Table of contents for September 2018 in NEXT

This month – as we celebrate 125 years of women in New Zealand having the vote – we’ve put together an issue that’s all about being strong. To me, strength starts with figuring out who you are, and what’s important to you – then having the courage to make that how you live your life. The women interviewed for this issue have all done this in their own way. Our cover girl Millie Elder-Holmes has had to overcome her very public loss and grief to start afresh in Greece. She is a smart, kind, funny, no-nonsense kind of woman, and helps thousands of women by sharing her journey on her blog. The 70s feminists we talk to this month had several fights on their hands, but found strength in each…

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THE WORKROOM ON RUPAUL’S DRAG RACE . I’M A BIG FAN OF FIERCE, STRONG LOOKS. THE MOVIE I’VE WATCHED THE MOST IN MY LIFE IS... The Sound of Music The person I’d most like to interview is… I want to ask him if he’ll sing on a parody track with me. My top 3 If I was stranded on a tropical island, I’d need… 1. A machete to create shelter before night sets in and in case of a storm. 2. A stash of tinned and freeze-dried food. 3. Flares – unless the island isn’t deserted and is, like, Hawaii, in which case……

Every Kiwi knows about Kate Sheppard and how she won the right for women to vote, placing New Zealand at the forefront of feminism back in the day. It took three years of canvassing votes before Parliament would accept the petition, which was signed by almost 32,000 women, estimated to be up to a third of the adult female population. At the time, it was the largest petition ever presented to Parliament. Once women were granted the right to vote, Kate, along with her organisation the Woman’s Christian Temperance Union, enrolled as many women as they could in time for the next general election. At the 1893 elections, it’s estimated that 65% of all eligible New Zealand women voted. Having won the right to vote, Kate continued to advocate for…

‘I thought I’d be able to control everything’ Celebrity culture in New Zealand is a funny beast. In other countries, being a moneyed socialite, dating an A-lister or having Kris Jenner as a mother is a shortcut to mass adulation, but in little old Aotearoa, unless you’re good at rugby or have reached the dizzy heights of international fame, superstardom is, at best, fleeting. So how has a 20-something girl next door, who shot to fame on a television dating show, managed to make a career out of, essentially, being famous for being famous? Three years after winning the heart of The Bachelor’s Art Green, Matilda Rice has carved a niche for herself as a social-media darling, an advertiser’s dream and a woman who has a veritable army of fans…

1 Consistency is key in all areas, especially management, client treatments, and marketing. There’s nothing more important than consistency; it’s number one. 2 Unfortunately no matter how hard you try, you can’t keep everyone happy. Sometimes it’s not the place for every client. Appreciate that’s the case and remind yourself that you’re allowing space for the right people to come in. 3 There’s such a thing as too busy, so be prepared for successes, just as you are for failures. Say yes to the right opportunities, not every opportunity. 4 Get a mentor to help you organise your ideas and raise questions you haven’t thought of yet. A mentor is so important; find someone with a wide range of experience and an open mind to bounce ideas off regularly, especially…

‘The penny dropped. I thought, “Nobody’s doing anything about this”’ On holiday in Wanaka two-and-a-half years ago to celebrate her husband Shaun’s 40th birthday, Chelsea Halliwell picked up the newspaper. In it was an article about a Wellington woman in her thirties who’d been diagnosed with bowel cancer after noticing a little blood in her stools. The story struck a chord with Christchurch mum-of-two and business-owner Chelsea. She was just 39 at the time, and feeling fit and healthy – except she’d been experiencing that same symptom for a few weeks. “I’d thought, ‘It comes and goes, it’ll be fine,’” she recalls. Chelsea, who’s now 41, went to the GP in Wanaka for an examination. “She couldn’t see any haemorrhoids, and said, ‘That’s actually not great news that I can’t…

‘WE CAN DO A LOT OF WORK AROUND HIRING WOMEN, BUT IF THEY’RE LEAVING AT THE SAME RATE, IT’S ALL FOR NOTHING’ ‘WE DON’T LOOK AT WHAT SOMEONE WAS PAID IN THEIR PREVIOUS ROLE’ In 2016, conversations about the gender pay gap spurred beverage company Lion to take a closer look at their numbers. Surprised to find they had a 3.2% pay gap of their own, people and culture director Robin Davies set an ambitious goal: to close it right away. They succeeded, and two years down the track, the playing field remains equal. Today, a fair and diverse workforce is at the top of the company’s agenda – the aim is to make it 50/50 by 2026. NEXT sat down with Robin to talk it through. HOW DID THIS…

WORDS WITH FRIENDS Spell it out with Karen Walker’s latest range of alphabetical jewellery, an A to Z of small studs and hoop earrings. Each letter is sold individually and available in silver, gold or rose gold. From $69; karenwalker.com. THE LUXE LIFE Add a touch of glamour to your wardrobe with Witchery’s Limited Edition edit. The collection features languid silhouettes, button sleeves and delicate gathers in rich hues like amaretto, marron, rhubarb and rosewood – not to mention statement florals. We’re coveting the Cornelia midi dress, $230, for summer nights out on the town. witchery.co.nz GREEN LIGHT Building an ethical wardrobe has gotten easier with Eco Intimates. The luxury intimate and sleepwear brand uses natural, sustainable fabrics like cotton jersey, silk and lace, while all pieces are handmade and…

1 FISH FOOD Increase the amount of fish in your weekly diet. Cold water fishes like tuna, salmon and sardines have a higher levels of CoQ10. 2 AWESOME OFFAL Depending on your level of food adventurousness, you could also add more offal to your meals: organ meats like heart and liver are the most CoQ10-dense ingredients. 3 TURN ON THE TAP Drink water instead of coffee. Dehydration is one of the biggest causes of tiredness, but we’re still more likely to turn to a flat white than we are to a glass of water. Save your money and turn on the tap! 4 GO CO-Q10 400MG GO CO-Q10 400mg* is an easy to swallow one-a-day SoftGel capsule which includes not only a high-strength dose of the antioxidant, but also essential…

Q: I hate the way the TV dominates the wall when it’s off. I know there are TVs that can be ‘art’ when you’re not watching them – how does this work? A: Nothing interrupts the style of your living room more than a big black screen hanging on the wall. Luckily, there are a few new TVs out there that offer stylish solutions. Samsung’s new QLED TVs have a feature called ‘ambient mode’ that allows wall-mounted TVs to mimic the wall behind them when switched off. This is a great option if you like the idea of your TV merging seamlessly into your existing décor. If you’re after a bolder look, the Frame TV disguises itself as a work of art, by displaying one of 100 preloaded artworks, or…

“Ideal for keeping your skin from drying out in the chilly winter weather.” At long last, there’s a scented product for people with sensitive skin – thanks to Aveeno Scented Skin Relief. Until now, people with sensitive skin have had to rely on fragrance-free products to keep their skin looking healthy – and look on with envy while other people used products with delicious scents. But now you can have the best of both worlds, you can now enjoy the luxury of a scented product that is gentle enough for dry, sensitive skin. New Aveeno Scented Skin Relief lotion and wash is clinically proven to be as gentle to sensitive skin as fragrance-free products. Lightly scented with coconut for that pampering experience you can’t get from fragrance-free products, Aveeno Scented…

SHOW YOUR SUPPORT The Prostate Cancer Foundation is once again spreading the word about getting regular checks, and fundraising to support research that aims to improve diagnoses and treatment outcomes. The foundation doesn’t receive government funding, but you can lend a hand to Blue September by hosting your own fundraising ‘blue do’. Find out how your social event can help at blueseptember.org.nz. SPEAK EASY Men tend to keep their health issues on the down-low, but this month we’re talking about prostate cancer and encouraging the guys in our lives to speak up too. Every year, more than 600 men in New Zealand will die of prostate cancer, roughly the same number of women who lose their lives to breast cancer. It’s a stealthy cancer (more than half of survivors are…

Bulgarians are strangely similar to New Zealanders For a long time, because of the Wombles and Great Uncle Bulgaria, I didn’t believe Bulgaria was a real country. It came as quite a surprise to learn that it existed beyond the realms of TV. That it is, in fact, a smallish Baltic nation with biggish mountains and over seven million people, a handful of whom have moved to Berlin. Bulgarians in Berlin are strangely similar to New Zealanders in Berlin: They move about anonymously, doing creative things on the cheap and under the radar. At intervals they gather in each other’s living rooms to converse in odd accents and eat odd national dishes like banitsa (Bulgarian cheese pie) and pavlova (no explanation necessary). And in spite of living quietly and valuing…

Heard the one about how women earn less because they don’t negotiate? A new study by the Harvard Business Review has found that’s not the case. The study, of 4600 randomly selected employees in Australia, found that women are just as likely as men to ask for a pay rise – but women are less likely to actually get what they ask for. All the more reason to champion those employers who are doing their part for equal pay. If that sounds like your organisation, nominations for the 2018 YWCA Equal Pay Awards are open until September 7. Enter now at akywca.org.nz…

To be in to win these Wallace Cotton and Evolu goodies, simply send an envelope marked ‘Wallace Cotton’ with your name, address and phone number to: Your NEXT Bag, Response Bag 500273, Victoria Street West,Auckland 1142, or go to nowtolove.co.nz, click on the ‘win’ tab and enter your unique code: NXTBAG918. All entries must be received by September 30, 2018. 1 INVIGORATING BODY SCRUB, $35; 2 ULTIMATE GOODNESS BODY BUTTER, $35; 3 FACIAL SERUM, $65; 4 SEEDS OF LOVE SUPERFLORA DRY OIL, $55; 5 ACTIVE AGE-DEFENCE REGENERATIVE OVERNIGHT CREAM, $63; 6 ACTIVE AGE-DEFENCE FIRMING EYE CREAM, $63; 7 ACTIVE AGE-DEFENCE RESILIENCE DAY CREAM, $63; 8 RENEWING FACIAL EXFOLIATOR, $45; 9 RELAXING CREME CLEANSER, $40; 10 FACIAL TONER, $35. TERMS AND CONDITIONS: Information on how to enter forms part of these…

It all comes down to a simple question: “Do you work?” Answering this can, in my experience, be a minefield. If you’re the one running your household, taking the lead in caring for your children or other wha›nau, and supporting the broader community by being involved in school field trips, local clubs and committees, kapa haka groups and suchlike, you’ll know the work is endless. Running a busy household and being a lead caregiver is a 24-hour, seven-days-a-week role that requires multiple skills, agility and creativity. Compare that to the eight-hour, five-days-a-week commitment that comes with titles such as manager, consultant, administrator, director and business owner, and you’re left to wonder why there isn’t an adequate way to describe the job of running a family. Why do many women who…

THE HUNGER GAMES . I READ IT WHEN I WAS 23 AND WORE MY HAIR IN A BRAID FOR A WHOLE WEEK. My advice to my younger self is… Carbs are the devil, stay the hell away from them. Jokes – it’d be something like: Always take big risks; be kind to everyone you meet. The city I’d love to live in is… LA, baby. MY COCKTAIL OF CHOICE IS… THE DELI MARY AT FEDERAL DELICATESSEN IN AUCKLAND. IT’S A BLOODY MARY WITH PICKLE JUICE IN IT. WHOA MAMA!…

1967  The United Nations Declaration on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women is adopted. 1968  Dr Fraser McDonald says women are “the Negroes of New Zealand society”. 1969  The Status of Children Act abolishes the concept of ‘illegitimacy’ and makes all children of equal status. 1970  Formation of university-based women’s liberation groups. Whetu Tirikatene-Sullivan is the first sitting MP to give birth during a parliamentary session and is absent for six working days. 1972  Germaine Greer visits New Zealand. Broadsheet is launched The first national Women’s Liberation conference is held in Auckland. The private sector Equal Pay Act is passed. 1973  The first United Women’s Convention is held (followed by one in 1975 and another in 1977). The Labour Government appoints a select committee on women’s rights with a wide…

It was an image seen around the world – Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, walking the halls of Buckingham Palace in a Juliette Hogan gown, a traditional Maori korowai worn gracefully over her shoulders. Pregnant and smiling at her partner Clarke Gayford, it was a study of love, style and confidence – and the embodiment of contemporary power dressing. ‘All my outfits are powerful, even if they are pretty or silly or butch. They all give you power because you’re able to play with your identity’ – Dame Vivienne Westwood Once, that phrase would immediately have brought to mind a suit, all sharp shoulders and tailoring: a throwback to the era from which the term originated. It was during the 80s, as more women took on leadership roles in the workplace…

After the Auckland Marathon, the NEXT hardest thing I’ve done in my life is… make the decision to leave TVNZ and work for myself. My NEXT major challenge will be… a full triathlon. I have a fear of water and I’m not a very good swimmer, so I want to focus on that. When I have kids, I don’t want to put my fear onto them. The NEXT place I’d like to travel to is… South America. We’re thinking about doing a big road trip. The NEXT book I write will be… more focused on the holistic stuff. I really enjoyed writing about healthy relationships and friendships. After Art, the NEXT big love of my life is… mince. The NEXT animal I want is… a dog. We want one big…

MY JOB: I create my best work, then in six months my next range has to be even better! WHAT I ENJOY MOST ABOUT IT: The constant change. There’s always something new, and it gets addictive. ITS PERKS: I love what I do, I have a fabulous wardrobe, and as an added bonus I get to go to Paris and Italy every six months. MY MORNING ROUTINE: I spend the first half hour of every morning checking my inbox and responding to overnight emails. It’s the one time of day when I get to catch up on Instagram and other social feeds too. WHEN I GET TO WORK: My day starts with a visit to The Shelter in Ponsonby, where I grab a coffee and check in with the team.…

STRIPES PASTEL FLORAL DENIM Hot off the runway! It’s the key design trends to look for if you’re ready for a spring makeover Tip Pair different patterns and textures for a statement look.…

This home has had more work than Joan Rivers!” says owner Ali Satchell of her Sydney Federation Arts and Crafts-style house. Redesigned with the help of her friend, interior designer and fellow colour appreciator Tina de Salis, the home is all about contrast. It presents quite the poker face; demure at the front, it plays nice with the others on the street, but go a few steps down a little path, and it’s as if you’ve boarded a plane blindfolded, then stepped off somewhere else entirely. Ali (a mother of three and designer/importer for her company Sassafras Trading) and Tina (of interior design business Tina & Louise) intended from the start to go for high contrast. “It was a juggling act to integrate the old and the new,” says Ali.…

LAUREN SHARES HOW SHE CARES FOR HER CURLS “I do regular Olaplex treatments to repair my hair and keep my curl pattern healthy and even. And I layer moisturising and repairing products on my hair to really soften and hydrate it. If it has everything it needs, it takes a lot longer for my hair to react to the atmosphere because it is already hydrated. I do an intensive treatment with Evo’s The Great Hydrator mask once a week and use the Evo Lockdown smoothing treatment to seal in all the moisture I put into my hair. When my hair is happy, so am I.”…

Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) is an effective treatment that works by balancing women's reproductive hormones. Some types contain both progesterone and oestrogen, and others only oestrogen. A recent survey showed that many women are significantly less willing to use HRT for hot flushes, and instead prefer to try diet, herbal supplements, exercise, acupuncture and meditation, but the benefits of HRT can go beyond the relief of hot flushes and may ease night sweats and sleep disruption, and protect against bone loss and heart disease. SEEK EXPERT ADVICE Although HRT can help some women, it may not be suitable for those who have a history of high blood pressure, severe migraines, blood clots, stroke, heart disease, and endometrial, ovarian or breast cancer. It’s important to consider the risks before starting any…

Cardamom bun bombe SERVES 6-8 READY IN 4 HOURS AND 45 MINUTES (INCLUDING FREEZING TIME) If you happen to have day-old, slightly stale buns around, this is a good way to use them up. I’ve also made this dessert using bought buns when I’ve been short of time and needed an easy dessert for a dinner party. 200g golden or date syrup 200g caster sugar 2 tsp ground cardamom ½ tsp fine sea salt 300ml double cream 2 litres good-quality vanilla ice cream 12-14 shop-bought cardamom or cinnamon buns 1 Start by making caramel. Pour the syrup into a large heavy-based pan, followed by the sugar, cardamom and salt. Place on a high heat and swirl the pot around every minute or so to help incorporate the sugar. Once the…

In a nutshell, how would you describe This Mortal Boy? It’s about a 20-year-old called Albert Black, from Belfast. By all accounts, he’s a lovely young man who gets into a fight and ends up killing another young man. He was the second-to-last person to be hanged in New Zealand. His hanging led to the abolition of the death penalty [here], and that makes him a person who has a place in our history. How did his death lead to law change? A reporter who had been present for his death wrote a harrowing account of what really happens when a hanging takes place. It was very graphic and distressing and so compelling that the tide of public opinion turned against execution. Why did you feel this was such an…

Confession: I’m never first with any trend. Millennial pink, eyelash extensions, foraging, air fryers, yoga wheels. Missed them all. I still don’t know what turmeric is exactly. But I think for once – woohoo! – I am on to something ahead of the rest of the crowd. It turns out I have been having a trendy kind of mid-life crisis – without even realising it. I thought I was just flailing around being a bit tragic at age 50, trying to recapture my long lost youth, dressing like an art student in scarves and Doc Martens, writing bad poetry and learning the guitar. But actually, I was being hip, hop and happening, baby! Sanctioned by the New York Times, no less. THESE DAYS I’M THE ONE IN THE TIE-DYED HAREM…

PAINTING A PICTURE Sharon Core, 1782, 2011. © Sharon Core IN BLOOM Jacqueline Hassink, Haradani-en 1, Northwest Kyoto, 2010; from the series View, Kyoto. © Jacqueline Hassink WILDFLOWERS AND WINE BOTTLES Sam Abell, Prize Winning Flowers, Alaska State Fair, 2013. © Sam Abell FRENCH FORMALITY Luigi Ghirri, Versailles, 1985. © Estate of Luigi Ghirri, Courtesy Matthew Marks Gallery GARDEN CONTEMPLATION Catherine Opie, Untitled, 2000. © Catherine Opie, Courtesy Regen Projects, Los Angeles, and Lehmann Maupin, New York and Hong Kong CURVACEOUS BEAUTY Imogen Cunningham, Calla, 1929; from the series Pflanzenformen © 2018 Imogen Cunningham Trust. All rights reserved. Courtesy George Eastman Museum The Photographer in the Garden by Jamie M. Allen and Sarah Anne McNear. Published by Aperture and the George Eastman Museum…

Top of my bucket list is… Disney World in Florida. My boyfriend bought me tickets for my birthday last year, and they’ll expire at the end of this year if we don’t use them. He did not book plane tickets to Florida – that part is up to me, so it looks like I will never achieve this goal. My typical workday… At the moment always seems to be different. I try to wake up early to exercise and often end up sleeping through six alarms. Depending on what’s happening at work, I then head into the office to write, or go into makeup to get ready for a sketch. My hidden talent is… Being able to death drop. I practised for months and can now do it. But it’s…

Lizzie Marvelly Singer-turned-media guru, Lizzie Marvelly is the founder of Villainesse, an online media project that aims to create smart, ‘no-filter’ media for young women. In 2015, less than six months after launching Villainesse – she went live with the project’s first major campaign, #MyBodyMyTerms, which aimed to spark conversations around victim blaming, revenge porn, consent and sexual violence. The globally successful campaign gained attention from the likes of The Huffington Post, Cosmopolitan and BuzzFeed, and its videos were viewed more than 500,000 times. Lizzie later launched the 12-part web series, The Real Sex Talk, in 2017 for 13 to 18-year-olds, which discusses all things to do with sex, including the effects of porn, same-sex relationships and transgender people. Her debut book, That F Word, was released in August and…

YOU KEEP OPTING FOR CLOTHES THAT ARE ‘USEFUL CLASSICS’ The instinct is good. You want to have wearable clothes, so you are always buying pale grey polo necks or well-cut pairs of navy trousers or zzzzzzzz. All of these look hot when you’re 28 and wearing them braless with Jessica Biel hair, but now they make you look a tad samey and, well, boring. You’re heading out for dinner and you look like you’re going to a job interview. WHAT TO DO: Stick with your safe staples, but don’t wear them all together. Introduce one hit of something surprising: it could be cropped cowboy boots, a blingy pendant, a shocking pink shirt. An item that breaks the same-old, same-old mould. You have absolutely no idea what’s in your wardrobe That’s…

At just 21, Rebecca Hutchinson started offering lash services in the front room of a villa on Auckland’s iconic Franklin Road. Little did she know that nine years later her business, Lash Noir, would be in hot demand with a waitlist that sees clients wait up to 14 months for one of its services. Not only that, but the exclusive beauty salon, which specialises in lashes and brows, boasted a phenomenal growth period of 340% from 2015 to 2017. Twenty-nine-year-old Rebecca shares how culture makes all the difference. Taking the leap We opened in 2009. I was working for another company and creatively I wasn’t getting to stretch my legs very much in terms of the way things looked, which is important to me, so I decided to open Lash…

(Jeans or homewares, the same rules apply) • Washing denim as little as possible preserves the colour and enhances the process of natural creases and fades developing. I recommend airing your denim between uses on a peg rail in your home. Some denim purists are known to spray their denim with a mist of 50% vodka/50% water in between washes (which does seem like a terrible waste of vodka). • When laundry day comes around, wash all your denim together at 30–40° max temperature, on a gentle cycle with a short spin, then line dry. There’ll always be some colour run with denim, particularly with dark denims, so never wash with light colours or whites. • If you want your new black or dark denim to hold its colour and…

BOOK CLUB Be inspired by the AM habits in My Morning Routine: How Successful People Start Every Day Inspired (Portfolio, $30). The new book details the schedules of busy people like Marie Kondo, author of The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying, who wakes up at 6.30 to open windows and burn incense; and Arianna Huffington, who silences the ‘bad roommate’ of self-doubt. Chapters focus on getting up, morning workouts and meditation, self-care, and the all-important sleep. HIT REFRESH JANE IREDALE’S LEMONGRASS LOVE HYDRATION SPRAY, $56, WILL HELP COMBAT THE EFFECTS OF OFFICE AIR CONDITIONING. KEEP IT ON YOUR DESK FOR AN AFTERNOON PICK-ME-UP. SEE PSB.NET.NZ FOR STOCKISTS. DIFFERENT STROKES Do the words ‘team’ and ‘bonding’ make you break out in a cold sweat? A painting party with Mixing it Up is…

QI don’t believe in capsule wardrobes, but I do believe in having good basics – styles that you can add to an outfit or use as a base to layer and create new looks. What are your ideal pieces? SARAH, 56, AUCKLAND AI do believe in capsule wardrobes, but know they may not be for everyone. There are, however, a few garments that are cornerstone pieces. They include: 1. Accessories You can change your whole look with the right pieces. A bigger bag has a casual vibe, while a clutch is for heading out for dinner. Scarves or necklaces can update a T-shirt, while a hat can add a bit of ‘cool girl chic’. 2. A great jacket This could be a leather biker or a blazer. It can be…

LET’S GET REAL with Emma Hey, would you like more energy? Sorry, is that a stupid question – would you also like more time, money, and a long weekend on a tropical island with Colin Firth, dressed in either his Love, Actually turtleneck or Pride and Prejudice wet shirt? Oh, is that a yes to all? Of course it is. Who in their right mind is going to turn down Colin Firth in a turtleneck? CoQ10 may sound like a Star Wars character but it stands for coenzyme q10, an antioxidant your body produces naturally which is crucial for growth and maintenance. The levels in our body decrease as we get older, and may be lower still in those who have certain conditions like heart disease. The antioxidant is particularly…

SCANDI STYLE If you’re after an on-trend but cost-effective Scandinavian look, you’re in luck. New flooring brand Malmo offers practical but sophisticated European style. The brand has searched the globe to curate a collection of affordable carpet and hard flooring options that work with each other. Available at Carpet Court.  INTERNATIONAL INSPIRATION Holidays can spark creativity. Research from Booking.com has found that Kiwis fall in love with international interiors – 33% of travellers were inspired to undertake interior design when they return home. ONLY NATURAL Wild Herbary’s home essentials combine natural ingredients with essential oils. Each product is vegan, packaged in BPA-free recycled PET bottles and produced in a carbon neutral factory in Australia. Surface sanitiser, Freshen Up, features a geranium, lemon, and clary sage scent, while hand sanitiser, Hands…

1. BEAUTY FOR ALL One the biggest movements in makeup right now is the diversification of foundation and concealer shades from brands, big and small. Rihanna’s influential Fenty Beauty line changed the game when it launched last year with 40 shades “for women of all skin colours and undertones”. That has inspired more inclusive offerings from other brands – look out for new, wider foundation releases from Dior Backstage, L’Oréal True Match and Estée Lauder, which is updating its Double Wear Stay-In-Place Foundation with 56 shades, with Sudanese model Anok Yai as one of its new faces. TRY: BENEFIT HELLO HAPPY SOFT BLUR FOUNDATION, $54. 2. ARE YOU READY FOR THIS JELLY? If you’re all about texture, you’ll love the trend for hydrating masks and moisturisers with a unique gel…

GOOD FIT Keeping fit throughout your lifetime, and especially in middle age, can protect your mental and heart health when you’re older. A US study published in JAMA Psychiatry followed almost 18,000 women and men from 1971 to 2009 and found that the fitter participants were in middle age, the less they suffered from depression and cardiovascular disease, compared to their less-fit counterparts. Those in the fittest category were 16% less likely to have depression, 61% less likely to have cardiovascular disease without depression and 56% less likely to die from cardiovascular disease after becoming depressed. Study lead author Dr Benjamin L. Willis says there’s a long-term connection between fitness, depression and cardiovascular death, adding that you can make a difference. “It’s never too late to get off the couch…

From basil to berries, these fragrant botanical ingredients take sweet home baking to the next level Lavender and bay leaf shortbread Whip up this shortbread when you have someone important but mean coming over (your landlord, perhaps) who you want to impress without killing yourself with a tricky recipe. Here, the perfume of lavender is turned down and herbed up with everyone’s pantry staple, the bay leaf. The result is both buttery and botanical. MAKES 8 PIECES 115g (½ cup) caster sugar 3 bay leaves, stalks removed 2 tsp fresh or dried lavender heads, plus extra for garnish 225g unsalted butter Zest of 1 lemon 225g (1½ cups) plain flour 115g ( ½ cup) rice flour Pinch of salt 1 Blitz the sugar, bay leaves and lavender in a food…

It begins with a 75m-long swing bridge FOREST THRILLS Want to get up close with native birds, ferns and 1000-year-old rimu trees, plus experience 1200m of ziplines, swing bridges and a suspended cliff walk? Rotorua Canopy Tours has now launched the Ultimate Canopy Tour. A three-and-a-half hour adventure deep in an ancient forest near Rotorua. It begins with a 75m-long swing bridge before a total 1200m of ziplining to a 50m high cliff walkway. After a walk through the forest floor, the adventure ends with an 18m abseil. Visitors can relax on treetop platforms and take in the forest’s beauty while learning about the restoration efforts to return the forest to a predator-free state. Rotorua Canopy Tours took out the Supreme Award at the 2016 New Zealand Tourism Awards and…

In 2013 Sheryl Sandberg’s book Lean In resonated with working woman globally, when she questioned why women expressing strong views were described as “bossy” or “aggressive” while men showing strong leadership were applauded. This is validating for women who do truly desire to progress to the top in their careers. On the other hand, it may not reflect the aspirations of all women. With New Zealand workplaces starting to pay more attention to increasing diversity, perhaps it is time to encourage more diversity of choice. Some women prefer to choose full-time parenting over senior roles, or starting a business for better life/home flexibility. Wouldn’t it be inspirational if all women felt supported and accepted by our society to craft options based on personal preferences? Creating true diversity will need to…

We passed a woman in Victorian garbholding a ray gun, but I said nothing I got my full licence recently, after 25 years of driving and three attempts (third time’s the charm, as they say about damn near everything, except STDs, when a third time would call for some serious introspection). I was so happy, I hugged the testing man. Not taking any chances, I sat the test in Oamaru, where there aren’t any roundabouts. Roundabouts are the reason I failed on my second try. They confuse me greatly and I end up indicating madly coming on and off, like a fly-struck horse having a blinking fit. The time before that, differing definitions of ‘funny’ let me down. As well as babbling, I tend to make jokes when nervous. “Identify…