Top Lifestyle News
Lustrous locks can come at a price for your cat | Letter
Amy Goodwill points out that although minoxidil may be beneficial for hair loss, it is highly toxic if ingested by a petSali Hughes’s article (Sali Hughes on beauty: worried about hair loss? Here’s a treatment that actually works, 14 October) is accurate on the benefits of minoxidil for hair loss, but it needs to be emphasised that minoxidil is incredibly toxic to cats and dogs, and anyone with a pet should not use it topically if they don’t want to risk killing their animal companion. Anyone taking it orally should also be cautious.There is no antidote, and 98% of affected pets need hospitalisation, with 15% of cats dying as a result of even a tiny dose – from things like licking your hand, or lying on your pillow then grooming themselves. As soon as I found this out, I stopped using it, threw it away, and washed everything it could have touched, because I’d rather be bald than accidentally kill Maia, my cat. Amy Goodwill Milton Keynes Continue reading...
The last thing I did for my mother was illegal
An urn cost more than my rent. So I scattered my mother’s ashes at Yosemite from a Ziploc bag, without the federal permit I couldn’t afford to wait forMy mother is in a Ziploc bag on my lap, wedged between a half-eaten bag of trail mix and my purse.My stomach is queasy from the switchbacks up to Yosemite, where I’ve come to spread her ashes, and I’m having an existential crisis. Continue reading...
Homes with striking interiors for sale in England – in pictures
From a brick stable block renovated into an eco home to a Georgian townhouse painted in atmospheric shades of grey Continue reading...
‘A powerful act of imagination and self-affirmation’: experts on how to start writing a book
Thinking about writing a book and doing it are two very different things – so how to get started and follow through? At some point in their lives, many people are confronted with a big question: what if I wrote a book?Writing a memoir, murder mystery or steamy romance is an accomplishment. Like running a marathon or successfully filing your taxes, it speaks to grit, determination and hours of research and effort.How to start meditatingHow to start weightliftingHow to start budgetingHow to start running Continue reading...
‘Try to eat really well, 80% of the time’: nutrition expert says healthy eating is easier than you think
Christopher Gardner, the author of Food Sense and director of nutrition studies at Stanford, says we have overcomplicated the question of what to eatFinally, some good news: eating well is more straightforward than you think. “There’s a lot of good science out there, and it mostly agrees,” says Stanford University’s director of nutrition studies and professor of medicine Christopher Gardner from his office in Palo Alto – beaming, bronzed and the picture of health.In the age of social media and wellness grift, we’ve overcomplicated the question of what to eat, he says. Continue reading...
‘Children are naturally drawn to beauty’: the head of the ‘Issey Miyake’ preschool on their pleated uniforms
Ms Lam Montessori’s head of school reveals teachers wear a different Japanese designer after their chic clothes drew online envy“Does anyone know what the deal is Ms Lam Montessori … and why all their employees wear Issey Miyake … every day … I’m confused and a bit jealous,” asked one commenter on the Williamsburg subreddit last week, sparking a unexpected viral moment for a chain of Brooklyn Montessori preschools.The poster was responding to photos on the Montessori’s website of the teachers’ uniforms: raspberry, cobalt and apple green dresses in plissé fabric. They appeared to be from the Pleats Please line by Japanese designer Issey Miyake. It seemed an avant-garde choice for staff posing in front of the abachi and blond wood toys of their preschool classroom. Continue reading...
Oct 11, 2026
Do we really ‘hold tension’ in our hips?
Anthony Vaccarello’s decade at Saint Laurent comes to an end – in pictures
After 10 years as creative director of the Paris-based luxury brand, the designer bows out. From a rock’n’roll aesthetic to see-through brogues, here are 10 stand-out moments Continue reading...
What happens to your pets when you die?
Without a proper plan – whether in a trust or will – your beloved companion could face an animal shelter or worseThe idea of making a will may be uncomfortable, but routine. Ensuring that your family and estate is taken care of is a kindness. But there’s one thing clients often aren’t sure how to handle, says Azriel J Baer, a trust and estate attorney at New York-based law firm Farrell Fritz, PC: what will happen to their pet.Sometimes, “somebody wants to set up a trust with substantial money in it”, he said. But more typically, the client wants to ensure “the right person” gets the dog or cat – but has no idea how best to do it. Continue reading...
Privileged and proud: how nepo babies took fashion month by storm
From commanding the catwalks to acting as plus-ones for their famous parents, celebrity kids are bang on trendKnee-length skirts and bras worn as tops were two of the main takeaways from fashion month, which wrapped up this week. But the biggest trend had nothing to do with clothing. From New York and London to Milan and Paris, the shows were the ultimate proof of a nepo baby takeover.John Travolta’s daughter, Ella Bleu, 26, made her Paris catwalk debut at Miu Miu. Apple Martin, 22, the daughter of Chris Martin and Gwyneth Paltrow, walked the Chloé show. Continue reading...
‘We live in grief-phobic societies’: experts on how to get more comfortable with death
We are all going to die, and so is everyone we know. So how can you not be terrified?For most people, death is not a standard conversation topic. Once, at lunch, a friend began talking about her mother’s death several years earlier. Her voice caught occasionally, but she spoke about it plainly – like a simple fact of life. As we talked, I noticed another friend was shifting uncomfortably in his seat; he didn’t say much.Afterwards, I asked him what was wrong. “I really don’t like talking about death,” he said, his hands twitching anxiously. “I don’t even like thinking about it. It freaks me out.” Continue reading...
From urban rooftops to working cattle farms: Australia’s best home gardens – in pictures
The 20 best residential gardens have been revealed in the first-ever Landscape Australia awards shortlist. Jury chair Emily Wong said each project was a response to urgent issues such as the climate crisis, fire and flood resilience, and the loss of biodiversity. They saw gardens as ‘part of a larger living commons that supports different ecologies and also … the future of Australian cities’. Wong also noted that private gardens take up a large quantity of space in Australian cities. ‘So really, these gardens are about seeing the design as a contribution to shared infrastructure’ Continue reading...
The seven best blenders in the US: for smoothies, frozen drinks and more
A great blender is a kitchen workhouse – I tested more than a dozen options including the Vitamix and Breville for budget, size, mulch factor, speed and whether they had plastic or glass jarsIn the UK? Check out Filter UK’s top-rated blenders hereThere are few breakfasts that feel as healthy and refreshing as the ever-mutable smoothie. You can make them virtuous, with lots of greens and nut milk, or luscious, with full-fat dairy and cocoa powder – but in order to make a good one, you need a really good blender.And while smoothies are the classic use for a blender, these appliances can do so much more; a truly great blender is a kitchen workhorse that can make your morning smoothie, your afternoon dip, your evening soup and even a frozen drink if you’re feeling frisky.Best overall: Breville Fresh & FuriousThe very best blender (luxury): Vitamix 5200 Continue reading...
