Grazia

HURRAH! SUMMER FEELS like it’s finally here. And this issue of Grazia is designed to help you make it great. First up: our seriously good edit of swimwear (page 50) you’ll love wearing. Because, let’s face it, that’s the holy grail of summer holidays. Once you’ve got the bikini or one-piece, it’s time to stock up on books. On page 42 we round up 12 of the most absorbing new reads. And whether you’re headed to the beach or your local park this summer, you might well be diving into self-tanning (page 62). Our glow guide means you’re guaranteed to be streak-free, thanks to the instant tan beauty insiders swear by. That’s summer, sorted! HATTIE BRETT, EDITOR @hattie_brett / feedback@graziamagazine.co.uk…

GET OFF THE FENCE! Polly’s opening line could have been written for me (Want to hear the most bothersome words in the English language?, 27 June). It infuriates me when my husband gives ‘I don’t know’ as a reply (often his stock response). Yes, it can sometimes be the most honest thing to say. But, too often, to have no opinion shirks responsibility for decision-making, indicates no passion for life or gives me nowhere to go in the conversation. The intimacy that comes from talking through the big (and small) things is slowly eroded, yet he can’t understand why it upsets me so much. Thanks Grazia for giving me a space to vent! Ruth OUT OF TOUCH Re your interview with Rishi Sunak – ‘I totally understand that people are…

“Women around the world watched in horror as the US Supreme Court overturned the landmark Roe v Wade ruling that has protected the right to an abortion for almost half a century. With terminations now set to become illegal in 26 states, 36 million women are about to lose their reproductive freedom. As Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi put it, ‘American women today have less freedom than their mothers.’ There is no softening the reality that forced births will endanger, impoverish and even kill women. In the face of attacks on women’s reproductive rights, we must resist and reorganise. Together, we will fight on.”…

LOVE ISLAND WENDS its sweet, silly way to the halfway point and I find myself contemplating its most rampantly used phrase: ‘It is what it is’; that one-size-fits-all statement of – what, exactly? Hard to say: its opaqueness is very much part of its charm, though also part of the reason lots of people hate it – but, either way: it’s popular. By my reckoning, IIWII is deployed a minimum of two times per episode by contestants (not counting its once-an-episode minimum usage by the Just Eat ident geckos), as compared with a maybe twice weekly outing for one-time show classics ‘grafting’ and ‘bit of me’, a barely-noticeable once-a-fortnight for ‘mugged off ’ and an as-yet complete non-appearance of ‘moving mad’. What does this tell us? Only that ‘It is…

M&S THREE-PACK OF MEN’S BOXERS I’m wearing them as outdoors-wear shorts constantly. So cool, literally and aesthetically. DORA LARSEN’S STRAPLESS BRAS The prettiest and most effective I’ve encountered. SILVIA ASTORE’S ANNIE DRESS You’re gonna have a good time in this, no? WEARING A SWIMSUIT AS A TOP Decadent and effortless at the same time. Arket’s do the job nicely. WEARING A SWIMSUIT AS A TOP More than the significant shades summer themselves . This beaut this is by Talis Chains.…

1. New in BEN STILLER AND PRESIDENT ZELENSKY The man who was Zoolander met the man who voiced Paddington (before becoming the world’s most admired politician) on a trip to Ukraine; told Zelensky, ‘You’re my hero’ – spoke for us all. 2. Up DAVIDE Body and face of a god, accent from off of your holidays, attitude of someone incredibly straightforward. Unexpectedly excellent. Yes, someone ordered an Italian snack! Us! 3. Non-mover ROSS BARR Acupuncturist to the stars (and also, us). Dreamboat needle man with an excellent wardrobe, and top notch Qi (that’s ‘vital energy’ in Chinese medicine). 4. Up KATE BUSH Stranger Things intro’d her to Gen Z, landed her a number one, and (allegedly) netted her an extra £1m. Which is good, because she’s wonderful, thoroughly deserves it…