Make-Up

9 Summer Cocktails That You Only Need 3 Ingredients To Make

9 Summer Cocktails That You Only Need 3 Ingredients To Make

For a long time in my teens, making cocktails consisted of mixing together the dregs stolen from my parents’ liquor cupboard; more recently, it involved combining things from my own cupboard and hoping for the best. However, if ‘beach-ready hair‘ and dinners I just ‘threw together’ have taught me anything, […]

The Serum That Finally Helped Fade My Acne Scars

The Serum That Finally Helped Fade My Acne Scars

When it comes to products that claim to “fade,” “brighten,” or reduce the appearance of hyperpigmentation and acne scars, I can’t help but remain a skeptic. As a beauty writer who’s dealt with acne for over a decade, I’ve seen and slathered it all; from over-the-counter topicals at the drugstore […]

Prison Wife TikTok Shows The Reality Of Dating Someone Behind Bars

When Naomi, 27, from Manchester, started writing to a prisoner based in Michigan over lockdown, she never thought they’d end up romantically involved. Her counselling course had been cut short due to COVID-19 and she’d wanted to find another way to lend a listening ear. This led Naomi to sign […]

17 Plus-Size Bikinis & Swimsuits For Your Hot Girl Summer

17 Plus-Size Bikinis & Swimsuits For Your Hot Girl Summer

If you’re plus size then you’re probably familiar with the so-called ‘style rules’ with which the market tries to ply us when shopping for swimwear: look for solid colours over busy patterns, high waisted is ‘more flattering’ and cast aside skimpy styles in favour of those with more coverage. Now, […]

Salary Story: My Biggest Salary Increase Came From The Biggest Leap I Took

Salary Story: My Biggest Salary Increase Came From The Biggest Leap I Took

In our series Salary Stories, women with long-term career experience open up about the most intimate details of their jobs: compensation. It’s an honest look at how real people navigate the complicated world of negotiating, raises, promotions and job loss, with the hope it will give young women more insight into […]

Why Are We Such Snobs When It Comes To Weddings?

“Vera Wang. And Carolina Herrera. And Christian Lacroix. And Lanvin. And Dior. And Oscar de la Renta. And finally Vivienne Westwood. A dress so special it could bring a wedding tear from even the most unbelieving of women.”  – Carrie Bradshaw, Sex And The City: The Movie (2008) Culture has […]

The Treatment That Cleared My Spots & 7 Other Products I Used Up In June

The Treatment That Cleared My Spots & 7 Other Products I Used Up In June

As Refinery29’s beauty editor, I’m very lucky to try hundreds of beauty buys, from skincare to makeup, hair and everything in between. But I have to admit that I’m selective. Out of all the products that land on my desk, only a handful are so good that I end up […]

Self-Isolating Students Face An End-Of-Term Nightmare

University of Manchester student Cerys Jones lives in a house of 10 students and was supposed to be moving out tomorrow. Instead, as another academic year draws to a close, she and her housemates are stuck there self-isolating for the next week. “Our tenancy is up and we can’t get […]