Indholdsfortegnelse for 29-Sep-2025 i Woman

It’s nearing the end of the month and, frankly, we need the pennies to stretch a little further. In this issue we have so many money-saving pages, including money-off your weekly food shop (see page 35) and delicious recipes so you don’t have to fork out on a takeaway (page 39). And, you can even save cash by not going to the gym without feeling any guilt. Just check out page 26, which shows us how to burn calories without breaking a sweat. Now, that’s my kind of exercise! Plus! This week Liz Hurley speaks exclusively to Woman magazine about Loose Women and her relationship with Billy Ray Cyrus (page 56). And, would you charge your kids rent before they could even work? Read the views of our columnist, Isabel…

A judge on one of TV’s biggest and shiniest shows, it’s easy to believe that Shirley Ballas lives a life of glitz and glamour. But the truth is that life hasn’t always been kind to her. The Strictly star has been divorced twice and lost her brother David in 2003 after he tragically took his own life. And now Shirley has revealed that she feared she was ‘heading down the same route’ after the menopause left her ‘anxious, depressed and desolate’. In her new book, Best Foot Forward, the professional dancer has opened up about her mental health battle, stalker ordeal and the breakdown of her relationship with ex fiancé Danny Taylor in November last year. ‘I thought I was losing the plot’ Every September since 2017, Shirley, 65, has…

Cat Deeley Opulent blonde 1 This autumn, consider moving away from cool, ashy tones in favour of a rich, buttery blonde, like Cat. Happily, these warm honey tones are soft and flattering on most skin tones. 2 Ask your colourist for warm, creamy, beige tones. If you want to give your blonde a tweak at home, try a toner like Wella Professionals Care Color Fresh Colour Mask – Golden Gloss, £15.75, lookfantastic.com. 3 All dyed hair should use a colour-preserving shampoo to prevent fade. L’Oréal Paris Elvive Colour Protect Shampoo, £8, Boots, helps hold on to that salon-fresh vibrancy for up to 40 washes. 4 Keep your colour fresh between salon visits with John Frieda Honey Blonde Tone Perfecting Treatment, £12.99, Boots, which enhances warm tones to restore richness and…

Eye bags getting you down? Foggy head sabotaging your get-up-and-go? A lack of quality shut-eye might be to blame. And as autumn begins, and we battle the daytime slump that often comes with grey skies and chillier weather, it’s even more important to prioritise rest. That’s because poor sleep can not only lead to cognitive decline and increase your risk of diseases, it also encourages wrinkles and lacklustre skin. But don’t panic – with just a few tweaks to your diet and lifestyle, you’ll be sleeping through the night, getting healthier and turning back the clock. Did you know? One in eight Brits admit to not getting enough ZZZs*. Manage stress Are you one of the 45%** of Brits who say stress keeps them awake? We know that exercise helps…

Being a hotelier is in Isabella Macdonald’s blood. In 1972, following the death of her grandfather, her parents, Godfrey Macdonald and his wife Claire, decided to turn the family’s hunting lodge in Sleat on the Isle of Skye – parts of which are more than 400 years old – into a hotel. Isabella grew up in the loch-side property, and spent her childhood running from room to room and chatting to all of the guests. A real treat was when it was her turn to handwrite the dinner menus. Isabella even recalls her then four-year-old sister answering the phone and taking a booking with all the correct details – with the exception of the date! Isabella, 49, took over the 18-bedroom lodge and fine-dining restaurant from her parents 15 years…

Crispy duck pancakes One for the weekend, as this aromatic roast requires a bit of planning, but it’s worth the wait. SERVES 4 PREP 15 MINS, PLUS 2 DAYS BRINING AND DRYING COOK 2 HR ✱ 1.8kg whole duck✱ ½tbsp fine salt✱ 1tbsp Chinese five spice✱ 5cm fresh ginger, roughly chopped✱ 2 star anise For the glaze: ✱ 2tbsp liquid glucose, dissolved with 1tbsp boiling water To serve: ✱ ½ cucumber, thinly sliced✱ Small bunch spring onions, thinly sliced✱ 1 red chilli, thinly sliced (optional)✱ 12 Chinese-style pancakes✱ Hoisin sauce 1 Two days before serving, put the duck on a tray and sprinkle with salt and five spice. Cover the tray and chill overnight. 2 The next day, put the duck on a wire rack in the sink and pour…

DAISY’S WEIGHT LOSS Daisy May Cooper showed off her svelte new look while celebrating her son Jack’s fifth birthday. The 39-year-old actor has dropped an incredible 10st, going from a size 24 to a 10, partly through following the high-fat, low-carb keto diet. She’s previously revealed that she had an ‘addiction’ to food and was unhappy at her old weight. ‘I’m so for body positivity, but when I was at my biggest, I was at my most miserable… I wasn’t healthy. I couldn’t breathe when I was walking up the stairs.’ She’s also given up alcohol, revealing it has given her more time with her kids – son Jack, along with daughter Pip, seven, and son Benji, 15 months. ‘It’s the biggest gift I’ve ever given myself,’ she said. Davina…

ARROGANT ANDREW STRIKES AGAIN Prince Andrew may have weathered the storm over his friendship with Jeffrey Epstein but once again a new revelation has come back to bite him on the backside. In the now-infamous 50th birthday book compiled by pals of the disgraced financier, one of Epstein’s staff made a claim that will surely come as an insult to the late Queen. The unnamed member of staff boasted in the book compiled by Ghislaine Maxwell that she was given a tour of Buckingham Palace by the Duke of York while on a visit to the UK. More alarming was the claim that Andrew allowed his guest to sit on the Queen’s throne, something that was never allowed by royal protocol. If true, this is just another example of the…

Floral fragrances aren’t just for spring. In fact, as it starts to get chillier outside, a petal-powered spritz will help lift your mood and remind you of warmer days. Reminiscent of a garden in full bloom, these affordable scents are all bursting with comforting blends of your favourite fragrant flowers, including rose, neroli, jasmine and bergamot. Each costs less than £40 and promises to linger all day. Clockwise from top left: Ted Baker Kasia Eau de Toilette 50ml, £25, Boots; & Other Stories Pink Noon Eau de Toilette 50ml, £32, stories.com; Next Rosa Eau de Parfum 30ml, £12, Next; Le Monde Gourmand Macaron Rose Eau de Parfum 30ml, £24, lookfantastic.com; Provenance No.5 Aegean Rose Eau de Parfum, £16 for a set with 48ml and 9ml, M&S; Nest Turkish Rose Body…

You don’t just have to eat meat for protein You’ve probably seen the word ‘protein’ flagged up quite often on food packaging. In fact, you’re probably a bit tired of it. Well, if a product needs to shout ‘high protein’ from the rooftops, then it likely comes in a processed form and is accompanied by rubbish ingredients, which you don’t need in your diet. Let’s backtrack. Why do we need protein? Protein is essential for building and repairing body tissues, including muscles, bones, skin and hair. It also aids hormone and enzyme production and bolsters our immune system. To make it more interesting, let me put it like this. If you’re trying to lose fat, then protein is going to make you feel full, reduce sugar cravings and nourish your…

Don’t let the menopause hold you back in bed A drop in hormones doesn’t have to mean your sex life takes a dip during midlife There’s a common misconception that a woman’s sex life diminishes as the number of candles on her cake increases. The more women I meet in menopause and beyond, the more I know that this is not the case. For some, sex gets better with age as you may care less about how others see you, have more life experience or worry less about the practicalities, such as pregnancy. Despite this, more than a third of women in perimenopause or menopause report sexual difficulties, from lack of interest to pain. I suspect this is massively under-reported. But many of the struggles women experience can be overcome…

Get MORE cash and pay LESS tax! With everyday costs rising and tax thresholds frozen until at least 2028, many of us are finding ourselves paying higher taxes. Savings are also being taxed more as interest rates go up, while extra income from those savvy side hustles can easily fall into taxable territory. On top of that, future tax rises are likely as the government tries to balance the books. This means it’s more important than ever to know how to manage your money tax-efficiently. Want to keep more of what you earn? Here’s a few tips to make that happen by using your allowances and tax-free schemes. 1. TAX-FREE SAVING ALLOWANCE Basic rate taxpayers can earn up to £1,000 in savings interest-free (higher-rate taxpayers up to £500). If your…

IF YOU LOVE TO WIN PRIZES THEN VISIT comps.womanmagazine.co.uk What do actors Paul Giamatti and Forest Whitaker have in common? To find out, solve the crossword then read down the shaded squares to find the five-word answer. ACROSS 1 Value (5)4 Musician who released the 1999 album Play (4)6 Large creature with trunk (8)13 Against the law (7)14 _ Bloom, actor (7)15 Dish (5)16 Novel by Jane Austen (4)17 Alter (6)18 Gentle, kind (6)20 Betting chances (4)21 Holy person (5)22 Agree to receive (6)25 _ City, Utah state capital (4,4)28 The _, gallery in Paris (6)30 _ Sunak, former PM (5)32 David _, Peep Show actor (8)34 Paper hankie (6)35 Facts and figures (4)38 Attractive (6)39 Intended (5)40 Friends character (6)43 Romantic appointment (4)44 _ Montana, character played by Miley Cyrus…

Will Mellor and Ralf Little hit the road for more hilarious, revealing and terrifying challenges in the second series of Will & Ralf Should Know Better. As the pals push each other even further out of their comfort zones, there’s a lot of laughter, some healthy competition and a few emotional detours along the way. Here, they reveal more… Tell us about the reaction to the first series… WILL It was the most positive reaction I’ve had from any show I’ve done. Viewers enjoyed the music, the nostalgia and the banter, and the emotional moments resonated with a lot of people, too. RALF We wanted it to have heart and depth, to mean something, and to show it’s OK to be thoughtful and introspective sometimes, which surprised people. You push…

King Charles faced an enormous challenge when he finally met the son who publicly branded his wife Camilla a ‘villain’. As he geared up to meet Harry, for the first time in a year-and-a-half, the monarch had to decide whether to address the ‘elephant in the room’, as sources put it. Harry may have insisted in an interview promoting his book Spare that the ball is in his father’s court, but in reality it was he who launched a tirade against the Queen, as well as other members of the Royal Family. So far Charles – who is still undergoing treatment for cancer – has never uttered a public word in retaliation against his wayward second son, despite the hurt it’s privately caused. In fact, he famously used his first…

BALLET FLATS A stylish shortcut to smarten up any outfit, these classics are getting a chic autumn refresh. Look for strap details, rich jewel-toned velvet, metallic finishes, or dog-tooth prints to give this staple a modern twist. SQUARE SCARVES Add a flourish with a cotton or silk scarf. There are plenty of ways to wear this trend – wear smaller styles as a neckerchief or tied around the handles of your favourite bag or go bold with a chic scarf-belt or headscarf for an elegant outfit addition. FROM £4 COW PRINT BAGS Moo-ve over, leopard – there’s a new animal print in town. Bovine-inspired style is big for autumn, from clothing to accessories. A bag is a great entry point to this trend; add similar-toned separates for a look that’s…

NEXT Proving that beige doesn’t have to be boring. Add in plenty of texture and tonal shades to recreate this cosy bedroom set-up. PRIMARK Leafy green shades are still big this season. Try the trend with these botanical prints and classic striped pieces. MATALAN Not just for Halloween, pumpkins are a big trend this autumn in stylish shades of green and rust. DUNELM A warm and welcoming palette of terracotta and olive green is perfect for the colder months.…

ARIES 21 Mar – 20 Apr Whether you’re in the woods or the weeds, your time therein is brief. What emerges by way of new information will change the way you’ve been looking at a situation. For your reading ☎09058 172557 TAURUS 21 Apr – 21 May You get to know what really matters at times like these. You may well have underestimated your own ability to stand up for yourself and what matters. Believe in yourself. For your reading ☎09058 172558 GEMINI 22 May – 22 Jun Don’t lose sight of your dreams. This is a confusing, challenging period of the year, but it’s only temporary. Once through the other side, there is sanity and serenity. For your reading ☎09058 172559 CANCER 23 Jun – 23 Jul Perception is…

APPLES NEVER FALL… I do find it hard to take pity on Apple Martin as she is bombarded by allegations of nepotism – using family connections to gain leverage and opportunities. It’s the name you see. It just screams ‘child of celebrity’ (in Apple’s case Gwyneth Paltrow and Chris Martin) and is testament to the fact that everything about her is inescapably ‘nepo’. And surely her new job as model/content creator/brand ambassador for the fashion label Self-Portrait is due to the same privilege. Ironically, the day the news broke, I was wearing my first Self-Portrait dress. And I’ll say this: it’s a brilliant brand. The tailoring is impeccable, the silhouettes modern, the details clever. It’s not hard to see why it appeals to Apple’s generation – it looks effortless, but…