Hospital Basel in Switzerland saw videos that recommended relieving dry, painful skin with glue, wax, apple cider vinegar, and even the blade of a knife.

They looked at the 100 most popular videos relating to psoriasis on YouTube, and are now warning sufferers to proceed with caution when looking for treatment online.

The report stated: ‘As little is known about YouTube as a source of information on psoriasis, we aimed to investigate the quality of psoriasis-related videos and, if necessary, point out strategies for their improvement.

‘Approximately 80 per cent of internet users access health information online and patients with chronic illnesses especially rely on internet-based resources.

‘YouTube ranks second among the most accessed websites worldwide and hosts an increasing number of videos with medical information.

‘However, their quality is sometimes unscientific, misleading, or even harmful.

What is psoriasis?

Psoriasis is an incurable skin disease which causes red, flaky patches of skin to form that are covered with silvery scales.

The patches usually occur on elbows, knees, and scalp – but they can appear anywhere and the severity of the rashes varies from person to person.

It’s caused by the body producing skin cells at an accelerated rate, and the resulting build-up of skin cells creates patches.

‘Most videos contained anecdotal, personal, unscientific, or commercial information on psoriasis.

‘Complementary and alternative psoriasis treatments (41%), topical treatments (39%) and nutrition/diets (25%) were the most often addressed topics.

‘Alarmingly, more than half of the videos spread misleading information and about one in 10 contained dangerous information and recommendations.

‘A total of 11% of the videos analysed contained potentially dangerous content.

‘For example, psoriasis patients were encouraged to remove their plaques using a knife blade, glue, Brazilian waxing, and apple cider vinegar.’

One YouTuber Huy Ngo has shown himselg using a pumic stone, glue, and silly putty to try to deal with his psoriasis.

It’s crucial to seek medical help before finding yourself down the rabbithole of ‘wellness’ videos on YouTube.

Dr Gill Hart, scientific director at YorkTest Laboratories, also recommends considering the impact of diet on psoriasis and other skin conditions.

Dr Hart says: ‘If someone is experiencing prolonged psoriasis symptoms, it might be useful to look at your diet.

‘If they are eating something that is contributing to inflammation in the body, there is a possibility that this could impact their skin.’

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‘The cat was a rainbow in a dark world’– the incredible tale of a homeless man, a lost cat and a desolate cat-dad who never gave up

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Michael King and his cat Tabor. Pictures for Deborah Arthurs
Michael King, who was living homeless when he met a stray cat he named ‘Tabor’ – Michael later discovered Tabor was actually named Mata Hairi and already had a cat-dad (Picture: Britt Collins)

Anyone who lives with cats is aware of how tender they can be and the magic they bring. A few years ago while living in Los Angeles, I stumbled across an incredible true story about a cat who deeply affected the lives of two men: the homeless man who rescued her and her cat-dad who never stopped looking for her.

Six months earlier, I’d moved from London with my filmmaker husband and our five cats when I saw the headline in a Montana newspaper, which had been syndicated across the country: ‘Homeless Man Travels 3,600 Miles to Take Cat Back Home’.

It was the ultimate love story: a lost troubled man finds a lost cat and takes her on a 10-month journey across the American West.

I adore reading stories about animals and this one had love, loss, adventure, mystery and a bit fairy dust about it. I was touched by how deeply this drifter who had nothing felt about his furry companion and the way he spoke of her: ‘The cat was a rainbow in a dark world.’

Michael King and his cat Tabor. Pictures for Deborah Arthurs
Michael travelled for months with his new friend, with the two becoming inseparable. ‘She was my rainbow in a dark world,’ says Michael (Picture: Evian Adam Miles/indigorfairyx via Britt Collins)
Michael King and his cat Tabor. Pictures for Deborah Arthurs
Michael took Tabor on the road with him, travelling and sleeping rough for 10 months (Picture: Evian Adam Miles/indigofairyx via Britt Collins)

Michael King had given up on his former life as a chef in St. Louis, Missouri. After his partner died of AIDS, he hit the road and, after lightning strikes of bad luck, fell into homelessness. He was depressed, drunk and living in a UPS loading bay on the streets of Portland, Oregon when he found a hurt and starving stray he named Tabor.

The last thing he needed was a cat since he could barely feed himself but, as Michael later said, ‘I fell in love with a cat.’

They drifted with the seasons up and down the coast. When winter blew in, Michael hitchhiked with the cat on his back all the way to California.

Along the way, they survived on the kindnesses of strangers moved to help them. Incredibly, Michael protected Tabor from the dangers of the city and the wilderness.

Michael King and his cat Tabor. Pictures for Deborah Arthurs
Tabor formed a close bond with Michael, even saving his life at one point. But one day, Michael realised that Tabor had a microchip – and a devastated owner back home (Picture: via Britt Collins)

There were plenty of harrowing moments: they shacked up in a barn on a deserted horse farm to survive a blizzard; had encounters with bears and armed rednecks; an ambush by coyotes while living beneath a tree on a California beach.

In Idaho, while hitching a ride, Tabor refused get into a cowboy’s pickup truck and broke out of her leash, causing chaos on the freeway.

Michael had to carefully pursue her along the hard shoulder while the Marlboro man watched, smoking his fag and thinking the cat was a goner. In Montana, stampeding longhorns chased Michael as he desperately clung onto his crazed and terrified cat. Soon after, when Michael visited his foster-father Walter with the cat his shoulder and torn, bloodied arms, Walter thought he’d been savaged by a grizzly.

Michael King and his cat Tabor. Pictures for Deborah Arthurs
When the time came for Tabor, pictured on the road with Michael, to go back to his cat-dad Ron, both Michael and Tabor are devastated (Picture: Britt Collins)

The cat in turn saves his life. While camping in Yosemite, Michael drunkenly passed out beside the bonfire. Tabor wailed and yowled in her hard carrier, where she’d been tucked in for the night to protect her from wild animals, to wake him. When he opened his eyes, he saw that he was on fire and his sleeping bag had burned away up to his knees.

In the meantime, as Michael and Tabor, whose real name is Mata Hairi, drifted across the West Coast, her cat-dad Ron Buss was mad with grief. He saved Mata and her litter-mates as palm-sized week-old kittens after finding them abandoned under a neighbor’s porch. He bottle-fed them and gave three to friends. He kept the remaining two, Mata and Creto, who would become his sun, moon and stars.

Raising them like children, he cooked for them, wrote songs for them, and took them everywhere. So when Mata disappeared, he mourned her daily: crying in the attic, consulting cat psychics and constantly searching for her.

Her brother Creto was just as depressed and waited for her on the porch every night the entire time she was gone. Ron was also at war with his homophobic, animal-hating neighbour, whom he suspected (with good reason) of murdering his cat.

Ron is a guitar dealer and musician, and a Beatles fanatic. He and I had a shared obsession with cats and music — especially the Beatles — who all happened to be cat-mad too. Sure, the list of feline-loving rockers is infinite.

But Paul McCartney and John Lennon were crazy cat ladies who had as many cats as the Beatles had hits.

Michael King and his cat Tabor. Pictures for Deborah Arthurs
Tabor on the road (Picture: Evian Adam Miles/indigofairyx via Britt Collins)

John’s first childhood pet was a stray girl called Elvis. He and his first wife Cynthia had 10 cats and named one Jesus, likely his irreverent response to the ‘bigger than Jesus’ controversy of 1966 (amusingly, Paul also had a kitten named Jesus).

Once during a recording session, the receptionist brought in a box of stray kittens and their mother she found outside the studio. John said he couldn’t take any since he was going on the road. When someone walked in with a black kitten wrapped around his neck, John laughed and said, ‘Oh now you’ve done it,’ and ended up adopting it as well as the noisy white one nobody else wanted.

In fact, when I interviewed Paul McCartney he told me that a cat brought him and John Lennon back together after their long fall-out.

One of John’s seven cats, his favourite, a Russian Blue named Alice, had fallen out of an open window of the Dakota hotel and died. He was inconsolable and knew that Paul would understand the depth of his grief.

The line between joy and sorrow really is thinly drawn. For many, losing our companion animals cuts the deepest, as their love is without expectation — pure and wholehearted —sometimes transformative.

The story of this lost cat and lost man had a very universal message, which is the healing power of the human-animal bond. When Michael, as a teenage runaway, first met his foster-father Walter, an ex-Vietnam vet and recovered alcoholic, he told him ‘anyone who’s on the down-and-out heals himself with animals.’

Several decades later, after Michael ends up on the streets, he experiences that sentiment in full force after he finds the scared, hurt stray. And, quite unexpectedly, this little cat takes him on an adventure and helps a broken man turn his life around.

Michael King and his cat Tabor. Pictures for Deborah Arthurs
Mata Hairi, left, reunited with his brother Creto (Picture: via Britt Collins)

Yet when he finds out his road-buddy Tabor has a microchip and a devastated owner back in Portland, he does the right thing, even though it breaks his heart.

Once Michael brings Tabor back home, she’s distressed after he leaves her. Seeing how sad Mata was, Ron remembered how much she loved music. He plays her the Beatles song And I Love Her. It jolts her memory and she begins to realise she’s home.

Losing the cat for Michael was just another heartache in a lifetime of sorrows. He knew Tabor changed him in so many small but not insignificant ways. After Tabor he rescued a succession of other strays until he found Abbey Road, a scrawny puppy who would become his new road buddy.

While I was researching my book, Strays, Ron took me to Sauvie Island on the Oregon coast, where he spent summers with his grandparents as a kid in the 70s. At sundown, as we sat on blankets over a picnic with Tabor and Creto, a bone-thin black kitten appeared out of the trees. Someone had clearly left this tiny, starving creature to fend for herself in the woods, where somehow she survived all sorts of predators. Ron took her and Sauvie became a permanent member of his feline family. And Sauvie in her own subtle way became a star when she graced the cover of the Oregon Feral Cats Coalition magazine.

Ron thought it was fate that he and I rescued the kitten. Michael thought he was meant to find Tabor to bring her back home to Ron. And I think I was meant to bring Strays out into the world.

My wildest hope with the book is to inspire people to adopt from kill-shelters or the streets. We have a blurry notion of homeless and feral cats. Like homeless people, street animals are marginalised, misunderstood and sometimes mistreated. The greatest misconception is since cats are predators many consider them wild animals who can fend for themselves.

Nothing could be further from the truth. In America, there are an estimated 100 million homeless and abandoned animals, and nearly 10 million in the UK, and those that manage to survive rely on the kindness of compassionate people.

It’s heartbreaking that so many animals are still bought from parasitic breeders and shops, perpetuating appalling cruelty and suffering, while millions are being put to death in shelters. Every time a cat or dog is bought, another one dies that could’ve otherwise been saved.

It is also one of the reasons I started Catfest, a festival for cat lovers to help animals in need, as well as changing a few hearts and minds.

usa by Britt Collins (Simon & Schuster) out now. Find it on Amazon here

Catfest London 2019 takes place at Beckenham Place Mansion on 29 June 2019, 10.30am-10.30pm (nearest station: Beckenham Hill). Tickets need to be bought in advance. catfestlondon.com

Bully films herself giving cake to victim to show that people change

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A remorseful former bully has filmed herself apologising to one of her victims by baking her a cake decorated with the words ‘Sorry I was a jerk’ – and the pair are now close friends.

Morganne Fugett baked her former classmate Lizmar Mata, 18, a purple-iced Funfetti cake to try to make up for tormenting her, which she now puts down to her own ‘insecurities’.

The vlogger, from Georgia, US, had already apologised in person to Lizmar but felt that she needed to make a bigger gesture to show her remorse for her past actions.

The 19-year-old reached out to her former victim when Lizmar posted online about going through a hard time, and the pair struck up a friendship and re-added each other on other social media.

But Morganne was horrified when she re-read old Snapchat messages where she called her victim a ‘b****’ and accused her of ‘hoeing around’ two years beforehand.

Despite already apologising and being forgiven, Morganne brought the cake to Lizmar’s house the first time the pair arranged to meet up and the old rivals made up on camera last October.

In the video, Lizmar appears to be delighted as her new friend places the cake in front of her – even laughing and holding her head in her hands.

The video has since gone viral on YouTube with more than 2.7 million views.

Lizmar says: ‘I love it. It’s so pretty.’

The pair then hug, and Morganne says: ‘I was so insecure about myself that I felt the need to try and make other people feel the same way.

PIC FROM Kennedy News and Media (PICTURED: THE CAKE MORGANNE FUGETT BAKED LIZMAR MATA TO SAY SORRY FOR BULLYING HER IN HIGH SCHOOL) A remorseful former bully filmed herself apologising to one of her victims by baking her a CAKE emblazoned with the words 'sorry I was a jerk' - and now the pair are close friends. Morganne Fugett baked her former classmate Lizmar Mata, 18, a purple-iced Funfetti cake to try to make up for tormenting her, which she now puts down to her own 'insecurities'. The vlogger, from Athens, Georgia, US, had already apologised in person to Lizmar but felt that she needed to make a bigger gesture to show her remorse for her past actions. SEE KENNEDY NEWS COPY - 0161 697 4266
(Picture: Kennedy News)

‘Reading back the messages, it didn’t even seem like me. I don’t even remember typing them. I definitely did it, and I’m taking responsibility but reading them I was like, this is not me.

‘I know cake doesn’t take it back but I’m really sorry.’

Morganne believes that her actions will offer hope to both victims and bullies that you can make up for the past – adding that her main focus for the video was to show ‘from an ex-bully’s perspective that your words are powerful’.

She continued: ‘Years later the chances are you’re going to regret the hurtful things you say.

‘How you talk to people now you should be okay with five years from now – you need to ask yourself if you’re going to be happy with how you treated others.

‘Then I guess from Lizmar’s perspective, she’s such a forgiving person and it’s inspiring to see how forgiving and accepting she was.

‘That’s amazing too. I think both a victim and a bully can take away a lot from that video.

‘I talked to her privately beforehand, which I think a lot of people don’t realise. It wasn’t like ‘what can I do to make this better, I’m going to bake a cake’.

‘I wanted to come up with some bold gesture to show her that even though I’d already apologised, it didn’t go unnoticed and I still feel sorry for it.

‘We had already realised we could be good friends and we’d already talked about hanging out.

PIC FROM Kennedy News and Media (PICTURED: MORGANNE FUGETT IN HER VIDEO WITH A SCREENSHOT OF A PAST SNAPCHAT COMMENT SENT TO LIZMAR IN WHICH SHE CALLED HER A B****) A remorseful former bully filmed herself apologising to one of her victims by baking her a CAKE emblazoned with the words 'sorry I was a jerk' - and now the pair are close friends. Morganne Fugett baked her former classmate Lizmar Mata, 18, a purple-iced Funfetti cake to try to make up for tormenting her, which she now puts down to her own 'insecurities'. The vlogger, from Athens, Georgia, US, had already apologised in person to Lizmar but felt that she needed to make a bigger gesture to show her remorse for her past actions. SEE KENNEDY NEWS COPY - 0161 697 4266
(Picture: Kennedy News)

‘I was really nervous because coming from being a terrible person towards her to hanging out, I felt bad. I needed to do something.

‘I just decided to bake her a cake. I felt like the least I could do was bake her cake.

‘It broke the awkwardness of when we first hung out for the first time as friends instead of enemies. We just talked.

‘She’s one of my friends now. We talk every day. With work and things it’s hard to hang out often but we have a lot in common.

‘It’s super cool and I was definitely expecting the worst. I knew that what I had done easily could not be forgiven.

‘She definitely has the potential to become one of my closest friends.

‘We really bonded a lot because after I posted that video we continued to talk and then even the video getting a bunch of attention caused us to be like, this is crazy.

‘We are both really excited about it. It’s so awesome that out of all my silly videos this is the one that got the most attention.’

Morganne filmed herself baking and decorating the cake, driving over to Lizmar’s house and then the pair making up.

Before going in, the nanny reveals she is nervous about the cake coming across as a joke or Lizmar not liking the gesture.

Lizmar, who graduated from high school last year, says: ‘[The cake] is so cute and I love it.

‘It’s okay. The past is the past. All that matters is growth.’

PIC FROM Kennedy News and Media (PICTURED: LIZMAR MATA (L) AND MORGANNE FUGETT (R) HUGGING IN THE VIDEO AFTER MAKING UP BECAUSE MORGANNE BAKED LIZMAR A CAKE TO APOLOGISE FOR BULLYING HER) A remorseful former bully filmed herself apologising to one of her victims by baking her a CAKE emblazoned with the words 'sorry I was a jerk' - and now the pair are close friends. Morganne Fugett baked her former classmate Lizmar Mata, 18, a purple-iced Funfetti cake to try to make up for tormenting her, which she now puts down to her own 'insecurities'. The vlogger, from Athens, Georgia, US, had already apologised in person to Lizmar but felt that she needed to make a bigger gesture to show her remorse for her past actions. SEE KENNEDY NEWS COPY - 0161 697 4266
(Picture: Kennedy News)

Lizmar adds to the camera: ‘We’ve all effed up before. I’ve effed up so many times and I’m still effing up. You just need to learn and not hold grudges.

‘I love this. This is such a surprise.’

Lizmar says that upon graduating, she would have been happy to have never had to speak to Morganne again.

But even though she was initially worried that the video would make her look like she couldn’t defend herself, she felt no reservations in making up with her former bully and claims the process has been ‘healing’ for them both.

Lizmar, who is from Athens, Georgia in the US, said: ‘The cake was a big surprise.

‘We were just going to hang out but then she pulled out the cake and that was a surprise.

‘I was really happy and excited to see it. I think at the same time I was kind of confused, like wait, wait, what’s going on?

‘There were no negative feelings at all, I was pretty happy about it all.

‘It was really nice of her considering the past that we have.

‘It takes a lot to apologise, and then it takes a lot to come back and you know, bring me this whole cake and everything. That takes a lot of guts and it’s really touching.

‘Back then I don’t think I ever would have imagined we would have been friends.

‘I think what I would have wanted [back then] was for her to go her way and for me to go my way.

‘If we had never spoken again that would have been perfectly fine with me.

‘I feel like I could have been mad at Morganne but you know, at the end of the day, I feel like I did the right thing and I was more mature about it than a lot of people might have been.

‘It was pretty healing not only for Morganne but for myself too.’

As advice to other victims of bullying, Lizmar says not to give in to what’s happened – but don’t fight the person or react to them.

She says just ignore them.

She added: ‘The minute you get out of school everyone’s opinions become very irrelevant. You never know what people are going through or what is causing them to act in this way.

‘Even if you don’t forgive them right away, I feel like in the future you just need to let it go. Holding on to grudges puts a lot of weight on your shoulders.

‘It’s nice for me and Morganne that we’ve gotten a friend out of it. It’s played out well. I think we’ll be friends in the future.

‘We’ve gotten pretty close and we both have a lot of things in common – more than we thought we would. That’s a really cool part about it. We’ll probably stay in touch and hang out.’

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Please look at this seductive koala posing in front of the camera to get all the girls

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PIC FROM Caters News - (PICTURED: The koala posing in Queensland, Australia. PIC TAKEN IN FEB 2019) - A cuddly hungry koala has set the internet ablaze after striking his most seductive come hither pose for some female romantic interests. British photographer Ross Long, 27, was exploring picturesque bushland on the Gold Coast of Queensland, Australia, when he spotted the laid-back lover reclining on a branch. Ross, from Cornwall but based in Sydneys Manly, said he believes the furry fella was posing up a storm to capture the hearts of some nearby females.SEE CATERS COPY
(Picture: Caters News)

We’ve fallen in love with a koala who’s entertained the internet with a seductive pose for the camera.

British photographer Ross Long, 27, was exploring bushland on the Gold Coast of Queensland, Australia, when he spotted the koala reclining on a branch.

Ross, who is originally from Cornwall but is based in Sydney’s Manly, said he believes the koala was posing to capture the hearts of some nearby females.

He decided to take a photo of the koala, and since posting it to Instagram it has received thousands of likes and comments.

PIC FROM Caters News - (PICTURED: The koala posing in Queensland, Australia. PIC TAKEN IN FEB 2019) - A cuddly hungry koala has set the internet ablaze after striking his most seductive come hither pose for some female romantic interests. British photographer Ross Long, 27, was exploring picturesque bushland on the Gold Coast of Queensland, Australia, when he spotted the laid-back lover reclining on a branch. Ross, from Cornwall but based in Sydneys Manly, said he believes the furry fella was posing up a storm to capture the hearts of some nearby females.SEE CATERS COPY
(Picture: Caters News)

Ross said: ‘He’s certainly positioned in a seductive manner as if to say: ‘I’m ready for action’.

‘There were other female koalas nearby, so I guess this is his way of letting them know that he was indeed ready.

‘He looked more chilled than a Friday night of Netflix and chill. Perhaps this explains why chlamydia is such an issue in the koala world?’

Ross said the koala held the pose for the whole encounter, making him the easiest model he’s ever worked with.

PIC FROM Caters News - (PICTURED: The koala posing in Queensland, Australia. PIC TAKEN IN FEB 2019) - A cuddly hungry koala has set the internet ablaze after striking his most seductive come hither pose for some female romantic interests. British photographer Ross Long, 27, was exploring picturesque bushland on the Gold Coast of Queensland, Australia, when he spotted the laid-back lover reclining on a branch. Ross, from Cornwall but based in Sydneys Manly, said he believes the furry fella was posing up a storm to capture the hearts of some nearby females.SEE CATERS COPY
(Picture: Caters News)

Ross said: ‘I’ve never worked with such an easy-going model like this one before, it’s a welcome change from the stuff I usually capture.

‘I’m lucky enough to travel around Australia and New Zealand most of the year which gives me plenty of photography opportunities.

‘There is just so much variety in Australia; depending on where you go, the animals adapt with the landscape.

‘It keeps everything fresh and exciting.

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How to help your child if they are struggling with anxiety

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metro illustrations
(Picture: Ella Byworth for Metro.co.uk)

According to Anxiety UK, research suggests that as many as one in six young people will experience an anxiety condition at some point in their lives – which means in each class of 30, there could be up to five children living with an anxiety disorder, including generalised anxiety disorder, OCD, social anxiety, panic attacks or extreme stress.

Anxiety can manifest in many ways, and in children, it may interfere with their school, home and social life.

The NHS website states there are many symptoms to watch out for in childhood anxiety – this includes not sleeping or waking in the night from nightmares, not eating properly, being quick to anger, becoming irritable and being out of control during outbursts.

Children with anxiety may also feel tense and fidgety, may use the toilet often, become clingy, complain of feeling unwell or cry a lot.

Many anxiety disorders begin in childhood and adolescence, with over half of all mental illnesses starting by age 14 – but unfortunately, it can take a person over 10 years to seek help for it.

That’s why it’s important to watch out for any symptoms in your child, so that you can get on top of it sooner rather than later.

Though many think children have it easy, Jo Hardy, Head of Parent Services at YoungMinds, suggests children face a huge amount of pressures, including school stress, bullying, issues with body image and growing up in the online world, which can mean establishing a personal identity from an early age and feeling the need to live the ‘perfect life’.

She tells Metro.co.uk: ‘If a young person is feeling anxious, it can manifest in lots of ways which will depend on the age of your child, and on their personality.

‘Some young children might describe physical symptoms like a feeling in their belly, and older children might act out or want to spend more time on their own.

‘It can be hard to know when to be worried about a young person’s mental health.

‘Young people are adapting to lots of changes as they grow up, so it’s normal for them to express raw emotions and change moods quickly.

‘But if your child is consistently struggling, for example if you see a sustained change in their sleeping or eating patterns, or if they seem to be upset over a long period of time, it’s important to take it seriously.

Why we should care about children?s mental wellbeing - and what we can do to help (Picture: Ella Byworth/ Metro.co.uk) Metro Illustration Illustrations
(Picture: Ella Byworth for Metro.co.uk)

‘Parents often instinctively know when their child is going through something – so trust your instinct.’

Jo says that to help your child if they are struggling, it’s crucial to talk to them about it.

Be understanding, open and patient, and let them know that you are there for them.

She said: ‘It can be really difficult to start the conversation about mental health, but it’s a crucial first step and there are lots of tips and ideas on our website YoungMinds for how to do this.’

YoungMinds has many tips for helping children with anxiety, including talking to your child about anxiety, what is happening to their body and why it happens – this is important because many children don’t understand what they are feeling when they are anxious, and it can be overwhelming.

It’s also important to help your child recognise their anxiety symptoms so that they don’t worry it’s a physical crisis such as a heart attack. It’s a great idea to teach them how to breathe deeply and slowly while telling them that this will pass, so that they can manage their anxiety in high moments of stress.

Making a ‘worry box’, where your child can write each worry down and post it in the box so that it’s out of sight, can be helpful. They can ‘leave the worries in there for a week to see if they were worth worrying about’ later.

Kindness and patience is key.

Jo says: ‘When you do speak to them, listen to them without judgement and make sure that they know that you’re on their side and will help them get through this.

‘And remind them that you love them and that you’re proud of them. If you think your child needs more support, speak to your family GP or call our YoungMinds parents helpline for specific advice and support.

‘And remember to look after yourself too. It is extremely hard for parents to see their children go through difficult times, and it can have a huge impact on the whole family.

‘If you’re struggling to cope, speak to your GP about what support they can offer you.’

Need support? Contact the Samaritans

For emotional support you can call the Samaritans 24-hour helpline on 116 123, email jo@samaritans.org, visit a Samaritans branch in person or go to the Samaritans website.

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Green tea KitKats are finally coming to the UK

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(Picture: Getty/KitKat)

Glorious news, matcha monsters: Green tea KitKats are finally coming to the UK.

You’ll need to be patient, though, as they’re not in stores just yet.

Bloomberg reports that Nestle’s green tea KitKat will be rolled out across Europe as a trial, starting with eight countries including the UK, Italy, and Switzerland.

That trial means there’ll be a limited supply around, so you likely won’t be able to pick up a green tea KiKat from your corner shop. But if all goes well, those little matcha delights will be sent out all over the world.

That’s 15 years after it was launched in Japan, so fans have been waiting for a while.

We don’t yet know which shops will stock the green tea KitKat, but this could point to an end to bulk-buying on Amazon then paying far too much for the shipping.

If you’ve never tried a matcha KitKat, let us explain a little about why they are wonderful.

They’re a mild flavour with a subtle hit of matcha powder (which gives the chocolate its green hue), so you don’t have to be a huge matcha lover to enjoy ’em.

They’re smaller than your normal four finger KitKat, available in three finger blocks or mini two finger blocks (at least in Japan. This could change when the treats arrive in the UK).

Green tea KitKats can be easily confused with wasabi KitKats, but must not be. They taste very different indeed.

Get excited, pals. Once the green tea KitKats are here, who knows what exciting Japanese flavour will come to Europe next?

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