Top Lifestyle News
15 great small hotels, inns and restaurants with rooms for an autumn stay in the UK
From a cosy Cornish inn with open fires to a boutique hotel in Northumberland, these new and revamped boltholes tick all the right boxes Continue reading...
Henry Harris’ vegetarian recipe for French onion and parsley soup
A thick and creamy, flavourful onion soup topped with grated cheese and herbsWhen I was a child, my mother often made onions in white sauce to serve with roast lamb. I loved their thick, velvety texture and how they brought richness, sweetness and even more savouriness to a good Sunday lunch. A similarly thick tangle of onions features in the classic soupe à l’oignon gratinée, which can’t really be mimicked without a deep, dark, beefy stock, so rather than even try, it’s best to introduce another layer of flavour entirely. The parsley here yields a very different end result that also proves to be rather comforting.Henry Harris is chef/co-owner of Bouchon Racine, London EC1. His book, The Racine Effect, is published by Quadrille at £40. To order a copy for £36, go to guardianbookshop.com Continue reading...
Blind date: ‘I do wish I hadn’t stepped on that dog – but she assured me it was OK’
Miklos, 25, a PhD student, meets Minnie, 23, who works in film productionWhat were you hoping for? To take a step outside my comfort zone. To meet the love of my life. Continue reading...
The comedians turning AI anxiety into punchlines: ‘It’s so good, it’ll completely alter our grasp on reality’
Across videos, standup and cartoons, humorists are skewering big tech’s attempt to make AI ubiquitous and inevitable“Best case scenario, we never have to do any admin again,” says an AI CEO. “Worst case, we all die.”A young man struggles to the top of a beautiful mountain, words echoing in his ears: “AI will most likely lead to the end of the world, but in the meantime, there will be great companies created.” At the top of the mountain, he triumphantly holds up a sign: “Build a datacenter here.” Continue reading...
Cocktail of the week: Eleanore’s apple highball – recipe
A classy autumnal aperitif with a pleasingly bitter zingI adore calvados, and this highball was built off the back of a love for calvados and tonic. This refreshing aperitif expands on that idea andfeels really quite sophisticated in comparison.Johanna Cole, general manager, Eleanore, Edinburgh Continue reading...
Benjamina Ebuehi’s recipe for Belgian buns | The sweet spot
These old-school classic treats may struggle for attention among today’s more Instagram-worthy cardamon buns, but they’re simple to make and divine to devourBelgian buns are among a dying breed of bakes, forgotten about in favour of pretty cinnamon and cardamom buns and creative laminated doughs. I’d love to see more of these old-school, classic treats in bakeries, not least because they’re really simple to make. There are no twists or extra frills, just soft, buttery dough swirled with lemon curd and juicy sultanas. The icing glaze and cherry on top are essential, though, for maximum eating pleasure. Continue reading...
Sep 24, 2026
Bob Mackie obituary
Sali Hughes on beauty: if you can’t use retinoids, these proven anti-ageing formulas are the next best thing
Stop ‘pushing through the pain’ or ceaselessly searching for the ‘right retinol’ – there are some great alternativesAnyone with an internet connection will no doubt have heard that retinoids – a group of vitamin A-based compounds – are the most evidenced and effective ingredients in treating the visible signs of skin ageing. Message received loud and clear. But what often goes unheard are the voices of many beauty consumers who have found that they simply cannot use them. All too often, I see experts online telling those complaining of discomfort, unremitting dryness, persistent redness, stinging or angry reactions that they just need to “find the right retinol” or simply “push through” the pain barrier. But I will die on this hill: not everyone can use retinoids, and they can still achieve great results without them.If I don’t convince you, believe esteemed consultant dermatologist Dr Justine Hextall (a woman I respect and trust so completely that I have entrusted her with my children’s skin health), because she agrees. While Hextall, as any good derm would, prescribes retinoids on a daily basis, she also sees patients for whom there is a more appropriate, kinder pathway. “While retinoids are effective, they can be difficult to tolerate and may not be used consistently in those with sensitive skin,” she says. “Consistency is the key in skincare.” Continue reading...
From 50p gold hot pants to Paul Smith suits: how Kylie Minogue became one of pop’s ultimate chameleons
The star’s rise from Ramsay Street to global superstar is the subject of a new book. It’s a journey that has cleverly harnessed the power of fashion to transform, subvert – and shockOn 20 December 1989, Kylie Minogue first harnessed the power of fashion. Attending the Australian premiere of her film The Delinquents, she wore a custom sequined noughts-and-crosses minidress by Australian designers Morrissey Edmiston and a cropped blond wig. She also arrived with a new accessory: a rock star boyfriend in the shape of Michael Hutchence from INXS.Before then, there’d been her Neighbours character Charlene’s peak-80s silk taffeta and lace wedding dress, and Kylie the pop star on the cover of her first album, in 1988, wearing a topless hat showing off cascading curls. But that had been fashion forced on her, at a time when she had no say in her image. Continue reading...
Why you should quit and not look back: ‘Saying yes to everything is saying no to what matters’
In her new book, The Case for Quitting: The Surprising Benefits of Opting Out, Lindsay Crouse discusses the costs and traps of never giving up – and how she set herself freeLindsay Crouse used to define herself as not a quitter.She went to Harvard University, where she learned to become even more high-achieving and ambitious, then landed an assistant job at the New York Times and worked her way up to become an opinion writer and producer. On the weekends, Crouse ran marathons and did endurance sports, clocking new personal bests throughout her thirties. Continue reading...
Get tested and talk to your partner: how to have safer sex after age 50
At 51, I want many more years of a healthy, happy sex life. So I decided to compile my own guideWhen I got divorced after 28 years of monogamy, I was excited to be having sex again, but had concerns. I was 48, and the last time I’d been single was in the 90s; terrified of pregnancy and hyperconscious of HIV/Aids, I hadn’t considered condomless intercourse an option back then.Now, at 51, I’ve been wondering how important barrier protection is for me. Though I haven’t hit menopause, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) says that “by 45 getting pregnant naturally is unlikely”, and HIV/Aids prevention and treatment have improved significantly in the last three decades. Continue reading...
‘I suck at breaks’: a day in the life of an aerial cellist
Cellista, an aerialist who regularly performs upside down with her cello, shares what her life looks like training for the stageMastering the cello is hard enough, but Cellista also regularly performs upside down. She’s based in Las Vegas, but the aerialist spoke to us while traveling in Germany, and told us about what her life looks like training and writing for the stage. Continue reading...
A sea of hands, a giant ‘lifesaver-saurus’ and a melting robot: Queensland’s SWELL sculpture festival 2026 – in pictures
The beach becomes a giant art gallery each year as SWELL sculpture festival takes over Currumbin in Queensland’s south-east. Almost 100 large-scale artworks are on display during the free, 10-day outdoor exhibition, now in its 24th year. Among the artists is invited guest Patricia Piccinini, whose bronze sculpture Salute to the Sun ‘is a chimera, seamlessly moving between deer, tree, fungus, human and motorcycle’. The works are on display until Sunday 20 SeptemberSculpture by the Sea 2025: from troubled waters to Bondi beach – in pictures‘They become part of people’s identity’: how Australia fell in love with the Skywhales Continue reading...
