.

1 WOM
No

£2 EN
THE

’S
G LO

SS NE
ZI DECEMBER 2018
Y M AGA

‘MY FAKE
SPARKLE FASHION
TIME!
Dresses to ace
LIFE’
Confessions
of a (broke)
style editor
your party game

‘COME... SEX
SIT ON & THE
MY LAP’
Is Santa heading SOCIAL
for a lawsuit?
MEDIA STAR
The seedy side hustle
BUILD of mega-influencers
A £5M AN UNDERDOG BITES BACK

EMPIRE OLIVIA
The shop assistant who
became a beauty tycoon
12
MUNN
WHY HOLLYWOOD WANTS
9 770141 055290 TO SILENCETHIS WOMAN
WWW.COSMOPOLITAN.COM/UK
C✱ On the cover
20 ‘COME… SIT ON MY LAP’
DECEMBER 2018

Is Santa heading for a lawsuit?

87 BUILD A £5M EMPIRE
Olivia Munn on the
The shop assistant who power of being
became a beauty tycoon an underdog
88 OLIVIA MUNN Why
Hollywood wants to silence
this woman
102 ‘MY FAKE FASHION LIFE’
Confessions of a (broke)
style editor
108 SEX & THE SOCIAL MEDIA
STAR The seedy side hustle
of mega-influencers
124 SPARKLE TIME! Dresses
to ace your party game

✱ Know Alfie
This 11-month-old
petite papillon gets
15 SPECIAL DELIVERY No clue nervous around bigger
what to buy your best mate dogs, which is why
he was brought to Dogs
for her birthday? EastEnders’ Trust (which is home
Barry said he could help… to all the dogs in this
17 SEE YOU AT… All the places feature). But they’ve
built up his confidence
to make merry this month and he’s on his way to
19 SELECTION BOX Sadly not making a new gang of
retro chocolate taped to a page, pals. Olivia Munn’s his
current favourite.
but still great: ace festive TV
23 THESE BOOKS WILL MAKE
YOU SMARTER Your 2019
reading list just got longer
24 MOTOR MATRIX Love cars,
but hate deciphering the va-va-
voom scale of each? Let us help
25 MY CULTURED LIFE
Allen Leech: likes a burrito.
Us: would like to have a
burrito with Allen Leech
28 THE COMPASS The only
cultural advice you need
30 CONFESSIONS Kicking your
date in the face? Less than ideal

C O S M O P O L I TA N · 5
 Contents
115
The Beauty
Awards, AKA
your Christmas
wish list
✱ Glow
33 LOOKING SHARP The new
trend we’re calling cact-eye…
34 BRIGHT SPARK The smart way
to switch up your hair colour
36 INGE HAS ISSUES… with the
packaging our products come in
37 HOT RIGHT NOW! Our noses
have fallen in love. Twelve times.
Meet the objects of our affection
38 MY YEAR IN BEAUTY
Cosmopolitan’s glam squad share
their favourite face-and-body-
enhancing discoveries of 2018
47 BEAUTY LAB The balms that
reckon they can do it all
✱ Move
49 FROZEN FITNESS Working
out in the cold? Excellent for
you, we’re afraid
51 SMASH PARTY SEASON
How to be on top form – not
just during a big night out,
but the morning after, too
54 MOOD YOGA Well, you’ll need
a stretch after all that dancing
57 SLOPE & GLORY Skiwear (even
if you only came to après-ski)
6 · C O S M O P O L I TA N
51
How to stop party
season dulling
your sparkle
✱ Wear
59 TREAT YOURSELF Hello,
earrings we’ll be wearing
everywhere this Christmas
60 THE GREAT OUTDOORS
Being warm is cool, so here’s
what to wrap up in this season
70 HEY, HOW DO I WEAR…
Winter whites?
72 HAPPY FEET Party shoes so
precious there’s no way you’ll
lose them at midnight (or 4am)
✱ Earn
79 SMART MONEY How to turn
your iPhone into your ISA
80 CAN YOU BANK ON
BITCOIN? The lowdown on
the currency you can’t see…
✱ Read
96 MEET THE GHOSTS OF
CHRISTMAS PAST &
PRESENT They’re about to
haunt your holiday season
115 THE COSMOPOLITAN
BEAUTY BIG 50 This year’s
game-changing products
DOGS TRUST (DOGSTRUST.ORG.UK). OLIVIA WEARS, NEWSSTAND COVER: DRESS, WAREHOUSE. EARRINGS, KATE SPADE. RINGS, MONICA VINADER. SUBSCRIBER COVER: JUMPER, ESSENTIEL
COVER PHOTOGRAPH RACHELL SMITH. SENIOR FASHION EDITOR SAIREY STEMP. HAIR MAURICE FLYNN, USING SHOW BEAUTY. MAKE-UP NILAM HOLMES, USING ANASTASIA BEVERLY HILLS,
96
ARDELL, SPECTRUM BRUSHES. NAILS KIM TREACY AT STELLA CREATIVE ARTISTS, USING OPI. FASHION ASSISTANTS MADDY ALFORD, GEORGIA KANDRETTIS. WITH SPECIAL THANKS TO
Ghosts Of Christmas
Past: fine if they
bring us a
present
ANTWERP. SHORTS, IVY PARK. EARRINGS AND RING, BOTH PANDORA. SOCKS, WHITE COMPANY. THIS PAGE, PHOTOGRAPHS AGATA PEC, LOUISA PARRY, BEN RIGGOTT
✱ Lust
137 SLEAZY LISTENING Get it on
138 “CAN A MARRIAGE SURVIVE
WITHOUT SEX?” Polyamory’s
still perplexing our columnist
140 MY BEST SEX EVER WAS…
with a Christmas stranger
141 WORST DATES EVER So. Bad.
142 FIRST LOVE Two exes, one date
✱ Give
145 GIFT GUIDE Present-buying
ratio: two for yourself for every
one you buy for others, yes?
✱ Play
155 SCREW HANGOVERS Smug,
post-drinking glow? Sign us up
156 HO, HO, HOLIDAYS Four
Cosmopolitan editors share their
city’s best bits at Christmas
✱ And the rest…
8 MEET TEAM COSMOPOLITAN
11 FROM THE EDITOR
170 COSMOPOLITAN CONTRACT
The parents on social media ◆
 SEASON’S
GREETINGS,
ONE AND ALL!
How are you planning
FARRAH STORR to have a green
Editor-in-Chief Christmas this
Editorial Assistant DANIELLA SCOTT year?
Deputy Editor SHOSHANA GOLDBERG Creative Director STUART SELNER
Associate Editor AMY GRIER Special Projects Director LOTTIE LUMSDEN
I’m recycling all the
gifts I hated from last FE AT U RE S
year. No, seriously... Senior Editor CATRIONA INNES Features Writer JENNIFER SAVIN
I’ll be foregoing a Features Intern KATE PASOLA
Christmas tree.
DE SI GN
I’ll be sure to turn the
Art Director VICTORIA HORN (maternity) Acting Art Director MARTIN IXER
telly off every time Mum
Senior Designer JESSICA LOCKETT Junior Designer KATIE WILDE
tries to put the EastEnders
PI CT U RE S Christmas Special on.
Picture Director CAT COSTELLOE Picture Editor NICOLE HOLCROFT-EMMESS To save energy. And
also my sanity.
PRO DU CT I O N
Workflow Director CHRISTINA SIMONE
Chief Sub-Editor HANNAH JONES Deputy Chief Sub-Editor STEPHANIE JACKSON

BE AU T Y
By making customised Beauty Director INGEBORG VAN LOTRINGEN
Christmas-dinner crowns Beauty Editor CASSIE POWNEY Beauty Writer JO TAYLOR
out of wrapping paper
(a new tradition since my FASHI O N I’m not buying anyone
Fashion Director AMY BANNERMAN Senior Fashion Editor SAIREY STEMP else presents. It’s the
family forgot to buy
Bookings Editor SOPHIE LEEN Fashion Assistant MADDY ALFORD right thing to do.
them last year).
COSMO PO LI TA N .CO M/ U K
Digital Editorial Director CLAIRE HODGSON Fashion & Lifestyle Editor JESS EDWARDS
Beauty Editor VICTORIA JOWETT Entertainment Editor ANNA LEWIS
Senior News & Health Writer CATRIONA HARVEY-JENNER
Senior Sex & Relationships Writer PAISLEY GILMOUR
Senior Entertainment & Lifestyle Writer DUSTY BAXTER-WRIGHT
Senior Fashion & Beauty Writer LAURA CAPON
Head of Social Media LAUREN SMITH Multimedia Producer ALEX HERING Back in July,
July I made
mad
I’m saving on fuel by Senior Motion Graphics & Snapchat Animator CHARLOTTE TEMPLE Snapchat Editor SOPHIE BOYDEN a batch of winter-berry
having a stay-at-home gin with leftover summer
Christmas… sorry, CO N T RI BU TO RS fruits – you can use
in-laws. AMANDA STATHAM (Travel) up your mushy ones.
Group Managing Editor CONNIE OSBORNE Finance Business Partner EMMA JONES It’ll be delicious!
MA N AGI N G DI RE CTO R
JACQUI CAVE
HE ARST MAGA Z I N E S U K HE A RST MAGA Z I N E S INTER NATIONAL
President and Chief Executive Officer JAMES WILDMAN Senior Vice President, Managing Director Asia Pacific & Russia SIMON HORNE
Executive Assistant to the President and Chief Executive Officer FAYE McNULTY Director of International Licensing & Business Development RICHARD BEAN
Chief Financial Officer/Chief Operating Officer CLAIRE BLUNT Senior Vice President/Editorial & Brand Director KIM ST CLAIR BODDEN
Chief Strategy Officer ROBERT FFITCH Chief Operations Director CLARE GORMAN Deputy Brands Director CHLOE O’BRIEN
HR Director SURINDER SIMMONS Head of PR FAY JENNINGS International Brands Editor JACQUELYN GALGEY
Director, Hearst Live VICTORIA ARCHBOLD 020 7312 4105 Editor-in-Chief, Cosmopolitan (1965-1997) HELEN GURLEY BROWN
MD, Hearst Brand Services JUDITH SECOMBE
I N T E RN AT I O N A L E DI TIONS
Marketing & Circulation Director REID HOLLAND
Argentina Editor, Australia LORNA GRAY Bulgaria Chile Editor, China YVONNE LIU
Head of Consumer Sales & Marketing MATTHEW BLAIZE-SMITH
Editor, Croatia ALEKSANDRA ORLIĆ Editor, Czech Republic SABRINA KARASOVA
Head of Subscriptions JUSTINE BOUCHER
Editor, Finland STINA MANTYNIEMI Editor, France MARIE LA FONTA
Head of Marketing Promotions AOIBHEANN FOLEY
Editor, Germany ANJA DELASTIK Editor, Hong Kong RUQIYAH LAW KAM YING
Digital Marketing Director SEEMA KUMARI Deputy Head of PR BEN BOLTON
Editor, Hungary JOHANNA SABJÁN Editor, India NANDINI BHALLA
Head of Business Management LUCY PORTER Business Manager BETH RONAN 020 3757 1004
Editor, Indonesia FILISYA THUNGGAWAN Editor, Italy FRANCESCA DELOGU
HE A RST CO MME RCI A L Editor, Kazakhstan ANEL ABDUALIYEVA Editor, Korea EUNJI KIM
Chief Agency Officer JANE WOLFSON 020 7439 5685 Editor, Latin America LUCÍA SOTELO SANTOS Latvia
Associate Publisher and Client Director, Beauty STEVEN MILES Editor, Lithuania VIOLETA KALIKAUSKIENE Editor, Malaysia NISA HALID
MD, Fashion & Luxury JACQUELINE EUWE MD, Fitness & Health ALUN WILLIAMS Editor, Middle East KAVITA SRINIVASAN Editor, Netherlands ANNE MARIJE DE VRIES LENTSCH
Director of Travel DENISE DEGROOT Director of Motors JIM CHAUDRY Editor, Poland HANNA WOLSKA Editor, Romania DIANA COLCER
Client Director, Personal Finance PETE CAMMIDGE Client Direct Director EMMA BARNES Editor, Russia ALIONA PENEVA Editor, Serbia NASJA VELJKOVIC
Group Agency Director JONI MORRISS Regional Director DANIELLE SEWELL Editor, Slovenia MANCA ČAMPA PAVLIN Editor, South Africa HOLLY MEADOWS
Luxury Directors SHARON DAVIES RIDGWAY, LEE BAILEY Editor, Spain CECILIA MÚZQUIZ HERRERO Sri Lanka Editor, Turkey OZLEM KOTAN
Head of Classified LEE RIMMER 020 3728 7707 Editor, Ukraine OLEKSANDRA BURYNSKA Editor, USA MICHELE PROMAULAYKO

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IN ASSOCIATION WITH
8 · C O S M O P O L I TA N
 FROM THE
EDITOR
W
hen I was 33 I decided I wanted a dog. I wanted,
I told myself, a dog that was down on its luck;
the sort of dog that life hadn’t placed its bets on
to win. In other words, I wanted an underdog.
I found Famosa on a Romanian dog-rescue site.
She had big amber eyes and a long scruffy coat the colour
of chocolate milkshake. There was little information about
her, other than that she had been found wandering the
streets, had swerved certain death and was now looking
for her “forever home”. I told my husband. He conceded
that she was indeed lovely. And so we started to imagine
what a life with Famosa would look like. There would be
risks, of course. She was a stray, born into a world of hustle,
grit and adversity. That meant she was an unknown entity.
With a lot of time, attention and work we might eventually
STYLING MADDY ALFORD. DRESS, MOTHER OF PEARL. ADDITIONAL PHOTOGRAPHS GLIMPSE/HELP REFUGEES/MIKAEL BUCK, BETH WALSH
PHOTOGRAPH SARAH BRICK. HAIR AND MAKE-UP JOLANDA COETZER AT LHA REPRESENTS, USING URBAN DECAY AND PAUL MITCHELL.
time I look at Parker I am reminded of the underdog
we shamefully gave up on.
You see, we all love the idea of an underdog. We cheer
on those who have rarely tasted success, knowing that
what makes them an underdog in the first place is their
unlikely chances of winning.
And yet, no matter how much we love them, we all too
often abandon them. We all say we’re going to support
our plucky local bookseller, then do all our book-buying
on Amazon. We all declare we’re going to buy local
ingredients from now on, then do our weekly shop at the
supermarket. We all say we’re going to support the small,
gutsy football team that no one’s ever heard of, but instead
end up rallying for the bigger, flashier team that everyone
knows. Because no matter how pure our intentions,

get a good, compliant dog, but we might also get a dog that
could never be tamed. At the time we were hoping to start
a family. What if, we asked ourselves, we ended up with a
wild, unknowable animal that couldn’t live alongside a
newborn? We wouldn’t want to give up on the dog, but then
we wouldn’t want to rock the stability of our family unit.
And so we made what we thought was the best decision
at the time: we would close the door on Famosa but
we would get another dog just like her, except one which
was a safer bet.
Parker is a labradoodle. She came from a loving home
complete with all the privileges a dog that costs a small
fortune should have. But to presume that would make
her an easier addition to our family was wrong. Parker
is the grand love of my life, for sure, but she is also wilful,
complex and prone to bouts of unpredictable aggression.
She is also the exact image of Famosa. Which means every
ultimately sameness wins. Our desire to “go with the
group” is greater than our desire to go against it, while
our belief that safety exists in the familiar is stronger
than our faith in the underdog to ultimately triumph.
Which is why, this issue, we have put Olivia Munn on
our cover – a woman who spoke out, at great cost, about
the rampant sexual misconduct in Hollywood long
before anyone else. For years she was a lone voice in
a world that didn’t want to listen. She was an underdog
fighting a difficult battle, all alone. So now I urge you
to listen. I urge you to listen and to place your bets on
the plucky, unknowable
underdog because sometimes
they’re the surest bet of all.
4 Keep in touch by following
me on Twitter @Farrah_Storr FARRAH STORR
and Instagram @farrahstorr Editor-in-Chief

IT’S Dogs Trust

Sponsor a dog from
as little as £1 a week.
week
Centrepoint Christmas
Success Box
For £250, buy a young
Help Refugees’ Choose
Love project
Buy vital items for
Refuge Festive Parcel
Send a package that
includes tinsel, a tree

CHRISTMAS. A perfect
gift for the
homeless person a room
for a year,
year a study kit
refugees
this winter
and fairy lights
a women’s
g to

SHOW canine-
obsessive.
and dinner.
Centree
on behalf of
your friends
refuge
for £35.

YOU CARE Dogstrust.

org.uk
point.
org.ukk
and family.
Choose.love
Refuge.
org.uk

C O S M O P O L I TA N · 11
 I F I T ’ S H O T A N D H A P P E N I N G , I T ’ S I N H E R E ...
WORDS JENNIFER SAVIN. PHOTOGRAPH LOUISA PARRY. PROP STYLIST JESSICA LOCKETT. ADDITIONAL PHOTOGRAPHS GETTY IMAGES. *TOM FELTON,
CAITLYN JENNER AND MISCHA BARTON AVAILABLE VIA CAMEO.COM. SHAUN WILLIAMSON AND JESSE MCCLURE FEATURE ON CELEBVM.COM

SPECIAL DELIVERY
Fancy having Happy Birthday sung to you by Tom Felton (yes, actual Harry Potter’s Draco Malfoy)?
Or even better, how about Barry from EastEnders? Well, now you can, thanks to websites such
as Cameo, CelebVM and Greetzly, all of which have a catalogue of famous faces willing to record
a message of your choice for a small fee. Pay anything from £12 for Jesse McClure (from Storage
Hunters – no, we have no idea either) and £58 for The OC’s Mischa Barton, all the way up to £777
for Caitlyn Jenner.* So no longer will a Moonpig card suice when it comes to special occasions –
we want a famous face to do the honours or our birthday is oicially cancelled. Thanks, Barry.

C O S M O P O L I TA N · 15

SEEYOUAT...
Because your work-life balance should
When All Is Quiet: Kaiser Chiefs In
Conversation With York Art Gallery, York
What is it? The name of an exhibition that
14th the indie band is launching, which explores
Dec the relationship between art and sound.
Highlights include a silent gig using light,
WORDS DANIELLA SCOTT. PHOTOGRAPHS GETTY IMAGES, LAURENT LIOTARDO, DANI BECK, HELEN MAYBANKS, RICHARD HAUGHTON, DINTAIFUNGUSA/INSTAGRAM
The Nutcracker,
London
What is it? Tchaikovsky’s
classic returns to the London
Coliseum with the English
National Ballet to bring
a little elegance to your
otherwise less-than-
elegant party season.
You’re in safe cultured
hands here.
ÅInsider tip: Check
the website for school
group performances
if you want to avoid
being seated between
squabbling 12-year-olds.
Londoncoliseum.org
5th
Dec
always tip to one side
START
colour and lyrics as well as
a carefully curated set list
to wander around to.
ÅInsider tip: Reserve
a table with a garden
view at the gallery’s Café
No.8 for dinner after. It’s
small
small, so books up fast
fast.
Yorkartgallery.org.uk
13th
Decc
Din Tai Fung
Fung, London
What is it? Where you’ll find
anyone wh ho’s anyone come
Christmas. The first UK restaurant
for the Taiwanese eatery that’s
already an NYC favourite has an
open-concept kitchen, meaning
you can eat their world-famous
steamed pork dumplings right
in the thick of the action.
ÅInsider tip: The Secret
Cocktail, made with plum
pickle, isn’t on the menu, so you
have to ask for it. Knowing
winking not advised.
DATES
FOR YOUR
DIARY
Open
Christmas At Kew, London now
What is it? A spectacular,
Insta-worthy light show created
by artists across the country,
which transforms the gardens
by night. There’s a field of
light, a laser garden and 300
illuminated origami boats on
a lake. Don’t panic: there’s
mulled wine and mince pies, too.
ÅInsider tip: Book for a Wednesday
cheaper
or Thursday: tickets are che
and they’re the quietest day ys.
Kew.org Don Quixote,
London
What is it? Watch
Open Shameless’s Frank Gallagher
now (David Threlfall) become
a mad nobleman in this
vibrant RSC take on the
Spanish epic, which has
moved to the West End
from Manchester.
ÅInsider tip: Get there
early to have a drink
on the balcony
overlooking
Charing Cross
Road. Exceptional
people-watching.
Garricktheatre.org
Foundation 4 Change
Change,
Benk + Bo, London
What is it? A super-luxe 1st
beauty sale. Top hair and Dec
make-up artists donate
their unused products, with
w
al price.
everything half its norma
All proceeds (including a £3 door
charge) go to Help Refug gees.
ÅInsider tip: Talk to the
volunteers. The stalls are
manned by catwalk mak ke-up 50%
artists who can advise on
o what off
suits (and what really d
Instagram/@Foundation4Ch
C O S M O P O L I TA N · 17

THE ABC MURDERS
What is it? Agatha Christie
gets a Hollywood makeover
this year with the intense
John Malkovich taking the
helm as BBC One’s brand-
new Hercule Poirot. Set in the
’30s, this case sees him face
a serial killer known only as
ABC. (Harry Potter fans, take
note: Rupert Grint co-stars.)
BBC STUDIOS/LOOKOUT POINT/ROBERT VIGLASKY, HELEN SLOAN SMP SP, NETFLIX ORIGINALS
WORDS MARTHA HAYES. PHOTOGRAPHS GETTY IMAGES, BBC/MAMMOTH/CHARLIE GRAY,
OUTLAW KING
What is it? Chris Pine goes
all Braveheart for his role
as Robert The Bruce in this
Netflix drama: the true story
of how he seized the crown
in medieval Scotland.
Directed by Hell Or High
Water’s David MacKenzie.
Why should I watch it?
Stabbings, hangings and
Whatever you fancy bingeing on this Chriistmas,
we’ve got the biggest shows all wrapped
Why should I watch it?
Because no one does “creepy
with a dash of genius” like
Malkovich, and the baddie is
named after a Jackson 5 song.
Watch it with... Your gran.
Although prepare yourself
for her asking “What
happened to David Suchet?”
every 10 minutes.
full-frontal nudity – it will
make your own life feel
like an episode of Gilmore
Girls. Which can only be
a good thing.
Watch it with... That cousin
you struggle with. Trust us,
this dark, dark show will
fill those awkward silences
like nothing else.
d up
TORVILL AND DEAN
What is it? Explores their
sordid love affair... we jest.
This two-hour ITV drama,
from the writer of Burton
And Taylor, examines the
humble beginnings of the
ice-skating legends – tiffs
and all. Ackley Bridge’s
Poppy Lee Friar and
Humans’ Will Tudor star.
LES MISERABLES
What is it? The French classic
gets sexed up by the team
behind the BBC’s 2016
adaptation of War And Peace.
Starring Dominic West, Olivia
Colman and Lily Collins.
Why should I watch it? It’s
broken up into six parts so,
unlike the 2013 film, you won’t
risk deep vein thrombosis.
Why should I watch it?
Forget Dancing On Ice,
there’s a lot more to
this pair than skates
and tan tights.
Watch it with... Your mum,
reminiscing about that
time she *almost* figure-
skated for the county
((read:
d hher village).
ill )
Still scarred from Russell
Crowe’s singing? You’ll be
pleased to hear he’s nowhere
to be seen (or heard).
Watch it with... Mates. This
BBC version isn’t a musical,
so whack the film soundtrack
on Spotify for a singalong
after. Wearing French
Revolutionary ruffles: optional.
C O S M O P O L I TA N · 19
 Kurt Russell in Netflix’s
The Christmas Chronicles
has inspired us to look
back at the A-list Santas
– from hot to, well, not

INCE VAUGHN SILF (SANTA I'D

Fred Claus (2007) LIKE TO F*CK)
Saint Nick’s big brotherr,,
red, is called on to sa
the big m
ed
end
RM ALAR
sting over
ounger th t b t ,
arb.
meaning he rocks that
♥
his
h dad-bod. He’s got sa as c w an
ng
a five-o’clock shadow – y
hmt ep es or

Bad Santa (2003)

A sex-addict-turned-mall-Santa usess
his costume to carry out thiev TIM AL e Santa Clause (1994)
♥ CHARM ALARM: BBT is a w s divorced dad,
to say the least. His salt-and-p urders Mr Claus and
hair and aloofness are a plus, to the role to ensure
a little difficult to see past the moment Chri tmas goes ahead.
he dry-humps a pinball machine. ♥ CHARM ALARM: It’s all in
th
he “dad-next-door” charisma
h ffle-able hair and sexy
. And at one point he
a giant red onesie –
IIM BRR s not to love?

Get Santa (2014)

s incompetent Mr Claus crashes RICHARD ATTENBOR O UGH
i l i th d p
Mi acle O 34th St ee 994

WORDS KATE PASOLA. PHOTOGRAPHS GETTY IMAGES, ALAMY, COMEDY CENTRAL. *SORRY, MRS CLAUS
che
he ks and tiny spectacles are
ang age a s rp e f om th you g
adorable, but ala
de f a
deaf actor
to so
o he
her reaction
e c o was real
more “miscellan f
♥ HARM ALARM g ti g
arr t ” t eo

LIKE TO CUDDLE) y y

ost eli lawsuit

FOR
Giver, not a tak ous sta
Santa’s a great g known fo
buyer, has 364 d ll night to
of annual leave and owns e impossible. in e - operates a moving vehicle. wo en on o is lap.
some ice-cool real estate. bio gold, if you ask us. DUI risk = high. #wesensealawsuit

20 · C O S M O P O L I TA N
 These books will
make you
smarter
Clever-clogs non-fiction for a head
start on your New Year resolutions
THE GREEN ONE
Climate
Justice
Mary Robinson
Who’s it for? Those of us
who plan on ditching plastic
in the New Year.
In a nutshell: Through the
stories of those most affected
by it, Robinson – former
President of Ireland and United
Nations High Commissioner –
breaks down the true effects of
climate change, and why we
should all be very worried.
How easy is it to read? Easy
as (organic, vegan) pie. The
WORDS CATRIONA INNES. PHOTOGRAPHS SHUTTERSTOCK
facts become more clear, and
easier to digest, when they’re
put into real-life scenarios.
Most interesting fact: The Yupik
people of Alaska have dozens of
words for ice. But recently one
word – tagneghneq, used to
describe dark, dense ice – has
disappeared. Why? Quite simply
because that sort of ice is rarely
seen any more. It’s rapidly
melting, literally under the
feet of those who live there.
Bloomsbury, £15.29
THE TECH ONE
Turned On: Science,
Sex And Robots
Kate Devlin
Who’s it for? Fans of Humans,
Westworld and I, Robot. Or
anyone who’s ever enjoyed
a flirtation with Alexa.
In a nutshell: Tracing a path
from the beginning (sex toys
have been found that date back
to the Middle Ages) right up to
today (with silicon sex robots
going into production), Devlin
takes us through the AI
revolution and its potential
impact on our relationships.
How easy is it to read?
Depends how interested you
are in the subject. Devlin has
a relaxed, chatty tone, but if
technology turns you off, then
this one isn’t for you.
Most interesting fact:
JH Kellogg was a prominent
anti-masturbation campaigner
and he initially invented
cornflakes as a bland diet
to help people resist such
urges. We kid you not.
Bloomsbury, £16.99
THE NEWSY ONE
Breaking News:
The Remaking Of
Journalism And Why
It Matters Now
Alan Rusbridger
Who’s it for? People who are sick
and tired of Trump saying “fake
news” about 200 times a day.
In a nutshell: Rusbridger was
editor-in-chief of The Guardian
from 1995 to 2015 and witnessed
a huge upheaval in how we
consume our news (hello, the
internet; hello, social media).
Here he outlines his career, while
arguing why we need (proper)
journalism today more than ever.
How easy is it to read? You’ll
need a strong coffee beforehand:
there’s a lot to take in.
Most interesting fact: When
Facebook launched, it was widely
dismissed by those “in the know”
who said it could never beat
MySpace’s success. Rupert
Murdoch described it as “more
of a utility” and disputed the
idea that it was worth $10 billion.
Canongate, £20
THE WORK ONE
Hyperfocus: How To Work
Less And Achieve More
Chris Bailey
Who’s it for: Those who flit
from important project to
Instagram to ASOS to Twitter
all day, every day.
In a nutshell: Productivity
expert Bailey has delved deep
into the science behind focus
and how we can apply that
in an age when we’re more
distracted than ever before.
How easy is it to read? Bailey
is a TED Talk king and you can
tell – this book pulls in lots
of personal experience to
keep you engaged.
Most interesting fact: Studies
show that we do the greatest
number of routine tasks (those
dull ones you have to do but
don’t want to) on Thursdays.
Therefore it’s best to stick to
the pattern, nickname the day
“maintenance day” and get
boring stuff done then, rather
than letting it distract you
throughout the week.
Pan Macmillan, £12.99
C O S M O P O L I TA N · 23
 THE
MOTOR MATRIX
Some of the world’s most iconic cars have been reimagined as modern-day chariots with
sound systems. Here’s how to work out which one has your name written on the windscreen

HIPSTEROMETER TER SCORE

T URBAN SWAG Over 1,000
6/10 Less hipster, fibre-optic lights
more fash-un. Tracey create a glittering BOOT LOOT?
Emin has designed a night sky in the Oh, so big.
limited-edition Fiat 500,
00 WAG
SW roof, so it’s basically
Oh, only the Space for
as have Gucci and Diesel. a planetarium Kim K,
small matter on wheels.
of an ivory JLo, their
respective
iF at 500 Spiaggina ’58
A-LIST roll-down
entourages
ADMIRERS soft top, plus A-LIST
Lu m i na r
Wraithlls-Royce y
and Parker
Jackie O, a dashboard ADMIRERS
from
Grace Kelly,
Gok Wan,
screen that
mirrors your
Gwen
Stefani,
Ro Thunderbirds
phone so you – to chauffeur
Ella Eyre, Lady Gaga,
can switch you home,
Sam Cam Jennifer
playlists and of course.
and Elle Lopez
Macpherson.
p check texts and Kim
safely. Kardashian.
BOOT LOOT It has
HIPSTEROMETER
185 litres of space
(car-speak for enough
h From 10/10 SCORE This, or Price on
Aperol to keep you £18,100 -250. Nothing says “capitalist
trappings of wealth” like a
application
If you need
and your mates goingg Monthly finance
from £199 Rolls-Royce. But it is British- to ask…
till New Year).
made so technically… artisana al?

TRES CHIC SO SOLID

MOSA©2017 FCA US LLC, BENEDICT CAMPBELL, FIAT GROUP AUTOMOBILES. *AT TIME OF GOING TO PRESS
HIPSTEROMETER SCORE SWAG A heated steering wheel,
From 1/10 Not so much – it still BOOT LOOT? and the added benefit of looking

WORDS SHOSHANA GOLDBERG. PHOTOGRAPHS GETTY IMAGES, SHUTTERSTOCK/REX, BACKGRID/

like the lost cast member of
£19,245
Monthly finance
looks like it belongs to your
auntie Sue and has been
Massiiivvve.
You could SAS: Who Dares Wins.
from £225 on more than one trip to tuck Bear
Hobbycraft in recent weeks. Grylls up with
WAG
SW A-LIST
J e e p W ra n g l e r
Ant Middleton
Intuitive ADMIRERS
A-LIST
ADMIRERS
Ford Fiesta ST voicee
and still have
room for Beyoncé
control
t l means your Hunter and Jay-Z,
Jodie Kidd you can talk to wellies. David
and Keeley your navigation Beckham,
Hawes system, or say Ciara and
“I’m hungry” Amber Rose.
to bring up
a list of local
restaurants.
restau
HIPSTEROMETER SCOR RE
BOOT LOOT Definitely more
(And by
restauurants, 7/10 Nothing says hipster
we mean power-play
than the old Fiesta, so en
nough
ando’s.)
Nan better than
for all the crap you “need
d” to
take home for Christmas – and
whipping From
Lewis Hamilton, if you fan
ncied.
off the roof £44,495
Monthly finance
and doors
RURAL of your 4x4. TBC*

24 · C O S M O P O L I TA N
 MY Podcast you last listened to?
The Two Shot Podcast with Craig Parkinson.
It’s great interviewing – like you’re
having tea with them in your front room.

Song that gets you dancing?

LIFE
Don’t Stop Believin’ by Journey.

Last Instagram follow?

Tuppence Middleton, who’s
working on the Downton Abbey film
with me. She has a gajillion followers.

What’s on your workout playlist?

Actor Allen Leech shares
I use Spotify’s Discover Weekly. At
what’s keeping him one point I must have liked a German
entertained this month song because now the algorithm
has decided “We’d better give Allen
First thing you read in the morning? some classic German hits!”
BBC News or The Guardian website.
Favourite emoji?
Last TV binge The thinker. I like to use it
session? Frasier – I’m instead of a question mark.
a big fan. My fiancée
[actress Jessica Blair Last thing you bought? A blue
Herman] and I also have grandfather shirt from my friend
the whole Friends gang on in Oliver Spencer, who is a designer.
the background every night.
Go-to takeaway dish?
App you can’t live without? A hungover breakfast
AS TOLD TO KATE PASOLA. PHOTOGRAPHS GETTY IMAGES, © 2017 DISNEY PIXAR ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

Elevate brain training. It’s full of games of burritos or grilled

and puzzles to build mental capacity, and cheese from Joan’s
reminds you when you haven’t done it, On Third in LA.
which makes you feel really guilty.
Most recent Google search?
Last film that made
m you cry? The hotel I’ll be staying in while
bout those of
Coco. It’s all ab we film [Downton] in Oxford.
the past being forgotten.
That got me. Wallpaper on your phone?
Myself and my fiancée dancing at
Ever been starstruck? my cousin’s wedding in Ireland.
[My Bohemian Rhapsody co-star] Rami Malek
took me to see U2 in LA, and on the way Last thing you do before bed?
in, the security guard said,“You just missed My fiancée has just got me into
t ” Rami was like, “We’ll see him
Brad Pitt. a skincare regime from Kiehl’s
inside.” I e ed up watching called Age Defender. Maybe she’s
the concert alongside trying to defend me from the
him,
hi AsA ton onslaught of wrinkles?
Kutcher and
Donaald Catch Allen in Bohemian Rhapsody,
Gloveer.
e in cinemas now

C O S M O P O L I TA N · 25
 OM PASS
t he C
s mon th …
ion t h i
a l dir ect
l t u r
ri ght cu
y o u i n the
g
Pointin
OA T
R B
N G OU P O W E R L E AT H E R
T I
FLOA Time to channel
your inner sexy soffa:
H A I R G LU E this season, everyone
Monat Rejuvabeads from McQueen
Split End Mender† to Tod’s trotted P E T-N U P S
saves you dollar leather dresses As in a pre-nup for
between haircuts down the runway in canines, felines and
by literally sealing abundance. Fit and other furry friends.
your split ends FANTASTIC BEASTS 2 length are debatable Apparently one in
back together. It’s Need some – attitude essential. 20 animal-sharing
a hairy kind of Dumbledore in your couples have signed
magic and we are life now it’s nearly up for one.‡ An
B R A I N-B O G G L E al favour. Christmas, but fully excellent way to
T R E ATS avoid a cat fight

WORDS JENNIFER SAVIN. PHOTOGRAPHS GETTY IMAGES. *£14, CHOCONCHOC.CO.UK. †£38, CORP.MYMONAT.COM/SHOP. ‡ACCORDING TO
exhausted those
Choc On Choc’s* Harry Potter DVDs? should you split.
“Camembert” looks Strap in for the Sorry.
exactly like a wheel

DULTS IN A RELATIONSHIP WHO HAVE AT LEAST ONE PET

antastic Beasts
of cheese, but is quel, in cinemas
actually creamy 16th November.
R S HIP
white chocolate
NG OU
I
SINK
with a gooey
middle. Deliciously
confusing. A N T I-R A D I AT I O N
PA N TS
These Spartan-
designed men’s briefs
EDIBLE WRAPPERS have silver fibres
Branches of KFC threaded throughout
in China now have to block phone and RESEARCH CONDUCTED BY MAGUIRE FAMILY LAW ON 1,254 AD
MO RRISSEY MISERRY Wi-Fi radiation,
BRUNCH CRASHERS
burger wrappers
The controversial When a pal arrives at
that are made from which apparently
Prince Of Despair the restaurant with
edible paper. Good kills off sperm.
strikes again, as her new boyfriend/
for the environment, Save your cash, lads.
K R I S PY-K R E M E L I P S the subject of obscure childhood
sure, but appetising?
ii ? (Actual pants not pictured)
Crazy beauty-blogger photographer pal/a three-legged
Fingerr-
trend alert: a thick Kevin Cummins’ horse she found
lickin’
sticky glaze of layered new book Morrissey: en route. Welcomed
not so
lipgloss that looks Alone And Palely if it’s a party, not
much,
good enough to eat, Loitering. Funny so much if you’ve
thankss.
but basically gums if he wasn’t pencilled in one-
your mouth shut. being serious. on-one time.

28 · C O S M O P O L I TA N
 Because
sometimes
life is
stranger
than
fiction

HOLY
MACKEREL
CURRANT AFFAIR
When I was 18 I went
on a first date and, super-
SOB STORY
excited to see mackerel pâté on Sometimes I practise crying on When I was seven
the menu, ordered a portion demand in the mirror, and once my years old, I managed
and got stuck in with some
new boyfriend caught me doing it. I was to get a raisin stuck
bread. My double-dipping
must have been out of control mortified, so I saidmy dog had died (I’ve so far inside my
because, halfway through, my never had one). We’re now engaged, nasal cavity that my
date leaned over and quietly
enquired, “Aren’t you going and my parents are always baffled parents eventually
to use your knife and fork?” at the mention of our late puppy. had to take me to
ALICE, 24, ACCOUNT TONI, 26, CREATIVE RECRUITMENT hospital, where
MANAGER, LONDON CONSULTANT, LONDON I ended up having
TAKE A SEAT
I once got drunk before a date and, midway through, started claiming to be a big deal at my rugby
surgery to get
club. When my date challenged me on it, I tried to style it out, casually leaning on the back of my
chair. Unfortunately it was a stool, and I flew backwards onto the floor, kicking her in the face.
it removed.
JACK, 26, RECRUITER, MANCHESTER FFION, 24, ARTIST’S
ASSISTANT, WALES

30 · C O S M O P O L I TA N
 FOOT FOR
THOUGHT
EAT YOUR WORDS
On the Tube recently
I saw a woman take
WHAT THE PECK
MY FRIEND SET ME UP ON
PHOTOGRAPHS ANTONIO PETRONZIO. HAIR AND MAKE-UP AMI PENFOLD, USING LAURA

While backpacking with male

MERCIER; MIA MUZHDAH, USING MAC COSMETICS, BOTH AT LHA REPRESENTS. STYLING

off her trainers and furiously

BLIND DATE, AND THOUGH
scratch her feet, which were friends in China, we ended up in a THE GUY TURNED OUT TO BE
MAKEDA STAIR. WITH THANKS TO THE HOXTON HOTEL (THEHOXTON.COM)

covered in athlete’s foot. Then

she stood up to get off, holding dodgy hotel, where our “suite” was DULL, I SAW HIM TWICE MORE,
onto the rail all the way out of
the carriage. I’ve never touched
a windowless basement with SENDING OUR FRIEND PITHY
camp beds. The boys went off UPDATES. SADLY SHE WAS
the interior of a train since.
LEAKING MY COMMENTARY
CAMERON, 22, SALES to negotiate for a better room, BACK TO HIM, SO ON DATE
ASSISTANT, COVENTRY
returning with the news that we’d THREE HE LOST HIS RAG AND
SPREAD EEK-GLE
I was interviewing a woman for
get an upgrade – if I kissed the BELLOWED AT ME ACROSS
a job, and when I asked why hotel manager. In the end it was THE TABLE THAT I WAS USING
HIM FOR THE FREE FOOD. IN
she wanted the role, she said,
“I just really want to spread my a stern word with him, rather than FAIRNESS,HEWASN’T WRONG.
legs.” I think she meant wings.
TIM, 30, DJ, SHEFFIELD
a snog, that got us a new room. AMELIA, 22, BEAUTY
ALEX, 32, MARKETING MANAGER, EDINBURGH WRITER, ESSEX

C O S M O P O L I TA N · 31
WORDS INGEBORG VAN LOTRINGEN. DIGITAL ARTWORK GREG MEESON. RADARA, £165 (TWO-MONTH SUPPLY, SKINORACLE.COM). BEAUTY PIE HYALURONIC ACID MICRONEEDLE
PATCHES, £24.50 (10 PAIRS, MEMBER’S PRICE). VICHY MICRO HYALU PATCHES, £20 (ONE PAIR). MEDIK8 R-RETINOATE REJUVENATING EYE SYSTEM, £110 (ONE-MONTH SUPPLY)

LOOKING SHARP
Eye-needling patches should pique your p-interest (sorry). They may pose as regular undereye patches, but
Radara’s feature thousands of miniscule polymer micro-“needles” that open channels in your skin via which
the accompanying hyaluronic acid (HA) serum can travel double-deep. Clinicals show an average of 35%
improvement in lines. Beauty Pie and Vichy’s mini pin cushions feature prickly structures made of dissolvable
HA that literally push the moisture into your undereye bags. And Medik8’s Eye System combines this with
its award-winning retinoid eye serum, with hard-living-erasing results. Beauty: it’s not for wimps.

33
TRY THE
TREND
BRIGHT
SPARK
The quick (and clever) way to add some
colour to your hair this season
1 SPRAY MY
MANE
DIFFICULTY 1.5/3
Lo and behold, our A/W 18
Christmas-party hairdo
inspiration comes… in
a can?! And according
to Tina Farey, editorial
director at Rush, recreating
the look is as simple as it
sounds. The trick for truly
popping colour? Be ruthless.
Grab a vibrant pink spray-
on hair colour and go to
town on your locks, making
sure to work in sections
and spray every strand
thoroughly (brunettes
should do this twice).
Fancy going the whole
hog? “Have some fun with
chopstick styling tongs
to get a ringlet-like curl
before you get spraying,
then brush the hair out for
more volume and to give
it a softer edge,” says Farey.
Run some gel through the
front of the hair and twist
outwards for a crispy-
looking fringe. Party on.
34 · C O S M O P O L I TA N
MIU MIU A/W 18
1
Bleach London
of your neck and temples.
Then chop it to chin length
JEREMY SCOTT A/W 18
Well Gel, £5.99
WORDS JO TAYLOR. PHOTOGRAPHS GETTY IMAGES, JASON LLOYD-EVANS. FUDGE PROFESSIONAL AVAILABLE AT LOOKFANTASTIC.COM.
and the fringe to just above
your eyebrows. You’ll look
Party
out of this world.
Pieces
3
Schwarzkopf
Live Colour Glam Wig STREAK
in Lilac,
Spray in
£8.99
ME, BABY
2
Candy Pink,
PARTY PIECES AVAILABLE AT PARTYPIECES.CO.UK. BLEACH LONDON AVAILABLE AT CULTBEAUTY.CO.UK
DIFFICULTY 1/3
£4.50
If a full mane of colour
Scunci
Comfort No isn’t your thing, take notes
2 GETTING
WIGGY
DIFFICULTY 3/3
Make like Gigi and cause
a stir with this sci-fi neon
Slip Grip Pins,
£3.29
from Marc Jacobs A/W 18
and use a sneaky pop of
pigment to frame your face
instead. Create a deep side-
parting and “section off the
Fudge
number. The key to nailing Professional
fuller side of the hair with
Lee Stafford
this look is prepping the Paintbox Hair The Original clips, so you have control
hair so the wig sits properly. Colourant in Chopstick over where you apply the
Pink Riot, Styler Curling
“Section the hair down the £10.95
colour,” says Farey. On the
Wand, £19.99
middle and plait two Dutch opposite side, use a tinting
braids [think Kim K at the brush (you’ll find these on
gym] tight to the scalp.
Wrap them into two buns
3 Ebay or Amazon) to apply
a temporary colour cream
MARC JACOBS A/W 18
and pin into place with hair along the hairline, behind
grips,” says Farey. Next, pull a the ear and to the base of
fringed, fluorescent lilac wig the neck – coating every
over your head and secure strand from root to tip. Let
with hair grips at the base it dry, brush it out and enjoy.
 S u b s c r i b e t o
COSMOPOLITAN
DIGITAL EDITION FOR JUST £12
FOR ONE YEAR! JUST
£1
AN ISSUE

AVAILABLE ON THE THESE DEVICES:

HEARSTMAGAZINES.CO.UK
OR VISIT ANY OF THESE STORES
 INGE HAS
ISSUES
Cosmopolitan’s beauty director INGEBORG VAN LOTRINGEN gets some things off her chest

What’s the deal with … PERSONAL SHOPPER

Guilt-free packaging? OBSESSED

✱ Hourglass Caution
The planet is quite literally disappear, or be made smaller, Extreme Lash Mascara,
choking on our waste. So why, as will pots. Wastrel samples, £25 It’s rare that
then, aren’t all beauty products sachets and sheet masks a new mascara
housed in recycled packages? are out. Compacts and jars gets a place in

PHOTOGRAPHS GETTY IMAGES. *PRICE IS FOR MEMBERS. NON-MEMBER PRICE IS £32. LOVE BEAUTY AND PLANET AT BOOTS. BRAMLEY AT BRAMLEYPRODUCTS.CO.UK
1. It’s expensive Some will be less heavy and my make-up
brands do use recycled glam, with no metal bag, but this
plastic bottles, but they elements that make big-lash, clump-
cost 10 times as much plastic unrecyclable free, smudge-
to produce – and – so less of a free one has.
inevitably some satisfying “click”
companies will when you shut
pass those costs them. Light is IMPRESSED
on to the the new luxe! ✱ Aveda Cherry
consumer. 3. It’ll seem like Almond Softening
2. They’ll look you’re getting less Shampoo, £15.50
different Recycled plastic bottles derived With the smaller packs, it may feel that Bubbles that
from multicoloured waste plastic, like way, but in most cases it’s the amount won’t strip
the “ocean plastic” picked up on beaches, of heavy glass bottoms and other your hair and
look a bit murky or grey. Use more than “luxury” packaging tricks being removed scalp, nourish
20%, and the result will be black and – not the actual content. It’s all about weightlessly with
rough. Plus, the plastic is not as solid or positive adjustment. Outlawing free plant oils, and
hard as we’re used to, making bottles a plastic bags reduced that problem smell of cherry
bit wobbly and cheap-feeling. The same in the UK by 90% in two years, so bakewells. Sold.
will go for recyclable lids and pumps, small changes have impact!
which are on the way. Chic boxes will 4. Should we demand it? Yes. Yes. Yes.

REDUCED, RECYCLED, RECLAIMED

REN Atlantic Kelp
And Magnesium Body
Wash, £22 Murky bottle,
but 100% eco-sound.
NON-PLUSSED
✱ Botox, from
£99 at Superdrug
Well-regulated
and administered
by qualified nurses
to those aged 25
or over. Still, Botox
and fillers in
Love Beauty & Planet Beauty Pie Shimmer Bramley Hand Wash, your twenties
Hope And Repair hair Bar, £7.47* Chic despite £42 for 1 litre
mask, £9.99 A peel-off missing a gold-foil-and- Jumbo  Recycled  shouldn’t be
label makes it recyclable. metal-overshell exterior. Refillable  Amazing  normalised!

36 · C O S M O P O L I TA N
 Kenzo Flower by
Kenzo Red Edition
Calvin Klein EDT, £54 (50ml)
Women EDP, A salty-musky
£57 (50ml) floral that smells
Bright, zesty and oddly like suntan
peppery, this will lotion. In a very
Mizensir Celebes wake everyone good way.
Wood EDP, £175 up on the 6am
(100ml) Spice, commute.
vanilla, cinnamon
and patchouli.
Warning: you may
want to eat your
own pulse points.
Sana Jardin
Sandalwood Temple
EDP, £95 (50ml)
Like a cardamom
panna cotta without

Hot
the calories, this
is one soft and
sweet operator.

Burberry Her
EDP, £96 (100ml)

right
A jammy hit of
blackberry, blueberry
and raspberry with a
powdery, musky base.

Jean Paul Gaultier

now!
Classique EDT, £86
(100ml) Proving
that Kim K’s booby-
torso perfume was
Hermès Terre NOT that original,
d’Hermès Eau here’s JP’s classic
Intense Vétiver in its latest get-up.
EDP, £65 (50ml)
No, it’s not
just for men
After a new signature Le Labo Tonka
– anyone who
loves the clean
whiff? Try these nostril 25 EDP, £125
(50ml) Vanilla
understatement
of earthy vetiver
seducers on for size smoke. Sounds
rank, smells
WORDS INGEBORG VAN LOTRINGEN, JO TAYLOR. PHOTOGRAPHS LUCKY IF SHARP

will go gaga. gorgeous.

Jo by Jo Loves Gucci Bloom Nettare di

EDP, £70 (50ml) Fiori EDP, £109 (100ml)
The queen of the Smells like a damp
grapefruit scent garden in full bloom:
reinterprets it for floral, fresh and woody.
some much-needed
winter sunshine.
Ralph Lauren Woman
by Ralph Lauren EDP,
LOV E Cartier Carat EDP, £69 (50ml) A slightly
sweet yet grown-up
+ 2 01 8+ £112 (100ml)
Smells of fresh blend of powerful
water and air. tuberose and deep
When you see beauty sandalwood. Made
Trust us – this is a
products with this logo for major meetings.
really good thing.
anywhere, you can be
guaranteed they are
Cosmopolitan-beauty-
team-approved. C O S M O P O L I TA N · 37
My year in
What have the past 12 months of product trials, hardcore treatments and expert insights
Photographs SARAH BROWN
 Beauty Director
INGEBORG
VAN LOTRINGEN
found 2018 brought
a skincare revolution

T 
his was the year when
near-professional-
strength skincare
became available to
the masses. Never before
have we been confronted
with so many new products,
procedures and ingredients
we can actually afford.
Breathless online tutorials
have us slapping on way too
many super-strength actives
in no particular order. In
Superdrug a bottle of hair
glitter now comes with a
side of £99 lip filler, while
10% AHA peels and 30%
vitamin-C serums (once
the preserve of clinics) are
a dime a dozen. It’s a world
where no one could be
blamed for thinking
you can’t overdose on
beauty. But, dear reader,
I’m afraid you can.
Reactive of skin as I am,
I’ve spent my 20-year career
in beauty dodging most of
the treatments brands beg
me to review not because
I’m an ungrateful cow,
but because unexpected

beauty
reactions to mystery
ingredients have been
all too frequent. Also, I’m
Calvinistically suspicious of
non-surgical treatments like
Botox and lasers, figuring
that if you feck with nature
too much, there’s probably
going to be a backlash.
But I do need to write
with authority about
whatever’s big in beauty.
taught Cosmopolitan’s glam squad? Quite a lot, it turns out… Plus, to be honest, I’m i

C O S M O P O L I TA N · 39
increasingly desperate to enthusiastically (while
delay encroaching face acknowledging one person’s
decay. And so I succumbed aggravation is the next’s
to the lure of cosmetic gentle stimulation), it’ll hit
doctors and double-digit- back in inexplicable ways.
percentage serums. Thankfully, the other big
Bad idea. Via a spate of skincare story of 2018 was
welts and rashes, bruises about calming and healing
and haematomas and oh, aggravated skin. Probiotics
a minor skin cancer on are the skin-cosseting new
my nose, I arrived at my frontier, and light, fatty-acid-
current state of acne, or rich oils like jojoba are
more precisely acne rosacea, having a real moment.
a pimply inflammatory Treatment-wise, I’m
condition that “no one block-booking LED light
understands the and cryotherapy
origins of” (says the INGE’S NEW sessions. Their key
dermatologist). I’ve DISCOVERIES purpose, to quell
been dry-skinned inflammation,
and spot-free all my 1 2
3 is le dernier cri
life, so this does not in anti-ageing,
make sense, but as inflammation
there it is, all over is at the heart of
my bloody face, at every degenerative Beauty Editor marketing, advertising
age, er, 40+. So are 1 Gallinée Face condition (yes, CASSIE POWNEY and packaging, and put
all those treatments Vinegar, £19.90 2 that includes saw a seismic shift in its money into beautifully
terrible, and is MV Organic Skincare wrinkles). crafted, original juices that
Pure Jojoba, £31 the perfume world
skincare toxic? Not 3 Dr Dennis Gross Meanwhile, I’ll don’t result in rent arrears.
at all. What it does DRx SpotLite just have to make And it couldn’t have come
Acne Treatment

A
mean is that if you peace with pizza royal wedding, weeks
Device, £58
aggravate skin too face. Brilliant. of solid sunshine and
World Cup hysteria
aside, for beauty
geeks like me, this will
forever be remembered
as the year that niche
fragrance became
accessible. Once hidden
away in so-hip-it-hurts
central-London boutiques,
with price tags to make you
gag, the likes of Byredo,
Le Labo and countless
other uber-cool fragrance
brands were strictly
reserved for the rich and
initiated only. But this year,
brave, high-quality scents
found a different way to
stumble bleary-eyed into
the public domain. How?
Look up Floral Street, a
brand that cut out excessive
at a better time for this
identity-confused beauty
editor, because after a
decade in the industry
spent spritzing mouth-
watering gourmands,
happy florals and heady
chypres, I still hadn’t found
The One. But signature-
scent wearers know who
they are, right? They’ve
got their sh*t together. I’d
tried revisiting some old
favourites, but they dragged
me back somewhere so
bygone I almost lost my
balance. The liquorice-
and-cherry-laced Lolita
Lempicka I blew my wages
on as an 18-year-old chalet
girl in the French Alps;
the potent Thierry Mugler
Angel I splashed on during
my carefree twenties; the i

C O S M O P O L I TA N · 41
musky Narciso Rodriguez
Narciso that wafted down
the aisle with me on my
wedding day. Happy times,
but a me I barely recognise
any more. So why couldn’t
I discover something new?
The generic Eau de Sugar
being churned out by the
brands I once leaned on
for something that set
me apart from the rest
wasn’t cutting it. I wanted
a complex juice that got
people’s noses twitching
when I walked into a room,
goddamnit! My personal
perfume liberation came
when I signed up to
Sniph, the niche fragrance
subscription box that sends
you a different off-the-radar
8ml fragrance every month.
The founders admit their
aim was to disrupt the
traditional fragrance
industry, spotlighting
independent perfume
houses that previously
sat in the shadows of the
bigger fragrance giants,
and it’s working. A few
months into my Sniph
subscription, I found and
fell in love with Room
1015 Hollyrose (black
leather and rose, yum).
A potential long-term
love affair? Hmm… it’s
complicated. Fragrance
monogamy seems so
futile now I’ve just
stumbled across a whole
new world of smells…
CASSIE’S NEW
DISCOVERIES 1
1 Sniph subscription,
£14 per month
2 Room 1015
Hollyrose EDP,
£115 (100ml)
42 · C O S M O P O L I TA N
Beauty Writer
JO TAYLOR
discovered 101 new
ways with lipstick
O
ver the past few years,
lip trends have
chopped and changed
faster than we can try
them all on. But this year
the relentless waves of
chalky mattes, powder
paints, vinyl oil slicks and
mysterious mousses abated.
What replaced them was a
revolutionary take on the
bog-standard satin lipstick.
And it turns out, it’s not just
for your gran. As they
trickled in, we found that
these new formulations by
the likes of Bourjois, Sisley
and Dior weren’t the
slippery must-reapply-every-
10-minutes formulas of old.
2 These were packed with
sophisticated, lightweight,
high-powered pigment,
with just enough slip to
adding lipstick to my look
might be a little much.
Then, one morning early
this year, a brand rep
unwrapped a chunky,
brown-red lip crayon and
pushed it under my nose.
I was still wearing my cat-
eye liner, but thought, “Why
not?” She was wearing it and
HAIR AND MAKE-UP MUZHDAH LONE/CHEZELLE BEAUTY AT LHA REPRESENTS, USING MAC AND TRESEMME, AND CAMILLA AKEHURST, USING NARS. STYLING LOTTIE FRANKLIN. INGE WEARS TOP, JOSEPH. NECKLACE,
it looked great, so I tried it
on. By the time I reached
ALIGHIERI. BRACELETS AND RINGS, INGE’S OWN. CASSIE WEARS SHIRT, MASSCOB. NECKLACE, ALIGHIERI. GOLD RING (RIGHT HAND), ANIA HAIE. TURQUOISE RING, ASTLEY CLARKE. JO WEARS BLOUSE, JOIE.
my desk 45 minutes later,
three colleagues had told
me they liked my make-up.
EARRINGS AND THIN GOLD RING, ANIA HAIE. NECKLACE AND GOLD RING WITH RED STONE, ASTLEY CLARKE. DR DENNIS GROSS AND MV ORGANIC SKINCARE AVAILABLE AT CULTBEAUTY.CO.UK
Despite spending 15
minutes perfecting my
eyeliner every morning, it
was the lipstick that had
people telling me I looked
chic and polished. I realised
my liner wasn’t a statement
glide on easily and hydrate, any more, and I needed to
yet plenty of staying power. shimmy out of my comfort
No more chapped lips, no
more red teeth.
zone to elevate my look.
My newly inflated ego told
Where do I come into me I needed a red lip to get
this? Well, it might sound noticed. But not the crayon.
silly (being a beauty writer That had my lips dry, rough
and all), but I’ve never been and sore by 2pm.
one for lipstick. I didn’t even Enter: those new satin
have one in my overflowing formulations. I tried a new
make-up bag – but not for one at every opportunity.
lack of trying. Like many Out for dinner with my
women, experience boyfriend, at
taught me that drinks with
almost everything JO’S NEW friends and at
matte would leave DISCOVERIES the summer’s
my chatterbox 2 festivals and Pride
bone-dry within 1 4 celebrations,
3
20 minutes, and I found a new
anything silky confidence.
would slide off Fuelled by the
before I could formula’s comfy
1 Buxom
smack my lips PowerPlump Lip
staying power,
together. So, like Balm in Fiery, £15 I realised the true
any sensible 2 Sisley Le Phyto power of a red
person, I didn’t Rouge in 40, £38
lip. It makes me
3 Bourjois Rouge
compromise, I gave Fabuleux Lipstick in feel more fun
up. Eyeliner has Beauty & The Red, and exciting.
£8.99 4 Kjaer Weis
always been my Lipstick in Sucre,
I’m pretty sure
trademark anyway, £44; refill, £29 it even makes me
and I thought that a better dancer. ◆
 BEAUTY
LAB

Bio-Oil Dry Skin Gel, from £4.99

A slippy, film-forming gel that
some will love and some will
hate. I wouldn’t use it on my face
for fear of breakouts but, teamed
with hydrating heroes shea butter
and urea, it sees off dry patches
on the body pretty sharpish.

Bloom And Blossom Wonder

Balm, £16 Creamy and lavender-
oil-laced, this smoothed my
This month...
DO-IT-ALL
rough patches and made me
want to take a nap. It tastes a
little too perfumed for the lips,
and smells too snooze-inducing
for work (or do I just have a very

L’Oréal Paris Age

suggestible olfactory system?).
For me, this is for bedtime only.

BALMS
Multitaskers that blitz dry hands, rough
Perfect Intensive Re-
Nourish Manuka Honey cuticles and sandpaper skin? Beauty
Miracle Salve, £19.99
This is closer to a editor CASSIE POWNEY got slathering
PHOTOGRAPHS LEO KRUMBACHER/BLAUBLUT/AUGUST, LUCKY IF SHARP

cream texture than

a balm, so it leaves
less tackiness on the
skin. It’s packed with
Editor’s pick...
Aveeno Dermexa Fast &
shea butter, beeswax Long-Lasting Balm, £9.99
and manuka honey Bathing in colloidal oatmeal
(as good at repairing (finely milled oat kernels)
parched skin as it is on has been an eczema fix for
toast), and even left my eons, so capturing that in a
elbows super-smooth. handbag-friendly balm just
makes sense. The velvety
formula makes it the most
user-friendly of the bunch,
and a bit addictive actually.
Deciem Abnomaly Petrowhat??,
£7 (available in four flavours)
This little tube is waging war o
on
petrolatum (petroleum jelly),,
which provides the skin with
a moisture-trapping barrier, but
b
not much else. This is squalanne-
based (plant-derived, with skkin-
identical amino acids). I wassn’t
a fan of the greasy film it left
behind, though. Shame.

C O S M O P O L I TA N · 47
 STRETCH YOUR BODY AND YOUR MIND...

FROZEN FITNESS
Hoping to use the cold weather as an excuse to sack off working
out? Bad news: turns out a drop in temperature helps to burn
fat more effectively, with recent studies showing that chillier
climates activate your brown-fat stores. That may explain why
New Yorkers (who else?) are currently heading to new fitness
studio Brrrn, where yoga, cardio and HIIT classes are all undertaken
at between 7°C and 15°C. The optimal way to get in on the action?
Researchers at the Joslin Diabetes Center say that 15.5°C is the
ideal temperature to train in – not so cold that muscles stiffen,
but chilly enough to reap the benefits. Brrrrilliant…
WORDS JENNIFER SAVIN. PHOTOGRAPH SUN LEE

49
SMASH PARTY
SEASON
The pressure (and constant
partying) that hits at this time
of year can be tough on your
body. Here’s how to have fun
and still come out shining

1
Fight flu
Your new power breakfast?
Butternut squash. Thanks
to its ridiculously high levels
of beta-carotene (which is then
converted into vitamin A), as well
as vitamin C, it’s one big immunity-
boosting, liver-supporting, collagen-
pumping powerhouse. Steam it
and spread it onto gut-friendly
sourdough, then top with nuts
and seeds for a protein hit. Add
a little maple syrup to sweeten.

2
Train smarter
The easiest way to keep
up your fitness when
you’re doing more bar
work than barre work?

HIIT. Research* has
shown that these
workouts (which last around
half a minute, with you working
at maximum capacity) have the
same heart-health and muscle-
tone benefits as longer, moderate-
intensity exercise workouts, even
when participants only exercised
for seven minutes. Do three
sessions a week in December
and you’ll be ready to gym it
hard again in the New Year.
3
Seek out sunshine
While the sun may have
long departed, you still need
a constant hit of vitamin D.
Why? It’s a bone strengthener –
meaning there’s less chance of
breaking something when you fall
out of that club at 3am (bonus) –
and topped-up levels also reduce the
risk of respiratory tract infections.
Try Better You Dlux 3,000 Vitamin D
Oral Spray (£7.99, Holland & Barrett),
while the sun’s in hibernation. Sob.
4
Yeast it up
To stay on top form from
now until 31st December,
embrace a nutritional
yeast, such as Marigold
Engevita Nutritional
Yeast Flakes (£3.49,
Holland & Barrett). These yeasty
flakes (way better than they sound)
are heavy on vitamin B12, which
helps beat fatigue. Sprinkle it over
pasta or mix with olive oil and toss
through veg before roasting. i

C O S M O P O L I TA N · 51

5
Put your best foot forward
Killer heels feeling, well, literally
killer? Figure out your optimum
heel height. Podiatrist Emma
Supple recommends extending your
leg, relaxing the foot and placing a tape
measure from the heel to the ball (ask
a friend to help). Place a vertical pencil
at the ball, then work out the distance
between the end of it and your heel
(imagine it’s the base line of a triangle).
That right there is your ideal heel
height. Dancing never felt so good.
6
Ditch the dips
Beware the buffet salsa. All
that to-ing and fro-ing of
breadsticks can turn dips
into a hotbed of bacteria.
Studies show that you can
catch some grim diseases
from other people’s saliva, including
glandular fever and the flu. So avoid
double-dipped houmous like the
plague. Or, y’know, risk catching one.
52 · C O S M O P O L I TA N
7
Sniff out success
Want to make good
decisions not bad ones
at the office do? Wear
a scent that contains
rosemary – a Northumbria
University study found
that it sharpens your mind. “Target
pulse points, where blood vessels
are closest to the skin and emit
the most heat,” perfume expert
Ruth Mastenbroek tells us.
8
Power up with porridge
Ditch that fry-up – porridge
is your hangover’s new nemesis.
“Oats contain an amino acid
that helps break down toxins produced
by metabolised alcohol, which damage
the liver,” says nutritionist Rob Hobson.
Mix in some Manuka honey (Manuka
Doctor MGO 70, £33.99, Holland &
Barrett) – it has antibacterial properties
– and “top with banana to further
support your liver”, says Hobson.
9
Pop the right pills
Can’t shift that headache?
Choose ibuprofen over
alternatives like aspirin or
paracetamol. Research shows aspirin
can upset your stomach, and drinking
hinders your liver’s capacity to break
down paracetamol. Want to speed
up your recovery before a morning
meeting? A glass of grapefruit juice
will give ibuprofen a helping hand,
advises nutritionist Hannah Richards.
It limits the activity of the enzyme
that breaks down drugs, so they stay
working in your system for longer.
10
Glug your lunch
Skipped breakfast?
Soup for lunch it
is. Specifically, a
salty broth such
as Yaka-mein soup
WORDS GEORGIE LANE-GODFREY. ADDITIONAL WORDS JENNIFER SAVIN. PHOTOGRAPHS LOUISA PARRY. *SPONSORED BY AMERICAN COUNCIL OF EXERCISE
(a beef variety),
which the American Chemical Society
states replenishes potassium and
sodium lost thanks to the diuretic
effects of alcohol. “Any vegetable
broths made with slow-simmered
potatoes, carrots, celery, chard or
greens will do just fine, too,” advises
Dr Alyson Mitchell, professor of
food science and technology at the
University of California, Davis. Added
bonus: the extra salt in it will make
you thirsty, so you’ll be likely to
drink more fluids and rehydrate at
a quicker pace. Well, as long as it’s
not prosecco you’re glugging (again).
11
Battle breakouts
Late nights plus heavy-duty
wining and dining are lethal
for your skin. “The party
season puts your body under a lot of
stress,”says Richards. “Hormones and
digestion are linked, so your skin is a
mirror of your gut.” Minimise damage
by topping up on zinc, calcium,
potassium and magnesium-rich
food. Good sources are 125g low-fat
yoghurt, 1 tbsp almonds, 1 tsp seeds
or half a banana. You’ll be glowing
like a set of fairy lights in no time. ◆
 CALMING

DIGESTION-AIDING

Fancy a break from the MIND-FOCUSING

dancefloor? Throw shapes
on your workout mat instead
CONFIDENCE-
nackered? It’s party season, so probably. Full? See previous answer. BOOSTING
Luckily, there’s a solution for almost all festive-season-related
ailments: yoga. The following moves, created by Rachel Brathen
(AKA the Instagram sensation @yoga_girl), can be done in any order
and chosen depending on how you’re feeling. The bad news?
There’s no yoga position for “pulled someone entirely inappropriate and HORMONE-
am now filled with regret”. Yoga is good, but it can’t perform miracles. REGULATING

WORDS AMY LAWRENSON AND CATRIONA INNES. PHOTOGRAPH LIZZY THOMAS. ILLUSTRATIONS GETTY IMAGES
 Boatpose
STRENGTHENS Abs, back, arms
STRETCHES Arms
1 Sit on the floor, knees bent, feet in
front of you. Walk your toes in towards
you, then lift both legs and extend them.
2 Keep your spine long and sit in a V
position, arms straight in front of you.
Hold for 15-30 seconds, and breathe.
3 Rest and repeat three times.
Theeyeoftheneedle
STRENGTHENS Thighs
STRETCHES Hips, lower back
1 Lying on your back, place your right
foot on the ground and rest your left
ankle on top of your right thigh.
2 Interlacing your fingers at the back of
the right thigh, draw the leg in towards
the chest. Feel the left hip open out while
you lengthen the tailbone into the mat.
Hold for 10 breaths and switch sides.
55
Wildthing
STRENGTHENS Shoulders, upper back
STRETCHES Hips, chest
1 From downward dog, hook your right
leg behind you, bend the knee and
open up the hip. Gently flip over, with
the ball of the foot behind the left knee.
2 Lift up through the hips, letting your
head hang back. Breathe. Engage your
core, then flip back over and repeat on
the other side.
Camelpose
STRENGTHENS Arms, back
STRETCHES Thighs, abs, chest
1 Start on your knees, spacing
them hip-distance apart. Keeping
your inner thighs firm, press your
hips forward. Lean back and hold
your heels. Can’t reach? Place a couple
of books under your hands instead.
2 Gently let your head fall back, and
soften the glutes. Stay for five slow
breaths, or as long as you feel
comfortable. Just don’t get the hump.
Thebutterfly
STRENGTHENS Arms, glutes
STRETCHES Arms
1 Lie down and rest
your legs against the
wall. Wiggle your bum
as close to the wall as you
can. Bend your knees and
bring the soles of your feet together.
Draw your heels towards your sitting bones.
2 Press your palms onto your knees, moving
them closer to the wall to deepen the stretch.
 Jacket, £70,
Asos.co.uk

Sweatshirt, £50, Ellesse Goggles,

£85, Adidas

Jacket, £550,
Pinko

SWEATY BETTY SKI

Helmet, £130,
Oakley

SLOPE &
GLORY
Cool retro pieces that will help you slay at
the slalom (or just the après-ski)
Hat, £24.99,
Salomon

Ski trousers,
£209, Colmar

Headband,
Top, £100,
£25, Arc’Teryx
Kari Traa
Ski suit,
£595, Perfect
Moment

Ski boots,
£500, Salomon
COMPILED BY SOPHIE LEEN

Socks, £30, Jumper, £170,

Mother Of Pearl Dale Of Norway

C O S M O P O L I TA N · 57
 SOMETIMES IT’S WHAT’S ON THE OUTSIDE THAT COUNTS
WORDS AMY BANNERMAN. PHOTOGRAPH LOUISA PARRY. ECLAIRS, WITH THANKS TO BELLE EPOQUE PATISSERIE; BELLEEPOQUE.CO.UK

TREAT YOURSELF
These deliciously OTT, ’80s-inspired ear decos will
Christmassify whatever you’re wearing more effectively than
a paper-crown-and-reindeer-jumper duo. They’ll make you
feel like Joan Collins in her Dynasty heyday, whether you’re
watching the EastEnders Christmas special in your PJs,
walking the dog in your PJs, or going to Tesco in your PJs.
Or you could actually get out of your PJs and wear them to
a party. It’s what Joan would want. Earrings, £12, River Island

C O S M O P O L I TA N · 59
Jacket (outer layer),
£50; trousers, £40,
both Monki. Jacket
(just seen), £299,
Barbour x Margaret
Howell. Jumper, £42,
Urban Outfitters. Hat,
£95, Filson. Earrings,
£10, River Island

THE GREAT
OUTDOORS
Every so often, as rare as a comet, fashion embraces extreme functionality.
A/W 18 is one of those times. Here’s how to be the (warmest) coolest girl around
Senior Fashion Editor
SAIREY STEMP
Photographer
DANIEL FRASER
 SHOP
Trousers, £200
Tara Jarmon
0,
Boots, £3 5,
Fairfa Fa ME NOW
Coat, £100, es,
Cheap £ L e
£15,
Jacket, Monday 1 7
£199,
Barbour

Boots, £165,
Timberland
Jumper, £49,
Warehouse

The country Trousers, £49,

Warehouse
Bumbag,
£22, Eastpak explorer
Jacket, £160,
Liam Gallagher took your granddad to the Finisterre

pub to discuss taking over the fashion

Jumper, £32,
world. Their audacious plan is working
V by Very.
co.uk
Psst... Slip a thin, hooded waterproof layer
under your coat to tick off the season’s trend Coat,
for wearing two jackets at once, then greet £89.99,
Mango
surprise downpours with smug triumph.

Boots,
£135,
Hotter Cap, £18, Tu

Backpack,
Boots,

S
£60, Herschel
Supply £340,
Danner i

Socks, £7,
HJ Hall
Jumper, £185,
Essentiel Scarf,
Antwerp £45,
F&F

Jacket, £75,
River Island

C O S M O P O L I TA N · 61
 Trousers,
£190, GCDS Jumper, £45, Next
at Urban Sweatshirt, £125,
Outfitters Champion at
Urban Outfitterss

Top, £100, Sweatshirt,

Claudie £215, Karl
Pierlot Coat, £30, Jacket, £95,
Lagerfeld
Matalan ASOS Design
x Kaia
at Asos.com

Trainers, £445,
Pierre Hardy

The urban Hat, £89,

Jumper, £245,
Jumper 1234
explorer Me+Em

A fleece and hiking boots are now highly

Bumbag,
acceptable bar-wear, though crampons may £29, Urban
still vex even the most lenient doorman… Outfitters

Psst... Go a size up when buying your

autumn/winter stompers so you can pop
on some on-trend old-school hiking socks
inside. Those boys are bulky.
Sandals, £160,
Maison Kitsuné

Hat, £30, Coat, £150, Trousers, £80,

Dickies Lazy Oaf Champion at
Urban Outfitters
Boots,
£68, Urban Sweatshirt,
Outfitters £50, Umbro

Sandals, £170,
Suicoke at
Scarf, £89.95, Farfetch.com
Scotch & Soda Backpack,
£260, Diesel

62 · C O S M O P O L I TA N
Jacket, £82; boots,
£68, both Urban
Outfitters. Jumper,
£59, Cheap Monday.
Belt (just seen), £26,
Topshop. Trousers,
£30, River Island.
Bag, £32, Topshop i
Coat (outer layer), £89;
skirt, £55, both Studio
by Preen at Debenhams.
Jacket, £75, Herschel
Supply. Shirt, £69.95,
Barbour Beacon. Tights,
£37, Wolford. Earrings,
£6, George. Bag, £50,
Kavu at Urban Outfitters.
Trainers, £225, Ash
 Coat,
£250,
Diesel
Skirt, £155,
Essentiel Coat, £30,
Antwerp Matalan

Backpack,
£209, Radley
x Sanderson

Jacket, £110,
Lazy Oaf

Hat, £14.99, Boots,

Lindex £95,
Vans

Top, £65, Berghaus

The feminine
explorer
Sweater,
£145,
Pretty and winter-proof? We’re on board. Brora
Beret, £12, Wish list: a floral-print puffa, plenty of
Dorothy Perkins pastels and a beret, nonchalantly worn

Psst... Mix a pretty dress with thick wool

tights and hiking boots for fashion’s favourite
way to conquer a commute in Beast-From-
The-East conditions. (Carrying your heels Coat, £370,
Jumper, Essentiel Antwerp
to work is what backpacks are for, yes?)
£280,
Sandro
Jumper, Coat, £120,
£35, M&S Regatta
on
Collection

Poncho,
£44.95,
Joules
Jacket, £170,
Elkaregntoej.com

Boots, Shoes, £115,

£79, Bottle, The North Face i
Topshop £29, 24
Bottles

C O S M O P O L I TA N · 65
 Jacket,
£140, Boden
Salopettes,
£215, Burton
Boots,
£79, Urban
Scarf, £18, Outfitters
Asos.com Jumper,
Boots, £165, £35.99,
Camper Mango

Boots, £360,
Moon Boot at
Selfridges

Jumper, £39,
Hat, £35,

The retro
Miss Selfridge
Cath Kidston

explorer
Can’t find a cabin in the woods and a Top, £28,
River
bearded indie-folk troubadour to pose with? Island
A bus shelter and passing policeman works
Jumper, just fine. Fancy a fondue, officer?
£145,
LF Markey
Psst... Old-school camping gear is in. Check Mug, £5,
out your nearest army surplus store for Regatta
durable knits and sturdy boots.

Boots, Jacket, £310,

£107, Ilse Bimby Y Lola
Jacobsen

Top, £285,
Trousers, Peterhahn. Backpack,
£59.99, co.uk £39.50, M&S
Mango Collection Gilet, £495,
Lu Mei

Trousers, £150,
Wood Wood

Watch, £45,
Swatch

66 · C O S M O P O L I TA N
Cardigan, £139; jumper,
£419, both Brora.
Ski pants, £475,
Perfect Moment i
Jacket, £60, Monki.
Jumper, £419, Brora.
Trousers, £55, Urban
Outfitters. Scarf, £20,
ASOS Design at Asos.
com. Belt, £26, Topshop.
Boots, £250, Gestuz

Model Yoon at Models 1.

Hair by Jason Crozier at
Stella Creative Artists,
using Sachajuan. Make-up
by Rebekah Lidstone at
Stella Creative Artists,
using BareMinerals.
Fashion assistants
Maddy Alford, Charlotte
Courtney. Photographer’s
assistants Tom Pigeon,
Desiree Adams
 Tank top, £26,
Asos.com

Trousers, Sweater,
£70, £24.99,
Boden Lindex

Scarf, £155, Cocoa

Cashmere Scarf, £65,
Lazy Oaf

Jumper, £60,
Wrangler Sweater,
£275,
Tabitha
Webb

The rainbow
explorer Sunglasses,
£90, Guess

Boots, £115, Socks, £6,

Lacoste There’s only one thing she likes more Monki
than colours – and that’s all the colours.
Trousers, £45,
Asos.com We predict a very bright future
Gilet, £39.90, Uniqlo

Psst... To avoid going full-on children’s TV

presenter, mix up your multicoloured brights
with softer, toned-down colours and fabrics.
Backpack, A neutral sherpa jacket with a rainbow-striped
£95, Herschel sweater strikes just the right note.
Supply

Jumper,
£55, White Boots,
Stuff £180,
Sorel
Jacket,
£356,
Airfield
Tank top,
£350, Chinti
& Parker

S es,
Jacket, £39
£89.95, Hogan
Joules
Mittens, £24,
Misspompom.com

C O S M O P O L I TA N · 69

Winterwhites?
A guide to nailing this
season’s trickiest tone
1 WHY IT
WORKS
Worried all-white will leave
you looking like a large
panna cotta? The trend is
totally doable in structured
tailoring, boxy separates,
and sumptuous fabrics.
Highlight one area in
something form-fitting (not
skintight) – Gigi’s loose
jumper is fitted on the arms
and tucked in at the waist
for a flattering silhouette.
Gigi Hadid
70 · C O S M O P O L I TA N
2 TEXTURE
NOTES
When dressing head-to-
toe in white, create richness
by combining textures,
otherwise the look will feel
flat. For example, smooth
leather with a nubby
shearling and a fine knit
works beautifully, but rayon
from the neck down, less
so. Chunkier textures work
best on your top half.
3 THE RIGHT
SHADE
Not all the whites in your
outfit need to match
perfectly – it’s fine if they do,
but cream, ivory and eggshell
work together well, and
mismatched shades break up
the look. Want to introduce
actual colour? Accessorize
with one neutral or dark hue.
4 TLC
For those of us without a
personal chauffeur, whites
can look less-than-fresh
after a day of hoofing it. Try
adding half a cup of white
vinegar to your rinse cycle to
bring the sparkle back. One
part white vinegar mixed
with three parts water will
polish up white leather.
 4TOMBOY
COOL
A loose jacket and baggy
workwear trousers feel
considered, but only because the
jacket hits precisely at the waist,
and is left open to reveal a snug
rollneck. Having one fitted item
is more flattering and stops you
looking like a snowman.

Jacket, £49.99, Zara. Bodysuit,

£130, Wolford. Trousers,
£45, Dickies. Necklace,
£129, H Samuel. Bag, £49,
Charles & Keith. Boots,
£115, Dr Martens
Aleali May
and wear tall boots
WORDS AND STYLING MADDY ALFORD. PHOTOGRAPHS GETTY IMAGES, JASON LLOYD-EVANS. STILL LIFES PIXELATE
PSST...
Give tights a miss
with warm socks
when it’s chilly. 4SKIRTED
& BOOTED
Midi skirts with hanky hemlines
are flattering even in white,
and always look polished with
knee- or thigh-high boots. See
how the waistband of Pernille’s
sweatshirt is taut across her
hips? This provides definition.
She’s also nailing the one-colour
pairing rule with navy.
Sweatshirt, £45, Tommy Jeans

at Amazon Fashion. Skirt, £166,

Bec + Bridge. Sunglasses, £99,
Komono. Bag, £18, River Island.
Boots, £98, Boden
Pernille
Teisbaek

Jeanette Friis
Madsen 4CHIC
TAILORING
Jeanette’s look is a
masterclass in the winter-
whites formula. Her jumper is
loose, but she’s tucked it into
high-waisted, tailored trousers,
highlighting her waist. An
eggshell shearling coat feels
casual, but is dressed up by
a pointed, heeled boot. Ankle-
crop trousers make rainy days
less high-risk. Phew!

Jacket, £65, Miss Selfridge. Jumper,

£36, River Island. Jeans, £25.99, Pull
& Bear. Bag, £29, Urban Outfitters.
Ring, £110, Links Of London. Boots,
£115, Dune London

C O S M O P O L I TA N · 71
 erson
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C O S M O P O L I TA N · 73
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74 · C O S M O P O L I TA N
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 FROM

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WORDS KATE PASOLA. PHOTOGRAPH PIXELEYES, GETTY IMAGES. CASEOLOGY SAVOY SERIES PHONE CASE, AMAZON.CO.UK

SMART MONEY
While a small (and smug) chunk of the population has perfected the art of saving up, the majority of us
remain shameless piggy-bank smashers. But fear not, fiscal salvation is at hand. Free (yes, free!) apps
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C O S M O P O L I TA N · 79
Can you
bankon
Bitcoin?
Investing in
cryptocurrencies
promises life-changing
fortunes overnight. But
is this digital economy
too good to be true? And
should you gamble on it?

A
long, long time ago, money was just
shells. A rare type of shell that people
exchanged for goods. Then, it was
straw. Slowly, it evolved into notes
and coins, and now it seems money
is changing once again, with the rise
of cryptocurrencies – digital or virtual assets
that can be acquired and then used as payment
on certain websites. Forbes recently released its
first list of crypto billionaires (all men, most of
a certain age, most clammy-faced), but women i

C O S M O P O L I TA N · 81
are catching up, with the
number of us investing
doubling in the first half
of this year.* But can you
afford to get involved, and
will it actually make you
rich? We took a crash course
in crypto to find out…
CRYPTOWHAT?
Bitcoin, the world’s first
digital currency and still the
biggest, was started in 2009
by the ultra-mysterious
Satoshi Nakamoto, a person
(or persons, no one is quite
sure) who has never revealed
themselves (though at last
count was worth £4.9
billion). Since Bitcoin, other
cryptocurrencies (known as
“altcoins”) have emerged –
there are now over 1,000
– with Ethereum, Litecoin
and Ripple a few of the
biggest. It’s a currency that
only exists electronically
– so you can’t hold it, or even see it.
But that doesn’t mean it’s made out
of thin air. Most cryptocurrencies are
created by a process called “mining”.
Powerful computers (no, your laptop
won’t work) “mine” the digital money
by solving incredibly complicated
mathematical equations to validate
a block of transactions and then
receive a reward (ie some currency)
– consuming more energy than
a small country in the process.
WHAT’S THE ATTRACTION?
Because, to coin a Silicon Valley
saying, it’s the ultimate disruptor.
It cuts out the middleman – ie
banks, governments and financial
institutions – allowing you to transfer
your money to someone else with
no third party involved. Heard of
blockchain? No, not a jewellery line
by JLo, but the technology behind
cryptocurrency. It’s a network of
computers around the world that
record transactions and act as a
public ledger. There’s also money
to be made from crypto, if you’re
smart and get lucky: Dr Larisa
Yarovaya, a cryptocurrency researcher
and lecturer in accounting and
finance at the Anglia Ruskin
University, says cryptocurrencies offer
a much higher growth rate than
traditional financial assets such
as stocks and shares. But
beware: this is because
they’re so volatile. Imagine
betting money on a horse
with a gammy leg and “Bitcoin has
a jaunty eye patch and created lots
you’re kinda close.
of unlikely
WILL IT MAKE ME rich kids”
A MILLION?
Back in 2011, while most
of us were getting to grips
with untagging photos on Facebook
and avoiding the flashers on
Chatroulette, some people were
investing in Bitcoin. Those who
bought £100 then are now, at the
time of going to press,
worth around £1.55million.
Regrets… yep, we’ve had a
few. Bitcoin’s crazy spike in
value has created a legion of
unlikely rich kids – like Erik
Finman, who invested $1,000
(£750) from his grandmother
when he was 12 years old
– and is now a 19-year-old
millionaire mogul with
a smug, private-jet-filled
Instagram to boot. But if
you’re hoping to join him,
you’re probably already
several years too late.
“All these stories about
substantial profits are people
who invested in the very, very
beginning when the price
was very cheap,” says Dr
Yarovaya. “I don’t believe we
can expect such dramatic
growth again.” Most of those
who have become incredibly
wealthy with it cashed theirs
out at the right time, and
invested that money in less risky
ventures, such as business and property.
HOW RISKY IS IT?
In a word? Very. The value of Bitcoin
and other cryptos has plummeted by
80% since January, with their decline
now steeper than the burst of the
2000 dotcom bubble.† Many people
who got caught up in the
hype and bought at its peak
have seen their savings
disappear. Then there’s
the other early adopters
of crypto – the criminals.
The anonymity of
cryptocurrency makes
it a prime target for
cyber crime, including
hacking, fraud and money
laundering. Earlier this year,
Europol estimated that £4 billion of
illegal money is being funnelled
through cryptocurrencies. Because
crypto is unregulated, if things do
go tits up, you can’t call the fraud i
C O S M O P O L I TA N · 83
department of your local bank, either. and swot up first). Once you’ve done a rumour that McDonald’s is going
“As an investor you do not have any that, you can add digital currency to to start accepting it by the end of the
protection to get your money back,” it. Some sites require a lengthy process year (Wheretospendbitcoins.co.uk
says Dr Yarovaya. to verify your ID. Then you give them has a comprehensive list of places
cash – by bank transfer, debit or that accept it). If you’ve really made a
HOW DO I GET SOME? credit card – to get digital currency killing, you can use it to book a flight
You’ve come into money/have in return. As with most currency to space with Virgin Galactic. In fact,
decided to invest in more exchanges they’ll take the luxury world has jumped on the
than just ASOS hauls, but a transaction fee. When Bitcoin bandwagon in a big way. In
where do you start? Like you want to cash in, you New York, a cryptocurrency concierge
any investment, do your can sell your digital coins service called The White Company
research, says Dr Yarovaya.
“You have no via the exchange, too. If helps Bitcoin billionaires (and mere
Read up on the company protection you’re lucky enough to millionaires) spend their virtual
– look at the historical
price to see if there’s been
to get your make any profit, remember
you’ll have to pay tax on
cash on real-life luxury goods, while
crypto is fast becoming the currency
an upwards growth. Keep money back” it. There are also a handful of choice in the art world – with
an eye on the news for of Bitcoin ATMs in the dealer Eleesa Dadiani (dubbed “the
positive stories that could UK that let you buy and queen of crypto”) recently selling
affect the price – or any sell the currency. shares in an Andy Warhol painting
cyber crime or scandal that could worthh £4.2mi
£4 illion in Bitcoins.
send it plummeting. WHERE CAN I SPPEND IT?
No cryptocurrency is “safe”, though, Clue: not at your WHHERE IS IT
so it’s probably less risky to stick to local Tesco Express. HHEADING?
the better-known currencies. The first Businesses that accept The crypto craze is
step is to download a “wallet” – a crypto are still in dividing the financial
piece of software that lets you keep the minority, but sector, with some
track of your virtual cash. You can they are out there. confident their value
do this at an online cryptocurrency Microsoft lets users will soar again and
exchange like Coinbase, Coinfloor buy games and apps others
o viewing them
or Bitstamp (again, look at reviews with it and there’s as a dangerous bubble
thatt will inevitably burst.
th
Meanwhile, more niche
BEYOND BITCOIN cryptocurrencies are
emerging all the time,
Five more cryptocurrencies causing a stir like VeganCoin, a virtual
RIPPLE largest cryptocurrency, meaning your currency for, well, vegans,
Joining the ranks of behind Bitcoin. At the transactions can’t be and PotCoin, for buying
Grey Goose, Rolex and time of going to press, traced. We’re sure it’s and selling… you guessed it.

*COINTELEGRAPH.COM. †MVIS CRYPTOCOMPARE DIGITAL ASSETS 10 INDEX

private jets, Ripple is
a celebrity favourite,
having been name-
dropped by Madonna,
its value was faring just used for buying But even cynics agree that
better than its rivals. secret birthday
digital currency is here to
presents. Ahem.
LITECOIN stay. In the same way that WORDS CLARE THORP. PHOTOGRAPHS GETTY IMAGES, ALAMY.

Ashton Kutcher and
Snoop Dogg. Its aim
was to become the
mainstream crypto,
but it fell in value
with the rest of them
earlier this year.
ETHEREUM
Started by Vitalik
Buterin, yet another
baby-faced computer
genius, it’s the second
Created by ex-Google STEEM the first-ever iPhone now
employee Charlie Lee A crypto for looks a bit rubbish,
(who has since sold influencers. It cryptocurrency is likely
pretty much all of his had to happen,
to evolve into a new, more
coins), it’s meant to right? Steemit
be an everyday crypto is a blogging user-friendly form,
with faster transaction and social-media becoming the next step
times that make it platform that pays on from technology such
easier to spend. contributors in as contactless payments
digital tokens –
MONERO and Apple Pay. But as
which can then
Monero’s selling point be spent on other for diving in? We’d
is that it is anonymous, things on the site. suggest observing from
the sidelines for now. ◆

84 · C O S M O P O L I TA N

“You’ll be
surprised
by your
strength”
SHAVATA SINGH, 50, founder
of Shavata Brow Studio, has
more than earned her stripes
(and a £5 million turnover)
³Trust your instincts
I used to work in a salon and one of my
leg-waxing clients was a well-known beauty
editor. One day I plucked up the courage
to tell her that her eyebrows were dodgy…
I had no idea how she’d react! But she said,
“Right, sort them out.” She loved what I did
and wrote a tiny piece about me – I went
from doing four eyebrows per day to 20.
Two years later, Harrods approached me to
start my own brow-threading concession
in store. I wasn’t a businesswoman – I was
a beauty therapist with a new baby – but
I had to trust my instincts and say yes.
³Find strength in sorrow
After nine years at Harrods, I was told that
my services wouldn’t be needed any more. It
was a complete blow. I spent days under my
duvet, miserable, until a friend came over
and kicked me up the arse, prompting me to
call an agency to find me a shop space close
by. The Harrods site closed three months
later, on a Saturday. That Monday, I opened
my own shop just down the road. When
AS TOLD TO JENNIFER SAVIN
SELF
MADE
will go elsewhere. To ensure my team are
S H AVATA’ S always delivering, I often deploy secret
BUSINESS shoppers: I know that everyone will be
ESSENTIALS on their best behaviour when their boss
BOOK: walks through the door, but it’s not me
The Secret by I want my staff to impress, it’s our clients.
Rhonda Byrne. If a therapist scores below 70%, they’ll
I think it brings automatically have a meeting with the HR
the inner strength out.
director. If they fail multiple undercover
HACK: visits, they’ll be handed a P45. Equally,
It sounds weird, if a therapist ranks highly, we send them
but taking a a congratulatory cheque in the post.
shower. I get ³Promote your passion
all my best ideas in there
and write them down
I can hire lawyers and accountants, but
afterwards in the notebook nobody can emulate the passion I have
I keep by my bed. for eyebrows. My knowledge can’t be
outsourced, and having worked in the
INSTAGRAM: industry from the bottom up, I know
As a CEO
and founder,
what needs to happen at every stage of
you’re always the business to keep it running smoothly.

you’re put in a corner, you’ll be surprised looking to motivate
by how much strength you can find. and mentor, but you
³Never let standards slip need to stay fuelled
yourself. I find René
In beauty, your clients will come to you if Carayol MBE, a business
you offer a good treatment, but you have keynote speaker,
to keep that up. If your service slips, they especially inspiring.
This passion and experience is crucial
– if you go to someone and say, “I have
an idea,” people won’t take you as seriously
as they would if you said, “I have a wealth
of experience and truly believe in my
ideas. Can I share them with you?”

C O S M O P O L I TA N · 87
CELEBRITY
 LEADER
OF THE
PACK
Long before the #MeToo movement was ignited, actress Olivia Munn exposed the sexual
misconduct of some of Hollywood’s biggest power players. Here, she explains how it’s a
move that almost cost her her career – and why you should never write off an underdog i
Wo r d s S H O S H A N A G O L D B E R G ✱ P h o t o g r a p h s R A C H E L L S M I T H

Timmy
Like all our canine
su-paw-models, Timmy
comes from Dogs Trust.
The 11-month-old Bedlington
terrier cross’s first home lasted
just five days. He’s a genetic
optimist, though, and reckons
he’ll be snapped up soon.

89
CELEBRITY
Olivia Munn
is used to being
the underdog.
She knows how it feels to be alone,
fighting against a world that does
not want your voice in it. She first
learned this when she was 13 years
old. A marauding group of teenage
girls would single her out at school.
They would laugh at her clothes, tell
her she looked stupid, push her, one
after the other, before menacingly
telling her they wanted her “out of
our school”. One day Olivia saw her
older sister, Sara – a popular girl at
the same school – being approached
by the bullies. She watched from the
sidelines, hopeful that her sibling
would deliver a cutting coup de
grace. Instead she did nothing.
“So I raced after her and said,
‘Why didn’t you tell them off?’
And she simply said, ‘They don’t
matter.’” Then she came up close to
her younger sister’s face and breathed
the words, “[And] if you ever let
these girls make you feel small
[again], I’ll kick your ass myself.”
The next time Olivia saw the bullies,
something inside her had changed.
One of the girls called her a “slut”,
despite Munn only being in the eighth
grade and never having kissed a boy.
For the first time, she spoke up. She
90 · C O S M O P O L I TA N
told them what she thought of them.
As the words tumbled out of her
mouth, the girls walked towards her.
With the threat of violence on the
horizon, Munn said, “OK, fine, let’s
go. But you have to throw the first
punch because I don’t want to get
expelled. If you throw the first punch,
we can start.” They were confused.
And so Olivia Munn did the only
sensible thing she could think of: she
picked up her stuff and walked away.
It has been a metaphor for her life
ever since.
When we first meet, she has just
locked up her rented house in
north London for the final time
and is sitting in hair and make-up
at a studio having realised she’s left
her phone behind. She’s been in
the capital for four months filming
the hugely anticipated TV show
The Rook, a supernatural spy thriller
co-produced by Twilight writer
Stephenie Meyer. It’s based on the
2012 novel by Daniel O’Malley, and
hits US screens in early 2019, with a
UK release date on the horizon, too.
After today’s shoot (which involves
an excitable bunch of dogs from Dogs
PREVIOUS SPREAD: JUMPER AND SKIRT, ZIMMERMANN. EARRINGS, SOKO. SHOES, SOPHIA WEBSTER. THIS SPREAD: JUMPER, HOLZWEILER. EARRINGS AND RINGS, PANDORA
Trust) she’ll catch a flight to Madrid
where she’ll start doing back-to-back
press interviews to publicise her
forthcoming film, The Predator.
From there she’ll fly to the Toronto
International Film Festival for more of
the same, before heading home to LA
for a screening of it. And the politics
around publicity for that film, it later
turns out, is taking up a lot of Olivia’s
headspace. When her phone does
eventually arrive, there’s much frantic
messaging and clandestine whispering.
And when she finally puts it safely
away, she says, “I can’t talk to you about
what’s going on right now, but I will.”
It is a portentous promise.
You may know Olivia Munn from
the satirical news programme The
Daily Show, where for two years she
was a correspondent. Or perhaps as
Channing Tatum’s girlfriend in Magic
Mike. Or perhaps you know her name
for a different reason altogether.
You see in 2010, Munn hit the
headlines in a way she’d never
intended. She’d written a book,
Suck It, Wonder Woman!, in which she
recounted her life trying to make it
in Hollywood. In a chapter entitled
“‘Masturbatory’ Is Not Always i
Rao
When this big boy’s owner
began working longer
hours, he thought it would
be unfair to leave the two-
year-old Husky for long
stretches of time. Instead
he made the heartbreaking
decision to hand him over to
Dogs Trust. Strong, bouncy
and a faithful companion,
Rao loves people, toys and
cheese. Especially cheese.
A Metaphor In Hollywood”, keeping
everyone anonymous for legal reasons,
she describes an incident that took
place on set in 2004. In the book she
recounts how the “slobby, fat, smug
and ridiculously rich-and-famous
blockbuster film director” asked for
a “diet plate” to be delivered to his Mike
This social butterfly is six
trailer. Munn volunteered to take it.
years old and as friendly
But as she knocked on his trailer door as they come. Mike joined
she was greeted by the trouser-less Dogs Trust when his owner
director who had cocktail-sauce- sadly passed away earlier
this year. But don’t worry,
covered shrimp in one hand and was the friendly lurcher’s ready
masturbating furiously with the other. to give love a second shot.
In 2011, Tower Heist director Brett
Ratner decided to out himself as the
director in question. He announced
on national TV that he had “banged
[Olivia Munn] a few times… but
I forgot her”. Once again, she found
herself at the centre of a whole heap
of trouble – with few taking her side.
“The advice you’re given is: their
power trumps your power and right
and wrong doesn’t really come into
play,” she says when explaining how
she went to lawyers when the trailer
incident first occurred. This time,
older and less compliant, she decided
to use the little power she had.
“He was doing this at a time when
men were allowed to say that. People
don’t now because it’s different. “I’m strong.
But just flip the calendar back a few I’m capable.
pages and it was a very different time.
People want to think that women use
I know
their sexuality to get ahead in any what’s right”
business, not just Hollywood. There’s
that unfair stigma… But, you know,
rumours are dangerous. We see what
happens in schools with bullying…
rumours get started and people say
things about people and the rumour
is more fun to believe.”
But Munn was used to people because back then it wasn’t even an And then one night, Ratner called
telling lies about her. It was, after option. I’d worked so hard and all her. She says he claimed that he had
all, much of her school life. And I wanted was my name. been making a joke and then asked
she knew the only way to deal “So I went on to Twitter and I her if she could tweet that he had
with them was to fight. handled it in the only way I could. It called to apologise to her. She refused.
“All I wanted was for him to clear was going to be a moral victory for me Instead, Munn negotiated something
my name. He muddied it and in that at least I’d stood up for myself.” much better. She told Ratner that if
I wanted him to clear it. I wasn’t Within days, she’d garnered enough he wanted to apologise, he should do
looking for him to never work again, support online to create a quiet storm. it live on The Howard Stern Show, one

92 · C O S M O P O L I TA N

of America’s biggest chat shows. He
JUMPER, NO21 AT HARRODS. EARRINGS,
agreed. A short while later, Ratner
went on Howard Stern and dutifully
retracted his comments. The world
KATE SPADE NEW YORK
took note, and the quiet, bullied girl
called Olivia Munn cleared her name.
“So I wasn’t stabbed by a sword,” she
says philosophically between powder
touch-ups. “I was pricked by a thorn.”
When she talks about Ratner and
Hollywood – as she does, at great
length and in long, eloquent sweeps
– there is a steeliness to Olivia Munn.
She is whip-smart and intense, but
quick-witted and funny, often barely
pausing for breath. But when she
settles in front of the camera with
the five dogs that have joined the
CELEBRITY
shoot from Dogs Trust (a ragbag of
characters with their own complicated
back stories), everything softens – her
face, her body language, even her
voice assumes a soft tenderness.
That’s because Munn understands
damage. She has taken in two rescue
dogs of her own and is a fervent
campaigner for animal rights. She
understands that sometimes you
have to fight for those who are too
vulnerable to do it alone.
Which is how late last year she
found herself back in the eye of the
storm. The Los Angeles Times was
about to break the story that five
other women had come forward
with allegations of sexual assault or
harassment against Ratner. Munn
was filming her show Six at the time,
but was fielding phone calls every
15 minutes from her lawyers who
were apparently getting pressure from
Ratner’s to stop her speaking up.
“[There were] legally threatening
phone calls from Brett’s side,” she says.
According to Olivia, there were even
claims that his lawyers had pictures
of them together on holiday in the
Bahamas. “I’ve never been to the
Bahamas... [so] I have to make a
decision: do I still go forward? It was
scary but, you know, I’m thinking, I
have enough money to move to Costa
Rica and open a smoothie shop on the
beach.” But hearing more of the other
women’s claims strengthened Munn’s
resolve. “At that point, I said, ‘I’m in.
Whatever they need.’ They shouldn’t
have to do it on their own. I’m strong
enough, I’m capable, I know what’s
right and what’s wrong.” Ratner has
vehemently disputed the claims.
At first, Munn found it hard to
believe that change was possible.
“I remember where I was when
I heard that people were getting
outraged about Weinstein and
I thought, ‘People care? They didn’t
used to care, nobody cared.’”
And though a seismic shift has
undoubtedly happened – at least on
the surface – Munn is frustrated by i
C O S M O P O L I TA N · 93
CELEBRITY

Lola
This 10-year-old lady
how many power players are still
has age and beauty.
willing to collude. She describes herself
“For so long, people turned a as playful, inquisitive
blind eye. When it hits their movie, and open to being the
object of someone’s
their show, their bottom line – no intense affection.
one wants it to happen, but when
it does happen, what do you do?
Hollywood is really big on
symbolism but crappy on change.”

To take on Hollywood you need

balls. Which begs the question:
where did 38-year-old Olivia
Munn get hers? Her childhood
certainly trained her in the art of
resilience. Her parents divorced when
she was six months old, and when
Munn was just two, her mother
(a Vietnamese refugee) remarried a
US airman, a man Munn will only
refer to as “not a good guy”. The first
eight years of her life were spent
in Oklahoma and Utah before the
family upped sticks to Japan where
Munn attended an assortment of
military schools until she was 16.
Then her mother divorced her
stepfather and the family returned
to Oklahoma in time for Munn to
start high school.
Munn never forgot the bullying…
or her mother’s advice when she’d
told her, “You can’t make these girls
go away. All you can do is make found out, she demanded Twentieth
yourself stronger. Don’t care about
what they think. Do what you want
Century Fox delete his scene from
the final cut. Fox agreed but wasn’t
Give a dog a home
To celebrate the iconic Dogs Trust
to do for yourself.” And so that is happy when Munn shared the slogan “A dog is for life, not just for
exactly what she has done. information with her fellow cast Christmas” turning 40 years old this
The proof: a few weeks later, we members. Munn felt unsupported year, we wanted to shine a spotlight
speak. She tells me that the phone when no one she’d worked with on on some of the lovable canines who’ve
benefitted from their work. All the dogs
calls she was making on the day of the film reached out to her initially,
who co-starred in our shoot were taken
our shoot were about her current but said her hope in humanity was in by Dogs Trust, who are still just as
film, The Predator. It transpired that restored by the outpouring of committed to its mission that every dog
Munn had unwittingly shared a scene support from the public and on should enjoy a happy life, free from the
with a registered sex offender. Shane social media. threat of unnecessary destruction.
Not that she’s fussed. After all, she’s ✱ To offer a home to a dog like Mike,
Black, the director, had hired an old
Lola or one of their pals, or to find out
friend of his, Steven Wilder Striegel, used to being a lone voice in a hostile more about Dogs Trust, and how you
who’d served six months in prison world. And if it means forsaking a can get involved with volunteering or
for trying to lure a 14-year-old distant career she’s spent her life pursuing, fundraising, visit Dogstrust.org.uk
relative into a sexual relationship she doesn’t care.
via the internet. Black knew the “I’m not for sale.” she says. “If
background but hadn’t shared it with speaking up costs me my career,
the cast or the studio. When Munn I don’t want it anyway.”

94 · C O S M O P O L I TA N
 Olivia Munn 2019: The Rook

2018: Casey Bracket, The Predator

so I could d
do all the fight scenes
myself. Direcctor Bryan Sing
left 25% of th
inger
er onl
he fight scenes in,
only
HOME

which I never rreally understood.”

2018: Cameo role, Ocean’s Eight
“I loved Sandra Bullock [her 2012-2014: Sloan n Sabbith,
Ocean’s Eight co-star] in While The Newsroom
You Were Sleeping and she’s been “My favourite work tthat I’ve ever
my favourite actress ever since. done. [My character] was written
NAILS KIM TREACY AT STELLA CREATIVE ARTISTS, USING OPI. FASHION ASSISTANTS MADDY ALFORD, GEORGIA KANDRETTIS. WITH VERY SPECIAL THANKS TO DOGS TRUST (DOGSTRUST.
SENIOR FASHION EDITOR SAIREY STEMP. HAIR MAURICE FLYNN, USING SHOW BEAUTY. MAKE-UP NILAM HOLMES, USING ANASTASIA BEVERLY HILLS, ARDELL AND SPECTRUM BRUSHES.

So many people were coming up as the smartest persso

sonn iin
n
in for cameos and so many of the building. Everybody was
MY CV

them got cut out – like Matt supportive of me leading the

t
Damon. I was really happy my choices to make her unapollogetic
ORG.UK). ADDITIONAL PHOTOGRAPH GETTY IMAGES. JUMPER, ESSENTIEL ANTWERP. SHORTS, IVY PARK. SOCKS, THE WHITE COMPANY. EARRINGS AND RING, PANDORA

piece made the final cut.” and strong.”

2017-2018: Gina, Six (TV series 2012: Joanna, Magic Mike

about a Navy SEAL operation
in Afghanistan) 2010: Chess Roberts, Iron Man 2
INTERESTS

“Growing up in a military family “It was the very first blockbuster

I have a deep admiration for our
servicemen and women. My
character died at the end and
my mom texted to say, ‘Why
didn’t you tell me you were
dying?’ Next time I have to tell
her, ‘Sorry, I die in this one,’ so
she can be prepared.”
AWA R DS
movie that I was on the set of,
alongside Robert Downey Jr, Jon
Favreau, Don Cheadle… you’re in
awe that you get to be so close
to these masters at work.”
2010-11: Correspondent,
The Daily Show
“My dream that I didn’t even dare

2016: Psylocke, X-Men: to dream. My agent said, ‘We’re

Apocalypse not going to take credit, we didn’t
“I grew up doing martial arts and pitch you for this, but [host] Jon
have a black belt in taekwondo, Stewart’s been watching your
and trained for seven hours a day work and wants to meet you.’”

E D U C AT I O N
REFERENCES

Journalism BA, University of Oklahoma

Putnam City North High School, Oklahoma

“When you grow up being rejected and no one wants to be your
friend at school, you don’t take it personally. You focus on the things
you can learn and grow from. Having to walk into a classroom
where people don’t know you helps [now] when you go into
a meeting, an audition or an industry party.” ◆
READ
D THIIS TII O I ERII S C S
LA E RAVVOO HAS PROVID
R IDED A RUNDOWN
R D WNN OF
OF TH
THE
HE FIVE
FIVVE CHAR
CHAR

E THEE THHE
in
CHHILDHO D EX A A I I -S OOL I
 F J I E HE INEEVI N I,
ACCTERS YOOU’LL LIKE
ACTERS IKEELYY ENNCO
COUNTERR BEFO
B ORE ADV
DVENNT’S UT… i

THE HEE
W I E S N Y HO P PROD

APH E
O
ON

RIGGOTT
READ

So
here it is, merry
Christmas!
Everybody’s having
fun. Well, except you
– you’re having a
run-in with some
staggering blasts
from the past that
rear their heads every
single festive season.
Ebenezer Scrooge
had nothing on these
Muppets. They’re
down the pub on
Christmas Eve, they’re
wrestling you for the
last parsnips in Tesco,
they’re side-eyeing
you at the carol
concert. Hungover
wearing a reindeer
onesie in your parents’
CHILDHOOD EX
It is a universal truth that no matter how long Sod’s law also dictates that bumping into
lounge? Oh look, ago you went out with someone, when you The Ex will never happen pre-Christmas, while
there they are! bump into them at Christmas there will always you’re decked out in glitter Lurex and swishing
be a little part of you that wants them to be a seasonal blow-dry, but afterwards, when
But the ghosts of driven wild with desire and regret. you’re several days deep into the eating-triple-
Christmas past (and It doesn’t matter if it was a serious layered-leftover-sandwiches phase and have
relationship, or if you held hands twice when given up wearing a bra. And so you end up
present) are basically you were seven. It doesn’t matter if the entire trying to slink mysteriously across the carpet at
the human equivalent fling lasted only the length of one coach The Red Lion wearing your dad’s hoodie and a
journey to some Roman ruins, or ended pair of knitted hiking socks, while The Ex strolls
of Brussels sprouts. because someone turned the lights on during in with a £10k holiday tan because they just got
While you happily Seven Minutes In Heaven and they realised you back from Courchevel. Since when do they ski?
were the other Gemma. Whatever the story, They never skied when you were going out!
forget their existence only a super-evolved emotional robot could They never legally bought alcohol when you
during the rest of see their childhood sweetheart across the room were going out either, but that’s not the point.
with Last Christmas playing in the background Of course, running into The Ex at the pub
the year, Christmas and not want to run to the loos, plaster some is actually the best-case scenario; the worst
just wouldn’t be concealer over their wine flush and zhoosh their is seeing them in the returns queue at M&S, or
hair in a way that hopefully says, “Why, yes, anywhere you might have to drink mulled wine
Christmas without I did grow into my features, thanks for noticing.” while making polite conversation with a vicar.
them…

98 · C O S M O P O L I TA N
 AWFUL
RELATIVE
Nobody knows why this apparently blood-related individual
continues to turn up at Christmas, seeing as they apparently hate
everyone – baby Jesus and the Queen included. But – ding-dong!
– here they are. Bad tidings they bring, to you and your kin! And
don’t expect a good present; it’s another Robert Dyas gift card.
The Awful Relative’s (TAR for short) special talent is dropping
offensive remarks into conversation when you least expect it. What
will it be this year? Their views on immigration? A speech about
public breast-feeding? Perhaps some barely veiled homophobia?
The afternoon quickly turns into a kind of live-action Cards Against
Humanity, with you baiting TAR on contentious topics (don’t they
see how the Band Aid lyrics were so problematic in hindsight?)
while a parent makes threatening hand gestures behind their head.
TAR never offers to help with the washing up, or compliments
the food, or wonders if anybody else might like to sit in the one
good armchair. In fact, the only break you’ll get from them all day
is the disturbing half-hour they spend in the downstairs loo.
Still, the good thing about TAR is the way their awfulness really
brings the family together. Literally. At one point you find your dad,
siblings, nan and cat all hiding in the airing cupboard. There’s only
one thing to do – fetch the trifle, six spoons and close the door.

NEMESIS
You know the one. Your favourite frenemy. Ever since you both
went for the role of Mary in the junior nativity, it’s been a bitter
rivalry. She got slightly higher GCSEs; you did better at A levels.
She got into the university that rejected you, you slept with the
guy who rejected her. You do have more Instagram followers.
She became a surgeon and bought a house at 24 with her fiancé,
though, so… it’s pretty much neck-and-neck.
When you bump into the nemesis in the pub on Christmas Eve,
the healthy way to handle it would be to remember that her
achievements don’t diminish yours, and be motivated by her
success. The way you will actually handle it is to be aggressively
nice while dropping coded digs, like “You look so glam – for the
local pub! Are you going out after this?” or “Wow, you’re so
grown-up and settled!” (Translation: “Oh, wait, you’re under the
impression that scatter cushions are a substitute for a personality?”)
She will smile sweetly and call you “babe” a lot, while you try to
stir your G&T in a way that suggests you own a penthouse flat with
marble countertops and a tasteful chaise longue, but are just too
modest to mention it. You will encourage her to sing Santa Baby
at pub karaoke, and to your horror, she will actually be good.
The nemesis will always message you after to say, “So great
to see you! We should have a proper drink soon!” and you will
reply “Definitely!!!” Both of you know that Hugh Grant actually
becoming Prime Minister and snogging Martine McCutcheon
at a children’s Christmas concert is more likely to happen… i

C O S M O P O L I TA N · 99
 HOT
PERSON
Lo! What is that bright
light, yonder? It’s… it’s
the dazzling glow of
the Unexpectedly
Hot Person!
Maybe they’re an old
friend, a former teacher,
or someone you once
declined to get off with at a
youth disco. Maybe they’re the
village butcher’s boy, or that girl
from Guides everyone used to call
“Clem the Phlegm”. Maybe they’re
going out with someone in your
extended family. Hang on, are you
sure they’re not IN your extended
family? Definitely check.
Anyway, the last time you saw
the Unexpectedly Hot Person (UHP)
they were just another average face
in the generic sea of hometown
banality – now, suddenly, they’ve
had a sexy transformation, like a
butterfly emerging from a chrysalis.
A butterfly with really toned arms.
Of course, the trouble with the

ALMOST UHP is that it’s hard to tell exactly how

hot they are in an everyday context,
and how much of it is just down to

AUNTIE
novelty, goodwill to all men and
Christmas cheer. By which we mean
booze. Like the Coconut Eclair in the
Quality Street tin after all the purple
She’s everyone’s favourite fake relative! Despite her hazy origins, The Almost Auntie ones are gone, there is always a risk
insists on being called “auntie” at all times and will do so until you are drawing a that you are only attracted to the
pension. You may even have grown up believing she was a real auntie, discovering UHP because you’ve had a couple
only recently that her strongest claim to your family bloodline is a brief fumble with of lunchtime Baileys and everyone
your (real) Uncle Martin at a New Year’s Eve party in 1992. else looks like the rejects from a
Weirdly, however, you’re required to see The Almost Auntie far more regularly Freemans catalogue casting.
than most of your actual relations. At least one day of Christmas holiday time will So are they a Christmas miracle
be devoted to an outing with her, as well as unlimited “pop-ins” via the back door, sent by Santa, or simply a mirage?
because she likes to believe that life is Coronation Street. The Almost Auntie has On the stroke of midnight come 31st
always bought you bafflingly age-inappropriate presents, like a Sex And The City December, will they turn back into
boxset when you were 12, or a set of shot glasses when you were 16. Now you’re an a crispy-haired pumpkin who wears
adult, she asks probing questions about your love life while topping up your glass Dad jeans with their work shoes?
with mystery liqueur and requesting “a go on your Tinder”. There’s only one way to find out. And
Some Almost Aunties have a child roughly your age, who you will be expected to hey, what else are you going to do with
“play” with. This worked OK back when you were both very into Sylvanian Families, your time? Write thank-you letters?
but now that you’re grown adults and they get their kicks mainly from fantasy PS. If you don’t meet a UHP, then this
warcraft games, it’s got pretty awkward. means you’re the UHP. Merry Christmas!

100 · C O S M O P O L I TA N
 READ

THE FOUR PEOPLE

YOU DON’T WANT TO

COSMETICS, BOTH AT BTS TALENT. STYLIST AISHA JIMOH. PHOTOGRAPHER’S ASSISTANT CAMERON SMITH. STYLIST'S ASSISTANTS LOYIN OGUN AND MAYOWA ORIOWO. NICK WEARS JUMPER, TOPMAN. JEANS, BOOHOO. AVRIL WEARS CARDIGAN,
BE AT CHRISTMAS

STYLIST’S OWN. DRESS, BOOHOO. EARRINGS, NEW LOOK. LISA WEARS JUMPER, STYLIST'S OWN. SKIRT, MANON BAPTISTE AT NAVABI.CO.UK. TIGHTS, RIVER ISLAND. JESSICA WEARS TOP AND SKIRT, HER OWN. ALEXANDER WEARS (OPENER)
POSED BY MODELS JESSICA LOCKETT AT NHE REPRESENTS, ALEXANDER AND NICK AT MOT MODELS, AVRIL AND LISA AT UGLY RAGE MODELS. HAIR CHARLIE WILKINSON, USING MARIA NILA; MAKE-UP EMILY-JANE WILLIAMS, USING ELF
BECAUSE ’TIS THE SEASON
TO… NOT BE ANNOYING

The city bore

They’re on a mission to bring a little
metropolitan glamour to our small-
town lives by yelling “Ohmigod, SO
CHEAP!” every time they get a round
in, and moaning that none of the
coffee shops here have oat milk.

The broadcasting
They’re so determined to r
document all the lovely C

SHIRT, BURTON. JEANS, RIVER ISLAND. GLASSES, RAY-BAN. SCARF, NEW LOOK. PYJAMA BOTTOMS, BURTON. GLASSES, AS BEFORE. ADDITIONAL PHOTOGRAPHS GETTY IMAGES
fun times they’re having on social
media that when you meet up with
them, they barely say anything and
just stare at their phone for two
hours. At the end, they will insist
on having a group photo, then post
it with “Christmas reunion!” and
all the heart emojis.

The Grinch
They pride themselves on being too
cool for Yule. If “Bah, humbug” made
sense in a modern context, they’d
say it. But instead, they settle for
sneering at Christmas jumpers,
novelty earrings, festive lattes, Secret
Santa, general merriment and
anything involving Michael Bublé.

The nostalgia junkie

All they want for Christmas is to go to
a quote-along Home Alone screening
in a flammable jumper, force everyone
to drink Snowballs and talk about that
hilarious thing that happened once in
year nine. Again. What are they doing
with their life these days? No idea. ◆

BEHIND THE SCENES

Lauren Bravo
“This year I’ll be swerving
all my ghosts of Christmas past by
spending the festive season at the other
end of the country with my boyfriend’s
family instead. But naturally I’m still
practising Santa Baby... in case his
UHP-hot childhood ex turns up.”

C O S M O P O L I TA N · 101
 ’80s OUTFIT
POWER COST
£2,875
PLAYER

The
GREAT C
ALBERTA FERRETTI
 READ

OUTFIT
COST
£173.60

Cosmopol
os opolitan Fashion Director
AMY BANNERMAN has made a career
out of spotting next season’s trends.
Here, she confides how to create
them using past seasons’ cast-offs…

Photographs STEPHANIE SIAN SMITH

i
am the fashion director
on the UK’s biggest-selling
young women’s glossy
magazine and I can’t
afford to buy the clothes
I want to wear. Confusing,
right? Maybe you’d
imagine that I fly all over
the world, sit front row
at fashion shows and
have discount cards to the
best clothes shops? Well,
actually I do (and I still
can’t afford half the
clothes I write about).
As I write this, I am
preparing to fly to New York for the
spring/summer 2019 fashion shows.
The streets will be rammed with
influencers doing fake walks across
the road and hashtagging
#insertpriceydesignerhere
#spon #livingthedream,
etcetera. But guess what?
These women aren’t buying
what’s on the catwalk “I often stay
either. They’re being loaned up past 2am
or gifted items to promote
the latest looks. The only
trawling
people who are buying Ebay”
pieces in this price bracket
are those who have their
super-cars wrapped in gold
foil, just for something to do on
a Tuesday morning.
The reality is that runway, where
a pair of jeans are £1,790 and a new
handbag will set you back £13,690,
is way out of my league. So to dress
the part, particularly at Fashion Week,
I obsessively scour charity shops,
Ebay, Etsy, Depop and Oxfam.com
to recreate what I see on the runway.
Ahead of the New York shows, I’m
not doing the last-minute Net-A-Porter
panic-buy. Instead, I am praying that
the pair of knackered two-tone mid-
calf cowboy boots (similar to the ones
Claudia Schiffer wore in September’s
French Vogue) I bought from a Latvian
Etsy seller gets delivered in time.
I have loved vintage since I was a
teenager. I used to have a vintage stall
104 · C O S M O P O L I TA N
in Spitalfields market, and whenever
I travel, I sniff out the nearest vintage
shop and fleamarket in a frenzy, often
with heart palpitations. I’ll regularly
stay awake way past 2am trawling
Ebay to track down my latest
obsession. With vintage, there is never
that awkward, Zara-induced downcast
eye contact at a party. You are almost
100% guaranteed that no one else
will be wearing the same thing.
Vintage has served me well. The
first fashion show I went to with my
new boss (the editor-in-chief of this
very magazine), I was wearing a black
’80s PVC bomber jacket with a zebra
lining that cost £20 on Etsy, as the
models came down the runway
wearing black PVC ’80s shapes and
zebra print. Mission. Accomplished.
And take, for example, the outfit
you see on the previous
pages – the blue wool
jumper, studded jeans
and suede boots. This
was Alberta Ferretti’s
reimagining of the decade
of maximalism and
affluence for A/W 18, but
to recreate it, where better
to go for the ’80s than the
’80s, right? For this decade
in particular, there are rich
pickings to be found in vintage shops.
With this look, the jeans should be
acid-wash (mottled two-tone) with
pleating around the front of the hip
and legs, which narrow towards the
ankle. Often a vintage shape will need
a tweak to make it look less fancy-dress
and more fashion. Choose a looser
fit if you want to have something
tailored – it gives the tailor more
fabric to play with. For a pair of jeans
with studs – like the outfit I’m wearing
on the previous page – hunt for Italian
designers and brands (the Italians are
all about embellishment!). Or buy
press studs online or in a haberdashery.
The shoulder panel on this look
is also key, as it instantly defines
knitwear as ’80s. Hunt for items with
shoulder pads, which can always be
removed later if you want to change
your look. Just remember knitwear is
trickier to buy second-hand; it soaks
up smells and ages badly. Cashmere
has often been donated to charity
because it’s shrunk in the wash and
cashmere, when shrunk, is not only
very unforgiving, but also very hot.
Look instead for “deadstock” (unworn
vintage) and also fisherman-style and
army sweaters, which are wool but
hardier, so stand the test of time and
don’t bobble. Also look out for moth
holes by holding up to the light. And
if something smells of smoke, walk
away. That smell will never leave.
For other vintage “smells” (and I’ve
smelt them all!), Oxfam’s vintage
expert Holly Bentley says, “Mix one
cup of vodka to two cups of water in
a spray bottle (find one at a garden
centre), hang the garment up outside
and spray generously until damp. If
you’re unsure whether this will ruin
the garment, test on an inside seam.”
Grease stains? “Try white-wine vinegar
mixed with bicarbonate of soda.”
And a further word of warning:
when buying jewellery – like the
necklace I’m wearing for the “’80s
Power Player” look – size matters.
Check the measurements. I’ve bought
earrings imagining baubles bigger
than Justin Bieber’s balls and been
deflated when I’ve received nothing
more substantial than two frozen peas.
If you’re looking online, it’s better to
see jewellery worn to get a sense of
proportion and avoid disappointment.
So, armed with this knowledge,
let me walk you through how to
wear this season’s trends, from
sports-leisure to lo-fi chic…
ALBERTA MY LOOK
FERRETTI Jumper, £52.04;
boots, £56.57,
Jumper, £490;
both Etsy. Jeans,
jeans, £535;
£30, Atika.
jewellery, £735;
Jewellery, £17.99
gloves, £395;
boots, £720
for set, Oxfam.
Studding, £7, Levi’s
(£1 for 5 studs).
Gloves, £10, Depop

OUTFIT
£8,441
For Michael
ANIMAL Kors’ ’60s
vixen you need
MAGIC to hunt down
the right
leopard. If you
see one you
love, don’t hesitate. A good leopard-
print coat will be an eternal piece you
come back to season after season.
Etsy is my go-to here. You can access
a huge number of US-based sellers
who deal in a steady stream of great
vintage pieces from the ’60s and ’70s.
It’s much easier to find great versions
here than on Ebay, where many are
described as “vintage” but aren’t.
Often, the linings in vintage coats
are satin, which can be ripped or torn,
READ
OUTFIT
COST COST
£62
MICHAEL KORS
especially in the pockets (ask the with the sparkles), and also search
vendor to confirm). Also, most
vintage leopard-print coats are thick
vintage by designers who were
famous for it – Roberto Cavalli,
faux fur, which can look voluminous
with winter layers underneath or
belted. Look out for a printed fabric,
Betsey Johnson and Versace.
For leopard-print kitten heels or
stilettos, search for classic shapes
or a smoother pile that’s less than from the ’80s and ’90s. The ’80s
half an inch thick. Again, check high V above the toes has been
with the vendor. When it comes to on trend ever since Phoebe Philo
the colour, seek out a leopard print reinvented it when she was at Céline.
that is predominantly shades of And nothing beats a ’90s stiletto
brown and realistically replicates a for its sharp, clean lines. i
leopard’s spots. A more graphic print
with too much yellow can look more
Kat Slater than catwalk. If you’re MICHAEL MY LOOK
buying online, look at a close-up KORS Coat, £20,
Depop. Vintage
image as leopard can look very Coat, £5,796;
Dune shoes, £22,
bag, £2,055;
different zoomed out. Italian brands shoes, £590
Ebay. Bag, £20,
Oxfam.com
know how to do this print (along
C O S M O P O L I TA N · 105
 When you’re

SPORTS recreating
runway

REDUX looks,
sometimes
it’s the
colour
combinations that inspire, like
this fresh purple, terracotta and
white look at Tibi.
I searched for skirts and trousers
in every shade from chocolate and
rusty coppers to burgundy, in plaid,
plain and striped, as it’s the overall
aesthetic and colour combination
that makes this work. A brown slip
dress, cotton PJ bottoms, floral or
pencil skirt could look equally cool.
This Tibi track top is a classic
shape so it’s easy to recreate. Vintage
sportswear is a great buy – the fabric
OUTFIT is less delicate than knitwear so it
OUTFIT

PACO RABANNE
COST washes and ages well. Retro or
COST
£1,527 vintage shops in big northern cities
like Manchester, Liverpool and £2,350
TIBI

Leeds are often the best hunting

grounds, especially for my favourite
’80s and ’90s Adidas, which looks
super-cool styled with something
luxe. Also look for kids’ sizes, as
they’ll be more fitted and feminine. Acne Studios
I had this white two-way zip fitted make
for £10, and it’s the contrast with
MODERN everything

HAIR ZOE IRWIN, USING GHD. MAKE-UP JESSICA MEJIA AT STELLA CREATIVE ARTISTS, USING NANSHY.
the purple that makes it feel modern. cooler. This

ADDITIONAL PHOTOGRAPHS GETTY IMAGES, JASON LLOYD-EVANS. *MAGPIEVINTAGE_LONDON

Also, you can zip it from the bottom
up for a more flattering shape.
White vintage boots are hard to
find as if they’re truly pre-loved
they’re likely to look worn. White
accessories were big in the ’80s, but
boots were often totally flat, which
isn’t super-flattering. Your best bet is
Vestiaire Collective – find someone
who’s fallen out of love with their
barely worn, designer pair. There’s a
strict grading process so you know
they’re genuine and in good shape.
OUTFIT
COST TIBI MY LOOK
£186 Top, £441; skirt,
£351; boots, £735
Top, £24; trousers, £22,
Atika. Boots, £140,
Vestiaire Collective
season it’s the
CLASSIC trench coat.
Atika, one of
east London’s
biggest vintage shops, is my go-to for
pre-loved trenches. It has rails and
rails that often include classic labels
like Aquascutum and Burberry.
I recently found a vintage Saint
Laurent men’s one at Oxfam for £100,
with branded buttons, which makes it
feel more luxe. “If you find a winner
that’s missing its belt, just shorten the
length by a couple of inches to make
a new one,” says John Howlin at Atika.
For DIY waterproofing, wash in the
washing machine or at the dry cleaners
so no stains get sealed in, then spritz
with waterproofing spray, preferably

106 · C O S M O P O L I TA N
 READ

Tomboy meets the patina is love-worn. But you do

LEFT cool French

girl at Paco
need to try them on in person to
avoid disappointment. Boots bought

BANK Rabanne. For

blazers, look
online always turn up too small or
big – the sizes never correlate.

LO-FI for styles that

fall at least
three inches
A good-quality Breton, meanwhile,
gets better with age – as the weave
is tight, they soften up over time.
below your Buy a bit baggy and tuck in just
hip bone. Anything shorter is more at the front. And know your
of a jacket, and less on trend. A plain measurements. “Pay no attention to
blazer is easily customised with gold sizes on labels. Vintage clothes are
buttons, while men’s styles are often sourced from different countries
best for layering knits underneath. and eras, so the sizing is all over
This season wear your jeans longer the place,” says Alice Lockspeiser
and looser in the leg than you usually of Magpie Vintage.* A size 10
would so that they bunch up. Contrary from the ’70s is more like today’s
to popular belief, Atika’s John Howlin 6 to 8. Brace yourselves.
believes you should wash them often
(inside out, cold wash, washing-up
liquid on stains). “Washing denim PACO MY LOOK
OUTFIT rebinds fibres to bring strength back RABANNE Blazer, £33,
COST to the fabric and prevents ‘whisker’
Blazer, £700;
Beyond Retro.
Jumper, £24;
£137 lines for an overall fade,” he says.
jumper, £610;
jeans, £300;
Levi’s 501 jeans,
£30, both Atika.
Cowboy boots should always be boots, £740
Boots, £50, Oxfam
vintage because they’re less stiff and

outside. Or ask your local dry cleaners

if they have a specialist service.
Trenches come in all shades, but
I love classic tan as it pairs perfectly
with denim. A good checked or
patterned lining is worth looking
out for, so you can also wear it inside
out or layer under another coat for
added interest (and warmth).
Although wearing someone’s old
shoes isn’t for everyone, I prefer
second-hand trainers. These are
’90s Adidas, worn in by somebody
else, so instantly comfortable. ◆

ACNE MY LOOK
STUDIOS Coat, £39.99;
Carven scarf, OUTFIT OUTFIT
ACNE STUDIOS

Coat, £1,100;
£29.99, both
top, £140;
Oxfam. Shirt, COST COST
trousers, £240;
scarf, £400;
trainers, £290
£31.51; trousers,
£23, both Etsy.
£2,170 £154.49
Trainers, £30, Atika

C O S M O P O L I TA N · 107
READ

THIS WOMAN
CHARGES MEN
TO WATCH HER
PERFORM SEX ACTS.
Does that make her a
feminist? Or a danger
to women’s rights?
Œ
In a secret corner of the internet, young women are earning
their fortunes by creating sexual content for a growing male
audience. But, asks Daniella Scott, who’s exploiting who? i
Photographs S A R A H B R O W N

108 · C O S M O P O L I TA N
I
n a small, unremarkable suburb, in a sleepy, Brother housemates, former Love
Island contestants, among others),
unremarkable cul-de-sac, Emma, known only as
all of whom charge anywhere from
“Rogue”, plans her working week. There’s “Model $10 to $14.99 for a one-month
Photoset Monday”, “Topless Tuesday”, “Fetish Friday”, subscription to their channel. You
“Sexy-Video Saturday” and “Striptease Sunday”. All of can also find amateur porn, fetish
videos and explicit photoshoots
which she will film from inside her quiet, provincial
with other former reality-TV faces.
home a short bus journey from Wigan town centre. Alongside them, the Insta-famous
It’s a tough job making yourself look “sexy” on a are increasingly using their huge
dreary Monday afternoon. Still, she has straightened followings on one platform to try
and drum up funds on OnlyFans,
her hair, shaved her legs (not her armpits – they are part
therein making sex workers out of
of her niche), and slicked her signature liner across her influencers. One of them, who has
eyelids. Now she just has to take a few topless selfies, a video over a million followers, recently
or two in her bondage gear (crotchless underwear, a collar and invited them to subscribe to her
OnlyFans channel and speculated
chain) and upload it to those who have paid to see it all.
openly with them that if only a tiny
You see, Rogue is a… what can I call the user keeps the rest. Subscriptions proportion did, she could make
her exactly... model? Businesswoman? start from $4.99 per month and almost £300k per month. Where
Sex-industry influencer? Because she can go right up to $49.99, with the conventional celebrity once meant
is, in fact, all of these things. As are idea being that a user’s earnings are fighting against nude photo leaks and
the thousands of young women like linked to the size of their fanbase sex tapes, the changing face of fame
Rogue who have created their own and how far they go with their means putting links to that content
“adult entertainment” channels on content. So someone with 40,000 on your Instagram and taking charge
a rapidly growing platform called Instagram followers, say, can charge of the thing that used to make
OnlyFans. The platform was born around $24.99 per month per fan, celebrities quake in fear. And like all
in 2016 through a mysterious and whereas someone with 20,000 good businesses in these neo-liberal
seemingly employee-less company followers can charge around $9.99. times, those who supply the right
named Fenix International Ltd. On There’s even a messaging function product create the biggest demand.
its homepage it touts itself for fans to chat with their
as a “social network”, a way heroes, as well as a simple THE REAL DEAL
to turn your pre-existing method through which But while celebrities are on there,
social media influence into they can send cash tips most OnlyFans content comes from
income: “The OnlyFans “I can make and see “wish lists” of gifts women like me and probably you –
way to make your influence money they’d be happy to receive. regular women, often with nine-to-
pay.” However large
numbers of its accounts
without You may be vaguely
familiar with the name
five jobs, who do it for the money,
the freedom and the control. For
are used for naked selfies, doing much” OnlyFans. Famously, Love 27-year-old Rogue, it began eight
titillating videos of Island’s Megan Barton- years ago when she quit her Pizza
homemade porn and fetish Hanson had a dedicated Hut delivery job and signed up to
films all posed, performed OnlyFans channel before a camming website, where she could
and produced by real women from she entered the villa, where she make up to £100 an hour for a two-
across the world. (The company is charged around $20 per month for hour set: doing stripteases, playing
American, but its users are everywhere, a subscription to her “exclusive with lotion and communicating with
from Shanghai to Hull.) UNCENSORED” content. Megan viewers. From there, she made the
The premise is simple: you sign up is not the only famous face to be transition into top-shelf magazines,
for free, then you upload images and found on here either: OnlyFans has flourishing as an alternative-look
videos to the platform before setting embraced a movement of reality-TV model; heavy tattoos wind around
a personalised paywall price for hopefuls on the hunt for a simple her arms and legs and peek
your “fans” or subscribers to access. and relevant way to supplement their suggestively from her lace lingerie,
Fenix International will take 20% incomes. A quick search brings up a while her bum-skimming hair is the
commission on all revenue, and host of semi-recognisable faces (ex-Big colour of a raspberry Slush Puppie.

110 · C O S M O P O L I TA N

Things were good. She was earning
enough to pay off her overdraft and
move out of her family home and into
her own place. Aside from the alt-
model niche, Rogue’s success comes
from her non-intimidating “real girl”
vibe (not unlike the appeal of the lads’-
mags-era girl-next-door glamour girls).
But with the advent of free, online
porn came the demise of these
printed top-shelf publications.
Simultaneously, another obstacle
started to rear its ugly head: a quiet
and stealthy campaign to change
pornographic laws in the UK began to
cause issues for women like Rogue. As
far back as 2014, legislation has been
slipped into various Communications
Acts and press releases about 5G
internet, banning a long list of sexual
acts in porn distributed in this
country. Among them, face-sitting,
READ
female ejaculation and “water sports”
(urine play) all got the boot. And
expected soon, as part of the Digital
Economy Act 2017, certain
authorities, such as the BBFC, could
have the power to block any website
without a court order. “It’s horrible
what’s happening to the industry in
the UK,” Rogue says, turning down
the music and running her long nails
compulsively through her hair. “Most
porn stars go to Ukraine or Belgium
to film now because they can’t shoot
the content they want here. I actually
know a couple of sex workers who
moved over there because the new
laws were making their careers too
difficult. Plus, a lot of the payment
platforms aren’t sex-worker friendly
any more, so many websites are
closing down because there isn’t
a payment system they can use. But
OnlyFans pays direct bank transfers
and doesn’t market itself as a sex-
only platform so it circumvents a lot
of the issues others are having.”
EASY MONEY
She also likes it for another reason:
“On OnlyFans you can be so open
with people, but it’s also very private,
and I can make money without really
doing much”. In an industry where
cam-sets often mean more than
seven unsociable hours of filming
throughout the night (when viewers
are around to watch), platforms such
as OnlyFans help content creators to
scale back on the more demanding
work. It’s almost like a sex-industry
ISA: allowing them to schedule, post
and then let their pictures work for
them, slowly making them money
while they carry on with their lives.
“I’ll shoot later on today because I’ve
got make-up on, and quite often I’ll
take pictures when I’ve had hair and
make-up done for another shoot; I’ll
try and get roughly eight videos done
in one day,” Rogue tells me as we
settle into the sofa in her living room.
A row of unicorn stuffed toys line
the back of the sofa, and over her i
C O S M O P O L I TA N · 111
shoulder, her and Rogue’s profiles
help to
o pay
her boyfriend’s
her billls
shoes (he helps
to shoot a lot of
her content) snake
their way down the
corridor. For Rogue,
just a few hours of
work a week pays
part of the rent on
the three-bed house
she shares with her
boyfriend, allowing heer
the freedom to get a
ness
qualification in busin
and plan a career in PR.
P

TAKING CONTROL
Rogue isn’t the only one
whose fandom is fundingg
other projects – Kate
Maxx also uses OnlyFans
to free up her time and
bank balance. “It’s
helping me set up goals
for things I want to do
that won’t earn me
money, like volunteering
with coral regrowth projects,t ” she
h ttells
ll
me over Skype, through a mass of bed-
head hair. She has dark eyes, pillowy
lips and skin as smooth as a sheet of
paper. Kate charges around $20 a
month per person for a subscription to
her OnlyFans. How many subscribers vagina the whole time I was talking,” I had made it out like I do ‘extras’.”
does she have? “I’m not sure, but last she says. “They were taking these Rogue was so affected that she didn’t
time I checked it was a few hundred.” close-up shots without telling me, work with any new photographers for
In the sex industry, you work with so I left. OnlyFans was a way to regain two months. Her only income came
the constant threat of exploitation: that freedom and control.” from the money she made online.
there’s a 45-75% chance of assault In Rogue’s case, it was OnlyFans This still leaves one major question:
within your career.* Is it any wonder, that supported her financially when what’s in it for the subscribers? Why
then, that a platform which allows she took a break from modelling, pay for content when there is so
the user full consent, creative control after having been assaulted much readily available
and selective privacy has become so on set. “The photographer online? Well, herein lies
popular? Kate alleges that in her past touched me in the middle the rub. These subscribers
she has had exploitative experiences
on conventional photoshoots. “I
of the shoot so I stopped it
– I was terrified. Eventually
“It makes aren’t looking for a single,
impersonal session staring
worked for one show where you read I said we could carry on sex workers into the eyes of some
the news naked, and I wasn’t even
getting paid minimum wage – I
shooting as long as he
didn’t touch me again,” she
out of on-screen stranger whose
name they don’t know –
couldn’t pay my rent – and once I was says. “So the photographer influencers” they want something more
watching it back on TV and found started saying I needed to than that. “I have some
that they were zooming in on my change my rates, as though followers who I chat to a

112 · C O S M O P O L I TA N

lot: one guy is in Wales and we’ve been
chatting about how sh*t the weather
is for the past three days, and another
I’m chatting to is in America, he’s
really into cars… and always tells me
about his cat,” Rogue says, scrolling
through her profile on her laptop. A
laptop, incidentally, that was bought
for her by an OnlyFans subscriber:
“It was the guy in America. He’d buy
custom content from me [for which
she charges around £100], and I really
needed a new laptop, so I told him,
‘I’ll do you a deal: if you send [a
certain] amount of money, I’ll do you
twice the amount of custom content
it’s worth.’” There’s even a language
Rogue employs to make content feel
more personal: “I work for a JOI [Jerk
Off Instruction] website and they give
you this sheet of words to use because
their customers like you to mix it
up, so you can’t just say “dick” all the
time. They give you a spreadsheet of
all the different words for penis, and
also you’re not supposed to say things
like ‘wank that dick’ you have to say
‘wank your dick’, as it has to be like
you’re speaking to them.”
Kate’s fans, similarly, want to be part
of her life; sending her gifts, messages
and supporting charities she likes.
“They look out for me… I have fans
that message me saying, ‘Hey, you look
like you’re going through a lot right
now, can I send you a gift?’” she says.
Even more intimate was the fan who
noticed Kate working tirelessly and
bought her a spa day. It’s a far-flung
world from the one of unreachable,
nameless beings having sex on your
screen. In fact, for some, it’s a million
miles from that, something I begin
to understand when I speak to a
subscriber named Michael† who
follows a woman called Narsil.
Michael is shy, with kind eyes, three-
day stubble and gentle speech, and he
is very fond of Narsil. “She is one of a
kind, she’s so beautiful and everything
she uploads is just so beautiful… she
is the only person I subscribe to and
she is one of the nicest, prettiest
people I have ever had the pleasure
of knowing,” he tells me. They speak
a few times a week, as he likes to “see
how she’s doing”, he explains. He says
he’d “do anything to make her happy”.
POWER PLAY
But where does OnlyFans sit in a
post #MeToo world? What does its
popularity among young women say
about female empowerment? That sex
still sells is without question. But if
that selling is based in autonomy, by
your own volition, and accommodates
a chosen lifestyle that convention
can’t afford to give you, is it, in fact,
the ultimate empowerment trump
card? Or is OnlyFans perpetuating
the retrogressive objectification of
women that we have spent years
trying to dismantle? That would
LEARN YOUR
CUNNILINGO
OnlyFans is awash with
acronyms. Here are the
ones you need to know
JOI
Stands for “Jerk Off Instruction” –
basically dictating how and when a
man can ejaculate. Also an unfortunate
coincidence for anyone called Joy.
OTK
Over The Knee, as in “Over The Knee
Spanking” not school-skirt-length rules.
SPH
Small Penis Humiliation. Enough said.
CMD
“Carpet Matches Drapes”. And not in
a Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen sense.
K9
“Puppy Play” involving leads, playing
fetch and barking a lot. At least it’ll
make you cry less than Marley & Me.
DATO
“Dining At The O”, which means… er…
rimming. Unsurprisingly no Michelin
stars for this dining experience.
READ
depend on how you view feminism,
and moreover, its relationship with
sex work. Is feminism an axiomatic
movement where one set of rules
applies to all, or is it about the right
to independent choice based on
the options in front of you? People
typically align themselves to one of
two schools of thought: on one hand,
the idea that the exchange of sexual
services for money is a manipulative
and endangering dynamic in which
women typically emerge worse off.
The other, a more recent movement
(usually associated with Third Wave
feminism), is more encouraging of
sexual liberation, whether it pertains
to personal relationships or sex as a
service: the focus here is on consent,
the freedom of all people to engage
in sex however they choose to and
enabling women to live full, happy
sex lives as people not commodities.
Rogue settles her camera down on
a chest of drawers in her bright, white
bedroom and begins, like clockwork,
ADDITIONAL PHOTOGRAPHS GETTY IMAGES. HAIR AND MAKE-UP MUZHDAH LONE AT LHA REPRESENTS. ALL CLOTHES, ROGUE’S OWN.
to curve her body into a sultry S-shape.
Each time the shutter clicks, she
inspects her work. Something that
comes from being model and
photographer at the same time. “You
vet everything. There’s no chance that
a photographer has caught a nip slip,
FIND ROGUE ONLINE @INSTAGRAM/ROGUE_MODEL. *HUFFINGTON POST. †NAME HAS BEEN CHANGED
or that they’ve taken pictures of you
while you were changing or pretended
that they were doing a full-body and
zoomed in on, you know, things you
don’t want them to. But now I can
say ‘I don’t want to work with you’,
and it doesn’t matter that I’m losing
out on that money because I’m
making it for myself anyway.” ◆
BEHIND THE SCENES
Daniella Scott
“Explaining this feature to
people in the pub, I was met with a lot
of raised eyebrows. Whether we like it or
not we can still surprise ourselves by the
judgements we hold about sex workers.
But how legitimate can our judgements
be if we don’t know the whole story?”
C O S M O P O L I TA N · 113
 BEAUTY AWARDS

To say it’s been a

big year in beauty
would be an
understatement.
Never before have
we seen so many
new innovations,
formulations and
products whose
very names give us
palpitations as we
have in 2018. But
who really stood
out from the beauty
crowd? Huddle in
a little closer and
we’ll tell you… i

115
 THE
JUDGES
These beauty
big-timers know
a prize-worthy
product when
they see one

Best POLLUTION
SHIELD
INGEBORG VAN EXUVIANCE PROBIOTIC LYSATE
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Beauty Director Probiotics, polyhydroxy and hyaluronic
acids work together to restore healthy
bacteria, neutralise pollutants, dissolve
dead skin cells and hydrate to the max.

CASSIE POWNEY
Beauty Editor

JO TAYLOR Best FACIAL OIL

Beauty Writer Best MASK
GLAMGLOW INSTAMUD 60-SECOND
PORE-REFINING TREATMENT, £30
Slather this on for a minute of extreme
detoxing. The foaming treatment
contains bentonite, kaolin clays and
witch hazel to draw out impurities and
soothe skin for a selfie-worthy glow.
HERBIVORE ORCHID YOUTH
PRESERVING FACIAL OIL, £54
One team member ditched their £200
facial oil for this and never looked back.
The cocktail of flower oils fights off free
radicals, increases skin elasticity and locks
in hydration. Oh, and the bottle’s nice…

VICTORIA JOWETT
Digital Beauty Editor

LAURA CAPON
Digital Senior Beauty
& Fashion Writer

Best EYE CREAM Best SLEEP Best MOISTURISER

NEUTROGENA HYDRO BOOST EYE
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Lightweight and refreshing, this
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KEEKS REID dehydrated under-eyes. Use every
Digital Contributing morning to combat the tell-tale signs of
Beauty Writer ageing – we’re looking at you, fine lines.
TREATMENT
SIMPLE WATER BOOST SKIN QUENCH
SLEEPING CREAM, £6.99
For when you want a non-sticky veil of
hydration and plumped-up skin by the
morning. It sinks in instantly, so don’t
worry about face-planting the pillow.
OLAY TOTAL EFFECTS WHIP
MOISTURISER SPF30, £34.99
This melting, mousse-like version
of Total Effects is full of anti-ageing
essentials like niacinamide, green-tea
extract, vitamins C & E and SPF30
– plus it hydrates exceedingly well.

116 · C O S M O P O L I TA N
SKINC RE BEAUTY AWARDS

Best MAKE-UP Best CLEANSING OIL Best FACE WASH

REMOVER
GARNIER MICELLAR CLEANSING
WATER DELICATE SKIN & EYES, £5.99
Garnier’s latest make-up remover is its
yet. Micellar water and cleansing oil
bine to dissolve waterproof slap that
r micellars can’t get their teeth into.
TIME BOMB PEACE & QUIET COCONUT
CLEANSING OIL, £25
The nourishing oils in this heavenly-
smelling cleanser dissolve every last
scrap of make-up. Worried about greasy
residue? Don’t be: the oil turns into a
light, luxurious milk when you add water.
GALLINÉE CLEANSING BAR, £9.90
The world’s first cleansing bar that has
the same pH (5.5) as skin, meaning it
will clear away filth, oils and even eye
make-up without stripping skin at all.
With bonus prebiotics and lactic acid
for a healthy, happy acid mantle. Genius.

Best ANTI-AGEING Best ACID Best BLEMISH BUSTER

SERUM
MEDIK8 CRYSTAL RETINAL 6, £59
Retinol’s younger sister, retinal, is one
step closer to clinical-grade retinoic acid,
meaning it can deliver results 11 times
faster. Also contains hyaluronic acid and
vitamin E for hydration and less irritation.
REN READY STEADY GLOW DAILY
AHA TONIC, £25
Every time we use this, we get mega
compliments on our skin. Why? Its mix
of AHA, BHA and azelaic acid dissolves
dead cells, minimises pores and improves
hydration for your best glow yet.
BODY
LA ROCHE-POSAY EFFACLAR
DUO (+), £16
The go-to moisturiser for problem skin
has now been boosted with a natural
prebiotic, which polices skin’s bacteria
to keep acne at bay. It also corrects
marks left by previous spots. The dream.

Best BODY CLEANSER Best BODY Best BODY SCRUB

WESTLAB SHOWER WASH, £3
Sometimes, you get what you pay for.
Other times, the bargains turn out to be
the belters. Perfectly pH-balanced and
free from skin-stripping sulphates, this
range of salt-infused gels makes the
shower our new favourite place to be.
MOISTURISER
THE BODY SHOP BODY YOGURT, £8.50
These light, silky creams sink into skin in
less than 15 seconds – which leaves just
enough time to grab an outfit from your
floordrobe before you dash out of the
door. Our favourite flavour is Almond.
SOAPER DUPER SMOOTHING PASSION
FRUIT BODY SCRUB, £7.50
Free of mineral oils, artificial colourants
and sodium lauryl sulphate, the naturally
derived rice powder whisks off dead skin
cells without stripping skin of anything
else. And we adore this new flavour. i

C O S M O P O L I TA N · 117
Best HIGHLIGHTER Best BLUSHER
FENTY BEAUTY KILLAWATT
FREESTYLE HIGHLIGHTER,
FROM £26
If you’re serious about highlighter,
this is a worthwhile investment.
Camera-flash friendly and super-
pigmented, streak it on for bold
colour or blend it in for a glow.
Plus, it comes in so many colours.
BAREMINERALS GEN NUDE
POWDER BLUSH, £22
Gives you that vibrancy you only
get from running around the
countryside in spring. These
blushes look so natural and
effortless you barely realise you’ve
got them on – until you don’t. And
there really is a shade for everyone.
Best LIPSTICK
LIPSTICK QUEEN DATING
GAME LIPSTICK, £22
Not matte, not glossy, but
beautifully satin – these pigment-
packed beauties last for hours,
then subtly fade to a sexy stain.
Their cream texture is timeless
– and they even smell of classic
lipstick (not synthetic coconut).
Best EYE PENCIL
SLEEK MAKEUP LIFEPROOF 12
HOUR WEAR EYELINER, £4.99
Another bargain product that you
just can’t beat. Silky, crease-free
and smudge-proof, this won’t end
up halfway down your face by
lunch. It’s great for a bold cat eye
or just a little definition along the
waterline, and comes in six shades.

Best EYESHADOW
PALETTE
URBAN DECAY BORN TO RUN
EYESHADOW PALETTE, £39.50
Whether you’re into nudes,
sparkles or smoky eyes, this palette
has got your back. The pigments
are top-notch and a little goes a
long way. With 21 shades, that’s
a lot of bang for your buck.
MAKE-UP
Best FOUNDATION
“STEAL”
MAYBELLINE NEW YORK
FIT ME! MATTE + PORELESS
FOUNDATION, £6.99
For a natural-looking matte finish
that doesn’t budge, look no further.
Micro blotting powders absorb oil;
blurring powders conceal pores.
No time to touch up? No problem.

Best FOUNDATION Best MASCARA

“SPLURGE”
CLINIQUE EVEN BETTER GLOW
LIGHT REFLECTING MAKEUP, £28
A foundation that all the beauty
team agree on? It’s a miracle!
Expect medium coverage with a
dewy, non-greasy finish that’ll save
you from the worst hangover skin.
“STEAL”
RIMMEL LONDON SCANDALEYES
WOW WINGS MASCARA, £6.99
For a budget-friendly mascara,
we’re beyond impressed. The
curved brush grabs and lifts every
lash for a flutter that’ll have people
thinking you’re wearing extensions.

118 · C O S M O P O L I TA N

Best BRONZER
TOO FACED CHOCOLATE SOLEIL
BRONZER, £25
We’ve tried hundreds of bronzers
(literally), but always come back to
this. Now in a fancy new compact,
the ultra-soft creamy powder
applies beautifully. It’s long-lasting,
blendable and smells like you just
cracked open a bar of Dairy Milk.
Best EYESHADOW
NARS SINGLE EYESHADOW, £16
If you’re an eyeshadow monogamist,
these singles are perfect. Available
in a tonne of textures – from buttery
mattes to multi-dimensional glitters
– and every colour imaginable, there’s
a match made in heaven for everyone.
Best BROW
BOOSTER
BENEFIT GIMME BROW+
VOLUMIZING EYEBROW
GEL, £20.50
Made up of microfibres that cling
to your skin and hair for fuller-
looking brows, this now comes in
eight shades so you can dodge
those too-grey/too-dark tints.
Best PRIMER
CHARLOTTE TILBURY
HOLLYWOOD FLAWLESS
FILTER, £30
Slip this on under your usual
foundation to intensify coverage.
If you’re not one for a heavy base,
it’s also great on its own for a
super-glowy wash of colour.
Best MASCARA
“SPLURGE”
LANCOME HYPNOSE
CUSTOM-WEAR
NAILS
MASCARA, £25
A smooth, glossy formula
that gives lift, length and
thickness, and leaves lashes
defined and clump-free.
Best LIQUID
LIPSTICK
ESTEE LAUDER PURE COLOR
LOVE LIQUID LIP, £17
It’s a tough job choosing between
these 17 pack-a-punch colours, but
we’d say the eight matte offerings
reign supreme. They’re velvety,
hydrating and fade like a dream,
unlike most mattes we’ve tried.
Best CONCEALER
MAKEUP REVOLUTION CONCEAL
& DEFINE CONCEALER, £4
Under-eye circles, blemishes and
uneven skin tone beware, this
concealer is coming for you. Full-
coverage yet lightweight, it dries
matte and refuses to crease. And
did you see the price tag? Bargain.
BEAUTY AWARDS
Best NAIL
TREATMENT
SALLY HANSEN GEL
REHAB, £9.95
Life’s about compromise,
right? So instead of giving up
your beloved (but damaging)
gel manis, take a week’s break
and sweep this on before bed.
It washes off the next morning
and leaves good-as-new nails.
Best NAIL
POLISH
NAILBERRY L’OXYGENE
OXYGENATED NAIL
LACQUER, £14.50
So the mulberry pink, electric
blue and cool powder-purple
shades caught our eye first,
then we realised these polishes
last, despite lacking hardcore
chemicals, and we fell hard. i
C O S M O P O L I TA N · 119
BEAUTY AWARDS
Best HAIR TREATMENT
PUREOLOGY HYDRATE SUPERFOOD
TREATMENT MASK, £26.50
This is like a therapy session for stressed-out
hair, coating strands in antioxidants, coconut
and avocado oil to soften cuticles and prevent
fade. Result: a shiny, vibrant, frizz-free swish.
Best HAIR SMOOTHER
COLOR WOW DREAM COAT
SUPERNATURAL SPRAY, £24
Long live the blow-dry, thanks to this heat-
activated gloss-giver. The formula seals strands
to lock out frizz-causing humidity, without the
greasy finish some serums leave behind.
120 · C O S M O P O L I TA N
Best SHAMPOO
CHARLES WORTHINGTON COLOURPLEX
PROTECTING SHAMPOO, £6.99
Why spend a fortune on your hair colour then
give it zero TLC? This strengthening, sulphate-
free, anti-fade hero comes enriched with honey
for blondes and cocoa for brunettes.
Best COLOUR PRODUCT
L’OREAL PARIS COLORISTA HAIR
MAKEUP, £6.99
Festivals, hen dos, Monday mornings… use this
one-day hair make-up to change your look at
every opportunity. Simply apply it with your
hands, let it dry and brush it through.
Best CONDITIONER
OGX HYDRATE+ MARULA OIL
CONDITIONER, £6.99
Lightweight and super-hydrating, this tames
frizz and enriches locks with vitamin C, omega
fatty acids and antioxidants. In layman’s terms?
You’ll get healthier hair every time you use it.
Best HAIR TEXTURISER
KERASTASE AURA BOTANICA SUGAR
SPRAY, £23.90
This year, texture tonics developed a sweet
tooth. Offering all the oomph with less of the
grit and none of the oiliness of sea-salt sprays,
this one’s become our go-to for beachy waves.
Best AFRO HAIR HERO
CHARLOTTE MENSAH MANKETTI OIL
FINISHING MIST, £38
Not only is it loaded with manketti oil (AKA
one of the most moisturising ingredients there
is), but the low-water volume means it’ll never
cause natural hair to frizz. Expect serious shine.
FRAGRANCE Best ANYTIME,
ANYWHERE
FRAGRANCE
CHLOE NOMADE EDP,
£49 (30ml)
This fresh floral scent
is gently sweetened by
plum and nudged into
rebellious territory with
notes of earthy oakmoss.
Wearable, but by no
means predictable.

Best FRAGRANCE Best NICHE FRAGRANCE Best STATEMENT

INNOVATION
YSL BLACK OPIUM EDP CLICK & GO,
£29 (2.5ml)
If you like an afternoon top-up but hate carrying
round a full-sized fragrance, try this. It dispenses
the perfect amount of YSL’s iconic perfume.
FLORAL STREET EDP, FROM £20 (10ml)
This brand blew the fragrance industry off
its feet when it launched in 2017 with eight
fragrances aimed at those with discerning
noses and tight budgets. There’s a scent for
everyone, but we love Ylang Ylang Espresso.
FRAGRANCE
DIOR JOY EDP, £54 (30ml)
“Oh, please stop wearing apologetic, faceless
perfumes and live a little”… is what Dior thought
(we assume) when it created this floral-tangy-
fruity juice anchored with sexy sandalwood. i

C O S M O P O L I TA N · 121
BEAUTY AWARDS

Best BODY
SPF

SUN
VICHY IDEAL
SOLEIL SOLAR
PROTECTIVE
WATER SPF30, £19
A hydrating, non-
greasy mist that
makes staying
safe in the sun feel
like a pampering
session. It contains
skincare favourite
hyaluronic acid,
which acts like a
big glass of water
for parched skin.

WINNERS?
THE JU
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TO

HEA
COSMO

WANT

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ONLINE

8
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1
S20
MO
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LIT A
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WORDS INGEBORG VAN LOTRINGEN, CASSIE POWNEY, JO TAYLOR, VICTORIA JOWETT, LAURA CAPON, KEEKS REID. PHOTOGRAPHS AGATA PEC.
Best BODY SELF-TAN Best FACE SPF Best FACE SELF-TAN
ISLE OF PARADISE SELF-TANNING ULTRASUN DAILY FACE FLUID BRIGHTENING, ST TROPEZ SELF TAN PURITY BRONZING
MOUSSE, £19.95 ANTI-SPOT & ANTI-POLLUTION SPF50+, £28 WATER FACE MIST, £22

Created by tanner-to-the-stars Jules Von Hep,
these use genius colour-correcting green,
purple and peach bases to cancel out unwanted
undertones and “you’ve been Tango’d” tinges.
Non-greasy and suitable for all skin tones, this
formula creates a second skin barrier that bats
away not just UVA and UVB, but dark spots
and lines as well. A real face-saver.
TOOLS
OPENING PRODUCT SHOT: MUA PRISM HIGHLIGHTER IN AQUATIC SHINE. GHD SHOT SHOWS HAIR EXTENSION BY EASILOCKS
This stuff is pure magic. Spritz on under or over
make-up for a gradually built, natural-looking
tan. No streaks, no biscuit smell and no orange
shirt collars. We love a midday mist at our desks.

Best HAIR TOOL Best GADGET Best MAKE-UP BRUSHES

GHD PLATINUM+ STYLER, £175
The super-smart plates on the new Platinum
analyse your hair 250 times per second and
adjust their temperature for safer heat styling.
Plus, the wishbone hinge springs back for ease
and keeps plates aligned for master precision.
GLOPRO MICRONEEDLING
REGENERATION TOOL, £199
We spent the year rolling needles over our skin
– and looking plumper and more even-toned
for it. GloPro’s mechanism makes it gentle but
effective, even for the squeamish.
MYKITCO MY TIN: FACE, £39
Co-founded by MUA James Molloy, these are
some of the best brushes around. Incredible
quality, beautifully designed and they won’t
devastate your bank account. Oh, and each kit
comes in a pencil-case-style tin. Adorable. ◆

122 · C O S M O P O L I TA N
Dress, £1,440;
earrings, £235,
both Alessandra
Rich at Harrods.
Shoes, £665,
Rupert Sanderson
Work
it, baby
S E N I O R F A S H I O N E D I T O R Sairey Stemp P H O T O G R A P H Y MARCO PALUMBO

125
 Top, £39.99; skirt,
£29.99, both Zara.
Hair clip, £110, Ashley
Williams. Earrings,
£12, Jon Richard
Jewellery. Shoes,
£495, Christian
Louboutin

126
Jacket, £595; shirt,
£195; trousers,
£350; shoes, £395,
all Mother Of Pearl.
Bag, £795, Aspinal
Of London
All-in-one suit, £700,
Au Jour Le Jour. Hair
clip, £110, Ashley
Williams. Earrings,
£58, Milk Tooth LDN
Top, £475; skirt, £430;
earrings, £275; bag,
£950; scarf (on bag),
£125; shoes, £475,
all Mulberry. Glasses,
£38, Quay Australia

129
Jacket, £390,
Vanessabruno.com.
Dress, £375; hair clip,
£110; earrings (just
seen), £160; necklace,
£180, all Ashley Williams.
Bra, £55, Chantelle at
Net-a-porter.com. Bag,
£465, Manu Atelier.
Shoes, £205, Aeyde

130
Dress, £55, River Island.
Necklace, £49.99,
Moschino TV H&M
Dress, £765, Isabel
Marant. Earrings,
£15, Asos.com
Dress, £193, Bec +
Bridge. Belt, £79.99,
Moschino TV H&M.
Earrings, £12, River
Island. Bag, £295,
Strathberry. Shoes,
as before

Model Abbey Ries at

Milk Management. Hair
Jason Crozier at Stella
Creative Artists, using
Sachajuan. Make-up
Nancy Sumner at
Eighteen Management,
using Glossier. Fashion
assistant Maddy Alford.
Photographer’s
assistant Tim Wheeler

133
WINTER
WISHES
Want to lead the fashion pack
this Christmas? From elevating
your look in a cutting-edge suit
to dazzling in sequins, Very has
you covered. After all, ’tis the
season to be #VeryNextLevel…
 COSMOPOLITAN PROMOTION

Previous page:
blazer, £70;
trousers, £55,
both Lost Ink.
Shoes, £32,
V by Very

This page, from

left: dress, £100,
Monsoon. Shoes,
£42, V by Very.
Dress, £60,
V by Very. Shoes,
£30, V by Very.

All available at
Very.co.uk
 SINGLE? SETTL YOU COVERED

SLEAZY LISTENING
The hottest thing in porn right now:
not watching it, but listening to it.
Known as audio porn, a host of websites
– many of which started life as Tumblr
blogs – invite listeners to get their
fix by tuning their ears into everything
from sexual confessions to the
soundtrack of real-life couples doing
the deed. The best we’ve found?
Aural Honey, which even takes
requests from users on what they
want to hear. Fancy something a bit
more vanilla? Try the newly released
Romance Package on Audible, which
has romantic (wink, wink) novels
narrated by the likes of Jesse Metcalfe,
the one-time glistening gardener
from Desperate Housewives. A perfect
way to get us off… to sleep at night.
WORDS JENNIFER SAVIN. PHOTOGRAPH LOUISA PARRY. SONY PINK SUPRA-AURAL CLOSED-EAR HEADPHONES,
£15, SONY.CO.UK. AQUARIUS BLUETOOTH WIRELESS PILL SPEAKER IN ROSE GOLD, £29.99, AMAZON.CO.UK

C O S M O P O L I TA N · 137
 THE
POLYAMORY
DIARIES
“Cana ma
rriage
thoutsex?”
I
’ve been dating Nell for nearly a
year now, while also being married
to my wife, Lucy.* But there’s no
cheating. This isn’t an affair. It
was my wife’s idea, so she knows
all about it and also has her own
boyfriend, Max. This is polyamory, and
it’s almost permanently confusing.
My relationship with Nell was slow
to start. I spent many months coming
to terms with this new way of living,
sometimes consumed with jealousy at
Lucy’s frequent trysts, but also keeping
my options open with multiple Tinder
dates of my own, which even led to
the odd one-night stand. Nell, though,
was always in the background. She
was my first polyamorous date.
And now I’ve realised something:
I’m in love with her.
This realisation has been brought
about, in part, by a new chapter in
our sex life. During the first few
months, Nell and I were urgent and
PHOTOGRAPH AGATA PEC. *NAMES HAVE BEEN CHANGED
passionate… but strictly vanilla. Now,
though, we feel comfortable enough
with each other to be more open
about our kinks and fantasies.
I’ve always found domination and
submission a big turn-on from both
sides – I’m known as a “switch” in
BDSM terms. Nell tells me she’s
similar, but feels more comfortable in
a submissive role, so it’s this dynamic
that we agree to explore first.
As Jack* finds new levels of chemistry
with his girlfriend, Nell,* has the spark
gone out of his marriage – for good?
We decide on a harness of leather
straps that go round her body, and
a collar with a light metal chain lead.
I tell her that one of my domination
fantasies is to have her as my “pony
girl”. So in addition to this, she
could also wear other, more equine
bondage equipment, such as a bit
in her mouth, and be ordered
around by me as her “trainer”.
My heart is in my mouth when I
tell her what I have in mind. She liked
the collar and harness, but would my
fantasy be too much for her? Rather
than turning up the heat, would I get a
frosty reception? Thankfully, she seems
as excited as me by the idea and wants
to try “pony play” as soon as we can.
And that’s how, a couple of weeks
later, I end up fully dressed with a
riding crop in my hand, while Nell
walks like a pony across the room,
a bit in her mouth, dressed in little
more than a few straps and some tiny
shorts. She has to keep her handcuffed
wrists held up in front of her, and
walk with her knees high. I administer
light switches with the crop on her
partly naked bottom every few steps.
She tries to keep focused and ignore
the mild pain from the delicately
set nipple clamps.
It’s a super-intense dom-sub
dynamic, which we both find highly
erotic. But we struggle to keep up
the act for long. I frequently have
to stop her to touch her and kiss
her through the bit. Slowly I start
to undress, and remove some of her
other straps. When we eventually
have sex, it is fast and urgent.
It turns out that Nell and I are
more compatible than I ever realised
before, which is part of our growing
closeness and mutual love.
While Lucy and I have tried similar
dom-sub role-play in the past, it cooled
down a couple of years ago, as she got
more interested in the psychological
aspects of BDSM and wanted to focus
on firmly applied restraint rather than
mildly administered pain. It’s not
something I could quite get my head
round, but recently she’s been able
to explore it more fully with Max. So
everyone’s happy, right? We’ve all got
what we wanted… Except one thing
tugs uncomfortably at my conscience.
The little voice that reminds me that
Lucy and I, while still “in love” in a
conventional, living-together-raising-
a-family kind of way, hardly ever
have sex. If this continues, can our
marriage really survive?
The Polyamory Diaries chronicles one
man’s reluctant journey into polyamory
in order to save his marriage. Read the
previous instalments at Cosmopolitan.
com/uk/polyamory-diaries
C O S M O P O L I TA N · 139
A D U LT N O N - F I C T I O N
MY
BEST SEX
EVERWAS…
with a Christmas stranger
Hooking up with a festive tourist left Charlotte* feeling both naughty and nice...
A year ago I began working
in an all-year-round
Christmas shop, to earn
a bit of extra cash while
studying at university. I’d recently
broken up with my long-term
boyfriend and I was feeling pretty
low – and, actually, all the tinsel,
festive cheer and seasonal tunes really
didn’t help. Most of our customers
were tourists coming in for tartan
baubles or ones with their names
written on. Either that or they were
Christmas obsessives, who began
planning their “looks” around August.
Certainly no one remotely fanciable.
But then, one morning, this really
cute Australian came in, picking up
some bits and bobs for his family.
I immediately felt a sexual chemistry
between us and he was totally my
type, with olive skin, blue eyes and
dark hair. We flirted a little, but then
he was gone. I figured he was just
visiting, and I’d never see him again.
But then a couple of days later he
popped in. “Forgot my nieces,” he
said, before staying and chatting a
little. He came in three days on the
trot after that, and I was dying for
him to ask me out – but our flirting
could only remain pretty tame: my
140 · C O S M O P O L I TA N
colleague, an elderly lady who’d
worked there for years, was always
close by, earwigging (and frowning
at us from the fairylit corners).
About a week after he first came in,
my colleague called in sick, leaving
me to run the shop alone. It was
a quiet day and I spent most of it
dusting, willing for him to stop by.
Then, around 4pm, I was up
on a stool, cleaning the
top-shelf ornaments, when
I heard the door go. It
was him. I turned around
and we instantly locked “He bent me
eyes. The look on his face
suggested he knew what
over boxes
I was thinking. of fragile
I managed to regain baubles”
my composure enough
to ask if he needed help
with anything, but he just
smiled and said, “I can’t stop thinking
about you,” before nodding to his
crotch and saying, “And yeah, there’s
something you could help me with.”
He was already hard. Before I had
time to question if I could get away
with having sex at work, he was close
enough for me to smell his aftershave,
and when his hand brushed mine,
I shivered. I knew I had to seize the
moment. I gestured for him to stay
where he was, and grabbed the keys,
locking the door of the shop. Then
I led him down the stairs to the
stockroom, in the basement. We began
to kiss in the darkness, his hands
running all over my body, the scent
of cinnamon in the air. He pushed
up my pencil skirt, tugging down
my tights, and kissed up and down
my legs before reaching the
spot, flicking it with his
tongue. As I neared climax,
he stopped, flipped me
around and bent me over a
pile of cardboard boxes that
I knew contained incredibly
fragile Christmas baubles.
He entered me from behind,
continuing to massage my AS TOLD TO JENNIFER SAVIN. *NAME HAS BEEN CHANGED
clitoris at the same time,
until I began to orgasm.
Then he carried on until I came again.
And then again. Multiple orgasms
were something I’d never experienced
before, so all thoughts of customers
upstairs queuing outside, and my ex,
were forgotten. Eventually, he also
came. I then tugged down my skirt, let
him out and prayed there wasn’t any
CCTV in the basement. Christmas
really did come early that year.
 WORST DATES EVER Hey, we’ve all been there…

He said, “I’m glad MY DATE SUGGESTED I MEET HIM AT

I met you now
He invited me back to his to “show me his HIS HOTEL, AS HE HAD A BUSINESS
instead of a year
pet snake” (not a euphemism), but when MEETING THERE. HE THEN SAID IT
ago… your acne is WOULD BE “COMPLETELY NORMAL FOR
disgusting in your we arrived, he put Lilo & Stitch on. Then,
old profile pictures.” each time I spoke, he told me to “shut up” ME TO JOIN THE DISCUSSION AS LONG
ELANA, 20 as he was “enjoying the movie”. I found an AS I ACTED PROFESSIONALLY” – I HAD
excuse and left. Never even saw the snake. TO SIT THROUGH 20 MINUTES OF
CHELSEA, 22
NEGOTIATIONS BEFORE HE EVEN
SAID HELLO PROPERLY.
ANNA, 24
All was going well
until he brought
up the fact that he
“actually used to look
like a virgin”. He then
HE WHISPERED IN MY EAR, THEN BIT IT, WHICH I FOUND
looked me square in PRETTY FORWARD. HE THEN WOULDN’T LEAVE IT ALONE – He called me a “basic
the eyes and said, TILL I SHOUTED, “STOP CHOMPING ON MY EAR!” AS I LEFT. bitch” because I had
“Which I’m not any MICHELLE, 35 a rose-gold iPhone
more, by the way.”
and went on holiday
MAGGIE, 19 to Alicante.
KIRAN, 27

During our drive to dinner, he

Post-pub, we headed to his flat for called his mum to discuss his
new job and salary. Then, at the
AS TOLD TO JENNIFER SAVIN. PHOTOGRAPHS GETTY IMAGES, SHUTTERSTOCK

very loud, drunken sex. Afterwards When the food

I popped to the bathroom and noticed the table, he kept bringing up sex. arrived, he whipped
toilet seat had a padded cushion around When I asked to change the out his own plastic

it and the bath had a chair in it… Turns out subject, he said, “Well, I really knife and fork
and said, “I never
like suits,” and spent 15
he’d taken me back to his grandma’s – and minutes Googling photos
use other people’s
cutlery.”
she’d been in the room next door to show me his favourite. SCOTT, 31
the entire time. Shudder. HEATHER, 22
JENNIFER, 26 ✱ Got a dating nightmare to
share? Email worstdatesever
@cosmopolitan.co.uk
FERAL FACTOR

TOTAL HOLD YOUR OTTER CRAZY STRANGE

PIG HORSES LOSER FROG FISH

C O S M O P O L I TA N · 141
 Joel when
María and ting
da
they were

“I was devastated to have to leave”

María, 29, is a photographer from London

Back in 2007, when I was a poor student who

couldn’t afford to buy records, I used to hang out in
a music shop in London’s Soho and listen to them
for free. One day, just after my 18th birthday, a guy
approached me saying he’d seen me around and wondered
why I never bought any music. His voice and brooding looks
had me smitten. We fell into conversation, and he ended
up buying me a record as a belated birthday gift. We left
together, grabbed a bottle of wine and walked all the way
to the River Thames, where we drank it, before heading to
a party. Hours later, under a Chinese lantern in a garden
nearby, we had our first kiss. We met up again two days
later, and within a month he’d become my first boyfriend.
It was such a naïve, dreamy love. He was a good listener,
supportive, and helped me with my photography, always
suggesting places I could take pictures in London. We made
jokes about being in love, but didn’t properly say it for ages.
After six months, I got news from my mother in Venezuela
that I had to move back home. I kept it from Joel for a whole
month, and when I broke it to him he became distant. I was
devastated to have to leave London, and getting on the plane
was so hard, but I promised myself I’d be back. And now I am.
Seeing Joel for the first time in over a decade was really
nice, if awkward at first. He’s had a child since we were
together, though he’s no longer with the mother. He
remembered everything,
like my favourite band Would you see him again?
and all the things we “Kissing him was so sweet, but I
used to do together. There don’t know if I’m just getting swept
was a bit of flirting and up in it all. We’ll definitely see
each other again, but I’m scared
giggling, and then, at the as his life’s so complicated now.”
end of the date, we kissed.

142 · C O S M O P O L I TA N
 Each
month,
th we
send two
former lovers
on a date to
see what
ppens

“It was like history repeating”

Joel, 32, is a graphic designer from London

I’d spotted María once or twice at my local record

shop and was immediately attracted to her. One day,
I plucked up the confidence to ask why she never
seemed to buy anything. She told me she was broke,
so when I found out it had been her birthday, I gave her a
record I’d just bought. We got chatting and wandered down
to the South Bank together. I didn’t want things to end, so I
invited her to a party. But it backfired: the party was so raucous
we could barely speak, so we escaped to a garden and I kissed
her, mid-sentence. A few dates later, over dinner, I involuntarily
told her I loved her, and though we laughed it off, I was serious.

AS TOLD TO KATE PASOLA. PHOTOGRAPHS SARAH BROWN. HAIR AND MAKE-UP CASSIE STEWARD AT LHA
Within weeks we were official. I was a layabout, wannabe

REPRESENTS. MARIA AND JOEL DINED AT THE COAL SHED, LONDON (COALSHED-RESTAURANT.CO.UK)
rock star, but she was so kind and creative – she used to leave
me notes on my pillow or around my flat. I still have some
of them, and years later, when I’d find them tucked into old
books, I’d crumple into a nostalgic heap.
After six months or so she went to Venezuela for a month,
and on her return to London, told me she’d have to move back
again permanently. Saying goodbye was horrible – we went for
a walk and inadvertently ended up at our first-date spot by the
river. Thinking about it makes me want to cry, even now.
I wasn’t at all nervous to see her again, just excited. I’d had
a decade to work on my material! She looked lovely and was
chatting and giggling a lot, and I took her by surprise again
with a kiss – I couldn’t help myself. She kissed me back, and it
was like history repeating.
With María, there are no Would you see her again?
regrets. It’s nice to be “My life is different now, and she
reminded of that. could do much better than me.
I worry it might not be the same
4Want to be reunited with this time round, and those perfect
your first love? Email us at memories would be tarnished.”
first.love@cosmopolitan.co.uk

C O S M O P O L I TA N · 143
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THE GREEDY GIRL’S GUIDE TO CHRISTMAS

WRAP STARS
Whether your friends, family, colleagues
or, hell, you have been naughty or nice
this year, you all deserve something
special. Here, we’ve curated (read: spent
weeks sorting through industrial-size
mountains of stuff) a selection of truly
joy-bringing gifts for people who may
(or may not) deserve them this year…
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146 · C O S M O P O L I TA N
 24
26

25

30

1 Penny Black Gold Fade

Skateboard, £129.95 (27in),
Slickwillies.co.uk 2 Diptyque
29 Feu de Bois candle, £420*
3 Backpack, £315, Michael Michael
Kors 4 Frost In May by Antonia
White, £9.99 (Virago) 5 Earrings,
28 £3, Primark 6 Chanel No5 Red
Edition EDP, £130 (100ml) 7 Saint
Iris Adriatica Every Body Purity Paste,
£48 8 Invisibobble Cracker Trio, £12.99
9 Bracelet, £34; charms, £25 each,
all Swarovski Remix Collection 10 “The
27 Velvetiser”, £89.99, Hotel Chocolat 11 Trainers, £80,
Nike at Schuh 12 Earrings, £16, Urban Outfitters
13 Dior Holiday Couture Collection Daring Eye
Palette, £45 14 Coat, £59, Amazon Fashion Find 15
By Terry Gem Glow Trio Compact, £45 16 Christian
Louboutin Sheer Voile Lip Colour in Bisous, £70
17 Notebook, £6, Kikki K 18 Camera, £124.99,
32 Instax Square SQ6 at Jessops 19 Giorgio Armani
33 Rouge D’Armani Matte, £30 20 Watch, £155,
Skagen.com 21 Clutch, £28.99, Katie Loxton 22
Jumper, £55,† Selfish Mother at Thefmlystore.com
23 Necklace, £149, Thomas Sabo 24 Cushion, £55,
Habitat 25 Necklaces, top, £29; bottom, £17, both
31 Accessorize 26 Buly 1803 Crème Pogonotomienne
Shaving Cream, £35 27 Shoes, £250, Chie Mihara
28 Kilburn II speaker, £269, Marshall 29 Hugo
34 Boss The Scent Intense For Him EDP, £54 (50ml)
30 Knife roll, £199.75, Wit-loft.com 31 Beard comb,
£30, Tom Ford 32 Boxing gloves, £21, Lonsdale
at Sports Direct 33 Watch, £98, Swatch 34 Room
spray, £170, Cire Trudon at Conranshop.co.uk
35 Bottle opener, £8.50, Talkingtables.co.uk 36
Belt, £215, Moschino at Flannels 37 Pyjamas, £125,
Gisele by Eberjey 38 Old Tom Gin, £35.95, Sacred
39 Cardholder, £45, Ted Baker 40 Sisley Orient
candle, £56 41 Bag, £650, Mulberry 42 Earrings,
£8.99, H&M 43 Dr Harris Beard Oil, £25, Fortnum
36 37 & Mason 44 Shoes, £395, Mother Of Pearl
45 Dartboard £44.40, Zazzle.co.uk i

35
38

39 40
*1.5KG, EXCLUSIVE TO HARRODS. †50% OF PROCEEDS GO TO SAVE THE CHILDREN

45

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42
43

44
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1
2
4 5

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12 13
11

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148 · C O S M O P O L I TA N
 To
25
26 From
27

28
1 Jacket, £60, River Island
2 Dyson Airway Styler, £399
3 Clutch, £22, Miss Selfridge
4 Isabey Tendre Nuit EDP, £145
(100ml), Les Senteurs 5 Dress,
£90, Michelle Keegan for Very.co.uk
29 32 6 Trainers, £149.95, Adidas 7 Yoga
mat, £58, Lululemon 8 Headphones,
£45, Urbanears.com 9 Cufflinks, £195,
31 Links Of London 10 Tray, £68, Uk.
34
jonathanadler.com 11 Cushion cover,
33 £19.99, Zara Home 12 Byredo Suede
Rinse-Free Hand Wash, £25 13 Glasses, £22
30 for two, Bando.co.uk 14 Gloves, £76, Dents
15 Cap, £14, Miss Selfridge 16 Gin, £24, Boodles
17 Bella Freud Parfum 1970 candle, £45 18
Earrings, £45, John Lewis 19 Boots, £895, Rupert
Sanderson 20 Bauble, £4.95, Liberty 21 Bag, £535,
Les Petits Joueurs 22 Glasses, £20 for two, Oliver
Bonas 23 Watch, £129, Newgate 24 Print, £230,
Jealous Galleries. Frame, £42, Habitat 25 Cup, £9,
Paperchase 26 Nespresso Creatista Plus by Sage,
£360 27 Fitbit Charge 3 Special Edition, £149.99,
Fitbit.com/uk 28 Cup and saucer, £32, Bangle at
Amara 29 Nars Full Vinyl Lip Lacquer in Santo
Domingo, £23 30 Vase, £30, Matthew Williamson
for Debenhams. Flower, Bloomsbury Flowers at
FlorismartUK 31 Too Faced Love Light Highlighter,
£25 32 Coat, £198, Amo Couture 33 Ring, £35,
35 Pandora 34 Liqueur, £18.50, Edinburghgin.com
35 Casserole dish, £195 (25cm/3.2l), Le Creuset
36 Samsung Galaxy Note9, from £899 37 Bvlgari
Goldea The Roman Night Absolute EDP, £69
(50ml) 38 Shoes, £585, Gucci at Flannels 39 Tokyo
True Wireless earphones, £99, Uk.urbanista.com
40 Foreo Luna Mini 2, £119 41 Bowls, £38 for four,
LSA-international.com 42 Nail file, £15, Kure
Bazaar 43 Urban Decay Naked Cherry Eyeshadow
Palette, £42 44 Chocolat Cream Liqueur, £25,
Hotel Chocolat 45 HP Envy X360 laptop, £749
46 Belt, £3, Primark 47 Sports bra, £40, Bellum
Active 48 SA.AL & Co 021 Shaving Crème, £24 i
36

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150 · C O S M O P O L I TA N
 CULTUR
24 25
E D
26

27
ATOR

1 Vase, £32, Oliver Bonas.

Flowers, as before 2 Guerlain
Rouge G Lipstick Refill in 214,
33 £24.50; and case, £14.50 3 Portable
32
BBQ, £80, Gentlemen’s Hardware at
Store.wildandwolf.co.uk 4 De’Longhi
Argento Flora Coffee Maker, £39.99,
29 Argos 5 Mugs, £17 each, Le Creuset at
Selfridges 6 Wild And Wolf Retro 746
telephone, £54.95, Cuckooland.com
31 7 Allies Of Skin Bright Future Overnight
Facial, £110 8 Top, £35, V by Very.co.uk
9 Fender Newport Wireless Speaker, £200,
30 Argos 10 Hourglass Ambient Lighting Edit
28 Volume 4, £69 11 Jo Malone White Moss &
Snowdrop candle, £126 12 Peg board, £15, Urban
Outfitters 13 Ring, £100, Pandora 14 Trainers,
£90, New Balance 15 Guerlain Shalimar Souffle
De Lumière EDP, £74 (50ml) 16 1byone Portable
Vinyl Turntable, £39.99,‡ Amazon.co.uk
17 Sweet People water bottle, £12.50, Selfridges
18 BeautyBio Rose Quartz Face + Body Roller, £45
19 Limited Edition GHD Platinum+ Styler, £175
34
20 Planting For Honeybees by Sarah Wyndham
Lewis, £12 (Quadrille) 21 Earrings, £12, Simply
Be 22 Purse, £130, Marc Jacobs at Selfridges
23 Scratch map, £29.95, Luckies Of London at
John Lewis. Frame, £42, Habitat 24 Pyjamas,
£60, Boden 25 Hand blender, £119.95, Smeg
26 Bracelet, £55, Thomas Sabo 27 Converse,
35 £75, Schuh 28 Shoes, £23, Dorothy Perkins
29 Givenchy Le Rouge Noel lipstick, £31 30 Clock,
£60, Newgate 31 Earrings, £79, Thomas Sabo
40 32 Leggings, £108, Lululemon 33 Donuts by Vicky
Graham, £10 (Hardie Grant) 34 Pen, £12, Kikki K
35 Iphone case, £39.95, Ted Baker at Proporta.
co.uk 36 Dress, £45, Dorothy Perkins 37 Bag,
£17.99, New Look 38 Socks, £27.50, Soak & Sleep
37 39 Earrings, £12, River Island 40 Backpack, £115,
38 Matt & Nat 41 Travel tag, £10, Store.wildandwolf.
co.uk 42 Swan Retro Stand Mixer, £64.99 43 Vase,
£50, Orla Kiely. Flowers, as before 44 Chocolate
39 snowman, 99p, Aldi 45 DKNY Stories EDP, £79.50
(100ml) 46 Jumper, £99, Hallhuber i

44 45
36

41

46

42 43
 1 Hat, £9.99, New Look 2 Hair clips,
£8 for two, Accessorize 3 Favorina
Mini Panettone, 99p, Lidl 4 Sanctuary
Spa Melt Away candle, £6 5 Stocking,
£7.50, Prestat 6 Credit Card Tool,
£9.99, Pretty Useful Tools 7 Vintage
& Co Baubles & Belles Compact Lip
Over-deliver for under £10 Balm, £7 8 Mug, £9.95, White Stuff
9 Socks, £4, Topshop 10 Earrings,
£4.99, New Look 11 Pencils, £9 for 10,
Bando.co.uk 12 Burt’s Bees A Bit Of
1 Burt’s Pomegranate Bauble, £6.99
13 Real Techniques Mini Buffing
Brush, £5.99 14 Bag, £8, Primark
2 15 Gym Minis, £10, Oliver Bonas
16 Chambord Winter Gift Set, £8,
most major supermarkets 17 Molton
Brown Frankincense & Allspice
Festive Bauble, £10 18 Hair clip,
£6.89, Kitsch 19 Umberto Giannini
Powder Pouf!, £6 20 Stocking, £10,
Newbie 21 Purse, £8, Fearne at Cath
Kidston 22 “A” pendant, £2.99,
Joma Jewellery 23 Beard kit, £10,
3
River Island 24 L’Occitane Cherry

COMPILED BY AMY GRIER, CATRIONA INNES, KATE PASOLA, MADDY ALFORD, SAIREY STEMP, JENNIFER SAVIN, OLIVIA EDWARDES. PHOTOGRAPHS PIXELEYES. PROP STYLIST JESSICA LOCKETT.
Blossom Christmas Cracker, £10
25 Cardholder, £8, Skinnydip ◆

5
6
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PRICES ARE CORRECT AT TIME OF GOING TO PRESS AND APPLY TO PURCHASES FROM AMAZON.CO.UK. FOR LATEST PRICES, PLEASE VISIT AMAZON.CO.UK
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152 · C O S M O P O L I TA N
 COSMO PROMOTION

BEAUTY
QUEENS
Musician Leadley took on
OGX’s Express Yourself
challenge, with a little help
from drag queen Mary Mac
– and slaying at the haircare
game was just the start…
Singer, songwriter T-shirt dress with
and influencer mussed-up hair is
Leadley has always my go-to look. My
had stage fright. OGX new, sequinned Mary Mac (left)
challenged her to wardrobe was so and Leadley
team up with Mary extra, I initially felt
Mac to learn a little intimidated. But
drag-queen attitude when I teamed it Biotin & Collagen I looked great was the fuller the
and improve her with fabulous hair range and it really one less thing to performance!
performance. From and glittery eyes, gave my lifeless, fine worry about on stage. WHAT WILL YOU
on-stage confidence the confidence was hair body and va-va- Mary Mac: The TAKE AWAY FROM
to a costume and hair instantaneous! voom. Knowing fuller the hair, THE EXPERIENCE?
makeover, the pair Mary Mac: It’s more Mary Mac: The
explain how teaming than a look. There’s transformation really
up taught Leadley to an attitude and brought out your
live fearlessly and confidence that sassy side and you
look amazing. Leadley can use in can definitely use
HOW DID YOUR all her performances. that on stage.
NEW LOOK DIFFER HOW DID YOUR Leadley: Not just
FROM YOUR HAIR BOOST YOUR on stage – drag is
USUAL STYLE? CONFIDENCE? Leadley on an attitude I want to
Leadley: I’m usually Leadley: I used the stage with her incorporate into all
fierce new look
quite low-key: a OGX Thick & Full + aspects of my life.
*FREE FROM SULFATED SURFACTANTS

Visit Uk.ogxbeauty.com or follow @OGXBeautyUK to

see the full range of sulfate-free* nourishing products
to help you hit your hair goals #WhatHairWants
To watch Leadley’s lessons from Mary Mac, go to Cosmopolitan.com/uk/dragchallenge
 BECAUSE LIFE’S ALL ABOUT THE 5-9
WORDS KATE PASOLA. PHOTOGRAPHS GETTY IMAGES. *AVAILABLE AT BUONVINO.CO.UK. †AVAILABLE AT BOROUGHWINES.CO.UK

SCREW HANGOVERS
It’s a tale as old as the three
kings and baby Jesus: pop out
for “one” on Christmas Eve and
wake up the next day retching
into your childhood stocking, with
a hangover that lasts until Boxing
Day. Your yuletide salvation?
Pétillant Naturel (or Pét-Nat),
an ancient genre of sparkling,
cloudy wine that not only
pre-dates champagne, tastes
similar and contains less booze,
but is also making one hell of
a comeback. Opt for La Vie Danse,
Davenport* or Maison 54,† which
are all natural, sulphate-free and
sugar-free. Or, if you’re teetotal
but feel like screaming at the
thought of another flat glass
of Shloer, try Ceder’s sugar-free
mock gins, Seedlip Garden 108
or Silk Tree – all of which deliver the
botanical goodness of Mother’s
Ruin, except without the, er, ruin.

C O S M O P O L I TA N · 155
Ho,
ho,
holidays
Jetting off this festive period? Need some mini-
break inspiration ASAP? Let our Cosmopolitan
editors walk you around their cities and show
you where best to shop, flop, sip and make merry
 Trafalgar Square:
their Christmas tree
FARRAH is better than yours
STORR,
Editor-In-
Chief of
Cosmopolitan UK, gives
the lowdown on…

LONDON
FIRST UP, WHERE
SHOULD WE STAY?
Ham Yard Hotel, slap bang
in the middle of Soho –
it’s the prettiest spot in
town. The lighting is
perfect, the wall art is
sublime and the people-
watching is sheer magic.
This is where the fashion
set come to dine, the media in Chelsea to see the last beautiful skin. If your IF WE’RE FEELING
power players come to of the London Sloanes still complexion is showing CULTURAL?
lunch and the great and in action before popping signs of party season, A guided walking tour
good come to party. over the road to Hans she’s your woman. of the city of London is
Rooms from £485; Bar & Grill – a gem of AND WHERE’S GOOD a total must – if only to
Firmdalehotels.com a restaurant that’s made FOR SHOPPING? find out where we got
OK, WHAT SHOULD for killer cocktails. Me+Em, off Marylebone the phrases “off the wagon”
WE DO FIRST? WHAT CAN’T WE MISS? High Street, for classic and “hangover” from. (If
Stop for a manicure at You’ll need to book well pieces that go with literally you book with Samantha
Townhouse, the capital’s in advance but Vicky everything; Persephone Fosbury through
chicest new nail bar, and Dondos at Medicetics Books on Lamb’s Conduit Cityoflondonguides.com,

s
then grab a few small plates (Connaught Street) Street for your favourite she’ll create a bespoke
at Honey & Smoke is the secret reads beautifully packaged; walking tour on any
on Great Portland weapon behind Daylesford Organic for subject you like.) Speaking
Street before London’s homewares and all the of hangovers… the only
walking most festive food of your dreams. place to be seen drinking
another block this season is the Rosewood
to Regent’s The Ham Yard hotel’s pop-up winter
Hotel: prints
Park. From charming hideaway. Taking over their
there, hop on the iconic courtyard, whisky
139 bus, which brand The Glenlivet will
takes you through be creating an indoor
the West End, Trafalgar winter forest, complete
Square and over iconic with twinkling starry night
Waterloo Bridge. sky, woodland sounds (no,
SOUNDS LIKE WE’D not a niche bearded indie
WORK UP QUITE band) and chunky blankets.
AN APPETITE… Bed in, order up a warming
Indeed. Grab a cab and cocktail and people-watch
head for drinks at Colbert until tipping out time. i

C O S M O P O L I TA N · 157
 ANJA
DELASTIK,
Editor-In-
Chief of
German Cosmopolitan,
walks us around…
BERLIN
FIRST UP, WHERE
SHOULD WE STAY?
Boutique hotels don’t come
sexier than Provocateur,
which is all plush velvets
and brooding bathrooms.
It’s in West Berlin,
near Kurfürstendamm
(Ku’damm to locals),
a really cool area. If you’d
rather stay central, The
Dude (Thedudeberlin.com)
is in the historic heart
of the city, near the
River Spree and the
Gendarmenmarkt
Christmas market.
Rooms from £103,
Provocateur-hotel.com
OK, WHAT SHOULD
WE DO FIRST?
Walk to the “Winterwelt”
Christmas market at
Potsdamer Platz. There’s
Provocateur: full
marks for Santa
Claus-coloured decor
158 · C O S M O P O L I TA N
The Gendarmenmarkt
Christmas market: well lit
a 40-metre-long skating rink
that’ll get you in the festive
spirit. Then, take a walk
through Friedhofspark.
It used to be a cemetery
and is now an oasis of
tranquillity right in the
middle of the city – most
magical in winter. Next,
head to the old indoor
market in Kreuzberg
(Markthalleneun.de).
You’ll have your pick
of local food to eat, or
take home. If it makes
it home, of course…
SOUNDS LIKE WE’D
WORK UP QUITE
AN APPETITE…
You will. Thankfully, Berlin
probably has the widest
variety of vegan restaurants
in Germany. One of my
favourites is Daluma in
Mitte. For more traditional
yet refined German fare,
Dolden Mädel Braugasthaus
is great for schnitzel and
bratwurst. Thirsty? Find
the best mulled wine at
Gendarmenmarkt, and
the best coffee at Distrikt
Coffee in Kreuzberg.
Harmony: turns
out you can
buy good taste
WHERE’S GOOD
TO SHOP?
One of THE
concept stores
is The Corner in
Mitte, or for cool
vintage finds,
head to Repeater
Berlin (@repeater
_berlin) in
Neukölln.
Harmony in
Friedrichshain
is a cool one-stop shop for
fashion, home stuff and
handmade jewellery.
WHAT CAN’T WE MISS?
Neni (Neniberlin.de) for
a culinary mix of Israeli,
Persian, Arabic and
Moroccan dishes, plus
one of the best views
over Berlin’s most famous
Christmas market at
Ku’damm. Then, stroll
around the corner to
Grace Bar at the Hotel
Zoo Berlin for cocktails
until the early hours.
AND IF WE’RE FEELING
CULTURAL?
Book a ticket to the Vivid
Grand Show that runs
until 23rd December
at Friedrichstadt-Palast.
Bursting with imagery
and colours, Philip Treacy
designed all the head pieces.

Watch out
for the Home
Alone bandits
MICHELE PROMAULAYKO, Editor-In-Chief
of Cosmopolitan US, talks all things…
NEW YORK
FIRST UP, WHERE
SHOULD WE STAY?
I’m a Downtown girl,
but if you want to stay
in Midtown (where the
tourist attractions reside),
then you’ll find no better
place than The Chatwal.
This place is dripping in
insouciant old-school chic
and is mere seconds from
Broadway. You’ll feel like
an extra from Mad Men
tucked in one of the red
booths in its iconic The
Lambs Club restaurant,
while the hotel’s Mercedes-
Benz E350 will take
you anywhere within
a 20-block radius.
Rooms from £397;
Thechatwalny.com
OK, WHAT SHOULD
WE DO FIRST?
Forget those old-school
romcoms and skip ice-
skating at Rockefeller
Center. Instead head to
The Standard hotel
for a rink lined
with heaters,
blankets and
rocking chairs
(plus a
Christmas-
themed bar). If
you’re wrapped up
warm, a walk over the
Brooklyn Bridge is a must.
SOUNDS LIKE WE’D
WORK UP QUITE
AN APPETITE…
You will, so try Il Buco on
Bond Street. The menu is
seasonal and every offering
is perfection. The Elk in the
West Village is another of
my go-tos (their almond
milk lattes are the best). If
you’re feeling adventurous,
head to Golden Unicorn in
Chinatown for some kick-
ass dim sum served from
traditional heated carts.
AND WHERE’S GOOD
FOR SHOPPING?
Walking through an
artisanal market, picking
up vintage steals, is
my favourite way
to shop at this
The Chatwal:
a pillar of New
York. Sorry
time of year. Canal Street
Market and Broadway
Market Co in Soho, and
Essex Street Market on the
Lower East Side, are all
lovely, as is The Apartment
By The Line, a chic loft
space with beautiful home
goods and clothing.
WHAT CAN’T WE MISS?
Dante in Greenwich
Village is a quintessential
NYC cocktail bar; warm
and cosy for a winter night.
Or Fig 19, a secret cocktail
bar in the Lower East Side
where you enter through
the back door of an empty
art gallery into a hideaway
playing great music. If you
want to go full Christmas,
head uptown to Rolf’s.
Have a glass of mulled
wine while competing for
the most festive Insta shot.
AND IF WE’RE FEELING
CULTURAL?
Head to the Bronx to see the
Holiday Train Show at the
New York Botanical Garden.
Boasting miniature replicas
of NYC’s most famous
landmarks, on Fridays
and Saturdays they hold
a special show for “grown-
ups” with cocktails and
spiked hot chocolate. The
Tenement Museum on the
Lower East Side also has a
really wonderful gift shop. i
C O S M O P O L I TA N · 159
 ANNE MARIJE DE VRIES
LENTSCH, Editor-In-Chief
of Cosmopolitan in the
Netherlands, shows off…
AMSTERDAM
FIRST UP, WHERE
SHOULD WE STAY?
Next to Museum Square
sits the Conservatorium
Hotel. In December, it’s
decked out like a magical
winter wonderland. Even
if you don’t stay here, go
and see the insanely large
Christmas tree in the lobby.
The hotel also has its own
shopping gallery – great
for last-minute presents.
Rooms from £224;
Conservatoriumhotel.com
OK, WHAT SHOULD
WE DO FIRST?
There’s nothing more
Amsterdam than ice-
skating (schaatsen in
Dutch). Leidseplein and
Museumplein both have
beautiful seasonal rinks.
Grab some festive fare at
the Rembrandtplein or
Leidseplein Christmas
markets, then take an
evening canal cruise. The
Amsterdam Light Festival
160 · C O S M O P O L I TA N
runs from
the end of
November until
mid-January
every year and
transforms the
city into a light
spectacular.
SOUNDS LIKE
WE’D WORK
UP QUITE AN
APPETITE…
Well, you’ll need
one for the winter
afternoon tea at The
Duchess, a setting fit
for a period drama.
Feast on red-coloured
macarons, exclusive
winter tea blends and
various champagnes
served in a Christmassy
room. If sweets are your
thing, De Laatste Kruimel
and De Drie Graefjes do
the best cakes and Dutch
sandwiches in town.
Savoury fans should try
Kanarie Club at the
Do not try
to eat these
ice cones
PHOTOGRAPHS CAMERA PRESS/BAUER MEDIA/MICHELLE HOLDEN, MARIE CHARLOTTE PEZE-RECHTENVRIJ, STEVE FREIHON, JAMES BRYANT, GETTY IMAGES, SARAH BRICK,
Highly flattering
Live music at lighting alert
Noorderlicht
centre of Amsterdam
with pop-up fashion
stores and boutiques,
and independent
coffee and food shops.
If you need a pick-
me-up, Chocolátl
(Hazenstraat 25A)
does the best hot
chocolate in the city.
WHAT CAN’T WE MISS?
Foodhallen for a festive Noorderlicht, a magical
Christmas brunch or restaurant that has live
cocktails. You also can’t music on the first Sunday
leave Amsterdam without afternoon of the month.
trying the traditional For a great view of the
stroopwafels. Van city at night (or, really,
Wonderen Stroopwafels any time), you can’t beat
bakery serves up the most Mr Porter (the W Hotel’s
MARGREET VAN SCHAIJCK, ALLIE HOLLOWAY, SIMON BROWN
Instagrammable ones. restaurant) at Christmas.
AND WHERE’S GOOD AND IF WE’RE FEELING
FOR SHOPPING? CULTURAL?
You’ll score beautiful Stroll around the canals,
Christmas gifts at De all lit up at this time
Bijenkorf (Dam 1) – it’s of year, and take in the
the Harrods of Amsterdam. city one street at a time.
For more budget, less Vondelpark, a gorgeous
blow-out, walk through park near the centre of
The Nine Streets (De Amsterdam, and the
Negen Straatjes) – nine Jewellery Quarter are two
little streets next to the of my favourite places. ◆
 cosmoadvertisement

CHRISTMAS COMFORT
Lounge away those winter nights in style
IF LOVE IS BLIND, WHY IS LOUNGE
UNDERWEAR SO GORGEOUS!?
It’s the season to be jolly, to be gifting pretty
presents and cuddling up on the sofa with a cup of
hot chocolate and your loved ones, right!? There are
so many reasons Lounge underwear needs to be a
part of your Christmas preparation girls! Not only for
lounge nights in (that’s a given)… but frankly, we all
need a bit of heat as the nights get colder! Lounge
can spice up your life whether you’re loved up or
looking for love. Fall in love with luxurious lingerie
that you simply cannot spend the holiday season
without.
Not that you need convincing, I mean look at them!
But there are so many reasons for a little self splurge
on some adorable Lounge pieces. Number one - it’s
a proper treat for your number one – you! It’s always
the right time to treat yourself to fresh undies and
feel like a new woman in your gorgeously comfy
new set. You know by now that every girl feels
like she has her life together when she’s got her
matching underwear on, and Lounge have a whole
range of beautiful styles from cosy cottons, to
delicate lace that you need to get your hands on.
Number two – let’s be honest, it’s not just a treat
for you, but for your loved one too. Strutting your
stuff in your well earned new Lounge will be so
unbelievably worth it! Go get it girl!
But wait right there! If we’ve got you thinking, I dont
have a spooning partner this season… Ladies, that
should not distract you! Lounge’s #FemaleFamily is
all about celebrating their community of strong and
independent women, all putting themselves first,
because let’s face it - we deserve it! Reason Number
three – your new motto… “I thought I wanted a
boyfriend, then I brought a new bra. And I realised
what I really wanted was a bra!”
Girls, nothing haunts us like the underwear we didn’t
buy. So if you haven’t invested in a lovely Lounge
set already, now is your time. We of course wouldn’t
object to you adding your second, third and fourth
favourite set to your Christmas list too. As, after
all, those autumn/winter nights are definitely best
spent in comfy undies and loungewear with 10 fluffy
blankets and a log burner.
And let us tell you, Lounge definitely has the Don’t forget to use code COSMOGIRL10 for your Lounge purchase.
underwear and apparel you need to lounge away www.loungeunderwear.com
those girls nights in in style. @loungeunderwear
cosmoadvertisement

LOOK GOOD, FEEL GREAT

Look your best this month
KISS OF LIFE FOR HAIR
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For the glossy lustrous hair
that you’ve always wanted.
Try with 15% OFF Coupon
code: cosmo15
Buy direct from
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COUTURE BROWS & COSMETICS

Chosen by celebrities, influencers and bloggers for microblading brow
transformations. We offer many semi permanent procedures and also
have the award-winning Original Dermapen for amazing skin!
Using the latest tools and the best pigments for your skin, Sammy Ally
THE LUSH LASH has been listed under the top places to visit for brows in London
TheLushLash.com specialise in 3D cruelty-free lashes! Handcrafted and Solihull.
with lushings of love, so they can be reused up to 20 times! We started • Fine nanoblading • Microblading
out designing lashes at our beauty salon BLUSH. We based the lashes • Microblading with shading • Ombré brows
on what our customers, old or young were asking for and also to suit • Lip liner contouring and lip blush • Eyeliner tattoo
all different eye shapes and make up styles! Our aim was to make all • Lash enhancement liner • The award-winning dermapen
women feel Lush in their lashes! • Laser skin rejuvenation • LVL lash lift
Visit us at thelushlash.com and use code COSMO20 for 20% off your • Brow Queen HD Brows
first order. Email info@couturebrowsandcosmetics.co.uk to find out more and see
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 cosmoadvertisement

BESSIE LONDON
BESSIE LONDON
is an East London
handbag and
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that embodies
London’s ‘quirky
elegance’ with
classic structures
and modern
designs. Their
handbags are
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BORN IN KNIGHTSBRIDGE
A unique and
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skincare, beloved
by some of the BAEBROW INSTANT TINT
world’s most Fuller, bolder brows without
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cosmoadvertisement

GIFT GUIDE
For friends and family, or yourself!

THEATRE TOKENS
Why not treat someone you love to a night at the theatre? But how
do you pick a show, date and time without ruining the surprise?
The answer is Theatre Tokens.
Available as Gift Cards and eGifts (with no expiry date), Tokens
can be used at more than 240 venues nationwide – including all of
London’s West End.
For a present they’ll love, and a memory they’ll cherish, Theatre
Tokens can be purchased at TheatreTokens.com or in person at
participating theatres.
SEGA HOMESTAR FLUX
Imagine enjoying the sky full of stars while sitting on your sofa.
This dream can become reality with the Sega Toys series of home
planetariums. Flux is the most powerful and most advanced model
available to date. We take an incredibly popular planetarium design
and refine it even further. Brilliant glass lenses and our brightest LED
to date, beautiful gift box. Buy for £149 from www.segatoys.space

PERFECT4U
Perfect4U is
a UK fashion
designer and
manufacturer
of women’s
premium plus
size lingerie.
Our team of
talented UK
designers
PRACTICAL AND STYLISH expertly create
Beautifully made jewellery books that hold our stunning
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Always insist on the original. COSMO12 for a 20% discount! www.perfect4ufashion.co.uk
 cosmoadvertisement

TREAT YOURSELF
This month’s top tips

= +

TURN YOUR CLUTCHBAG INTO A TARDIS!

So we had a bit of a Dr. Who moment this month – you know how her tardis is bigger on the inside than the outside?
Well we’ve found some fold-up flats that’ll make your clutch bag feel the same – a pretty pair of sole-savers and a bag
for your killer heels, all from a pack the size of a credit card. Win!
Go to www.afterheels.com to get 15% discount enter the code: cosmodec18 at the online checkout.

FIRST SEXY CALENDAR

12 accessories, 12 days, 12 experiences. Awake your seductive power
with 12 sexy days calendar: A luxury box that will gradually awaken
your seductive power. Garters, pasties, handcuffs with a double jeu:
you chose if you want to play alone or with a partner. R.R.P: £195.
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THE NEW PLEASURE RITUAL

Embrace your power with HOROSCOPE. Twelve holistic kits containing
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cosmoadvertisement

HEALTH & BEAUTY EDIT

Look good, feel great
NO MORE OF THOSE ‘LITTLE LEAKS’
Pregnancy, childbirth and even
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LOOK GOOD, And they lead to those ‘little
FEEL GOOD leaks’. You know, when you
Shreddies Flatulence laugh too much! Or you
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the perfect solution 85% of women think it’s
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odours and their stylish The World Health Organisation
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they look just like preventable and treatable. It is
regular garments. not just part of getting older.
With underwear, jeans Be proactive and you can
and pyjamas available avoid those little leaks and
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website they’ll have Want to know how? Just visit www.kegel8.co.uk/cosmo
you covered from If you’re serious about a strong pelvic floor and better
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TAKE CONTROL OF EMBARRASSING LEAKS TODAY

DISCOVER BEAUTIFUL SKIN WITH REGENTIV (Retinol) TM
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Did you know that poor bladder control is a symptom of stress
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FASHION cosmoclassified

incl. the patented

onAIR INSOLE for a better
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cosmoclassified BEAUTY AND GIFTS

MICROBLADING
Nez Hasan, chosen by celebrities and influencers
for microblading brow transformations, offers
many semi permanent contouring procedures
with an excellent and friendly team, brow growth
and the removal of old unwanted pmu tattoos
with sea salt and fruit extracts.

Using the latest tools and the best pigments for

your skin Nez Hasan has been listed under the
top 10 places to visit for brows in London.

• Microblading • Microblading with shading

• Ombre brows Lip contouring and correction
• Eyeliner tattoo • Lash liner • Brow growth
• Old tattoo removal
• Lash lifting

Email to find out more and see the latest

photos on the instagram page.
For more information:
nezhasan.com
info@nezhasan.com
Instagram: @nez_hasan

FLOAT WORKS

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 BEAUTY cosmoclassified

ESTABLISHED 2000

The No.1 choice A Multi-Award Winning laser skin care clinic located in Harley
Street London since 2000. One of the first clinics of its kind to
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CAMILLE BEAUTE MICROBLADING

Microblading and semi permanent make up has burst into beauty industry around 5 years
ago as a very natural option that delivers semi-permanent make up results creating realistic
look to give you perfect brows or lips. According to Camille, owner of Camille Beaute in
London City, the term “semi-permanent” or Microblading is more accurate, considering that
it does fade over time, and it isn’t a tattoo.This beauty treatment is not a permanent tattoo
that fades into blueish hue and stays with you forever. Microblading uses an advance
embroidery technique creating a natural-looking crisp hair-like strokes onto your brow
area, resulting in a finer, elegant frame, imparting a more youthful, lifted appearance and
adding structure to the face features. It is a treatment perfect for those who want to define,
reconstruct, cover gaps, or fill-in over plucked brows giving a more sculpted, symmetrical
eyebrows that don’t need any upkeep in the morning. In addition, being semi-permanent,
it lasts around 18 months so you’re not committed forever.
Only trained, experienced and professional beauty artists like Camille by Camille Beaute
studio will deliver best results. The beautician will create best customized shape for every
client and a bespoke pigment tint is mixed to suit the individual skin undertone. You won’t
see any tattoo ink, Camille works with high-quality pigments, which are shade-matched
to be an exact reflection of the hairs on your eyebrows or the pink of your lips. Before the
process a topical numbing anaesthetic is applied to the area to minimise soreness. After
the treatment you’re given a soothing and a barrier cream to use for a week afterwards to
expedite the healing process.
The treatment is low maintenance smudge-proof beauty enhancement solution. After
healing, you can rub them and enjoy swimming and no other special care is required.
Microblading and semi permanent make up is subtle and very natural treatment, give your
face new depth and dimension, and make you look groomed even without make-up. If
brows are the ultimate frame to your face, then microblading just about makes you a work
of art.
There are various microblading and semi permanent make up techniques from hair stroke to ombre or shading. In addition is also applied to treat the lips from
full cover, lip blend or just to define the lip line.
Make sure to do tons of research on the places you’re considering. Camille recommends looking up reviews, as well as before and after pictures.

www.camillebeaute.co.uk Instagram: @microbladinglondon

FOR DETAILS OF CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING PLEASE TELEPHONE 020 3728 6260 OR VISIT WWW.HEARSTMAGAZINESDIRECT.CO.UK
 2:33PM
THE
PARENTS ON SOCIAL MEDIA COSMOPOLITAN CONTRACT
This is an agreement made by A Person Setting Up Their Parent’s Social Media Accounts,
__________________ (hereafter referred to as The Whizz Kid)
1 BRAND CONSULTANCY
In a burst of spontaneous seasonal
goodwill, The Whizz Kid will offer to help
The Parent set up a social media account. Except
The Parent will call it “getting a Twitbook”, “surfing
Instagrabs” or “having a go on the Face Reunited”.
The @_parentalname1956 will refuse to take a nice
headshot and instead choose one of the following: a
car, a rose bush, a family pet who died a decade ago.
2 FOLLOW THE LEADER
To help them get started, The Whizz
Kid will give a short masterclass on the
correct use of hashtags, filters, handles and sliding
into someone’s DMs. She will follow a select few
family members and appropriate celebrities on
The Parent’s behalf, and also explain which of their
friends The Parent is allowed to interact with (school
pals), and which they are forbidden from engaging
with (their boss; their ex from when they were 14).
3 THE BIG LAUNCH
The Whizz Kid will explain the
importance of not being a silent lurker,
and encourage The Parent to make their first-ever
post. This will be a blurry selfie in a cracker crown
with “Dear Maureen Happy Christmas how are you
and Brian? Lots of love” as the caption. The Whizz
Kid will like it anyway, to encourage them. Then she
will remember she live-tweeted their meltdown over
the turkey gravy, and hastily delete all evidence.
Signed:
(The Whizz Kid)
170
86
6%
4 SOCIAL CLIMBING
Coming home from the pub, The Whizz
Kid will look at her phone to find that
The Parent has liked every single one of her posts
between now and April 2016, except for the ones
WORDS LAUREN BRAVO. PHOTOGRAPH AGATA PEC. PINEAPPLE MUG, PAPERCHASE. METAL ROLLERBALL PEN IN COPPER, KIKKI K. MODERNO WOMAN NOTEBOOK, WHSMITH
with swearing in them. They will also have written
“my beautiful daughter so proud of u” under at least
five pictures of someone else, and sent two angry
comments to their local MP about the wheelie bins.
5 THIRSTY WORK
After no more than two days, The Parent
will complain that it’s all a waste of time
because nobody is talking to them. The Whizz Kid
will explain patiently to The Parent that Davina
McCall probably isn’t going to reply to their three
separate messages asking why their shade of hair
dye has been discontinued, especially as The Parent
has forgotten to put the “@” before Davina’s name.
6 WINTER VIRUS
The Whizz Kid will discover that after
a night going hard on the mint Baileys
and sherry trifle, The Parent has gone viral. Or so
The Parent will claim, when she finds them lying
on the sofa with an Alka-Seltzer. It will turn out
that “going viral” means a flurry of likes and RTs
from some pornographic spambots, and one
reply. From Maureen and Brianian. The Parent will
announce their New Year’s rresolution is to do a
digital detox. “The pressure was getting too much.”