Índex per Issue 818 a Grazia

FOR SOMEONE who came to fame at 15, it’s perhaps even more remarkable that Billie Piper is one of the women who shines through as having changed the game this year. The recognition of her series I Hate Suzie and directorial debut Rare Beasts proved that women are crying out to see their messy lives reflected on screen. Billie reflects on a strange year for all of us – and why this Christmas is set to be more emotional than most (p48). And on that subject, there’s plenty to help you count down to the festivities. From Polly Vernon on tackling party season anxiety (p54) to a gift guide (p73) offering tons of ideas. I hope you find something special! @hattie_brett / feedback@graziamagazine.co.uk…

We must make it easier for women to stay in politics After weeks of MPs fighting to keep their lucrative second jobs, there’s one role facing more obstacles than ever: motherhood. Labour’s Stella Creasy has been told that new rules mean she can’t bring her three-month-old son into the Commons, meaning she can’t speak in the chamber when he’s with her. As MPs are not allowed locums for proper maternity cover, female MPs face a stark choice: abandon their constituents or give up their maternity leave. Let’s be clear: democracy would benefit from more women being present in Parliament. Improving access for women in politics is vital – being an MP and a mother shouldn’t be mutually exclusive.…

LUXE LOUNGEWEAR Bamford’s merino wool hoodies are made within a 600-mile radius from farm to shop, making them both cosy and mindful. A win-win. £395, Bamford BACK TO BLACK I’ll wear any shade (as long as it’s black). This richly intense palette reflects my party mood. Eyeshadow 5 Colours Fêtes Noir, £56, Byredo THE ELEVATED HOOP The clasp on the new Coco Crush earrings are reversible, so you can wear them multiple ways. Clever, no? £6,300, Chanel BAG FOR LIFE * TOTES AVAILABLE FROM 2 DEC AT SAINSBURY’S;LATE-JAN AT WAITROSE Anya Hindmarch has created a joyful collaboration across supermarkets, using their signature colours to make recycled totes. And if you’re ever done with it (unlikely), you can send it off to be recycled (with the pre-paid postage). £10, Sainsbury’s and…

PHOTOS: MIRRORPIX THE ROYAL CHRISTMAS fanfare looked markedly different last year. Like most families, the Queen wasn’t able to see her nearest and dearest – and for the first time since 1988, the Queen and Prince Philip didn’t spend Christmas at Sandringham, in Norfolk. Instead, the couple quietly holed up at Windsor Castle – on their own, isolating. Prince Harry and Meghan stayed in California, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge were at Anmer Hall, their family home in Norfolk, and the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall were at Highgrove, their Gloucestershire home. This Christmas things are going to be back to normal, or as normal as they can be for a family that has been so divided this year. ‘The hope is that this Christmas will…

EVEN NOW, with the 24-hour attention economy whirring on a constant loop, it’s hard to really get to know someone beyond the curated parts of ourselves that make it on to a social media scroll. We see more of each other than ever before – you feel compelled to have a take and share it, or film a Reels and share that. And with our attention pulled every which way, do we even know ourselves? Much has been made of the fact that Emily Ratajkowski, a woman who is very famous for being very beautiful and very famous, has taken control of her own story with her compelling new book, My Body, which reflects on her decade-plus career in which her ubiquitous image, and to a certain extent her very…

PHOTOS: GETTY, SHUTTERSTOCK CHRISTMAS PARTY season is upon us, except: is it? And, also: must we? But then again: if not this year, then when? And yet: how do we even do this stuff again? This December is the first one we must navigate actually in a pandemic, given that a) the last one was fully cancelled, ergo, no navigation required, and b) we’d only had eight months of restrictions at that point, our socialising skills hadn’t entirely festered and declined through a tragic combination of misuse and fear… Whereas now ? Twenty long months into what will surely be remembered as The Great Weird? Who the hell knows how to Festive any more? Herewith, a guide, as yet untried, not at all tested, so let’s just call it a…

HAIR AND MAKE-UP: CAROLYN WREN AT UNTITLED ARTISTS. STYLING: JULIA HARVEY. OTHER PHOTO: GETTY ANGELA BACKS OUR CHILDCARE CAMPAIGN GRAZIA is campaigning for an independent review of the childcare sector to examine why it’s so unaffordable – so does Angela Rayner agree? ‘Absolutely. In our last manifesto I put a huge amount of effort into looking at a properly funded Early Years programme, which was not only about support for the childcare sector, but also making sure that children were nourished and enriched in their early years,’ she says, explaining that when she had her eldest son Ryan at 16, her local Sure Start taught her how to be a parent. ‘Any parent will tell you that kids don’t come with a manual.’ She’s also pledged to expand flexible working,…

METALLIC MATTER With a wash of silver, topped with a smattering of silver-leaf foil, this eye look is the party. Take the shadow all the way up to your brow, which, according to make-up artist Zoe Taylor (the pro behind the looks you see here) ‘opens eyes up no end’. LIP SERVICE To give lipstick more mileage, buff with a scrub, nourish with an oil and finish with a balm (Tinker Taylor Lip Kit, £68, has it all). Fake a fuller mouth by lining slightly over your lips with CHANEL Le Crayon Lѐvres in Berry, £22. Next fill in with your liner, which gives lipstick something to grip on to,’ says Zoe. THE EMBELLISHED EYE An adventurous alternative to eyeshadow, this requires little skill, elicits lots of compliments and has…

WHETHER YOUR PARTY style this year is an extravaganza or something smaller and more intimate, getting your home into the festive spirit is a must. After another tough year, decorations are a joyful way to lift the mood and inject some sparkle. Style consultant Alice Wawrik, also behind cool online interiors store By Alice, is an enthusiastic host. ‘I love any excuse to get people together and I’ll definitely be laying on drinks and canapés this Christmas,’ she says – which makes her the ideal person to advise us on our festive look. ‘As it’s cold, I always want to make the inside as warm and inviting as possible,’ she says. ‘I like to use lots of colour and fun decorations to make being at home a special experience –…

Watch Live… Landscapers Olivia Colman brings to life her IRL husband’s script in a part he wrote for her, as a sinister suburban murderer living a blameless life abroad. Eerie. Tuesdays, 9pm, Sky Atlantic from 7 Dec Catch Up On… Midnight Mass You don’t have to be a lapsed Catholic to enjoy the sensational Hamish Linklater as a vampiric priest in this psychological horror tale. But it really does help. Netflix, now Wallow In… Grand Designs House Of The Year Kevin McCloud, patron saint of house porn, saunters around the UK’s most covetable homes, as chosen by architects. Prepare to explode with jealousy. Wednesdays, 9pm, Channel 4…

PHOTO: ALAMY 1 This was the first piece of advice I thought of immediately – woollen socks. There’s this Norwegian brand Devil and I wear its black wool socks every day. I bring a pair of fresh socks wherever I go because when I get cold feet I get tired and feel the need to go home. So, it makes me stay out longer. I feel like my mum made me believe that it was totally normal growing up. I’ve told everyone – now my guitarist has started wearing them, and he says it’s changed his life. 2 Everyone needs a proper off day. You don’t have to be on your phone all the time. It’s getting harder. No matter where you work, you’re constantly logged on. It’s difficult to…

Have your say… Email us at feedback@graziamagazine.co.uk ■ Find us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram @GraziaUK Polly strikes again! I found myself nodding and laughing as she perfectly encapsulated the consumer bun fight that Christmas has become. Sadly, I have to admit to falling into the trap of buying some random piece of rubbish so my mum has ‘something to open on the day’, even when she’s explicitly told me she doesn’t want anything. We have been brainwashed! As we all become more conscious of sustainability and waste, hopefully we can all buy – or not! – more mindfully. Natalie FRONTLINE HEROES I couldn’t agree more with your feature They saved our lives... now they need saving (29 Nov). The NHS is still up to its eyes in Covid and…

IN THE RUN-UP TO the release of SATC reboot And Just Like That…, as trailers and teasing glimpses into the show erupt across the internet; so ageist responses fire up like the over-pimped carburettor on the car of a bloke desperate for attention. Stunned beyond belief that women who used to be in their thirties a) look different 20 years later, and b) nonetheless feel entitled to parade themselves on telly, the ageists (male and female, let’s not pretend this is uniquely a man problem) boldly speak out, mainly via memes comparing the show’s 50-something leads with the retirement-home-bound stars of ’80s sitcom The Golden Girls. ‘It almost feels as if people don’t want us to be perfectly OK with where we are,’ Sarah Jessica Parker said in an interview.…

PHOTOS: WENN, GETTY AFTER 13 YEARS , Britney Spears is finally free. The termination of the conservatorship arrangement that has controlled her life since 2008 means that there is, at long last, the feeling there might now be a happy ending to the Britney story. On Instagram, the 39-year-old called it ‘the best day ever’. Her fans celebrated outside the courthouse with flags, confetti and dancing. And fellow celebrities, including Paris Hilton and Lady Gaga, were quick to offer congratulations. But now Britney has her freedom, the big question is this: what will she choose to do with it? The answer so far seems to be that she plans to embrace normality and settle a few scores besides. Her early statements have expressed little ambition for a return to recording…

PHOTOS: GETTY, NOOR & ZEE THE HIDDEN HEROES Yes, yes, we love our trusty tights too. But free yourself from saggy knees by teaming a mididress with leggings. Handy for when you want to wear open toes (we’ve been longing to wear these party shoes). AFTER-WORK DRINKS have crept earlier into the week (Wednesday is the new Friday), which means one thing: party season is officially underway. It also means: hangovers and a chilly wait for the bus home. But while we can’t help you with the former, the latter is easier to avoid. Your trusty out-out wardrobe hack is all about clever layering. We’ve been waiting a long time to wear our LBDs, so why hide them under bulky puffers? 2021 calls for layering that feels like part of…

PHOTOS: SHUTTERSTOCK PERFUME KEEPS SETTING me off. I never used to be a perfume person, but these days I can’t get enough of the stuff. (I also admittedly find myself thinking, if I can smell scent molecules, does this mean I am susceptible to cold and virus molecules getting into my nostrils? But no, no, I refuse to taint every thought with corona-worry!) I met one of my oldest friends for dinner and a joint birthday celebration recently. We’re both November babies and, as we all know, celebrations have been a little thin on the ground these past couple of years. So we went lavish. We even got a hotel for the night – which for two women with five children under five between us was just about the biggest…

CELEBRITY FACIALIST SHANI DARDEN ‘Before a party I do a quick vibration therapy session. This boosts circulation to increase the skin’s oxygen uptake, resulting in more glowing skin, and provides deep muscle stimulation to target crow’s feet, eyebrow furrows and nasolabial lines.’ Her new Facial Sculpting Wand, £430, depuffs, lifts and tightens – like having a facial at home. GRAZIA CONTRIBUTOR CANDICE BRATHWAITE ‘I apply Laura Mercier Setting Powder, £26, after my primer but before make-up. As someone with oily skin, and who likes to look eternally shine-free, this has been a game-changer. Wear an old T-shirt because you need to be liberal with it! You’re welcome. HAIRSTYLIST LUKE HERSHESON ‘Party hair doesn’t need to be elaborate. Tucking your hair behind your ears while it dries gives you face-framing shape;…

Si Tu Vois Ma Mère (from Midnight In Paris) Sidney Bechet I Was There (At The Coronation) Young Tiger Don’t Stay Away Phyllis Dillon I’m Still In Love Alton Ellis Twistin’ The Night Away Sam Cooke These Foolish Things (Remind Me Of You) Nat King Cole Those Were The Days (remastered) Mary Hopkin Le Temps De L’Amour Françoise Hardy I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel To Be Free Nina Simone I Say A Little Prayer Aretha Franklin Fast Car Tracy Chapman Harvest Moon Neil Young Tiny Dancer Elton John The Chain (2004 remaster) Fleetwood Mac…

THE CHRISTMAS PANTOMIME Thanks God! Someone is finally saying out loud that we don’t need shitty presents (Do us all a favour – step away from the novelty gift, 29 Nov)! Every year I am secretly recycling, hiding or even destroying presents, some of which I don’t even know what they are for. There are plenty of meaningful gifts that you can choose. For example, I would much rather receive a membership card to the Science Museum than a foot cream with hideous socks. I am signing up to Polly’s CASG (Campaign Against Shit Gifts) club for sure. Jiraphan…

1. Up KEANU In a recent interview, revealed he once rode his motorbike to Sandra Bullock’s house, presented her with champagne and truffles, then silently indicated she should paint his fingernails black (like hers). 2. New in MS MC DONALD, ENGLISH TEACHER Stole the show at Adele’s An Audience With by surprising the singer, who’d just named her the person who most inspired her as a kid. 3. Up JAMES BLUNT What? He looks fit in the poster for his new album and you know it’s true. Plus he’s still one of the funniest things on Twitter. Potentially the only funny thing on Twitter. 4. Non-mover CARDI B At the American Music Awards, wearing a gold mask, black veil, headband with epic earring attachments and gloves with epic gold nail…

FILL YOUR GLASS , grab a canapé and brush up your small talk – party season is back for 2021 with a (cautious and safety conscious) bang. This begs the question: what on earth do we wear for a festive soirée? With COP26 fresh in our collective memory, flash-in-the-pan frocks and novelty accessories are to be avoided. After all, not only are such items at odds with a more sustainable approach to shopping, they’re not particularly useful when it comes to dressing for the rest of the year. Instead, acquaint yourself with the party pieces that will dominate the dance floor now but also work with your everyday outfits long after the tinsel has been taken down. So, from jazzy boots to glitzy skirts, here’s what partywear to invest in…

PHOTOS: GETTY, INSTAGRAM/FLAVORFLAV WHEN YOU’RE ONE of the most famous women in the world, you don’t simply start ‘casually dating’ someone (haven’t you seen Notting Hill?). No, it’s far more complex, and strategic, than that. And Kim Kardashian and her new man Pete Davidson have delivered a masterclass in the art of the new-romance drip feed over the past few weeks. It all started in late October, when the pair were photographed holding hands on a roller coaster. At the time, it was reported that Kim and Pete were ‘just good friends’, although of course we knew they already had chemistry, thanks to their performance together on Saturday Night Live just a couple of weeks earlier. The canny among us would have heard alarm bells at the old ‘just good…

YOUTH IS WASTED on the young. Or at least that was the case for me when it came to bodycon dressing. But thanks to a new generation of young designers who grew up on the internet, it’s not too late to embrace the devil-may-care boldness of youth. And no one is harnessing that spirit more confidently, or making us feel more seen, than Albanian-born London-based designer Nensi Dojaka. As we order breakfast at Claridge’s, Nensi pulls out a few exquisite swatches of her now signature see-through tulle. We are planning a dress, you see. Not just any dress: she is making me a bespoke ‘naked’ gown to wear to the Fashion Awards (where she’d go on to win the BFC Foundation award). Her nomination means the stakes are high and…

Billie Piper knows a thing or two about how to party, so who better to front Grazia’s Christmas party issue? Frankly, we all need help re-learning how to have fun this year. ‘It’s hard to know where 2020 ended and 2021 began because, with lockdowns, there was no natural end to the year that felt in any way joyous,’ she recalls. This year will be different. Billie loves Christmas so much that her tree is up and festive songs are on from November. ‘My daughter’s nearly three so I get to relive the hysteria through her, because my sons have… worked it out, let’s say!’ She lives in north London with her partner, musician Johnny Lloyd, their daughter Tallulah and Billie’s sons – Winston, 13, and Eugene, nine – whose…

IT’S A DULL grey Monday in Westminster, but Angela Rayner is bursting with energy. You’d never guess that Labour’s bouncy deputy leader had spent the previous day in A&E with her disabled son, or that this health scare follows a gruelling few months for Rayner herself. Last month, she took bereavement leave from Westminster. As she reveals to Grazia , she was privately struggling with the loss of the woman she calls her ‘adoptive mum’, who took a 20-year-old Rayner under her wing after a difficult childhood caring for her own mother, who suffered from bipolar. ‘Throughout my career she’s been there to guide me and support me, so she was like my real mum in that respect – someone who loves you unconditionally, who’s there [for you],’ she says…