Damehood:
Denise Lewis (Olympic gold medalist and President, Commonwealth Games
England, services to Sport)
Knighthood:
John Akomfrah (visual artist, services to the arts)
Grayson Perry (artist, services to the arts)
Brian May (Queen guitarist who once told you to shut the fuck up, services to music and charity)
Luke Rittner (CEO of Royal Academy of Dance, services to dance and the arts)
CBE:
Sonia Friedman (theatre producer, services to theatre)
George Fenton (Oscar-nominated composer, services to music)
Pat Jennings (footballer, services to association football and charity)
OBE:
YolanDa Brown (saxophonist, services to music, music education and broadcasting)
Stephen Graham (actor, services to drama)
David Harewood (actor services to drama and charity)
Sophie Ingle (captain of Wales women’s football team, services to association football)
Philip Edgar-Jones (director of Sky Arts, for services to the arts and television)
David Sutherland (The Bean illustrator, services to illustration)
MBE:
Janet Bogle (actor and singer, services to music)
Lucia Bronze (Lioness, services to association football)
Frank Skinner (comedian, services to entertainment)
Ellen Convery (Lioness, services to association football)
Lizzie Deignan (Olympian, services to cycling)
Rachel De-lahay (playwright, services to drama)
Chris Kamara (services to association football, anti-racism and charity)
Kim Little (Scottish footballer, services to association football)
Beth Mead (lioness, services to association football)
Cleo Sylvestre (actor, services to drama and charity)
Christine Rice (opera singer, services to opera)
Rachel Riley (TV presenter, services to holocaust education)
Andrew Robertson (Scottish footballer, services to association football, charity and young people)
Jawahir Roble (referee, services to association football)
Francesca Simon (Horrid Henry author, services to literature)
Endometriosis impacts an estimated 1 in 10 women and girls of reproductive age worldwide. Moreover, recent research suggests that polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is thought to affect somewhere between 4 to 20% of women of reproductive age globally. Though endometriosis and PCOS are common health conditions, people often mistake one for the other or vice versa.
“Endometriosis and PCOS are two reproductive health conditions that are not well understood among many in the medical community,” Dr Stephanie Hack, board-certified obstetrician and gynaecologist and host of the Lady Parts Doctor podcast, tells HuffPost. “They both are associated with the menstrual cycle and fertility issues, making it easy to confuse them. However, they are very different.”
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HuffPost spoke with experts about the differences between PCOS and endometriosis, and why it’s important to understand the unique symptoms and treatments for each health condition.
“Endometriosis is a condition in which cells that resemble the lining of the uterus are present anywhere in the body,” says Dr Gaby Moawad, a clinical associate professor of obstetrics and gynaecology at The George Washington University and founder of The Center for Endometriosis & Advanced Pelvic Surgery (CEAPS).
This means that endometrial-like tissue grows in areas such as the ovaries, fallopian tubes, and tissue lining the pelvis. However, this tissue cannot shed like healthy endometrial tissue inside the uterus does during your period. In turn, endometriosis can cause severe pelvic pain, pain during menstruation and intercourse, nausea, bloating, and even pain during urination and bowel movements.
Endometriosis may increase the risk of developing ovarian cancer, and there is also a correlation between endometriosis and certain autoimmune diseases.
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In some cases, people with endometriosis can form endometriomas, which are commonly referred to as “chocolate cysts” due to their dark brown appearance. Though people with endometriosis can form cysts, this is not the same as having PCOS.
According to Moawad, “PCOS by definition is irregular ovulation,” and is a health condition in which the ovaries produce “excess male hormones in the body,” aka androgens. Due to hormonal imbalances and elevated androgen levels, Hack explains that PCOS symptoms include “irregular and/or infrequent periods, weight gain, acne, ovaries with multiple cysts and excessive body hair.”
In addition, people with PCOS regularly develop other serious health conditions. June-Ann Joseph, an advocate and host of the Black Broke and Anxious podcast, says that her PCOS has caused her to experience insulin resistance, difficulty losing weight, and the formation of acanthosis nigricans, which is a skin condition that causes dark, velvety patches to form on different areas of the body.
Though endometriosis and PCOS are completely different health conditions, Moawad says a “chronic inflammation pattern” is present in both. Some studies suggest that, though rare, people can have both endometriosis and PCOS.
As Hack notes, both conditions can cause subfertility, an unwanted delay in becoming pregnant, or infertility, which is a complete inability to get pregnant after one year or more of having regular, unprotected sex.
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Though PCOS is a common cause of infertility, endometriosis typically creates more complicated fertility issues. This is because, as Moawad says, “endometriosis not only affects the quality of eggs and ovaries, but it also creates a lot of scar tissue which could close the fallopian tubes, as well as damage the uterus.” An estimated 30 to 50% of women with endometriosis experience infertility.
Neither PCOS nor endometriosis can be cured, but rather symptoms can be managed through different treatment methods.
Obstetrician-gynaecologists typically take a holistic approach when treating people with PCOS, utilizsng medications that induce ovulation or address potential hormonal imbalances, vitamins to address any nutritional deficiencies that may worsen PCOS symptoms, and working alongside patients to modify lifestyle habits – such as diet – that may contribute to inflammation.
Moawad explains that, for people with endometriosis, the “gold standard” treatment is surgical excision. People who experience severe pain or fertility issues may opt to undergo a laparoscopy; this is a minimally invasive procedure in which a surgeon will use a laparoscope to find areas of endometriosis and remove any lesions or scar tissue. Hormonal therapies such as gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) agonists, birth control pills and hormonal IUDs are also often prescribed for endometriosis.
However, Moawad says that these “medications tend to quiet the symptoms for a period of time, but they don’t cure [endometriosis].” Similarly, surgical interventions for endometriosis are not permanent, and up to 80% of women experience pain again within two years of surgery.
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Misinformation is ultimately harmful, and may lead to a delay in diagnosis and treatment for many people with these health conditions. Rachel Ennis, a psychology project worker, was only diagnosed with endometriosis in 2022 after experiencing symptoms of the health condition for over 15 years.
“I wish people understood just how exhausting it is to have to fight with medical professionals to get taken seriously, and to get a diagnosis,” Ennis says. “Endometriosis is a whole body disease that can impact every area of your life.”
Further, Joseph stressed that more research about PCOS needs to be done so that doctors can better support patients – and so that people don’t turn to social media for medical advice.
“There are a lot of scam artists and influencers telling you that if you follow their diet plan, you can cure your PCOS,” she explains.
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It’s crucial to find a doctor who specialises in specific health conditions like endometriosis and PCOS, and specific practice areas such as surgical excision. Though many people may think endometriosis and PCOS are minor conditions, Hack explained they are serious health issues that can be detrimental to a person’s day-to-day life in their own unique ways.
It’s well past time to ditch the misconceptions surrounding both PCOS and endometriosis, and to develop a greater understanding of these health conditions that impact millions of people across the world.
“The most important thing is that we have to empower our patients, validate their concerns and their symptoms, and give them the highest quality of care that they deserve,” Moawad says.
At its best, fashion is subjective, and anything and everything goes. One can argue that in 2022, people did their own thing more than ever before.
Still, some of the most compelling fashion criticism comes in the form of the worst dressed list – a franchise coined by the critic Richard Blackwell. There’s value in curating a “worst dressed list,” not to ridicule, but rather as a barometer of our time, and to gauge what’s working for us (and what’s not) when it comes to pop culture.
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It should be noted Blackwell also published a list of “Fabulous Fashion Independents” which was frequently populated by those he deemed “worst dressed.” Some would argue that you’re not really considered cool until you’ve graced the worst dressed list.
In this spirit, HuffPost curated the 10 worst fashion trends of 2022, and we tapped stylists to explain why these looks just didn’t work for us.
Beverly Osemwenkhae is a New York- and London-based style expert and the founder of ProjectBee Wardrobe Consulting. Her company services are uniquely designed to build individual images and develop personal style.
Chelsea Volpe is a Manhattan-based fashion and still life stylist, known for her idiosyncratic combination of vibrant color and imagery. Clients include Bloomingdale’s, Estée Lauder, Highsnobiety, Hypebeast, Paper Magazine, Vogue and Women’s Wear Daily.
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“The number of 20-somethings I’ve seen bopping around the New York night scene in ultra luxe sunnies is astounding,” Volpe tells HuffPost. “Is the darkness not dark enough for you? It is not chic, or frankly practical, to wear a pair of Balenciaga sunglasses to your local Bushwick dive bar, darlings.”
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Osemwenkhae is not a fan of glitter, hearts or butterflies when it comes to dressing. “There’s a few things that should stay in the early 2000s like the Y2K aesthetic. Yes, there’s a cool factor that this trend stems from millennium pop culture, but there’s nothing flattering about dressing like a Bratz doll unless you’re under 21.”
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The coastal grandmother look had a moment this summer, but Volpe found the barrage of floral patterns completely basic, and not in a good way. “Wearing your grandma’s bathroom wallpaper in dress form is so dated. Let’s swap the archaic Nantucket floral print for something more interesting shall we?” She suggests, instead, opting for solids.
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Low-rise jeans made a comeback this year, but why? “Low-rise jeans highlight the wrong parts of your body,” Osemwenkhae notes. Showing butt-cleavage or a cheeky thong is not, she argued, empowering. Of course style is subjective, and so are the feelings of empowerment associated with it. But to Osemwenkhae’s point, the first time this trend saw popularity in the aughts, it had shock value associated with it. Twenty years later, showing your thong trend feels a little empty, statement-wise.
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Another pant faux-pas that made waves in 2022 was the prevalence of cargo pants, which cast, in Volpe’s opinion, a silhouette that looks untailored. “Wearing cargo pants the size of a parachute isn’t cute. When your pants look like two garbage bags merged into one tragic nightmare, it’s an issue.”
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This isn’t the first time we’ve seen the rise of platforms in footwear – the style has lingered since the 1970s. In the 1990s we saw platforms on everything, from Mary Janes to sneakers, but the most offensive, according to Osemwenkhae, is the platform flip-flop, which returned in 2022. She tells HuffPost she found the trend “a little bulky and heavy on the foot,” and adds when styling resort wear this winter, opt for something more tasteful.
Conscious consumerism has been a mainstay of Gen Z, quick to use buying choices to let brands know when they do something uncool, or worse, offensive and inhumane. “Wearing a walking billboard for antisemitism is not fashion forward, loves. Tsk, tsk, Adidas for being complacent with the Kanye fiasco.” Here, Volpe references the outrage people felt over why it took Adidas so long to sever ties with Kanye West, following a barrage of hate speech and antisemitic remarks. She added that “major name brands need to take accountability.” This December, Balenciaga released two campaigns that prompted allegations of the brand condoning child exploitation. TikTokers reacted by destroying Balenciaga goods in their feed.
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How short is too short when it comes to minis? For Osemwenkhae, it’s all about wearability. “There’s a cutoff point where it’s so mini that it’s impractical to wear.” She says she’s ready to retire the mini and bring back slip midi skirts instead.
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After two years of lockdown loungewear, Volpe notes, “it’s so easy to throw on a sexy corset top or slinky barely there negligee for a night out.” But according to her, lingerie belongs in the bedroom, and evening wear needs to have a little more substance in 2023.
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Painted-on pants are passé. Osemwenkhae notes it’s time to trade in your skinny jeans for a pair of “relaxed straight jeans. It’s a style that’s easy to wear and really flatters the body.” She adds that this fit is “proportionally appealing, especially for a pear shape.”
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With Christmas done and dusted, many of us are now looking forward to New Year and the fresh start it brings.
However, strike action has only just begun, with more dates planned across different industries into January.
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Bus drivers, ambulance drivers, rail staff and more are all set to take action in the coming week, with disruption expected as a result.
Here’s everything you need to know ahead of the strikes in January 2023.
Strikes by the RMT and ASLEF trade unions will bring rail services to a halt across the UK from Tuesday January 3 to Saturday January 7.
RMT union members at Network Rail are striking once more over pay and conditions.
The train strikes will affect the following train operators:
Mick Whelan, general secretary of ASLEF, explained the reasoning for the strike action: “We don’t want to go on strike but the companies have pushed us into this place. They have not offered our members at these companies a penny – and these are people who have not had an increase since April 2019.”
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People are being advised to avoid travelling between January 3 – 7 if possible.
If your plan to get around the railway strikes was to take to the roads, we’ve got some bad news.
National Highways traffic officers in the PCS union across the UK will strike on January 3 and 4.
The strike action will see control centre staff walk out and officers will normally deal with the aftermath of road accidents will also stop work on the two dates.
The PCS union says the walkout could cause delays to reopening carriageways and motorways affected by any accidents on the strike action dates.
The Royal College of Nurses (RCN) has announced strike action on January 18 and 19 in England following previous action on December 15 and 20.
The RCN wants members to see a pay rise of 19%.
RCN general secretary and chief executive Pat Cullen said: “The government had the opportunity to end this dispute before Christmas but instead they have chosen to push nursing staff out into the cold again in January.
“I do not wish to prolong this dispute, but the Prime Minister has left us with no choice.”
Some ambulance staff in England will take part in two strikes next month, on January 11 and 23.
Services in London, Yorkshire, the North West, North East and South West will be affected as union members campaign for pay rises that are above inflation rates.
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The strikes will affect non-life threatening calls only but is likely to put even more pressure on emergency care.
Meanwhile in London, Abellio bus drivers in south and west London will take action over eight days throughout January.
The strikes will take place on January 4, 5, 10, 12, 16, 19, 25 and 26.
Transport for London has urged Unite and the Abellio bus company to work together to avoid disruption, with some of the proposed strike dates clashing with RMT train strikes.
Two teachers’ strike days will take place in Scotland in January 2023.
Teachers will walkout on both January 10 and 11 after a 6.85% increase for the lowest paid was rejected.
Although the action is currently exclusive to Scotland, teaching unions in both England and Wales are balloting members over pay, which could mean strikes further south in the coming weeks.
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RCN general secretary and chief executive Pat Cullen said: “The government had the opportunity to end this dispute before Christmas but instead they have chosen to push nursing staff out into the cold again in January.
“I do not wish to prolong this dispute, but the Prime Minister has left us with no choice.”
Some ambulance staff in England will take part in two strikes next month, on January 11 and 23.
Services in London, Yorkshire, the North West, North East and South West will be affected as union members campaign for pay rises that are above inflation rates.
The strikes will affect non-life threatening calls only but is likely to put even more pressure on emergency care.
Meanwhile in London, Abellio bus drivers in south and west London will take action over eight days throughout January.
The strikes will take place on January 4, 5, 10, 12, 16, 19, 25 and 26.
Transport for London has urged Unite and the Abellio bus company to work together to avoid disruption, with some of the proposed strike dates clashing with RMT train strikes.
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Two teachers’ strike days will take place in Scotland in January 2023.
Teachers will walkout on both January 10 and 11 after a 6.85% increase for the lowest paid was rejected.
Although the action is currently exclusive to Scotland, teaching unions in both England and Wales are balloting members over pay, which could mean strikes further south in the coming weeks.
Quarantine and social distancing practices made dating weird for the last few years – in New York City, health officials even told singles to use walls and other dividers during sex to avoid face-to-face contact? (“Make it a little kinky,” they advised.)
Now singles are pretty much back into the swing of things, which is great, only there’s a whole slew of new dating trends to look out for.
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Below, we catalogue 10 terrible dating trends we’d love to swipe left on in the new year. (Plus, a few we hope last.)
It’s alive! It’s alive! With zombie-ing, the ghoster you thought you’d never hear from again pops back into your life as if nothing happened. Your best bet? Make like a non-zombie character from “The Walking Dead” and run far, far away.
In 2021, the dating app Hinge released a feature allowing daters to send voice messages and add audio notes to profiles. Apparently, that’s resulted in a lot of voice-fishing – users use a phony, sexier-sounding voice in the hopes of attracting a date. Think: Paris Hilton using a baby voice even though she actually has a relatively deep voice.
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A holdover from our collective pandemic mentality, to hesidate is to feel unsure about a relationship and dating as a whole because of how uncertain life has felt since Covid.
A study from Plenty of Fish this year found 70% of singles are unsure about who they’re dating and if they want something serious or more casual. While we can sympathise, in the long run, that kind of avoidant dating behavior benefits no one.
Admittedly, this one is going to be hard to understand if you’re not a Swiftie. First, you have to understand that Mastermind is a song from Taylor Swift’s album Midnights that delves into how she laid the “groundwork” for meeting a romantic interest.
In response to the song, TikTokers posted videos sharing the grunt work they put into making things happen with their partners.
There’s nothing wrong with doing your research on a crush or creating a fancy-meeting-you-here “coincidence” or two but some people admitted to vaguely stalkerish behaviour.
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“I researched on LinkedIn a lawyer in my area that could help me and then ‘bumped into him’ for a week straight at his local Starbucks until he asked me out,” one woman confessed in a now-viral video, which has been viewed more than 1.8 million times. “We dated for about a month, in which he helped me out so much and I got my legal procedure resolved.”
Coined by the dating app Bumble, “power PDA” is like regular PDA, only with more spit and way more ass grabbing.
“People are really making up for lost time,” Caroline West, relationship expert with Bumble, said of the trend on the Dermot & Dave” podcast. “Two in three Bumble daters are saying they’re into [the power PDA trend], and I think it’s related to how touch-starved we were during the pandemic. People are really making up for two years of having nobody touch them.”
We agree that touch is essential but please, try to keep it below Kourtney Kardashian and Travis Barker levels. The world doesn’t need another Kravis.
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We’ve got nothing against practicing ethical nonmonogamy – whatever works for you and yours! – but too many times, it’s a cover for shady behaviour. Maybe someone doesn’t admit they’re in an open relationship until they’ve been on multiple dates with a new person. Or maybe their partner isn’t clued in on the nonmonogamy.
As Twitter user @MxMippy put it, “Let’s stop saying ‘ethical non-monogamy’ and start saying ‘consensual non-monogamy’ to emphasise that a lot more people are in non-monogamous relationships than they aren’t consenting to or are aware of.”
Yep, Pete Davidson has dated enough women this past year to qualify as a veritable trend. (Side note: Is there a way to unsubscribe from Pete Davidson content? If so, let us know in the comments.)
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First coined by TikTok creator Caitlin MacPhail, a self-proclaimed dating guru, “beige flags” are “signs on dating app profiles that the person behind the profile is probably fucking boring.”
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Think: Someone whose entire personality is liking “The Office” or “Harry Potter.” Or someone who writes that they’re “looking for someone who can keep up with me” on their dating profile.
Why are we not into this trend? It’s just sort of petty. Give people a little leeway to be basic sometimes!
Season-specific dating trends to reek of desperation (ugh, “cuffing season”) and this one is no different: Winter coating is when someone you’ve casually dated, hooked up or even just DM’ed with on a dating app hits you up during the aforementioned cuffing season. Gotta keep warm somehow!
Have you ever had a conversation with someone on a dating app where they started off saying “hey” and followed up with “hey” and maybe then tossed in a “good morning!” the next day, just to keep things fresh? Yeah, that’s a hey-ter and we hate that.
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According to eHarmony’s end-of-year and 2023 dating trends report, 47% of singles have passed on a date due to their personal financial situation.
Luckily, others have just decided to “infla-date” — or go on less expensive dates due to the rising prices of food at restaurants and gas.
As many as 48% of single millennials and Gen Zers have suggested going on more budget-friendly dates ― think a mid-morning coffee and a walk rather than a £100 dinner ― in response to the economy, according to a survey from Plenty of Fish.
The benefits of infla-dating trend may go beyond your wallet: Going on less expensive dates makes the stakes feel lower and takes some of the pressure off.
“Less pressure can mean more fun, deeper connection, or — if the date is bad — a quicker exit,” dating coach Lily Womble told HuffPost.
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“Are We Dating The Same Guy?” started as a Facebook group for New Yorkers where women could anonymously share warnings about guys they’ve dated (or ask if anyone had any intel about a guy before the date). Now there’s a “Are We Dating The Same Guy?” for nearly every big city in the US.
As Glamour wrote of the trend, the groups are like the “whisper network women have been using for centuries, just amplified.”
With the “open-casting” trend, singles shift their focus away from their traditional “type” and give someone they wouldn’t usually go for a chance. According to a Bumble’s annual report, one in three are now more open to whom they would consider dating.
“With open-casting we are seeing people more willing to date outside their type, and valuing emotional maturity over physical attractiveness, which shows we are less focused on superficial qualities like looks and more focused on who we are emotionally compatible with,” Lucille McCart, Bumble’s communications director, told news.com.au last month.
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To hardball is to be clear with someone about your intentions and expectations for being romantically involved, whether you’re looking for a serious long-term partnership or a casual fling. Hardballing is basically the antidote to “situationships” and awkward “What are we?” conversations.
Inspired by Spotify Wrapped, the annual feature on Spotify that shows you stats on your most listened to artists and songs, “Dating Wrapped” videos on TikTok had singles getting brutally honest about their dating activity in 2022, cataloging everything from the the number of first dates they went on, to the the number of times they deleted and re-downloaded dating apps.
“I went on 31 first dates, and if you think that’s a lot, there is more: this does not include one catfish encounter. That’s right, I spent three days talking to someone pretending to be a Polish influencer. I also ended up on the ‘Today’ show because of it,” TikTok user @SamsAreBetter joked.
Not only is the trend hilarious, but detailing the minutiae of your dating life is a great way to pinpoint things you want to change in 2023. Way to put those PowerPoint skills to use, guys!
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There are three areas many of us strive to perfect when it comes to health and beauty: our skin, hair and sleep. Often the secret to all round good health is a restful snooze, but there are a number of factors that can disrupt your slumber, and have a knock on effect on your physical and mental health.
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But Silvi has become a bit of an internet sensation to combat all of the above, in the form of its anti-acne silk pillowcase.
Silk pillowcases have seen a surge in populariy in recent years, thanks to celeb advocates such as Queer Eye’s Jonathan Van Ness, but Silvi has gone one step further with a triple threat in the bedding and beauty game: a pillowcase that aims to prevent hair damage, achieve blemish-free skin, and act as a sleep aid.
Maybe it’s understandable that this pillowcase has gone viral on TikTok, racking up more than 20 million views after a video testing the product proved no nasties grow from, or on, this design, in over a week. Genius, right?
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The science behind Silvi’s anti-acne silk pillowcases is that they are treated with silver ions, clinically proven to eliminate up to 99.7% bacteria that contribute to breakouts, within a week.
Not only is the gentle and lightweight fabric antibacterial, it’s hypoallergenic too, and free from any chemicals, making it a good bet if you’ve got sensitive skin, suffer from allergies, or are prone to breakouts – as well as shoppers on the lookout for anti-ageing solutions.
And then there’s the hair benefits. The mulberry silk fabric is soft to the touch, which is ideal for those wanting to prevent hair breakage when tossing and turning through the night. Plus, the gentle fabric means a comfortable surface to lay your head on, which inevitably encourages a better night’s sleep.
Silvi’s pillowcase is also temperature regulating, meaning no more night sweats, or sleepless slumbers leaving you tired and groggy come the morning. In fact, the brand says the fabric is “4.5 times more breathable and cooling than cotton”, making it popular with pre and perimenopausal women, too.
ROSS CAMPBELL
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The Anti-Acne Silk Pillowcase comes in two sizes (standard and king size), as well as two colours (white and charcoal grey), to match your bedroom style. It also features a zip fastening so there’s no fear of your pillow slipping out.
Silvi’s pillowcase has been ethically certified cruelty free as it’s not tested on animals. And while the innovative design is machine washable – on a delicate setting with a neutral pH detergent – the silver treatment keeps it fresher for longer, so the pillowcase only needs washing every 10 to 14 days. Fewer washes means this purchase is more eco friendly, too. Every little helps.
Each pillowcase retails for £49, but fans say it’s an investment work making, considering the benefits to your hair, skin, sleep, and washing come laundry day. Buy for yourself, a friend, relative or loved one, and know that if you aren’t quite satisfied with your purchase, Silvi offers shoppers a 100-night guarantee, which means unsatisfied customers are eligible for a full refund.
But, with 100,000 pillowcases sold to happy customers in the first year alone, we don’t expect you’ll be using it any time soon. Sweet dreams!
Having kids is all fun and games until your child decides they hate your relative – especially when you’re going to be spending Christmas with them.
One mum recently took to networking app Peanut to say her toddler had taken quite the dislike to her sister-in-law’s husband.
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“She is a totally chill baby but when he comes over she will cry loads and cling to me,” she wrote. “I haven’t seen her like this with anyone else.”
What’s more, the mum said her sister-in-law’s husband is “the loveliest person”. What a pickle.
“I feel so bad that she doesn’t like him,” she wrote. “Any tips or advice? We’re having them over on Christmas Day and I’m worried. I also feel bad as she’s obsessed with my side of the family.”
There might be several reasons why little ones take a dislike to family members or friends, suggests Dr Kalanit Ben-Ari, a family therapist who founded the parenting platform Get The Village.
In some instances, a baby might sense a parent’s anxiety or stress around a particular person and react to it, she says. It might also be that once that person holds the baby, the child loses touch with the parents and becomes stressed, leading to fear of separation anxiety that is associated with that person.
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“The problem is that when a parent anticipates the baby’s stressful reaction, the baby becomes more stressed, so it is a cycle or reaction that starts to be associated with that person,” says Dr Ben-Ari.
Everything a young child does – whether throwing themselves on the floor, or nuzzling their parents – is their way of demonstrating how they feel, because they often can’t verbalise it.
“In this instance, it sounds like the child is using lots of non-verbal messaging and non-verbal clues,” says Fiona Yassin, family psychotherapist and founder and clinical director of The Wave Clinic.
“Children often cry or cling to a parent in this way because they feel unsafe. It could be the person reminds them of someone else who looks quite scary,” she says.
The therapist offers the example that if the person has a beard, it could be that the child associates them with a bearded villain they’ve seen on TV and will remember the negative emotions they felt when they saw said villain – so “seeing this person may trigger a similar response”.
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Sometimes children might have a sensory reaction to a family member that isn’t necessarily positive. They might take a dislike to a different voice, accent, smell or even appearance: for example, if they wear glasses or keep their shoes on in the house.
“Although these appear to be very small points, children look out for tiny differences, which is something we call the Little Professor,” says Yassin. “The Little Professor in the child has the job of trying to work out what’s going to happen next.”
You’re probably dreading your child seeing the family member they’ve taken a dislike to, but you’re going to have to try really hard to think positively and anticipate a good connection. Otherwise your little one might pick up on your anxiety – fuelling the negative reaction further.
Ahead of seeing them, it might be helpful to create and share a positive persona of the person the child dislikes.
“If you have family photographs with the person in, show them to your child and talk about what that person does, who they are, who their family is and what activities they like to do,” says Yassin.
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This helps the child to understand more about who they are and squash the idea of them as a villain-type character.
It can also be helpful to have your little one’s security blanket or toy on hand, suggests Dr Ben-Ari, to offer comfort and familiarity.
If the child’s reaction to the person is very strong, allow someone else to hold them while you greet and welcome the person, adds the therapist. “Seeing you at ease, relaxed and happy, interacting with that person will send the signal to the baby that it is safe.”
“Seeing you at ease, relaxed and happy, interacting with that person will send the signal to the baby that it is safe.”
– Dr Kalanit Ben-Ari
One thing you definitely shouldn’t do is force your child onto the person – whether that be letting them hug, kiss or hold them, which can ultimately just make things worse.
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Instead, encourage the adult to give space to the baby to reach out to them, suggests Dr Ben-Ari. “The adult can start making fun noises, point to or hold a toy, offer the baby’s favourite toy, speak calmly to the baby, and once the baby shows signs of interest, they can slowly get closer.”
It’s also important not to leave your child alone with them – regardless of whether they’ve just arrived or have been there a while.
“When the person the child dislikes enters the room, it’s better they are not left on the floor or on their own,” says Yassin. “Hold the child or sit on the floor with them so you are physically at the same level.”
She continues: “Parents mustn’t force cuddles or plead the child to be nice to the person they have taken a dislike to. Railroading the situation and trying to force a relationship will create bigger barriers. Do not leave the child alone with the person for any length of time and be gentle with introductions.”
If the family – including the person the child dislikes – is coming for Christmas, keep things as normal as possible, says the therapist. And remember: it probably won’t last forever. “This type of situation tends to be a very big deal for a short period of time,” she adds, “but does blow over.”
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TikTok is a constant source of inspiration among beauty lovers, quickly becoming the go-to platform for tutorials and #makeupinspo as well as a great place to discover new talent in the beauty sphere.
HuffPost spoke to five makeup artists to find out their favourite trends of 2022. Here’s what they couldn’t get enough of and what they loved trying on themselves.
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Think glitters, bold colours and bling. The HBO series had us glued to our screens ― partly because of Zendaya’s phenomenal acting and partly because of the innovative makeup. Our experts praised the looks.
Millie Kendall, founder and CEO of the British Beauty Council: “Euphoria has been a bit of a moment on TikTok. Lots of glitter and shiny shadows. Appliqués and jewels, generally adornments. The combination of dewy, glowy skin with shimmery eyes has been great. It reminds me of a ‘nightclub at 4am’ kind of look.”
Rose Gallagher, makeup artist and beauty content creator: “I loved the whole Euphoria style makeup of super fresh skin with playful pops of colour on the eyes. 2022 has been a year that really made me rethink how I use coverage and made me want to use as little as possible so that the focal point of my makeup was those pops of color, not the complexion. I loved the start of 2022 when we would have a weekly new Euphoria episode and people would replicate the [looks]. Cassie’s unhinged moments with little pops of gems and glitter were a real highlight!”
Check out some of the best TikTok tutorials about Euphoria makeup:
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Lately, we have seen people re-creating real feelings through their makeup, from being cold to sad and everything in between. Want to look like you’ve been crying? There is now a makeup trend (and tutorial) for that.
Ehlie Luna, pro makeup artist and beauty content creator: “Going a step beyond the ‘clean girl’ makeup aesthetic, we have seen more people leaning into how they feel or how they want to feel. The makeup look that took over the past two years will serve as a sort of home base, with playful touches ranging from cold girl, indie sleaze, to dark feminine and more layered on top.”
Katie Jane Hughes, celebrity makeup artist: “There’s something really beautiful about these looks. The look people are trying to create is happening naturally and there’s oddly something really cute and pretty about that. It’s also quite strange, but I tried the ‘cold girl makeup’ and liked it!”
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There was some controversy with Hailey Bieber’s “brownie glazed lip” this year, but the brown lip liner and gloss combo still has been a much-loved look, since it suits everyone and gives J.Lo 90s vibes.
Donni Davy, head Euphoria makeup artist and co-founder of Half Magic: “I love the shift from pinky nude lips to brownie nude lips. Browns and rosy browns just look so stunning on everyone, and there are so many directions to go here. Soft and diffused, punctuated with darker brown liner, and worn with a sparkly gloss on top, to name a few. Half Magic’s Rosy Brown Mouth Cloud Lip Cream in Magic Brownie is my favourite! It’s velvety soft, hydrating and buildable.”
Kendall: “I noticed a throwback to the J.Lo lip – the darker liner and the defined, glossy pout. I wouldn’t have normally taken to it – I was there the first time around! But I think that the colors of lip liners are so sophisticated now, with Vieve, Charlotte Tilbury and Lisa Eldridge really owning the space and delivering superb colour options that have made this quite a wearable look.”
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Makeup artists and beauty influencers have fallen hard for cream and stick blushes, which give a natural sheen to the skin and blend seamlessly. TikTok is full of blush looks featuring purple blush, blush draping, lipstick worn as blush and more techniques that have gone viral.
Luna: “After a period of blush ‘fear,’ we’ve gone all in. Every season there are more ways to wear it like high placements, the W trend, and editorial draped styles. With more shades and formulas than ever before, there’s something here for everyone.”
Davy: “I think purple blush really made a splash in 2022 and is still making its mark. I love to convince people whenever I can to try this one out! I’m loving the shift from pink blush shades to the surprisingly flattering violet. Violet has the cool tones of purple in it, but it’s also super warm for a purple and actually has quite a bit of pink in it so it doesn’t look completely jarring on the cheek, especially if you’re blending in just a sheer layer. My favourite way to wear it is with a periwinkle or lilac shimmer on top as a highlighter. It’s a delicate, yet simultaneously edgy, way to wear blush and I’m obsessed with it.”
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A fun and colorful look reminds us that love is love and that makeup exists for people to have fun with. Why not play with colors and try something new?
Kendall: “This year has been really focused on eyes, I particularly loved the focus on neon eyeliners. I have been wearing quite a lot of neon blue with blue mascara the last few months.”
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Gallagher: “I loved the Pride makeup and colourful rainbow-inspired looks (creator Call Me Chim is incredible for those). Not only were the colourful looks just beautiful, but I loved the comradery and celebration of the LGBTQ+ that came along with them.”
The eyeliner trend has really evolved this year, partly thanks to Davy’s work on Euphoria. Now, there are more tools than ever before to help you achieve the perfect flick, from silicone guides to liners designed for those with fine motor issues.
Gallagher: “The siren eyes trend [which is connected to Middle-Eastern makeup looks] felt really classic and sexy. I definitely think this would look great on everyone. What I loved about it is that it is a little undone, all about framing the eyes and creating a feline shape but without the constraints of perfection. It would still look great five hours into wearing.”
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The focus here is on beautiful smoky eyes, bold eyelashes and the glam reminiscent of the 30s to the 50s in Hollywood and beyond.
Gallagher: “Around the time of the Marilyn Monroe film launching onto Netflix, there were some beautiful videos using Marilyn’s techniques (Sophie Mand did some great ones). I thought it was lovely that we were seeing these tips for really timeless, old-Hollywood glamour on a platform saturated with newness. It felt very achievable to recreate something we were so familiar with and also seemed like a trend you could jump on just using whatever you already have in your makeup bag.”
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This trend is perfectly suited for the festive season and beyond. Metallic eyes are much-loved by makeup artists and are suitable even for makeup newbies.
Hughes: “I think metallic eyes suit everyone. I feel people are scared of shimmer and glitter – perhaps they think it will make their skin look a certain type of way. I think it looks gorgeous on everybody, it just depends on how you apply it. If you are worried it would look too much, just start with a little bit, press it onto the centre of the lid and work it around. Start with a little bit and add more when you’re comfortable.”
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The natural-looking “no-makeup makeup” trend continued this year, and the “clean girl makeup” trend is also here to stay, according to the experts.
Luna: “Makeup artists, myself included, have been going deeper with makeup techniques on TikTok and Instagram. We have seen the use of multiple powders in makeup routines – from pigmented loose to translucent pressed powders, baked and finishing powders.”
Hughes: “The makeup trend that stood out to me the most was glossy skin, letting the skin speak for itself! Something I’ve been a fan of my entire career. Think dewy, skin, like no-makeup makeup.”
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A polarising trend this year, the bleached brows have taken our TikTok screens by storm with tutorials gone wrong and some gone right. If you decide to try out this trend – which was seen on the likes of Julia Fox, Bella Hadid and Kendall Jenner ― it might be best to leave it to the professionals.
Kendall: “The 90s eyebrows are back – a bit thinner and bleached. I think the thinner brow is nice, I have never been that big on the overly brushed up bushy brow or the overly neat flat brow.”
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Every year in British politics is now almost always weirder than the last. But surely 2022 – which saw the country rattle through three prime ministers – will be peak stupid?
Below is a quick rundown of some, if not all, of the bonkers moments of the last year. May it rest in peace.
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At the start of the year, Boris Johnson was prime minister and under intense pressure over the partygate scandal. On January 12, he admitted had actually attended a No.10 garden event during lockdown. Having previously insisted no rules were broken in Downing Street.
Johnson spent the first few days of February doubling down on a discredited smear that Keir Starmer failed to prosecute Jimmy Savile. The then prime minister made the allegation during heated Commons debate over the Sue Gray report into partygate. The false claim led Munira Mirza, his policy chief, to resign.
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Russia’s invasion of Ukraine saw the British government rollout sanctions on people close to Vladimir Putin’s regime. Johnson himself came under pressure to explain his links to prominent Russians including former KGB agent Alexander Lebedev and Lubov Chernukhin, the wealthy Tory donor and wife of a former Russian minister. Dominic Raab explained it away as the PM simply being “very social”.
On April 12, Johnson was handed a fixed penalty notice by the police for breaking his own Covid lockdown rules. It was the first time a sitting prime minister was found to have broken the law. Despite this, he did not resign.
Tory Neil Parish formally resigned from parliament after he admitted watching porn on his phone in the Commons. Twice. The Tiverton and Honiton MP said it had been a “moment of madness” as he initially was innocently looking at pictures of tractors. Easy mixup.
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On June 23 by-elections were held in the Tory seats of Tiverton and Honiton and Wakefield. The party lost the former to the Lib Dems and the latter to Labour. Ed Davey celebrated his party’s victory with a classically stupid stunt. The double by-election loss did little to settle the nerves of Tory MPs about Johnson’s leadership.
After a wave of resignations finally triggered by the Chris Pincher scandal, Johnson resigned as prime minister on July 7. Yet the previous day he had been determined to cling on. The farce was captured live on TV as he was told a delegation of cabinet ministers was at that very moment in No.10 waiting to tell him to quit. The group included very loyal Nadhim Zahawi, who Johnson had promoted to chancellor 24-hours earlier.
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Johnson’s resignation triggered a months long Tory leadership contest which included so many idiotic moments it has its own list here.
Perhaps the, highlight, of the contest was Liz Truss announcing plans to pay workers living in cheaper areas of the country less than their counterparts in places like London and the South East.
Tory MPs were livid, with one describing it as “austerity on steroids”. Truss complained there had been a “wilful misrepresentation” of the plan by the media. There had not. Quickly U-turning on the proposal, Truss said it showed she was “honest and decisive”. Perhaps the signs were there all along.
Truss hit the ground as prime minister on September 6. Her tenure lasted 49 days, during which time the Queen died, her mini-Budget caused the markets to have a panic attack and Tory poll ratings cratered. In a boost for Global Britain, the race for survival between her and the Daily Star’s lettuce became international news.
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Rishi Sunak succeeded Truss as prime minister on October 26, having lost out to her in the contest to takeover from Johnson. But over the course of a crazy weekend at the start of the month, Johnson flew home from his Caribbean holiday to try and stage a dramatic comeback as PM. Before then dropping out of the race in the face over overwhelming opposition from Tory MPs.
As health secretary Matt Hancock helped lead the country through its biggest crisis since WWII. In November 2022 he decided it was a good idea to join ITV’s I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here. He promptly had the party whip withdrawn and everyone else had to listen to constant jokes about him eating testicles.
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The final month of 2022 in Westminster was somewhat stable when it came to nonsense, as the government grappled with strikes, inflation and the war in Ukraine. This could signal 2023 will be more serious if not calmer. But let’s not count on it.
