Table of contents for Issue 738 in Grazia

I’VE LOST COUNT of the number of people who say to me: ‘Can you just ask your beauty team what’s the best tanner… sun lotion… mascara…? This issue will answer all your summer beauty questions and equip you with the tools, tricks and hero products to see you through the (hopefully) sunny days ahead. And trust me, our beauty team have taken it seriously – one even tested five self-tanners on different parts of her body. That’s dedication for you. So enjoy the issue – and if you love beauty as much as we do, please join our new Grazia Beauty Club Facebook group, where we’ll be continuing the conversation daily. See you there! @hattie_brett / feedback@graziamagazine.co.uk…

“Yes, we’re sure Insta’s new feature will be a force for good” ‘Are you sure?’ These three words could save us a lot of regret if we learned to consider them before blurting out certain things. Now, Instagram is to start asking users this question before people post comments online that could potentially be hurtful or offensive. They’ve designed the tool in a bid to fight online bullying. An AI-generated question can’t stop people treating each other harshly; bullies will always exist and technology can’t change that. But anything that encourages us to stop and think before saying something offensive can only be a good thing. And if it makes the online world just a bit kinder, then we’re on-board.…

1. Up CHRISSY TEIGEN’S YACHT VIBE This seems to be The Week Celebs Took To Their Yachts. CT is nailing it, predictably, although that isn’t spoiling our enjoyment. 2. Up JASON MOMOA In a sheer shirt with lurex piping, and incredibly shiny burgundy boots. A symphony of improbably charming fashion. 3. New in BTS’S JIMIN No, us neither, but apparently he’s kind of a big deal in K Pop, and also the internet’s current favourite to play Prince Eric in the forthcoming live-action revisiting of The Little Mermaid. 4. Non-mover RIHANNA Airport chic has faced stiff competition over recent years – not least from the field of Yacht chic – but, with work like this, Rihanna might just make it A Thing again. 5. New in KATHARINE MCPHEE’S YACHT VIBE…

ARIANA GRANDE broke down last week, while performing on stage during her Sweetener tour in the US. Her fans immediately took to Twitter with concerns about the singer’s well-being, wondering if the 26-year-old was well enough to continue performing. Instead of downplaying her vulnerability, Ariana responded with an open, very emotional statement. ‘I feel everything very intensely and have committed to doing this tour during a time in my life when I’m still processing a lot,’ she wrote on Twitter. ‘So sometimes I cry a lot.’ When fans still weren’t convinced, she continued, ‘Sometimes we have waves of sadness! That’s OK. I’m not afraid of it.’ PHOTOS: ALPHA, GETTY IMAGES It was a powerful message to send out to young women, because so many previous generations grew up equating tears…

Maya isn’t the only one with proud famous parents. Reese Witherspoon has started bringing her daughter Ava, 19, on to the red carpet – like at the Big Little Lies Season Two premiere in New York – thus demonstrating they’re the ultimate lookalike mother-daughter pair. Meanwhile, Beyoncé took ‘twinning’ to new levels with her seven-year-old daughter Blue Ivy at The Lion King premiere last week: the pair wore matching McQueen tuxedo dresses embellished with dazzling sequins and diamonds. Earlier this month, Catherine Zeta-Jones also took over the front row at the Fendi show with her doppelgänger, Carys. The 16-year-old looked in her element as she posed alongside her mother. And last month, catwalk queen Kate Moss took her 16-year-old daughter and budding supermodel Lila to Paris for a Dior show.…

Takes some bottle… THE BOTTLE CAP CHALLENGE became the internet’s favourite Twitter trend last week. It started simply, when taekwondo fighter Farabi Davletchin posted a clip where he expertly kicked the cap off a bottle of water. Then Hollywood hardman Jason Statham got involved, and nominated his fellow celebrities, à la the ice bucket challenge. We can’t decide if our favourite is Hailey Bieber managing it as she rides a lawnmower, Kendall Jenner high-kicking from her jet ski, Lizzo trying – and failing – to perform the feat, or Mariah Carey’s parody, where she knocks the cap off with a high note. Not pictured: the Grazia staff ’s embarrassing failed attempts. GOOD NEWS WORTH CELEBRATING? Congrats *may* be in order for Cara Delevingne and her girlfriend Ashley Benson. The pair…

1. The grass is rarely greener. See Michael, pretending he prefers Joanna to Amber, the woman he dumped her for. Last week’s heart rate monitor said differently, mate. 2. Manly men do cry. Six foot, seven inch-tall basketball player Ovie became an emotionally intelligent hero when he broke down unashamedly when his friend George was voted out. 3. Looks aren’t everything (no, really). Anna ditched Jordan for her physical ideal, Ovie, before realising Jordan made her laugh far more – and returning to him. 4. Whether your boyfriend charmingly announces he’s been ‘lying to himself’ about liking you or just brutally dumps you for someone else, female friendship will see you through.…

‘Boris Johnson should have been sacked over Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe’ PHOTO: JENNY LEWIS ‘Maternity leave in Parliament doesn’t really happen’ Tulip Siddiq, Labour MP for Hampstead and Kilburn, on the challenges of being an MP with a baby and the plight of her constituent Nazanin, still in prison in Iran  Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe is in an Iranian jail for allegedly ‘plotting to topple the government’. I feel she’s been forgotten because there’s so much going on in politics right now. She’s three years into a five-year sentence but there’s also a threat of a second court case. It’s hard for her to stay positive when she’s being mentally tortured this way. Both Nazanin and her husband Richard, in London, are currently on hunger strike. When he was Foreign Secretary, Boris Johnson failed…

‘It’s like a release valve for me’ Zoe, 40, from Leeds, works for an airline I was first diagnosed with breast cancer when I was 35. I had been married for five years and had three young children. The treatment put a huge amount of strain on my relationships – with friends, family and particularly my husband. Day-to-day existence with cancer is incredibly stressful and painful and I was subsumed by it. I forgot who I was; cancer became my full-time job. In the process, I went a little crazy. I was looking death in the face – and that can impact people in two different ways: you can decide that you want to be a very good cancer patient who cherishes everything in their life, or you can do…

BORN AND RAISED in Angola during the civil war, 26-year-old model Maria Borges has had a challenging journey to reach the top of her game. At just 17, she entered the Elite Model Look Contest in Angola, fnishing in the top 10. Maria was spotted by a local modelling agency who went on to place her in Portugal. ‘I had the opportunity to close and open the best fashion shows. Several people approached me and asked, “Why are you here? You should be in Paris, Milan and New York.”’ So, off to the Big Apple she went. ‘It wasn’t easy. I flew by myself, it was cold, I left everything behind, and I couldn’t even speak English. At the time, the agencies were worried and basically said if we get…

PHOTO: THANASSIS KRIKIS/TRUNK ARCHIVE. *STUDY BY ONE POLL FOR LIZ EARLE. CLOUD TWELVE: CLOUDTWELVE.CO.UK ‘IMAGINE A THERAPY that had no known side effects, was readily available and could improve your cognitive functioning at zero cost.’ That was the attention-grabbing opening to an academic paper written over a decade ago. The therapy in question? Spending time in nature. But we clearly haven’t caught on because, according to a new study* , 50% of us haven’t walked in the countryside or even visited a park in the last six months, and one in 10 of us only manages five minutes or less outside a day. In fact, another study estimates that on average we now spend 22 hours a day indoors – which, over a lifetime, equates to more than 75 years.…

BEFORE NICKI BAMFORDBOWES and her husband Matt started on this stage of their home renovation, they had already added a loft extension to their Victorian semi in London to give their two sons their own bedrooms and bathrooms. On deciding to renovate further instead of move, ‘We decided on the same thing for us – to be able to shut the door and have our own big open space as a couple,’ says interior designer Nicki, of @andthentheywentwild . ‘And this included a large, luxury, hotel-style bathroom.’ Here, Nicki reveals how she got the bathroom of her dreams... WALLED OFF One wall of Nicki and Matt’s bedroom was opened up to link the room to the new ensuite bathroom, creating the large open space they were after. COOL CONCRETE From…

Catch up on… Incels The involuntary celibacy movement is this century’s Straight Edge, with added hardcore misogyny. In this superb documentary, we go behind the lives of a selection of these self-styled ‘victims’, the human detritus that Pornhub left shivering in its massive, disturbing shadow. BBC Three Watch live… Poldark Good old Aidan Turner and his failsafe chest furniture. They are traversing the Cornish coastline for one last, rugged season of drama that falls under the strangely pleasing Sunday night subset of acceptable nana telly. Let’s bid both a valiant farewell. Sunday, 9pm, BBC One Wallow in… Queer Eye Tan, Antoni, Bobby, Karamo and the still best-by-a-mile JVN return to organise Trump America’s storage units and dust off their mantles. It’s all gone a bit starry-eyed book deals and world…

SILENCE ISN’T GOLDEN Jess Phillips was spot on with her article (Carrie shouldn’t have to answer for Boris, 8 July). I hated how their neighbours were painted as nosy. I grew up in a house where our neighbours never interfered. They must have heard the screaming, crying, begging and shouting as my mother was beaten and abused by my father. It should not be called ‘domestic’ violence – it’s just violence. And until everyone in society treats it seriously, it will not stop. Name withheld DOING IT ALL I am so delighted to have read Fiona McIntosh’s article (Women who do it all are their own worst enemies, 15 July). I am struggling to hold down a full-time job, look after a stepson and a husband who inwardly I am…

PHOTOS: GETTY, INSTAGRAM/@CVTSOFTSERVE, @SMVGREEN MY MATE SAYS SHE’S started playing ‘patriarchy chicken’, a game the internet invented that involves women not getting out of the way when entitled men bowl down a pavement, like they own it and the entire world, and just know everyone will step aside to let them pass, for THEY. ARE. KINGS! As a consequence of her political-statement-cum-extreme-sport, my mate is getting battered and sworn at – but (she says) at least she’s making a point. I find myself divided by the concept. On the one hand: I loathe the word ‘patriarchy’! As lazy catch-all pieces of rhetoric go, it’s up there with ‘privilege’, a righteous bit of Twitter-spew that falls apart when you ask the spewer to be a leetle more specific about what they…

FOR ROYAL WATCHERS, last week gave plenty to observe. Carrying a slumbering baby Archie, the Duchess of Sussex joined the Duchess of Cambridge and her children on Wednesday to watch Harry and William play in a charity polo match. It was a conspicuous show of unity – and came days after a slew of negative stories about the former Hollywood actor in the press, focusing on her outing to watch her friend Serena Williams at Wimbledon the previous week. In fact, Kate has been drafted in to look after Meghan and support her through this difficult period. As Grazia went to press, the pair were also scheduled to attend Saturday’s Wimbledon’s Women’s Final together – a repeat of last year’s outing which won favourable headlines. ‘There’s no animosity between Meghan…

PHOTOS: ALAMY, GETTY IMAGES BRADLEY COOPER and Lady Gaga’s are-they-aren’t-they romance has been the talk of Hollywood for over six months now. Speculation started during awards season, when Gaga split from fiancé Christian Carino, and she and Bradley put on an intimate performance of one of the hits from their movie, A Star Is Born , at the Oscars – forcing Gaga to publicly deny the two were romantically linked. Then last month news broke that Bradley had also split from his girlfriend of four years, model Irina Shayk – with whom he has a two-year-old daughter, Lea – with her camp saying she felt ‘humiliated’ by the publicity. Again, Gaga was forced to speak out over reports she’d become ‘the other woman’, telling taunting fans, ‘be kind or f***…

PHOTOS: SPLASH, GETTY, THE MEGA AGENCY BUTTERNUT SQUASH, tangerine, carrot, pumpkin, persimmon. This isn’t the start of a veggie recipe, but gradations of summer’s greatest colour hit. It’s all about looking freshly squeezed and full of vitamin C this summer. Orange really is the new black. Kim Kardashian and Kylie Jenner definitely got the tango memo. The sisters looked like the different stages of an LA sunset last week, with Kim in a thigh-high minidress in Sunny D orange and Kylie in similarly brief and highlighter-bright Julien Macdonald. Zendaya also knows the power of easy-peeler orange, appearing in a short and sweet Carolina Herrera dress and hair-bow combo for The Late Show With Stephen Colbert at the end of last month. It might not be the easiest colour to pull…

Anyone for tennis? “The off-court colours of choice at Wimbledon? Bright white, cream and shall we call it Digestive beige? It was game, set and match to Sienna Miller, who chose a trouser suit by Ralph Lauren Collection for the occasion. What a pro.” Equestrian elegance News flash: the Olsens don’t only wear black. Consider Mary-Kate – proof that the twins make everything they do look ridiculously chic. Cool cobalt “Talk about a bolt from the blue. Halima Aden is the ultimate peacock in Erdem’s suit. Her signature head wrap in saffron-coloured silk is the icing on the cake.” Time to get shirty “The thinking woman’s hot weather outfit demands no fake tan or strapless bras. Instead, actor Tilda Swinton and designer Katie Hillier opt for a striped shirtdress. Pop…

GROWING UP, I knew I’d be a mother one day. Aged 11, I enrolled myself on a babysitter certification course and spent weekends taking care of the kids in my neighbourhood. In high school, I became the head caretaker in my church’s nursery. And in college and then graduate school, I enjoyed stints as a nanny during summer breaks. I cherished these roles, gratified to know that I was making a difference in the lives of the children in my care. It simply didn’t dawn on me that there might be other roles I’d enjoy more as I got older, like that of partner and friend and volunteer and professor – all roles I find fulfilling today. I just assumed that, one day, I would wake up and feel driven…

Zumba  I do it at my local gym, in a roomful of women and maybe one man. Not being able to look at your phone for an hour feels amazing. Suits  I’m bingeing it at the moment – there’s so much hype around Meghan Markle and I wanted to know what our duchess used to do. I can’t believe I’m admitting this… Little Moons Mochi ice cream  I’m not a drinker, really, and I don’t smoke so this is my vice. I’m getting through a packet a day – the mango flavour is my favourite.…

PHOTOS: JASON LLOYD-EVANS. COS XSERPENTINE PARK NIGHTS, UNTIL 27 SEP (COSSTORES.COM/SERPENTINE). LACOSTEX GOLF LE FLEUR LAUNCHES 17 JULY, FROM £20. NVEGAN STYLEO BY SASCHA CAMILLI Swap the pub garden for a trip to COS x Serpentine Park Nights. What to wear while there? The brand’s co-ords are suitably chic. Consider a colour-pop accessory. A nib of neon gives classic pieces a fresh perspective. Keep the Centre Court spirit going in Lacoste’s Golf le Fleur (aka Tyler, The Creator’s label) collab. Ace! Update your summer bagdrobe. Harvey Nicks’ Wandler pop-up is the place to start. Swot up on new book Vegan Style, then get to Dover Street Market for the first UK drop of Rooney Mara’s ethical label, Hiraeth. Add a straw hat and basket bag to your prairie dress. Summer…

Cult classics Stylist Suzanne Koller has joined forces with APC for a new 10-piece ‘interaction’, reinterpreting hits from the French brand in her own vision. Cue twisted classics that will never go out of style, like this perfect oversized grey sweater. £165, apc.fr JAUNTY JOY A reason to be cheerful: Alber Elbaz is back. Joining forces with Tod’s for a capsule collection, the ex-Lanvin designer has injected the Italian brand’s driving shoes and bags with a fun new spirit. Expect metallics, neoprene, sneaker soles – and smiles. From £350; tods.com BEAUTIFUL BLANKETS Consider Ashish’s new blanket collection the best excuse to stay in. Featuring graphics, patterns and poetry by the designer, the kupta blankets are hand-embroidered in India using recycled and off-cut fabrics. From £628; exclusive to matchesfashion.com. The Delights…

THE FAULTLESS FACE TANNER Lancaster Sun 365 Instant Self-Tanning Gel Cream, £26, debenhams.com I tend to use facial tan twice a week to keep a steady shot of colour in my skin and trust me, this is up there with the very best. The sort that invites, ‘you look well’ compliments, instead of ‘what tan are you wearing?’. THE SUMMER SKIN SAVIOUR Origins Drink Up Intensive Overnight Hydrating Mask With Avocado And Swiss Glacier Water, £22, origins.co.uk A souped-up version of the much-loved original, this big-guns moisture mask leaves skin feeling notably softer and bouncier in minutes, thanks to a hefty hit of hyaluronic acid. I think of it as rehydration salts for your complexion. THE HAIR STYLING HERO GHD Glide Hot Brush, £139, ghdhair.com When this launched in February,…

HELEN MIRREN WEARS L’ORÉAL PARIS AGE PERFECT ROSY DAY CREAM AND TRUE MATCH FOUNDATIONPHOTOGRAPHS SIMON EMMETT BEAUTY DIRECTION JOELY WALKER STYLING FENELLA WEBB FEATURING HELEN MIRREN FOR L’ORÉAL PARIS BOTH PAGES: HELEN MIRREN WEARS L’ORÉAL PARIS AGE PERFECT ROSY DAY CREAM AND TRUE MATCH FOUNDATION IT’S THE FINAL day of the 72nd Cannes Film Festival and in a suite in the Hotel Martinez (where the A-list flock annually), we’re setting up for the arrival of a bona fide British legend – an actress with over five decades’ experience, 70-plus films under her belt and one of the few Brits to ever scoop the elusive Triple Crown of Acting (winning an Academy Award, an Emmy and a Tony). But to everyone’s surprise (because, in this industry, being fashionably late is expected),…

PHOTO: GIANANDREA TRAINA. AUGUSTINUS BADER: NET-A-PORTER.COM. CAUDALIE: CULTBEAUTY.CO.UK. HOURGLASS: SPACENK.COM.LIVING PROOF: LOOKFANTASTIC.COM. MARVIS: NET-A-PORTER.COM. NARS: SPACENK.COM. VOTARY: SPACENK.COM Joely Walker, beauty & health director If, like me, you spend most afternoons daydreaming of weekend getaways (but struggle to edit down your beauty gear) then you’re in for an absolute treat. Because here’s your ultimate weekend getaway – in mini product form. I mean, come on! Just look at them… With key essential oils to repair and revive, Votary Facial Oil Neroli And Myrrh, £65 for 30ml, is a skin saviour you won’t want to leave home without. The chicest toothpaste in the world (fact), Marvis Aquatic Mint Toothpaste, £15 for set of three, keeps pearly whites squeaky clean. Keep Hourglass Ambient Lighting Bronzer Travel Size, £22, close by for a…

PHOTO: MARCO VITTUR I’M NOT THE KIND OF Snack Correspondent™ that would try to pull the wool over your eyes and so now feels like the time to admit: there’s no finer snack in the world than a chunk of fresh bread topped thickly with salty, silky butter. We appear to be living through the dough years (and the d’oh years). The world is a flaming, convulsing bin, so – in the shadows – we’re baking ourselves better, hoping that a spot of kneading will distract us, that the process of creating something for ourselves that’s historically been central to our existence will make us feel like we have some control. What I’m saying is: wherever you live, you probably have access to good bread. Let’s get into the butter,…

Every second waiting for ‘the one’ is time wasted: time that could be spent living your life your way. Live in the here and now. Looking back through rose-tinted glasses won’t change the past. And you can’t predict the future. Get over your FOBA (fear of being alone) by learning to love your own company. Me-time is precious and a chance to tune in to your inner voice and evaluate what you want from life. Love your space: it will make the time you spend alone easier, so create your own bespoke sanctuary. Go on a Me Date. Ditch your phone and treat yourself to coffee and cake, without digital interruption. Hung up on a past relationship that is stopping you moving on? Let it go, and establish what you…

IT’S GOOD TO TALK I’m in a coffee shop having breakfast before work and I’m crying. And I want to thank you for making me cry. We have to try to improve the shocking statistics (We need to break the silence around baby loss, 15 July). I’ve had one child through IVF (for which I am eternally grateful), but have subsequently had three early miscarriages. Shockingly, I’ve felt it easier to talk about our IVF journey rather than the babies we’ve lost. We need to break the taboo and increase research into baby loss. Only by being open and honest can we hopefully make things (even if just a little) better.…

INFLUENCER TAX An LA ice cream vendor has started charging social media influencers who ask for freebies double. I admire this. AGOLDE’S DENIM MINI For when midi-length floral-frock fatigue kicks in. PORES GETTING LARGER IN THE HEAT Dr Dennis Gross Alpha Beta Pore Perfecting Cleansing Gel will sort ’em out. WANDLER’S YARA BAG A teeny tiny bag with ears! At matchesfashion.com HEN DO REUNIONS Because, apparently, the original hen must be commemorated with an anniversary event. Cool beans.…

PHOTOS: NETFLIX, GETTY IMAGES, EMPICS WHEN Stranger thingS returned to Netflix’s screens earlier this month, many were enthralled by enigmatic newcomer Robin. A feisty teen who works in an ice-cream diner, she is played by Maya Hawke, the 21-year-old daughter of A-listers Uma Thurman and Ethan Hawke. Joining a critically acclaimed cast that includes Millie Bobby Brown and Finn Wolfhard, and with an impressive pedigree, Maya is set to be Hollywood’s next big thing. As a record-breaking amount of viewers tuned in, Uma and Ethan took to Instagram last week to show their immeasurable pride. ‘Get to know Maya Hawke, she’s the real thing,’ Ethan wrote, alongside an image of his daughter dressed in her diner uniform. Uma echoed his excitement: ‘My victorious, loving, mermaid daughter,’ she captioned a…

WHEN KIRSTY YOUNG stepped down permanently from Desert Island Discs last week, fans felt bereft. Some – myself included – even became teary-eyed. Kirsty, 50, had been away from the BBC Radio 4 role since last August after she was diagnosed with fibromyalgia, a condition characterised by pain all over the body and often fatigue. Happily, she said that she was ‘well on the way to feeling much better’, but that her enforced absence from the programme – in which a guest picks the music that they would want on a desert island, while discussing their lives – had made her want to pursue new challenges. The broadcaster was the queen of interviewers, quizzing ‘castaways’ from David Beckham to Zadie Smith over her 12 years at the helm. She was…

PHOTOS: EROTEME, THE MEGA AGENCY ‘CAN YOU GIVE me some feedback?’ When Love Island ’s newly dumped Amy made that request of everyone’s least favourite professional ballroom dancer, Curtis, female viewers across the country wailed a collective, ‘Noooo!’ The sight of a perfectly nice woman politely asking the man who had spent four weeks pretending to like her, then ditching her, what she could do to make sure her next boyfriend didn’t do the same was excruciating. Watching him completely ignore the accepted norm of muttering, ‘It’s not you, it’s me’, and instead go on to give her a list of her failings was even more galling. While we might all have hoped that Amy would tear him to shreds before making a beeline for the far more mature Ovie,…

PHOTOGRAPH BEN QUINTON HAIR AND MAKE-UP BY NEUSA NEVES AT TERRI MANDUCA USING TIGI AND NARS. BOUQUET KINDLY PROVIDED BY CHEZ MICHÈLE, 78 ST THOMAS ST, LONDON I HAVE ALWAYS been someone who has a very clear idea about who I am, and that is someone who hasn’t the slightest interest in getting married. Or, at least, it was until my boyfriend proposed. Even though I write romcoms for a living, I never saw a happily-ever-after on the cards for myself. Not that I didn’t believe in love or relationships – it’s just that the thought of getting married made me very uncomfortable. My parents got divorced when I was little, as did several of my aunts and uncles, and now that I’m 38, more than half the weddings I…

ANNA QUAN SANDRALEXANDRA Sandralexandra is the jewellery brand that started as an Instagram business in November 2018 and has since boomed. Expect to see its handmade earrings – hung with freshwater pearls and glass beads of all colours and sizes – on fashion editors’ ears. ANNA QUAN Kendall Jenner and Karlie Kloss are fans, as well as Insta It girls Pernille Teisbaek and Camille Charrière. The aesthetic is stripped back and super-chic, thanks to no-fuss tailoring and perfectly executed basics. ESSEN The footwear market might be flooded, but we have a feeling ESSEN will thrive. The online-only business makes shoes in limited runs at factories in Italy, Spain and Portugal to ensure the highest quality. The result is personal – each pair comes with a card noting the production number…

LESS MEANS MORE ‘I don’t spend a lot of money on make-up because I buy what, in America, you call drugstore make-up. That way, I can buy lots and lots of different things and experiment. There’s nothing like dropping 10 quid on a new lipstick and feeling suitably smug.’ L’Oréal Paris Color Riche Plump and Shine in Pitaya Plump [1], RRP £8.99 KEEP IT SIMPLE ‘I always take my make-up off and I always put on moisturiser at night. Then I cleanse my face again in the morning and put on moisturiser, and that’s about it.’ L’Oréal Paris Age Perfect Micellar Water [2], RRP £5.99; L’Oréal Paris Age Perfect Golden Age Day Cream SPF 20, RRP £14.99 LIP SERVICE ‘I’ve got so many lip liners, you wouldn’t believe! I am…

BIKINI TOP, £36, AND BRIEFS, £22, BOTH BRAVISSIMO Dear bikini, HOW DO I LOVE thee? Let me count the ways… by counting the number of you I own: 23, or 23.5 if you count the bottoms that got separated from their matching top after a terrible accident in one of those swimming costume dryers. That may seem like an awful lot for a woman who lives in the UK and rarely goes swimming, but I think it’s perfectly reasonable. Because, after a lifetime of being fearful of the bikini – or, more specifically, my body – I’m learning to embrace it with gusto. I’ve always had a hate-hate relationship with my body. Eventually, via bouts of depression, a decade of bulimia and a ruinous experience with alcoholism and addiction, I…

MODERN CLASSIC in Dublin An enormous Georgian townhouse serving up classic style credentials over three floors, this laid-back space is full of light and calm. THE NEIGHBOURHOOD Portobello, Dublin 8 is one of the hippest spots in the city. Pick a canalside restaurant for dinner; for breakfast, nip out for bagels to enjoy in the pretty walled garden. LOWDOWN From £577pn, for up to six guests (airbnb.co.uk/rooms/6286228). Fly to Dublin with flybe.com or ryanair.com. LOFT LIVING in Brooklyn The decor of this spacious apartment is heavy on original warehouse features, from exposed brick walls to heavy sliding doors with a touch of the tropics thrown in – think palm-print bedlinen and ’70s rattan furniture. There are also fun touches, from the yellow front door to the piano – and there’s…

SOMEWHERE TOWARDS the end of the first season of GameFace, I became properly obsessed with Roisin Conaty, a comedian with the exact potential everywoman appeal of Adele. She’s demonstrably working class, funny AF and knows how to tell a story with smart, dry, relatable detailing. Her profile was upped massively after playing the straight-talking sex worker in Ricky Gervais’s Afterlife. But GameFace, in which she manages to turn a page on screen singledom, is her star turn. Marcella Donahue (Conaty) is a failing actor in her thirties with a recovering coke addict brother and an Irish mum who saves most of her matriarchal instinct for her gay cat, Orlando. Her tale will resonate with anyone who didn’t marry the guy they thought they would while wafting through their twenties. Or…

AS TOLD TO HARRIET KEAN After I finish a performance on tour, I’ll be buzzing until 3 or 4am. I definitely can’t sleep straight away. You have to get rid of that energy. I usually want to eat something, probably a bag of Hula Hoops (a lot of crisps get eaten on tour), then I listen to some really loud music and dance on the bus. Living on a tour bus is like being at teenage camp: you revert back to really silly jokes and weird routines. Once, we bought these kids’ torches that had dinosaur shapes at the end. We would shine them on the roof of the bus and everyone would have to make up stories. You bond so much because you end up having so many deep…