Table of contents for Issue 835 in Grazia

LAST SUMMER it was floods; this summer we’ve been hit with record heatwaves. So is the extreme weather finally making more of us wake up to the impact of climate change? The firefighter we spoke to about tackling horrific fires that swept through the UK certainly hopes so. Read her stark warning on page 22. Aside from the big questions about the future of our planet, the heat brings everyday practical concerns, too: like what on earth to wear to stay cool? We’ve covered that too, with loads of tips, tricks and hero buys to see you through, whatever you’re up to this summer. @hattie_brett / feedback@graziamagazine.co.uk…

How to tell if he’s Good Wife Material (and how to avoid Wonderwalling) LATELY, THE NOTION of ‘wife material’ has caught my ear. Mainly, I shan’t lie, on account of my 360° immersive Love Island 2022 viewing experience. Assuming that sun-splashed villa of randy dolts offers decent insight into the aspirations of our country as a whole (which I’m pretty sure it does), seeking out a woman who possesses the qualities of wife material is now of prime importance to Britain’s menfolk. While I am tempted to rant about how regressive that is, how it reinforces the reductive fantasy of A Wife, how daftly it conjures up notions such as child-bearing hips and signature dishes, how bonkorestrictive check lists on people you haven’t actually met yet are, anyway (I’m looking…

10 HOT STORIES NO LIDO, BEACH or paddling pool required, the new way to wear your bikini and cossie is nowhere near water. We’re calling it ‘swimwear anywhere’ - and, yes, that can mean the office/shops/school run. But before you panic, this trend is less ‘naked’ than you might be imagining. It simply involves thinking of your swimwear as the ultimate multitasker and wearing it as daywear. The appeal is obvious: you’ve invested in it, why save it for annual leave? Take Bella Hadid, who made her strapless cutout swimsuit the centrepiece of her top-to-toe white outfit in Cannes, pairing it with super-low-slung shorts, gold chain necklaces and sneakers for a stroll about town. Chic enough for the city, comfortable enough for a heatwave, why not take a similar formula…

GRAZIA FEATURE AGED 43 AND SINGLE, Blanche Girouard, host of the podcast Wonder Of Wonders, made ‘the best decision I have ever made in my life’. Having frozen her eggs aged 37, she decided to use them to have a child via a sperm donor. It cost €639 (£540) to purchase a ‘straw’ of sperm from the European Sperm Bank in Copenhagen, and €295 to have it shipped to London. A year later, Ottilie was born. ‘Put the phone down Mummy’, says Ottilie, already bored of this interview. Such scenes are critically endangered: in the UK, sperm supplies are in freefall. In June, the fertility charity Progress Education Trust (PET) issued a warning that a nationwide shortage of sperm donors is driving women not just to legitimate sperm banks abroad,…

YOU KNOW IT’S HIGH SUMMER WHEN YOU CAN STEP OUT IN JUST A PASTEL SHORTS SET AND A CLUTCH FOR COMPANY. WEEKEND MAX MARA’S PASTICCINO BAG IS A TRIBUTE TO VENICE, FEATURING GLASS BEADS MADE IN MURANO AND METALLIC MOTIFS IN HINTS OF GOLD AND COPPER. IT’S THE DEFINITION OF A TROPHY ACCESSORY.…

THE DRESS OF THE SUMMER is a good way to take the temperature of fashion at that moment. At peak WAG, in 2005, high-maintenance, high-polish glamour was epitomised by Roland Mouret’s Galaxy dress; in 2017, Ganni’s floral wrap dress was a commercial crystallisation of the burgeoning appetite for quirky ease (bike shorts, ugly trainers) and all things Scandi. The way women leaned into #twinning in Zara’s ubiquitous spotty dress (2019) signified a comforting camaraderie in the face of political tumult. Summer 2020 belonged to sweatpants, but cottagecore’s pretty prairie frocks gave them a run for their money, spelling a desire to return to a rose-tinted bucolic idyll none of us had ever actually experienced but craved regardless. A prime contender for the dress (and catsuit and going-out top) of summer…

GRAZIA HEALTH + BEAUTY 1 WANDERLUST SCENT NARCISO RODRIGUEZ CRISTAL EAU DE PARFUM SPRAY, £78 FOR 50ML It’s a floral scent but not as you know it. Evocative of balmy Mediterranean evenings, this blend of rose, bergamot and orange blossom offers pick-me-up levels of zingy and heady. 2 NEXT-LEVEL LIP FENTY LIP BEAUTY CHERRY LIP OIL, £19 Enriched with moisture barrier-replenishing fruit oils and vitamin-rich cherry extracts, this new offering from RiRi is so much more than a lip gloss - expect all the benefits of a nourishing balm alongside full-throttle juicy shine. One swipe and you’ll never look back. 3 FOOLPROOF FAKE TAN ISLE OF PARADISE SELF-TANNING OIL MIST, £21.95 A stain-free fake tan that deeply moisturises without compromising on colour pay-off? Meet the holy grail. Made with nourishing…

GRAZIA LIFE ADVICE 1 Make a decision and move on. When I think of the career mistakes I’ve made, they’re often because I’ve not made a decision quickly enough. The ability to make a call on something, then forge ahead and live with the outcome, is a skill we all need. When I’m faced with a big decision, I write down my initial instinct before I start canvassing other people. You’re not going to get it right every time, but it’s easier to live with a decision - even a bad one - if you know you went with your gut. 2 Don’t let criticism rock you to your core. If you’re unsettled by a critical comment, take a breath; avoid a knee-jerk reaction. Then try to understand: why has…

Have your say… Email us at feedback@graziamagazine.co.uk Find us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram @GraziaUK FUTURE HOPES My six-year-old daughter loves to flick through my Grazia to look at the pictures. Your story The forgotten famine (11 July) stopped her in her tracks and she began a conversation with me around what it must be like to have to live in those tents. She then saw the QR code, which we scanned to access the Save the Children website, and she donated some of her pocket money to help the little girl in the article, who was suffering from malnutrition. I felt so proud and also reassured that while the people in charge now may not be taking climate change seriously, future generations will. Hannah Star letter LIFE LESSONS My…

1. New in WICKIE Played by Renée Elise Goldsberry. Diva on her uppers in Girls 5eva (Sky/NOW), the comedy about a reuniting ’90s girls band you’re about to become utterly obsessed with Thank us later 2. New in BRADLEY COOPER AND HUMA ABEDIN The actor and the former chief of staff to Hillary Clinton/ex of politician Anthony Weiner (who dick pic’d his way to ignominy and divorce) are possibly A Thing! We hereby heartily endorse. 3. Up WINNIE HARLOW’S GO-OOF *Going Out-Out OutFit, not an easy thing to pull off in this sort of heat - but a considered combo of cutouts and chains will do it. 4. New in ‘KENERGY’ Or BKE, Big Ken Energy. This summer’s successor to BDE is pioneered by Ryan Gosling, aka Ken. We’ve no real idea what it…

CARRIE BRADSHAW WORE them with cargo pants first time around, and every girl group in the early ‘00s had at least one. But, until now, boob tubes have seemed like the Y2K trend that wasn’t due a reboot; something that happened once and probably shouldn’t happen again. Except, cast a cursory eye over Instagram - or the pavements outside the most recent round of fashion shows - and chances are a boob tube will be staring straight back at you. Outside Balenciaga, Emrata arrived wearing one with baggy combat trousers (she’s also a fan of the strapless stretch dresses from Wolford, wearing them with trainers to walk her dog in New York). On Love Island, the girls have been wearing bandage-style boob tube dresses from House of CB, the brand…

INTERVIEW GRAZIA GRAZIA EXCLUSIVE IF ENGLAND’S LIONESSES lift the trophy at Wembley Stadium on 31 July (as Grazia went to press, they had secured their place in the semi-finals with a 2-1 win over Spain), there’ll be one woman watching who knows how long a moment like that has been in the making. ‘Young Alex would never believe it,’ says a beaming Alex Scott, the 37-year-old Football Focus host and former England and Arsenal player, who for the past few weeks has been leading the BBC’s coverage of the Women’s Euro 2022, alongside Gabby Logan and Ian Wright. Even those of us who don’t follow football, let alone women’s football, will have found it hard to ignore the excitement as England progressed through the competition. But regardless of whether they…

OUR POP CULTURE EXPERT PAUL FLYNN HAS BEEN WRITING ABOUT TV FOR MORE THAN 20 YEARS… ANOTHER FORTNIGHT, another Hollywood actress making the switch to TV. This time it’s the luminous Alicia Vikander in Irma Vep, playing an actress, Mira, contemplating the exact moment she feels her career might be washing up. To add a meta-textual twist, Irma Vep is a remake of writer-director Oliver Assayas’s 2008 film, starring Maggie Cheung in the Vikander role. You don’t need to know these extra-curricular details, but by the end of the first episode of this thrillingly erotic cult piece, you’ll want to. This show feels a bit like Sofia Coppola deciding to direct a classy soap opera. Mira has been dispatched to Paris to film a TV series called The Vampires and…

26 JULY 2022 Can we finally close the gender health gap? It’s long overdue, but finally a women’s health strategy promises to tackle systemic gender health inequality in England. The first of its kind, the 10-year Government plan includes compulsory women’s health training for doctors, improved endometriosis support and a £10m breast screening programme to boost cancer checks. There are also promises to improve access to IVF treatment, mental health services, contraception and maternity support. Commitments are one thing, delivering on them another - we must continue to shout about health inequality to ensure these proposals actually materialise.…

FASHION ASSISTANT CHARLOTTE OLBY ON THE PIECES MAKING HER SUMMER EXTRA SPECIAL THIS YEAR CHIC SWIMWEAR Although designed for a day spent in the ocean, this one-piece will take me from beach to bar when paired with linen trousers. £291, Johanna Ortiz at net-a-porter.com MOOD MUSIC For the soundtrack of the summer, resort brand OAS produced the song Passé Futur, which is available on Spotify. Bikini top, £33.75, and towel (worn as sarong), £50.63, OAS Company GLOW GIVER Supercharged with a blend of nine oils, Whind’s moisturiser helps to repair your skin’s barrier for a sun-kissed glow from within. Marrakech Rich Ultimate Cream, £55, Whind TIMELY TOTE For its latest collection, Le Pliage Re-Play, Longchamp worked with end-of-stock materials from previous collections to bring to life this playful, fits everything…

WE DON’T NEED to tell you that it’s hot. The recent soaring temperatures are no laughing matter and, with the forecast not letting up any time soon, we’re having to crack on as best we can, mastering commutes with no air conditioning and stuffy offices, all while trying not to descend into blind panic about the future of our planet. From SULs (sweaty upper lips) to sweat patches and chafing thighs, heatwave dressing is a minefield. But, behold, here are our essentials to help you keep your cool. Sweaty Girl Summer might not look (or feel) so bad after all. 1. THE HOT WATER BOTTLE Or should we say, cold water bottle. Fill, pop in the freezer, et violà! A nifty little ice pack to cuddle all night long. Bliss.…

ON YOUR MARKS, jet set, go. Or, perhaps more accurately: on your marks, head to the airport, try to go. A summer of travel chaos beckons and, even without that, two years of cancelled plans mean many of us have forgotten the art of forgetting about it all. But optimism — and a hefty dose of planning — will help you have the vacay you damn well deserve. Here’s how to summer in 2022. TRAVEL LIGHT Whether you roil or fold, the smart way to travel is light: with hand baggage only. At John Lewis, searches for ‘cabin luggage’ are up 418% since last year. Invest in a sturdy-yet-lightweight carry-on, like John Lewis & Partners’ Orlando (£75), Away’s Carry-On (£245) or the fashion pack’s favourite, Rimowa’s Essential Cabin [1] (£540),…

GRAZIA FASHION WEAR WITH SPORTING SENSATIONS While Wimbledon treated us to tennis whites, waistcoats and a ’90s bucket hat (thanks, Alexa), we’re looking to the Women’s Euro and the Lionesses for a spot of sporty spice energy. Talking of spice, over at the motor racing, Geri Halliwell continued her head-to-toe-white crusade alongside Red Bull boss and husband Christian Horner. KEY ACCESSORY WEDDING BELLES It’s been a season of rescheduled ceremonies, including Britney’s fairy-tale Versace do and Kravis’s Italian Dolce-themed extravaganza earlier in the year. In the wedding world, pretty much anything goes - read the room, respect the dress code and, yes, of course you can wear black… KEY PIECE FESTIVALS GO FANCY (ISH) Glastonbury was back with a bang after a two-year hiatus. Performers leant into high fashion with…

GRAZIA HEALTH + BEAUTY CHANEL BEAUTY SHOT AT THE EDITION BODRUM FACE GLAZING It’s all about the ‘no make-up, make-up look’, says make-up artist to the stars Adam De Cruz. ‘It’s the time for a very lightweight base.’ Pick a water-based tint, like Chanel Les Beiges Water Fresh Complexion Touch, £51, which leaves no texture on the skin, and enhance your existing glow with a balm highlighter. Go a step further by adding faux freckles. GOLDEN-HOUR GLOW ‘Extra moisture gives you a gorgeous sun-kissed glow,’ promises Adam. And you don’t need to be poolside to get in on the action. Simply recreate the look with a liberal application of Chanel Les Beiges Illuminating Oil, £70, on your shins, shoulders and décolletage. UNDETECTABLE BRONZING When it comes to texture, Adam swears…

The Girls Are Good by Ilaria Bernardini Talented teenage gymnast Martina’s teammates are also her fiercest rivals. During an international contest (with echoes of the Larry Nassar scandal) we see the physical pain, emotional toll, abuse and complicity the competition circuit can foster. Black Swan meets Heathers; a TV adaptation is already in the works. Without Warning & Only Sometimes by Kit de Waal Growing up in ‘60 and ‘70s Birmingham with a Caribbean father and Irish Jehovah’s Witness mother, de Waal was caught between cultures, beliefs and the family members who played favourites with her siblings. This memoir retells how she navigated the extremes with warmth and candour. THE FEMINIST THRILLER The Change by Kirsten Miller When three women experience positive manifestations of the menopause (see: channelling hot flushes…