Cardi B’s gigantic red feathery dress at the Met Gala 2019 was phenomenal.
The Thom Browne dress featured beaded nipples, a whopping 30,000 feathers and an epic three-metre long train that was so big it required it’s own entourage (we counted no less than 10 gentlemen) – talk about making an entrance.
And although her dress caught our attention, we couldn’t help but notice how flawless her makeup was too.
Cardi B’s makeup artist Erika La’ Pearl, who’s the master behind many of Cardi B’s best beauty moments, shared her excitement for the Met Gala over on her Instagram and later explained how she ‘really wanted to go very pretty’ for Cardi B’s makeup because ‘her dress was amazing and over the top!’
The makeup artist later revealed the product behind Cardi’s flawless base was the Beautyblender Bounce liquid foundation: ‘I want to shoutout @beautyblender ! I love their foundation.’ she said.
The foundation from the brains behind the iconic Beautyblender makeup sponge, features a Blender-shaped well (of course) and claims to be ‘silky smooth’, with a ‘light as air texture’, with a formulation infused with hyaluronic acid and antioxidant-rich white birch extract, to perfect and protect.
But most surprisingly La’ Pearl opted for a high street brand when it came to prepping Cardi’s skin, looking to Ponds skin care products: ‘For skin prep I used Ponds. I love using skin care products before applying foundation to me it makes it easier for me to apply foundation.’ she explained.
To top off the look, La’ Pearl applied a custom blend of MatteTrance Lipstick in Guinevre and Vendetta to create a burgundy power lip, which she claimed was ‘everything’.
Nothing better for a cruelty-free hangover breakfast (Picture: Suma Wholefoods)
In this day and age, going vegan doesn’t mean you have to eschew all your favourite treats.
From fried seitan ‘chicken’ to vegan fish and chips, there are all sorts you can have. The humble tin of sausages and beans has so far eluded UK supermarkets.
Although many offer veggie tins, they often contain eggs, so vegan customers have been unable to eat them.
Co-op have changed the game, however, by bringing the Suma brand vegan option to their stores, and plant-based food lovers are overjoyed.
It features baked beans mixed with six meat-free Lincolnshire style sausages, made with herbs and spices, and costs £1.60 for 400g.
There’s a celebrity connection, too, as the bean and sausage mix are a collaboration between Suma and VBites, spearheaded by Heather Mills.
Three of your five-a-day on that plate! (Picture: Suma Wholefoods)
Mills said of the creation: ‘One of my fantasies was to have vegan sausages and beans, and we at VBites and Suma are doing that now with our canned product’.
One Facebook user said of the launch: ‘Those sausage and beans taste better than the ones we had as kids. Even better that they don’t contain animal bits’.
Other comments praising it poured in, although some did bring up the fact that they’re around 60p a tin more than their meaty counterpart.
It seems that it’s a small price to pay for a product without animal in it. And we all know what’s in the usual tinned sausages, so it’s perhaps worth it to avoid the gristle.
A woman’s pet dog became a medical hero after learning how to spot the symptoms of her super-rare condition.
Michelle Sutherland suffers from Addison’s disease – a condition which means her body does not have enough cortisol, the ‘fight or flight hormone’.
This means Michelle could slip into a deadly coma if shocked unexpectedly and relies heavily on her cockerspaniel, Clive, to warn her when she needs to take her medication.
After her diagnosis, Clive would repeatedly try to get to Michelle’s mouth to claw and lick at her face – behaviour Michelle put down to her pup being clingy.
However, after a chance talk with a doctor at dog show Crufts, 31-year-old Michelle made the incredible discovery Clive was actually trying to signal to her to take her medication by detecting a scent from her mouth.
According to Medical News Today, research suggests that dogs can detect many types of cancers in humans. They can detect scents on a person’s body and bodily secretions – such as cancer cells or healthy cells affected by cancer, as they produce their own odours.
Depending on the type of cancer, dogs can detect scents in a person’s skin, breath, urine, feces and sweat.
Clive, who Michelle has had since he was a puppy, has now learned to alert his owner when she gives off the specific scent around half an hour before she needs to take action.
And now, Clive has undergone an 18-month course to become Michelle’s medical assistance dog.
She said: ‘When we got Clive he was like any other pet dog.
‘He has now become my right-hand man, he spends every single minute with me.
‘Clive is brilliant. He can detect my low blood sugar and fetch my testing kit or jump up to warn me if I’m at risk of an episode by clawing at my mouth.
‘I couldn’t live without him.’
Michelle picked up Clive – who was the only black and white dog of his litter – as a pup in 2012 before bringing him home with husband Kris, 38.
Just months later, Michelle unexpectedly became very ill.
She struggled to beat what would otherwise be simple infections and repeatedly collapsed with no apparent trigger.
She said: ‘I didn’t know what was wrong with me and I had been fine before.’
Michelle and Clive make such a lovely pair Picture: Michelle Sutherland / SWNS)
After being rushed to hospital, Michelle was diagnosed with Addison’s disease.
The condition – also known as primary adrenal insufficiency or hypoadrenalism – is a rare disorder of the adrenal glands.
The adrenal glands are two small glands that sit on top of the kidneys which produce two essential hormones, cortisol and aldosterone.
The adrenal gland is damaged in Addison’s disease, so it does not produce enough of the hormones.
After her diagnosis, Michelle – who also has border terriers called Oscar and Jeremy – said Clive started to become clingy.
She said: ‘I couldn’t really understand it.
‘The other dogs acted as usual but Clive would just want to climb up and get to my mouth all the time.
‘He would lick my mouth five or six times a day and I never understood it.
‘I struggled to bond with him at first because of how he was reacting.’
However, it was during a visit to dogs show Crufts in March 2013 when Michelle was given some shocking news.
She said: ‘I was speaking to Dr Claire Guest, co-founder of Medical Detection Dogs, at the event about something unrelated.
‘When I mentioned about how clingy Clive was, she suggested there might be a reason behind it and he might have been signalling.
‘He was actually picking up on changes in my scent which triggered his alerts, that was the reason he was always climbing on me.
‘I couldn’t believe it.’
Following the incredible realisation of Clive’s talents, Michelle started him on an 18-month course to become a fully certified medical assistance dog.
He was trained at Michelle’s home to allow him to be able to signal within his usual environment.
In late 2014, he passed the course and was given a red jacket to show his new status.
Since then, Clive has learnt to behave appropriately in public and has spent every second with Michelle – including on a flight to Belfast.
Michelle has never had to return to hospital – which she puts down to Clive’s help.
She said: ‘He is so well behaved now. Nothing phases him and he helps me so much.
‘We go everywhere together and I have my freedom back.
This stunning property is on the market for £2.5 million (Picture: mediadrumimages / Strutt and Parker)
A seven-bed manor house on the Cornish coast is on sale for £2.5 million.
The house is massive and has extensive gardens as well as gorgeous views of St Michael’s Mount.
It features an indoor pool, cosy kitchen and spacious living areas.
The Old Manor House is located on Fore Street, Marazion, Cornwall and is listed by Strutt and Parker.
The kitchen is amazing Picture: mediadrumimages / Strutt and Parker)
‘The Old Manor House is a magnificent Grade II Listed property, built in 1775, providing over 9,000 sq. ft. of living space,’ states the listing.
‘The property has a wealth of attractive period features including original slate floors, open fireplaces, sash windows, exposed beams, intricate cornices and wood panelling. The Old Manor House occupies an enviable waterside position in the heart of Marazion; exceptional views of the sea and St. Michael’s Mount can be enjoyed from many rooms in the house.
‘On the ground floor is a welcoming reception hall, with oak archways and attractive Victorian floor tiles that leads to the kitchen/breakfast room and the downstairs reception rooms. The spacious kitchen/breakfast room features traditional wooden units, an integrated dishwasher and a double electric Aga.
It has an incredible pool Picture: mediadrumimages / Strutt and Parker)
‘Further storage, and space for utilities, is provided in the scullery, laundry room and utility room, and there are also a number of store rooms. The dining room is located to the right of the entrance hall; a beautifully-presented reception room with wood panelling, exposed floorboards and a magnificent stone open fireplace. A games room is adjacent to the dining room, benefitting from bespoke wooden fitted storage units.
‘Accessed via an enclosed cobbled courtyard with a shower, and a glass walkway that leads through the gardens, is an indoor swimming pool. Three sets of French doors lead out to the gardens, making the pool perfect for summer parties.’
On the first are four reception rooms, the largest of which is an amazing drawing room with wood panelling, detailed coving, an open fireplace and an intricately decorated celing.
It’s beautiful Picture: mediadrumimages / Strutt and Parker)
A small set of stairs leads up to a conservatory, with lovely views of the church and towards the sea.
The master bedroom is on the second floor. It has a high vaulted ceiling with exposed beams, three large sash windows priving views of St. Michael’s Mount and an en suite shower room.
Then, there are even more rooms: four further double bedrooms on the second floor, two with en suite shower rooms and one with an en suite bathroom featuring an elegant claw-foot freestanding bath.
The house is incredible and huge, and with views like that, we imagine it won’t be on the market for too long.
Isn’t this the cutest thing you’ve seen? (Picture: Unicorn crumpets from Asda)
Thanks to Asda and its new crumpet range, crumpets are no longer boring and circular, but are shaped like unicorns – and we’re guessing they’ll be just as much fun for adults as they are for kids.
They’ll set you back for just £1 for a pack of four and, as if this wasn’t magical enough, the crumpets have been recommended by Asda to be paired with raspberry jam.
Shoppers seem to like them, with one in the Asda Facebook group commenting: ‘Cutest breakfast in the morning sorted.’
If you haven’t had much bedroom action recently, at least you can take solace in the knowledge that you’re not alone.
British people are having less sex than they used to, new data suggests.
Fewer than half of Britons report having sex at least once a week, and, according to research, rates are declining.
That doesn’t mean we’re in a blissful state of not needing sex anymore – the proportion of people wanting more sex is rising.
Researchers from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine analysed data for more than 34,000 men and women between the ages of 16 and 44, who completed the National Survey of Sexual Attitudes and Lifestyles in 1991, 2001, and 2012.
They found a decline in sexual activity in Britain between 2011 and 2012.
The steepest decline was found in those who were married or living together, and among those over the age of 25.
By the most recent survey, 29/3% of women and 29.2% of men reported having no sex at all in the past month.
The number of people reporting having sex ten times or more in the past month fell over the years, going from 28.5% of women and 30.9% of men in 1991 to 13.2% of women and 14.4% of men in 2012.
The average number of times that 35 to 44 year olds has fallen too, going from four to two among women and from four to three among men.
The trend is more drastic among married or cohabiting couples, who, might we add, don’t tend to be satisfied with their current situations – 50.6% of women and 64.3% of men said they would like to have sex more often.
So we’re having less sex than before. That much we know. What we don’t know yet is why.
(Picture: Ella Byworth for Metro.co.uk)
The study’s authors said: ‘Our data show that sexual frequency fell in Britain between Natsal-2 and Natsal-3.
‘The most recent Natsal data show that fewer than half of men and women aged 16 to 44 have sex at least once a week.
‘Those aged under 25 years and those currently single are less likely to be sexually active, but we saw the steepest declines in sexual frequency in those aged 25 and over and those married or cohabiting.
‘At the same time, the proportion of men and women saying that they would prefer more frequent sex increased.
‘The social pressure to over-report sexual activity may have eased.
‘Further, gender equality may now extend to the sexual sphere; where women might previously have felt obliged to meet their partner’s sexual needs irrespective of their own, they might now be less inclined to do so.
‘Most compelling among the explanations, perhaps, given the age and marital status of the people most affected, relates to the stress and ‘busyness’ of modern life, such that work, family life, and leisure are constantly juggled.
‘Life in the digital age is considerably more complex than in previous eras, the boundary between the private space of home and the public world outside is blurred, and the internet offers considerable scope for diversion.’
Some factors were shown to increase the frequency of having sex.
Those who were full-time employed and with higher earnings had sex more frequently, along with men and women in better physical and mental health. That makes sense when you think about it – when you feel rubbish, sex isn’t at the top of your priorities.
It sounds like a wise idea to look after yourself, make yourself feel good in terms of physical and mental health, and hope for more frequent sex as a result. If that doesn’t pan out, at least you’ll be in better health, which is always a win.
Lizzo wore bejewelled hands for the Met Gala on Monday night (Picture: Theo Wargo/WireImage)
The Met Gala isn’t exactly known for spawning super wearable trends.
That’s especially true when the theme is Camp: Notes on Fashion. The outfits on Monday night were glorious, but they were deliberately extra – not exactly stuff we could wear to our day jobs.
But look a little closer and you’ll spy one micro-trend we could actually rock off a pink carpet: bejewelled hands.
If you’ve dipped your toe(nail) in the nail art scene, you’ve likely already experimented with sticking all manner of diamante on top of your manicures.
But have you ever pondered sticking those gems on your hands and fingers instead of your nails?
Lizzo and Gemma Chan both made a convincing case to do just that at the Met Gala, with Lizzo completing a metallic pink manicure with gems scattered across the back of her hands and Gemma Chan creating a rainbow down the sides of her fingers.
Gemma Chan bedazzled the sides of her fingers for the Met Gala pink carpet on Monday (Photo by Theo Wargo/WireImage)
Now, we’d like to be clear that this trend isn’t the most practical one in the world.
Try typing for a full day gems stuck on the sides of your fingers and you’ll end up unable to type the letter ‘F’ because a diamante has lodged its way underneath the key.
But there are ways to make this trend more adaptable for everyday wear – although we’d save bedazzled hands for special occasions.
You could dot a gem at the nail bed of each finger to accentuate a glossy polish, create a line of diamante along your middle finger, or create a ring design on your pinkie.
For a night out, go all out and cover your hand with gems, knowing that each time you pay for a drink at the bar you’ll scatter light all over the place. That’s a surefire way to draw some eyes.
Have fun and play around, but be warned: those little gems will peel off as you sweat or wash your paws, so expect to leave a trail of sparkle wherever you go.
Mixed-race people have fascinating, diverse and unifying stories to tell.
Their unique perspective of straddling two or more cultures can give them a edge when it comes to communication and forming bonds, but it can also cause conflict and innate contradictions.
Mixed Up is a weekly series telling first-hand stories from the UK’s fastest-growing ethnic group.
The aim is to elevate these under-heard narratives, challenge preconceptions and undermine boring, old stereotypes.
Luke Alexander-Grose is a poet. His poem Half-Stereotype delves into his personal experience of feeling caught between two states.
He performs it for us below:
‘I am white English and black Caribbean,’ Luke tells Metro.co.uk.
‘My mother’s English history is filled with tales of rosy-cheeked sailors, civil servants and dancers. My father’s Caribbean history features former slaves, business women, immigrants and a grandmother with red hair.
‘My family history represents the two perspectives of one empire. My black grandparents came on the Empire Windrush and my white grandparents served the empire’s hospitals and navy.’
Picture by Jerry Syder for Metro.co.uk
Despite coming from seemingly completely different worlds – the two sides of Luke’s family are more closely tied than any of them ever realised. It was only uncovered when Luke bought his parents a DNA kit to do at home.
‘It was the best Christmas present I’ve ever got them. And it highlighted a few interesting pieces of information about my family,’ explains Luke.
‘My mum’s maternal ancestry is essentially 100% English and Irish, and my dad’s maternal genetics show that he had an Irish ancestor somewhere in the last 300 years or so – which explains my nan’s red hair, I guess.
‘My mum and dad met each other when they were both in the infamous 1980s dance troupe, Hot Gossip.
‘The group caused outrage in the conservative years of the 1980s, as they actively promoted mixed-race relations, which caused a lot of scandal.
‘As a result, I’ve always grown up with a broad perspective on identity politics and how society likes to react to things they don’t understand.’
Little Luke defying gravity with the help of his dad (Picture: Luke Alexander-Grose)
Poetry means a lot to Luke. The medium of spoken word dredges up internal conflicts and allows him to make sense of who he is.
‘I’ve tried to be a lot of different things in my life; I tried acting, being sporty, I tried being playing the guitar and writing songs, but poetry and spoken word were the only things that helped me understand my identity, and help forge an identity in an alien city.
‘I have always read a lot, and I have always listened to a lot of hip hop and grime, but the only way I’ve managed to merge these two passions was through poetry.
‘Spoken word has been so important to me because of the way people react to certain ideas and concepts.
‘Coming from a small, predominantly white, seaside town in East Sussex, I was surprised by how many people in London related to the ideas I expressed in my poetry. I’ve found that spoken word allows me to be open and honest about the insecurities I face with my identity, and I find that other people strongly relate to these ideas.’
The reaction to his poetry has confirmed to Luke that he is not alone. There are thousands of mixed-race people up and down the country with similar perspectives, often despite wildly different circumstances.
It makes it clear to Luke that the mixed population in this country does have a collective identity. And that unity is important when coming up against ignorance and systemic discrimination.
‘I think that the perception of mixed-race people has changed significantly throughout the last 30 years or so,’ explains Luke.
‘For white English people, having brown babies used to represent a moral taboo. However, in recent years, being racially ambiguous has become dynamite in popular culture. As our experience in this increasingly politically correct society transgresses, it’s sometimes better to identify people with no racial identity at all.
‘2019, the year that racial ambiguity became commodified.
Little Luke with his parents and grandmother (Picture: Luke Alexander-Grose)
‘The Western beauty standard used to be blonde, skinny and white. Now the posters of our generation feature brown, freckled models with hair that cannot be tamed by any traditional conditioner.’
Luke is suspicious of this mainstream shift towards featuring mixed-race faces. It’s as though brands are cherry-picking the aspects of ethnicity that will help them sell products, without acknowledging any of the burden that comes with being a minority in modern Britain.
It’s a difficult feeling to articulate, one that’s only compounded by a sense of isolation. When there’s no one else in your family who looks like you do – it can be hard to know where to turn.
‘I think every mixed-race person struggles with their identity a bit,’ says Luke.
‘If you’re black and white especially, it’s hard for people to see your true colour in a world which still sees black and white. Too black for the white kids and too white for the black kids.
‘Every mixed-race child looks up at their parents at some age and thinks, “you’re not actually the same race as me – so do you even relate to my struggle?”‘
It is a difficult realisation to come to. But despite struggling to find a place to fit, there is so much about Luke’s mixed identity that he loves. Once you figure out the isolation – it can actually make navigating the world much easier.
‘I love being able to maneuver through this world like a weird, racially fluid chameleon,’ explains Luke.
‘I love the fact that, in a way, I represent the future. Everyone on the planet is already mixed in some way or another, but being continentally mixed is beautiful!
‘You can see amazing histories polka-dotted in the freckles of mixed-race girls, and in the frizzy afros of mixed-race boys.
‘I don’t need to be like anyone else, or any other race, I can be whatever I want.’
Baby Luke looking too adorable for words (Picture: Luke Alexander-Grose)
‘Although I grew up in a white town with my white mum and family, with white friends and white teachers, I have never been white.
‘Not that I wanted to be necessarily, but I have always been seen as an “other”. I have always been regarded as black. I’ve embraced that, and I love that.
‘I relate to my black side more because this is the side of myself I have always strived to understand more.
‘As my dad and the black side of the family lived in London for a lot of my life, I always gazed up the A21 towards a culture which I longed to be a part of. So I read books about being black and listened to black music.
‘I have always understood my own identity more through a black lens, than I have through a white one.
‘There are so many awesome, and daunting historical ideas that I wish people understood. For example, the fact that race is just a concept.
‘One of my poems goes:
‘Race is a theory with no foundation in science.
It was invented in the eighteenth century with a means of appliance
But unlike most history, which we seem to leave behind us
Three-hundred years later, we still use race to define us.
‘I wish that other people understood their own mixed-race identities, then they’d probably be less inclined to ask me, “where are you actually from?”‘
Luke’s experience of racism is, thankfully, relatively sparse. Like so many people who exist in a space defined by a precarious proximity to whiteness, hostility is often more insidious and harder to define.
Little Luke with his dad (Picture: Luke Alexander-Grose)
‘Racism wears a camouflage sometimes,’ explains Luke.
‘I don’t think racism in this country is improving or getting worse, it’s just evolving.
‘As societies begin to understand their own histories more, there are two reactions. From the people who want the world to get bigger and more diverse, and the ones who want the world to go back to how it used to be, small and simple.
‘A world where black meant black and white was supreme.
‘As the idea of race becomes increasingly problematic, I think people are discriminating against other people’s cultures. They will say that it’s not about skin colour, but that it’s about a person’s culture.
‘You can see that with drill music and how the negative connotations are attributed to the black community as a whole, or within the Muslim experience in the West.’
Luke thinks that opening up conversations and giving marginalised people platforms to share their experiences is a way to cut through the negativity.
He says it’s important that mixed-race people are not just reduced to being faces in lucrative advertising campaigns because they happen to have the right ‘look’ that’s currently popular – he wants to hear their stories.
‘People with mixed heritage are simply amazing,’ says Luke.
‘We are history books that can talk. Innately, mixed-race people understand more about other people’s identities than their own.
‘We seek out our histories, because we have to, and write songs and poems about it.
‘We’re the modern day griots [traditional African oral historians], translating a complicated history of migration and oppression through a beautiful mix of all the people that make this world so vibrant.’
Despite the 26-year-old’s horrific accident, Mandy, from Missouri, U.S, kept her brilliant sense of humour, which she’s been showing off on Tinder.
The chef, who shares her life as a double amputee on Instagram account @Lifeproofbionicwoman, is now back on the dating scene.
On her Tinder bio, she writes: ‘Still ain’t got no legs, still got a golden sense of humour, still ain’t got a boyfriend’ followed by a picture of her in a wheelchair with the caption ‘felt cute, might roll over your toes later’.
She goes on to say: ‘I’ll let you refer to me as your meals on wheels, just suck my titty and tell me I’m pretty’.
Comedy gold.
Mandy explained to Metro.co.uk what it’s like dating with a disability and how she’s learning to trust dates again.
The chef, who is also studying at uni, is back on the dating scene (Picture: Mandy Horvath)
‘Getting back into dating has been a feat in and of itself,’ Mandy explained to Metro.co.uk.
‘I meet a lot of interesting people. I made the Tinder in the hopes of making other people smile despite my misfortune.’
Mandy lost both her legs three years ago after being run over by a train (Picture: Mandy Horvath)
A year before that, she lost both of her legs above the knee after she was hit by a coal train near a bar in Nebraska three years ago.
She believes she was slipped a date-rape drug and doesn’t remember anything after leaving the bar for a cigarette.
‘I definitely find it hard to trust people,’ she tells us.
(Picture: Mandy Horvath)
‘Also, I haven’t exactly had the best luck with relationships for example, most recently I tried dating this blind guy and got cheated on.’
But she’s still happy to try her luck on dating apps and enjoys having a laugh on Tinder.
‘Everyone absolutely loves my Tinder bio. This is my second Tinder to go viral as an advocate for dating with disabilities, but this is my favourite because it adequately reflects my personality.
‘I’m not everyone’s cup of tea, but I’m proud to be some strong coffee.’
Mother-in-law wearing her wedding dress (left) and the bride on the right (Picture: Facebook)
If you’re not allowed to wear white to a wedding then you’re sure as hell not allowed to wear a full-on bridal gown if you’re not the bride.
But one mother-in-law decided she wasn’t going to pay mind to any of those understood rules.
The unabashed mum wore a strapless fishtail wedding dress that was suspiciously similar to the bride’s on her son’s wedding day.
We’re not sure how she got away with it but the brave decision was not appreciated on Facebook group That’s it, I’m Wedding Shaming, where it was shared.
A woman called Abbie, from Wisconsin, U.S, said she was sent the major fashion faux pas by her friend and decided to share it on the group.
The caption read: ‘This is my husband’s aunt at her son’s wedding. Lady, the f*** are you doing?’.
And almost 2,000 people on the group agreed with the sentiment.
She wore a strapless fishtail wedding gown similar to the bride (Picture: Facebook)
The image of the blonde mother-in-law was accompanied with some other photos from the wedding.
One image could be seen with the mum and the bridesmaids plus another one with the same bridesmaids and the bride, who was also wearing a white gown.
Many followers of the group couldn’t believe how similar the mother-in-law’s dress was to the bride’s and wondered why the mother would choose to ‘steal the thunder’.
Some joked that the brave blonde woman looked even better than the bride.
‘What a pathetic attention seeker,’ wrote one while another said: ‘This is so wrong on every f***ing level.’
Lots of people prefered the mother-in-law’s dress: ‘I think the worst part is the upstaging MIL has the nicer gown,’ ‘This is a huge bitch move but she looks way better than the bride.’
The bridesmaids were seen posing with the bride later on who also had a white strapless dress on (Picture: Facebook)
Though we really can believe a mother-in-law would show up to their son’s wedding and upstage the bride, we do have to question the authenticity of the story.
Some people on the group too wondered whether it was really the same wedding as the woman portrayed as the mother-in-law could’ve been a bride from another wedding.
But, as people pointed out, the bridesmaids’ dresses and hair are the same in all the pictures so it’s likely to be the same wedding.
One person also pointed out the lack of a ring, saying: ‘The mother of the groom is not wearing a ring. If you were just married you would definitely be wearing it on your wedding day.’
And now, finally, Ikea is working on a meatless version of their classic meatballs – also known as the best part of every furniture shopping experience.
To be clear, Ikea does already offer veggie balls, but these aren’t at all meat-like. Instead they’re mashed up chickpeas, carrots, peas, peppers, sweetcorn, and kale rolled into balls. Perfectly fine, but not fooling anyone.
What they’re working on now is a new version of vegan meatballs, that look and taste like meat but are entirely free of any animal products.
So you’ll be able to get the full Ikea experience of meatballs, mash, and lingonberry jam without compromising your moral integrity.
The new meatless meatballs will be crafted from a plant-based alternative protein, made in collaboration with some of the leading suppliers of vegan protein in the industry.
Imagine this, but vegan (Carlos Osorio/Toronto Star via Getty Images)
Apparently Ikea is already at the taste-testing stages, so while we don’t know when exactly we’ll be able to get out paws on those tasty vegan balls, we’re hopeful they’ll be coming soon.
Ikea plans to serve the vegan meatballs in all of its restaurants globally, too, so you won’t have to plan a trip to Sweden just to sample them.
In a press release, managing director at Ikea Food Services Michael La Cour said: ‘It is a really exciting industry! Looking at the quality of the products that we have been tasting I am looking forward to serve a delicious plant based meatball made from alternative protein at
Ikea.
‘I hope that the many meatball lovers out there will like it as well.
‘We know that the Ikea meatballs are loved by the many people and for years the meatballs have been the most popular dish in our restaurants.
‘We see a growing demand from our customers to have access to more sustainable food options and we want to meet that
need.
‘Our ambition is to make healthier and more sustainable eating easy, desirable and affordable without compromising on taste and texture.’
Michael adds that the first customer facing tests of the new plant-based meatballs are planned for early 2020. If all goes well, they should be on our plates next year.
The bride-to-be wrote that her fiancé had actually bought her three rings in total (Picture: That’s it I’m Ring Shaming)
A bride-to-be was spoilt for choice when her husband bought her three engagement rings.
Her fiancé, from the U.S, had initially proposed with a $10 (£7.63) sterling silver ring which she wore for four months.
He then decided to upgrade and buy a classier round halo diamond ring. But clearly finding it tricky to make up his mind, the husband-to-be decided to buy one more.
The third one he chose was a rose shaped one. His fiancée was left with the choice of which one to wear and she decided to wear two.
Showing off the rings on Facebook group That’s it, I’m Ring-Shaming, the bride-to-be explained that she wore both as her fiancé couldn’t pick his favourite.
But those on the Facebook page had thoughts.
They berated the woman for the post, saying both rings were ‘ugly’ and that she should wear neither.
Ouch, tough crowd.
She wrote about the rings on a Facebook ring-shaming group (Picture: That’s it I’m Ring Shaming)
Understandably, the woman has now deleted the post after receiving an influx of messages saying this was a ‘stupid’ idea.
‘If you’re going to wear two engagement rings, at least make them both decent?’ said one, while another wrote: ‘If you can’t decide which one to wear, the correct answer is always neither!’
Others assumed the bride was being flashy. One person wrote: ‘This seems very “I have money because I have two engagement rings”‘.
Similarly, another person wrote: ‘The $10 is probably the cutest but because she has bad taste, she can’t see that.
‘Anyone who decides to wear two ugly engagement rings obviously lacks any taste’.
Ring-shamers had a field day (Picture: That’s it I’m Ring Shaming)
Some people weren’t as brutal and suggested that she wear one ring at a time, alternating each week.
Or, they urged, she should wear one ring on each hand.
‘I get wearing them both but clearly, the first one should be worn on a different finger. They look stupid worn together like that,’ suggested one person.
With kids around, things are always getting broken.
They’re always knocking into things sending them flying or you’re so busy trying to keep an eye on them, you drop your own glass, smashing it into tiny pieces.
And once there’s broken glass on the floor, the race is on to pick it up before your children run through it and injure themselves.
Well one person has posted a handy tip on Reddit to make sure you even get the tiny bits you normally miss.
Sure you can try vacuuming but it’s hard to see where all the bits have gone, and someone usually ends up with a tiny piece of glass in their foot a few days later.
This Redditor recommends shinning a flashlight (or your phone’s camera light) parallel to the floor so you can see the shadows of tiny pieces you would otherwise miss.
It might seem obvious but the light helps you see every last bit.
(Picture: Getty Images)
Other commentors said they then use a slice of white bread to pick up all the glass. Pushing hard on the bread helps the shards to stick to it.
And parents loved the tip to make sure they keep their little one safe.
Once person said: ‘I did this once! Worked perfectly!’
‘One of the few LPT (life pro-tips) that I’ve actually remembered and used in real life. By far the most efficient way to get everything,’ a second said.
Another added: ‘I always vacuum it first then use this trick to ensure I got it all! I have a toddler that hates shoes so I have to make sure I haven’t missed any.’
A few others also pointed out that it’s also great for other tiny objects that you can’t see on the floor, like earrings, tiny screws and contact lenses.
Emily, 28 and Cameron, 28, on their wedding day. (Picture: Shelley Cullen Photography / SWNS)
It’s a story that could compete with fairy tales.
A couple from Ohio, who shared the same rare condition and shared their first kiss under a pair of cuddly toys, tie the knot twenty years later.
Emily, 28 and Cameron Kohlman, 27, met when they were in hospital as children after they both suffered a rare birth defect of bladder exstrophy.
Bladder exstrophy occurs when the skin over the lower abdominal wall (bottom part of the tummy) does not form properly.
The bladder is then open and exposed on the outside of the abdomen in the womb. Exstrophy means ‘turned inside out’.
Both Emily and Cameron underwent a surgery soon after birth and, when they were four, they were scheduled to have a bladder neck reconstruction, an op which would help them gain urinary continence.
Cameron rejoices as the pair are married after 20 years (Picture: Shelley Cullen Photography / SWN)
When they were scheduled to have surgery within days of each other at the same hospital, the pair became friends.
Romance blossomed and they shared a kiss in the playroom surrounded by cuddly toys.
It wasn’t until almost a decade later that Emily reached out to the little boy she had met and they soon fell in love.
Emily never forgot Cameron and in 2004 she asked her mum if she still had the family’s phone number.
‘I always remembered that little boy and I asked my mom if she was still in contact with his mom,’ said Emily.
‘She gave me the phone number but she called first because I was so nervous.
‘Cameron and I started emailing and talking on the phone, we could relate to each other on a different level because we had been through the same thing.
‘We were both in middle school and it was a very fragile time.’
Emily and Cameron on their wedding day (Picture: Shelley Cullen Photography / SWNS)
After years of chatting, in 2006 Emily surprised Cameron with a visit, seeing each other for the first time since they were children.
‘We had been racking up some hefty phone bills with all our calls to each other,’ she said.
‘To be honest, when we met it was quite awkward at first. But that only lasted for about ten minutes. Soon it was fine.
‘We were old friends and it was like no time had passed. It was everything I had hoped it would be. We started dating shortly afterwards.’
In November 2012, Cameron, who works as a car salesman, popped the question and they married in 2015. They are now the proud parents of two-year-old Everleigh Grace.
Emily, who works as a team leader in a medical billing department, said: ‘We have bladder exstrophy to thank for everything in our life.
‘Without this birth “defect”, I wouldn’t have met the man I married, the father of my daughter.’
Emily and Cameron in wagons at John Hopkins (Picture: Emily Kohlman / SWNS)
Emily and Cameron in 2006, during a surprise visit to Cameron’s home. (Picture: Emily Kohlman / SWNS)
‘Cameron and I were born with our bladders on the outside, and because the condition is so rare we both sought help from John Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland, even though I was from Wisconsin and Cameron was from Ohio.
‘I do remember meeting him.
‘It was very nice to meet someone with the same thing, even just to have someone to play with in the hospital.
‘We would play Nintendo while we were at the Ronald McDonald house recovering together.
‘During the operation, the doctor broke our hipbones and placed them closer together.
‘While we were healing, they put steel pins in our hips to let the bones set properly and we had to be careful how we laid down.
‘We both lay in these wagons and our mothers wheeled us around Baltimore.
‘When we did get our pins out and we were healing, there was a big pile of teddy bears in the playroom and Cameron kissed me under those teddy bears.
‘It felt special but of course I had no idea that my first kiss would turn into my husband.’
The couple support other bladder exstrophy sufferers by working with Courage To Shine, an organisation founded to celebrate people who overcome birth defects.
Emily said: ‘We try to advocate to teenagers, kids and adults with bladder exstrophy that they are going to be alright.
‘My birth defect led me to the greatest gift, Cameron.’
Those over 25 and married or cohabiting are having the least sex of us all (Picture: Ella Byworth for Metro.co.uk)
I first learned about sex at the age of 13 at the back of physics.
Girls who were already lucky enough to have breasts gossiped about boy’s fingers in holes I’d never had the courage to explore.
The rest of my science class were too immature to watch the birthing video as they were in hysterics at the word ‘penis’, so these young girls were my teachers.
By the next year, I’d lost my virginity. Even afterwards I still didn’t know what a blowjob was. Over the next few years, sex manifested itself in all different forms: love, lust, hate, depression, fear.
I was having lots of it, and muddled along like a lot of women my age by pretending that I was enjoying it.
By 21, I was one STD down but had finally found someone who I could do it ‘right’ with. Sex was exciting, it was fun, there was no pressure and I was in love. We went on romantic holidays and kept a tally of how many cities we’d done the dirty in.
After two years, we moved in together. We joked about christening every room in the house and I drooled to my envious, single friends that sex would be ‘on tap’.
And for a while, it was. It felt like my birthday every day. But as our careers and confidence flourished, the sex tap started to dry out.
We were millennials, we suddenly had so much to prove to everyone, even people we didn’t know. We worked harder than ever before and for very little in return.
After many nights lying awake, hurt and embarrassed after my attempts to woo him have been quashed, I finally feel… normal. I don’t need to resort to porn in secret to get a release, embarrassed to tell my friends that the well has dried up.
My libido had never been a problem in the past but now I was tired, stressed and insatiable. I needed a release, but my partner simply wasn’t up for it.
Where before I’d boast to my friends about getting filthy sex and having someone who wants to spoon afterwards, I was dying to know about their Tinder one night stands.
‘But how are you?’ they’d interrupt. I’d lie, say my sex life was great, better than ever. I was embarrassed to admit that I was in the best relationship of my life, but was having less sex than I was at school.
Now, I’m 26, engaged to the love of my life and having sex once a week. But I’m not alone. New research published in The British Medical Journal finds that fewer than half of British adults have sex at least once a week.
Those over 25 and married or cohabiting are having the least sex of us all.
Why? The research suggests that we’re simply too busy. We’re stressed, and modern, digital life has taken its toll on us.
Where once we’d woo someone in a club or on nice dates, we have the closest singletons in a five mile radius to pick and choose at our fingertips. It’s easier than ever to access porn and we spend the darkest hours looking at our ex boyfriend’s new squeeze’s make up Instagram page.
Personally, I find the BMJ stats comforting. It means there’s nothing wrong with me, or my sexual appetite. I’m not incompatible with my partner – my soon-to-be husband.
After many nights lying awake, hurt and embarrassed after my attempts to woo him have been quashed, I finally feel… normal. I don’t need to resort to porn in secret to get a release, embarrassed to tell my friends that the well has dried up.
By living with my partner, I’m having less sex than ever but it’s also the best sex of my life. It’s special, and it’s ours. It’s better than waking up in the wrong bed, sore and unsatisfied.
People say your 20s are the best years of your life – for your sex life, they’re the worst. But rest easy knowing that you’re not alone. You could try to have date nights without Netflix, or ban phones before bedtime like I have.
And lastly, sex between loving, consenting adults is totally natural, it’s important and we need to talk about it without fear, shame or guilt.
Primark fans are loving their latest campaign featuring model Symone Lu, who is missing a front tooth.
A post on their Instagram showed Symone wearing a bikini and yellow crocheted beach dress, smiling at the camera with her tongue out.
She stood with plus-size model Lucy Knell, who wore a floral bikini.
Fans left hundreds of comments praising the brand for using different models.
One said: ‘When I was 18 I had to spend 4 months without my front tooth because of a car accident. It definitely scarred my self-esteem because I had to cover my mouth every time I smiled, laugh… With time, I even felt embarrassed to talk.
‘Had I seen this picture back then, it would have made a difference.
‘I don’t think this is promoting bad oral hygiene. We don’t know her story. What I do know is that this picture would have made a difference for me some years ago and would’ve likely made me genuinely smile.’
Another added: ‘I don’t know what caused the girl to “lose” her tooth, or the reason why it was extracted. I see this as part of Primark’s policy of showing “real people” within its campaigns.
‘I like it, Primark.’
‘I grew up with gappy teeth, not like Madonna gappy but more like that model.
‘There are literally no pictures of me smiling like this. She’s so beautiful and thank you primark for showing all kinds of beauty,’ another said.
Previously, Primark has been praised for using a model with vitiligo, a model with albinism and a model with Down’s Syndrome for their kids wear campaigns.
We are still waiting with bated breath for the name of the royal baby, but we have at least had our first glimpse of Meghan Markle since giving birth to her baby son.
Meghan and Prince Harry have had a couple of days to get used to being parents, but the release of new official photos is the first time we have seen them together as a family, with their littlest addition.
Foregoing the royal tradition of appearing on the steps of the hospital, mere hours after birthing life, with full makeup and a perfect blowdry, Meghan gave herself time to rest, recover and feel more like herself again before facing the media.
Motherhood certainly seems to suit the Duchess as she stepped out in a stunning outfit for her first public appearance as a mum.
Givenchy is famously one of the Duchess’ favourite designers. Meghan is often seen dressed head-to-toe in the label, and has worn their pieces countless times during her relatively short period as a royal.
The Duchess is reportedly close to the label’s creative director Clare Waight Keller, and they are often known to work together to create bespoke looks – including the stunningly simple bridal gown.
‘I had no idea how momentous it was going to be,’ the designer told TIME magazine, speaking about Meghan’s wedding dress.
‘The last time there was a royal wedding, there was no Instagram, really, or any of those huge social networks. So it really took me aback, actually.
‘The idea of that purity was just really modern. I think it was right for now, and it was right for her.’
Gorgeous spring outfits (Picture: PA)
This latest dress features a gentle A-line, with a v-neck collar, a double row of natural button detailing the front of the dress and a tie fastening around the waist.
New dad Prince Harry wore a pastel blue suit – maybe in honour of his new little boy – teamed with a crisp, white shirt, blue tie and smart brown shoes with blue labels.
Both parents looked surprisingly bright for people who have probably not had much sleep for the last two days.
But we are slightly concerned by the light colours that they have both opted to wear – never the wisest idea when holding a newborn.
And what of baby Sussex? Our first glimpse of the two-day-old Royal certainly didn’t disappoint. With cupid’s bow lips and a button nose poking out from under a white hat and blankets – he is already breaking our hearts.
He is utterly adorable (Picure: PA)
The couple chose a truly millennial method to announce the birth of their son. A statement was released on the royal couple’s official Instagram account, revealing that the baby was born before 6am.
‘We are pleased to announce that Their Royal Highnesses The Duke and Duchess of Sussex welcomed their firstborn child in the early morning on May 6th, 2019,’ the statement reads.
After watching the Duchess of Sussex give birth for the first time, Harry said the experience as ‘amazing’.
He went on to express his admiration for women and their ability to give birth: ‘How any woman does what they do is beyond comprehension,’ Prince Harry said.
And this is the energy we want to see from all new dads. We are here for it.
We can’t wait to see what the adorable new family do next.
This island is paradise (Picture: mediadrumimages / Private Islands Inc)
Ever fancied buying your very own private island? Well, now you can, as one has just gone up for sale in Florida.
A 1.4-acre ‘piece of paradise’ is on the market for around £11.9 million.
The main residence is surrounded by sandy beaches and stunning waters, with the inside featuring luxurious bedrooms, a modern kitchen and an extensive decking area, as well as its very own pool – not that you’d need it with the ocean around you.
The bedroom is stunning (Picture: mediadrumimages / Private Islands Inc)
Alongside this, there is also an outside lounging area for when you fancy chilling in the sun.
In addition to the property itself, the person who buys it will also get four boat docks and a boat – plus a helicopter pad.
We’re in love (Picture: mediadrumimages / Private Islands Inc)
East Sister Rock is located in Florida. The listing states: ‘Escape to your very own private island, just a five-minute boat ride to unrivalled seclusion, unrivalled privacy and open water views for miles.
‘A three-bedroom, two-bath, 2300-square-foot, Bahamian style home with open living areas, views from every room, high ceilings, sliding glass-doors and wood floors throughout.
Imagine being able to chill here with a cocktail (Picture: mediadrumimages / Private Islands Inc)
‘This includes a 2880-square-foot wraparound covered deck, salt water moat, pool, sundeck and a one bed / one bath guest cottage.
‘The property also features four boat docks including one on mainland, a boat, and a helicopter pad.
‘The island is ‘off the grid’, totally self-sufficient with solar and wind energy generators. WiFi available. Explore the surrounding reefs, or go fishing or diving right from your island.’
The property is currently being sold by Private Islands. If we had the money, we’d be there in a heartbeat.
Here are some horrible Tinder stories (Picture: Ella Byworth/ Metro.co.uk)
Tinder can be a stange place. It’s full of people who aren’t really sure what they’re looking for, people who know exactly what they’re looking for – and people you wish you’d never matched with.
Of course, there are Tinder success stories – yes, relationships really can come from Tinder – but there are also a lot of not-so-successful stories, too.
We asked people to share theirs, and they delivered.
Below are some cringe-worthy Tinder match stories that’ll make you want the ground to swallow you up.
‘He was all over me’
‘I went on a date with a guy who was all over me and making me uncomfortable by being overly familiar with a stranger, who called me while I was driving home, about 10 minutes after I’d left, to say he missed me. Just… no.’
‘She asked me to be her sugar daddy’
‘One girl asked me to be her sugar daddy, when I’m not sure anything in my photos or bio suggested I was wealthy. Then it turned to virgin-shaming and doxxing when I turned down her offer.’
You don’t always match with the right person… (Picture: Erin Aniker for Metro.co.uk)
‘He reeked of alcohol’
‘I turned up and he absolutely reeked of alcohol, he then downed for or five pints in the next 45 minutes. I made my excuses and left.’
‘He wanted to “rape” me’
‘Matched years ago with a guy who said he wanted to “wine me, dine me then rape me”. No words for it.’
‘He was into baby play’
‘I try to not judge people. He told me he was into baby play and wanted me to wear a diaper with him, he wanted me to change his diaper and grind on his diaper, and enjoyed defecating while/before sex… it’s a kink I know, but super uncomfortable, we never met in person.’
‘She wanted me to be her submissive’
‘When I had Tinder I was about 19 and I matched with a 45-year-old woman who asked me to be her submissive. I didn’t know what it meant at the time till I googled it. She was also married with two children. Had to block that one.’
These stories are making us second guess how we use the app (Picture: Ella Byworth for Metro.co.uk)
‘He seemed really nice’
‘I matched with a guy who seemed a really nice. We whatsapped for about a week and had a cute phone call date.
‘Then he got really over-neggy and mean and when I blocked him he hunted down my Insta and sent me pass agg DMs calling me “sad and lonely” so I blocked him there too.’
‘I smelt like his ex’
‘We met in a coffee shop, he proceeded to tell me that this is where him and his ex always used to go and hang out together for hours, spoke about her for the whole date (including crying), I hugged him goodbye and he said I smelt like her.’
‘She wanted to be my submissive’
‘I matched with a girl, after a few messages she invited me round to watch the Great British Bake-off. I asked when it was on and she said she didn’t know, but to go round anyway. I said I’d meet her for a drink in the pub but wasn’t going to just go to hers. So she chose a pub next to her place.
‘I went and met her and we drank until the pub closed. She wanted me to walk her home so I did, then she told me I could wait at hers while I ordered an Uber. She disappeared upstairs and came back with three ‘toys’ and explained she wanted to be my submissive and that all I had to do was buy her this £5k handbag which she sent the link for there and then. I declined, she started crying, I left.’
‘He called me ugly and unmatched me’
‘I matched with a guy who instantly asked me if he could come over to mine. It was 11 at night and I live with my parents. He got angry at me, called me ‘ugly anyway’ and then unmatched me. Men are weird.’
‘He slated single mums and supported Trump’
‘I spoke to this guy for a few hours on Tinder, when he asked me for a drink. I didn’t really fancy him, but I thought we might get on in person. Bad move.
‘He wouldn’t stop bragging about his job working with fancy cars, didn’t ask a single thing about me, slated single mums and said Donald Trump is a ‘really smart person’. We didn’t meet again.’
