Table of contents for Issue 758 in Grazia

EARLIER THIS YEAR we asked how you felt about British politics. While you were talking about it more than ever, over half said no one in Parliament represented them. After this rancorous election campaign, I’m sure for many that sentiment remains. And yet, most women want to use their vote: to have a say in an election that feels critical and to honour suffragettes such as Emily Wilding Davidson, who hid in the House of Commons on the night of the 1911 census so she could record it as her address and claim the same political rights as men. To help you decide, we quizzed Jo Swinson, Boris Johnson and Jeremy Corbyn on everything from mental health to domestic abuse (see p44). @hattie_brett / feedback@graziamagazine.co.uk…

We must cherish, defend and protect the NHS “A video went viral last week, after news website joe.co.uk took to the streets to film British people’s reactions to the cost of healthcare in the US. In it, a reporter asks passers-by to guess how much it costs to hold your newborn baby after you’ve had a C-section in an American hospital. ‘You have to pay… to hold my own child that I’ve been carrying in my womb?’ responds one stunned woman. The answer is $40. An ambulance call-out fee is $2,500 and the average cost of childbirth is $10,000. It’s a timely reminder that we must never take our NHS for granted. It needs cherishing – so let’s protect it like our lives depend on it.”…

1 PLAY IT STRAIGHT A leather pencil skirt just needs a shimmery knit to say ‘party’. Top, £99, skirt, £220, necklace, £59, Uterqüe 2 PRINT WORKS Pair this top with a cream trouser suit. £42, Warehouse 3 A bag that’s perfect for Christmas and beyond. £270, Furla 4 STRIDES AHEAD Wear these with a cable-knit for cosy points. £225, Parosh at farfetch.com 5 We’d love to find these under the Christmas tree. Hint! £275, Vanda Jacintho 6 CHECK IT We’ve found your new desk-to-dinner skirt. £225, Rixo 7 What’s more festive than diamond frosting? Coco Crush bracelet, £8,100, Chanel Fine Jewellery 8 JOIN THE DOTS With sleeves and a high neck, this is sophisticated party dressing. £210, Palones 9 WHITE HOT Not a party dress kind of girl? Swap one…

LEGEND HAS IT that in the original salon-style Chanel shows, Gabrielle ‘Coco’ Chanel would sit, hidden from view, on the fifth-from-top step of the mirrored staircase that led down from her apartment, watching the audience’s reaction as models descended on to the shop floor. If Chanel’s new(ish) designer Virginie Viard was doing the same at last week’s Métiers d’Art show – her first since taking the helm following Karl Lagerfeld’s death in February – she would have surely been pleased. With monochrome tailoring, wear-forever black cashmere coats – tied with sequin belts – and long black dresses, there was much to appeal to the most traditional of Chanel clients. Perfume bottle necklaces, micro bags and one shaped like the birdcage in Coco’s apartment will be snapped up by those who…

HER MOST FAMOUS bon mots set her up as an anti-fashion icon. But when Dolly Parton uttered the immortal phrases ‘It costs a lot of money to look this cheap’ and ‘The higher your hair, the closer you are to God’, she had no idea that, circa 2019, she would be exactly what planet fashion ordered. The country music star, who famously described herself as ‘white trash’, is known for a wardrobe as loud and proud (read: outrageous) as her personality. And now those tottering peep-toe heels, a penchant for bling to rival Beyoncé’s and, surely, the world’s most gravity-defying ’do have been tapped as inspiration for one of London’s buzziest labels. Shrimps’ resort 2020 collection is a rootin’-tootin’, rodeo-tastic celebration of rhinestones, leopard print and, of course, faux-fur cowboy…

DON’T LOOK NOW, but our artificial Christmas trees are growing. Not literally – it’s just that, according to sales statistics released by John Lewis last week, most of us were buying four-footers back in 2009; now, 10 years on, the best-selling trees are closer to seven feet tall. Seven feet of PVC ‘pine needles’! That’s at least three elves stacked end to end. The truth is that, with every year that passes, we as a nation become bigger and bigger show-offs; a modest four-footer just won’t cut it when we can all see that Mrs Hinch’s faux-conifer appears to have been airlifted from Narnia (*like*). If the process of putting your tree up has you considering pulley systems and the temporary removal of a windowpane, then you might have gone…

HATTIE BRETT Grazia’s editor As per our campaign, will you reintroduce the Domestic Abuse Bill and back Harriet Harman’s amendment to ban the so-called ‘50 Shades’ defence? BORIS JOHNSON: Yes, absolutely – I was frustrated that this bill couldn’t progress because of the gridlock in Parliament. If the Conservatives are elected with a majority, we’ll bring this bill back as soon as possible. I agree that the ‘50 Shades’ defence is unacceptable and we’ll make sure the law is clear on this. We must go further than legislation, though, which is why I will double our funding for refuges and victim support services, pilot new domestic abuse courts to speed up cases, and pass a Victim’s Law so that every victim in the country can get the support they…

HAIR AND MAKE-UP: FIONA MOORE AT TERRI MANDUCA USING BARE MINERALS PHOTOGRAPH JENNY LEWIS ‘NOBODY REALLY KNOWS what noise dinosaurs made. They might have squawked like birds, rather than roaring like the ones in Jurassic Park,’ my boyfriend Don whispered into my ear as I drifted off to sleep. Not your usual sweet nothings, perhaps. But in its own way, it was a touching romantic gesture. I was just six months into a new job as editor of a magazine when things began to unravel. When I’d applied for the role, I’d jumped at the chance of more responsibility – like many writers, I’d dreamed of being an editor and the chance to shape my own publication was irresistible. But the pressure of the job had quickly become too much…

COMFORT CAN STILL BE CHIC …says Susie Lau, influencer and journalist I’ve worn this dress a number of times since I bought it last year. It’s by a fairly anonymous Chinese label called No Dress Online (@nodress_online_shop) based in London and Hong Kong. They do sort of cute, kawaii inexpensive pieces. I’ve had more time this year to feel like ‘me’ again after having my daughter Nico three years ago. This dress really reminds me of more carefree times. I wore it a lot over the summer on holiday, including at this mega club DC10 in Ibiza, with my friends Bryanboy and Declan Chan, and then again on a night out to the gay bars of Mykonos Town with MyTheresa’s Tiffany Hsu and Evangelie Smyrniotaki (@styleheroine), who is a Greek…

You go curl: Stylist Lorraine Dublin says you can’t beat Schwarzkopf ’s Got2B Hairspray, £4.19. ‘If you want to ward off frizz, use a strong hairspray like this to keep curls on form.’ Pump it up: Turn to Living Proof ’s Perfect Hair Day Body Builder, £23, for a bespoke boost of volume. Twist the nozzle one way for full throttle volume, or the other for a subtle hike in body. Volume for days: Mist Larry King’s Volumizing Hair Mist, £29, through the roots of damp hair pre-blow-dry for a lasting boost with a moreish scent. Texture on tap: A favourite on the Grazia beauty team, Bumble and bumble’s Bb Thickening Dryspun Texture Spray, £22, tousles things up like little else. Lock it down: Reeling in the compliments with an…

How not to lose the plot this Christmas PHOTOS: ED MILES, GETTY IMAGES I LOVE CHRISTMAS, I really do. But every year, without fail, I get to a point where I feel I need to hide under my bed and not come out until the New Year. School plays, decorations, Christmas jumper day, presents for family/teachers/godchildren/kids’ friends, food, more food, more booze, Christmas cards, wreaths, parties, outfits for parties, carol services, new Christmas lights (again)… I feel panicky just thinking about it. Add to that employers wanting to ‘tie everything up before Christmas’ plus the fact that, on 24 December, you’re thrown in a room with relatives who can bring your blood to boiling point in 10 seconds – and you have a monumental meltdown on your hands. So what…

A PLUS-SIZE Hollywood actress once told me the way castings work. She said if [very famous plus-size actress] doesn’t want the role, then [slightly less famous plus-size actress] gets the call. If [second actress] can’t do the role, she’ll get the call. I wondered aloud who’d get the call if she couldn’t do the role? ‘I have to do the role,’ she explained, slightly exasperated. ‘Because there is no fourth.’ Fabulously seasoned Saturday Night Live alumnus and Girls cameo Aidy Bryant wasn’t in the running for those roles back then. After Shrill, an adorable, indie-flavoured romcom about the institutional oppression faced by fat women, she may even go to the top of that woefully slim (pun intended) list. Bryant’s Annie is a jobbing, under-used journalist at a Portland newspaper. Her…

Have your say… Email us at feedback@graziamagazine.co.uk ■ Post comments on graziadaily.co.uk ■ Tweet us at @GraziaUK ■ Find us on Facebook at Grazia UK ■ Follow us on Instagram @GraziaUK HAPPY NEW ME After a gruelling interview that felt like a cross between Dragons’ Den and The Apprentice, I treated myself to Grazia. I got into a bubble bath and read up on the election and decided I would invest in a sequin dress for my work do and wear it with a jumper and boots (for work) afterwards. A much-needed early night later and I felt recharged. I didn’t get the job, but I didn’t let my lack of success on this occasion define me either. Maria Kenny DIVORCE’S DARK DAYS Divorces can be messy, but they needn’t…

PHOTOS: GETTY NOTHING EXPOSES OUR culture’s lingering discomfort with women who enjoy sex – want it, seek it, have it for the LOLs! – like recurring rows over emergency hormone contraception (EHC). In the last 10 days, two new morning after pill rows have erupted. The first involved drfox.co.uk, whose website I’m printing because they did a good thing: first, discounting emergency contraception to £3 (it costs up to 26 quid on the high street), then encouraging people to stock up in advance of party season (a time which can, let’s face it, enable sex of the not-entirely-clever variety). While drfox.co.uk’s actions could have exposed the scandal of habitual, non-festive overpricing on EHC by others – a cost that both exploits women in panic mode, and writes off those too…

PHOTOS: GETTY WHEN YOU’RE ANDIE MacDowell’s daughter, you’ve modelled for Chanel and your latest role as the minx who seduces Brad Pitt has shot you straight to the top of young Hollywood’s in-demand list, you might be forgiven for being nonchalant. Yet at the Chanel Métiers d’Art show, Margaret Qualley told Grazia she was overcome by the set – and clothes. ‘It’s particularly impressive because I had a tour of Coco Chanel’s real apartment and they’ve done an amazing job recreating it,’ she said of the set Virginie Viard asked director Sofia Coppola to help her design. ‘What I loved about her apartment though is that there wasn’t a bed in it; she just used to sleep at The Ritz.’ Another reason for Margaret’s enthusiasm? She was watching from the…

PHOTOS: GETTY, INSTAGRAM/JUSTINTHEROUX IT’S OFFICIAL , Jennifer Aniston and Justin Theroux are the friendliest exes in Hollywood. Our proof ? Last week, Justin Instagrammed a group photograph – which featured a smiling Jennifer by his side – at mutual friend Jimmy Kimmel’s Thanksgiving dinner (far right). The post, as well as their frequent social media interactions (Justin commented laughing emojis on one of Jen’s recent grid pictures), is a sign that Jen has worked hard to keep her former loved ones in her life. Despite getting divorced in February 2018, insiders tell Grazia that Jen and Justin are now close again. The couple, who started dating in 2007 and married in a clandestine ceremony in 2015, reunited earlier this year when Dolly – the German Shepherd they had co-owned when…

ADWOA ABOAH The category is: Marie Antoinette on a night out in John Galliano. C’est magnifique! PHOTOS: GETTY IMAGES “HAT WILL YOU WEAR ON CHRISTMAS DAY?” ‘I’ll wear something appropriate for church, because I’ll be with my grandma in Ghana.’ TRACEE ELLIS ROSS Of all the brilliant outfits Tracee wore during the night, this multi-layered Loewe number was our favourite. ADUT AKECH MODEL OF THE YEAR Top prize goes to Adut, who became a refugee at seven, for an inspirational speech about diversity – and the best bow (Valentino). “WHAT WILL YOU WEAR ON CHRISTMAS DAY?” ‘I live in Australia, so it’s usually 40 degrees. We don’t usually leave the house! I’ll be lying under the air conditioning somewhere…’ RED CARPET DOYENNES Hello Hollywood! Naomi, Cate and Julia brought serious…

PHOTOS: SHUTTERSTOCK, GETTY GIN AND BEAR IT At some point in the 2010s, gin and tonic went through a transformation. It used to be a drink you inappropriately made for your dad after work (oh, 20th-century parenting); now it’s artisanal, aromatic, flavoured and ‘craft’, served with pink peppercorns or elaborate shavings of fruit peel. Now you can order a G&T and somehow pass it off as an intellectual thing, instead of just a getting-drunk thing. This has also been the decade of prosecco’s rise and fall – it overtook champagne as Britain’s favourite, more affordable fizz in 2013, and turned ‘It’s Tuesday night!’ into a good enough reason to celebrate. The party didn’t last, alas – they never do; sales dropped by three million bottles last year. Meanwhile, the Aperol…

BERRY CHRISTMAS You can’t go wrong with shades of red and pink SILENT NIGHT Up the luxe factor with moody blues and violets GOLDEN DAYS Burnished shades are the right side of razzle dazzle DECK THE HALLS The colour of holly and ivy never goes out of style WINTER ICE For minimalists, opt for silver and white gifts PHOTOS: GETTY, SHUTTERSTOCK…

PHOTO: COURTESY OF ALDO THE FESTIVE SEASON is in full swing and with that come the parties, dinners, lunches and brunches. Any occasion is reason enough to ramp up your style game and step into a fresh pair (or two) of ALDO shoes. High street and celeb favourite ALDO has got you covered, with a holiday collection that will take you from day to night and every soirée in-between. Classic silhouettes are back and given a glam upgrade, while new styles make their debut with playful finishes, luxe materials and va-va-voom colours. Follow in the footseps of A-listers Jameela Jamil and Shailene Woodley and wear the red-carpet-ready and ever versatile Cassedy pointed stiletto pump. Available in leather, suede and snakeskin and vibrant shades, this iconic silhouette elevates any outfit. If…

FACT: PAT MCGRATH IS universally acknowledged to be one of the best make-up artists of our time, with a star-spangled roster of clients (including Naomi Campbell and Kim Kardashian) and a never-ending list of fashion brands enlisting her expertise (Givenchy, Gucci and Loewe are regulars). Famed for creating lavish looks on demand, who better to guide our own party make-up efforts this year? For Pat, ‘ultra-femme, sublime glamour with a touch of experimentation’ is the order of the day and, when it comes to upping the ante this season, try ‘deep crimson lips, flickering metallics, and glitter… it’s the best time to experiment with something new or bold’. Behold Pat’s most iconic looks, and the secrets behind achieving each one, direct from the beauty queen herself… THE WINGED EYE 1.…

SOCK IT TO ‘EM Sweaty Betty’s new Christmas trainer liners are the perfect stocking filler and a reminder to keep moving over Christmas, £20, sweatybetty.com WONDER WATER Bamford’s new crystal water bottle is said to charge your water depending on the crystal you choose. I’m going for amethyst for spiritual growth and protection. £45, bamford.com HEALTHYISH CHOCOLATE Instead of falling in a box of Quality Street, stock up on Raw Halo. Vegan, ethically sourced and made with organic ingredients. Dark & Raspberry is my fave. £2.99, rawhalo.com…

NIK SOUTHERN, OWNER of style-savvy florist Grace & Thorn (graceandthorn.com), bought her terraced house in Essex two years ago, only to move out for four months while the work was done. ‘The previous owner had been there for 40 years, so it needed updating,’ she explains. ‘I squared up the rear kitchen/downstairs bathroom lean-to, removing a wall to create one large room. Some kitchens I looked at cost £25,000, but I was never going to spend that much,’ says Nik. ‘I like mixing cheap with expensive.’ Here’s how it all came together... ROOM WITH A VIEW I wanted a space from which I could see the garden – and because I love to cook and have people round, I wanted it to be a good size, too. TABLE TALK The…

Catch up on… The Marvelous Mrs Maisel Midge is back on prime form, touring the States with her idyllic comedy chutzpah in season three of the award-littered comedy drama. Season two saw a dip in hysteria around the show but it still feels the closest we’ve got to a Mad Men driven by oestrogen. ALL SEASONS, AMAZON PRIME Watch live… A Responsible Child Two brothers, one just 12 years old, plan to atone for their stepfather’s sins in a harrowing murder saga with more bad blood than Thursday’s election. Harsh but essential feature-length drama. TUESDAY, 9PM, BBC TWO Wallow in… Four Weddings And A Funeral Now feels like a peculiar moment to revive Richard Curtis’s oops-there-goes-my-perfect-life comedy of very upper class English manners. But Mindy Kaling stepping in to bring…

THE WONDER OF WOMEN! A lot of the jokes about Kim K becoming a lawyer just show that people don’t think a woman with a public sexual identity can be smart or care about justice – well, they’re wrong (Kim gets serious – and covers up, 3 Dec). She is a remarkable woman, not just a media caricature of a party girl. She is the mother of three kids who is using her power to make a difference on a tough issue – and I bet you she is going to be very good at it. My best friend trained to be a solicitor while bringing up two kids and she’s doing a fabulous job. Good for Kim and good for my friend. Daniella…

1. Up TIFFANY HADDISH Showcasing a red carpet look we’ve decided to officially name ‘half in half out’, to truly excellent effect, at the launch of Black Mitzvah last week. 2. Up TAYLOR SWIFT On Cats , the forthcoming film everyone’s terrified of. ‘I loved the weirdness of it,’ she told Andrew Lloyd Webber last week. He wrote the musical, of course, so: tactful, Taylor. Tactful. 3. New in MAHMOUD FROM JOAN & JERICHA The doctor with the highly dubious methods who the world’s funniest/most evil podcast agony aunts adore. We grow increasingly obsessed with him. 4. Up JOHN BOYEGA Navy base, camel check overcoat with tiger-striped shoulders in New York last week. What here is not to love? What ? 5. Up WOLFGANG VAN HALEN Tweeted: ‘If you haven’t…

PHOTOS: BACKGRID, EROTEME, GETTY The British Fashion Council awarded Fenty the Urban Luxe Award last week, but the truth is the win was much bigger than the name implies. The thing about Robyn Rihanna Fenty’s namesake label is that it encompasses so many firsts. The first black woman to found and run a luxury French maison, joining a storied pantheon that includes Dior, Givenchy and Fendi. The first woman to establish an original fashion label with LVMH. And the first person to create a new house under the LVMH umbrella since Christian Lacroix. The first designer to create a luxury fashion line that accounts for racial, gender and size inclusivity in its DNA from the ground up. And the first pop star to reach the levels of power, currency and…

PHOTOS: EMILI SINDLEV/INSTAGRAM,JASON LLOYD-EVANS, GETTTY IMAGES EMILI SINDLEV JEANETTE MADSEN CHARLOTTE GROENEVELD A JUMPER FESTOONED with a reindeer head, holly berries or clusters of baubles? You’d probably rather not, right? So instead, meet the not-so-novelty knit – statement jumpers that are light on tinsel while still managing to be big on joy. And harder working in the styling department. Think classic Fair Isle, stripes and argyle sweaters with a fashion twist. The latter has been around since the 17th century, but has recently struck a chord with the fashion set thanks to Molly Goddard, who reimagined the classic print on a modern-day twinset. Not to be confused with your dad’s old golfing attire, the trick to making it ‘fashion’ is in the pairing – try slip skirts, straight-leg jeans or…

PHOTOS: PAOLO ROVERSI THERE ARE FEW STORIES that have been retold as many times as Romeo And Juliet . And while, for many of us, Claire Danes will always be Juliet (thanks to Baz Luhrmann’s 1996 film), Pirelli’s latest calendar sees a new generation of stars reinterpret Juliet as a standalone character. ‘There are no Romeos here,’ said photographer Paolo Reversi. The calendar, which was unveiled in Verona last week, features actors Indya Moore, Claire Foy, Emma Watson, Yara Shahidi, Mia Goth and Kristen Stewart, and singers Rosalia and Chris Lee, as well as Paolo’s own daughter and muse Stella Roversi, an Italian artist. Each of the actors was asked to think about their own interpretation of Juliet through a 2020 lens, says Roversi, adding he wanted to include ‘women…

PHOTOS: BRUCE ADAMS/DAILY MAIL IF YOU’RE PART of a heterosexual couple and you need fertility treatment to conceive, you’re in an unlucky minority. Eight out of 10 straight couples aged under 40 having regular, unprotected sex will get pregnant within a year. The rest of us – the people who try and try and don’t get pregnant – are unfortunate. It feels maddeningly unfair – and so does the postcode lottery for NHS-funded IVF. Meanwhile, privately funded IVF is expensive, an out-of-reach impossibility for many families. So I can understand why Katie Foster, 37, turned to an online competition to have her daughter Abigail, last week dubbed the ‘Facebook baby’ by the press. My husband and I are currently accessing fertility treatment at our local hospital in East London. It’s…

‘People have their “green light” on’ Molly*, 28, is a graphic designer and lives in Dunfermline ALL I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS… a boyfriend. And party season is the perfect hunting ground. Forget dating apps at this time of year. Wasting hours scrolling through profiles, swiping left or right, interminable messages back and forth. Excitement building until an anticlimactic date with someone who’s great online… not so much in real life. And back to square one. Sigh. Festive parties are the perfect opportunity to meet someone the old-fashioned way – in person (and cut out the digital middleman, which is often such a smokescreen). Everyone’s in a good mood, ‘well-refreshed’ and, with a new party frock on and the prospect of a break from work soon, I feel happy, confident and…

PHOTOS:BEYONCÉ/INSTAGRAM, JASON LLOYD-EVANS,SHUTTERSTOCK. SPORTMAX BOOK, £150, ASSOULINE.COM Let your boots take a leading role. Beyoncé’s Brother Vellies pair also star in new film Queen & Slim. Reuse. Baum Und Pferdgarten’s new suiting uses fabric left over from previous seasons. Celebrate 50 years of modern classicism with Sportmax’s eponymous new tome. Have a (highland) fling with sassed-up tartan. Take holiday season style notes from Barbara Stanwyck in Christmas In Connecticut and Remember The Night. Pull a bed-to-bar move in night-out PJs. See Bella Hadid in Dior Men’s at the brand’s pre-fall 2020 show.…

SCENT-TASTIC Fendi collaborated with Maison Francis Kurkdjian – perfumer behind fragrances for Dior and Armani – to create scent FendiFrenesia. POCKET ROCKET Just big enough for a lipstick and credit card, the bag has base notes of musk and, yes, leather. Imagine the smell of a new bag, then elevate that to the level of art. RETOUCHING Want to carry the scent even when you leave your bag at home? Each Nano Baguette comes with a 5ml vial of perfume.…

» PREP IT, PREP IT REAL GOOD Hair guru Zoe Irwin has gifted us the ultimate prep routine to see us through a multitude of looks and party-packed schedules. It would be rude not to share… 1. ‘Prep your hair when it’s damp with a good volumising spray that gives hold, too. My favourite is the ghd Root Lift Spray, £14.50. Mist the underside of your hair at the roots, starting with a section at the nape of your neck and working upwards in 4cm sections.’ 2. ‘Hold the bottle 10cm away from your hair and mist the mid-lengths and ends, too.’ 3. ‘Apply a lightweight serum (too oily or heavy and it risks pulling your hair down) to the mid-lengths and ends, then blow dry your hair upside down…

PHOTOS: GIANANDREA TRAINA. CLEAN RESERVE: SPACENK.COM. ELLA K: HARVEYNICHOLS.COM. ERMANNO SCERVINO: DEBENHAMS.COM. LE LABO: CULTBEAUTY.CO.UK. SUNSPEL: SUNSPEL.COM. VERONIQUE GABAI: LIBERTYLONDON.COM. VILHELM: LIBERTYLONDON.COM Joely Walker, beauty & health director Still trying to track down a signature scent for winter? Or maybe you’re looking to rake in the brownie points come Christmas from your most fragrant friend? Either way, this luxe line-up of new niche fragrances should do the trick nicely. And don’t even get me started on the bonus shelfie points… The Italian fashion house’s first fragrance, Ermanno Scervino For Her, £69 for 50ml, is the brainchild of three female perfumers. Think sophisticated gourmand with a floral flair. Not your average fleeting floral, Vilhelm Parfumerie Peony Couture, £165 for 100ml, pairs its namesake flower with cedarwood and spicy black pepper. This…

PHOTO: GIANANDREA TRAINA IN GENERAL, slime is not a quality we’re looking for in our food, and that’s why okra gets such a bad rap. As soon as you cut into a pod, it releases ‘mucilage’ (sticky, viscous liquid). But one woman’s mucilaginous material is another woman’s (my) treasure; I am Into It. It means these ridged, green, fuzzy pods (known as lady’s fingers for their elegant tapered ends) harbour powers other vegetables do not. While aubergines and courgettes are out there draining in colanders lest they accidentally water down your dinner, okra pods get busy, naturally thickening the soups and stews they’re added to. And here, in the instance of this beautiful Indian snack, kurkuri bhindi (crispy okra), the sticky liquid mixes with spices and flour to produce a…

ASK THE EXPERT How to finish (not just start) a creative project Hattie Crisell, Grazia contributing editor Every creative project starts out as a perfect idea. Unfortunately, it then has to become a messy, challenging reality, full of opportunities for failure – and at some point, you’ll want to give up. Over the years I’ve abandoned books I wanted to write and adventures I wanted to take. But this year, I decided to make a podcast of interviews with great writers, from the novelist David Nicholls to the poet Wendy Cope, exploring how they work and what they’ve learnt – and this time, I didn’t give up. Here’s what it taught me about seeing a project through. First, don’t overthink it before you start. It’s too…

PHOTO: GETTY JOSÉPHINE DE LA BAUME 35, SINGER AND ACTOR THE PARIS-BORN STYLE ICON LOVES STEPHEN FRY AND HATES PLASTIC The first thing I do when I come home is make myself a cup of tea. This is strange for a French person; it’s very English. Then I usually try to finish work, either a script that I haven’t read yet, or writing. The day’s not really over yet when I come home. I often work in the living room when I’m in London. There’s something warm and convivial about it. But strangely, when I’m in my small apartment in Paris, I feel extremely isolated. Anytime I get a chance to stay in, I do. When I play gigs, I have to be out late-ish and, when we’re recording in…