Table of contents for 48 - 2017 in Best

TOP TIP This year’s dress styles prove you don’t have to flash the flesh to feel sexy and ready to party. TOP TIP Try mixing textures – velvet is a perfect partner to luxurious brocade. TOP TIP Add a finishing touch with a hand-tied choker of ribbons from your local haberdasher.…

Feeling frazzled? Party season burnout can wreak havoc with your looks. Here are the latest ‘fairy-tale’ cosmetic fixes that are guaranteed to give great results. THE CINDERELLA FACELIFT Too much partying? Give a tired, drawn face an instant lift with this non-surgical alternative to a mini facelift. This 60-minute procedure uses a combination of different-sized threads to lift the lower face and jowls, and is combined with Botox and the latest skin rejuvenation treatment – Xela Rederm – which helps re-energise the skin cells. Results include instant volume to jowls and cheeks, softened lines and plumper skin. Allow three to five days downtime afterwards, but the results can mimic a surgical facelift. From £1,800. SHODDY BODY BEHAVIOUR A full-body peel will restore radiance to dull, dry skin – reaching awkward,…

Chocolate ’n’ date brownies Dates and sweet potatoes add a natural sweetness to these rich and indulgent chocolate brownies. Makes 16Ready in 50 mins, plus cooling 2 large brown-skinned sweet potatoes (about 500g), peeled and diced100g porridge oats3 level tbsp sweetener1 medium egg 12 dried medjool dates, stoned and roughly chopped2 level tbsp low-fat spread6 level tbsp cocoa powder (or raw cacao powder, available in large supermarkets)16 raspberries½ level tsp icing sugar, to dust 1 Preheat your oven to 180°C/160°C fan/gas 4. Line the base and sides of an 18cm square loosebottomed cake tin with baking paper. 2 Steam the sweet potatoes for 10 mins or until tender (use a steamer, or put them in a covered colander placed over a saucepan of boiling water and steam over a high…

An ever-growing trend with families is to have a Christmas Eve box. This is fun way to pass on a few Xmas treats and keep the kids entertained the night before Santa arrives. I always buy PJs, a book to read and a jumper for my two, so I thought, why not wrap them up and pop them in a cute box? Couple these with a mince pie for Santa and a carrot for Rudolph, and you’ve got yourself a lovely new family tradition. I wanted my box to be a little different, so here is my spin on the trend… Happy making! Love Claire xx WHAT YOU NEED Preferably a wooden box (but a sturdy cardboard box will be fine) Red felt (on a roll) Grey, black and brown…

Miriam Margolyes, 76, is one of Britain’s best-loved actresses. She starred as Harry Potter’s Professor Sprout and in BBC’s Blackadder, and has been with her partner, Heather Sutherland, for 50 years. What was the most surprising part of your trip abroad for The Real Marigold? I didn’t realise that internet access in Cuba is so restricted – you need a card to get on it for a limited amount of time. I came to the net fairly late in life, but it’s incredibly important to me. Not being able to get my emails and connect with my wider circle of friends was very difficult for me. But I think they’re all a lot more intelligent for it. It’s much better if you talk to people and don’t have your head…

BEST’S CELEBRITY INSIDER TALKS TO ASHLEY BANJO Ashley Banjo may be just 29 years old, but he’s been a star since dance troupe Diversity hit the big time in 2009. The London-born street dancer and choreographer, who is married to childhood sweetheart Francesca, is joining the Dancing On Ice panel as a judge. He tells Tony Cowell what we can expect from the new show, and why he’s ready to have kids. Since winning Britain’s Got Talent (BGT) with Diversity, you haven’t stopped working. Have you always had a strong work ethic? I think so because, over the years, I’ve seen so many acts from BGT or X Factor just come and go. It’s very easy to get caught up in the celebrity bubble and become famous overnight, and then the…

Lonely without her sidekick, Sir Bruce... And, so far, no sign of Vernon at Strictly She fronts the BBC show that gets everyone talking. And, behind the scenes, Strictly’s Tess Daly also has tongues wagging. Tess, 48, and her hubby of 14 years, Vernon Kay, haven’t been pictured together in public since June, at Wimbledon. Fans have also aired concerns over Vernon’s noticeable no-show at Strictly each weekend. Seeing as Tess has faced a backlash from viewers, who’ve cruelly branded her ‘wooden’ and ‘patronising’, he might have been expected to step in to support her. Especially as she’s admitted to still feeling the loss of ex co-host Sir Bruce Forsyth. The TV star moved the Strictly audience when she broke down in tears after the tribute to the late Bruce…

Jacket and Jill A show-stopping cover-up will draw attention upwards. TAP THE APP Download the Christmas Booth app to give your snaps a fun, festive twist! Fancy frock It’s Christmas, so blow the budget on your dream dress!…

Continue your weight-loss journey by joining your nearest Slimming World group! Research shows that, by joining a group, you’re more likely to be successful in the long-term than if you go it alone. As well as finding out all about Slimming World’s Food Optimising eating plan, you’ll meet other slimmers and be able to share, support and motivate, as well as gain practical advice and strategies for overcoming challenges that could hold your weight loss back. With this offer from best, join your nearest Slimming World group before or on Monday 11 December 2017 (or Tuesday 12 December in the Republic of Ireland) and enrol for FREE, saving £10/€18 so you pay only £4.95/€9 in your first week. (Standard first week fee is £14.95/€27 or £10/€18 to enrol plus £4.95/€9…

Gold, frankincense and myrrh already feature heavily during the festive season, but did you know they also make worthy additions to beauty products? As natural ingredients, they help to tackle a variety of beauty issues, keeping your winter skin woes well and truly at bay. TAP THE APP Get ASOS Premier (£9.99 annually) for free next-day delivery on hundreds of beauty products. 1 Firm your face Depleted collagen and elastin levels mean that our skin naturally sags and wrinkles over time. While much of this is unavoidable, there are ways to slow this process down. The resin found in myrrh, when applied topically, is known to improve skin’s firmness. Found in NIOD Myrrh Clay, £28, a thin layer applied once a week before washing off will give a little pre-party…

Meat your match Lakeland Roast Lifting Forks, £16.99 If you’re feeding a crowd, these genius utensils make light work of moving a heavy turkey! Sage By Heston Blumenthal The Smoking Gun at AO.com, £79 Give your guests a flavour sensation with this machine. Perfect for foodies and comes with handy recipe cards. Salter Cook Bluetooth Cooking Thermometer, £49.99 Not for the tech-shy, this savvy gadget sends accurate readings straight to your phone. Side show Oxo Goodgrips Mini Vegetable Slicer, £12 This petite contraption is great for slicing small veg quickly, and tucks away perfectly in a drawer. Judge Thermal Gravy Pot, £17.60 Stores gravy and keeps it hot so you can keep coming back for more! Robert Welch Hobart Nutcracker Black, £34 This heavy gadget is definitely built to last…

Did you know you could be wasting money simply by shopping at the wrong time, or even in the wrong aisle at the supermarket? Our financial expert Sara Benwell says that by making five easy changes to your routine, you can buy everything you need for less, without compromising on quality… 1 BEAUTY AND THE BEASTLY PRICES Research from voucherbox.co.uk has shown that if you switch shops, you’ll save cash on beauty products: • Dove Nourishing Care Shower Oil: Swap Amazon (£7) for Superdrug (£2.48). • St Ives Apricot Scrub: Swap Amazon (£5.03) for Superdrug (£2.75). • Charles Worthington Volume & Bounce Shampoo: Swap Amazon (£13.95) for Boots (£5.99). • Bio-Oil: Swap Boots or Superdrug (£14.99) for Amazon (£9.03). 2 AISLE BE DAMNED We know some supermarkets are better value…

...his biggest fans My wife and two daughters are massive Strictly fans. The girls even had ‘Team Daddy’ T-shirts made. My five-year-old pretends to be Craig [Revel Horwood] and says ‘Darling’ now! I dropped her at school this morning and she said, ‘Daddy, I like dancing, just like you.’ Just dropping a subtle hint! ...mixing rehearsals with his role as Kush Kazemi in EastEnders We knew what we were signing up for. But the rest of the EastEnders cast love it. We sit in The Vic talking Strictly. …switching off when he gets home It’s hard. My wife has caught me in the kitchen doing some really weird steps, or even randomly chucking my arm in the air. …being in it to win it I’m taking each week as it…

OFFICIAL STRICTLY COME DANCING ANNUAL 2018 Love all things Strictly? The official companion book is brimming with exclusive interviews and essential gossip. BBC Books, £12.99 THE BIG SICK A comedy gem set in Chicago, The Big Sick is based on the real-life story of how a one-night stand between funnyman Kumail Nanjiani and writer Emily Gordon blossoms into more. It’s a fab romcom. DVD, £9.99 DON’T MISS The Ultimate Dirty Dancing To celebrate the 30th birthday of the classic feel-good movie, a new version of the soundtrack is out on CD. You’ll have the time of your life as you do your moves, baby! CD, £9.99, out now…

WASH AWAY THE BLUES Tea Towel, £9.99, gettingpersonal.co.uk BATHING BEAUTY Gin & Tonic Bath Salts, £6, Oliver Bonas MOMENT ON THE LIPS Gin & Tonic Scented Lip Balm, £3.50, M&S HANDBAG HERO Coin Purse, £3.88, New Look WINE TIME Prosecco Glass, £3, George at Asda LIGHT UP THE ROOM Candle, £4.50, Next SKIN SAVIOUR Gin & Tonic Scented Hand Cream, £4, M&S TREAT YOURSELF Dry Gin Fizz Gummies, £8.99, thepresentfinder.co.uk BROUGHT TO BOOK Prosecco Made Me Do It, £9.99, John Lewis SAVING UP Mum’s Prosecco Fund Ceramic Money Box, £9.99, gettingpersonal.co.uk DECK THE HALLS Decoration, £3, The Contemporary Home, tch.net CHOCS AWAY Gin & Tonic Dark Chocolate, £3.99, Lakeland GLASS OF BUBBLY Popaball Bursting Bubbles in Cherry, £3.49, cotswoldtrading.com best magazine, ISSN 0954-8955, is published weekly by The National Magazine…

Carols, presents under the tree and roaring fires just aren’t for everyone when Christmas comes around, it would seem. Someone who prefers to opt out on what she calls ‘enforced cheer’ is our very own (not so festive) Carol McGiffin. Ever game for a laugh, the former Loose Women star, who has been with fiancé Mark Cassidy for nine years, is so adamant about this that she quite happily transformed into the Grinch who stole Christmas, from Jim Carrey’s iconic film, to drive her point home. Oh, Carol… So, Carol, what is it that gets your goat so badly about Christmas? Lots of stuff. But, mostly, I hate the massive, ridiculous commercial build-up to the event itself. It tends to give everyone such massive expectations and it’s almost always nothing…

During the winter season, your breathing can be affected, whether it’s due to colds and congestion or lung problems, such as asthma. There are many solutions to ease your breathing during this time of year, you just need to find the right one for you. However, if you’re regularly getting out of breath, you must chat to your doctor. FULL STEAM AHEAD Inhaling steam is a great way to ease congestion and improve your breathing, whether you’re suffering with sinusitis or a cold. Pour hot water to a depth of 1-2cm into a large bowl. Lean over the bowl, so your face is well away from the water, then cover your head and the bowl with a scarf or towel so the steam can’t escape and breathe deeply to inhale…

Christmas is the one time of year where no one mentions the word ‘diet’, and it’s acceptable to indulge. My partner, Andy, and I did just that. We’d have huge festive meals, interspersed with calorific snacks and celebratory drinks. Only, we didn’t just eat too much at Christmas time – it was all year round. But, after Andy, now 50, suffered a serious health scare, we decided to lose weight together – and there’s no doubt it’s saved our lives. Within weeks of meeting Andy at work in 1995, he had me laughing at his silly jokes. Although I was 9st 7lb and a slim size 10, it didn’t bother me that he was carrying a little extra weight. He told me about his years in the Army, and we…

THOUGHT OF THE DAY We are all like snowflakes - every one of us is beautiful in a different way. The boss’s behaviour is not on! G loria, I hope you can advise me. My boss is about 10 years older than me and very charismatic. However, he is always very ‘touchy-feely’ with the female staff. He’ll put his arm round me, stand too close, and once he even patted me on the bottom. It makes me uncomfortable and, with all the news stories about this kind of thing, I wonder if I should say something. Carol, Norwich I understand this is hard to deal with. Most people worry that kicking up a fuss could put their job at risk. But I think, particularly in the current climate, you should address…

DAVOOD SOCKS IT TO ’EM Davood Ghadami said he has to dance in his lucky socks! I also have my show-day pants – Zara boxer shorts. When you’re getting changed in front of a crowd, you need decent undies. TIP FOR THE TOP I think it’s pretty much an open field now. If you’ve stayed in this long, people are liking what you’re doing. Even if you’ve been in the bottom two, that’s when people get behind you. The winner could be one of the underdogs. I kind of hope so! I think it’s good for the show. It can’t always be about the best person – it’s the journey they’ve been on. Well done, Anton! My pal, Anton Du Beke, revealed that he had a hair transplant because he…

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