Aldi is releasing this stainless steel pizza oven on 9 July (Picture: Aldi/Metro.co.uk)
If you’re ready to give your garden dining area a serious upgrade, you might want to head over to the Aldi website.
And when we say ‘a serious upgrade’, we mean it. No makeshift grill or budget water feature here.
Aldi is selling a full-on, proper, professional-looking stainless steel pizza oven at a price tag that’s quite a bit steeper than what you’d usually expect from the bargain supermarket brand – it costs £499.99.
That’s expensive, no doubt about it, but it is cheaper than what you’d usually pay for a snazzy pizza oven like this one. There are some brands selling similar options for upwards of £1,200.
Aldi claims their oven makes ‘professional quality pizza in minutes’ and is of the highest quality.
It’s got all the essential bits that make up a professional standard pizza oven, including a chimney and a large peel, and comes with a set of tools, such as a pizza wheel and a mini spatula.
If you run out of appetite for pizza (impossible, surely), the oven can also be used for baking bread and roasting meat and veg.
It’s launching on 9 July, but won’t be available in stores – only on the Aldi website.
Be warned that delivery for a large item like this one is £6.95, so fit that into your budget along with the just under £500 cost of the oven itself.
Before you do invest, though, it’s worth mentioning that there are quite a few pizza ovens on the market at much lower prices.
If you’re new to making your own pizzas from scratch, perhaps go for the cheaper oven options first to check this is a cooking focus you want to continue longterm. The last thing you want is to spend £500 on something you use for a week and then leave to gather dust.
Missing your sausage rolls? (Picture: Getty/Greggs/Krispy Kreme)
The shutdown of restaurants and takeaways plus months of lockdown has meant many of us have become reacquainted with our kitchens.
While it’s been lovely to embrace the simple pleasures of baking a sourdough and whipping coffee into a Dalgona, we’ve definitely missed our usual food go-tos.
Now that lockdown measures are easing and pubs, restaurants, and shops are allowed to reopen, there are certain establishments we reckon will be flooded with eager customers.
Fresh Student Living’s research tracking daily searches for reopening dates and menu details between 23 March and 23 June reveals the brands whose returns we’ve been most eagerly anticipated in lockdown – perhaps indicating which restaurants will be rammed with bookings the moment they’re an option again.
Purely in terms of types of food, we’ve been searching for our usual favourites of burgers, pizza, and chicken nuggets.
But what about the brands we’ve been craving?
The food brands and restaurants we've been searching for in lockdown:
Pizza Express
Burger King
Krispy Kreme
Pizza Hut
Subway
Nando’s
Domino’s
Starbucks
Papa John’s
Greggs
Wetherspoons
McDonald’s
Harvester
Toby Carvery
Five Guys
KFC
Bella Italia
Wagamama
Itsu
TGI Friday’s
While McDonald’s it only at number 12 for general searches, it tops the list for the desperate ‘are you open’ searches specifically, followed by KFC, Burger King, Domino’s, and then Subway.
In terms of the recipes we’ve been trying to recreate at home, it’s bits from Greggs, KFC, Wagamama, Nando’s and Ikea we’ve been trying – although we’ve also been despondently searching for how we can recreate Big Macs, McMuffins, and McNuggets, too.
The good news is that most of the restaurants we’ve been longing for are now open once again – although the majority are only offering takeaway or delivery.
McDonald’s has opened up its restaurants for takeaway, delivery, and drive-thru, same as KFC, Burger King, and Subway.
Domino’s and Pizza Hut have mostly remained open throughout lockdown for takeaway and social distanced takeaways, while Krispy Kreme is open for click and collect and doughnut delivery.
Pizza Express opened 13 restaurants in London in late May and plans to open more.
Rachel and Andrew Montague, founders of ClearWater Hygiene, are on track to make £30million (Picture: ClearWater Hygiene / SWNS.COM)
Proof that timing is everything: husband and wife team Andrew and Rachel Montague are set to make £30 million after setting up a hand sanitiser business just 12 weeks ago.
The couple created ClearWater Hygiene, a business producing high-grade hand sanitiser aimed at frontline workers and the wider public.
They work with Deeside Gin Distillery in Banchory, Aberdeenshire to make the sanitiser, which is then bottled in Preston, Lancashire.
Each sanitiser contains 80% ethanol liquid, making it suitable for use in hospitals, care homes and other public health facilities.
The company has secured major contracts with corporate customers including the Post Office, JD plc, O2 Retail, BP, and Aldi – some of which are multi-year agreements, with an expected total contract value of £30m.
The couple have already made more than £3million in actual revenue since their business’s launch in March – and have also donated significant quantities of their products to NHS charities.
They now employ 12 full-time staff and a further eight contracted workers at ClearWater Hygiene’s headquarters in Leith, Edinburgh, and in other parts of Scotland and the UK.
(Picture: Andrew Montague/ClearWater Hygiene)
Andrew, a property developer, said: ‘As lockdown was being announced in March, we immediately saw the importance of reducing our reliance on imports and focusing on UK manufacturing to ensure both health providers and private businesses could access high quality and fairly priced products which are now essential in the battle against the pandemic.
‘We are proud to be providing some much-needed support in the fight against Covid-19 by gifting our product to NHS charities while, at the same time, building a successful business.
‘From a standing start just 12 weeks ago, we have seen a huge surge in demand for our products across the UK.
‘We’re continuing to secure significant contracts and we’ve ramped up production to 900,000 litres per week.’
James Horton from law firm CMS, one of ClearWater Hygiene’s key business advisers, said: ‘Andrew and Rachel have been phenomenal in the speed of their response to this public health crisis.
‘They not only identified a market opportunity but have also helped address some of the essential supply issues in combating Covid-19 in the UK.’
Anyone else kicking themselves for not jumping on the hand sanitiser hype a few months back?
If you have a story to share, we want to hear all about it.
There’s Podge, politely queuing up for the ice cream van (Picture: SWNS.com)
While many of us may be rushing out to buy snacks and booze this Super Saturday, here’s a reminder that some are still maintaining grace and decorum.
By some, we mean cats, not some particularly polite people.
Siamese kitty Podge, from Rochford, Essex, was photographed patiently waiting in line for her ice cream from the van on Wednesday.
The picture has now been spread all over the internet and made Podge a bit of an online celebrity.
Podge had decided to follow her owner Danielle Corsbie and boyfriend Daniel Salway, both 28, out to the ice cream van.
Rather than storming ahead and miaowing at the ice cream van’s driver, she decided to sit in the queue – even maintaining the proper social distance.
While Podge didn’t end up getting a 99 cone, she was rewarded for her etiquette with a tub from an ice cream brand who spotted her photo, Rossi’s.
She had a sniff of the ice cream but ultimately decided she wasn’t interested. Still, it’s the thought that counts.
Podge with the Rossi ice cream she was gifted but didn’t eat (Picture: SWNS.com)
Security guard Danielle said: ‘It’s so funny. The photo has been viewed as far away as the USA, Canada and New Zealand. We never expected this.
‘Me and my other half heard the ice cream van on Wednesday and we thought, let’s go and get some.
‘We went out, and our neighbour got in the line behind us, but then I heard my mum calling me to turn around, and there was Podge at the back behind our neighbour.
‘The ice-cream man thought it was really funny, too.
‘She’s quite a picky eater, and cats aren’t supposed to have dairy – so I’ve hidden [the tub] away in the freezer to enjoy it for myself.’
Danielle, who adopted four-year-old Podge as a rescue cat just before the Siamese moggy turned one, also has another cat, Betsy.
She said: ‘Podge is the one that follows us around everywhere.
‘If we’re going out for a walk, we have to make sure we’re out of sight of Podge, otherwise she’ll try and come with us. It’s like having a dog.’
The metre-long doughnut box could help you keep your distance (Picture: PA)
To say these are strange times is a bit of an understatement.
Did we ever think we’d be using doughnut boxes to ensure we stay a safe distance from our pals in the park? No. But here we are.
Said doughnut boxes, which are one metre long, are the creation of Krispy Kreme, who want to help people maintain social distancing on Super Saturday and beyond.
They’ve launched an especially long version of their dozen doughnut box, still packed with the usual twelve doughnuts but doubling as a handy way to measure the ‘one metre plus’ distance we’re supposed to maintain between ourselves and others.
Before you head straight over to your nearest shop, it’s important to note that these boxes are not suddenly the standard packaging – instead they’re offering out five of the metre-long boxes to people who share a photo of themselves enjoying Super Saturday with a smile and tag @KrispyKremeUK and #1MetreDoughnutBox.
Don’t get too excited, there are still only 12 doughnuts inside (Picture: PA)
Wait, so is this a gimmick to get publicity and increase social media engagement for the brand? Surely not.
Regardless, the concept of the box serves as a handy reminder to please be responsible and stay safe amid the excitement of lockdown measures lifting.
Coronavirus is very much still here and maintaining social distance remains important.
How better to celebrate Super Saturday than with large amounts of carbs and sugar? (Picture: PA)
If a giant doughnut box helps you do that and you’re one of the lucky five to get hold of one, good for you. For the rest of us, it’s worth imagining two arms’ length as a good distance to stay away from your pals and strangers in the park.
Along with the launch of the massive box, Krispy Kreme is marking Super Saturday by announcing a menu reset with the following options:
Caramel Iced doughnut
Nutty (Nutella) Chocolatta doughnut
Original Filled – our hero Original Glazed with the innovation of a filling on rotation, starting with Caramel
Reese’s Shell doughnut returns
Strawberries and Kreme – returning with a new look
Strawberry Iced – a brand new doughnut
Reintroduction of the sharer dozen with selection of core varieties, Chillers, Shakes and Ice Kreme
Simply sit yourself down in one of the circles (Picture: Tom Maddick)
Today has been dubbed ‘Super Saturday’, as pubs across England opened their doors – some as early as 6am.
While that first pint will taste delicious, though, it’s important to still remember social distancing rules. Easier said than done after a few bevvies.
To make this a bit more simple, Stella Artois have teamed up with Shepard Fairey’s studio, creating beautiful floor murals that show you where to stand safely.
The Together Apart design, which will be rolled out to pubs and bars across the country, uses a combination of geometric shapes and contrasting colours to manage people’s movements and maintain social distancing.
The first place to get the design is the Old Truman Brewery in East London, who have had the huge 28 x 14 metre artwork painted at the heart of their yard.
Different sized circles accommodate different groups (Picture: Tom Maddick)
It was developed by Stella Artois with Studio Number One, the team of world-renowned street artist Shepard Fairey – best known for the Barack Obama ‘Hope’ poster and Andre the Giant OBEY designs.
Rather than using physical barriers, the aim is for people to stand in the circle parts of the mural, with different sized circles to accommodate different sized groups or groups from multiple households.
Old Truman Brewery are the first to get the paint job, but similar designs will be rolled out to over 1,000 pubs across the UK throughout the year.
Ali Humphrey, Marketing Director, Stella Artois Europe, said: ‘Social distancing doesn’t need to be anti-social for it to be safe. We’re using art to bring people together, safely, rather than using barriers to keep them apart.
The team hand painted the floor mural (Picture: Tom Maddick)
‘Using street art we can make sure this moment we come together again is still one we can savour.
‘Despite the mounting anticipation for that first post-lockdown beer with a friend, people are still risk-conscious. Would-be pub-goers need reassurance that pubs will be safe spaces.
The lack of physical barriers means we can be together apart (Picture: Tom Maddick)
‘But they also don’t want to lose the social atmosphere that makes them so special, which means trying to make spatial guidelines something drinkers can take pleasure from, rather than feel restricted by.’
Shepard Fairey, Creative Director and co-founder of Studio Number One commented: ‘With galleries and exhibitions closing their doors during lockdown, people have been unable to experience and appreciate art in the usual ways.
‘My team collaborated with Stella Artois to create socially-distanced art to be publicly accessible, but also to facilitate safety as people reunite. I have a history at the Truman Brewery, so I’m excited that this debuts there.’
Period poverty is getting worse (Picture: Ella Byworth for Metro.co.uk)
Coronavirus has made life for those already struggling financially even harder.
It took an intervention by footballer Marcus Rashford to get free school meals to children who were going hungry with schools closed.
Lockdown has also deepened the levels of period poverty experienced by women and girls all over the UK.
According to the period poverty charity, Bloody Good Period, there’s been a 5.5 fold increase in the volume of period products being distributed during lockdown.
The charity told Stylist that it’s ‘now distributed just under 33,000 packs of period products since the start of lockdown: that’s a 5.5 fold increase in the volume of supplies distributed in “normal” times’.
Before Covid-19, 10% of women in the UK couldn’t afford period products and another 15% found themselves having to use less suitable products because they were more affordable. Lockdown has exacerbated the problem with more people having to rely on sanitary products.
The Department of Education launched a scheme back in January to give out free period products in schools. However, with so many schools being closed or inaccessible to non-key worker families, many girls have had their main source of help cut off. The government claims that the scheme is still running and that girls can have products distributed to them by their school or college whether they’re learning on site or at home.
But the fact remains that many people are having to make difficult choices at the moment. Is a mum who’s struggling going to buy a pack of nappies for her baby or a box of tampons for herself?
Back in March, the Food Foundation found that more than 1.5 million adults in Britain couldn’t obtain enough food, with 53% of NHS workers reporting that they were worried about getting food. If people are having to choose whether they can afford to eat three meals a day, the chances are that period products will come pretty low down the list of priorities – despite how fundamental they are to our existence and health.
How to help
Sponsor a period
A really easy way to help other people get access to products is to donate to the Bloody Good Project.
There are three suggested donations, starting at £8.45 to support a light flow (1 x pack of day pads, 1 x pack of night pads), going up to £17.01 for a heavy flow (incl. more day pads and pantyliners). Or, you can choose your own donation. Either do it as a one-off or sign up to sponsor a period every month. Read more about it here.
Buy from brands who give back
Brands like Hey Girls not only create brilliant period products, but all their profits from their Buy One Give One scheme go directly towards helping girls and women in need in the UK. Choose from menstrual cups, period pants, reusable pads, tampons, and pantyliners.
Donate period products
Freedom4Girls is a period poverty charity in West Yorkshire which is gladly accepting products from the public, business and product providers. It’s got a number of donation stations set up around Leeds and other areas in the region. You can also donate if you’re not based in West Yorkshire – just contact them here and they’ll tell you how to help.
Jessica (top left), Michelle (top right), and Billy with Jessica’s son Gio (bottom left), Jessica’s daughter Isabella (bottom right), babies Billy Joe and Renai, and a friend (Picture: Caters News Agency)
Billy Perez, 33, has been in a relationship with Michelle Verges, 27, and Jessica Colon, 32, for six years.
They’re now a family with five children, after Jessica and Michelle each welcomed a new baby three months apart.
Billy, Michelle, and Jessica planned to expand their family last year, initially planning for the two women to get pregnant at the same time.
Mum-of-three Jessica gave birth to Reina on 28 January, three months after Michelle welcomed Billy Joe in November 2019.
Michelle, who is a machine operator, said: ‘We bought a house together four years ago and found somewhere to work and build our careers before settling down.
‘In an ideal world we would have fallen pregnant at the same time so then the babies would be kind of like twins but they still look-a-like and they’ll be in the same year at school.
‘We went to all of our appointments together even though she was a little behind my pregnancy.
Jessica (left), Billy, and Michelle (right) (Picture: Caters News Agency)
‘We want the kids to know that they’re all of ours so they will call both of us mum and Billy is obviously their father.
‘Billy was my first child but I consider myself a mother to all of the children in our house as Jessica and Billy, who have been together for 11 years, had kids from previous relationships.
‘Jessica, who is a mail courier, and I are in sync – everything is done quickly as there’s two of us and if I can’t do something, she is there to pick up the slack and vice versa.’
Michelle says she never would have considered being in a throuple before she met Jessica and Billy.
But the trio say their bond is stronger than ever – despite feelings of jealousy at the start of their relationship.
Billy Joe and Reina were born three months apart (Picture: Caters News Agency)
Billy and Jessica were a couple first, then formed a friendship with Michelle. They ‘clicked’ and the pair asked Michelle to be their girlfriend – and she said yes.
‘At the start, Billy, who is a fuel tank driver, would take us out on dates individually and we’d get a bit envious of one another but now we do everything together,’ Michelle said.
‘Jessica and I are really close. We are best friends and Billy is quite jealous of our bond.
‘It is illegal for us all to get married but we would if we could!’
The throuple attracts a lot of attention, but they say their relationship is no different to that of any couple.
‘People find it interesting and automatically assume every day is a sex party,’ says Michelle.
‘Everyone thinks Billy must be living the dream, which I guess he is, but he is also has a lot to deal with as he has two women to understand and please.
‘Being in a throuple isn’t for the weak-minded, you have to drop some of your morals by allowing another person in.
‘It is awesome but we are just like any other couple – we argue about bills and household chores.
‘Billy is a funny, smart man with a good head on his shoulder. You have to be a king to take on two women and five kids!’
It’s genuinely mad what they can do with paper these days (Picture: Frugalpac/Cantina Goccia/MEGA)
We know that our obsession with plastic is ruining the planet.
Not enough of it is being recycled, too much of it is being dumped in landfills (to all of you who don’t wash your recycling, we’re looking at you) and oceans, and we’re using too many vital, virgin resources in making new plastic material.
Of the 8.3bn tonnes of virgin plastic produced worldwide, only 9% has been recycled, according to a 2017 Science Advances paper entitled Production, Use And Fate Of All Plastics Ever Made.
It’s much better to go for glass over plastic, right?
Well, not necessarily. Archaeologists are still digging up bits of glass bottle thrown overboard from slave ships (in countries like Sierra Lione) and glass fish from the Roman era in places like Gloucestershire. According to the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services, it might take as long as 1 million years for a glass bottle to decompose. One million!
Rather than freaking out, you have two options. Firstly, wash your bloody recycling so that every bit of glass you own stands a good chance of being recycled. Secondly, swap your regular vino for wine that comes in a paper bottle.
Frugal Bottle is made from 94 per cent recycled paperboard, with a food-grade liner to hold wine or spirits. It can keep liquid cooler for longer if refrigerated and costs about as much to manufacture as a standard glass bottle.
These bottles are way more eco-friendly than those made from 100 per cent recycled plastic (Credits: PA)
It’s easier to recycle once you’re done drinking (Credits: Frugalpac/Cantina Goccia/MEGA)
It’s the brainchild of sustainable packaging firm Frugalpac, which creates recycled paper-based products in Ipswich. Its whole ethos is about using material that’s been and will be recycled – lowering a product’s carbon footprint.
The bottles are said to be five times lighter than a normal bottle, with a carbon footprint up to 84% less than a class one and a third less than a 100% recycled plastic bottle. Oh, and these bottles are easier to recycle again. All you have to do is separate the liner from the outside and pop them both into your recycling bin.
Frugalpac Chief Executive Malcolm Waugh said: ‘Our mission is to design, develop and supply sustainable packaging.
‘As well as the superior environmental benefits, it looks and feels like no other bottle you have ever seen.’
The first wine to go on sale in a Frugal Bottle is from the award-winning Italian vineyard Cantina Goccia.
Owner Ceri Parke, said: ‘We’re delighted to be making history with the most sustainable wine bottle in the world’.
Tim Davidson and Sam Cosner outside the octagonal house they had built on their own peninsula in Sarasota (Picture: Mercury Press)
Tim Davidson, 30, and Sam Cosner, 28, were tired of chucking all their money towards renting a home.
They didn’t fancy committing to a decades-long mortgage, either, so three years ago they instead decided to ditch 80% of their belongings and move into a tiny house.
The couple now live in a bungalow on wheels and love their minimalist lifestyle so much they plan to set up a self-sustainable tiny house community on a peninsula they bought for $200,000 (around £163,000), which they’ve named Shellmate Island.
They drove their 270 square foot tiny house, which they’ve nicknamed Tiffany, to the 1.5 acre peninsula in Sarasota, Florida, last month, and have already finished construction of their second tiny home on the island, a 320 square foot octagonal house.
Despite some people saying the couple were ‘crazy’, Tim and Sam couldn’t be happier with their choice to downsize.
Sam and Tim outside their first tiny home, which they named Tiffany (Picture: Mercury Press)
Tiffany and the Octagon house on Shellmate island, where Sam and Tim want to create a tiny home community (Picture: Mercury Press)
They say they have no regrets and that their new approach to living has allowed them to travel to far-flung destinations and be the first among their friends to get on the property ladder.
So maybe we should all be packing our things and moving over to their tiny house setup.
Tim, a sales agent, said: ‘The island has enough room for 4.9 houses, so we have plenty of room for neighbours to come and join us here.
‘We’re trying to renovate Tiffany so she’s completely off grid and solar powered – that’s the first task.
Oliver the cat inside the couple’s first tiny home, Tiffany (Picture: Mercury Press)
The bedroom in Tiffany (Picture: Mercury Press)
‘The island has lots of fruit trees on it so there’s scope for us to become self-sustainable.
‘Moving into a tiny house has given us so much mental and financial freedom.
‘We’ve been able to spend money that we’d have had to use for mortgages to travel to places like Cuba and South Africa and to invest in our retirement.
‘We’ve struggled all our lives to have this much freedom. I can’t envisage wanting to change our lifestyle ever.’
The couple moved into their first tiny house in 2017 with pet cat Oliver, paying $72,000 (£59,000) for the movable bungalow.
To adapt to their new tiny house lifestyle, Tim and Sam had to let go of 80% of their possessions in the course of a few months, even ditching keepsakes with sentimental value and having a massive garage sale to sell all their furniture.
The couple learned to find freedom in shedding their excess baggage.
The couple had to ditch most of their belongings and embrace a more minimalist lifestyle (Picture: Mercury Press)
Health coach Sam said: ‘It was a little difficult at first, but it ended up being very liberating.
‘We download most of our books onto Kindles, but we still have the physical copies of a few favourites.
‘If we really want a new item we’ll buy it, but we have a rule where we have to get rid of something already in the house.
‘Tim tries to throw away two items for every one new item he brings into the home.
‘When we told people our plans lots of them looked at us like we were crazy, but luckily we had other people around us who were like “do what you want if it makes you happy”.’
‘We moved in with four boxes between us and we’ve not looked back since.’
The couple are now living on their octagon-shaped tiny house, built by Deltec homes for $90,000 (£73,000) this year.
With a tiled shower room and a 1920s style custom designed sink, the miniature home is an upgrade on Tiffany, which is currently being renovated in order to become off-grid.
The interiors of the couple’s second tiny home, the Octagon house (Picture: Mercury Press)
The living area (Picture: Mercury Press)
The bathroom, complete with a custom-designed sink (Picture: Mercury Press)
They hope to inspire other people to free themselves from the pressure to spend a load of money on rent or a mortgage for a massive home and enjoy tiny home life instead.
‘Tiny houses are super affordable for those wanting to buy their first home,’ said Tim.
‘You can get a fully fitted one for as little as £16,000 to £24,000 or £8,000 if you’re not bothered about a bathroom.
‘We were probably one of the first people I know to purchase a home outright.’
Sam added: ‘A tiny house won’t last as long as a traditional home, but they’re still very tough.
‘Tiffany isn’t hurricane resistant, but she has gone through a severe storm before and survived.
‘Sometimes it can be a bit of a squeeze, but we’re resourceful. If we have friends over, they sit at the counter and we sit on the stairs.
‘And now we have the island, there’s plenty of space outside if it gets too squished.’
Are you ready for dolphin skin? (Picture: Metro.co.uk)
In case you somehow missed this: smooth, glowing skin is held up as the ideal in the beauty world.
The aspiration of having glass skin, yoga skin, or just plain old ‘good’ skin, free of blemishes, wrinkles, and visible pores, is an easy way for brands to sell us both makeup and skincare products.
The latest term to describe having the most glowy sheen imaginable is ‘dolphin skin’.
Thankfully, this trend does not involve actual dolphins.
Instead, dolphin skin – as coined by A-list celebrity makeup artist, Mary Phillips – describes skin that has a glow, a sheen, a touch of dewiness, and the smoothness of a dolphin.
Don’t ask us how this is different from just saying ‘glowing skin’. It’s a touch different from glass skin, which is purely about the shine, as it has the summery sea-themed fun of dolphin frolicking in the ocean thanks to the addition of blush and highlighter.
The good news is that it’s not something you have to pay loads of money towards treatments to achieve – dolphin skin can be achieved with makeup, even though, as usual, being blessed with smooth, glowing skin to begin with is a big help.
It’s worth noting that if you search #dolphinskin on Instagram, you’ll immediately be presented with a lot of photos and captions that suggest the only way to achieve true dolphin skin is with sets from Iconic London.
From what we can tell, Iconic London has really jumped on the whole idea of dolphin skin and appears to have told all its influencer partners to use that term when promoting their products – and it is true that Iconic London highlighters and blushes do give exactly the kind of high-sheen look dolphin skin is all about.
But full disclosure, you don’t have to rush out and buy a load of new products to get this look. And if you do fancy a splurge, it doesn’t have to be from this one brand.
You can create dolphin skin by making sure your face is properly moisturised (with sun cream on top, please – it’s so important to protect yourself from sun damage, otherwise all your skincare dreams are dashed), ditching your mattifying products, and using high-shine liquid highlighters along the cheek bones.
Add a sheer blush on your cheeks for an extra cheery, glowing complexion.
You can really use any liquid highlighter, sheer blush, and other glow-inducing products to get the dolphin skin look. Go mad with glowing oil primers, glossy shadows, whatever you fancy.
Truly, you can take your pick from your favourite brands or just have a dig around in your makeup bag. As long as you’ve got a super glowy highlight and a sheer, non-powdery blush, you’re set.
The monkeys are kept on cords so they don’t run away (Picture: Mustafa Yalcin/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images)
Supermarkets across the UK have withdrawn a number of products from their shelves, after a campaign by PETA highlighted companies who use monkeys to pick the fruit.
Coconut water, coconut milk, and other products made with coconuts are a staple for many people, and as a fruit would be considered vegan.
However, PETA Asia visited a number of coconut farms across Thailand and found that many were using macaque monkeys to climb the trees and pick the produce, with dire conditions observed.
They also visited several monkey-training facilities and a coconut-picking competition using monkeys and ‘documented abuse and exploitation’ at each one.
As a result, Waitrose, Ocado, Co-op, and Boots have removed certain items from sale, and Sainsbury’s and Asda are investigating whether those they sell are affected.
The captive monkeys pick over 10 times the number of coconuts a human could (Picture: Getty Images)
Tesco and Morrison’s state that the coconut waters and milks they sell are already produced without monkey labour.
PETA’s investigation found that some male monkeys were forced to pick up to 1,000 coconuts a day (compared to a human, who would be able to pick roughly 80) as well as being kept in cramped and dirty conditions.
They also state as part of their report: ‘Many monkeys are illegally abducted from their families and homes in nature when they’re just babies. They’re fitted with rigid metal collars and kept chained or tethered until they’re no longer useful to the coconut industry.’
Some monkeys allegedly have their adult canine teeth removed, with others being forced to participate in ‘circus’ style acts, doing tricks for the general public.
‘These curious, highly intelligent animals are denied psychological stimulation, companionship, freedom, and everything else that would make their lives worth living, all so that they can be used to gather coconuts,’ said PETA director Elisa Allen.
‘PETA is calling on decent people never to support the use of monkey labour by shunning coconut products from Thailand.’
(Picture: Ella Byworth for Metro.co.uk)
Metro illustrations
Corona/isolation/working from home illos
Super Saturday isn’t so super for all of us.
While the easing of lockdown measures is sparking excitement for all of those keen to get back to the pub and finally get their haircut, it’s a cause for anxiety for many.
A new report from Superdrug and My Online Therapy looks into the anxieties the British public are feeling in response to lockdown measures lifting, surveying more than 3,000 people about how they’re doing mentally amid the coronavirus pandemic.
80% of those surveyed said they believe social distancing and lockdown has negatively impacted mental health in the UK.
One of the primary causes of worry? Heading back into crowded places and socialising again after months of being cooped up at home.
22% of those surveyed feel anxious to go into more crowded areas, while 21% said they feel insecure about being sociable again.
Then there are the safety concerns – 43% said they’re nervous about lockdown easing because they’re not sure they’ll be safe from coronavirus, while 12% are terrified of leaving the safety of their home.
It’s important that, even when we’re enjoying pints in the park and going to restaurants again, we remember that not everyone will feel excited about rushing straight back to ‘normal’ – be patient with your friends who aren’t ready yet to jump back into socialising IRL.
In response to the report’s findings, Superdrug is partnering with My Online Therapy, to help make mental healthcare more easily accessible to anyone who needs support.
Michael Henry, healthcare director at Superdrug, says: ‘More than six out of 10 of our customers are telling us that their mental health has been negatively impacted by social distancing and lockdown measures. In addition, 84% of our customers have told us they want more accessible mental health services.
‘We’ve listened to what they need and to support them we’re launching a partnership with My Online Therapy to ensure a highly credible and qualified mental health service is readily available.
‘This service is now prominently displayed on Superdrug.com making it easy for people to find out more and look into what therapies might be most helpful to them at this time.’
If you’re in pain, stop before you reach for the NSAIDs (Picture: Ella Byworth for Metro.co.uk)
Running can be painful. If you’re training for a marathon, you’ll have all sorts of ache and pains, if you’re new to the sport, you might find that you’re stiffer than ever before.
Us runners are always twisting ankles, pulling muscles and generally feeling like creaking gates.
How we deal with that discomfort, however, matters. Popping an Ibuprofen or similar NSAID (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug) might seem the obvious solution; they take down swelling and pain. But new research shows that taking these kinds of drugs can come with a risk.
At marathons and ultra-marathons, you’re warned by the organisers to carry paracetamol on you rather than Ibuprofen for fear that it might cause increased stress on an already stressed-out body. Despite the fact that many of us long-term runners know that, research shows that 46% of London Marathon runners planned to take an NSAID during the race.
So why shouldn’t they?
According to Dr Anthony R Cox, Reader in Clinical Pharmacy and Drug Safety at the University of Birmingham and Dr Craig Rosenbloom, from the Sport and Exercise Medicine department of QMUL, drugs like Ibuprofen are associated with issues such as gastrointestinal ulcers, acute kidney injury and increased risk of cardiovascular events.
In fact, the negative consequences of NSAIDs are thought to be responsible for 30% of all adverse drug reaction admissions to hospital, the pair write in a piece for The Conversation.
The problem is partly that long-distance running puts a load of strain on the body and that can cause issues in and of itself. Reduced blood flow to the stomach can make belly issues more likely, eve without taking painkillers, while excessive protein in the blood from muscle damage can lead to acute kidney damage which is made worse if you use NSAIDs.
But what about those of us who are just doing the odd 5K? If we’re just running around our local park, do we really need to watch which painkillers we’re using?
Drs Cox and Rosenbloom surveyed 806 Parkrunners to find out what kinds of painkillers UK runners were using regularly. Nearly 90% of those surveyed used NSAIDs, usually in the form of over-the-counter Ibuprofen. A third of these runners ran marathon-length distances and only one in eight had a pre-existing reason to swerve NSAIDs (like asthma). Over half of runners took NSAIDs before a run or race and one in ten took one during a run. The longer run, the more likely they were to take one during or afterward.
A third of the runners surveyed had experienced suspected side effects from NSAIDs, including heartburn and – alarmingly – gastrointestinal bleeding. Despite how common these issues were, 40% of runners were unaware that taking drugs like Ibuprofen could have cardiovascular, kidney or gastrointestinal side effects.
If you take a NSAID before every jog, you’re absolutely running the risk of developing ealth problems – especially if you’re training for long distance. Marathons and ultras ‘already put runners’ body under extreme stress, so long-term NSAID use increases risks of life-threatening hypononatraemia, gastrointestinal bleeding, and kidney failure,’ Cox and Rosenbloom write.
These kinds of anti-inflammatories have also been shown to hamper healing. During exercise, our muscles suffer small tears – which the white blood cells rush to start rebuilding. That’s good, that’s what makes you stronger. If you take an anti-inflammatory, however, you may start to interfere with that recovery process.
Taking painkillers can also stop us from hearing our body when it tells us that it’s time to take it easy. It’s so tempting to pop a pill so we can run through the niggles but in the long-term, that’s only going to create more issues. We run for mental clarity, for fitness, for health; pushing your body beyond its natural capacity with the help of pain killers is counterproductive.
London Marathon organisers warn runners to avoid NSAIDs within 48 hours of the race to avoid potential dangers. If you’re training for the new race date in October, why not try to kick your Ibuprofen habit now so that you’re not tempted to take any when the race comes around? There’s enough time to take training steady, listen to your body and to train only when it feels right. Too many of us are prepared to run at any cost and that can see us out of the game for months on end.
How to deal with the pain instead
Paracetamol
Paracetamol is probably the safest painkiller to use while running or cycling – especially over a longer period of time. Larger doses of aspirin, Voltarol, ibuprofen (e.g. Nurofen) and naproxen really aren’t a good idea – and that goes for gels and creams like Voltarol and Ibuleve too.
In fact, events like Brighton Marathon have warnings on their websites telling participants to consult their GPs if they use any of these medications regularly.
RICE (rest, ice, compression, elevation)
If you’ve got some major swelling – you’ve twisted your ankle of your knee feels like it’s damaged, then stop running, elevate the problem area (you want it above the height of your bum) and apply ice. Grab a compression sock and wear it while you’re pottering around but always remember to remove it when you’ve got your leg elevated – and before you go to bed.
Eat foods high in anti-inflammatories
This probably won’t stop you from getting injured but a diet rich in anti-inflammatory foods may help with your recovery. Load up on onions, apples and berries (high in quercetin), as well as grapes, spinach and coffee (for the polyphenols) which have been found to reduce inflammation in athletes.
English Style Beans and Toast (Credits: Getty Images)
Beans, beans, good for your heart. The more you eat, the more complete your nutritional profile will be. That’s how that one goes, right?
It’s seems that’s the way one man was taught the rhyme, after his girlfriend asked the internet for help due to his new ‘beanatarian’ dietary choice.
In a post to the subreddit on relationship advice, the woman said: ‘My boyfriend told me 3 weeks ago that he has decided to convert to a “beanatarian” diet. He told me he will from now only only eat different types of beans.
‘I thought he was joking at first but I have literally seen him eat nothing but beans and multivitamins every day for 3 weeks.
‘He insists that “Almost all nutrients can be derived from beans”, and he takes 2 multivitamins a day “just in case”.’
My (30 F) boyfriend (28 M) told me is pursuing a “beanatarian” diet, in which he only eats beans, and gets angry when I say it isn’t a healthy choice. pic.twitter.com/R3UVoacT5R
Each day the man would eat different beans and cook them differently to keep things varied. There was no variation, however, on the fact he was eating wall-to-wall beans.
Clearly their relationship was suffering due to arguments about the validity of beanatarianism, but all the people of Reddit (and later Twitter) could do was argue over whether beans would provide you enough nutrition.
If you’ve ever watched I’m A Celeb, you’ll know how grim and dull a diet of rice and beans appears – and this guy is just eating the beans – but is it even safe to do so for long periods of time?
Weirdly, the protagonist in this tale isn’t the only person who’s gone beanatarian, as a runner and filmmaker called Beau Miles ate only 191 tins of beans over 40 days and tracked his progress.
Although Beau was otherwise ‘healthy’ at the end of the experiment, he did report low energy, irritability, worse performance when running, and random nosebleeds throughout.
Many people across the world live on a diet mostly comprising of rice and beans, and beans are the more nutritious of these two products, so it would be logical to assume that you’d be fine going beanatarian.
Beans are considered a superfood and are described by the NHS as ‘a cheap, low-fat source of protein, fibre, vitamins and minerals’.
They’re cholesterol and fat-free, have a low glycaemic index so they fill you up, and associated with a reduced risk of heart disease and type 2 diabetes.
However, while it’s great to incorporate beans into your diet, there are limits. One serving of beans will count towards your five a day. However, if you eat multiple servings of beans, you will still only have consumed one serving.
This is because they don’t have the same variety of vitamins and minerals that other vegetables and fruits do.
Even with a variety of beans, it’s still important to supplement them with fruit and vegetables to be healthy (Picture: Getty Images)
Regardless of how good beans are for you, eating any one food without variation will lead to deficiencies somewhere. In the vase of beans, this includes vitamin C and iodine amongst other things.
Jo Ann Hattner, a nutrition consultant at Stanford University School of Medicine told LiveScience: ‘No single vegetable or legume has all nine essential amino acids humans need to build the proteins that make up our muscles.
‘That’s why most human cultures, without knowing anything about food chemistry, have developed diets centred on complementary veggies that, together, provide all nine.’
Jo Ann warns that subsisting on one food along would initially affect your hair and nails, gradually affecting your lean body mass including your heart and lungs.
She says, ‘Eventually, your heart shrinks so much you die.’
It’s honestly not worth trying it – especially not for some self-serving experiment. Supermarkets have a number of offers on fruit and vegetables to supplement a diet that includes beans and other food groups.
That way you can enjoy the musical fruit every single day without the danger of death.
Stylists will be subject to restrictions when cutting and dyeing; masks and visors, gloves where possible, hand sanitisers, and safety measures when offering refreshments.
People have reported long queues outside walk-in barbers, and salon owners reported that once they opened their books that they were inundated with appointment requests. Some even opened at midnight to accommodate the demand.
So it’s no surprise that punters are ecstatic to show off their fresh trims, and have taken to Twitter to do so.
We’ve rounded up some of the best lockdown haircut pictures on the platform, so you can see just how fab (and happy) you’ll look once you get the pamper treatment yourself.
One in 20 women have never orgasmed with a sexual partner (Picture: Ella Byworth for Metro.co.uk)
If you thought the orgasm gap was a thing of the past, we are sadly here to tell you that this is not the case.
A new study from the sex toy company Lelo has revealed that men are still climaxing more often than women during sex, 66% compared to 43% respectively.
What’s more, almost one in 20 women have never orgasmed with a sexual partner.
The findings, which have been released for National Orgasm Day (that’s today) are the result of a survey with 4,000 heterosexual female and male participants from across the UK.
To make matters worse, not only do women climax less, but it appears many of their male partners are unaware that this is even happening, with majority of participants in relationships saying their partner orgasms 60% of the time.
This is still quite a low figure – but this could partially be due to some women not being physically able to climate during sex, rather than lack of trying by their partner.
More likely however, this is due to the orgasm gap.
What is the orgasm gap?
‘The orgasm gap refers to the stats that show that in heterosexual sexual experiences men orgasm more than women,’ explains Kate Moyle, sex and relationships expert at Lelo.
‘We also see that this gap doesn’t exist when women are having sexual experiences with women, which suggests that the gap is gendered.’
Kate explains that this is due to a variety of factors, such as lack of education, cultural differences and the fact that many people focus on intercourse to reach climax, where majority of women require clitoral stimulation to get off.
But why is the clitoris so often forgotten or ignored?
‘This is reinforced by what we see represented in many forms of sex online and in the media, where women appear to be orgasming from penetrative sex with little or no arousal,’ she says.
‘Commonly we also split up foreplay and sex, which puts the focus on “sex” as the main event, when if we reframe and think of it all as sex where the goal is pleasure then the clitoris, which is the main source of female pleasure with 8000 nerve endings would get more attention.
‘It’s not all about taking the focus off penetration, but ensuring that people are aware then when women are aroused, the clitoris becomes erect like the penis, and this means the internal structure can be stimulated and can create pleasurable sensations through intercourses, but arousal and being turned on is the key.’
‘The side effect of this lack of sex education is few of us feel confident with sexual communication, and being open about what feels good for us, and this is one of the key routes to creating change.’
Additional research by Lelo revealed three in 10 people fake their orgasms on a regular basis, with women more likely to do so, according to the study.
And only a third of those surveyed have spoken to their partner about their orgasms, or rather lack of orgasms – with men (73%) more likely to raise the issue, compared to women (56%).
If you’re missing out on orgasms, it’s time to speak up.
The pair really hit it off (Picture: Lindsey McCaffry/McCaffry Photography LLC)
A blind date can be nerve wracking enough, so how would you feel if every step of it was being snapped by a professional photographer?
Keen to create a fun shoot, Indiana-based photographer Lindsey McCaffry, from McCaffry Photography LLC, put a call out for strangers who wanted to be matched together.
She was inundated with applications and spent time going through each one to find some that might work together.
All the applicants were told was they would have to pose with a motorcycle and get soaking wet in the creek.
Lindsey selected Karmon Waite, 32, and Daniel Allen for the shoot and told them both to meet on 26 June – which happened to be Daniel’s 27th birthday.
They were blindfolded and brought together by Lindsey and her team before being told to remove their blindfolds.
Lindsey took pictures of every moment, including getting them frolicking over the motorcycle and wadding through the creek, as promised.
Despite the pair never having met, the pictures ooze chemistry and Lindsey was inundated with comments from people wanting to know what happened next.
The couple did swap numbers and have had a few texts but the date was just over a week ago and it’s still early days.
Posting the next day, Lindsey said: ‘They did NOT disappoint. Holy smokes, they brought the FIREEEEE!!!
‘Those of you wondering, they did exchange numbers at the end.
‘I felt like I was watching a “real life movie” with those insanely passionate kisses.
‘A huge thank you to these two for being so brave. You stepped way outside your comfort zone last night and trusted us completely. We can’t thank you enough!!! No matter the outcome we all had a blast and made new friends. A night we will never forget.’
One person said: ‘This is like an engagement shoot!’
Another added: ‘I showed my husband, asked him how long he thought they’d been married. He guessed 10 years. I showed him some of the kissing ones. He said ummm maybe 3 years. I said less. He kept going lower. Was surprised they weren’t together.’
Lindsey has another blind date shoot lined up but sadly the man dropped out and she’s now looking for someone else so hopefully her matchmaking skills are just as good for the next one.
Karmon arriving at the date (Picture: Lindsey McCaffry/McCaffry Photography LLC)
Facing each other with blindfolds (Picture: Lindsey McCaffry/McCaffry Photography LLC)
Removing the blindfolds (Picture: Lindsey McCaffry/McCaffry Photography LLC)
Posing with the motorcycle (Picture: Lindsey McCaffry/McCaffry Photography LLC)
The pair soon got more comfortable with each other (Picture: Lindsey McCaffry/McCaffry Photography LLC)
The chemistry was evident throughout (Picture: Lindsey McCaffry/McCaffry Photography LLC)
They posed together despite this being the first time they met (Picture: Lindsey McCaffry/McCaffry Photography LLC)
Next they moved to posing in a creek (Picture: Lindsey McCaffry/McCaffry Photography LLC)
Looking into each other’s eyes (Picture: Lindsey McCaffry/McCaffry Photography LLC)
The first kiss (Picture: Lindsey McCaffry/McCaffry Photography LLC)
So much chemistry (Picture: Lindsey McCaffry/McCaffry Photography LLC)
I couldn’t sit in my garden without him giving me compliments, making sexual jokes or standing by our fence trying to chat (Picture: Ella Byworth for Metro.co.uk)
It first started at the end of last year.
My 19-year-old neighbour would hear me in my garden and would always head out into his to strike up a conversation. I thought it was friendly but then I made the mistake of giving him a hug after he asked for one, and he squeezed my bum, laughing as he did so.
I jumped back, telling him that it was not okay and that I’d never cuddle him again. I felt like he’d betrayed my trust – he’d asked for the hug as if he were a child, desperate for affection, and I’d felt sorry for him.
From then on, I knew I needed to draw a line. A month later, he knocked on my front door when I was home alone, having dinner in the living room.
My housemates and I have no peep hole to look through, so I opened the door to see who it was and immediately regretted it. He stumbled into my home, placing his drunk foot over the threshold, invading my privacy.
He was clutching a glass of whiskey and asked if he could join me. I made it clear that I wasn’t interested in him, said I had a boyfriend and that I didn’t want his company, even as friends.
He took a step back and I managed to close the door in front of me before he had the chance to reply. That night was the first time I felt unsafe in my own home.
Months passed and I saw him as little as I could – but the harassment continued.
As I came home from a weekend away, he saw me returning through his window and rushed out to read me one of his poems. Being a supportive and positive person, I wanted to encourage him to follow his passions and turn his attention to something else, other than me.
I told him the poem was excellent and that he should join communities and networks for poetry and spoken word. In hindsight, I was creating a sense of hope and opportunity through me, and he soon began to latch on to this.
When coronavirus swarmed the city and London was forced into lockdown, his erratic behaviour intensified. It was like pouring fuel on an already burning fire.
I couldn’t sit in my garden without him giving me compliments, making sexual jokes or standing by our fence trying to chat. I told him that he made me feel uncomfortable, that I was just his neighbour and wanted to enjoy the privacy of my garden. At first he acknowledged this, nodding and sulking before going back inside.
But then he came out another three times, standing by the fence and waiting for me to change my mind.
My housemates were concerned about his behaviour and my parents insisted I tell the police about it, but I didn’t, as I thought it might make the situation worse and I didn’t want to risk that. I also felt sorry for him as I could see that he craved affection and had become obsessed with the first person who was kind to him.
I was scared that he would attack me when I had my headphones in, so I began to do workouts inside
But, exhausted by his behaviour, I couldn’t handle it anymore. In an effort to pass on the baton of dependence, I wrote him a letter of all the charities, organisations and groups he could speak to, such as Samaritans, Mind and local churches in the area.
He took the letter glumly and I went inside my house, shaking with nerves but proud of myself for making it clear that I wasn’t the one he should turn to. I stopped being concerned for his welfare and I started prioritising my own.
It became apparent that this act had fallen on deaf ears. Later in lockdown, as I returned home from a run, I saw him standing by my door. He acted casual, saying he had left his house at the same time as me and just happened to be coming back from the shop as I returned.
I don’t know what was more terrifying – him watching me leave and timing how long I would be, or being at my door waiting for me.
I was scared that he would attack me when I had my headphones in, so I began to do workouts inside. I tried to convince myself it was a joke, as laughing about it was the only way I could process how I felt in my own home – trapped.
I finally cracked when he knocked on my front door late at night, soon after. He pretended to be the police and I opened the living room curtains to see him standing there, grinning. I didn’t open the door and told him I wouldn’t be doing so.
Through the shut door, he said ‘I just want to see you’, as if he was enacting a scene from Romeo and Juliet. But it wasn’t romantic or affectionate, it was downright creepy and distressing.
I threatened to call the authorities and he walked away. I went back into the kitchen, rejoining my housemate.
He harassed me on and off for five months but I haven’t heard from him since then.
I am moving to a new house this weekend and, yes, having him as a neighbour is a factor in this decision. I didn’t want to stay in a place where I felt apprehensive about using my own garden, where I had to choose a different route to avoid going past his front door and even locked my own bedroom door at night, out of fear.
According to Stop Street Harassment, three out of four women have been verbally harassed on the street. But what if your harassment is inescapable?
No one deserves to have their privacy continuously disturbed by someone who struggles to accept ‘no’ as an answer. Moving to a new house is too great a length to take, but a necessary one in my case.
If you feel harassed, keep a diary of the incidents, recording the times and the events that happen, and take it to the police.
Don’t make the mistake I did by not reporting it and feeling sorry for the person harassing you, as their issues are not your problem. At times I wonder whether, if I had cracked earlier, would I have been able to get on with my own life sooner? Or what if he had taken my threat the wrong way? I dread to think what could have happened.
The experience has made me recognise how important it is to lay boundaries down, with whatever role someone has in your life.
I am happy I am moving to a new place and will get a fresh start.
And yes, I did check what the neighbours are like.
![MERCURY PRESS. Pictured: The bathroom. A couple who chucked away 80% of their belongings to downsize to a miniature house have bought an idyllic lakeside peninsula to create Florida?s first off-grid tiny house community.? Tim Davidson, 30 and Sam Cosner, 28, drove their 270sq ft tiny house, nicknamed Tiffany, to the 1.5 acre peninsula in Sarasota, Florida last month after having made the bungalow, which is five times smaller than the average American abode, their home for the last three years. The couple are now planning to set-up a self-sustainable tiny house community on the peninsula which they bought for ?163,000 [$200,000] and have already finished construction of their second tiny home on the island ? a 320 square ft octagon house, which can withstand category five hurricanes.? SEE MERCURY COPY](http://metro.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/PRI_156380306.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=1024)
