Table of contents for Issue 900 in Grazia

Email us at feedback@graziamagazine.co.uk Find us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram @GraziaUK DEAR GRAZIA, THANK you for helping me get through those first tricky few weeks of January with your latest issue. I loved reading your interview with the hilarious Claudia Winkleman (‘I’m Just A Tiny Orange Woman!’) and am grateful for the heads-up on what other TV gems are to come this year (aside from The Traitors), alongside the best books, films and exhibitions to pencil in my new diary (25 Picks For 2025). Alongside all the fashion and beauty tips on how to look and feel great this year, I also learned a great deal from Drink up! – never has dry January been so enticing! Jay…

HAVE YOU GOT an Oura Ring? I haven’t and I really want one, although I also know having one would make me an ORW[1]… But I still want one and, honestly? The only thing stopping me is I don’t think they work with my aesthetic. Overly chunksome, innit. Sorry? What was that? You don’t know what one is? Yikes, cringe, etc, but never mind, I’ll explain. Oura Rings are smart rings, jewellery tech, ‘wearables’, designed to sit on your finger from whence they track your biometrics (heart rate, sleep, recovery, calories burned, yadda ya) then feed back to your phone, so you can, you know, check. The Oura is this year’s Wellness Status Signifier of choice, replacing last year’s (the Zoe yellow blood sugar monitor sticker -when was the last…

LA is the beating heart of the entertainment industry, supporting thousands of jobs – all were hit by the pandemic, then the 2023 Writers Guild of America strike that halted TV and film production for 148 days. In the wake of the wildfires, production was halted on projects, including Fallout, Grey’s Anatomy, Abbot Elementary and the third instalment of Avatar. Many ceremonies, premieres and events have been postponed or cancelled, including The Critics’ Choice Awards (which has moved to February) and Meghan Markle’s new Netflix show, With Love, Meghan, which is now scheduled for a March release. While the Grammy Awards (3 Feb) has not been cancelled as was assumed, Sony and Warner have cancelled their after-parties. The delayed announcement of the Oscar nominations is now scheduled for 23 January.…

A STYLE CONUNDRUM that neatly sums up January? The balancing act between feeling comfortable and looking smart (best foot forward and all that). And, in fact, therein lies the answer. Because the influencer set has found a way to tick off both via footwear that’s flat, functional and perfect for styling with a chunky sock if it’s freezing. Enter the suede loafer. It’s a shoe that’s been in the spotlight for a few seasons now. We’ve already witnessed the return of moccasins thanks to Miu Miu, as well as the unlikely trend for laced boat shoes that swept Instagram (whether or not their wearers had sea legs). Now, it’s a minimalist style made of butter-soft suede that is emerging as the one to own in 2025. Lucy Williams wore hers…

VALENTINE’S DAY MAY be right around the corner, but that doesn’t mean we’re all stepping into silk thongs, see-through bras and suspenders. This season, big pants are back, and our attention is on cosy comfort. And thanks to some of our favourite lingerie labels, these pants are still perfectly pretty. Case in point: fashion favourite Rixo has partnered with lingerie label Stripe & Stare on a capsule underwear collection. Think immediately identifiable Rixo prints on bras, pants and even a bold bodysuit, all made from super-soft yet sustainably sourced beech tree fabric. Up for grabs are classic knickers in loveheart, polka-dots or leopard print (£18), a string scoop bra (£30) and a striking polo body (£65). As Stripe & Stare’s creative and sustainability director Katie Lopes says, ‘Underwear can make…

What comes to mind when you think about the word ‘investing’? Maybe it conjures up images of Kit Harington in a well-tailored suit in Industry, or Leonardo DiCaprio’s character snorting lines of cocaine in his office in The Wolf Of Wall Street. A trading floor full of screaming men in suits. Something pretty far removed from our day-to-day reality. This perception is one reason why women are tuned out when it comes to investing. Only seven million women in the UK invest, compared to 10 million men, and the gap is getting worse. In fact, the gender gap for investing is a whopping £567 billion – roughly the same size as the entire GDP of Poland. That means British men collectively own the equivalent of the entire Polish economy more…

WHEN I WAS pregnant, my partner and I listened to an audiobook on attachment parenting. It felt anti-feminist, even a little Handmaid’s Tale to me, recommending extended breastfeeding (12 months plus), baby-wearing (in slings), instant soothing (rather than sleep training ) and co-sleeping (in the same bed). The creators believed that by satisfying a child’s every craving for closeness in the early years, you create a secure attachment with them, making them more independent and adventurous later in life. ‘We’re not doing any of that,’ I said to him. ‘I’ll want my body, bed and independence back.’ Yet, we’ve gone on to do all of that. Once my daughter arrived, my ideologies reassembled. ‘Follow your instincts,’ my family told me, and I did. There’s been no judgement from them, but…

ADOPT A UNIFORM (OF SORTS) TO SEE YOU THROUGH ANY OCCASION There are two types of uniform that I fall back on when I’m unsure of what to wear: a suit or a black/white T-shirt or shirt and jeans. My current favourite pieces include a Wardrobe.NYC oversized single-breasted wool blazer (£1,050), a COS clean-cut regular T-shirt (£30) and the COS column straight-leg jeans (£85). These outfit formulas are so versatile and you can accessorise depending on the occasion. A blazer, white T-shirt and jeans can be completed with white socks, loafers and a shoulder bag for the day. Then, in the evening, simply swap the T-shirt for a white shirt, heels and a mini bag. ELEVATING AN OUTFIT IS ACTUALLY EASY The first tip to elevating any outfit is ensuring…

I’VE ALWAYS BEEN a rubbish sleeper. Getting to sleep, staying asleep, napping – none of it comes easy. Previously, as soon as my head hit the pillow it would buzz with to-do lists and mild anxiety (inevitably, 10 minutes later, I’d get up to triple-check I’d locked the front door). Once I was snoozing, I’d wake up regularly. My pre-bed routine was extensive: fan (essential all-year round), white noise machine (to really amp it up), eye mask (to block out all light), ear plugs (yes, as well as the white noise), a silk pillowcase (maxing out on beauty sleep), yogic breathing exercises – yet a decent night’s sleep still evaded me. According to a Sealy’s Global Sleep Consensus, I’m not alone. In fact, 95% of Brits fail to wake up…

INTERIORS, FOOD, TRAVEL + BOOKS…

MY OLDEST FRIENDS AND I struggle to see each other much in person these days. Continents, kids and busy lives get in the way of the messy nights and regular hangouts we enjoyed in our twenties. What keeps us connected is a WhatsApp group where we update each other on everything from the mundane to the major via voice notes – sent from the dog walk, the commute or the bath. So when our cover stars Lily Allen and Miquita Oliver explained why they think their Miss Me? podcast has been so successful, it struck a chord. ‘It’s like a form of nostalgia, not necessarily for a period of time, but for long-term, platonic relationships,’ Allen says in an interview with her cohost on page 32. The pair discuss fame,…

1. New in TOBY IN 'BOARDERS' It’s a close call, as the main cast in this BBC iPlayer gem are all certified 100% fresh. But Toby (played by Sekou Diaby) just edges it. 2. New in BRANDON WILSON & ETHAN HERISSE We can’t in good faith tell you to watch Nickel Boys, cos it is utterly brilliant yet totally devastating. BUT: its two stars deserve all the awards. 3. New in ELLA MAISY PURVIS Starring as Patience in Patience – Channel 4’s really rather good new procedural. She’s got a great face, no two ways about it. 4. Up SAFA FROM 'DUBAI BLING' Season three of the gaudy ‘reality’ show, and Safa’s ludicrous yet endearing attempts to give up consumerism have us bemused/charmed. 5. Non-mover TRACY-ANN OBERMAN We scored tickets…

Tom Holland and Zendaya (above), both 28, met on the set of Spider-Man Homecoming back in 2016 and were friends for five years before rumours began circulating that they were dating. Four years later, they’re set to tie the knot. Millie Bobby Brown and Jake Bongiovi (22-year-old son of Bon Jovi) married in a small ceremony in Tuscany last year, attended only by family. The Stranger Things star, 20, reportedly wore four dresses – a custom Galia Lahav for the ceremony, vintage Valentino for photos, Oscar de la Renta for the reception and she finished the night in a Vivienne Westwood minidress. Olivia Rodrigo and Louis Partridge, both 21, have been dating since October 2023. The singer and Brit actor made their hard launch on Instagram a year later. Tate…

IT’S 1995 AND a bronzed blonde goddess in a red one-piece, copious lip liner and a smoky eye has just emerged on to a Malibu beach looking more perfect than any human has the right to look. I turn away from the TV disconsolately. As the bubbly and brave lifeguard CJ Parker, Pamela Anderson made my young self feel woefully inadequate. Thirty years later, she makes my considerably older self feel wonderfully vindicated. Now 57, Pamela Anderson is ‘brave’ in a way that doesn’t involve rescuing hapless Californians who’ve strayed too far from the shore. These days, her bravery is in not wearing make-up. ‘Nor do I, and nobody’s giving me a medal’ you may opine. But while a make-up-free face might be ‘normal’ on a dog walk, it’s almost…

Start with a stocks and shares ISA: you can open one online in 10 minutes with as little as £50. Once it’s set up, you choose what to invest in, with some banks and robo advisors offering recommendations based on your goals. Find a simple collection of investments that is spread widely: beginners should look for one simple investment solution that is well diversified. A robo advisor can automate your portfolio for you. Monzo and Nutmeg have decent options, or Moneybox has a nice ‘round-up’ feature that allows users to invest spare change. Or choose a low-cost global tracker fund (which tracks major indices like FTSE 100) or a ‘multi-asset’ fund, which typically have investments in more than 1,000 global companies, such as Apple, HSBC, Microsoft and Samsung. Keep any…

WHEN I LAST spoke to Clare Waight Keller, she was in no rush to go back to work full-time. ‘The right thing has to come along,’ she said. That was in May 2023 when she was working on Uniqlo: C, the second capsule collection for Uniqlo, having previously been artistic director at Givenchy (the first woman to hold the position). A year and a half later when we meet again I’m speaking to Uniqlo’s new creative director. So the right thing did come along? ‘With every [career] move I make, I want to be learning and be challenged. This was a huge learning opportunity,’ she says. ‘When I saw the ambition of Uniqlo and where they see things growing in terms of lifting up the main line to become an…

I’VE NEVER BEEN too worried about the physicality of getting older, the intrinsic ageing and the related changes to my appearance. But that’s because by some miraculous quirk of metabolism, it hasn’t happened to me yet. Or hadn’t, I should say, but we’ll get to that. I recently turned 45 and I think my metabolism just realised, because the difference in my reflection between this birthday and last is annoyingly significant. There have been a few studies that explain why; at a molecular level, we age dramatically at two accelerated bursts, around age 44 and 60, so the timings add up perfectly for me. I now realise it’s my hair that has made the biggest difference, but since we’re being honest, I went for the quickest fix first. Botox made…

’TIS THE SEASON of eking out the pennies until payday but that doesn’t mean your beauty regime has to pay the price. There are now a multitude of affordable buys that beat their more expensive counterparts and are stars in their own right. Most come in at around £10 (or two double-shot venti caramel macchiatos). So relax – January is looking… great. SKINCARE Simple Soothing Water Cream [1], £9.99 For those of a generation where ‘Kylie’ will always mean ‘Minogue’, Simple was our first foray into skincare. Fast-forward a few decades and it’s really upped its game. This cosseting cream is particularly clever because the ‘ceramide boosting technology’ actually gives your skin the stuff it needs to produce its own ceramides. Great for those whose nemesis is a greasy texture.…

TRUMP'S INAUGURATION IS A BLOW FOR WOMEN - BUT WE KNOW THEIR STRENGTH As we watch a sexual abuser be sworn into the White House for a second time, we’re thinking of women in the US – and across the world – who will see this as a message that men can abuse women and openly brag about their ability to ‘grab ’em by the pussy’ and yet still make it to the highest office. It’s going to be a tough four years for women. A second Trump presidency will no doubt continue to embolden misogyny. It means reproductive rights, equal pay and women’s safety could be under threat again. But we stand with American women and know their strength. We need to make our voices heard now more than…

THE WINTER CHILL is well and truly here and, with it, frosty mornings, icy winds and a strong chance of snow. So, what we wear now has the utmost importance, as if we want to leave our houses, our wardrobes are the only thing protecting us from the Baltic breeze. Capes are causing quite a commotion, creating an eye-catching silhouette that’s sure to elevate any outfit. We look to layering clothes as the key way to stay warm while still wearing our favourite items, although there is a method to making it seem sleek. And statement accessories are an easy way to inject pops of colour and a good dose of personality into each look. Plus, of course, you can’t go wrong with a great winter coat. This season is…

TWO AND A half years ago, I decided to stop drinking. My two daughters, Sienna and Aurelia, were two and six months old at the time. I wish I had known sooner that being sober would not only transform my life but also my ability to parent. My relationship with alcohol was rocky from the very beginning. I started drinking from the age of 14, binge drinking at parties, which still feels like a normalised part of our culture. According to research, a quarter of us still regularly binge drink and I would often get to the point of passing out. I would get so drunk, I’d have no recollection of large parts of the night. At the time, I didn’t think it was an issue and carried on into…

‘SHE’S AGEING in reverse,’ one TikTok user commented on a ‘before and after’ video of Lindsay Lohan. ‘I will pay any amount of money to have this done to my face – she looks STUNNING,’ said another. The actor’s Hollywood comeback has been making waves over the past few months – but it’s not just her return to screen that has people talking. The internet has gone wild for her fresh-faced, seemingly ageless appearance, and speculation about which cosmetic procedures she might have had done recently reached fever pitch. It’s become the norm to see flawlessly symmetrical faces with lifted eyes, high cheekbones, taut, glowing skin and perfectly plump lips on our TV and phone screens. It’s an aesthetic that’s so perfect that it looks like it’s generated by artificial…

TRAINING DAY Channel off-duty supermodel nonchalance and pair retro-inspired sportswear with longline overcoats for an easy-going outfit. KEEP IT TONAL For an outfit that looks more luxe than its high-street price tag, stick to shades of cream and beige – just be sure to steer clear of muddy puddles. INDIGO BLUES The wash of the season is a deep shade of indigo: wear head to toe or pair separates with tonal suede accessories. RELIVE THE '80S Lean into the era with blousy bombers, acid denim and leggings, all finished off with supersized studs.…

CARE Kama Ayurveda Bringadi Vital Strength, £54 Larry King Spoilt for Choice Hair Oil, £28 Color Wow Youth Juice Scalp Treatment, £44 Oribe Mirror Rinse Glass Hair Treatment, £63 Bread Beauty Creamy Deep Conditioner Hair Mask, £26 Gisou Honey Gloss Ceramide Hair Mask (out 21 Jan), £39 Silke London Hair Ties, £30 Champo Hydrating Vata System, £65 Vida Glow Hairology Capsules, £45 Typebea Overnight Boosting Peptide Serum, £43 COLOUR Clairol Colourblend Root Touch Up, £6.99 L’Oréal Paris Magic Retouch Precision, £9.99 Glaze Super Gloss Color Conditioning Gloss, £16 HARD WATER HELP Hello Klean Full Length Anti-Breakage Hard Water Shampoo, £15 Jolie The Filtered Shower Head, £134 TOOLS Dyson Airstrait, £449.99 Solaris Laboratories Intensive LED Growth Stimulating Brush, £57…

GLOW UP Arket Hand & Body Wash Album, £10 Designed to soften skin, this body wash is scented with wild fig and cashmeran. PIT STOP Estrid Weightless Deodorant, £9.95 Noni fruit and prebiotics keep underarms feeling (and smelling) fresh. SALVE SAVIOUR Oto The Ultimate Balm, £29 A CBD-infused miracle balm that remedies everything from chapped lips to cracked heels. FLOWER POWER Daisyface The Eye Cream, £55 Daisy stem cells make for happy eyes by reducing dark circles and puffiness. GREAT ESCAPE Velvet Smoke Baked Kiss Candle, £49 Winter sun in candle form – salty skin, suntan lotion, smoky bonfires. GLASS PASS Haus Labs Color Fuse Longwear Glassy Lip + Cheek Stick, £30 Over 70% skincare ingredients deliver a healthy, glossy flush of colour. SCENTS OF CHIC Aerin Tuberose Gardenia EDP,…

Soul Adventures Healing arts ‘miracle worker’ Trish Whelan helps clients fight work-related stress and regulate their nervous system with a blend of kundalini yoga, shamanic healing and breathwork. In 2025 she’s hosting retreats in Wales, Mallorca and Morocco. souladventures.co.uk Santalan Coaching Designed for busy women, this year-long programme kicks off with a four-day restorative retreat in Suffolk, with workshops to help you figure out what you need to change in your life. You leave with a 12-month roadmap, followed by monthly coaching sessions to keep you on track. santalan.com Elemental Breaks The Scarlet spa hotel in Cornwall has a new programme of seasonal retreats based on Ayurvedic principles and the four elements: fire (vitality), air (invigoration), water (rejuvenation) and earth (stability). Each curated package is designed to bring balance and…

The last book I read… What I Loved by Siri Hustvedt. It’s about a journalist and an artist who meet in New York and it follows their relationship over decades. The last song I listened to… Aldous Harding’s Stop Your Tears on repeat. The last film I watched… was a 1963 film called The Servant by Joseph Losey. The last item I added to my wardrobe… A pair of Dries van Noten men’s trousers. I was so obsessed with them that I had to get them. My tailor was not happy – they were like pregnancy pants x 10. The last beauty product I finished… Dr Barbara Sturm Sun Drops. I’m in LA so the sun is strong. The last podcast I listened to… The Moth. Each episode has a theme…