Table of contents for Issue 577 in Grazia

For the past two years, Grazia has reported on Europe’s refugee crisis. We’ve been at the front line in Dunkirk and Serbia. And last month, we went to visit the ‘Jungle’ in Calais – where we were the first journalists to interview a Syrian woman in the camp. While we were there, we also met the incredible British women who have given up jobs and life savings to help the refugees. While each insisted ‘it’s not about us’, we felt it was important to shine a light on their inspirational work on page 46. In this week’s issue, we also meet self-proclaimed ‘hot young widow’ Nora McInerny Purmort, on page 60 and, on page 57, the woman who asked her boyfriend for a free pass to sleep with another girl.…

LIKE JEANS? COURSEYOU DO – they’re a hard and fast staple of our wardrobes. But lately, there’s been a change of current in the deep, indigo-blue ocean: these are jeans, but not as you know them. First of all, forget your high-stretch skinnies: the new breed of It jeans are heavier, stiffer and a straight (not skinny) fit, made of high-quality selvedge and Japanese denim that, up until recently, you would have been more likely to find in the menswear department. For a quick geek-out, Japanese denim is the ultimate, often woven on vintage looms for a less consistent and so more authentic slubby material, measured in weights – the heaviest reserved for the true denim fanatic. And to geek out just a bit more – ‘selvedge’ is literally the…

YOU ONLY HAVE TO READ a couple of paragraphs of Nora’s memoir It’s Okay To Laugh (Crying Is Cool Too) to want to befriend her. But it’s not because she’s one of the funniest people in the Twittersphere, or cool and a squad-worthy 6ft (although she is). It’s because she’s written a book in which, even in the face of the death of the person she loved most in the world – her funny, warm, talented 35-year-old husband Aaron – she ricochets through the broad spectrum of emotions and gives you laugh-’til-you’rehoarse moments between the tears. ‘I wanted to write a story where I didn’t know how it was going to turn out,’ she says. ‘Grieving is not – to me – five stages, but more like a never-ending hamster…

THE BEACH HOP THE STAY-CATION THE CITY BREAK THE WILD ESCAPE Fashion assistant: Michaella Kossakowska…

BLAZÉ MILANO The three fashion heads behind Blazé Milano first met working at Elle Italia, so it’s no wonder their handmade blazers have become a cult buy with fashion editors. MARTINIANO Handmade in Argentina, these understated, modern leather shoes sum up low-key summer style. BRUTA London brand Bruta makes casual shirts embroidered and screen-printed with fluid, hand-drawn designs.…

WITH SUMMER ALMOST UPON US , it’s time to sort out your new-season look. But if you’re imagining a hard slog along the high street, think again: a style overhaul is oh-so attainable with Gap’s inspiring S/S ’16 collection. Make the most of the 30% discount for Graziareaders (both in-store and online) and create your capsule wardrobe, whether you’re spending summer in the city or on an exotic escape. Cue stonewashed denim and lightweight chambrays that will stay cool when things heat up, in this season’s key shapes: fun rompers and chic shorts. To be totally on trend, layer your true blues over a super-soft vintage-wash tee – this slouchy staple will see you through summer andyou can bag one for free when you spend £35 or more. Classic stripes…

CEDRIC CHARLIER A/W ’16 1 . MAKE A SPLASH BLITHE PATTING WATER PACK REJUVENATING PURPLE BERRY, £43 If the rigmarole of the famed Korean 10-step regime sounds wildly unrealistic, splash masks, the latest skincare innovation, offer a far speedier solution.These potent liquids (also known as patting water packs) look like toners but deliver the transformative effect of a face mask in 15 seconds flat. We've been blown away by Blithe's versions, £43, which smell like fruit squash but are loaded with a gratifyingly effective dose of glow-giving lactic acid. Pour a capful into a bowl of clean water, stir with your fingertips and then splash onto your face, patting it into your skin for 10-15 seconds. Splash, pat, hello glow! 2 . MAGIC BEANS MAY ISLAND BUBBLE BEAN CLEANSER, APPROX…

COOL CUISINE MAFTOUL GOES MEGA! Get set to see maftoul popping up everywhere as a raft of Middle Eastern cookbooks hit shelves. What is it? Small irregular-shaped balls of bulgar and wholewheat flour, similar to couscous. Maftoul means ‘twisted’, referring to the technique used to produce it. Traditionally it’s served hot with chicken, chickpeas and tomatoes, but I love to boil it, rinse until cold, drain and add to salads: it has a wonderful delicate texture. Supermarkets and delis are beginning to stock maftoul, or visit souschef.co.uk. TURKISH DELIGHTS From travelling to Istanbul, I have learned that there is so much more to Turkish cuisine than kebabs and meze. One of the newest female chefs to the London restaurant scene is the talented Selin Kiazem at Oklava, who is making…

‘I ARGUE WITH MY DAD AND THEN, FIVE MINUTES LATER, WE’RE FRIENDS AGAIN’ AMBER LE BON, 26 We ask the model and DJ to take an exclusive selfie - and reveal all Who is your best friend? Alice Campbell [above]. I asked her to be friends on the second day of boarding school aged 11 and we've been inseparable ever since. What’s your biggest regret? Not learning to drive when I was 17. Now I have a real fear of it. I think it's my spatial awareness that's the problem. What’s your biggest extravagance? I'm obsessed with big amethysts, which start at about £300. I love learning about crystals, which healing properties they have and where to find them. What’s your type? Someone spontaneous who is up for a last-minute…

1. FRESHLY PICKED Earrings, £89, Marina Rinaldi (marinarinaldi.com). Get your sparkle on with these beautiful earrings and add an unexpected touch to your evening look. 2. TRUE BLUE Dungarees, £295, M.i.h Jeans (mihjeans.commihjeans.com). Partial to a dungaree? Us too. Celebrate 10 years of MiH with one of its greatest hits: this retro-inspired all-in-one. 3. THE NEW CASUAL Top, £2,445, trousers, £870, and sandals, £525, all Chloé (chloe.com). Talk about killing two birds with one stone. Chloé nails exposed shoulders and athleisure in one. 4. ’70s REMIX Jacket, £490, Sessùn (liberty.co.uk). A tan biker jacket is a great new-season alternative to your beaten-up black leather. Pair with light blue flared jeans for now, and a denim mini come summer. 5. WRAP UP Woven sandals, £400, No.21 (browns fashion.com). Rainbow brights are…

ASTHE SAYING GOES, what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas. Unless you’re Orlando Bloom – in which case, pictures of you looking cosy with ex fling Selena Gomez leak online, much to the displeasure of current fling Katy Perry. Oh dear... Last week, blurry images surfaced of Orlando, 39, and Selena, 23, embracing in a private booth at Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino’s Light Nightclub, where the singer was holding an after-party following the opening night of her Revival Tour. According to one source, ‘They left separately, but there is definitely a flirtation there. Despite vehement denials, it’s widely believed that they’ve hooked up in the past. Katy believes that Orlando didn’t cheat, but found it humiliating that everyone has seen her boyfriend in such a compromising position.’ Katy, 31,…

Photos: Shutterstock, Getty Images I’M A LIVE-BY-THE-LIST PERSON - some would say tyrannically so - and I'm always doing at least three things at once. So when I heard that monotasking (ie, single-tasking, multitasking's sworn enemy) was the new way to get more done, I was instantly in. News fresh out of neuroscience circles is that when we think we're managing everything at the same time, we're actually just flitting between tasks and making ourselves less productive (as well as doing things less well). So it sounds convincing on paper but can it be done IRL, where most of my deadlines seem to be yesterday? As one who often ends up with iPhoneclaw from flitting between work/social/personal admin emails, I applied the mono principle to a typical day at Grazia…

Photos: Rex Features, Xposure Photos, Getty Images Rachel Roy, the designer who says she didn’t have an affair with Jay Z, and is therefore very much not‘Becky with the good hair’ in Lemonade(a lyric that might allude to Jay Z’s real-life infidelity but, then again, might not), has said she feels ‘bullied’ by Twitter. Twitter thought Roy definitely wasGood Hair Becky (partly because Roy posted, then deleted, a selfie captioned with a ‘good hair’ ref, mere hours after Beyoncé released Lemonade) and, on that basis, told her what it thought of her. A lot. ‘As a mother... I feel that bullying in any form is harmful and unacceptable,’ Roy declared, which makes me feel she might be bullying me, because even though I have not ascended to the higher plane…

OUR PANEL CHARLIE GOWANS-EGLINTON Grazia’s acting fashion news and features editor has an eye for the eclectic and a pathological fear of men in flip-flops. @charliegowans JOHN CRACE The Guardian’s Parliamentary sketchwriter, his party trick is whittling Alexa’s It book down to 600 words. Life changing. JENNIFER LAWRENCE CHARLIE SAYS: I hate satin generally , and cut-outs as a rule. However , I love J-Law , and this Dior look is proof that love trumps hate. JOHN SAYS: A dress to keep you guessing. Was the open cleavage deliberate or was the top half so tight it split in several directions of its own accord? Who knows? Jennifer must be keeping her fingers crossed that the few remaining stitches hold. YOU SAY: Few could wear a slinky satin number with…

YOU MIGHT THINK THAT SUMMER is all about sunshine, but it’s when the sun goes down that this season’s trends really heat up. F&F have everything you need to see you through the long summer nights ahead, from statement jumpsuits to shift dresses and separates, all in a colour-pop palette of spice souk shades, as seen on the catwalks – think warm saffron and fiery paprika. For all-in-one dressing, a ’70s jumpsuit, belted at the waist and slightly flared in the leg, is just the thing. Pair yours with retro wooden-platform sandals and gold stacking jewellery for a sleek, sultry evening look. Or take your cue from a different ’70s trend in a patchwork suede shift-dress that packs a tactile punch – wear it now with sandals and with knee-high…

Photos: Marco Vittur…

Photos: Jason Lloyd-Evans, Marco Vittur. Clarins: clarins.com. Dior: dior. com. Givenchy: debenhams.com. RMK: selfridges.com.Vaseline: boots.com 1 Where we spotted it Providing a rock’n’roll flourish at Costume National. 2 Why we loved it Although smoky eyes are a perennial fave, we’re always looking for ways to update them. This glossy, lived-in version feels super-fresh. 3 Ways to wear it Do like make-up artist Benjamin Puckey (who created the look) and use your fingers to smudge a balm over the top of layered black liner and shadow.…

GUT FEELING A balance of good gut bacteria = efficient digestion and an improved immune system. The answer? Probiotics. One of our fave new discoveries is Purearth's Kefir Me - fermented drinks with 30 times more good bacteria than yogurt. Drink up… This season we’re taking a military approach to fitness (at least with our look…). Fall into step with these camouflage leggings THE BIG SLEEP A treatment that winds back the clock and aids sleep sounds too good to be true. But This Works' new Sleep Plus Trouble Shooter, £35, contains essential oils to help you snooze, and vitamin E and hylauronic acid to smooth and de-age skin while you do. A NEW SPIN Seasoned spinners (or competitive newbies) seeking a challenge should try Virgin Active’s latest class, The…

ZOE CRONIN Grazia’s deputy chief sub editor As an O’Farrell fan, I was really looking forward to this – but I got way more than I bargained for. This is like Maggie hotwired with AM Homes, in the best possible way. Claudette, a reclusive film star, crosses paths with Daniel, a complicated, childhood-singed, relationship disaster-magnet. That might sound like romcom fare, but what follows is a beautiful exploration of the human condition, woven with heart, humour and boundless imagination. No character is wasted, no word misspent. JENNY CROALL Grazia’s production editor O’Farrell’s sweeping love story toys with the idea that one tiny mistake can cataclysmically alter the course of many lives, while reflecting on how history often repeats itself. Her totally believable characters are drawn with a deft, sure hand…

When she first appeared on EastEnders (7.11.94), Peggy Mitchell was noticeably drawn in the lineage of faithful East End matriarch Violet Kray. The adoring mother of two wayward, vexed and smoking-hot sons, Grant and Phil, she provided the umbilical link to the soap's custom-built Ronnie and Reg. Despite - often because of - their entrenched connections to the cranky, lawless underbelly of pre-gentrification East End life, Peggy could never quite yank the cord. That sometime compatriot of the Krays, the brilliant, irrepressible actress Barbara Windsor playing Old Ma Mitchell was genuine casting genius, up there with Helen Mirren in Prime Suspect, Dame Maggie in Downton. Barbara Windsor gave EastEnders heritage and pedigree; Peggy, gentle ferocity. She was the colourful flowerbed planted above the sturdy foundation work of June Brown, Miss…

THE GENDER AGENDA I read your gender issue (9 May) with particular interest. We certainly live in interesting times, where questions about gender identity are more mainstream. As both a clinician working in mental health and as a woman, I very much welcome these discussions. I do however have some concerns. I worry that we are limiting our understanding of gender identity to rather fashionable statements about gender fluidity, when really what I think is in question are the limits of ‘socially constructed gender roles’, ie, that society shapes or even limits what it means to be masculine or feminine. This is a feminist or gender equality position, which seems to be bowing to the more superficial argument that now we women can shop in men’s departments and choose to…

1. UP GERARD DEPARDIEU Intensely controversial, intensely French, currently being brilliant in the generally utterly brilliant Marseille (Netflix). Despite ourselves: we would. 2. UP FIONA BRUCE Mega-chic news anchor, who sent Twitter wild last week, after a camera pan-out showed her to be wearing trainers in a way that was inexplicably sexual. 3. NEW IN SUE WILSON Gatekeeper to the brilliant Veep’s brilliant fictional president Selina Meyer; acerbic, sufferer of zero fools, everything we hope to be one day. 4. UP JENNIFER LAWRENCE’S BACK VIEW Magnificent dress choice for the X-Men prem in London; all the drama was in the back. Well, actually, some of it was in the front, too. Just, y’know: fit! 5. UP GARY LINEKER Who we are holding to his promise to present Match Of The…

. Photos: Wenn.com,TMZ/AKM-GSI/xposurephotos.com, Instagram.com/@selenagomez, Getty Images forThe Weinstein Company JUST 12 MONTHS AGO, Russell Brand was a self-proclaimed revolutionary, ranting from his bachelor pad in Hackney. But fast-forward to the present day and the comedian is a very different man. Having quietly swapped his placard for a mansion in Conservative heartland Henley-on-Thames, he has been settling into country life with his girlfriend of six months, Laura Gallacher, 27. And if you needed yet more proof that Russell, 40, has left his wilder days behind him, last week it was revealed that he and Laura (sister ofTV presenter Kirsty Gallacher) are expecting their first child. ‘They didn't plan the pregnancy, it came as a complete surprise,' one friend of the couple told Grazia. ‘But it's very much a happy accident.They've been…

RAG & BONE Shopping: Polly Knight. Photos: Splash, Lickerish, Catwalking.com IF, LIKE US, you’re dazzled by a little sun, then you might find yourself caught short – and cold – when you leave the house sans jacket. But when it’s too warm for a leather, and too unpredictable to go without, what’s a gal to do? When in doubt, take a leaf out of Kate Moss’s book – or rather, a jacket out of her walk-in – and bag yourself a khaki button-up. This shirt/jacket hybrid is the ultimate in wear-anywhere buys – sling it on top of a summer dress, wear it open over a Breton stripe, or button it up with jeans. And as khaki is hot for A/W ’16 too, with military jackets on the Burberry, Prada…

‘SECOND SKIN’ HERALDED AS NEW BOTOX US scientists have invented an invisible film that can be applied to your own skin for 24 hours to reduce the appearance of wrinkles. ‘Potentially it’s a really good non-invasive innovation,’ says Harley Street aesthetic doctor David Jack. ‘It could make skin look better in an instant – almost like a Wonderbra for the face.’ RECEPTIONIST SENT HOME FOR WEARING FLAT SHOES A temp was ordered home from UK financial firm, Price Waterhouse Cooper, for refusing to wear high heels. Nicola Thorp, 27, was dismissed, unpaid by her agency, Portico, after turning up for work in flats. She has since launched a petition urging Parliament to make it illegal for women to be forced to wear high heels at work. Don’t tell Joan… WEDDING…

MARGO DURRELL New style icon. THREE GRACES’ LONDON SILKEN ROBE Technically a dressing gown, though I’d wear it to parties. CECILIE COPENHAGEN At matchesfashion.com. Yes please. ELIGIBLE BY CURTIS SITTENFELD My first BOTS (Book Of The Summer). HOBBIT FEET Sudden summer foot panic = emergency pedicures. Not to mention sandal-choice anxiety. CRYPTI-GRAM The practice of posting passive-aggressive cryptic messages on Instagram. SLIP DRESS + T-SHIRT TRENDS I didn’t know where to put my boobs when this happened in the ’90s. Am still unsure.…

I BLAME OITNB (Orange Is The New Black for non-Netflixers) for my desire to spend the night with a woman. There’s a certain shower scene between Alex and Piper that first turned me on, and before I knew it, I was fantasising about my perfect woman (nothing like I imagined her, by the way) and watching soft lesbian porn. I’ve never considered that I might be gay – I simply had a sudden urge to sleep with a woman. Just once. The sticking point? I’m in a very loving and committed relationship with my boyfriend Ben. I have met the man I want to do the whole baby and puppy thing with. And yet, six months ago, I found myself with this new fantasy that he –…

The pom-pom FLAT Now that you’ve had your pedi – you HAVE, haven’t you? – it’s time to line up your new sandal buys with Grazia’s edit of the 35 most gorgeous, from espadrilles to slides and flats to heels. Starting with Dolce & Gabbana’s pom-pom flat, which sums up how we want to feel this summer – fabulous! Price on request, Dolce & Gabbana (020 7659 9000) The fancy ESPADRILLE Not your average straw-soled shoe, these days the espadrille is as cool as it is comfortable. The fancier, the better. Buff and TAN If you want to look chic in the city, think copper to chestnut. A mahogany tan is a good thing. Super SLIDES The simple slip-on has undergone an epic reinvention. This means colour! Decoration! Bows! Buckles!…

ERIKA CAVALLINI PARIS FASHION WEEK YELLOW The sunshine state This summer’s hottest hue is far from mellow. We’re talking hot mustard to fierce lemon, and sunflower to organic egg – not pastel tones. Fear not, blondes: power yellows are much more flattering. That goes for you too, brunettes and redheads. It’s all about how you wear it. Here are three ways to work fashion’s trickiest shade, whatever the occasion. 1. FOR EVERYDAY 2. FOR THE EVENING 3 FOR A WEEKEND GETAWAY Photos: Jason Lloyd-Evans, catwalking.com…

SOFIE VALKIERS This, ladies, is how to do spring layering. Sophie keeps her long sleeves sheer to avoid hardening the look. Alternatively, a denim jacket slung over the shoulders would also do the trick on cooler days. @sofievalkiers Get the look 1. Sheer win Pop this versatile top beneath dresses by day and over a black cami by night. Top, £99, Karen Millen (karenmillen.com) 2. All aboard the slip ship This gorgeous Pinko number has summer written all over it. Layer on top of a sporty tee to stay on trend. Dress, £258, Pinko (pinko.com) 3. Black out A favourite with street-style stars, flat mules are a must-have for casual daywear. We challenge you not to wear them every day. Loafers, £58, Office (office.co.uk) EVANGELIE SMYRNIOTAKI If you haven’t yet…

Photos: Marco Vittur 1. HAIR HEAVEN Afro hair: we may have found your new best friend. Charlotte Mensah’s Manketti Oil Conditioner, £18, is loaded with nutrient-rich manketti oil to lock in moisture, minus a heavy finish. Her star clients are already fans (us too!). charlottemensah.com 2. GLOW FOR IT Along with a coffee and bacon sarnie, Urban Decay’s Afterglow 8-hour Highlighter in Sin, £19, is what saves us when we’re feeling fragile. Finely milled for a lightweight finish, the champagne hue illuminates tired complexions fast. urbandecay.co.uk 3. EAU HELLO! If our holiday budget won’t stretch to a private island in the Med, we at least want to smell like it does. Happily, Tom Ford’s Soleil Blanc, £145, is a magical mix of amber, pistachio and tuberose that transports us to…

Photos: Giorgio Z Gatti/Folio-id.com, Marco Vittur. Dawes: dawescycles.com. Garmin: garmin.com. Giro: wiggle.co.uk. Lucas Hugh: lucashugh.com. Nike: nike.com. Orca: orca.com. Speedo: speedo.co.uk.Trigger Point: tptherapy.com. Victoria's Secret: victoriassecret.com. Zone3: racezone3.com…

CANTALOUPE, FETA, GREEK BASIL & PUMPKIN SEED SALAD Makes 2-4 Prep time: 5 mins 1 large cantaloupe melon (or other orange-fleshed melon) 150g feta cheese Extra virgin olive oil, for drizzling 1 tsp pul biber chilli flakes (aka Aleppo pepper, available online) 75g pumpkin seeds Generous handful of Greek basil leaves 1 Using a sharp knife, cut the melon into quarters, then cut each quarter in half (this will make removing the skin much easier).Then slide the knife under the melon's flesh, against the skin, to cut the flesh away. Slice each wedge into two thinner slices. Arrange the melon slices on a platter. 2 Crumble the feta cheese over the melon slices, then drizzle with a little olive oil. Sprinkle the pul biber and pumpkin seeds over the feta,…

1. SING STREET Nostalgics will die and go to heaven watching this adorable 1980s Dublin-set comedy about a teen lad who forms a band to impress a girl. John Carney (Once) directs. In cinemas from Friday 2. X-MEN: APOCALYPSE Get your J-Law franchise fix with this latest from the Marvel mutants. Mystique and pals battle a new foe (Oscar Isaac). Previews in cinemas from Wednesday 3. SKY-HIGH CINEMA The Rooftop Film Club are at it again. Book now for cult and classic movies at five London venues.rooftopfilmclub.com 4. BEST OF BRITISH POP The London Cabaret Club returns with a culinary and musical odyssey at The Bloomsbury Ballroom, its iconic new residence. thelondoncabaretclub.com. EveryThurs, Fri, Sat until August 2016…

IRON CURTAIN Locked Up is a Spanish women's prison drama cut from the Orange Is The New Black, rather than the Cell Block H, cloth of inmate scrubs. Maggie Civantos is a brand new heroine as Macarena Ferreiro (like a dance and a chocolate), framed for fraud, lying to her parents that she's off on a jolly while serving time. It's smart, occasionally actual laugh-out-loud funny and very, very addictive. Recommended. Tuesday, 10pm, Channel 4 FORWARD THINKING Jo Brand brought Kim Wilde to gloriously lethargic life in Getting On, punting her insider knowledge of the NHS against a comedy that wasn't so much black as bleak. In Going Forward she reprises the role in domestic situ. It's a quietly stunning piece of work about, if not quite Broken Britain, then…

And then there were three. Last week, long-standing Spice Girls collaborator Eliot Kennedy caused mass hysteria when he tweeted, ‘Now that was a day for the history books. Proper friendship! Hit song!’ Soon after, Mel B confirmed she’d been in the studio with Geri and Emma. As for Posh and Sporty? Busy, apparently. Sadface x 1,000. KAREN MILLEN’S new fashion film showcases the brand’s summer ’16 Atelier collection – think tropical florals and sculptural party dresses. And the film itself is worth checking out, as the high-street favourite allowed its shoppers to vote for the women who starred in it, via clever app Feels. So now we can all add Casting Director to our CVs... karenmillen.com TO GOOGLE HQ, where Grazia teamed up with the internet giant for Food for…

Photos: Zoltan Tombor/Mondadori TAURUS 21 Apr – 21 May Someone’s impetuous behaviour could mean extra expense all round. Although the situation isn’t devastating, it needs to be monitored. The Sun leaving your sign to highlight a financial section of your chart should help. Don’t be surprised if you stumble across ways of gathering up financial resources and turning small losses into sizeable gains. Try not to gloat in the company of those too busy enjoying themselves to take heed. GEMINI 22 May – 21 Jun After a period during which you’ve had a lot to handle, you’ll soon begin to feel a sense of relief. And that should be closely followed by a mood of optimism. So don’t allow yourself to appear apathetic or full of…