ONLY

£2 SEPTEMBER 2020

THE FUTURE
Maya OF TRAVEL
Jama
IT’S BETTER THAN
YOU THINK
(PROMISE)
on life, love
and learning
hard lessons

NEW
BEHIND DRESS
CLOSED CODE
DOORS IT’S CASUAL,
The domestic COMFY & WE’RE
abuse report you SO INTO IT
need to read

‘WHO’S THE
THAT
GIRL?’ GOOD
They’re summer’s
biggest stars...
but do you know
SKIN
their names? PLAYBOOK
FROM ACNE COVER-UPS
09 TO GLOSSY SKIN SAVIOURS
(Nope, toothpaste is not a spot treatment)
9 770141 055313
 This month at
As lockdown was eased, here’s how the
team inched closer back to “normality ”

Chilling with Maya

One good thing to come
out of lockdown? Getting
to have a nosy around
celebrities’ houses as
everyone created content
from home. That’s why
we got Maya Jama’s

WORDS AMY GRIER. MAYA JAMA PHOTOGRAPH DANIKA MAGDELENA. DRESS, BAMBAH. EARRINGS, MISSOMA. NECKLACE, EDGE OF EMBER. RING, SEOL + GOLD
friend and flatmate to do
a Cosmo photoshoot Birthday girl
from the star’s pad. Wish Celebrations are usually a
we looked this good big deal in our office, with
sitting on the sofa… cake, balloons and awkward
singing. OK, Catriona’s work
birthday was a more muted
affair this year, but she and
Amy still got to have a gin-
in-a-tin on the grass! Cheers.

Hair goals
Proving that some work
did indeed go on this
month, contributing
Parks = the new office beauty writer Keeks
Why have a fashion meeting tested out a raft
in a stuffy meeting room when of products for our
you can catch up with a new video franchise, Double trouble
colleague and get some sun? Beauty Lab At Home. Cosmopolitan’s office opened for the
Smart thinking by Maddy first time in months and Daniella was
and Nathalie as they caught straight in there. The excitement
up on work (and fries). was palpable, as you can see.

4· C O S M O P O L I TA N
 P 11

THIS
MONTH
IN
COSMO

COVER STORIES

From the 20 The good skin

playbook

editor
38 New dress code

64 Maya Jama

70 Behind closed doors

L
ook up the meaning of the word
“cosmopolitan” and you will find
a myriad of definitions – all,
ultimately, describing the same
sentiment. Something free of
prejudice; something that embraces
people, ideas and stories from all walks of
life; something that is proudly multicultural;
something that is for everyone.
Our brand is built on this promise, and
diversity and inclusivity are at the heart of
• Making sure any available roles are 88 The coolest job of
advertised as inclusively as possible, and summer?
that people from all backgrounds feel
encouraged to apply. Where there are no 115 The future of travel
full-time roles open, we will continue to
create other opportunities for those who
may not otherwise have access to them.
These include our Scholarship scheme,
P 51
Home, Made initiative, an upcoming
mentoring programme (look out for the
details in our October issue) and more. P41

what we do. Whatever your skin colour, • We have updated our “How to write
NECKLACE, LUCY WILLIAMS X MISSOMA. FASHION DIRECTOR AMY BANNERMAN. FASHION ASSISTANT NATHALIE OWEN.

P24
COVER PHOTOGRAPH DANIKA MAGDELENA. TOP, DODO BAR OR AT MYTHERESA. SHORTS, LEVI’S. EARRINGS, LUV AJ.

whatever your body shape, size or ability,
whatever your gender identity or sexual
orientation, whatever your background…
you are valued, you are seen, and you
are most certainly welcome here.
Despite our efforts to ensure that this
comes across in the content we create, we
recognise that we can always do better. We
HAIR AND MAKE-UP MAYA JAMA. THIS PAGE: PHOTOGRAPHS GETTY IMAGES
for Cosmopolitan” guide on our website
to help ensure everyone has a fair and
equal chance of working with us. We are INSIDE P4 0
dedicated to using our brand to elevate
the voices and stories of underrepresented
9 PLAY
communities, and welcome pitches from
anyone with a great story to tell. Is that 17 GLOW
you? Visit Cosmopolitan.com/uk/writeforus.
29 MOVE

realise that our brand has been part of the • As well as writers, we’ll ensure the images
problem and we are determined to be a we use, along with the photographers, 37 STYLE
part of the solution, in a real, tangible way. models and other contributors we work
57 EARN
Over the past few weeks, we’ve worked to with, reflect the diverse world we live in.
build extensive guidelines and commitments Acceptance, kindness and understanding 70 READ
that ensure we are held accountable. are what makes Cosmopolitan, and you,
105 LOVE
This action plan includes: so beautiful. We hope you will support us
• Ensuring we maintain a high level of in our mission to create an increasingly 115 EXPLORE
diversity on our covers. Since the start of inclusive brand, making whatever positive
2019, 20% of our covers have had Black change g we can in this world around us. When you see this logo
representation and overall 30% have anywhere, you can be
featured Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic guaranteed these products
LOVES
are Cosmopolitan-
talent. We promise to make this a priority 2020
team-approved.
and to regularly audit our progress. and the Cosmopolitan team

C O S M O P O L I TA N · 5
 R A ND O M
QU E S TI ON
O F T HE M ON TH
If you were a novelty
cocktail, what would
CLAIRE HODGSON you be called
Editor-in-Chief (and why)?
Executive Editor (Print) AMY GRIER Executive Editor (Digital) JESS EDWARDS
Creative Director STUART SELNER

ENTERTAINMENT
Entertainment & Special Projects Director LOTTIE LUMSDEN
Entertainment Editor ZOE SHENTON
Senior Entertainment & Lifestyle Writer DUSTY BAXTER-WRIGHT
Specs On The Beach
Editorial Assistant & Junior Writer DANIELLA SCOTT
– with carrot juice for
the short-sighted, and FEATURES The Dus Tea – like a
an aroma of SPF50 Features Director CATRIONA INNES Senior Editor CYAN TURAN Long Island Iced Tea,
and paperbacks. Sex & Relationships Editor PAISLEY GILMOUR but with more tequila
Features Editor CATRIONA HARVEY-JENNER Features Writer JENNIFER SAVIN and made by me.
DESIGN
Art Editor JESSICA LOCKETT Senior Designer (Digital/Motion) ALICE COWLING
Designer KATIE WILDE

PICTURES
Picture Director CAT COSTELLOE Picture Editor JODIE MCEWAN

PRODUCTION
Chief Sub-Editor HANNAH JONES Deputy Chief Sub-Editor STEPH JACKSON
The Piña Collider, a
BEAUTY Brown Russian – it’s
clumsy little cocktail Beauty Director VICTORIA JOWETT like a White Russian
that’s somehow never Beauty Editor CASSIE POWNEY Deputy Beauty Editor LAURA CAPON
but you replace the
quite chilled enough. Beauty Writer KATE PASOLA
alcohol with Nesquik.
FASHION Love a chocolate milk.
Fashion Director AMY BANNERMAN Fashion Editor NATASHA HARDING
Bookings Editor SOPHIE LEEN Senior Fashion Assistant MADDY ALFORD
Fashion Intern NATHALIE OWEN

SOCIAL & VIDEO

Video Lead ALEX HERING Social Media Manager SOPHIE BOYDEN
Snapchat Editor FIONA HAYWARD Junior Video Editor/Producer TYRA CHUCK

CONTRIBUTORS
Too Much Is Not AMANDA STATHAM (Travel) EMILY GULLA (Features)
Group Managing Editor CONNIE OSBORNE Finance Business Partner STACEY TOMLIN
Enough, as per my Sass In A Glass.
life mantra. Obviously…
C H I E F B R A N D O F F I C E R , E N T E R TA I N M E N T & W E L L N E S S
MATT HAYES
Executive Assistant to the Chief Brand Officer, Entertainment & Wellness TANYA STEWART
Group Brand Director STEVEN MILES

H EA RS T M AG AZ IN ES U K H E ARS T M AG A Z I N E S I N T E RN AT IO N A L
CEO, Hearst UK|President, Hearst Europe JAMES WILDMAN Senior Vice President/Editorial & Brand Director KIM ST CLAIR BODDEN
Executive Assistant to the CEO, Hearst UK|President, Hearst Europe FAYE MCNULTY Deputy Brands Director CHLOE O’BRIEN
Chief Financial, Operations & Data Officer, Hearst Europe CLAIRE BLUNT Editor-in-Chief, Cosmopolitan (1965-1997) HELEN GURLEY BROWN
Chief Strategy Officer ROBERT FFITCH I N TE RN ATI O N AL E DI T IO N S
Chief People Officer, Hearst Europe SURINDER SIMMONS Editor, Bulgaria SAVINA PETROVA Editor, China YVONNE LIU
Chief Content Development Officer BETSY FAST Director, PR & Communications EFFIE KANYUA Editor, Croatia ALEKSANDRA ORLIĆ Editor, Czech Republic SABRINA KARASOVA
Director, Hearst Live VICTORIA ARCHBOLD 020 7312 4105 Editor, Finland JOHANNA LATTI Editor, France MARIE LA FONTA
Marketing & Circulation Director REID HOLLAND Editor, Germany LARA GONSCHOROWSKI Editor, Hong Kong RUQIYAH LAW KAM YING
Head of Consumer Sales & Marketing JAMES HILL Editor, Hungary JOHANNA SABJÁN Editor, India NANDINI BHALLA
Head of Subscriptions JUSTINE BOUCHER Head of Marketing Promotions AOIBHEANN FOLEY Editor, Indonesia FILISYA THUNGGAWAN Editor, Italy FRANCESCA DELOGU
Digital Marketing Director SEEMA KUMARI Deputy Head of PR BEN BOLTON Editor, Kazakhstan ANEL ABDUALIYEVA Editor, Korea HYE SOO PARK
Head of Business Management LUCY PORTER Business Manager BETH RONAN 020 3757 1004 Editor, Latin America LUCÍA SOTELO SANTOS
H EAR ST COM M ERCI A L Editor, Malaysia NISA HALID Editor, Middle East MILLI MIDWOOD
Chief Commercial Officer JANE WOLFSON 020 7439 5685 Head of Partnerships MARK MCCAFFERTY Editor, Netherlands JOSEPHINE KAY Editor, Romania DIANA COLCER
Head of Clients OLLIE LLOYD Head of Digital Sales JONI MORRISS Editor, Russia EKATERINA VELIKINA Editor, Serbia NASJA VELJKOVIC
Branded Content Director ALI GRAY Client Director, Health & Wellness NATASHA BAILEY Editor, Slovenia AJDA HOVNIK PLEŠEJ Editor, South Africa HOLLY MEADOWS
Client Director, Beauty LEE BAILEY Client Director, Fashion EMMA BARNES Editor, Spain CECILIA MÚZQUIZ HERRERO Editor, Sri Lanka SHIHAAM HASSANALI
Client Director, Motors JIM CHAUDRY Client Director, Finance PETE CAMMIDGE Editor, Turkey ÖZGE ZEKI Editor, Ukraine OLEKSANDRA BURYNSKA
Client Director, Travel DENISE DEGROOT Head of Classified LEE RIMMER 020 3728 7707 Editor, USA JESSICA PELS
For all advertising enquiries, call 020 7439 5615. For all PR enquiries, email media@hearst.co.uk. For all event enquiries, call 020 7312 4105.
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6· C O S M O P O L I TA N
 play
T V, M O V I E S , M U S I C , B O O K S , P O D C A S T S, C E L E B S

Heading to the
Hollywood Hills
Thanks to the OTT houses, outrageous outfits and, well, big
arguments, we’re totally obsessed with Selling Sunset. The good news
is that the show, all about mega-bucks real estate in LA, is back on
Netflix this month for a third series. Realtor (and unofficial star of the
show so far) Christine Quinn promises it’ll be spicier than ever. “The
new season is so juicy,” she tells Cosmopolitan. “My beautiful, epic
wedding is the big finale, and I can’t wait to share it with everyone.”
Pair that with the fact that Chrishell Stause’s divorce takes centre stage
(all of the heartbreak emojis), there’s going to be a lot of drama.
WORDS DUSTY BAXTER-WRIGHT. PHOTOGRAPH NETFLIX

C O S M O P O L I TA N · 9
play celebrity

Ask
Q&A

me
anything
Singer Anne-Marie on partying
with Ed Sheeran and why it’s
important to keep it real

How do you stay Tell us your most

authentic on unpopular opinion?
social media? I don’t like wearing
It’s too hard and cringe black. It’s boring. My
to have a persona – manager wears black
the only way I’m able all the time and has
to stay on social media been trying to persuade
is by being as real me to for the past five Guetta, Marshmello When are you I normally just shout
as possible. years, but I don’t think and Ed Sheeran. happiest? “Thank you!” back
What’s the wildest it would suit who I am. Then I’d also have When I cry. Not just at them.
night out you’ve What would you eat e Rihanna, Morgan happy tears – I love One piece of advice
evver had? for your last me eal Freeman and Louis the release of emotion. you would give your
I had
h a crazy on earth? Theroux. We could I can be an extreme teenage self?
daay and night A Philadelphia eat Philadelphia person, so my Not everyone will
onn a boat in sandwich with h sandwiches! emotions tend to be like you and you
Auustralia once. white bread What’s your bigg t heightened and I get don’t have to care.
Buut my craziest and no butter. extravagance e? really
ally happy, really I spent too much time
paarties are It’s my favourrite I’ve been buyiing sad
ad or really pleasing others. Now
AS TOLD TO DUSTY BAXTER-WRIGHT. PHOTOGRAPHS GETTY IMAGES
with Rudimental thing ever. a lot of plan nts angry. I I’m much happier
annd Ed Sheeran I grew up on recently. feel grea at and less worried
– he’s
h a great them but I’m a I started when I cry, about what people
hoost. He’s a vegan now, so it the year it’s th
hat think of me.
professional would be a treat. with two sennse of If you had a dating
at it but also Dream dinner- and now
n rellief. profile, what would
knows when to party guests? I have 2 at’s your you write in it?
call it a night. My favourite My living room pet eve? “Don’t bother!”
I can
c never people in is the only place Bad ma ners. If I
sto
op, I keep the industry that gets any proper holddad door open for Anne-Marie’s new
thee party have got light, so it’s like a someone and they single, To Be Young,
gooing.
g to be there – David mini jungle. don’t say thank you, is out now

10 · C O S M O P O L I TA N
 play films

W he r e ar e t h e
C O Y O T E U G LY
ca st n ow?
It’s been 20 years since this fil m
made us want to dance on ba r
tops for a living. But what havve
its stars been up to lately?

PIPER PERABO
(VIOLET) BRIDGET
Remind me… The MOYNAHAN
protagonist. Moves to (RACHEL)
New York to make it as a
Remind me…
songwriter while working at
The slightly
female-run bar Coyote Ugly.
unfriendly Coyote.
What’s she done since?
What’s she done
She’s had some box-office wins
since? The ex-model’s
(Cheaper By The Dozen 1 and 2), and
breakthrough role
was nominated for a Golden Globe for TV series
helped her land parts
Covert Affairs in 2011. Briefly dated Matthew Perry.
on big-budget movies
Right now... She’s in Penny Dreadful: City of Angels.
like I, Robot. She has a
son with her ex, NFL star Tom Brady.
TYRA Right now… She stars in TV’s Blue Bloodss.
BANKS
(ZOE) LEANN
Remind
me… Quits
RIMES
the bar to go (HERSELF)
WORDS ZOE SHENTON. PHOTOGRAPHS ALAMY, GETTY IMAGES, MOVIESTILLS DB

to law school, Remind me…

but returns Rimes performs
for that final Violet’s song in
scene. the final scene.
What’s she What’s she done
done since? since? Oh, justust
Supermodel Bankss released 11 a albums.
created reality In 2009 she
TV juggernaut starred in Norrthern
America’s Next Lights, where she
Top Model in met husband
2003. She also ADAM GARCIA (KEVIN) Eddie Cibrian n.
had her own chat Remind me... Violet’s love interest. Right now… …
show and owns Eventually redeemed himself after She’s been
a make-up line. pretending to be a music manager. fairly quiet
Right now… What’s he done since? Has starred since her last
Banks has talked in West End musicals like Wicked. release, It’s
about the possibility Right now... Recently filmed Kenneth Christmas,
of Coyote Ugly 2. Branagh’s Death On The Nile, alongside Eve, in
Fully here for that.. Gal Gadot and Letitia Wright. 2018.

C O S M O P O L I TA N · 11
play films
Pixar films ranked by
emotional anguish
These movies have been keeping us going lately. While they’re beautifully uplifting, they’re
also devastating. We’ve ranked them, so you know exactly what you’re dealing with
Onward
Two elves, Ian and his brother Barley, get
a one-off chance to spend a single day with
their father who passed away years before.
How much crying? The overall message
is about family love, whatever shape that
takes. Expect weird jumpy-breath crying.
When to watch? On a Sunday morning
when you need something wholesome and
don’t mind having a puffy face all afternoon.
Recovery time? Two to three hours, with
regular strong cups of tea.
Up
To save his home from developers, 78-year-old
Carl rigs his house with balloons and flies to
Paradise Falls, not realising he has a stowaway.
How much crying? The good news is that
the most cry-y part happens early on. That
said, we can’t help thinking there’s a reason
this film is so centred around a waterfall.
When to watch? If you need a cathartic cry.
Recovery time? You won’t. You’re
conditioned to become an emotional wreck
from the first two notes of the theme song.
12 · C O S M O P O L I TA N
Inside Out
The story of a girl named Riley whose
life is uprooted when her family moves to
San Francisco, told through her emotions:
Joy, Fear, Anger, Disgust and Sadness.
How much crying? You’ll laugh, sure, but
that’s what makes this film an emotional wolf in
sheep’s clothing. Waterproof mascara advised.
When to watch? With family, so they can
finally understand your teenage angst.
Recovery time? Six hours. Treat with
processed foods or Chaka Khan.
Finding Dory
Finding Nemo’s true star, Dory, embarks on
a mission to discover her long-lost parents.
How much crying? You’d be forgiven
for thinking you’d be safe with this one –
after all, she was the comedy fish in Finding
Nemo. But you’ll cry an ocean. How apt.
When to watch? If you’ve had an argument
with someone close to you. It’ll help you
appreciate the people you love.
Recovery time? Once a decade is the
recommended intake allowance for this film.
Coco
Aspiring musician Miguel sneaks into the
beautiful land of the dead on El Día De Los
Muertos to find his idol, Ernesto de la Cruz.
How much crying? Beware the films that
describe themselves as “family, adventure”.
This translates into sobbing uncontrollably
while snot shoots out of your face.
When to watch? With a group of friends.
Crying together really cements a relationship.
Recovery time? Sleep this one off overnight
– you’ll be fine after some shut-eye.
WORDS DANIELLA SCOTT. PHOTOGRAPHS DISNEY/PIXAR, MOVIESTILLS DB
Toy Story 2
Woody is stolen by a toy collector, and then
meets Jessie, Prospector and Bullseye.
How much crying? It’s Jessie’s story about
being abandoned by her kid that’ll get you.
Hands up if you still cry to accompanying music
When She Loved Me by Sarah McLachlan.
When to watch? Only if you’re feeling
particularly hardy. Not on a Sunday night,
on a hangover or on your own.
Recovery time? One to two days,
provided you avoid that song.

T H E R E A L LY
wild
(awards)
show
You can always rely on the MTV VMAs to hit headlines. In
its absence, we looked back at its biggest moments so far
2003
1984
performed with Britney Spears and
Madonna’s Like A Virgin
performance
It was the first event in the
awards’ history, and Madonna
made sure it was one to
remember. Wearing a bridal
gown, she emerged from a
17-foot wedding cake singing
Like A Virgin. Thanks to some
not-so-subtle floor humping and
an accidental underwear flash,
her manager feared it might end
her career. Little did he know, eh?
Justin Bieber sobbed on stage
Bieber’s comeback performance of
Where Are U Now? concluded with
WORDS DUSTY BAXTER-WRIGHT.
PHOTOGRAPHS GETTY IMAGES
him doubled over in tears. Was he
hurt? Something in his eye? Nope.
Bieber said he was overwhelmed
by the positive reaction, given that
last time he was at an awards
show, he had been booed. Bless.
“ Vo t e
Kanye for
president”
Madonna,
Britney and
Xtina’s three-way kiss
Nineteen years later, Madonna
Christina Aguilera, and leaned in
to kiss each of them. The camera
panned to a stern-looking Justin
Timberlake, who’d broken up
with Spears the year
before. Classic.
2015
2016
2009
Kanye West crashes
Taylor Swift’s stage
The rapper kicked off the
pair’s feud when he jumped
on stage and stole the mic
from Swift’s hand during her
acceptance speech for Best
Female Video. His reason?
He wanted to tell the world
that Beyoncé should have
won. Cue “Imma let you
finish…” memes flooding
the internet.
Miley Cyrus and Robin 2013
Thicke’s twerkathon
Cyrus managed to ruin
foam fingers for Hannah
Montana fans everywhere
when she joined Thicke for
a lot of intimate twerking
and, er, tongue action. She
said she wanted to “make
history” with her X-rated
Blurred Lines performance,
and that she did.
Drake declares
his love for Rihanna
When Drake presented RiRi
with the Vanguard Award, he said
he’d been in love with her since he
was 22. “All my adult life, I’ve looked
up to her,” he said. The feeling was
not reciprocated – she revealed
the speech had made her
“uncomfortable”.
R i h a n n a:
massive
d e a l,
massive
skir t
C O S M O P O L I TA N · 13
play celebrity

Kardashian
by numbers
To mark Kylie Jenner’s 23rd birthday this month, we thought we’d revisit
some of her family’s most extravagant parties. Remember, bigger is always better

4 The number of
private planes
Kim
K hired to fly
husband
h Kanye
West and his
als to an island
in the Bahamas
for his 40th. An
upgrade from
his 38th when How many
she hired LA’s designer gowns
SStaples Center Kim wore at her $10-million
for an NBA- wedding to ex-husband Kris

themed bash.
45,000
The number of
pink flowers that
were used to decorate
the Garden Ballroom of
Hotel Bel-Air for Khloé’s
baby shower in 2018.
Bad day to have
hayfever.
$2m
Humphries in 2011. The
marriage lasted just 72 days,
averaging around $139,000
per day. Mone p
pent.
S o.
M a n y.
Lewks
The cost of Kris Jenner ’s Great Gatsby-themed
60th birthday party, attended by the likes of John Legend,
Chrissy Teigen and Tina Knowles. Invites featured a custom
rendering of Kris sculpted in 3D, and there was a confetti
cannon on the dancefloor. Hey, you only turn 60 once.

e number of
rris wheels
im’s daughter North
t’s “Kidchella”-themed
birthday party.
10
When Khloé Kardashian married Lamar
Odom in 2009, after just a month of dating,
a 10-piece orchestra played at the ceremony.
Flutes? Violins? You name it, they had it.
23 WORDS DANIELLA SCOTT. PHOTOGRAPHS XPOSUREPHOTOS.COM,

ause what’s a first

birthday without a full-sized
fairground ride inn
GETTY IMAGES, SHUTTERSTOCK, AIRBNB

the back garden?

A disaster,
presumably… The number of
$350,000 What it cost Kim
$ bedrooms in the three
$50-million beachside villas in
and Kanye to cover the grounds of theeir
the Turks and Caicos Islands
LA mansion in fake snow for their Kylie rented out to celebrate her
$1.3m Christmas party in 2018. The 19th birthday with friends for
cost of cleaning that mess up? Priceless. a week. Not even a milestone.

14
 play books

Revolutionary
reads
Want to make a change in society but feel unsure about where to start? These new books can help…

Activism classics
They may not be new, but these always-
important books won’t fail to inspire you

WHO CARES WHAT CAN HOW TO

WINS I DO? STAY SANE
Lily Cole Jane Fonda IN AN AGE
OF DIVISION
WHO? WHO?
The supermodel and If you thought Jane
Elif Shafak
actor (remember that Fonda was a hugely DO SOMETHING HOW TO BE AN
role in St Trinian’s ?) successful Hollywood WHO?
Booker Prize nominee Kajal Odedra ANTIRACIST
turned humanitarian actress with a sideline A guide to getting Ibram X Kendi
and climate-change in Spandex, you’d be Shafak is known
for her novels and started in the world Not being racist isn’t
campaigner. right – but that very of game-changing by enough – we have to
same woman has also activism, and has been
pressurised by her own the UK director of be actively anti-racist,
WHAT? been an activist for petitions platform and this book will
Better to be an many years. government in Turkey
for speaking out. Change.org. show you how.
optimist and try to
help the environment WHAT?
than a pessimist who In this book, Fonda WHAT?
does nothing, says focuses her attentions What it lacks in size,
Cole. In this book, on climate crisis and this pocket manual
she combines self- the need to take a makes up for in
reflection on subjects more extreme course punch. So if you’re
like how modelling of action immediately. struggling to function
made her question She also reveals in this crazy world,
the fur industry with her own journey to turn to this call to
expert insight from becoming an activist arms, which asks us
environmentalists, and offers concrete to stay hopeful for the
including Extinction advice for those who future through the
Rebellion co-founder want to join her in stories of others.
NO ONE IS TOO WHY I’M NO
Gail Bradbrook. the fight. SMALL TO MAKE LONGER TALKING
DO IT NOW
A DIFFERENCE TO WHITE PEOPLE
DO IT NOW DO IT NOW Acknowledge the dark
Greta Thunberg ABOUT RACE
“We can change our “Get used to being side of your emotions:
The teenage activist’s Reni Eddo-Lodge
attitude to the material in the streets. If “We should stop
inspiring take on what This honest, thought-
world: buying only necessary, we’re going judging and shaming
we can all do to avert provoking look at
what we really need to have to shut the ourselves for not being
climate crisis. Donald structural racism and
WORDS CYAN TURAN

or truly love… and government down. the always-happy and

Trump said she should its impact will leave
knowing the great And that’s not radical. fulfilled citizens that
“chill”. We say: Greta, you feeling informed
power we wield with What is radical is not we were told we must
please never chill. and galvanised.
our yes and no.” doing anything.” aspire to be.”
Out now Out 8th September Out 27th August

C O S M O P O L I TA N · 15
 glow
BS -FREE BEAUTY THAT WORKS FOR YOU

Beauty director Victoria Jowett
on this month’s #empties
USING NEXT
B E C CA Z E R O P I GM E N T
VIR T UA L F OU N DATI ON, £ 2 9
After spending weeks indoors, I got
comfortable being bare-faced. In fact,
I actually enjoyed how my skin looked
when it wasn’t made up (wild, I know).
So this foundation couldn’t have come
at a better time – free of silicones and
oil, the clear balm blurs imperfections
and hydrates skin with hyaluronic acid.
It’s like a moisturiser, primer and skin-
perfecter all in one. Yup, this base has
enabled me to give up tinted coverage
and I’m (weirdly) not missing it.

USING UP

C L INIQUE MO ISTURE SU RG E
SH EERT INT H YDRATO R , £3 0
I’m greedy when it comes to my base;
I want a product that does more than
just even out my complexion (I want it to
pay my bills, bake me cookies and fold
my laundry – is that too much to ask?).
Luckily, Clinique’s Sheertint Hydrator is
a serious multitasker (although it’s yet
PHOTOGRAPH DENNIS PEDERSEN

to deliver on the baked goods…). It

does, however, offer medium coverage,
along with bags of moisture and SPF25.
I lived in this. I wore it alone during the
day, then paired it with a little concealer
for extra coverage in the evening. If you
want an all-round A+ base, this is it.

C O S M O P O L I TA N · 17
 Victoria Jowett
BEAUTY DIRECTOR
Beauty lab
Lip oils
Each month, our beauty team tests the newest products
to see what reigns supreme. Here, Victoria Jowett ditches
the lip balm for high-shine hydrators

Cassie Powney
Ciaté London Watermelon
BEAUTY EDITOR
Burst Hydrating Lip Oil, £14
The avocado oil in this vegan
formula soothed my lips and
helped prevent chaps. The sheer rlotte Tilbury
pink gives very little colour pay- f, arlotte’s Magic
but the smooth oil glazed over any a Oil, £28
fine lines and left my lips lookin ng This feels so light and
fuller. It’s quite heavily scentedd– dewy, but don’t let that
d
think So…? Watermelon Bod dy fool you. It may be
Mist and that year 8 disco. lightweight in consistency,,
Great if you love sugary but it packs a heavyweigh ht
watermelon, less so if you u’re punch when it comes to
sensitive to added fragra ance. hydration (thanks to the
moisturising hyaluronic acid d
Laura Capon and soothing aloe vera). The
DEPUTY BEAUTY EDITOR rollerball applicator dispenses plenty
of product, however it’s tricky to be
precise and I noticed the oil creeping
over my lip line a couple of times.

S PICK
EDITOR’

Burt’s Bees Tinted Lip Oil
L O V2 E0
in Misted Plum, £9.99
The “clean beauty” sphere
Keeks Reid
CONTRIBUTING BEAUTY WRITER can be a little overwhelming,
but Burt’s Bees cuts through
the noise and offers up natural
formulas that work. This lip oil
is just that, and while it may not
be the prettiest product, my lips
felt softer after just one use. It’s
available in six sheer shades –
I opted for the deeper plum hue.
It applied a little streakily, but
I managed to smooth it out with
the handy brush applicator.
Dior Addict Lip Glow Oil in
S
015 Cherry, £28
Dior knows how to make an A*
20 lip oil. Not only is the formula
glossy, non-sticky, nourishing and
long-lasting, but there are a bunch
of different shades to choose from
– all of which are stunning (I guess
that’s to be expected from a
high-fashion brand). My favourite
is the Cherry hue – it gives a colour
pop that brightens up my face,
which is crucial if, like me, you’ve
spent all night watching Grey’s
Anatomy re-runs instead of sleeping.

Kate Pasola
BEAUTY WRITER

Florence By Mills Glow Yeah Lip Oil, £14
This squeezy little tube gave my lips their li
backk after I’d gone OTT with a drying
liquid lipstick. While it looked bright
in the packaging, once applied it
sheeered out to give a very subtle
rosy tint. What I lost in colour, I
gained in hydration: the ve
form
mula helped heal my
parcched lips thanks to t
nourrishing shea bu r
and jojoba oils.
replenishing vitamins to anti-ageing actives.
Oh, and did I mention it’s topped with a
24ct-gold-plated applicator? No biggie.
4 colour and give a high-shine finish.”
ourglass No28
Lip Treatment
Oil, £45
Out of all the lip oils,
this one smells the most
legit (and by that I mean it
smells like an essential-oil-
laden spa). Hourglass were one
of the first to develop a formula
that nourishes like no other oil. The
price is steep, I know, but it’s packed
with 28 beneficial ingredients, from
glow
Oiling up?
Here’s what you need to know.
Warren Dowdall, Bobbi Brown
senior pro make-up artist, shares
his tips for getting a perfect lip
1
GET INGREDIENT SAVVY
“When it comes to dry lips, make sure
you look out for nourishing plant oils
like jojoba. It’s biomimetic, meaning
it behaves like our skin’s natural oils
and helps to repair, soothe and
intensely hydrate the lips.”
2
PICK YOUR SHADE WISELY
“If your skin has cool undertones, look
for the same in your lip colour. Think
pinks, bluey-reds and berry tones –
just don’t go too light or you may look
washed out. If your skin has a warmer
undertone, go for corals, peaches,
brick reds and terracotta shades.”
And if in doubt, opt for a clear
MAIN PHOTOGRAPH CHARLOTTE TILBURY. STAFF PHOTOGRAPHS SARAH BRICK. HAIR AND MAKE-UP JOLANDA COETZER, USING
URBAN DECAY, ANASTASIA BEVERLY HILLS AND SACHAJUAN; JENNI DAVIS, USING MAC AND KENRA, BOTH AT LHA REPRESENTS
formula to enhance your natural lip
colour and give a glossy sheen.
3
DON’T BE AFRAID
TO EXPERIMENT
“You can turn any lipstick into a gloss.
Simply mix a little on the back of your
hand with a lip oil. It will soften the
4
REPURPOSE YOUR LIP OIL
“It works wonderfully as a highlighter,
especially if there’s any visible texture
on the skin. I love patting a little
clear oil onto the high points of the
face as a final touch to give skin
a glossy sheen.”
To shop our favourite lip oils, go to
Cosmopolitan.com/uk/lipoils
C O S M O P O L I TA N · 19
 How to

decode
your
face
serum
 glow

A s a fe s p a c e
w h ere you c an
f inall y admit you
d o n ’t h a ve a c lue
w h a t hyalur onic
a c id a c t u all y i s

Words LAURA CAPON

· 21
T
o paraphrase my
favourite fictional
boss, Michael Scott,
sometimes we need things
explained to us like we’re five
years old, and none more so
than our skincare ingredients.
With their complex names and
percentages (niacinamide 10%
+ zinc 1%, what now?), it can
feel like you’re reciting a mystical
incantation rather than applying
your daily skincare routine.
To prove it doesn’t take a
potions degree to know what
salicylic acid is, let alone what
it does, we’ve broken down the
most popular serum ingredients
for you – from what they actually
do to, most crucially, what
order you need to apply them
in for maximum efficacy. So
get out your Bunsen burners,
throw on your lab coat and let’s
a chemistry lesson you
won’t falll sleep
sl in… I hope.
D TO BASKET
VITA MIN C
We all reach for an Easy Peeler
when we feel a cold coming on,
but the benefits of vitamin C in your
skincare are far more quantifiable.
They include brightening skin tone,
lightening dark spots and minimising
the appearance of wrinkles and fine
lines. In fact, Paula Begoun, founder
of Paula’s Choice, who has devoted
the last 35+ years to demystifying
complex ingredients, calls it “a true
skincare hero”. That’s thanks to its
ability to “shield skin from the visible
impacts of environmental stressors,
including pollution-related and other
types of free-radical damage”.
Vitamin C is an antioxidant that
everyone should be using, regardless
of your age or skin type. Think of it
like the Tupperware for your chopped
apple. Without it, once exposed to
the environment your apple is going
to turn brown and shrivel, but with
a protective shield, it won’t look so
grim come 11am when you go to
smother it in peanut butter.
HOW TO USE IT
While vitamin C is available in
many different products, a serum
is by far the most effective and
should ideally be applied in the
morning, after cleansing and
before your moisturiser and SPF.
in Proud Bright
Boost Vitamin C
Serum, 12.99*
This a rdable option
containns a slightly lower
dose of vitamin C and
is great for sensitive skin.
le Henriksen Banana
Bright Vitamin C
Serum, £53
With 15% vit C, hyaluronic
acid and gentle exfoliators,
this is a smoothing and
brightening powerhouse.
HYALURONIC ACID
While I tend to flit between lots of
ingredients, hyaluronic acid is the one
I refuse to be parted from. It is – for
want of a better analogy – the Prince
Philip to my Queen Elizabeth II.
“[Hyaluronic acid] is naturally found
in our bodies and within our skin,”
explains advanced facialist Debbie
Thomas. “Its main function is to retain
water and keep tissue moist and
lubricated. It does this by drawing
H2O into itself (like a sponge),
making it harder for it to evaporate.”
Despite the name “acid”, you
won’t experience any peeling or
aggravating side effects after using
this, unlike other exfoliating acids.
Instead, it acts like a magnet, drawing
moisture into your skin and, most
importantly, keeping it locked in –
taking you from prune to peach.
Just like vitamin C, the benefits
of hyaluronic acid can be seen
by all skin types and ages. You can
use it in addition to moisturiser if
you have dry skin.
HOW TO USE IT
It can be applied twice a day, after
cleansing and prior to other skincare
or serums. Apply it to damp skin so it
seals moisture in, rather than drawing
out pre-existing moisture from the
deeper layers and drying you out.
Tan-Luxe Super Glow
Hyaluronic Self-Tan
Serum, £35
It’s formulated with self-tan,
so I go to bed as Edward
Scissorhands and wake
up as Jennifer Aniston.
Medik8 Hydr8 B5 Liquid
Rehydration Serum, £40
This brilliant all-rounder
contains different-sized
molecules of hyaluronic
so it penetrates the skin
more effectively.

N I A C I N A M I D E  SALICYLIC ACID
Once you’ve got your head around
pronouncing it (ni-a-cin-a-mide),
you’re halfway there. To explain what
it does, we spoke to Daniel Isaacs,
director of research at Medik8.
”Otherwise known as vitamin B3,
niacinamide is one of the most potent
anti-inflammatories in skincare. Ideal
for treating blemishes, it can suppress
the skin’s inflammatory response to
calm red and sore imperfections.”
As well as helping blemish- and
redness-prone skin, it’s also good
for people who suffer from unwanted
pigmentation, “as it can block the
transfer of melanin pigments into
skin cells, slowing down the
process,” explains Isaacs.
It also improves skin health by
strengthening your epidermal barrier.
Basically, niacinamide is a big
show-off and while, yes, blemish-
prone skin types will benefit from it,
darker skin tones that are prone to
hyper-pigmentation should also add
it to their skincare routine.
HOW TO USE IT
Niacinamide can be applied twice
daily, once in the morning and
once just before bed. Use it after
cleansing (and after any hyaluronic-
acid-based products) and before
your moisturiser or SPF.
The Ordinary Niacinamide
10% + Zinc 1%, £5
Niacinamide and zinc are
the perfect pair. That’s
because while niacinamidee
PHOTOGRAPHS GETTY IMAGES. *EXCLUSIVE TO ASOS
strengthens skin, zinc can
help repair damage.
Paula’s Choice
10% Niacinamide
Booster, £41
This will give you your
hit of niacinamide, but
can be mixed with your
moisturiser for ease.
If spots are your main concern, you
need to employ a Buffy Summers-
esque gang to help you defeat them.
Yes, niacinamide can be your ally,
but without salicylic acid in your
armoury, you stand no chance.
“It’s one of the most proven
ingredients to reduce breakouts,
unclog pores and improve hydration,”
explains Begoun. Salicylic acid is
a beta hydroxy acid (BHA), which
means it’s a super-gentle exfoliator,
“helping skin cells to shed as they
did when we were young,” explains
Begoun. As you get older, and
even more so if you’re prone to
breakouts, skin can’t exfoliate
naturally on its own. “That’s where
salicylic acid steps in to help skin
behave youthfully again.” With its
ability to creep in silently and flush
out a pore, Begoun recommends
salicylic acid for people with oily
or acne-prone skin, but advises it
can also be helpful for reducing
redness in sensitive skin.
HOW TO USE IT
Whether you’re using a salicylic-
acid-based toner or serum, apply
it after cleansing. You can layer
up to two serums at a time so, if
required, you can use niacinamide
after your salicylic acid.
Nip & Fab Salicyylic
Acid Fix Concentrate
Extreme 2%, £19.95 5 Thhe cleanser to start with
This contains 2% icylic
acid (the highest
it should get to w after
just a day or two of use.
Kate Somerville
EradiKate Salicylic Acid
Blemish Treatment, £49
Calming, and contains
retinol, which boosts
its acne-fighting powers
(Buffy would be proud).
glow
G LYCO LI C AC I D
AKA the one you apply every night
but still don’t really know what it is.
“Glycolic acid is from a family of
acids known as alpha hydroxy acids
(AHAs),” explains Thomas. “It’s an
exfoliant that comes from sugar
cane and has the smallest molecular
size of all the AHAs, meaning it can
penetrate deeper into the skin.”
That deep penetration (no, you
haven’t skipped to the Love section)
means it can “break down the
glue-like substance that holds dead
skin cells together”. It smooths skin
and, as Thomas notes, “Long-term
use [can] reduce pigmentation,
help reduce congestion and
breakouts, and soften fine lines.”
Start with a glycolic cleanser to
see how your skin tolerates it, before
moving onto a toner. If your skin
becomes red or sore, it may be that
deep penetration is too much for you
(sorry, I couldn’t resist) – try a gentler
acid exfoliator, like lactic, which only
exfoliates the surface of your skin.
HOW TO USE IT
Glycolic acid, like any exfoliating
toner, should be used directly after
you’ve cleansed your skin and
before you add your other serums
and moisturisers. You can use it
three or four times a week.
SkinCeuticals Glycolic
Reenewal Cleanser, £30
if you’re new to glycolic.
Contains 8% and should
C
be used once a day, at
night, to build tolerance.
E.L.F Supertone Toner, £8
A brilliant affordable
option, formulated
with witch hazel and
aloe to help ease
inflammation and
soothe while exfoliating.
C O S M O P O L I TA N · 23
glow

My life in
beauty Make-up artist and influencer Mmmmitchell
reveals the beauty products that get all his likes

Pixi
Rose Tonic,
£10
“I suffered with eczema
at school, so it’s taken a
lot of trial and error with
skincare. This is now Fenty
a go-to.” Beauty Sun
Stalk’r Instant
Warmth Bronzer, £25
“When I wear make-up
now, I just do a bit of nose
contour using shade
Inda Sun.”

Tatti
Lashes 4D
TLMitchell Faux, £9
Nejma
“The faux version of the
7 EDP, £162
original product I launched
(100ml)
with Tatti Lashes – they’re
“I’m just into fragrance
ultra-wispy and
that’s sexy AF. I love an
sassy!”
oud, but a coconutty
oud? Like, please,
I’m sold.”

AS TOLD TO CASSIE POWNEY. MMMMITCHELL IS BRAND AMBASSADOR FOR TATTI LASHES

Max Factor
FaceFinity Compact
Foundation, £13.99 Vita
“When I was 14, I stole this Liberata
off my mum. It wasn’t my Body Blur Instant
shade. It wasn’t hers HD Skin Finish,
either.” £29.95
“I wear this in Latte Dark,
unless I already have a
natural tan, which
is rare.”
Clé De Tatcha
Peau Beauté Lip Pure One Step
Glorifier, £40 Camellia Cleansing
“I still love buying Oil, £63.52
make-up. I bought a “I never remove anyone’s
few Clé De Peau items make-up – but if I did,
recently – it came to I would a million per
about £2,000.” cent use this.”

24 · C O S M O P O L I TA N
 THE INSIDER’S GUIDE
TO

I t ’s tim e to g et c lever w it h your c over-up

Whiteheads Bright-red
Popping these babies spots
(while extremely
Blackheads Don’t try to bury these
tempting) makes them
in a ton of make-up –
harder to cover. Throw Leave extractions for
they’ll just look cakey.
on a clear spot sticker the pros, otherwise
Use a colour corrector
to help treat and heal you could be left
(green if you’re fair;
the pimple, then pat with a bunch of
yellow or orange if you
a tiny bit of cream open pores and a
have a medium or
concealer over the difficult-to-conceal
deeper skin tone) to
top to make it nearly surface. Instead,
counteract redness
invisible. (Emphasis slather on a
and/or discolouration.
on the “tiny” – excess mattifying primer
Then add a cream
product can get with salicylic acid.
concealer on top.
gunked up around It’ll blur spots and
the patch edges.) help clear them up TRY
over time. Finish ∙ Dior Fix It Colour
TRY
with an oil-free 2-in-1 Complexion
∙ Zitsticka Killa, £27
foundation and Prime & Conceal, £27
for eight patches
you’re good to go. ∙ Bobbi Brown
∙ Too Faced Peach
Instant Full Cover
Perfect Concealer, TRY
Concealer, £24
£18.50 ∙ Pixi Flawless &
Poreless Primer, £24
∙ IT Cosmetics
Your Skin But Better
CC+ Oil-Free
Matte Full Coverage
Cream, £32

26 · C O S M O P O L I TA N
 glow

Scabs
Pat a silicone-based
primer directly over
the crusty area and let
it set for two minutes.
Silicone creates a film
that softens and
smooths, giving
cover-up a fighting
chance. Then use a
stippling brush with
densely packed, fine
bristles to smooth on a
long-wearing concealer.
Raised bumps
Wrap some ice cubes TRY
in a muslin cloth and ∙ The Ordinary
hold it over the mini High-Adherence
mountain for a couple Silicone Primer, £3.90
of minutes, then dab a ∙ Zoeva 117 Petit
calming spot treatment Defined Buffer
over the top to bring Brush, £15
down the redness and
swelling. Next, pat
a matte concealer on
top of and around the
bump, scroll through
Instagram for a few
minutes to let it set, Body acne
then use your fingers These pimples can
to lightly blend out vary in shape, size
the edges. and redness, so you’ll
TRY have to tailor the
∙ Disciple Skincare coverage accordingly.
What Spot, £15 Start by prepping
∙ Nars Soft Matte the skin with a
Complete Concealer, lightweight hydrating
£24 body lotion to soothe
dryness and prevent
the concealer from
clinging to flakes.
WORDS AMA KWARTENG, VICTORIA JOWETT. PHOTOGRAPH GETTY IMAGES

Next, pat on a
waterproof concealer,
and build up the
coverage as needed.
TRY
∙ Neutrogena Hydro
Boost Body Gel
Cream, £4.99
∙ Urban Decay
All Nighter Waterproof
Full-Coverage
Concealer, £23

C O S M O P O L I TA N · 27
 move
STRETCH YOUR BODY AND YOUR MIND

Hone
your hobbies
While our favourite pastimes include scrolling through
menu options on Deliveroo and snacking from the
fridge, a new survey by Lovecrafts.com* has revealed the
best hobbies for boosting your mood. The results? Baking,
knitting and photography, followed by gardening,
cross-stitch and playing a musical instrument. So if
you’re feeling a little low, why not pick up a trowel
or a guitar? BRB, we’re just off to photograph the
banana bread we baked earlier.
WORDS DUSTY BAXTER-WRIGHT. PHOTOGRAPH STOCKSY

C O S M O P O L I TA N · 29
move

Life in
with a sunlight allergy,
solar urticaria. As well

my
as breaking out in
sunlight-related hives,
the condition has also
caused my feet to swell
so badly in the past that

body...
I’ve found myself in A&E.
My diagnosis came as
a relief. Not everybody
realises that you can
develop an allergy at
any age, but that’s
what happened to me.
I was then able to take
steps to manage the
condition, including

with a sunlight
a strong daily cocktail
of anti-histamines (that
I still take now). I wear

allergy
a powerful UVA- and
UVB-blocking sunscreen
all year round too.
Spring is tricky, as it’s
when the sunlight starts
For Alice Sanders, 38, living with solar

f
urticaria means summer isn’t always easy
ive years ago,
on a warm
April day, I was
swimming in
my local lido
with a friend. As an
outdoor swimming fan,
this wasn’t an unusual
occurrence, but the
bright red, itchy
rash that had begun
creeping across my
increasing (although
bright winter days can
be just as dangerous
if I’m not careful). But
generally, as long as
so white in contrast a fuss. Just I prepare and take
to the redness that it put more sun precautions, I’m fine.
looked like I was still cream on.” I even travel regularly,
wearing it. Not knowing I was so angry as part of my work as an
what was happening, that I refused educational tour guide.
I started freaking out to be seen Recently, I completed
and felt faint. by her again. an outdoor charity
It might sound like Strappy tops swim, which meant my
a bad case of sunburn, quickly became skin was exposed for
but no matter how a no-go. My hours. It felt incredible,
much SPF I used, my friends tried to especially thinking
skin continued to flare be understanding, but became depressed, back to those summers

AS TOLD TO JENNIFER SAVIN. PHOTOGRAPHS COURTESY OF ALICE SANDERS

skin certainly was.
My entire body had
broken out in hives,
apart from where my
costume had been.
When I took off the
swimsuit, my skin was
up every time it was some made remarks especially as I couldn’t I spent in the dark,
exposed to natural light. like, “Oh, I have the exercise like I did before wondering if life would
Eventually, I went to my same thing as you! I (I also loved football). ever be the same again.
GP, who referred me burn really easily in the After almost two I still don’t take the
on to another doctor, sun too.” Which isn’t years of sadness and freedom of chatting to
who said: “I don’t know the same thing. I hated frustration, a specialist friends in a pub garden
why you’re making such going outside and finally diagnosed me for granted, though.

The right support Specialists Clued-up people

I joined a Facebook group
W H AT
of fellow sufferers and found
HELPS some are too scared to leave
ALICE the house. Others on there
gave great advice.
Finding the right medical professionals
made the world of difference. The
first time a doctor acknowledged how
tough living with solar urticaria must
be was at London’s Guy’s Hospital.
Sometimes, if I’m swimming with a
rash, people ask if it’s contagious. It’s
not malicious, just ignorant. I wouldn’t
be outside if it could spread it… A bit
of education goes a long way.

30 · C O S M O P O L I TA N

Try before
you train...
swimming
goggles
Team Cosmo tests out eyewear your
eyes actually want to, er, wear
Mad Wave Razor Rainbow, £16.99*
Goggles never fit me correctly – I have wide-set
eyes and my eyeballs always end up crushed
by the time I finish my first lap. Also, every pair
I’ve tried fog up, forcing me to stop-start every
two seconds. But these are so comfortable, and
aesthetically pleasing. There was no fogging,
COMPILED BY SOPHIE LEEN. *AVAILABLE AT PROSWIMWEAR.CO.UK. †AVAILABLE AT SPORTSDIRECT.COM
no eye crushing, and I also got a couple of
compliments from my fellow swimmers.
A m y B , Fashion Director
Fog-free
zone
Nike Swim Vapor Mirrored, £23.99
As someone who swims at least once a week,
my main bugbear (other than lane-hoggers)
is goggles that steam up for no reason. These
not only look the business, but they don’t fog
up at the first touch of moisture. I had to have
them pretty tight to keep the water out but
they’re easy to adjust and help you see clearly
enough to avoid anyone doing butterfly.
A m y G, Executive Editor (Print)
New
goggles,
new PB
(probably)
Ideal for a
quick dip
Adidas Peristar, £9†
I’m not really a goggles gal – even though I know
they’ll help me enjoy a swim more, I’m reluctant.
But these are streamlined and elegant – I love the
low-key colour scheme – and they didn’t let in any
water. However, the lenses are so tiny my eyeballs
felt like they were bulging more than Nigel
Thornberry’s. Good for a quick dip, possibly not
so much if you’re planning to swim the Channel.
K a t e, Beauty Writer
Slazenger Hydro Senior, £9.99†
Goggles are essential for me because I’m still
a child and can’t open my eyes underwater,
but I’m aware of how faffy they can be. These
were so simple to adjust, and I enjoyed the
Matrix-style aesthetic. Although the suction is
so strong it can feel like your eyes are caving
in if the straps aren’t set right, you can bet
that no water is getting in.
S o p h i e, Bookings Editor
move kit
NIKE
Zoggs Predator Flex Polarised
Ultra Reactor, £60
I’ve had the same goggles for years not
thinking there was anything wrong with them…
until I tried these. In fact, as soon as I put
them on it was like I Can See Clearly Now
started playing in my head. Crystal clear, with
no fogginess or leaks, I just feel sad for past
me and her terrible underwater vision.
L a u r a , Deputy Beauty Editor
Easy to
adjust
Speedo Aquapulse Pro Mirror, £34
My old goggles constantly fog up and get so o
much h water
t iinside
id th
them, it was enough h tto putt me
off swimming for good. These not only stayed on
tightly, with the easiest adjustable straps ever,
they didn’t give me a headache and even passed
the water test, all while looking chic with an
all-black one-piece. That’s a win in my book.
N a t h a l i e, Fashion Intern
& Cupboard Manager
Batch of th e

DAY
Want to cook smarter? No, we don’t mean
reading the works of Shakespeare while
your pizza’s in the oven, but saving time,
cash, waste and – the holy grail – effort.
Here’s how to meal-prep like a pro…

If you thought meal prepping was solely reserved for those with a
Gymshark sponsorship deal or your one friend who actually enjoys
boot-camp classes, it’s time to think again.
Meal prep and batch cooking have been surging in popularity for years
(see the 11.7 million #mealprep posts on Instagram). But the real virtues
of maximising what you have and making multiple meals at once became
apparent during lockdown, when it seemed like every woman and her dog
was living off vats of chickpea curry and industrial quantities of banana
bread. Inspired? This is your expert guide to becoming a pro prepper…
 move

GET PRE-PLANNING
Set aside time to read recipes and
write a meal plan before you go
shopping for ingredients. Sundays
are ideal for this as you’re likely to be
free and can factor in leftovers from
the week and veg that’s on the turn.
Simplify the process by choosing a few
ingredients that can make a variety
of dishes, says Suzanne Mulholland,*
author of The Batch Lady cookbook:
“For example, consider making fish
pie, fishcakes and chowder, or chilli
con carne, bolognese and fajitas.”

HEALTH HEROES
Looking for optimal health? Aim to
eat a rainbow, says Rukmini Iyer,
author of the best-selling Roasting
Tin cookbooks. “The more colour on
your plate, the better the balance.”
Cher Loh, head tutor at the Good
Housekeeping Institute Cookery
School, adds, “Preparing in advance
means you can keep a tighter eye
on portion control too.” Salads are
a great option to pre-make, but build
them in a jar and layer up to stop
them deteriorating quickly: dressings
and sturdier items, like peppers and
cucumber, should go at the bottom,
while leaves sit pretty on the top.

EASE YOURSELF IN
“Start small,” says Mulholland. “Make
one or two meals you already know
you like (there’s nothing worse than
cooking an entire vat of something
only to end up hating it), freeze them
and build up from there.” Creating
double of each recipe is perfect as you
can enjoy one serving right away and
one later, she adds, but any more than
that and you’ll get bored. If you’ve
settled on a recipe, then find that what
you need isn’t available, make clever
swaps, advises Iyer. “Look for a
substitution of a similar weight and
texture, for example if the recipe needs
butternut squash but you can’t find
one, try potatoes or even carrots.”

SHOP TO STOCK UP
Cupboard staples are key – rice,
quinoa, pulses, beans and lentils,
among others, can become the

C O S M O P O L I TA N · 33
 3 batch-friendly
backbone of a superb meal. Go for
supermarket own-brand chopped
tomatoes, canned sweetcorn and
chickpeas too. “They can be loads

recipes
cheaper than branded, but with the Prep these incredible eats from
same nutritional content,” says Jayne Rukmini Iyer’s new book The Roasting
Ritchie, founder of Bodychef. Texture Tin Around The World (out now)
and flavour enhancers are equally
as crucial, adds Iyer, who advocates
stocking up on nuts and seeds (for
crunch), lemons, kimchi, hot sauce
and Dijon mustard (for jazzing up):
“Lemon adds freshness and sharpness
to any meal, sriracha brings heat, and
mustard will draw out salty flavours.”
A clear list, and shopping when you’re
not hungry, will serve you well too.

THE BIG FREEZE

No longer just a potato-waffle paradise,
the freezer is a meal prepper’s best
friend. Utilise the space by filling
sealable bags and pressing out any
excess air on a flat surface, before
stacking them, says Loh – and regularly
rotate the contents of said freezer so
as not to miss anything that’s tucked
away at the back. Prone to forgetting
what’s inside? Pin a list to the door so
you can quickly see and cross items
off as you go. Freeze bread, soup,
pies and homemade burgers (meat
or veggie). Pre-chopping then freezing
SLOW- COOKED PORK PIBIL
vegetables and herbs will cut back WITH PINK PICKLED ONIONS
on time in the kitchen too. (Serves 4, prep time 10 minutes, cooking time 3 hours)

START THE DAY RIGHT Ingredients Method

Prepping breakfast the night before
is cost-effective and creates time for
a mini lie-in. “Muffins, fruit loaves,
traybakes and pre-chopped fruit and
veg to whizz into a smoothie are all
great grab-and-go breakfasts or snacks
that you can batch-cook in advance,”
says Mulholland. “Portion out what
you’ve made and individually wrap.
A banana loaf is now 12 days’ worth
of snacks, instead of a two-day eat-in-
one-go bake.” Another quickie? Soak
muesli in apple juice overnight to make
Bircher, then top with seeds, fruit and
yoghurt. Need your avocados, bananas
and soft fruits to ripen faster? Keep
them together in a paper bag overnight
and the ethylene gas released by the
avocados and bananas should have
your fruit ripened by breakfast.
∙ 1 onion, roughly chopped
∙ 6 cloves of garlic, roughly chopped
∙ 1 teaspoon ground cumin
∙ 1 tablespoon dried oregano
(Mexican if possible)
∙ 8 cloves
∙ 250ml orange juice (ideally
freshly squeezed)
∙ 2 limes, juice only
∙ 50g achiote paste†
∙ 2 teaspoons sea salt
∙ 800g free-range pork
shoulder, diced
Pickled onions
∙ ½ red onion, very thinly sliced
∙ 1 lime, juice only
To serve
∙ Fresh coriander, tortillas, sour cream
1. Preheat the oven to 140°C fan/
160°C/gas 2. Tip the onion, garlic,
cumin, oregano, cloves, orange and
lime juice, achiote paste and salt
into a blender or food processor
and blitz until smooth.
2. In a small, deep roasting tin or
lidded casserole dish, mix the pork
shoulder with the spice paste. Cover
tightly with foil or the lid, then transfer
to the oven and cook for three hours.
3. Meanwhile, mix the very thinly
sliced red onion with the lime
juice and set aside for three hours,
stirring occasionally.
4. Once cooked, remove the foil
or lid and shred the pork while
hot. Serve with the pink pickled
onions, chopped coriander, warm
tortillas and sour cream.

WORDS JENNIFER SAVIN. ADDITIONAL REPORTING LAUREN SMITH, BECKY FLETCHER AND THE GOOD HOUSEKEEPING COOKERY TEAM. PHOTOGRAPHS DARREN MUIR/STOCKSY, DAVID
LOFTUS. RECIPES EXTRACTED FROM THE ROASTING TIN AROUND THE WORLD – GLOBAL ONE DISH DINNERS BY RUKMINI IYER, WITH PHOTOGRAPHS BY DAVID LOFTUS (SQUARE PEG,
£16.99, OUT NOW). *THE BATCH LADY BY SUZANNE MULHOLLAND (HQ, 20) IS OUT NOW. †AVAILABLE FROM MEXGROCER.CO.UK AND AMAZON.CO.UK
SLOW-ROASTED PEPPERS WITH
CHILLI, LEMON AND GARLIC BEANS
(Serves 4, prep time 15 minutes, cooking time 1 hour)
Ingredients
∙ 5 tomatoes, quartered
∙ 1 red pepper, thinly sliced
∙ 1 yellow pepper, thinly sliced
∙ 1 orange pepper, thinly sliced
∙ 2 tablespoons olive oil
∙ 2 bay leaves
∙ 1 large sprig of fresh rosemary
∙ Large pinch of sea-salt flakes
∙ Plenty of freshly ground
black pepper
Beans
∙ 2 tablespoons extra-virgin
olive oil
∙ ½ clove of garlic, finely grated
∙ ½ teaspoon chilli flakes
∙ Large pinch of sea-salt flakes
∙ 1 x 400g tin of cannellini beans,
drained and rinsed
∙ ½ lemon, zest only
Method
1. Preheat the oven to 180°C fan/
200°C/gas 6. Tip the tomatoes,
peppers, olive oil, herbs, salt and
pepper into a roasting tin large
enough to hold everything in one
layer, mix well, then transfer to the
oven and roast for 50 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, stir the extra-virgin
olive oil, garlic, chilli flakes, salt,
cannellini beans and lemon zest
together in a bowl and set aside.
3. Once the peppers have had 50
minutes, stir through the beans, turn
the oven down to 160°C fan/180°C/
gas 4 and cook for 10 more minutes.
4. Taste and adjust the salt and
pepper as needed, adding a little
more olive oil if you wish, then remove
the bay leaves and rosemary sprigs
and serve piled onto toasted bread.
move
S’MORES ROCKY
ROAD
(Serves many, many people, prep time
10 minutes, cooking time 10 minutes
+ 1 hour chilling)
Ingredients
∙ 200g unsalted butter
∙ 300g dark chocolate (minimum
70% cocoa solids), broken up
∙ 250g digestive biscuits
∙ 150g mini vegetarian marshmallows
∙ 75g salted peanuts, roughly
chopped
Method
1. Preheat the oven to 180°C fan/
200°C/gas 6. Tip the butter and
chocolate into a saucepan over a low
heat and stir until both have melted.
2. Break up all but four of the
digestives, stir them into the chocolate
butter, then stir in 100g of the
marshmallows. Spread the mixture
in a lined shallow roasting tin, then
scatter with the remaining digestive
biscuits, broken into larger pieces,
the marshmallows and the peanuts.
3. Transfer the tin to the oven and
bake for 5-10 minutes, until the
marshmallows have just started to
catch and turn golden brown. Let the
tin cool on the side before cutting
the cake into squares. For a proper
refrigerator cake, you’ll need to pop
it into the fridge to set for a few
hours before serving.
C O S M O P O L I TA N · 35
 style
FA S H I O N T H AT M A K E S YO U F E E L A S G R E AT A S YO U LO O K

Scrunch it up
WORDS AMY BANNERMAN. PHOTOGRAPH ANA OROZCO

Woke up late but still want to look cute?

Hungover and don’t want anyone at work
to know? Or forgot to wash your hair so
an updo’s the only option? If any of these
sound like you, thankfully there is a saviour
– in the form of a bougie-AF scrunchie. Rixo,
the brand famous for its dreamy printed
dresses, is now making hair accessories,
so you can finally match your hair to your
frock. (Or just use it to distract from the fact
you’re wearing food-stained joggers…)
Jasper Scrunchie in Retro Garden
Floral, £20, Rixo

C O S M O P O L I TA N · 37
style how they wear

The art of

Yes, it’s having a moment – but slouc

doesn’t have to equal sloppy. Just see e
these sartorially sleek
s stars for details

The matching
tracksuit
How a model-off-duty
wears it: stick to a palette
of white, cream and
beige (all the way down
to your trainers) and throw
a trench on top. Into it.

Walkable
boots
Chunky platforms,
sturdy pull-ons and
hiking boots – the
stylish set opted for
practicality at Fashion
Week last year. Invest
in Geox’s wonders.

S hor ts,
£12.9 9, L i n d e x

Cyclling shorts
Princesss Diana cemented
the bike-shorts-and-
ssweatshirt look into our
style subconscious
B o o t s , £10 0, G e o x
decades ago. Long,
bagggy jumpers that
hang over your bum
are eequally as cool
as shorter ones, FYI.

38 · C O S M O P O L I TA N
 Running shoes
Pack a cosy double punch
to offset a sharp leather
miniskirt by pairing it with
a romantic fluffy jumper
and sporty kicks. PS: These
trainers are majorly in the
fashion spotlight right now.

Tr a i n e r s , £ 95, N i k e a t S c h u h

T- s h i r t, £14 .9 9,
Lindex

Tr a i n e r s , £ 6 4,
S kechers

Business basics
Yep, a suit can be comfy –
just choose a relaxed
wrap silhouette and style
it with trainers. Let your
fancy matching bag do J e a n s , £ 3 4 .9 0, U n i q l o
all the heavy lifting.

Midi skirt
Influencer Lucy Williams
looks comfy and cool at Lazy Sunday
Copenhagen Fashion At Cosmo, we’re big on
Week in a candy-striped the jeans-can-be-comfy
skirt and bright trainers, message. Pick a relaxed
but her Dior bag and straight-leg fit and style
structured denim top with a pocket tee and a
dress it up just enough. jumper. Ideal brunch
outfit, right?

39
 Fluid fabrics
Silky, satiny materials
were everywhere at the
Copenhagen shows –
mix up pyjama-inspired
separates (or actual
pyjamas) with loose, flowing
trousers and tops. Polishing
it off with designer trainers
doesn’t hurt either – but
whatever you have will
work just as well. The boilersuit
Not only is it an easy
all-in-one-outfit, but
in a super-soft fabric
it’s also relaxed and
roomy for all-day
adventures. On
warmer days, unzip
it way down and let
a bralet peek out.

Dressing-gown chic
Part kimono, part dressing gown, Bettina Looney’s pastel
floral number looks majorly stylish with contrasting
orange kitten heels and mega hoops. Wear your DG
flowing and open like hers or belted at the waist.

Tr o u s e r s ,
£ 59.95, A d i d a s

Shiny trackies Tr o u s e r s , £ 2 2,
There are the joggers you To p s h o p
wear to WFH in, which
may or may not be bobbled
and covered in crisps. And
then there are Sofia Richie’s
trackies, looking impossibly
cool with her Chanel bag,
sunnies and crop top. Abs
100% not required here, btw
– if it feels good, wear it.

40 · C O S M O P O L I TA N
 style how they wear

Comfort squad
H a t, £14 .9 0, U n i q l o
Cosy level: maximum.
High-top trainers look
ace with midi-length
skirts and dresses, and
bucket hats are perfect
for late-summer sun.

Tr a i n e r s , £70,
Converse

The smart-
casual blazer
All hail Queen Of
Casual, Hailey
Baldwin Bieber
(below). French-tuck
a jumper into your
matching sweats, layer
a boyfriend blazer
over the top and finish
with fresh kicks and
big gold jewellery.
Sports
jacket
Make the base
of your outfit
some worn
leather boots,
then add bright
silky trousers
and a hoodie/
track-jacket
combo. Final
touch: a leather
bumbag.

Luxe knits
Whitney Port looks
low-key and chic
in her knitted grey
sweatsuit and quilted
bomber jacket. Style
note: khaki green
and grey always play
nicely together.

B l a z e r, £ 49, To p s h o p
style how they wear

Sweatshirt
Hailey Baldwin Bieber
(left) and Ariana Grande
are stans of the “Does
she have shorts on under
there?” hoodie look. Size
up or shop the men’s
section for extra length.

To p, £ 62.76 ,
Nike x Stranger
Things at Klek t

Clogs + joggers
What’s not to love here?
When you can dedicate
every single element of
your outfit to feeling great,
you are winning at life.

To p, £14,
Primark

WORDS MADDY ALFORD. PHOTOGRAPHS GETTY IMAGES, JASON LLOYD-EVANS

Surf- sport
Inject a shot of style
into your comfy
weekend look with a Double denim
tie-dye mesh layering Tight jeans? Not that
top. Wear it over a comfy. Deliciously
cool sports bra and loose, sun-faded
match your scrunchie and frayed ones?
and trainers to it. Super-comfy. Make
like Leandra Medine
(left) and style yours
with a slouchy denim
shirt and leather
sandals.

42 · C O S M O P O L I TA N
 Daytime PJs
Influencer Nicole
Huisman (far left)
braved silky
pyjamas for daytime
at Copenhagen
Fashion Week last
year. Pastel sets
look cool with white
cowboy boots, and
her tinted sunnies
and megawatt bag
add an edge to
the ensemble.

D r e s s , £ 3 9, To p s h o p

Utility
trousers
Loose cargo trousers
give you room to
breathe and have
plenty of handy
pockets for snacks.
Complete the look
with a varsity jacket
or add a crop top.

D r e s s , £ 4 0, M o n k i Smart-casual
Zoom call at 12 and lunch in
the park at 1? A blazer, tie-dye
Midi dress tee and hiking boots shouldn’t
A breezy midi dress tops the work together but they just do.
list of ultra-comfy pieces all Tip: match your blazer to your
year round. Make yours hiking boots for a more
front-row-worthy with stylised pulled-together look.
utility sandals, cat-eye sunnies
and a chic low pony.

C O S M O P O L I TA N · 43
 O K , b u t w hat d o e s “ ECO - FR I EN D LY ”

“ su st a inable
If an item calls itself this, it means
it has been made with minimal
“ damage to the planet – AKA without
polluting all over the place.

f as hion
ac t u a l l y m e a n?
Conscious-clothing dictionary, coming up
Wo r d s L AU R E N A D H AV

Top
£25, Monki

Swimsuit
around
£122,
Medina
Swimwear

Jeans
£24, M&S
Collection

rawn to fast-fashion bargains, but worried about the landfill catastrophe Sandals
S
looming in your news feed? Rightfully so. Here, designer Mara Hoffman 5, Matt & Nat
£95
and Amour Vert CEO Aaron Hoey – who both use nice-to-the-earth
practices in their fashion businesses – debunk all the eco buzzwords. Now you
can shop smarter – and save the turtles. *Heart-eyes emoji*
 style

“FAIR TR ADE” “BIODEGRADABLE” “ORGANIC”

If your very cute, retro denim Silk, linen, wool and hemp fabrics
minidress is “fair trade”, it was made easil natural
by workers in a developing g country elements (as in, don’t clog up
who earn a fair living wage.
w landfill) after being binned.
You might buy fruit with this label, and
the same idea applies here. The cotton
n these Veja trainers, for example, was
in
grown without using harsh chemicals.
g

Jacket J
Jumpsuit
£120, £
£60, Monki
Wawwa

Top
£50, Truly.co.uk

Jeans
£64,
Everlane

Top
AMY BANNERMAN. MODEL TYVANNI AT CODE MODEL

Dress £28,
MAIN PHOTOGRAPH JANE MCLEISH-KELSEY. STYLING

MANAGEMENT. HAIR AND MAKE-UP JESSICA MEJIA

£49.99, H&M Sugarhill

Conscious Exclusive Brighton
Bag
£245,
Stelar
Trainers
T i
£80, Veja

Top
£42, Zavi

C O S M O P O L I TA N · 45
10 go-to brands
that aren’t Zara
Add these to your radar ASAP

W hether you’re looking for a stand-out party dress or a smart blouse to wear for work, Zara’s become
something of a high-street institution. In fact, the one-stop shop has so many bases covered, it’s often the
only store we find ourselves visiting. And, while we’re all for playing favourites, we thought it was time to mix things
up and add a few more labels to our repertoire. Here are 10 affordable brands you need to know about.

KITRI

Bold print lovers w

will
have an absolute fi eld
day with Kitri. The bra
and’s
colour-pop pieces will
w
instantly brighten up your
wardrobe, no mat ter
the season or occas ion.
Best for: Stateme nt
day-to-night dress es.

STORETS

Forget the boring “white UTERQÜE

shirt and black trousers”
weekday combo – Storets
combines preppy basics with
a fashion-forward edge. And
don’t even get us started on
their snazzy casual offering.
Best for: Slouchy suits and
collared shirts with a twist.
SÉZANE
Add some French-girl chic to your wardrobe with
Sézane’s signature staples. Think Marianne
from Normal People’s effortlessly cool style.
Best for: Feminine blouses and dainty jewellery.
One look at Uterqüe’s website and
you’ll wonder where this brand has been
all your life. They’re essentially designer-
worthy clothes at a fraction of the price.
Best for: Covetable, affordable accessories
– you know, the kind of shoes that have
everyone saying, “Oooh! Nice shoes!”
 style

MUSIER PARIS
NEON ROSE
Founded by Parisian style icon Anne-Laure
Mais, Musier Paris is a favourite among Fun and fresh,
fashion folk. It’s sexy, stylish and oh-so cool. Neon Rose is like
est for: Cute cardigans and perfect
Be a sweet shop for
going-out tops. the day-dress-
inclined. From
zesty floral prints
to taffeta designs,
this affordable
NOBODY’S label has it all.
CHILD
Best for: Stylish
Whether you’re midi skirts and
going out for drinks dresses.
or just popping to
grab a coffee, there
MOSS
are some wardrobe COPENHAGEN
heroes you always
reach for. This If you’re obsessed
brand is brimming with minimalist
with those stylish Scandi fashion,
go-to ge ms. look no further
Best for: Flo ral day than this Danish
dresses and skirts. brand d. You’ll love
their classic
c styles
in top-notch
m aterials.
Best for:
f Quality
basic s and Insta-
worthyy accessories.

KAI

Founded by fashio on
and travel blogge er
Fisayo Longe, Ka ai
Collective is all aboutt
luxe style at affordable
prices. Got a party in
DAMSON MADDER the diary? Make this
London-based brand
You knnow the checked midi dresses your first-stop shop
WORDS NATASHA HARDING

the fa
ashion set practically live in? for a fancy new outfit.
We ll, this sustainable brand is Best for: Fun dresses
esseentially an ode to them (and and modern designs.
equally wearable cosy outerwear).
Bestt for: Billowing midi dresses
and snug jackets.

C O S M O P O L I TA N · 47
 style

SHORTS The SHOES

4
SLIIDERS
£224.99,
Adidas
ginals at
Orig
Zalando

shorts
FLATFORMS
£119,
Dr Martens
MINIS at Schuh
£25, ASOS Design

styles TRAINERS
£65,
Converse

of summer STRAIGHT
STRAP
MID -THIGHS
£55, Office
£45, River Island

…And the shoes to wear them

with (because we’re nothing CLOGS
£149, Kurt
if not really helpful) Geiger

Pairing the right shorts with the right

footwear might be the most important
decision you make each morning. (OK,
dramatic, but still.) It’s honestly trickier
than it looks if you want to maximise
ANKLE
leg-lengthening powers and minimise STRAPS
morning faff. Here are the four styles £59, Office
BERMUDAS to buy, and their perfect shoe partner.
£45.99, Topshop at Zalando

MIDI
MULE
£89, Kurt
Geiger

TIP:
With paper-bag
waists, tuck in your
WORDS AMY BANNERMAN

top or wear a crop HIKING

one for a more SANDALS
streamlined look. £115, Sorel

PAPER-BAG WAIST
£135, Reiss

C O S M O P O L I TA N · 49
 S h e’s b l u e (d a b a
d e e, d a b a d i e)

tonal
TO
W
HO

dress
like a pro
Wearing one colour head to toe not only
helps with decision-making in the morning,
but it’s also, you know, fashion. Inthefrow’s
Victoria Magrath explains how to do it well

THE
BASICS

1 Start by playing with
various shades of the same
hue – too much of one shade
can make your look appear
too uniform. For example, an
all-neutral outfit looks great
when broken up with shades
of cream, caramel and toffee.
2 Next, mix different
textures, fabrics and finishes
to add contrast and depth
to your look. Try combining
a velvet suit with a leather
bag and a cosy cashmere
knit to soften your style.
Strive for colour consistency.
3 Finally, invest in tailoring.
The easiest way to dress
tonally is with a one-colour
suit that can be finished
with pieces in harmonious
tones. Add a bodysuit or
cotton sweater one shade
lighter or darker than your
suit and a pair of killer
heels for an evening
look. For a more casual
feel, swap the jumper for
a logo tee and trainers,
and layer with a jacket
in a different shade of
the same hue.

How to make it look £££

When done well, tonal
dressing can be elegant and
formal. Layer your pieces
for a premium look, add
your favourite jewellery or
complete your outfit with
a pair of statement heels.

We l l - h e e l e d

Ace your accessories
Tonal faux pas
OVERDOING
IT
A little shimmer goes a long
AS TOLD TO NATASHA HARDING. MAIN PHOTOGRAPH GETTY IMAGES.
way – add pops of metallics,
ADDITIONAL PHOTOGRAPHS @INTHEFROW SHOT BY @HARRISON
but steer away from a full-on
metallic look… unless you
want to look like you’re going
to a fancy-dress party.
BLOCK
COLOURS
Avoid wearing one
uniform tone from head
to toe – it might look
(and feel) a bit “blah”.
style
Adding one or two statement B a g, £ 2 0, B e l t, £ 2 5,
5
To p s h o p
pieces is the easiest way to To p s h o p
take your look up a notch. Cinch
an oversized suit at the waist with
M u l e s , £10 9.9 9, W h o
a large buckled belt, and add a What W We a r a t Z a l a n d o
patterned bag or a pop of colour
for more vibrancy. Final flourishes
like these can make all the difference.
Metallics are also an effective N e c k l a c e,
Earrings,
£ 27.9 9,
way to break up a monochrome £85
5, E d g e
Pilgrim
look. Add flashes of silver to Of Ember
a muted grey outfit, gold to
top-to-toe shades of beige, or
bronze to seasonal browns – B a g,
metallics are there to accentuate £ 2 5,
the undertones of your outfit. T
To p s h o p
B a g, £ 3 5 .9 9,
If your tonal look is a bright Mango
one, counterbalance it with
accessories in neutral hues for
B e r e t,
a sophisticated upgrade. Wearing
£ 3 6 . 5 4,
sunshine yellow? Slip in something Kangol at
beige. Dressed in cherry red? Add Zalando
depth with a maroon tote. The key S c a r f,
£98,
here is all about finding the balance.
Brora
WHERE
MIXING THE
TO SHOP
WRONG FABRICS
Try not to wear light summer
fabrics with chunky winter
ones. Texture clashes are 1 My go-to for tailored suits. It might be a bit
great, but a high-summer linen pricier but its styles will last you a lifetime.
paired with heavy corduroy
is a big no-no in my book!
This is your one-stop shop for timeless,
2 quality basics that ooze sophistication.
TOO MUCH H&M’s Conscious collection is a great
NEON
3
place to start your tonal-dressing journey.
Unfortunately, it is possible
to have too much of The brand’s signature tailoring will instantly
a good thing. Limit neon 4 elevate your new aesthetic.
hues to accessories only.
C O S M O P O L I TA N · 51
 S O M E T H I NG

CASUAL
It doesn’t matter if you think burpees are something
you get after drinking too much lemonade. These
trainers are equally good with your fanciest dress…
£ 6 0, Va n s a t S c h u h

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these with strriped
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HAILEY
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C O S M O P O L I TA N · 53
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C O S M O P O L I TA N · 55
 earn
WORK SMARTER, NOT HARDER

Decode
your desk
Turns out the way you keep your workspace
could say more about your personality than
you might think. Or so says psychologist
Donna Dawson,* who believes most people
fit into one of five categories. There’s The
Minimalist (“orderly and self-contained”)
and The Chaotic (that’s you, crumb-
hoarder), who is “creative and bursting
with new ideas”. Perhaps your family
photos make you The Home From Home,
(“sociable and compassionate”) or you
might be The Tech-Lover (owner of a
“fast, analytical mind”). People who display
their achievements, meanwhile, are The
WORDS DUSTY BAXTER-WRIGHT. PHOTOGRAPH GETTY IMAGES. *SPEAKING FOR INSTANTPRINT

Trophy (“thick-skinned and ambitious”).

Once you’ve figured out your type, consider
how it could be negatively impacting your
development and rearrange accordingly…

C O S M O P O L I TA N · 57
earn

5
FAST
LESSONS

How to handle criticism

(by a comedian)
Stand-up Stevie Martin shares what she knows
about the art of taking it on the chin

I thought I’d learned to cope with criticism when I worked as a journalist. Editors would send my articles back to
me covered in notes like “This makes no sense” and “You’ve misspelled your own name”. But then I started doing
comedy and experienced a new kind of criticism that gives people the power to boo you out of the room – I don’t
know if you’ve ever told your best joke to utter silence, but it changes you as a person. Here’s what I’ve learned…

LET REMEMBER IT’S

YOURSELF CRY ONE PERSON’S
Being adept at dealing OPINION
with criticism isn’t about I did a month-long run at
bottling it up. Accept that the Edinburgh Festival
when someone tells you last year and the show
you’re crap, you will throw went well every day except
a strop. The trick is to one. At one point a
allow said strop to occur. woman loudly said, “Oh,
Befriend it. Allowing the no.” The next day, it was
feelings to wash over you great again. Keep in mind
will prevent self-criticism that criticism isn’t gospel.
forming on top of the Maybe the critic is wrong.
external criticism. Let’s Evaluate how much they
deal with one critique at know about the subject
a time, eh? Get it all out, and how much you
and don’t feel bad about respect them. Your best
how much snot you’ve friend? Take it on board.
produced. Your toxic friend? Hmm.

DISTRACT SEEK IT OUT

YOURSELF The annoying thing about
Chances are, after criticism is that it makes
receiving bad feedback, you better at what you
you won’t be ready to think do, and more confident.
AS TOLD TO CYAN TURAN. PHOTOGRAPH GETTY IMAGES

about it logically straight DEAL WITH IT Try to put yourself in

away. Once the crying/
raging has subsided, find
a distraction, knowing you
will deal with the criticism
later. I like to eat noodles
alone and look at videos
of seals on TikTok. Getting
drunk is a bad idea, as is
whingeing. The aim here
is to give your brain a little
break, not make it worse.
Behind all criticism is a kernel of truth. If one of my positions where a safe
jokes doesn’t work, it’s not necessarily rubbish – critique is possible –
sometimes it just needs a different delivery or a ask your friends for their
reordering. Look at this objectively; what you’ve opinion, your line manager
done isn’t always bad, but have a closer look or do for a review, or volunteer
some tweaking. If it’s personal, could you have to do a presentation.
approached things differently? Will an apology The more criticism you
help? Everyone makes mistakes. Draw up receive, the thicker your
(begrudgingly, and often with a lot of swearing) skin becomes and the
a list of things to learn from this particular quicker you’ll bounce back
criticism and then go back to distracting yourself. next time. Promise.

58 · C O S M O P O L I TA N

like a... supermarket assistant
She keeps the shelves stacked, but how does 23-year-old
London-based Josie’s* monthly spending stack up?
WHERE THE MONEY GOES
£ 14 1
goes on my phone,
petrol, medicine and
gym membership.
£4 0
I’m a huge Mrs Hinch
fan, so I spend £40
per month on home
9%
improvement items
like cleaning
products, storage
boxes and bedsheets.
£ 12 0
I buy beauty products
(£60) online, using
discount codes. I
spend £60 on clothes,
usually from ASOS,
Depop and Ebay.
The need for speed
I wanted an active job, so when a friend suggested I work with
her in a supermarket, I applied. It’s really fast-paced – everything
has a timescale. If one task, such as getting a delivery in, runs
over it can have a knock-on effect on the rest of your day.
AS TOLD TO JENNIFER SAVIN. *NAME HAS BEEN CHANGED
£18k
…IS MY ANNUAL SALARY
The wages get better the higher
you climb (£30,000+ for an in-
store leader). I’ll get a bonus
for working during the
pandemic.
Spend it
11%
3%
27%
The joy of the discount
There are plenty of perks
that come with working in
a supermarket: we get a
15 to 25% staff discount
on food, plus money off
at various restaurants,
bars, cinemas and even
on holidays. We get a bonus
every year too, usually
equating to about a month’s
salary (depending on the
company’s turnover).
31%
19%
BEST TO
prepares lunches like spaghetti
WORST BUYS
HE L L YE S
I splashed out £150 on
a House Of CB dress for
my sister’s graduation.
I sacrificed drinking on a
few nights out to afford it.
S HO P PI NG SM A RT
H EL L N O
I spent £150 on a carpet
cleaning machine after
seeing it on Facebook.
I’ve used it twice and it
was exhausting, so it’s from ASOS as it’s often on there
now left in a cupboard.
earn
£400
goes on rent and bills.
I live with my mum as
I’m saving to get on
the property ladder.
£250
goes on food (£150),
dinners out and
clubbing or cocktails
with friends (£100).
£350
I put £300 into my
savings as soon as
I get paid, then add
anything else I can at
the end of the month.
One of my
favourite things about
work is the free food: we
have an in-store chef who
or lasagne for us every day.
They’re always delicious and
really refuel you for an
afternoon of running
about.
I’m definitely a sensible
spender and do my research
before buying anything – I’m
the queen of finding discount
codes. I also check Ebay and
Depop before buying anything
for half the price. Why pay full
whack if you don’t have to?
C O S M O P O L I TA N · 59
How
to
h
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It

C O S M O P O L I TA N · 61
earn
“Redundancy
makes you
resilient”
Olivia Charlesworth,
28, is a designer now
l i v i n g i n N e w Yo r k
Walking out of the office
with tears streaming
down my face, I called
my boyfriend and flatmates
and asked them to meet
me at the pub. At 25 years
old, I’d just been made
redundant from my first
job as a junior designer at
an advertising agency. I’d
joined in 2016, around two
years before. Advertising
agencies shrink and grow
depending on client wins
and losses. Wins are great,
but after losses, the work
noticeably slows down. In
December 2017, we were
sent an all-company email
announcing redundancies.
Then, days later, I got an
email inviting me to a 5pm
meeting. I knew what was
coming. Sitting at my desk
all afternoon was agony.
In the meeting, they told
me that they had to make
cutbacks, and that it
wasn’t personal.
I got six weeks’ pay
and spent it on a trip
to New York. The week
I was there, I felt I regained
control. After returning to the
UK, I freelanced for a couple
of months, then decided to
move to NYC permanently.
There, I could reinvent
myself. In my first month, the
summer of 2018, Google
Creative Labs offered me
a three-month contract.
I worked there for a year,
before moving into teaching
and freelance design work.
Redundancy can make
you think “I’m not good
enough”, but that’s not
the case. People who’ve
been through redundancy
are usually resilient. The
experience did scar me, but
six months after I’d left for
New York, I returned to the
UK and met up with my
old colleagues for a drink.
When they asked what I was
up to, I said, “I live in New
York and work for Google.”
It felt pretty good.
WHAT I LEARNED:
Banish resentment: I knew
I had to remain professional
throughout the process so as
to not burn bridges, especially
that early in my career.
Regain (some) control:
The company let me borrow
my laptop so I could keep
copies of my work – as a
designer, it’s crucial to have
a portfolio – and let me
clear my desk at the weekend,
so I could do it without
everyone watching.
“ O h, s o w e’r e
of f to a tribunal
c o u r t, g o t i t ”
“I was made redundant
twice in one year ”
Mechelle Clark, 38, is an entrepreneur
from Aberdeen
In Aberdeen, working Start Up Loans, a government
in oil and gas is the done scheme. While I waited, I took
thing, so after graduating, a temporary job in HMV. Then
I spent 10 years building a I got a call telling me I’d been
career in the industry. Then, awarded a £20,000 loan.
in 2016, oil prices slumped We bought a van and
and I was made redundant. found our premises. On the
I looked for work in the same first day, we ran out of bread –
industry. After 60 interviews, I didn’t expect so many people!
I had a new job. Then, nine I also didn’t expect to make
months later, it happened a profit for a few years, but at
again. Facing one redundancy the start of this year, we did it.”
is hard, but two is even worse.
This time, I thought WHAT I LEARNED:
about whether I’d ever Don’t panic: It’s tempting to
wanted to be in oil and immediately look for another
gas in the first place. job, but take this time to think
I realised I wanted to do about what you really want.
something I was passionate Ignore the haters: People
about. I wrote a business plan will be full of opinions about
for a cheese-toastie café what you should and shouldn’t
called Melt and applied to do, but go with your gut.
 “I see my redundancy as
a blessing in disguise”
Joy Ejaria, 29, is a content manager
from London
I had a daughter while
I was at university, so
my career started slowly.
Gradually, I took on internships
and junior content roles,
but I was 27 before I landed
my dream job, as a digital
producer, building content
for brands in October 2017.
When news of
redundancies began to
swirl around Christmas
time, I felt wary, but was
sure it wouldn’t be me. After
all, I’d only just been hired!
I was shocked when, in
January 2018, I was called
into a room with HR and my
manager, and told my role
was in line for redundancy.
WORDS CYAN TURAN. PHOTOGRAPHS GETTY IMAGES.
But they also told me they
were trying to find me another
MELTGRILLEDCHEESE.CO.UK, STEPUPCLUB.CO
job at a sister company, so I
pinned my hopes on that. But
every week, I’d have a meeting
with HR and the reality began
to sink in. They’d tell me to
send them my CV, but nothing
concrete emerged. In the end,
I was told that I didn’t need to
come into the office.
Yo u,
smashing it
Over the next 10 weeks,
I sometimes thought that
my career was over. I had
interviews, but nothing came
of them. Little voices crept into
my mind, planting seeds of
self-doubt. Being a woman of
colour in creative workspaces,
it’s rare to see anyone that
looks like you. If you get
made redundant, that feeling
of isolation doubles down.
When I finally got a job,
I was relieved. Most of the
time, I see my redundancy as
a blessing in disguise, but it’s
had a lasting impact. Every
time I hear talk of redundancy,
my heart beats faster.
WHAT I LEARNED:
Find support: I’m part of a
BAME network at work now, so
if it happened again, I’d feel
more supported by my peers.
Use free online resources:
Moneysavingexpert.com
helped me conserve cash. And,
before I left my old company,
I did training c ses via Lyn .
co ((now LinkedIn Learning).
H o w t o cope i f
t h a p p e ns to you
i founder o
e Olins, f ca an
d
l ic s’ club The S
r e e rs coachi n g
A
e mber t e p Up …
m C l u b, s a y s
IMAGINE BEING MADE REDUNDANT
“If you’re worried you could be, try thinking about how you
might cope if you were and visualising yourself in that
position. It will help you focus on what you might do next.”
View it as a learning experience, not a failing: “There will
be bad days, but redundancy will likely be the making
of you. Neaten up your CV, and spend as much time as
you can networking online. A LinkedIn message or
Instagram DM can help open new doors.”
LEAVE WITH YOUR HEAD HELD HIGH
“Gather as much positive evidence from your time at the
company as you can. Right now, I’ve noticed an overarching
sense of compassion. If your employer is making you
redundant for COVID-19-related reasons, it’s likely they
feel as bad as you do, so keep communication open and
perhaps ask for feedback you could take into a new role.”
o w you
K Kearsley, an r r i g h t s
n
ra e
La u mp r
at Nelsons, ex loyment lawye
plain
s how
SEEK OUT SUPPORT
If an emp er anticipates that it’ll make 20+ people redundant
(at the same workplace within a set period) it must consult with
trade union representatives or elected colleagues. You have the
right to bring a rep to any meeting where you could be dismissed.
YOU DON’T HAVE TO ACCEPT IT
You should be offered the right to appeal against
th
he proposal. If your employer doesn’t take any
objections you raise on board, use your right
of appeal. You can also lodge an “early
conciliation” with ACAS. Consider whether you
wish to bring an employment tribunal claim,
or if you can reach a settlement agreement.
KNOW YOUR WORTH
You are entitled to statutory notice and any
unttaken holiday entitlement (or payment in lieu)
andd, after two years’ service, redundancy pay.
For m
more info, visit Acas.org.uk and Gov.uk.
C O S M O P O L I TA N · 63
AT H O
 A
celebrity

M E WIT

S he m ay have had a

bumpy ride to get here,

but the star ’s journey is

JA
only just beginning… ›

Wo r d s LOT T I E LU M S D E N

Photographs DANIKA MAGDELENA

MA 65
 JUST HOURS
I speak
BEFORE
TO MAYA JAMA
S H E TA K E S D OW N A T R O L L
The man in question calls her “obese”
and says she should “Go on a bloody
diet”. Jama retorted, “You look like
you piss ash.” (Let’s just say he didn’t
have a healthy pallor.) “Please focus
on your own vitamin intake.” And
that was the end of that.
Chatting to me on the phone from
the balcony of her London flat later
that day, on a rare break from filming
BBC One’s Peter Crouch: Save Our
Summer, the TV and radio presenter
says, “I did take the piss back. I know
that’s not the best way to respond
but sometimes if I can say something
funny back, I will. Most of the time it’s
not a reflection on you, it’s just their
own insecurities being projected.”
After six years of being on TV, Jama,
who’s 26 this month, doesn’t let nasty
comments on social media bother her.
“It’s a bit sad but I’m desensitised to it
now. It’s been happening for so long.”
Growing up, she lived in a council
house in Bristol with her Swedish
mum Sadie and brother Omar. Her
father was in and out of prison, and
she reportedly cut off contact with
him when she was 12. But Jama was
determined that she would one day
work on TV, and describes herself as
a “proper little show-off”.
“I always had this inner belief that
I would do something in that field
and my family were super-supportive,”
she says. “They’d be like, ‘Maya’s going
66 · C O S M O P O L I TA N
ON TWITTER.
to be on telly so…’ It was a known
thing that wasn’t known! I’m like,
‘F*cking hell, Mum, if that hadn’t
worked out…’”
Acting was what Jama wanted
to pursue (and still does), and she
auditioned for Skins when casting
agents visited her school. She didn’t
get the part. “I thought that was
going to be my big break,” she sighs.
After that, she visited London
regularly for auditions and got a place
on a performing arts BTEC there. But
just months before moving to the
capital, Jama suffered a huge trauma.
Her first love, Rico Gordon, was shot
dead outside a pub in Bristol, caught
in the crossfire of two rival gangs.
“When I was 16 I went through a lot.
With my boyfriend passing, it gave me
a fearless approach to things. I felt like
life was really short. Out of everything
that [has] happened in my life, that
was a reality check on a massive
scale. At 16 you think the world is
“My career saved
me from going off
the rails because
I had hope”
a fairytale and it took me out of that.
It made me even more determined.”
She adds, “If it hadn’t been for
going through those difficulties,
my whole perception of life would
be different. I don’t let myself get
wound up over smaller things
because I know what it’s like to feel
actual pain. I don’t dwell on a lot.”
THE DEATH OF HER BOYFRIEND
spurred her on to make it on TV and
she moved to London, at first living
with a family member in Queen’s
Park. She quit her BTEC after three
months when she landed an unpaid
job as a runner on Jump Off TV. “I
PREVIOUS SPREAD: JUMPER, GANNI AT THE OUTNET. OPPOSITE: DRESS AND HAT, BOTH FRANKIES BIKINIS AT BROWNS. EARRINGS, MONICA VINADER. NECKLACE AND RING, BOTH SEOL + GOLD
wasn’t getting paid, but I needed to
be there to get to where I wanted to
be,” she explains. She worked at Lipsy
and Urban Outfitters to pay the bills.
It wasn’t long before Jama was
doing presenting stints for Jump Off
TV. Then, in 2014, she landed a job
with football network Copa90, which
involved her going to Brazil to cover
the World Cup. That year, she also
landed a presenting role at MTV.
Around this time, she moved out
of the home she shared with her
relative. She has revealed previously
that the family member had started
dating a drug dealer, and Jama has
claimed that the relative became
addicted to crack and heroin.
“Statistically I should have gone
off the rails then, and it feels like my
career was the thing that saved that
from happening because I had hope
and there was something to look
forward to,” says Jama. “When you
go through trauma, if you don’t have
something to look forward to, that’s
when you can get stuck in a rut.”
The Brazil job gave her the platform
she needed. From there, she worked
at youth radio station Rinse FM; then,
in 2018, a job at Radio 1, which she
recently left to focus on TV and
other new projects, like the face mask
range, MIJ Masks, she is launching.
Later this year, her first acting role, in
a Netflix drama, is due to be aired. “I
celebrity
 think it would have been easier if I’d
not had any presenting experience.
As a presenter you’re being yourself
and as an actor you’re being someone
completely different. So it’s hard to
snap out of Maya sometimes.”
Something that has often
overshadowed Jama’s career is her
four-year relationship with Stormzy.
The pair met before either was a
household name, but split last
August and she moved out of the
home they shared.
“We met before it was in the public
eye,” she explains. “It felt like a normal
relationship, and then, ‘Oh sh*t,
everybody’s talking about us!’ We did
everything that normal couples do,
it was [just] on a bigger scale. When
we were together, we did make a
point of not making it just about the
relationship. We both had separate
careers and tried to keep our work as
separate as possible. I’ll always try and
keep it that way. You do want to keep
some stuff private because it’s your life.
[People] will still make up their own
assumptions and opinions but at least
I know it’s not come from me, so
hopefully the smart people can realise.”
For now, she’s enjoying being
single, but the COVID-19 lockdown
has made dating impossible.
“It’s a bit like, er, we can’t do
anything, we’re inside! When I was
first single I was spending loads of
time with my friends. I had all these
plans to go on a big girls’ trip and I was 20 when I got into that [with just be referred to as ‘somebody’s
be my own person. When you’re in Stormzy]. Now life is different. girlfriend’. There are going to be
a relationship you’ve got to think Even social media is bigger. It’s people who do it to be ignorant, and
about someone else all the time, going to be harder to keep things some who genuinely don’t know who
whereas now it’s just me, I can do private but I’ll do my best.” I am. So I was just like, ‘If they don’t
what I like. It’s a whole different life.” know who I am, they will soon.’”
That very public break-up has made AS I’M STARTING TO REALISE , There’s that determination again.
Jama think seriously about what a Jama takes most things in her stride. “People used to ask me, ‘Have you
relationship with someone might But one thing that did bother her experienced much sexism?’ Three
look like in the future. was constantly being referred to as years ago, I’d have been like, ‘I don’t
“It makes me nervous [about] who “Stormzy’s girlfriend” by the media really notice it.’ But, now, I’m like,
I’m going to be with next, because if when they were together. ‘It’s everywhere.’ A lot of people don’t
they aren’t in the public eye already, “I did get frustrated. It’s another even realise they’re being sexist.”
maybe they’re going to be brought thing I notice all the time online. Which brings us back to the topic
into [it]. It’s made me extra careful. There will be a woman who is equally of trolls. Because today, Jama has also
as successful as their partner and she’ll

68 · C O S M O P O L I TA N

had people commenting on a dress
she wore on Save Our Summer. “Maya
Jama sends temperatures soaring as
she showcases her curves in a VERY
plunging purple dress”, read one
headline. And when someone on
Twitter labelled it “inappropriate”,
they felt Jama’s wrath.
“Appreciate your concern… I am
able and allowed to dress how I please,”
she replied. “If you feel uncomfortable
by my boobs sitting in my dress that’s
on you sis. We’re all fighting for
equality and similar treatment to our
male counterparts. Don’t let the side
down by hyper sexualising my bod.”
“It’s so ridiculous that people use
the angle of ‘you’re a woman, you
should cover up’,” says Jama. “We’re
women, we have boobs. Some people
are stuck in the past. You can’t police
somebody’s outfit. I’ve put on weight.
When I was smaller, nobody would
comment about the dresses [I wore]
but because my boobs are bigger now,
it’s offensive. You can be the best
presenter in the world, but if you’re
wearing a low-cut top, that’s going
to be the only focus. It is stupid.”
Do remarks about her appearance
get to her? “After hearing the same
FASHION DIRECTOR AMY BANNERMAN. FASHION ASSISTANT NATHALIE OWEN. HAIR AND MAKE-UP MAYA JAMA.
comments, it does make you look [at
things] a bit differently and that’s
when you have to remind yourself it’s
a them problem, not a me problem.”
But with a huge profile and 1.6m
Instagram followers, Jama does feel the
DRESS, FAITHFULL THE BRAND AT ANTHROPOLOGIE. EARRINGS, EDGE OF EMBER
pressure to be a positive role model.
“There are people looking up to you.
You want to set the best example, but
you do want to stay true to yourself
and I’m not perfect. I’m still a young
woman and I’ll make mistakes. It’s
about learning from them and not
doing the same thing again.”
PERHAPS ONE OF THE HARDEST
lessons of Jama’s career was in 2018,
when a tweet from 2012 resurfaced.
She had retweeted a joke from a
Kevin Hart parody account: “‘Dark
skin [women] shaving their head
expecting to look like Amber Rose,
when really they end up looking like
Michael Jordan’. looooooooool.”
Jama, who is half-Somali,
apologised. But many accused her of
colourism (prejudice against those
with a dark skin tone, typically among
people of the same ethnic group).
“It was a lesson,” she says. “When the
tweets came out, I couldn’t believe I’d
posted those things because it didn’t
correlate to the person I am now.
When I was younger I was obviously
a bloody idiot and reposting ignorant
and hurtful things that I didn’t know
the damage of. I apologised and
wanted to make the point of ‘don’t
look at people’s past mistakes and
think that’s excusable’. Grow from
that, learn from that, change from
that. You say something stupid when
you’re not educated enough. You
have to apologise, take accountability,
move forward and make sure your
actions do not reflect that in any way,
shape or form and are the opposite.
I feel like I’ve done that.”
“I’m not perfect.
I’ll make mistakes.
It ’s about learning
from them”
What would she say to someone else
going through a similar experience?
“Whether it’s now or it was years
ago, they are going to hurt people’s
feelings and you are going to have to
take responsibility for that. I’d beg
younger people to be kind and make
sure they’re very careful with what
they post online, because it doesn’t
go away and it’s there forever.”
Recently, Jama has been using her
platform to talk about the importance
of Black Lives Matter. She has donated
70% of the profits of her “Cling
Cling” clothing range to the cause.
celebrity
“It’s heartbreaking. Everyone really
does need to speak up now and use
their voices and their platforms. I feel
like I’m fortunate to have people who
look up to me or follow me, and if I
can, I should promote the right things.”
While fully aware Black women
experience racism on another level,
Jama has felt it herself. As a child she
was bullied for her Somali heritage,
so much so she has previously
admitted that when she went to
secondary school, she pretended she
was Spanish and Jamaican. “There was
quite a lot of prejudice and people
would say stuff about Somalis. It was
schoolkids being mean and not being
educated. As a child, you do take it
personally and I was like, ‘I don’t want
them to know where I’m from because
they’re going to say things about me.’”
She adds, “I haven’t had it anywhere
near as bad as my Black family
members and friends with darker skin.
I learned as I got older that there is
a whole other level of anti-Blackness
and colourism where the darker your
skin is, the harder it is. Having more
European features and lighter skin,
I didn’t face the struggles they did.”
With that, it’s time for Jama to go.
She’s filming Save Our Summer later.
That’s between working on plans for
a new podcast and the launch of her
face masks: “I’m hoping [the masks]
kick off, so if I get tired of having my
face out there I can carry on and have
something else I’m passionate about.”
In the meantime, she hopes to do a
film and ‘become a household name’.”
Later, she uploads an Instagram
Story from her dressing room. “I
know after last week’s episode there’s
probably a lot of Karens thinking
I’m going to turn up in a turtle neck
this week, but noooo…” she jokes.
That’s Maya Jama for you: funny,
frank and open. We wouldn’t have
it any other way.
Maya Jama’s MIJ Masks will be on sale
later this year. She is part of the Adidas
SH3.RO swimwear campaign
C O S M O P O L I TA N · 69
 xx

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C O S M O P O L I TA N · 71
 Tw e l v e b l u e
circle.
chairs are arranged
in a
A clipboard, a single white envelope
and a retractable pencil are placed
in a small pile underneath each.
The room smells of cigarette smoke
settled on wet jackets; I feel it seep
into me as I wait for the room to fill
up. I struggle to imagine who will
sit in these chairs.
One by one the men enter: first
comes a tall, gangly guy who must
only be about 19. His hair is fluffy
and a slight belly hangs over his jeans.
Next comes a man with a bleached-
blond topknot, clutching a folded-up
newspaper. The two women standing
at the front of the classroom keep the
small-talk running: the joy of early
morning McDonald’s breakfasts takes
up an unnaturally long portion of
time. Everything they say is light,
cheery and doesn’t probe. The men’s
hackles are up, and in order for today
to work, they need to be relaxed.
Eventually, eight of the 12 chairs
are filled. It’s time to begin. Fluffy
Hair sits up straight, Top-Knot cracks
his knuckles and turns around to
grin at me. The men’s ages range
from teens to their sixties. Their jobs
include a luxury travel agent and
a chef.* They all have one thing
in common: they are domestic abuse
perpetrators. The women leading
the group want to show them there’s
another way, that their relationships
can be healthier. But most don’t even
know what they’ve done wrong. Does
that make it an impossible task?
72 · C O S M O P O L I TA N
It was scary back then – a year
ago – when I sat in that room, rain
spattering on the windowpanes,
and listened to the facts. In the
UK, 2.4 million adults suffer from
domestic abuse.† Almost one in three
women in England and Wales will
experience it in her lifetime.‡ Two
women per week are killed by a
current or former partner in England
and Wales.** And these statistics
don’t tell the full story: domestic
abuse is a largely hidden crime,
as victims often don’t report or
disclose what is happening to them.
And then, earlier this year, our
world was thrown into disarray. We
were told to stay inside our homes,
leave only for essentials… and for
many people that meant being
trapped indoors with their abusers.
The statistics got worse. Calls to
helplines spiked, and a study carried
out by the charity Women’s Aid
found that two thirds of those
surveyed said that their abuse was
escalating under lockdown.
Campaigners
counted that at
least 16 domestic
abuse killings in
the UK occurred
over the first three
weeks of lockdown:
nearly triple the
national average.
An issue that had
been insidiously
THE TIMES ††
rooted in society for years was
*ALL IDENTIFYING CHARACTERISTICS HAVE BEEN CHANGED. †ONS, YEAR ENDING MARCH 2019. ‡REFUGE, WOMEN AGED 16-59. **REFUGE, YEAR ENDING MARCH 2018 (AVERAGE TAKEN OVER 10 YEARS).
suddenly magnified. I set out to
meet those pushing for change.
SAFE PLACES
Down a wide, leafy side street,
Emily Florence Hutchings (below)
could rebuild her life. It was in this
anonymous house, with its round
kitchen table, that she could sit down,
clear her throat and tell her story,
knowing – unequivocally – that she
would be believed. She had been
placed in a South London refuge after
leaving an abusive relationship. Within
a week of calling Solace Women’s
Aid, she had a safe place to sleep.
“When I met this person he
couldn’t do enough for me,” she says,
recounting the early days of her
relationship. “Then, slowly, he took
over every part of my life, from not
liking certain friends to setting a
curfew. Then the violence started.”
Leaving didn’t stop the abuse. He
reported her to social services to try
to damage her career as a teacher; he
Emily during
her abusive
relationship
and now

“My mum called
up the police
and said, ‘Does
my daughter
have to be in
a pool of blood
before you take
her seriously?’”
showed up at her place of work; he
used Facebook to keep track of her and
harangued her with messages. “The
police kept saying, ‘He’s not shown up
on your doorstep… yet.’ My mum had
to ring up the police and say, ‘Does
my daughter have to be in a pool of
blood before you take her seriously?’”
Emily is now a trustee of Solace
Women’s Aid, she works in theatre,
teaching, and has written a TV script
based on her story. When we meet she
has long, fiery red hair and is looking
forward to cocktails with her friends
later. But it could have turned out
so differently. One in five women
who are murdered by their partners
or ex-partners had been in touch
with the police.† † One of the most
dangerous times for a victim is when
they leave, making refuges so vital.
They provide support for everything
from counselling to legal aid. “I really
think if it wasn’t for [my refuge] I’d be
dead,” reflects Emily. “My refuge gave
me physical and emotional safety.
read
I want people to know that they are
for everyone, and they don’t question
you or look you up and down. I was
so impressed as they were focused on
justice – which is important – but
also on moving your life forward.”
Refuges are there for when things
reach crisis point. But as I sit in front
of her, my tea going cold in my hands,
a question tugs at me: could something
have been done earlier? Why did it
have to be Emily who uprooted her
entire life in order to survive?
ON THE FRONTLINE
When Melani was a police officer she
was someone to look up to. She had
rank and every day she showed up and
did the best job possible. “I performed
well at work because that’s where I was
getting a sense of worth. At home I
was getting none of that,” she tells me.
Today, as both a survivor of domestic
abuse and an ex-police officer, she
has written training programme DA
Matters with the charity SafeLives. It
trains police forces in how to deal with
domestic abuse cases, and was put in
place after a number of reports found
that training was lacking. “The police
had the power but not the right
attitude,” she says. The programme
has now been delivered in 23 police
services and the whole of Scotland.
“[It shows them] that what a domestic
violence victim needs is very different
from someone who has had their car
stolen.” Because Melani worked as a
police officer for so long, she knows
that the questions asked often don’t
lead to the right answers – answering
“What’s happened?” is not easy when
you are a victim of coercive control.
“We do an evaluation after the course
and see that the police officer’s
attitude has changed; they understand
the nuances of abuse.” Using real-life
scenarios can also help police recognise
the ways in which they could be
fooled by a perpetrator, which she
says can be very common – abusers
will often tidy up or become
incredibly charming, so it looks
C O S M O P O L I TA N · 73
 as though the police were called in
unnecessarily. “The scene [police]
show up to could have looked very
different just 10 minutes before.”
“Everyone knows violence is wrong,”
explains Emily. “But it’s the verbal
abuse and manipulation that keeps
you there. It distorts your reality –
it’s like driving through fog.” And a
relationship can be abusive even when
no physical violence occurs. When
victims can’t see clearly, it’s up to those
around them to do it for them. “They
might not understand that they are
a victim,” explains Shigufta Khan,
CEO of charity The Wish Centre.
“They could think it is all their fault.
Perpetrators give those messages to
victims all the time – as does society.”

THE TOXIC PATH

“I shouldn’t be here.” Those four words
hung in the air of the room as the
eight men gathered. The sentiment was
in their crossed arms, their furrowed
brows, some even said it – chuckling
to themselves about how absurd it was
that they had to spend two days in a
stuffy room for “something so small”.
When they introduce themselves, they
don’t have to share their crime, but
most were eager to. There was a lot
of “I only”: punched a wall, broke
her car keys, smashed up her stuff…
I was sitting quietly in the back of
a Project CARA ‡‡ workshop – run
by the charity The Hampton Trust.
The early prevention course runs in
partnership with the police and is
slowly being rolled out across the
UK. It’s a two-day course in place for
perpetrators who previously would
have received a simple caution. The
course I sat in on was for men only,
though the charity does run a similar
course for female perpetrators. To
be here, those in the room will have
committed a “minor” assault, have no
previous convictions (nor will they
have received a caution for violence
in the past two years) and their victim
will have agreed for them to attend.
They all had a set idea of what abuse
looked like. But throughout the day,
the barriers came down. A jerk of a
head when it was explained why “you
really push my buttons” could be seen
as threatening, the unclenching of a
fist as the power of body language is
discussed… They were shown that
abuse can be verbal and behavioural.
That it’s not just a black eye.
Five weeks later we all gather in that
room again. The men are sitting up
straighter, their arms are uncrossed.
Not everything has changed, they
still have to be corrected when they
call their ex “that bitch”, and in a
couple of cases, I wasn’t sure much
information had gone in. But some
did seem to understand what led
them there and what they could
do differently next time.
What would have happened if they
hadn’t gone on the course? Each case
is different – but what we do know is
that, in a controlled study carried out
by the University Of Cambridge, 35%
fewer men who had completed Project
CARA went on to reoffend against
their partner, compared to those who’d
just been cautioned. Domestic abuse
tends to follow a pattern, and these
“low-level” incidents are indicators of
a toxic path. If the person is never told
why what they’ve done is wrong, then
how will they ever divert from it?
“It was just a box-ticking exercise
[at first],” Aaron – who is in his mid-
twenties and only wants to be known
by his first name – tells me about his
time on ADAPT,*** a longer, 20-week
programme by The Hampton Trust.
He was referred onto the course by
a social worker. “I was in an abusive
relationship and I was the perpetrator,”
he says frankly. But around six weeks
in he began to impart the things he
was learning into his relationship.
“I realised this was actually working.
[Before] I believed I had the right to

74 · C O S M O P O L I TA N

come home and do whatever I wanted.
That was how I grew up. For a lot of
men it’s hard to show emotion –
instead of crying [we] get frustrated
and angry.” It’s easy to dismiss this as
an “excuse”, or an outdated way of
thinking. But, while there have been
huge leaps forward in terms of how
we think and talk about male mental
health, men like Aaron are testament
to how far we still have to go. Not
all of us have first-hand examples of
what a healthy relationship looks like
and often, toxic habits are handed
down generation after generation. It’s
certainly zero excuse. But these learned
behaviours won’t disappear on their
own. They need constant education,
re-education and communication.
“Lots of the men I was with [on
my course] had been victims at some
point,” says Aaron. “They get stuck
in a cycle but [many perpetrators]
would never come forward.”
Aaron and his partner stayed
together for three years after the
course, ending their relationship
amicably. His son now lives with him.
Workshops like CARA and ADAPT
aren’t without controversy. There’s
the worry that victims will use the
RELATIONSHIP ABUSE); HAMPTONTRUST.ORG.UK/PROGRAM/CARA. ***ADAPT (ACCREDITED DOMESTIC ABUSE PREVENTION
attendance as a sign that their partner
PHOTOGRAPHS SHUTTERSTOCK, STOCKSY, GETTY IMAGES, TWITTER @EMILYFLORENCEH1. ‡‡CARA (CAUTIONS AND
has changed, even if they carry on the
same behaviours. Or their partner
TRAINING); HAMPTONTRUST.ORG.UK/PROGRAM/DOMESTIC-VIOLENCE-PREVENTION-PROGRAMMES-3
could twist their learnings and use
that to further manipulate.
Each programme, for this reason,
keeps in constant contact with the
victim – providing them with the
support they need, whether they
“Manipulation
and verbal
abuse distort
your reality –
it ’s like driving
through fog”
choose to stay or leave. Funding also
means that there’s often a toss-up
between programmes like these and
refuges – which are already at risk of
closure, particularly specialist services
for BAME women. It seems so unfair
that there isn’t money for both, but
all the charities I spoke to cobbled
together their resources – and that still
only covered basic crisis support.
Services for victims need to come first.
MOVING FORWARD
In 1971, Refuge opened the first
women’s refuge in West London.
Before that, those who wanted to
leave had nowhere to go. It was
only in 1991 that marital rape
became illegal. The coercive control
law was put in place just five years
ago. “Our systems haven’t caught
up with the reality of how we
understand domestic abuse: the
breadth of coercion and control,”
explains Nicole Jacobs, who, after
two decades working in the sector,
is now advising the government
on what needs to be improved,
in her role as Domestic Abuse
Commissioner. She believes that
the Domestic Abuse Bill (which
at the time of writing was awaiting
its third reading) will drive things
forward. “If it was the kind of issue
that could be solved quite simply,
it would have been done already,”
she says. “There has already been
huge progress.”
But it’s not just the systems that
haven’t caught up. It’s us as well.
There are set stereotypes as to what
abuse looks like, who inflicts it and
who is on the receiving end.
Melani’s colleagues couldn’t believe
that as a police officer she could be
suffering. The men on the course
didn’t see what they were doing
– until it was pointed out to them.
It’s so easy to think that this
wouldn’t happen to you. That, if
it did, you’d recognise it – and get
out fast. But in a joint Cosmopolitan
and Women’s Aid survey, we found
read
that although 65.5% of readers said
they had not been in an abusive
relationship, almost two thirds of that
number had experienced at least one
potentially abusive behaviour. It’s all
around us, and we are blind to it.
As the men in the room at the
CARA course talked about punching
walls and how it didn’t “count”, my
thoughts turned to an ex of mine.
When he got angry, he would smash
things up. Most of the time he was
sweet, gentle and loving: I thought
the way he expressed his anger was
“normal”. It wasn’t why we broke
up. When I got home from the
course, I Googled him. A few years
ago he appeared in court, admitting
to assaulting his wife. Without
intervention, he was led down a path
and found himself stuck in that toxic
cycle. Lockdown might have shone a
spotlight on what’s going on behind
closed doors, but once it’s over, we all
still need to make sure we’re listening
if we ever want the cycle to stop.
BEHIND THE SCENES
Catriona Innes
“Every charity I spoke to would end the call
saying, “Oh, you must speak to this person,
they’re doing great work.” It would have been
impossible to highlight every single incredible
scheme there is, but it’s important to know that
if you are worried for yourself or others, then
there is so much help out there.”
You can find further information on how
to spot the signs of domestic abuse at
Cosmopolitan.co.uk/domestic-abuse.
If you are worried about yourself or a
friend, you can contact Refuge.org.uk,
Womensaid.org.uk, or call the
National Domestic Abuse Helpline
run by Refuge on 0808 2000 247.
C O S M O P O L I TA N · 75
 Can you
rekindle a
lost
friendship?
Fiona, 2020
 read

Alice (left) and Fiona as students

in g u n iv e r s i ty
e w i t h Fiona (left) dur
Alic

Fiona (left) and Alice

During lockdown, nostalgia became our

comfort blanket and self-reflection our
hobby. But can broken friendships be
salvaged in a world where distance, and
differing lifestyles, matter increasingly
less? Alice Snape found out… ›
Write
r Alic
e
We’re lying on two single hostel beds,
the crispy linen clinging to our bare thighs, the hum
of music and the drunken laughter of Bangkok drifting
through the rickety window. Her anklet-adorned
feet are dangling off the end of the bed.
Y
ou should move to
Australia and live
with me,” Fiona
says. We’re both
tipsy from the buckets filled
with booze that we’d been
drinking all evening in the
throng of other backpackers
on Khao San Road, squeezing
in and out of the bustling,
sweaty bars. But it was
midnight now, and we were
all alone and nearing the end
of our three-week Thailand
adventure, just the two of us.
The whole world is out there
for us to discover. I want to
say yes and move across the
world to be with
h her. Our
future stretches out before
us – babies,
marriages,
growing into
old women…
Right there in
that moment,
our friendship
was invincible.
Now here I am at 9.30am, a cup of that we no longer had space for each
steaming coffee by my laptop. It’s other? Or was there something else?
6.30pm in Melbourne and I know Questions like this swirled in my
Fiona is about to log off from work. brain as the UK’s lockdown came
That’s about all I know of her and her into force. And it wasn’t just Fiona
life. Eleven years have passed. I am 36 my mind wandered to – so many of
years old and when I got married, four my past friendships had slipped away.
years ago, she wasn’t by my side. Nor Left with no certainty about the future
was she there blowing up balloons for and the inability to plan more than
my 30th birthday party. Her move to our weekly shop, nostalgia became our
Australia, and the fact that I stayed in go-to happy place. We all reconsidered
the UK, did drive a wedge between us. the moments that led us to who we
After years of shared history – tipsy are, and the people who were once so
walks home after nights filled with important to us. When all my social
dancing, rambling heart-to-hearts in events became screen-based, Australia
the early
arly hours – we stopped talking. suddenly didn’t seem so far away.
Sommehow we’d d drifted
drifte apart. We’d But is it possible to rekindle lost
both oodbye.
h let go without saying goodby friendships from the ashes of your
Haad our lives really become so full past? Would I even want them if
past
I tried? Theree’ss only
o one way to find
ut S
out. So, armed
with a lapptop,
a Zoom
account aand
a fair ammount
of unexp pected
time on n my
hands, I decided
to reacch out to
all thee friends
I’ve lost touch
withh over the
yearrs to see if I
Fiona (right) and Alice in Thai left them behind
la nd for a reason, or
if w
we’d simply let
goo and moved on.

THE
HIGH-SCHOOL
FRIEND
V ID E O CA LL T IM E :
O N E A N D A H A LF HO S
Undertaking the obligatory
Facebook stalk to scour for se s
of evidence of this grown-up
version of Jenny, the girl I wa o ce
so close to, I find nothing. T e last
time she changed her profil pi ture
was in 2017. In it, she’s smil g n a
bar, no photographic docu entation
of babies or boyfriends. Wh n
I message her asking to cat h p,
she replies almost immedi te y
saying she’d love to remin ce.
We met in secondary school, in
a French class. We were both quiet,
thoughtful. Away from the desks, we
gossiped about boys, encouraged each
other to be the people we couldn’t
be during school. We were geeks,
daydreamers who longed for more
than our small hometown – where
we never really fitted in – could offer.
After school our lives just went in
different directions. I can’t remember
the last time we spoke. On the call
– which is slightly stilted and a little
too polite at first – we figure out that
we’d last seen each other six years ago,
at our mutual friend’s 30th birthday
party. The gulf that’s formed between
us feels near impossible to cross.
“You’re still in Nottingham?” I ask.
Nottingham had been her city of
choice, her new beginning from the
small Midlands town we grew up in.
Alice (right
) with schoo
She is, she says. She’s in a
bedroo
bedroom, a headboard visible on the
screen. I think I spy the corne
corner of a
cot when she tilts her phone to show
me her dog snuggled by her feet.
“I have a six-month-old son,” Jenny
says, confirming it. We’re only five
minutes into the chat, and I feel so
overcome I burst into tears. How did
I miss this? How did I let something
so important slip by? “Oh, bless you,”
Jenny chuckles, her Midlands brogue
showing itself, to my delight.
At the end of the call, Jenny
comments on how content I sound.
It’s a wonderful feeling to see us
both in places that were once the
stuff of adolescent daydreams: me
writing for magazines, and Jenny
a successful osteopath; a partner,
a mother – both finally content
with who we are. “It was such a
warm feeling when you texted me,”
Jenny says when we’re about to log
off. I have that feeling too… but
whether it will translate into a solid
friendship once our lives regain
their normal structure and busyness,
I am unsure. I certainly hope so.
read
l friend Je
nny (left)
THE
COMPLICATED
FRIENDSHIP
VI DEO CA L L TI M E :
T WO H O U R S, 27 M I N S
Sam and I were never small-talk
people. Just before I call her
I sigh, a deep exhale of breath.
I knew when she’d said yes to the
call over Facebook Messenger that
we’d probably go deep… and quick.
We’d met in ballet class, where our
teacher had systematically critiqued
our Lycra-clad bodies. It led to
something toxic, though I don’t
think I recognised it at the time. We
constantly egged each other on to
be thinner, smaller, shrink ourselves.
Calorie-counting was one of our
shared “hobbies”. “I can’t believe
how horrible I used to be to you,”
Sam says, opening the conversation.
She would constantly criticise my
C O S M O P O L I TA N · 79
choices and my body: “Don’t smo oke,
it stinks”; “That top doesn’t look good
g
on you”; “You’ve put on weight.” I
took each judgement to heart, mo ostly
staying unresponsive, but occasional
spitting back horrid retorts or textiing
her later after I had turned the
comments over for hours in my m mind.
Over the years Sam has done a loot of
soul-searching. At 30, she sought out
o
treatment for her eating disorder, one
that I’d probably recognised durin ng
our twenties. She tells me about
a dark period of anti-depressants,
overdoses, years of cognitive
behavioural therapy. It was hard
to hear, especially as I can’t
deny the part I must’ve played.
As an adult now, I also realise thatt
despite the hurt she’s gone throug gh,
I could probably never have been
the one to support her through itt.
The cracks in our friendship weree
too deep. Plus, I had too many
noxious issues of my own.
In my mind, our friendship starrted
to dissolve when I moved to London don
and she stayed at home. I thought
I’d lost her number as I’d upgraded
my phone, and our different life
choices meant we no longer spoke.
But, it becomes unavoidably clear,
I’ve rewritten our past.“You know
you texted me to tell me to never
talk to you again,” Sam says.“I took
a step back, actively removed myself
from
your life, “Over the years, our own
thinking
we’d versions of our shared now, would
bump
into each history had been written”
other
eventually, but we never did.”
I’m not sure how I wiped that from
my memory, but I did. I thought I
wasn’t aware of how malicious our
friendship had become. But I must
have been to text her that. A vague
memory starts to take shape. We used
to get so drunk together, perhaps
some of our moments are best left in
the darkness to rot. But I also can’t lie maturity should mean it stays this way.
Sam (
front,
left) a
nd Al
ic e (fron
t, right
to myself any more
more. I’d
I d had a brief
drunken flirtation with a man she
then started to date – the person she
is now married to, it turns out. This
forgotten memory is the hardest of all
to swallow. Instead of being pleased for
her, I bubbled with jealousy. We used
to view the other getting attention as
a bad thing, something to snatch away,
rather than celebrating each other’s
success.
If we were
friends again
we just
revert to
who we
once were, slip back into old habits
that we don’t really want back?
Right at this moment, though, it feels
like we’re on the same page in life.
We’ve both had mental health issues,
both reassessed our priorities, and
changed who we are as a result. For the
first time, it feels as if we’re no longer
in competition with one another. Our
)
THE PARTY PAL
VI DEO C A L L TI M E :
ONE HOUR, 26 MINS
Anna always made me nervous;
one of those friends who secretly
scares and thrills you in equal
measure. Fiercely intelligent, she
would comment on politics with
an obscure reference to something
PHOTOGRAPHS GUILLE FAINGOLD/STOCKSY, COURTESY OF ALICE SNAPE.
I’d never read. I spent time with
her hoping perhaps a little piece
of her wit would rub off on me.
*AS PUBLISHED ON TECHNOLOGYREVIEW.COM, 2016
We’d met during our master’s in
Oxford, although our bond was
cemented when we both moved
to London after graduating. She
became my party pal. We’d chain-
smoke Marlboro Lights in random
living rooms until 5am, then kiss
each other goodbye at sunrise.
“Too much,” we’d cackle. It was
our catchphrase and it could be

applied to all manner of things:
too drunk, or loud, or busy, or fun.
When her face flickers onto my
laptop, she’s sitting with one leg up
on the chair, her fingers running
through her long red hair. The last
I heard of her was a few years ago,
when I received a WhatsApp from
our mutual friend. It was a picture
of Anna, cradling a swollen belly.
“About to pop!” our friend had
joked. It stung. Why hadn’t Anna
told me herself? She must have
messaged her friends to tell them.
I didn’t press for an answer, I just
wrote her off as another “lost”
friend I’d never get back.
She tells me that her baby, Edie,
is now two, and I blurt out, “What
happened to us?” Over the years,
our own versions of our shared
history had been written. “You
never used to turn up when we
invited you for drinks,” Anna said,
matter-of-factly. I hadn’t noticed
I was doing it, but I’d started
filling my time with other people,
other commitments. I must have
turned down so many invites that
I’d just stopped being included.
I can feel the prick of tears behind
my eyelids. I can’t go back and
alter the way I acted, but that
doesn’t stop the sense of sadness.
But I have to act on what I have
today. Anna and her family now
live within walking distance from
mine. We’ve said we will go for
a sociallyy distanced walk. I now
know Anna is there. She actually l
always was, I’d just failed to notice.
Party pal Anna
THE ONE WHO
MOVED AWAY
VID EO C A LL TIM E :
TW O H O UR S, 4 5 MI N S
Out of all my past friendships, Fiona
is the person I feel most nervous
about reconnecting with. What if
she rejects me? What if her version
of events is different to mine? My
hands are hot and sticky; I scratch
at my palms. Then she answers.
We talk very briefly about how we’re
finding lockdown, but it seems we
can’t wait to get to the bigger, scary
stuff. “I can’t believe this happened
to us,” Fiona says. “You’re one of the
most important people in my life –
we weren’t supposed to drift apart.”
I remind Fiona of that conversation
we’d had at the end of our Thailand
trip. She remembers it with the same
clarity. “You could still move,” she jokes.
Not long after I returned from that
trip, I’d met the man who is now my
husband, so I’d stayed in London.
Things became more complex and
priorities shifted. I didn’t have the
time to cultivate my friendships with
the same vigour as I did as a teenager.
I now have different expectations from
my friendships, and they are not as
all-consuming as they once were.
I got myself tangled into a web of
lf d bt about why Fiona and I had
self-doubt
stopped talkin ng.
I realise that ini
(l eft)
the back of my m
mind, I’d alw ways
held on to thet
hope that she’d
come “hom me”
to the UK,
rather thaan
building a life
without me
in a diffeerent
time zoone.
read
But Fiona moving wasn’t about me
or our relationship. How easily we
picked up where we left off tells me
that it could never have been anything
but distance that kept us apart. She
was destined to come back into my
life, and now that we’ve reconnected,
I don’t think I’ll let her leave again.
Looking back to
look forward...
Revisiting my past friends has
inevitably made me revisit past
versions of myself. Each friendship
was so wound up in a certain point
of my life, it was almost impossible
to untangle what had happened.
According to research,* we’re only
capable of having five close friends at
once, and I’m realising that they can
be a revolving cast, with only a rare
few getting a permanent starring
role. But I’ve learned that once
someone has been in your life in
a significant way, they will always
be there – the experiences you share
leave a lasting thread that can never
be unpicked. Friends come and go,
but that doesn’t lessen their impact.
When we evolve as people, what we
need from our friendships also shifts.
At this surreal moment in history,
there’s a chance our new worlds will
always be like this – fragmented, no
large groups, socially distanced. And
in my many possible futures, I know
there are friends I am yet to meet.
Ones to suit allll the
h possible
bl versio
ons
of the person I might become.
BEHIND THE SCENES
Alice Snape
“Letting go of friends is OK – it doesn’t mean
they won’t come back. I’ve spoken to Fi and Anna
since our calls, and hope to see Sam soon.”
C O S M O P O L I TA N · 81
 read

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›

C O S M O P O L I TA N · 83
read
Hai r i s
ever y t hi n g,
A n t h o n y.
T h e r e ’s a r e a s o n t h e s
e potent w
P h o e b e Wa l l e r -
Bridge’
s Fleabag, ended up
e m b l a z o n e d a c r o s s T-
s h i r t s, t o t e
t ex t- p o s t s a s f a r a
I t ’s o n e o f t w o
s the mi
inalien
able truths about ha
The second? That h
aving it t
suddenly ca
n be t
he stuff of heartbreak.
“It was about the size of a Marks
& Spencer giant chocolate button,”
Mary says into the receiver, stifling
a laugh, “to make a terrible
comparison.” I’m surprised at
Mary’s chuckles, but her hair
loss occurred over eight years ago,
when she was 25, and she now talks
about it with distance and resolve.
The disappearance began with a
small patch at the front of her hairline,
and a 50p-sized area at the crown of
her head, which she hadn’t noticed
until her hairdresser pointed it out.
“I got worried because this was when
I was blonde and really into vintage
style, so I was setting and curling my
hair a lot,” she tells me. “I was like, ‘Is
this something I’ve caused?’”
A beauty frontier
That’s a common question to ask
when the disorientating experience
of hair loss hits. And between stress,
in
t t ered
o r d s , u
s and In s t a g r am
sty eye could see.
i r.
aken away
pregnancy, illness, the great genetics
tombola, reactions to medicine,
hormonal imbalances, relaxer
disasters and more, a sizeable
proportion of women will, at
some point, suffer from hair loss.
And now that the beauty industry
has caught on, an entire economy
has sprung up around this very
problem. But can a head of healthy
hair really be bought for the right
price? Or is this an impossible dream
we’ve been sold into chasing?
A cursory browse of the shelves
in any beauty retailer might have
you believe that hair loss is a thing
of the past. Hundreds of ointments,
shampoos, masks, oils and scrubs
claim to raise follicles from the
dead and restore a mane rivalling
Selena Gomez’s; not to mention the
mega-lucrative beauty supplements
industry, which is expected to be
worth over £5 billion globally by the
50-
100
The number of hairs
you can lose quite
normally in a day
(o f t e n w i t h o u t
n o t i c i n g)
end of 2024. And that’s before you
reach the specialist clinics offering
tailored action plans for scalp revival.
But still, hair loss prevails. There
are at least 12,000 internet searches
for the term every month in the UK,
and at present, the beauty industry
is poised to pounce on the problem.
Under pressure
When Mary’s hair-loss situation
progressed, a GP asked if she’d been
particularly stressed lately. Mary
was incredulous. The prospect of
stress-induced hair loss hadn’t even
occurred to her. “And then I thought,
‘No, hang on – I have cried in the
toilets at work every day for the last…
however long. Maybe I am bitterly
unhappy.” At the time, she worked as
a retail assistant. “I felt like I wasn’t
living up to my education, I felt I’d
wasted my degree, I just felt a bit lost.”
Mary’s experience helped her identify
the need for a lifestyle shift, and once
she moved to London for a career
shake-up, her hair grew back.
That wasn’t the case for Sam, 34,
who started losing hair after being
lured into a “false sense of security”
by luscious “pregnancy hair” –
a phenomenon where hair can grow
faster and is less likely to be shed
during pregnancy, but then falls out
after the baby is born. “I got used to
this lovely hair,” Sam recalls. Then,
after her second child was born, the
post-partum shedding took hold.
“I was losing whole chunks in my
hand. In the shower, my hair would
cover the bottom of the bath.”
“A tricky beast, fall-out can result
from a wide range of causes, meaning
it ’s a complex complaint to treat ”
Finding the culprit
A tricky beast, fall-out can result from
a wide range of causes – meaning it’s
a particularly complex complaint
to treat. For Vanese, who began
chemically straightening her hair at
12, the trigger was over-processing.
At that age, Vanese had what she
describes as “thick, Afro hair”. Relaxing
it made it easier to maintain. “But
if I knew then what I know now,” she
tells me, “I don’t think I’d ever have
started chemically treating it.”
After three years of chemicals and
bleaching, whole areas of her hair
began to tumble out one night,
while her mother was helping to
wash out the relaxer. “My hair
was different lengths all over,” she
recounts. “I was devastated, and
my mum was just as upset.”
So what’s the fix? According to
Jane Mayhead, an independent
trichologist at The Private Clinic,
the type of hair loss is “extremely
important in evaluation”. She suggests
asking the following questions: “Has
the loss been sudden and involved
excessive hair fall? Is there an
accompanying scalp issue? Are there
patches or thinning areas?” In turn,
knowing the causes of hair loss could
also help preventable situations, like
Vanese’s hair damage, from occurring.
Anabel Kingsley, trichologist at
Philip Kingsley, agrees, telling me
that a “holistic, personalised, multi-
pronged approach” is the most
effective method of treatment. “There
are many types of hair loss, but the
two most common are androgenetic
C O S M O P O L I TA N · 85
alopecia (AKA hair thinning/female
pattern hair loss/reduced hair volume)
and telogen effluvium (excessive daily
hair shedding). They are caused by
completely different things and need
different treatments.” In other words?
To attend to the problem, you first
need to understand it.

Locks and keys

But for some, like those with a variety
of possible triggers, identifying the
cause is easier said than done. Take
Surabhi, 27, who has managed hair
loss for 11 years since her early
adolescence, with diagnoses swinging
between genetics, stress-induced hair
loss from teenhood trauma, a fungal
layer inhibiting hair growth and a
more recent diagnosis of polycystic
ovary syndrome (PCOS). Not only
do these diagnoses conflict, they also
overlap, leaving her feeling lost.
Instead of reversal, the answer
for Surabhi looks to be acceptance.
She has tried everything from painful
injections in her scalp to medical
drops, hair-implant consultations,
masks and all manner of supplements
– to the tune of around £12,000 in
total. “I’ve given myself two years.
When [the hair loss] becomes
unmanageable, it’s time to shave
my head and put some wigs on.”
Though Surabhi didn’t have much
luck with the generic drug minoxidil,
prescribed as drops, Nassima, 29, found
the opposite effect when she took it on
prescription. Her hair started falling
out after the birth of her first child.
In the weeks following, she felt an
emotional strain, helpless at the lack
of options available to her. “I went
into a depression about it for a couple
of weeks because when I researched
solutions, I didn’t find many answers.”  then you carry on paying.”
“For me my hair epitomised my
femininity and sexuality. When that was
taken away from me, it was hard”
That is until she tried minoxidil
and her hair grew back at full force.
“I used the drops for a year – and it was
awesome. They really worked – you
couldn’t see my scalp. Even where I’d
accidentally dripped the product onto
my face, I started to see a bit of growth.”
But that regrowth only stuck around
for as long as she took the treatment
– which, by the way, wasn’t cheap.
“If you stop using the drops, all the
healthy, thick hair you’ve grown will
fall out. I don’t think it’s a trick, but
it’s a very lucrative business,” Nassima
shared. “It cost me £65 per month,
and it was described as a lifestyle. You
pay for the hair that you want – and
£1.5bn
How much the
h a i r- l o s s i n d u s t r y
is repor tedly wor th
worldwide
Nassima feels that her vulnerabilities
may have been strummed by the
industry. “I do think they play with
your emotions. It was like, ‘Oh my
god, look at this, they’ve sold me
a dream.’ But you’ve got to do that
dream twice a day to get results.”
The vitamin fix?
One thing is evident: sexily marketed
gummy supplements like those
favoured by the Kardashian-Jenner
cohort are unlikely to be the key player
in a hair overhaul. In fact, according
to dietitian Dr Megan Rossi, popular
brand Sugarbearhair shows “no clinical
evidence” for its claims. “The main
ingredients [in its Hair Vitamins] are
sugar and additives. The combination
of ingredients hasn’t been studied at
all to suggest it has a benefit.”
Dr Rossi also points out that a
serving of the gummies provides over
10,000% of our recommended daily
intake of biotin (closer to 17,000%,

according to the Sugarbearhair
website), despite the fact there’s
apparently “zero evidence”, according
to her, that supplementing high levels
of biotin will improve hair growth.
In response, Sugarbearhair say
“the UK Ministry of Health [sic] has
repeatedly touted the benefits of both
biotin and zinc for hair health”, point
out their many four- and five-star
Amazon reviews, and state that their
main ingredients are “a proprietary
blend of vitamins A, C, D, E, B-6, B-12,
folic acid, biotin, pantothenic acid,
iodine, zinc, and inositol”. They
describe the sweet taste as being
sourced from berry extracts and
coconut oil, with a sugar content per
serving comparable to a bite of banana.
That’s not to say that the beauty
industry doesn’t have solutions for
those tackling hair fall-out. It’s simply
that they often aren’t silver bullets
– nor, usually, are they permanent.
Anabel Kingsley says hair-loss
shampoos and conditioners can give
an illusion of thickness to remaining
hair; and certain masks, when
correctly matched to conditions, can
alleviate the problem to an extent.
And supplements? When correctly
selected, they might serve to “give your
hair an extra buffer”, Kingsley explains.
“As hair is non-essential tissue, it’s
the last part of you to receive the
nutrients you ingest, so a healthy diet
alone often isn’t enough to keep it
functioning at its best.” And, on the
topic of eating, according to Kingsley,
snacking is highly recommended
PHOTOGRAPHS GETTY IMAGES (OPENER), SAM KAPLAN/TRUNK ARCHIVE
(brilliant): “Energy available to hair
cells drops four hours after eating,
so snacking is really important.”
Turning taboos
There might not be a one-size-fits-
all solution to female hair loss right
now, but there is one thing all the
women I spoke to agreed would help:
addressing the stigma and silence
around the subject. Beyond searching
for bulletproof formulas and winning
supplements, a pressing challenge is
H A I R LO S S
101
We quiz trichologist
Annabel Kingsley on the
most common types
GENETIC
Androgenetic alopecia,
female pattern hair loss,
reduced hair volume
What is it? A genetic sensitivity to
androgens, which makes follicles shrink
and become less productive. Stress,
PCOS or menopause can aggravate it.
How to spot it: Gradual thinning, from
the front and top of the scalp towards
the crown (but not the very back).
Treatments: Application of
daily stimulating anti-androgenic
scalp drops.
NON-GENETIC
Telogen effluvium (TE)
What is it? Reactive hair loss due to an
internal disruption, like illness, a poor
diet, rapid weight loss, stress, certain
medications, vitamin and mineral
deficiencies, thyroid imbalances and
sometimes pregnancy. It occurs six to
12 weeks after the trigger event.
How to spot it: Large amounts of
fall-out when styling or washing hair,
and hair left behind on pillows, clothes
and other surfaces. Once you identify
and treat the cause, hair will grow back.
Treatments: Find the nutritional
deficiency, lifestyle issue, medication or
underlying illness and address it with the
help of GPs, specialists and dietitians.
AUTOIMMUNE
 
Alopecia areata
What is it? Hair loss that occurs in
patches when your immune system
attacks certain follicles that are in the
anagen (growth) phase of the hair cycle.
How to spot it: Patchy hair loss.
Treatments: Currently there is no
proven treatment, but in many cases,
hair will grow back on its own. Don’t
buy products that claim to regrow
patchy hair loss – they don’t work. Visit
your GP to talk through your options.
read
to sweep away the idea that this isn’t
a problem. After all, the emotional
effects run deep. Nassima slipped into
a depression after her post-partum hair
loss, Vanese suffered teasing at school,
and Sam wrestled with the impact
losing her hair had on her sensuality.
“For me, my hair epitomised my
femininity and sexuality,” says Sam.
“When that was taken away, it was
hard.” From sheer embarrassment, to
an unwillingness to “draw attention”
to the problem and a fear of seeming
vain for fixating on aesthetics, it seems
there are all manner of factors keeping
women schtum about shedding hair.
Atoshi George, hair science expert
at Kérastase, thinks things are starting
to change, as the beauty industry
leans further into this as a global
concern.“Making hair loss less of a
taboo has meant that it’s OK to talk
about issues, that we are not alone,
and that there are options.”
Perhaps destigmatising hair loss
in all its iterations means calling for
the subject to have the same forward
momentum that the body positivity
movement has had recently. Rather
than asking “how can we reverse hair
loss?” let’s raise education levels so
that preventable fall-out is, indeed,
prevented, and underlying illnesses
or stressors are more widely discussed.
Affordable solutions need to be
available to those who need them, and
we should find the right language and
roadmaps to navigate this emotionally
fraught topic. That way, the beauty
industry can throw a rope to those
experiencing unavoidable shedding,
and the isolation that comes with it.
“We can put a man on the moon,”
Sam laughs as we end our interview,
“but they can’t give me thicker hair?”
But that’s exactly the point. Despite
the massive investments, research
and development taking place in
the beauty industry, finding an easy,
affordable way to fix our follicles
might be light years away. But fixing
our attitudes to hair loss, on the other
hand? That’s far from rocket science.
C O S M O P O L I TA N · 87
MEET TH RTY
 read

C O S M O P O L I TA N · 89
 was
It’s a world I know well: I made
ard to my podium debut in Canada when
I was still a teenager, and by my 20th
elieve birthday I had torn apart podiums
for high-profile clubs in Miami, New
was York, Montreal and Puerto Rico. I’d
ctually danced in everything from cling film
to chain mail, been suspended in a
er. That birdcage over two notorious Mexican
gangs and landed a full-time stint in
he was Cancun. But to make it in Ibiza, like
he one, Lucy did, is to reach the peak of your
career. Dancing for world-famous
oaring DJs like Carl Cox, Erick Morillo and
Martin Solveig, at the world’s top
ky-high clubs, in front of huge energetic
crowds… it’s all yours. If you can
na make it through the hundreds of
billboard in Ibiza’s others vying for the same spot.
But no well-edited CV, pithy
Old Town. It meant interview answers or pimped-out
LinkedIn profile will help you. The
she had made it. most sought-after quality for an Ibiza
podium dancer? An otherworldly
She couldn’t keep
magnetism that makes you stand out
driving, so she in a sea of thousands. Some dancers
are highly skilled, a few have been
pulled off training for years, others are simply
“spotted” in the crowd for the way
and they move and offered the job on the
spot. So what does it take? I tracked
down the most iconic names in the
industry to find out.

Lucy had been just another club

HUSTLE
kid who loved to go out and dance en Lucy, known as Lucy Fizz to
until the early hours, after all. But her fans, stepped out onto a podium I did for a job, my grandma and

PHOTOGRAPHS (PREVIOUS PAGE) SARAH KRICK/GALLERY STOCK, (THIS PAGE)

then one night, dancing on tables,
she was spotted. Spotted for, arguably,
the greatest job on earth.
Next time you’re in a sweat-soaked
club, look up at the dancers high over
your head. You might not realise that
they have the same star power as the
DJ behind the decks. Today’s top
podium dancers are on billboards,
posters and flyers, where superstar DJs
once were. Not only that, but they’re
also fronting modelling campaigns,
starring in their own documentaries
and flying across the globe.
in Sydney last year, the audience
were chanting her name.“It was the
biggest crowd I’ve ever danced for,
and when I came out, I got louder
cheers than the headliner! There are
no words to sum up what that feels
like.” Growing up in a small town in
northern England, just a couple of
years ago Lucy was spotted dancing
on bars and is now being flown
around worldwide with Glitterbox,
the nightlife collective that has put
on events in London, Ibiza and New
York. “When I told my family what
grandpa looked at me like, ‘Lucy,
get your life together.’”
KRIS HUMPHREYS/GLITTERBOX, MARIO PINTA/PARADISE/AMNESIA
Podium dancers all have a dance
style that’s unique and hard to
replicate. Some are choreographed,
some spend hours in the studio
and others naturally move in new
ways each time the beat kicks in.
Renowned for her stamina-defying
sets (Lucy has been known to
fly from a London dancefloor
straight to Ibiza without a break),
when pressed she describes her
style as a mix between Flashdance

and… an orchestra conductor. “The
music unlocks something in me
that brings me to life,” she reveals.
“I never want it to stop.”
For Nadia “Shabby” Chabane, her
flexible dancing style led to her being
spotted in Ibiza club Amnesia over
a decade ago. “A guy came over and
asked me if I wanted a job,” she
explains. “Not long after, all the other
clubs were talking about the way
I danced. I was crawling around
and using my flexibility. Soon, other
girls were bringing their mates who
wanted to be podium dancers to
read
You can feel it, and as soon as you
Q u e e n o f c o o l, see it, you can’t look away.”
Lucy Fizz
Once you’ve booked the job, know
that the workload as a professional
dancer is heavy, expectations are
high and the cash low. There’s huge
pressure to level up your image each
season in order to keep your job, as
well as to bring something new to
the podium every single night. For
Lucy that meant being inventive,
covering herself in chocolate for an
Easter gig or using neon fun fur to
dress up as a Furby for Glastonbury.
“Every penny you make is going
back into your look,” says The Mx Fit
of those early days on the scene.
Today, they’re an Ibiza fixture, known
for dancing in everything from ’70s
sequinned flares to Dolce & Gabbana
denim thongs, as well as working as
a stylist, model and, recently, starring
in a documentary with Billy Porter
called Where Love Lies. “Now I have
one woman who does all my wigs
and dreads for each night I perform.
My aesthetic is very pro-Black and
high fashion, but when I started, it
was more what I call ‘broke but cute’,”
The Mx Fit laughs, adding that there
was a lot of precarious
rhinestone placing on
their naked body.
The Mx Fit was first
spotted dancing in
London at debauched
celebrity haunt The Box,
and they were poached for
watch me what seemed like a dream
and pick “Shabb season in Mykonos. “When
y ” (lef t
up my with fel ) I got there, I was sharing
low dan
Te r r i - L cer
style.” ee Blak
e a mattress in a room full
Today of cockroaches and what
Nadia auditions dancers for little money I got paid was
the island’s most prestigious clubs robbed,” they say.“Eventually, I came
and has sparked the careers of back to London heartbroken, jobless
countless dancers along the way. and homeless. Sometimes I was awake
“I put on a track and let them go. for 24 hours at a time, performing at
As soon as they start dancing, I’ll night, then showering and working
know whether they have it or not,” at a gym in the day.” But, thankfully, it
she explains, outlining what she’s paid off. Six months after that hellish
looking for. “It’s something that gives season in Mykonos, Glitterbox called.
you goosebumps, something different. The rest is sequin-strewn history.
C O S M O P O L I TA N · 91
read
Having the stamina to survive on at Cocoon. Sometimes I’d sleep,
almost no sleep is another key skill sometimes not. I’d go straight to Carl
a dancer must possess. On an average Cox, then be back at Space, and then
shift, most dancers begin at 9pm, Fridays back at Amnesia. I loved the
working pretty much non-stop until giant podium there so much I would
5am at the earliest. Fuelled by the wait until my shift was over when
music, most barely take a break. I had it all to myself and dance for
They may then an extra hour.”
also have to There are a lot
promote the
“ S O M E T I M E S of new dancers
party up and I W O U L D S L E E P, who will take
down the beach work for free,
the very next S O M E T I M E S N O T ” and a handful
morning. And of promoters and
becoming more well-known doesn’t agents looking to capitalise on that.
guarantee a day off – if anything, your But Indie, who is currently one of
popularity means you have to graft the podium-dancing scene’s youngest
even harder. Some dancers fly in and and hottest rising talents, understands
out of The White Isle weekly to make why. In three years, Indie has danced
ends meet from side gigs elsewhere. for clubs, festivals and parties in
Looking back at her busiest season Lebanon, Italy, Spain, Greece and
in Ibiza, Nadia confesses, “I’d go to others, but she’s quick to point out
DC10, rave, then go straight to dance that her success didn’t come easy.
The M X Fit
commands
the stage
C O S M O P O L I TA N · 92
“As much as those dancers are f*cking
up the market for us, I understand
the pressure at the start to say yes
to unpaid opportunities so that
you can build your name,” she says.
Making yourself known in a
heaving inbox of emails is never
going to help you stand out as a
dancer. So not only is it a challenge
for dancers to get the pay they
deserve, but to earn a spot on the
podium, they need to be seen,
make connections, be memorable
and, most of all, hustle like hell.
Circling back on her own journey,
one on which she battled doubt and
discouragement, quit and then started
again, Indie continues, “If you want
to make it in the dancing world, you
have to push [any doubt] aside. Some
nights I might be up on the podium
with period pains, but I’m still
standing on that stage and rocking it.”
FOREVER IN THE
SPOTLIGHT
It might be a hard slog to get to the
top, but once you’ve made it to the
dizzying heights of Ibiza club fame,
near enough every DJ and club has
your name inked at the top of their
guest list, and anything you want to
decompress with and lose yourself
in for the night is free-flowing.
PHOTOGRAPHS KRIS HUMPHREYS/DEFECTED, MARIO PINTA/PARADISE/AMNESIA,
GAVIN MILLS PHOTOGRAPHY, SONNAH ALLIE

Rising
talent
Indie
As a result, a lot of new-generation
podium dancers see it as a way get paid
to party. But the temptation to release
comes with a price: many won’t last –
they’ll take too many drugs, drink too
much, run out of money, or all three.
Having witnessed this, Lucy is quick
to offer up insight. “I partied for 10
years. What I hadn’t done was go to
New York as a professional dancer
to perform at incredible clubs like
House Of Yes, or dance in Australia
for thousands of people chanting my
name. Now, by fully being present, I
get to do that! What I’ve accomplished
so far as a trans performer, dancer and
LGBTQ+ ambassador for clubbing…
this is everything to me.” She’s now
made the pivot to sobriety and has
plans to launch her own dance agency.
This job is a passport to experience
life at its very fullest. It’s hard work, yes,
but once you work out your own flow,
it’s worth every moment. “That feeling
when the bass is pummelling in your
chest like a heartbeat, and you step out
onto the podium… there’s nothing
like it,” says Nadia. “Even talking about
it now, I get shivers.” But it also offers
something else, something even
more rewarding than wild stories and
nights that you want to last forever.
It unleashes who you are. There may
still be some people who want to
attach pathos to the dance profession,
assuming that it must signal low
E DA N C E R
self-esteem. But every dancer I spoke to
confirmed that being a podium dancer T H S
brought empowerment. The music TO KNOW
ignited our freedom of expression and
led us to discover the truest versions of
BROOKLYN:
ourselves. Not only have they become Known for: Being
phenomenally strong dancers off the a fiercely talented
back of that, but they’re also stomping voguer, music-
video dancer and
out stereotypes and elevating the scene. pregnant raver.
“I have become so powerful and Catch her: At work
dancing taught me that. It gave me as the founder of creative entertainment
company Vibe Tribe Ent, and hip-hop
so much confidence,” Indie proudly burlesque show @twerk.esque.
explains. “My biggest rush is sharing Follow her: @shoutbrooklyn
that confidence with other women.
When they come up and tell me that
my dancing made them feel sexy and THE MX FIT:
Known for: Bringing
fierce, or when I step out to do a solo the runway to the
in a club and women in the audience dancefloor, their
are already shouting my name, that’s unapologetic attitude
and dance moves.
respect, that’s why I work so hard.” Catch them:
“As a dancer I’ve always felt I was Championing body positivity in
doing people a service,” says Brooklyn, Glitterbox’s upcoming documentary.
Follow them: @themxfit
a Glitterbox dancer who took to the
podium while heavily pregnant last
summer, making worldwide news.
NADIA
“When I’m performing, I feel like “SHABBY”
I’m helping people share in my CHABANE
happiness. The power dance has to Known for: Her
fiery style and being
unite people no matter who you are, one of Ibiza’s most
where you’re from, who you prefer, in-demand dancers.
or what language you speak, that’s Catch her: Auditioning the next wave
of dancers for Ibiza’s top clubs.
the kind of pure love the world Follow her: @thehealthjunki
needs right now. People need to lose
themselves in the music and just
share joy.” Because what, if anything, RACHEL
is more powerful than that? MONTAGUE
Known for:
Dancing with the
world’s most famous
DJs and being a
model and artist.
Catch her: Sky-high over a dancefloor
BEHIND THE SCENES or modelling on Instagram.
Follow her: @iamrachelmontague
Tracy Kawalik
“My first set as a podium dancer was terrible. INDIE
A group of girls spotted how nervous I was and Known for: Being
made fun of me. I fought back the tears until I one of the hottest
ran off in floods of them. I thought I’d be sacked dancers on the scene
on the spot, but instead the promoter gave me and inspiring women
a pep talk: ‘Those people have paid to be in both on and off the
this club to watch you. So either go back out dancefloor.
Catch her: Giving training tips and
there and dance like hell or tell them, “No one’s
forcing you to watch me.”’ Her words woke a industry advice on Instagram.
confidence in me that cannot be reversed.” Follow her: @whitecocooa
WA R D RO
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95
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103
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 love
SINGLE? SETTLED? WE’VE GOT YOU COVERED
OPINIUM ON BEHALF OF THIRD CITY; IN THE US BY HARRIS INTERACTIVE ON BEHALF OF KETCHUM; IN AUSTRALIA BY PURE PROFILE ON BEHALF OF SODA COMMUNICATIONS
WORDS EMILY GULLA. PHOTOGRAPH GETTY IMAGES. *ORIGINATED IN THE BOOK THE 5 LOVE LANGUAGES BY DR GARY CHAPMAN. †RESEARCH CONDUCTED IN THE UK BY

Are you fluent in love?

French? Italian? Spanish? No, in fact the real lingo of love is actually unique to you and your partner
or BFF, with research indicating that we express and receive it in five ways, or “love languages”.*
Understanding your partner’s preferences can be revolutionary for your relationship. It’s good news,
then, that a study by Eharmony† has found that the top love languages in the UK, US and Australia
are the same: “words of affirmation” (AKA verbal praise) and “acts of service” (that’s little gestures
– like buying them their favourite bottle of wine or chocolate bar just because). For a full lesson
on the five love languages and how to identity which ones matter most to you, read on…

C O S M O P O L I TA N · 105
 of

L ove l e s s o n 101: H e a l t hy r e l a t io n s h ip s r e q uir e o p e n a n d

h o n e s t c o m m u n i c a t io n . B u t i f yo u a n d yo u r p a r t n e r d o n ’t
u n d e r s t a n d h ow t h e o t h e r e x p r e s s e s l ove, i t m i g h t f e e l like
t h ey d o n ’t “g e t ” yo u. Wa n t t o k n ow m o r e? R e a d o n fo r t h e
e s s e n t i a l in fo r m a t io n t h a t w a s n ’t o n yo u r c u r r i c ulu m

relationship counsellor and expert at

T
he “five love languages”
concept was coined by
relationship expert Dr Gary
Chapman in his best-selling book  needs and ways of communicating.”
The 5 Love Languages: The Secret
To Love That Lasts. The book acts
as a guide for couples to help them
identify, understand and then speak
using their partner’s “love language”
– and countless therapists and
counsellors believe it to be the key
to a happy and healthy partnership.
Explaining why this is particularly
important, Gurpreet Singh, a
Relate, says, “Everyone thinks differently,
so it would follow that two people in a
relationship have different expectations,
The five love languages articulate
– broadly – these differences, so it’s
important to understand which one is
your partner’s. “If you don’t, it’s likely
that – without wanting to – you’ll
end up hurting each others’ feelings.
Or your actions might not be as
well-received as they would be if you
spoke a ‘language’ they understood,”
Singh continues. If you hanker after
praise and compliments from your
partner while they’re all about the hugs
and kisses, there’s nothing wrong – you
just express love in a different way.
That’s why, Singh says, understanding
each other’s love languages can be
vital to building and maintaining a
healthy relationship. Of course, you
need the “building blocks” in place
first. “There needs to be love for each
other, there needs to be trust and there
needs to be a desire to communicate
with each other,” he says.

SO WHAT
ARE THE
BIG FIVE?
1 4
Words of affirmation
Put simply, telling someone you
love them. “In a good, healthy
relationship, somebody saying, ‘You
don’t tell me you love me,’ is them
saying that the love language known
as ‘words of affirmation’ is really
important [to them],” says Singh.
2 diminish, so that could lead to a lot
Acts of service
This describes how you demonstrate
that you are thinking of someone.
“You could open a door for them,
or remember if they’ve eaten or not,
or demonstrate some care for them,”
Singh says. “Even remembering they
love cheesecake and bringing one
home could be an act of service.”
These things might not mean that
much to you, but if they’re your
partner’s
ne love language, you might
need t do them a little more.
3
Receiving gifts
Gifts are symbolic, Singh explains.
It doesn’t matter how much you
spend – if a person’s love language
is gifts, they probably see them as
a sign you remember them.
Quality time
Yep, it’s about spending a few hours
with each other. Singh’s clients often
say their partner “can’t even be
bothered to sit with me”. This is
usually down to technology. “It acts
as a big deterrent in relationships
because people are often on their
phones, and quality time tends to
of hurt, particularly for those whose
language is quality time,” he explains.
5 partner and tell each other
Physical touch
“This can mean anything from sex to
stroking someone’s hair or kissing,”
Singh says. “My clients will often
complain that their partner never
holds their hand, for example,” he
adds. “Some people like a morning
kiss and an evening kiss, and other
ople don’t necessarily need that.”
love
HOW TO
PUT IT INTO
PRACTICE
“Understanding your love
languages is part of the process
of learning to communicate
with your partner,” says Singh.
“When counsellors see clients,
we don’t ask them what their
‘language of love’ is specifically.
Instead, we ask, ‘What will
make you feel loved and
cherished in the relationship?’”
Discuss this question with your
your answers. You’ll see that
they’ll fit into one of the five
languages (left), and you can use
this to understand your partner.
“It gives you a framework of
understanding the other person’s
needs,” Singh explains. Ideally,
you need a healthy amount
of those five things, with
a preference for one. Also,
remember that people speak
more than one love language.
“If my language, for example,
was quality time, does that mean
I don’t like being touched?” asks
Singh. “No. One language might
be preferred, but there will
probably be other things I also
WORDS PAISLEY GILMOUR. PHOTOGRAPHS ALAMY
enjoy in the relationship. If the
relationship is important to you,
then trying to understand what
matters to your partner should
be just as important.”
If you and your partner need
more help, visit Relate.org.uk
C O S M O P O L I TA N · 107
 Each
month,h we
send two
former lovers
on a date to
e what
n
el whe
and Jo g
María tin
ere da
they w

y repeating”
“It was like histor London m
gra phic designer fro
Joel, 32, is a
my local record
to have to leave”
once or twice at ,
I’d spotted María d to her. One day
“I was devastated
ediately attracte
shop and was imm ask why she never
d up the con fidence to bro ke,
from London I plucke
anything. She told
me she was
María, 29, is
a photographer seemed to buy her birthday, I gav
e her a
out it had been wandered dow
n
so when I found ttin g and
student who . We got cha end, so I
en I was a poor record I’d just bou ght
want thin gs to
Back in 2007, wh records, I used
to hang out in k tog eth er. I did n’t
was so raucous
affo rd to buy m to the South Ban kfired: the party
couldn’t and listen to the party. But it bac I kissed
London’s Soho invited her to a to a garden and
a music shop in r my 18th birt hday, a guy speak, so we esca ped ntarily
, just afte we could barely dinner, I involu
for free. On e day wondered dates later, over serious.
n me around and ten ce. A few I was
saying he’d see her, mid-sen we laughed it off,

AT LHA
approached me oding looks her, and though
His voice and bro d wan nabe

RANT.CO.U K)
I love bou t,
ght any music. ended told her
were official. I
was a laya
why I never bou he d to leave

IE STEWARD
on, and
. We fell into conver sati
We left Within weeks we creative – she use
had me smi tten
ated birthday gift
.
, but she was so kind and still hav e some
a record as a bel the way roc k star
pillow or around
my flat . I

LSHE D-RE STAU

up buying me e and wal ked all into old
d a bottle of win me notes on my find them tucked

MAKE -UP CASS

together, grabbe heading to rs later, when I’d
drank it, before of them, and yea
mes, where we a garden talg ic heap.
to the River Tha inese lantern in le into a nos
for a month,
late r, und er a Ch days books, I’d crump t to Venezuela
s or so she wen

LOND ON (COA
a party. Hours t up again two After six month move back
first kiss. We me me she’d have to

N. HAIR AND
nearby , we had our firs t boyfriend. Lon don , told t for
nth he’d become my and on her retu
rn to horrible – we wen
later, and within
a mo listener, ing goodbye was
He was a good nen tly. Say spo t by the
ve, dreamy love. always again per ma up at our first-da te
It was such a naï ed

COAL SHED,
my photography, rten tly end even now.

SARA H BROW
hel ped me wit h made a walk and inadve me want to cry,
supportive, and in London. We about it makes . I’d had
I cou ld take pictures it for ages. river. Thinking again, just excited
suggesting pla ces
n’t properly say vous to see her ely and was
did I wasn’t at all ner lov

DINED AT THE
ng in lov e, but Venezuela terial! She loo ked
jokes about bei my mother in my ma e again

PHOTOGRA PHS
rk on pris
s, I got news from l for a whole a decade to wo I took her by sur
After six month I kept it from Joe gling a lot, and ed me back, and
it
ve back home. distant. I was chatting and gig myself. She kiss
that I had to mo he bec am e cou ldn ’t hel p
him with a kiss – I

MARI A AND JOEL

en I broke it to the plane
month, and wh , and getting on ory repeating. in?

KATE PASO LA.

e to leave London . was like hist see her aga
devastated to hav k. And now I am re are no
Wou ld you
I pro mis ed myself I’d be bac really With María, the “My life is diffe
rent now, and
she
was so hard, but over a decade was to be
Joe l for the first time in we wer e regrets. It’s nice could do much
better than me.

REPR ESEN TS.

See ing a child sinc e t. be the sam e
reminded of tha

AS TOLD TO
not
d at first. He’s had r. He I worry it might ect
nice, if awkwar with the mothe this time roun d, and those perf
he’s no longer Want to be reun
ited with ld be tarnished.”
together, though , Email us at memories wou
ryth ing your first love?
remembered eve Wou ld you see him aga in? smo politan.co.uk
e band first.love@co
like my favourit “Kissing him was
so sweet, but I
143
gs we getting swept L I TA N ·
and all the thin
COSMOPO
don ’t know if I’m just
er. There ll definitely see
used to do togeth up in it all. We’
in, but I’m scar
ed
ting and each other aga
was a bit of flir life’s so complic
ated now.”
the n, at the his
giggling, and
as
we kiss ed.
end of the date,

First love
L I TA N
· COSMOPO
142

What happe
In September
2018, we reunited
“It felt like fate”
María, 31, is a photographer and film director from London
exes María and
I’d always wondered what Joel had approach him, as it felt like a proper
Joel, who’d broken been up to in the decade since we reason. It would have been too scary to just
split, but I’d never had the courage say “I miss you”. I did expect him to say no,
up 10 years to ask him. I knew he’d had a child, but but, luckily, he agreed. We’d ended our
before. This is didn’t know much more than that. A friend
sent me the link to a call-out for exes to
one-year relationship when I returned to
Venezuela from the UK. But now, back in
their story… reunite for Cosmopolitan’s First Love – it London, it was like the stars had realigned.
seemed a crazy idea, not only getting back The date felt incredibly familiar; Joel
in touch with Joel but also doing it so remembered all of my favourite things
publicly, with a magazine photoshoot and and even kissed me at the end of the
everything. But it also made it easier to night. We then met at the photoshoot

ned next
for the feature and caught the same bus
home, and he invited me to a gig that
weekend. We had a drink beforehand,
AS TOLD TO EMILY GULLA. MAIN PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY
which turned into many drinks, and
PASOLA. ORIGINAL PHOTOGRAPH SARAH BROWN. HAIR
OF MARÍA AND JOEL. ORIGINAL STORY TOLD TO KATE
instantly felt comfortable with each other
AND MAKE-UP CASSIE STEWARD AT LHA REPRESENTS
again. After that, we saw one another
every weekend. I thought, “Why didn’t
I ever contact him before?”
We slept together after two weeks, and
it felt just like old times. One night, three
months after we started seeing each other
again, Joel invited me to his house for
dinner, and his friend told me he’d called
me his girlfriend. We didn’t have “the talk”
about becoming official – things fell back
María and Joel
post-reunion
into place naturally. The next day, he
took me to his mum’s house, and soon
after, we had lunch with his dad – that’s
when it started to feel serious.
Joel read our Cosmopolitan feature
out to me over the phone when it was
published. He even stuck the pages on
his fridge! Last September, we celebrated
the first anniversary of our reunion. I’m
hoping we do it every year.  and beautiful. I tell her I love her every day.
Our relationship is so much better now.
I don’t just see Joel as a boyfriend, but also
a best friend. The fact that he has a child
doesn’t bother me; he’s a great father,
which makes me love him even more.
love
“There
was still a
connection
between us”
Joel, 34, is a graphic designer
from London
When I first heard from María,
I thought it might be a joke, so
I checked her email address loads
of times to make sure it was really her. We
met up three weekends in a row after we
did the Cosmopolitan shoot – first for a gig,
then a post-work night in Soho and then
for my birthday at my house, where María
sang Happy Birthday to me, solo, which
nobody’s ever done for me before. It felt
really special, but I was nervous. I’d always
thought María could do better than me.
We saw each other all the time, and
were back together properly by December,
three months after the date. We went to
the premiere of a film María had directed,
and afterwards I spent three days at hers;
we just cooked, laughed and danced.
Another day, I realised we’d been talking
non-stop for six hours. Usually I’m easily
distracted, so I knew there was still a
connection between us. We have an
understanding that extends beyond words.
Sometimes we fight, but then we look at
each other and it feels like our eyes say
the words we can’t. 
I love spoiling María. I’ll show her my
favourite London restaurants and cook for
her. I find myself doing eccentric, romantic
things and it makes me laugh, because
I never expected us to be here after all
these years. I’m grateful that First Love
brought us back together. I wouldn’t have
said the right thing if I’d contacted María
another way, so I’m glad she asked me.
I definitely want to keep her in my life.
She’s a shining force of energy, so smart
Want to be reunited with your first love?
Email us at first.love@cosmopolitan.co.uk
C O S M O P O L I TA N · 109
love

After getting it on at
his, I went downstairs
to grab a drink – just
Your After two bottles
of prosecco with
a friend (for Dutch
as his mum arrived
home. Then he came
not-so-secret courage), I went
on a date. It ended

single
down, topless and with me being
covered in scratches. thrown out of the
His mum said to me, bar and spending
“You do some kinky £100 to get home.

behaviour
nooky…” Mortified. J OY,* 3 5

ake
I’m cied
sk my
Sick iend to
nd into
Send nudes
adly, I
nyone
look.

Because clearly they’re 22

the most effective form
of medicine, says text
recipient Crystal,* 22

Are you a
cigarette
because
I don’t you’re smoking
beer, b hot and I want
to a stu your butt in my

AS TOLD TO EMILY GULLA, JADE SKINNER. *NAMES HAVE BEEN CHANGED. PHOTOGRAPH GETTY IMAGES
I had mouth?
After, m
back to
A pick-up text that
he was
ensured Naomi,* 19,
on me
would never reply
all ove
just say
to an

CHE
at my
n’t find
ld him
Got a dating nightmare d shifty,
to share? Email your tales
I onc of woe to singlebehaviour
t seen
with @cosmopolitan.co.uk or him or
said Tweet, Insta or DM us ain but
with your single stories
king” @CosmopolitanUK
tole it.
HE
9

110 · C O S M O P O L I TA N

All the lack of sexual self-
way with…
esteem. That was exactly
how I was feeling.
Sensual massage
is a process of arousal
to recreate a sexual
situation in a safe,
professional, sympathetic
a woman who gets environment. To me,
it feels different to
sex work.
orgasmic massages
On the day of my first
appointment, I arrived
at Colin’s house at 2pm
and filled out his consent
After two break-ups, Cee Cee* visited Colin Richards, form – which establishes
clients’ boundaries and
an orgasmic massage therapist. It changed her life… what they’d like to be
incorporated into the
massage.
Colin and
I had a chat
“I was
first, and then
I went into the
able to
massage room orgasm
and undressed.
I was nervous multiple
and a million
questions times”
AS TOLD TO PAISLEY GILMOUR, LAURA CAPON AND EMILY GULLA. PHOTOGRAPH CLAYTON CUBITT. *NAME HAS BEEN CHANGED.
were running
through my head,
ALL PRICES WERE CORRECT AT THE TIME OF GOING TO PRESS. TO FIND OUT MORE, GO TO INTIMACYMATTERS.CO.UK
but Colin made the
whole experience feel
really professional.
I started off covered
up on the massage
table; it was initially just
like a regular full-body
massage. By the time
Colin’s hands reached
I didn’t I’d always had low Intimacy Matters is anywhere more intimate,
even know self-confidence and by run by a man called I was already relaxed.
orgasmic 2019, after nearly half Colin. On the website, The massage happened
massage a decade away from he lists 25 reasons why mostly in silence, but
existed until I found the dating scene, I felt women go to see him, Colin would hold my
myself on a website for lost. I hadn’t been including things like hand and I’d squeeze
one, considering clicking naked in front of a man being unsatisfied in it to let him know
“book”. Back in 2014, in six years. Googling their relationships – or everything was OK.
I’d decided never to get “ways to improve body women, like me, who I chose the Absolute
into a relationship again confidence”, I came didn’t want a relationship Premium package,
after two bad break-ups, across sensual massage. or a one-night stand, but which lasts 105 minutes
but being single wasn’t At first I thought, “What still wanted some kind of and cost me £235. It
making me happy either kind of woman goes for sexual contact. Reason combines traditional
– so I started looking this sort of thing?” Then 19 struck me the most: muscle massage,
for something else. I realised, “Oh, me!” poor body image and intimate touch and
love
arousal, and I was able
to orgasm multiple times
during the session. I
didn’t mind paying for
something I knew was
really high quality.
I began to see
Colin once a month.
The effect it’s had on
my confidence and
self-esteem has been
unbelievable. I feel
happier, and the sexual
frustration I’d felt (which
I thought was normal)
has completely gone. 
My friends and family
don’t know anything
about my appointments
with Colin,
especially
because I
come from
a religious
background,
but I see it as
private. I don’t
worry that
I’ll become
emotionally
attached to him – my
goal is to have my
own relationship (he’s
even given me dating
advice!). It’ll be a sad
day when I stop having
orgasmic massages, but
I know that then I’ll be
ready to move on.
TO HEAR
MORE
of Cee Cee’s story (and
Colin’s side too), listen
to Cosmopolitan’s All
The Way With… on
Apple Podcasts, Spotify,
Acast and all the usual
podcast apps.
C O S M O P O L I TA N · 111
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My
best
sex
ever was...
e a c h
on a n u d i s t b
On Hayley’s* romantic trip, sex on the beach
was on the menu in more ways than one…
Nick* and I had
been together for
a year when we
decided to go on
our first holiday as a couple.
We’d met at work, writing travel
brochures, and Croatia was at
the top of our list. Although we
were practically living together
already, the idea of spending
a week of endless “alone time”
with one another still made my
stomach lurch with excitement.
Sex-wise, we were pretty
*NAMES HAVE BEEN CHANGED. PHOTOGRAPH GETTY IMAGES
adventurous. We were up for
anything: a quiet corner at
a wedding or even outside.
The holiday was pure bliss.
We were still firmly in our
honeymoon period and would
lounge on the beach all day,
then nip back to the room for
an afternoon shag. On the
fourth day, we caught a boat
from Dubrovnik to a tiny island.
There was only one beach, but
when I saw the sign at the
entrance, accompanied by
wandering naked people, I
realised it wasn’t a regular one.
Neither of us had ever been
to a nudist beach before, and
initially we kept to ourselves,
feeling self-conscious and
giggly. We hadn’t planned to
go naked, but everybody was
staring at us and it felt offensive
to keep our clothes on. I saw a
woman who couldn’t take her
eyes off Nick, and I started to
like the idea of being naked in
front of others, especially as
they clearly liked what they saw.
Nick went for a swim, and
as I peered at him above my
sunglasses I realised everyone
else was looking too. All eyes
were on his penis. Seeing the
whole beach watching him
was a huge turn-on.
Our sunken spot of sand
was hidden by rocks, so when
Nick returned from his swim
I decided we could get away
with a quickie without
passers-by noticing. Kissing
each other hastily, we couldn’t
waste any time. Anybody
could be around the corner.
Nick started gently stroking
my nipples and I could feel
him getting harder against my
“Seeing the
whole beach
watching him
was a turn-on”
leg. Reaching down, I guided
his erection towards me, and
he eased into me from the
side. He moved back and forth
slowly, trying to be discreet,
and I closed my eyes, totally
forgetting where I was as he
traced his hands across my
breasts. As Nick started to
move faster, I let out a whisper,
“harder”, and opened my
love
Good luck
finding those
when you
get back
eyes to see a gorgeous man
standing on the rock next to
us, only a few metres away,
staring down at us intently.
I gasped and Nick spotted him
too, but neither of us minded.
I caught the man’s gaze and
we maintained eye contact as
he watched Nick and I both
orgasm hard. Letting a stranger
join in, even from a distance,
was incredibly hot. Before
I knew it, the man disappeared
as quickly as he’d emerged.
We stayed in our spot for the
rest of the afternoon, keeping a
low profile and feeling naughty
every time someone walked
past without an inkling of what
we’d just been up to. Catching
the last boat back to Dubrovnik,
we hid beneath sunglasses
and hats for fear of our voyeur
recognising us. We didn’t spot
him, though part of me wishes
we had. When I think back to
the moment we were caught,
I still shiver with excitement.
Now I know that some risks
are worth taking.
C O S M O P O L I TA N · 113
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 explore
BECAUSE LIFE’S ALL ABOUT THE 5-9

What is the
future of travel?
That’s the question that those of us mourning the loss of our
summer holiday want the answer to. It may feel as though
the days when we used to hop on a plane for a European
minibreak or jet off to far-flung destinations with our friends
or family are gone for ever. But they’re not. Yes, things have
changed, and they are doing so every single day that passes.
And while we don’t have a crystal ball, what we do have is
access to some of the industry’s most knowledgeable experts.
So, on the pages that follow, we’re taking a look at what
those in the know say the future holds for the way we travel.
WORDS AMY GRIER. PHOTOGRAPH NEMANJA GLUMAC/STOCKSY

C O S M O P O L I TA N · 115
 Travel,
the luxury
many of us
took for
granted
up until March, has never felt
more needed, with a huge
number of us desperate to
swap the four walls that kept
us safe during isolation for the
whitewashed stone of a Spanish
villa. Yet the reality is that travel
as we know it has changed for
the foreseeable future. Gone
are the spontaneous weekend
breaks to unpronounceable
European cities and nights in
far-flung, cheap-as-chips
hostels. We’re all going to have
to come to terms with lengthy
quarantines, health checks
and levels of accommodation
hygiene that would put Kim
and Aggie to shame.
The good news is that the desire
to travel hasn’t left us. Numerous
surveys indicate plenty of Brits
can’t wait to get travelling again.
Holiday Extras revealed that 75%
of respondents still believe they’ll
be able to take a holiday this year,
while a Skyscanner poll found
that a third want to travel “as
soon as it’s safe and restrictions
allow”, with 75% now more
appreciative of being able to
travel freely. In addition, 54%
of Cosmopolitan UK readers
said they were hoping to go
on holiday this year.
The question is what does
“travel freely” mean in the new
era and are we all on board?
F LY I N G
( B U T N OT
AS WE
KNOW IT )
In a bid to meet COVID-19 regulations
and make us feel safe, most airlines
will have to introduce major changes
that will take some getting used to.
Remember when tighter security checks
(100ml liquids in clear plastic bags,
removing your belt and shoes) were
introduced at airports post-9/11? It felt
like a hassle but we knew that ultimately
it was for our safety. Well, the same will
be true of COVID-19 health regulations.
Expect temperature monitoring, time
allocation slots for arriving at the airport
to avoid large queues, social distancing
in all public places – including Duty Free
shops and on transfers – plus a whole
new level of cutting-edge technology.
April Hutchinson, editor of travel-
industry magazine TTG Luxury, explains
that “the new airport experience will
be as contactless as possible. Even
before COVID, we were moving towards
more digitised holidays, with self-drop
baggage areas and electronic passports,
but now you can expect an even more
high-tech experience, like health
monitors at check-in and apps to
avoid paperwork.”
In April, Emirates airline started testing
passengers in Dubai for coronavirus,
B a r c e l o n a ’s
Sagrada
Familia

while, in Abu Dhabi, Etihad Airways
trialled self-check-in kiosks that, as well
as scanning your passport, could also
check for symptoms of the virus using
monitors for temperature, heart rate
and respiration. Hands-free, voice-
activated technology has also been
developed for contact-free self-service.
Ryanair may not be quite so high-tech,
but early plans to get customers back in
the air included online check-in, boarding
passes on smartphones, temperature
checks, mandatory mask-wearing in
the terminal and during flights, card-only
transactions for pre-packaged snacks and
no onboard queues for the loo – yep,
you’ll have to ask permission for toilet
access (or cross your legs all the way).
Nicky Kelvin, director of content at
online travel advice site The Points
Guy, says, “Flying is possible right now,
although the choice of routes is severely
diminished and the freedoms on travel
are also limited. Both of these things
will slowly improve in the coming months,
but where you travel is going to be
dependent on whether there is a flight
to your desired destination and the
government restrictions at either end.”
A flight to
Barcelona for
£ 2 5 .9 9? H o l d
our tapas
And the big question is, with less
flights and more regulations, will prices
rise? The jury’s out. As we went to
press, fares were similar to pre-COVID
times, with some even lower (er, hello
flights to Barcelona for £25.99 with
Easyjet in November) but the concern
is that these rates are to lure customers
back, and that when (if) routes return
to normal, we’ll see a price hike.
Kelvin says it’s hard to decipher
exactly what the cost of travel will be,
as the need for airlines, hotels and
travel companies to fill their coffers
via price increases will compete
with the desire to get bums on
seats, heads on pillows and
reservations on the books.
“Initially a price
drop is going to
be required to get
travellers to part
with their limited
cash, so I think we
will see a plethora
of amazing deals
coming to the
market,” he
predicts.
explore travel
MEET
THE NEW
NORM AL
While a question mark hangs over
the amount of time we’re required to
quarantine during and after trips abroad
(at the time of going to press, it was
14 days when returning to the UK),
a logical alternative is the staycation.
A boom in close-to-home holidays
like glamping, treehouses, seaside
boltholes and boutique hotels is a sure
thing, with the World Travel & Tourism
Council predicting tourism will return
to domestic markets first, followed later
by trips to neighbouring countries.
Online travel booking sites such
as Canopy & Stars, which sells quirky
outdoor getaways in the UK and Europe,
confirm this as a likely next step.
Spokesperson Emily Enright says,
“We’ve seen a significant rise in people
searching for UK breaks. There are
many more bookings for later in the
year and into 2021, so there is
certainly optimism among travellers.”
And where are the most popular
locations? According to Enright, Cornwall,
Scotland, Wales, Devon and Yorkshire
come top of the most-searched-for list.
When we do start travelling abroad,
it’s likely to be to places that make us feel
safe and happy, and even though we were
in isolation for so
long, most
Time to soak
u p a Yo r k s h i r e
s t a y c a t i o n?
people are unlikely to
rush back to busy,
built-up spaces.
Justin Francis, CEO
and co-founder of
sustainable holiday
company Responsible
Travel, says, “I think
the majority, not the
minority, will crave
space, nature and a
slower pace. We expect
to see a surge in cycling,
walking and kayaking
tours – self-guided and
small-group activities.
“People still want to
get away. Interest in
Scandinavian and Arctic
destinations, particularly
Iceland and Norway, but
also Sweden and Finland,
has risen – as has
interest in ‘bucket list’ Nor way: climbing
u p t r a v e l l e r s’ M o s t
experiences, like seeing Wa n t e d l i s t s
the Northern Lights.”
Self-drive holidays will
likely experience a rise thanks to their a “bigger and better” honeymoon in According to Loftus, Turkey – and
perfect mix of freedom and isolation. 2021. And the company also predicts Dalaman in particular takes the top

THE INFORMATION IN THIS PIECE WAS CORRECT AT THE TIME OF GOING TO PRESS BUT THE SITUATION IS DEVELOPING QUICKLY,
Being in control of your environment a rise in last-minute babymoons later in spot for bookings, followed by the Canary
and able to adapt your plans on the the year if there’s a lockdown baby boom Islands, Balearics, Portugal and Cyprus,
go is a big bonus – so hello (well, we had to do something with many customers looking to return

SO THINGS MAY HAVE CHANGED. WORDS AMANDA STATHAM. PHOTOGRAPHS GETTY IMAGES, GWELANMOR.COM
camper-vanning in France. while we were stuck to resorts they’re familiar with.
Reunion travel is also indoors, right?).
going to be big, as Self-catering The coolest
we all rush to holidays have way to
spend time with never been socially
distance
those we’ve more
missed, or desirable.
reorganise Alex Loftus,
celebration commercial
trips we’ve director for
curtailed Easyjet
– think hen Holidays,
and stag dos, says, “We’re
landmark seeing a rise
birthdays, weddings Holidaymakers in customers
are likely to seek
and honeymoons. booking self-catering
out solitude
According to tour apartments and villas
operator Original Travel, 80% of located on sandy beaches
early-lockdown enquiries were from where families and groups of friends can
couples who have had to cancel their come together for a safe, private holiday
wedding and want to make up for it with after being apart for so long.”

GREEN
AND
CLEAN
During the great pause, when the sky
was silent apart from the sound of
birdsong and we re-evaluated our
blossom-filled local parks, many people
rethought their impact on nature and
consequently their travel practices.
Even before the pandemic hit, the
travel industry was on the cusp of change,
at a crossroads as questions about
sustainability and carbon footprints
started to overshadow cheap flights
and bargain resorts.
April Hutchinson explains that “travel
had been growing at an unprecedented
rate prior to COVID-19, and there had
been calls over the last couple of years
to slow this juggernaut as it rushed
towards overtourism in many places
around the world”.
Rory Boland, editor of consumer
magazine Which? Travel, confirms that
cities such as Venice, where residents
have long complained of overtourism,
will benefit, and that tourists will too as
they seek out lesser-known cities and
quieter, less populous places.
Boland also predicts a rise in train
travel, as we struggle with the new flight
restrictions and our carbon footprints.
“There will be an increased interest in
train travel, but it’s not just coronavirus
that has caused this. We were seeing
a boom before the crisis.
“Obviously you still have to pass
through a station and observe social
distancing on board – it doesn’t alleviate
all risk – but people will feel safer and
also be taking responsibility for the
planet more seriously.”
L u x u r y (a n d
v e r y c l e a n)
retreat in
Cornwall
As well as going green, travel will
also have to be clean in this new erra,
so expect hygiene to be ramped up p in
resorts, hotels and rentals. Last yea
ar, the
Brøchner Hotels chain in Copenh en
was hailed as creating the world’s first
“self-cleaning rooms”, with walls and
floors covered in an odourless solution
said to eliminate microbes ranging from
ebola to flu. Hotel chain Accor has
teamed up with certification company
Bureau Veritas to develop a label that
shows high standards of cleanliness
are being upheld, while Singapore has
a new SG Clean stamp to audit and
certify its hotels and tourism spots.
Closer to home, accommodation site
Sawday’s is introducing a Clean & Safe
Charter that rental property owners will
sign up to, committing them to take
additional measures covering all
Tr a i n t r a v e l –
hot for 2020
explore travel
First
order: all of
seafood
go rnment g xtra
cleaning and bling cial distancing.
And Landal Gwel an Mor, a five-star
resort in Cornwall (above), is introducing
serious health measures to keep its guests
safe, including lodges being sanitised
with a misting technique developed for
hospital operating theatres, which kills
99.9% of bacteria and viruses.
So the future of travel looks cleaner,
greener and, for a while at least, more
isolated. Social distancing might put
clubbing and holiday romances on hold,
but if we can enjoy a sun-soaked villa
holiday with our friends and family before
the year’s out, we can live with it.
C O S M O P O L I TA N · 119
explore

OK, so we can’t
holiday in the way
we used to right now.
But while we plan our
next trip, here are six
amazing globetrotters
to follow for ultimate
theblondeabroad thecatchmeifyo
uca
travel inspiration
Je ss ic a N ab on go n
Kier sten Rich

adventurouskate
Kate McC ulley

Follow for: Insp

Follow for: No-nonsense solo travel Nabongo’s the fir
iration. Jessica
advice with a side of sensational photos. travel to every co
st Black woman
to
Award-winning blogger Kiersten Rich – we’re talking 19
untry in the world
(Kiki) is a glossy American who’s visited that ’s a lot of air
5 destinations, an
d
more than 70 countries and, if you fall a major influence
miles. She’s also Follow for: Solo -trip tips from start to
for her images hard, you can buy them running private tra
r and entrepreneu
r, finish. Kate quit her job in 2010 and,
from her site, and pick up tips on how Follow Jessica fo
vel firm Jet Black. 10 years later, she’s been to more than
to make yours better too. Oh and we on the world, a he
r an eye- opening
take 83 countries and all seven continents.
really want to join one of her all-female can” and amazin
arty dose of “yes
you A champion of single travel, Kate’s
group trips – previous ones included If you look for jo
g images. Her tip
? travel features are full of facts and
places like Morocco and Cape Town. y, you find joy. really get beneath the tourist veneer.

tak
to e e s CAPTIONS SET-UP
lik a
w

ho

“Keep them light-hearted, positive and/or “I love maximalism. My

Ho

ts

funny. Infusing a personal message, which aesthetic is very much

shares some of your daily life or thoughts, about colour, fun, flowers,
is good for audience engagement.” architecture, floaty dresses

F Lr a v e C
I NBon

tip R

and beautiful destinations.

l
t

I usually do a recce for

s…
E

e R U E N me
locations before a shoot
ni and try to match my outfits
a so
khit shares and props to each shot.”
 sophie
challendgcleiffe
S o p h ie Ra

bonnierakhit
Bonnie Rakhit

nalin fix.
A virtual adre
Follow for: gger
nc e a th le te and fitness blo
Endur a from biking
rs everything
Sophie conque bing Mont
Pa ri s in 2 4 hours to clim
to wering
ssion is empo
Blanc. Her pa challenges.
er s to ta ke on adventure
oth

wa nd er lu stc al ls
Deb bie Adi gun

Follow for: Uplifting daily messages and plenty of wearing-a-floaty-gown-by-an-

infinity-pool shots. A former fashion editor who now runs the successful The Style
Traveller blog – as well as being a travel expert on ITV’s This Morning – Bonnie has Follow for: Good vibes and gen
an Insta lifestyle that gives us a serious case of travel envy. Her motivational quotes uine
excitement for experiencing new
(“Surround yourself with people who feel like sunshine” and “You can’t stop the waves, places.
Debbie is one of travel-industry mag
but you can learn to surf”) might sound saccharine, but they’re uplifting to read on azine
TTG’s 30 Under 30, and co-founde
a cold, grey day in the UK. As well as reviewing glamorous far-flung destinations, d
@btravelcreators, a community for
she’s worth a follow for in-the-know places to wine and dine in London too. Black
travel bloggers. Definitely one to
watch.

LIGHTING NO-NOS
WORDS AMANDA STATHAM. PHOTOGRAPHS ALAMY

“I adore sunny days and my feed d “Make sure your backdrop is clear of rubbish, mess,
reflects this. Shooting outside is bins and crowds. Shots look way more dreamy when
best; afternoon sun is usually softer they’re deserted or serene. If people are walking by,
and warmer (3-4pm is the golden be patient: let them pass, then get your shot. If you
hour) and the light adds a glow to don’t have an exciting background, get creative –
your skin. If you’re shooting indoors, shoot with a mirror frame in shot; hang white bed
move lighting closer to the subject sheets on a washing line and stand between them;
– Amazon sells small cheap ring ligh hts create a mock-up set with beach towels and cute,
that you can attach to your phone.” colourful props – work with what you have!”

C O S M O P O L I TA N · 121
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ESSENTIALS EDIT
Top tips this summer
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BEAUTY EDIT
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BEAUTY EDIT
Look good, feel great

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FASHION EDIT
Sharpen up for the season

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one last thing...

Remember AUGUST

this?
2010

Showing us
his buns for
10 y e a r s

S O GGY B OTTOM S
B E CA ME A THING
Ah, they grow up so fast… It seems like WORDS DANIELLA SCOTT. PHOTOGRAPHS PHIL FISK/GUARDIAN/EYEVINE

only yesterday that The Great British Bake

Off came glazed, dusted and decorated
into our lives. Since then, we’ve spent
each series perched on the edge of the
sofa with baking-fuelled stress. We’ve
seen it all, from squirrels and “bingate”
to Mel, Sue and Mary Berry departing.
Let us also not forget the time Prue Leith
accidentally spoilered the winner of
season eight via Twitter. Who knew baking
could be such a Viennese whirl-wind of
emotions? Here’s to the next 10 years.

130 · C O S M O P O L I TA N