The clocks have changed and quite frankly, life gets that little bit better. But aside from ditching the coat and dare I say it, donning bare legs on the regs, why should we throwing our hands in the air like we just don’t care? Let me walk you through why spring should be your fave season, because lie all you want, everyone has one…
Spring sees the start of a clean slate. As much as we like to thank January 1st for giving ourselves an overhaul, nothing says new you like a spring clean. And that doesn’t start and stop with you – but with your home, your job and your life choices.
It’s everything you wanted from winter but couldn’t get. Like extra hours. Okay, we’ve not got Bernard’s Watch but we have got this special thing called Daylight Saving and what a darling it is when we have to haul our ass to the gym at 8am before the 9-5 kicks in. Or when our bodies quite frankly don’t want to rise any time before the sun decides to make an appearance.
It has our back when we get to wave a sweet goodbye to 15 denier tights because I can’t tell you how many times I’ve laddered a pair trying to hoist them up to the place they were meant to be all along. Well I will – every damn one. Sure it means my legs will resemble the shade of an A4 piece of paper for the first few weeks, but it also means I won’t snag them on the side of my desk and result in a hole the size of a small country which will be pointed out by every person I come across for the rest of the day.
It means we get to finally delayer and not spend the first 5 minutes of every sit down meal removing layer upon layer of clothing – we’re free to show off our shoulders, ditch the coat and open toe shoes are a possibility once more.
It means we get that summer glow – you know the one; you’ve read the Instagram post. “Skin gets darker, hair gets lighter” which in reality for me means my roots come through quicker and my freckles attack – but it’s a price I’m willing to pay for feeling the sun on my skin.
Social lives get sweeter as duvet day excuses or ‘it’s too cold to go out’ are no more. I’m talking driving with the roof down, heading to the beach, last minute picnics, sunbathing in the park and beer gardens galore. And RSVPs are a reality with weddings to attend, festivals to dance at, vacations to book and ‘just going for one’ happening far too often.
It’s everything going on around you – the flowers blooming and the sun staying put until the early eve. And if you’re not convinced by now – here’s the biggest one of all – time off. Because whilst we thank god for Friday, I thank him a lot more for those sweet bank holidays.
By Lucia Santos
To start off Meghan Trainor’s 23rd birthday celebrations, it would only be right to take a look at all the ladies out there who have all the right junk, in all the right places. Here’s to the curvy girls we love, who strive to embrace beauty as an attitude, not a number.
1. Jordyn Woods
1st Jan – like many across the world, I decided it was the time to ditch the alcohol and go dry. For me it was a first. I go out pretty much every night and living in the city centre, temptation is everywhere. Here’s how I got on…
By Laura Callaghan
These celebrity beauties are turning heads everywhere after going in for the chop. Short, sassy and sleek- who needs to hair flick when you’re this much of a boss ass b****!
Signing myself up for this challenge was a big achievement in itself. Over the years, I’d never ever ever be seen without make-up. Rumour has it I’d put it on first thing in the morning before anyone (not even family members) could see me without it. True story.
My biggest issue is redness. Without make-up, I look like I’ve just crossed the finish line of a half marathon when in reality I’ve just had a duvet day and been a bit of a slob.
At the gym, it’s great. I can do 25 minutes of HIIT training and slope off looking like I’ve been in there for hours. But in life, not so much. My teens were spent investing in every green concealer and foundation you could find. I even used to put talc on them to try and mask the lobster look.
So to willingly sign away five days of my life make-up free a couple of years later was a pretty big deal. Here’s how I got on…
Day 1
Ironically, I ended up rushing around more than usual in the morning with the effects of a late night taking their toll. This wasn’t helped by a power walk to work in the wind with two bags and a suitcase, plus a run-in with one of those people you really don’t wanna see sans Double Wear. So I rocked up to HQ a little flushed to say the least. I then spent the morning subconsciously explaining the fact I was doing a make-up free challenge to anyone and everyone so they didn’t think I was ill or just woke up late. Aside from getting a shock each time I went to the loo and looked in the mirror, I otherwise forgot about the challenge.
Day 2
Since I’ve pretty much mastered washing my hair and getting ready in twenty minutes on the daily, I didn’t really get much more of a lie in than usual. Thanks to a very windy day, I arrived at work once again flushed AF and nipping out into town on lunch only ended with similar results. I’m not sure whether it was psychological, since I looked like I’d had an all-nighter without eye make-up, but I felt more tired than usual. Maybe I’d had too much sleep with my extra five minutes of ZZs…
Day 3
Despite my morning routine becoming less about highlighting and more about cleansing and toning, I spied a sneaky spot. Shock horror. I guess I was semi-cheating with the challenge in that I volunteered to do it on a week where I had little to no plans after work or at the weekend that involved me being out and about. When the topic cropped up again in a conversation at work, a very kind colleague told me they wouldn’t have even noticed I didn’t have make-up on. Somehow I didn’t quite believe them…
Day 4
So far, anything that drew attention to the challenge in question (and my bare fare) meant I turned redder than red but if I forgot about it, the redness calmed down. As part of the challenge, I took one selfie a day and I didn’t hate any of them – though my flat does have great lighting.
Day 5
As I started this challenge on a Tuesday, my final day of being makeup free fell on a Saturday, which is actually one of the few days I’m more than happy to ditch the beauty blender if I’m heading to the gym or dying of a hangover.
The day started out with good intentions to workout and do my weekly shop but resulted in me doing an online order from the comfort of my bed and watching films instead. However, the temptation to resist (and albeit dry) Saturday night out was too much and since I’d already tempted fate and bumped into someone earlier in the week with my fresh face, I wasn’t prepared to hit up the bar make-up and alcohol free.
So I lasted all of four and a half days.
By Charlotte Briggs
It’s official ladies and gentlemen, the festive period has ended far too soon and those pesky January blues have firmly set in. Whilst most of us will be mourning the loss of daytime TV and Quality Street binges for another year, the celebs of La La Land are embarking on their own post-Christmas hiatus to sunnier horizons. Prepare for some serious vacay inspiration as we look back on some of the most insane holidays ever, cause they’re celebrities who want to get out of here.
Barack Obama is the United States of America’s 44th President. That’s a fact. And whilst we’re losing him from the White House, he’ll go down as the coolest President ever. And if you need reminding, we’ve got 10 times Obama proved he was the ultimate boss. You’re welcome.
When he gave killer speeches
Motivation left, right and centre
By Eve Macdonald
Hollywood king and heart-throb, here’s all of the reasons we’re just a little bit in love with Eddie Redmayne.
