On the hunt for a light-hearted heatwave read? Come through Emma Lord. For March book club, we read her hilarious and heartfelt YA novel, You Have A Match – a fun and modern reimagining of The Parent Trap with all the feel-good summer camp vibes.

With hidden relatives, big family secrets and friends-to-lovers subplots, it needs to be coming to a garden hammock near you, asap.

Keep scrolling to read the team’s reviews!

When Abby signs up for a DNA service, it’s mainly to give her friend and secret love interest, Leo, a nudge. After all, she knows who she is already: Avid photographer. Injury-prone tree climber. Best friend to Leo and Connie… although ever since the B.E.I. (Big Embarrassing Incident) with Leo, things have been awkward on that front. But she didn’t know she’s a younger sister. When the DNA service reveals Abby has a secret sister, shimmery-haired Instagram star Savannah Tully, it’s hard to believe they’re from the same planet, never mind the same parents – especially considering Savannah, queen of green smoothies, is only a year and a half older than Abby herself. The logical course of action? Meet up at summer camp (obviously) and figure out why Abby’s parents gave Savvy up for adoption. But there are complications: Savvy is a rigid rule-follower and total narc. Leo is the camp’s co-chef, putting Abby’s growing feelings for him on blast. And her parents have a secret that threatens to unravel everything. But part of life is showing up, leaning in, and learning to fit all your awkward pieces together. Because sometimes, the hardest things can also be the best ones.

First off, how are you and how is your 2021 going?

Thank you for asking!!! I’m doing good, the light at the end of the tunnel is really getting me through. I have missed my family and friends so much over the last year so being able to see my family outside last week after the first lot of lockdown lifted was just amazing. I am just so excited about a ‘potential’ summer with them! The Gals Who Graduate community has also really got me through the last year, the girls on there have been such a massive support during this time so I am grateful for them. Being able to meet new people on our virtual events and take part in things like our book club has weirdly made me feel like I have still been socialising despite not actually having left my bedroom and has definitely helped in moments where I’ve had a wobble.

Can you tell us about your journey online and how it’s evolved?

When I started Gals Who Graduate it was just a small closed Facebook group mainly made up of my friends when we all left uni – pretty much all saying ‘does anyone know what we are meant to be doing right now?’ 😂. I never saw it growing to this size so the fact that we now have over 45,000 girls is more than I could have ever imagined! Since then, the group has evolved in so many different ways; we now have a book club (gals who read), a fitness club (gals who sweat) and 12 subgroups for our busiest cities around the UK. I think the rate at which the group has grown over the last year is such a clear reflection of the support that we have all craved and it’s no secret that students in particular really have had a rough ride so I am so pleased that they have been able to seek support through the group and the other girls on there.

Gals Who Graduate is a fantastic initiative, can you explain what it provides?

Thank you so much!! Gals Who Graduate is an online support network for female students and graduates transitioning between University and the workplace. We have a busy closed Facebook group which offers a safe space for women to find friends, jobs, advice and industry connections. Our Instagram page is full of encouraging and empowering content including our graduate takeovers and inspirational quotes.

Before COVID-19 we hosted in person events around the UK for the girls to meet and network and since lockdown have continued these virtually through things like our wine and chat evenings, book club and a particular favourite of mine, our 2020 virtual graduation ceremony.

We have also branched into the career side of things, starting to offer girls on the group job oppourtnities through our partnerships. This began with our first ever free Careers Fair that we ran late last year which was hosted by a variety of successful business women keen to share their wealth of knowedlge, experience and advice with a younger generation of females looking to kickstart their careers. We got such brilliant support from this and have since partnered with two of the businesses to help them fulfil their graduate places with women from our network.

In addition to all of the above we also host mentoring sessions run by experts, offering student advice on topics like mental health, recruitment tips and career advice.

What inspired you to start Gals Who Graduate?

I started Gals Who Graduate when I finished my last day of university in 2019. I had just moved all my stuff back to my parent’s house and felt so lost, I knew I had a whole summer full of uncertainty and questions being asked like ‘so what’s next?’. I had spoken to friends at Uni who felt exactly the same and after researching post-university depression I realised there was no support out there for recent graduates so I started the closed Facebook group the same night I moved back.

The last year must have been extremely hard for graduates, what is your advice to those, now the world is opening back up?

Being a graduate is hard enough anyway, so graduating during a pandemic just adds 10 times the stress – HUGE respect to all of you.

Remind yourself of what you have just been through, completing a degree in itself let alone during a pandemic is AMAZING so give yourself a big hug for that!

Rememeber, there is no rush, do things at your own pace and time.

Everyone has different routes after university so don’t put pressure on yourself and think that you have to have your life sorted as soon as you graduate – this should be an exciting time do explore lots of different options!

Try not to fixate on getting your dream job post Uni – I’m sure if you speak to most people who are 10 or so years into their careers, you’ll probably find it’s not the same job they got as a graduate.

You have to try things to know what you do and don’t like so, say yes to everything, any job is a good job and get out there!

Good luck, I’m sure you’ll all smash it!

Where can you see Gals Who Graduate going and what are some of your dreams for the business?

The core of Gals Who Graduate will always be a safe place for female students and graduates to go when they need support. In terms of the future, my dream is for us to be able to continue helping give women a step up into whatever industry they choose from University, whether that’s through resources we can share, job opportunities we can promote or business connections we can make.

What are your top 3 tips for any graduates currently looking for work?

Give your CV to a friend to glance at and then get them to write down 5 things they can remember – this will tell you what main things stand out at first glance on your CV and if that wasn’t what you were looking for, change it!

There are some amazing free online courses available – use them to further your CV whilst you look for a job.

Tell anyone and everyone that you are looking for a job – you never know who is listening that might be hiring!

What are you currently working on?

We are currently expanding our career opportunities within Gals Who Graduate which is SO exciting! We have partnered with a couple of businesses already this year, offering job opportunities to women on the group so would love to continue to grow in this area – anyone currently hiring and looking to employ some amazing recent graduates (if we may say so ourselves) hit us up!!!

Who are some of your favourite follows online?

Since starting Gals Who Graduate I have connected with some incredible women – these three gals are recent graduates from the community:

@wellwitholi – for all things student wellbeing & positivity

@allthingsmoney – for all things student money (!)

@haribeavis – for all things student food

What does your perfect weekend look like?

At the moment in lockdown I am loving my long walks (lol me and the rest of the UK!). But yes, a nice long walk through London and then to make the weekend feel like a weekend normally a takeaway and film is my go-to. Seeing London this quiet is crazy but I am trying to make the most of it before busy London is back to normal! Outside of lockdown I’m happiest when surrounded by my family and friends and more often than not some yummy food.

What do you always carry with you?

A year ago I would have said my keys and phone but now it’s definitely a face mask and hand sanitiser! I think we can all relate to that feeling of getting to the supermarket and realising you’ve forgotten your face mask – the worst!

What would your last ever meal be?

I’ve really got into cooking during lockdown, it’s been such a nice activity to get into in the evenings and I have to say I am guilty of trying a TikTok trend – big fan on the feta & tomato TikTok pasta! It’s delicious!

What is one positive piece of advice you could give to our audience

A quote I heard when I was at school which has stayed with me throughout my life is ‘what if I fail, oh but what if you fly’. Turning your mindset around when doubting yourself will make you take those risks that might turn out to be the best thing you’ve ever done!!! GO FOR IT GALSSS xxxx Sending my love to each and everyone of you and thank you so much to the Zoella team for having me!!!

Easter eggs lining the aisles of the supermarket, pastel blooms poking out through dewy grass, checking the BBC weather app again to determine what kind of coat you’ll be needing for the day- yep, you guessed it, Spring is here! Arguably the most hopeful and refreshing changing of the seasons, heading into Spring brings fresh opportunity, optimism and potential for the warmer month as our thoughts are filled with bare legs, cold drinks and BBQs becoming a staple part of our diet.

But with this metamorphosis comes the inevitable and still yet to be mastered change in daily dressing, because after so long wrapped in layers aplenty and taking an extra 5 minutes to leave the house adding said layers, we’re craving the simplicity of Spring. Dressing for the in-between limbo of the changing seasons can be a tricky one to master, but with the helping hand of light coats, tights, thin layers and playful prints, you’ll be well on your way to nailing the journey from caterpillar to butterfly (we love us a nature metaphor).

This week’s selection of team picks include the new-in items we’ve got our eyes fixed on as the gentle hum of socialising, outside drinks and picnics galore draw ever closer. 2020’s Spring dressing was a cycle of loungewear on repeat, so we promise we won’t tell if you feel like going all out this year- bring on the haul!

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Your spring summer reading list is here, and it’s set to be a sizzler. We’ve got a signature Beth O’Leary romance (swoon), a heart-wrenching and profound exploration of racial injustice and a searing YA memoir-manifesto from LGBTQIA+ activist George M. Johnson.

Here’s a look at the next book club picks in more detail.

April – The Kindest Lie by Nancy Johnson

Nancy Johnson’s The Kindest Lie is one of the most buzzed about books of the season. A complex exploration of race, class, family and forgiveness and what it means to live the American dream – we can’t wait to finish this in one spring sitting. Check out the blurb below, and purchase the book from bookshop.org here!

A promise could betray you.

It’s 2008, and the inauguration of President Barack Obama ushers in a new kind of hope. In Chicago, Ruth Tuttle, an Ivy-League educated Black engineer, is married to a kind and successful man. He’s eager to start a family, but Ruth is uncertain. She has never gotten over the baby she gave birth to-and was forced to leave behind-when she was a teenager. She had promised her family she’d never look back, but Ruth knows that to move forward, she must make peace with the past.
Returning home, Ruth discovers the Indiana factory town of her youth is plagued by unemployment, racism, and despair. As she begins digging into the past, she unexpectedly befriends Midnight, a young white boy who is also adrift and looking for connection. Just as Ruth is about to uncover a burning secret her family desperately wants to keep hidden, a traumatic incident strains the town’s already searing racial tensions, sending Ruth and Midnight on a collision course that could upend both their lives.

Powerful and revealing, The Kindest Lie captures the heartbreaking divide between Black and white communities and offers both an unflinching view of motherhood in contemporary America and the never-ending quest to achieve the American Dream.

May – The Road Trip by Beth O’Leary

We’re so excited to read Beth O’Leary’s third novel The Road Trip. Beth has cemented herself as one of our all-time favourite authors with her charming, heartfelt and hilarious literary voice. Her writing is like comfort food for the soul and we’re predicting her latest novel is going to be one hell of a ride. Check out the blurb below, and purchase the book from bookshop.org here!

Addie and her sister are about to embark on an epic road trip to a friend’s wedding in rural Scotland. The playlist is all planned and the snacks are packed.
But, not long after setting off, a car slams into the back of theirs. The driver is none other than Addie’s ex, Dylan, who she’s avoided since their traumatic break-up two years earlier.
Dylan and his best mate are heading to the wedding too, and they’ve totalled their car, so Addie has no choice but to offer them a ride. The car is soon jam-packed full of luggage and secrets, and with four hundred miles ahead of them, Dylan and Addie can’t avoid confronting the very messy history of their relationship…
Will they make it to the wedding on time? And, more importantly… is this really the end of the road for Addie and Dylan?

June – All Boys Aren’t Blue by George M. Johnson

From having their teeth kicked out by bullies at age five to their first sexual relationships, All Boys Aren’t Blue is a series of unflinching personal essays chronicling George M. Johnson’s experience growing up under the duality of being black and queer. Check out the blurb below, and purchase the book from bookshop.org here!

This powerful YA memoir-manifesto follows journalist and LGBTQ+ activist George M. Johnson as they explore their childhood, adolescence, and college years, growing up under the duality of being black and queer.

From memories of getting their teeth kicked out by bullies at age five to their loving relationship with their grandmother, to their first sexual experience, the stories wrestle with triumph and tragedy and cover topics such as gender identity, toxic masculinity, brotherhood, family, inequality, consent, and Black joy.

What book’s got you excited for spring-summer reading and lounging outside on a picnic blanket?

April, you’re up next, son. Beer gardens are beckoning, the four-day weekend is brewing, and church is re-opening. And by church, we mean the salon. Obviously.

Our hair has been through hell and back and it deserves this long-awaited renaissance. Deliver us from lockdown evil and forgive us our tresses – we’re finally back in the chair bitches. One Billie Eilish, coming up…

Here’s how to make the most of April ’21!

1 Put off filling out the census. So sick of being perceived like this.

2 Have a garden party every weekend to make up for all the sad shitty little virtual birthdays we’ve all had to pretend we’ve enjoyed. Milk it.

3 Realise you’re now officially estranged from your dentist. It’s been 84 years.

4 Forget how to make small talk with your hairdresser. You’ve got nothing left to give, just a mask that prevents anyone from hearing anything you ever say again (try adding a hairdryer into the mix. Lol.) and a micro-fringe you made earlier.

5 Nurse your first proper pub hangover since circa summer ’20. Everything hurts and foreheads everywhere are campaigning for change.

6 Praise your introvert for living authentically. Invites are there to be declined.

7 Confess that all of your lockdown walks had a hidden agenda…

8 To find a horse in a field and ideally, get close enough to stroke it on the nose

9 Eat so many Terry’s Chocolate Orange Mini Eggs that you basically identify as free-range now

10 Countdown the days to Handmaid’s Tale Season 4. Praise. Be

11 Feel your Serotonin making a comeback

12 Hate that your signature toxic trait is getting annoyed at everyone else for failing to help clean the house but then getting annoyed when they try to help anyway. Because nobody do it like you do

13 Start to process your Drag Race UK grief. If you can get through Thursdays without it, you can get through anything

14 Celebrate one whole year of being entirely incapable of setting work life boundaries. Slowly dying but it’s fine

15 Fork out for a staycation in a shepherd’s hut that’s more like a glorified loaf tin with a roof, knowing you could have gone to Bali for two weeks for the same price

16 Get heavily invested in the heatwave rumours that circulate every single April

17 Post a photo of blue skies and blossom ‘cos Spring. Keeping it edgy.

18 Ask yourself What Would Jackie Weaver Do whenever things get a bit chaotic

19 Buy a big lilac feather boa just to feel closer to Harry Styles

20 Defrost your social skills and tell your bra to pull up. We’re going IN.

As we prepare to phase out locky d 3.0 once and for all, we have been feeling a certain type of way about losing the part of us that was once in a situationship with sweatpants and strangely attracted to Joe Exotic.

So, we put our heads together on Zoom one morning and decided that the only way to ensure the funkiest year of our lives stayed with us forever, is if we created a perfume that smelled just like it – something we could mist over our summer dresses in a not-too-distant future, and think back to that time in 2020, when we’d just be getting ready for a wild night in the living room. So we did it, we bottled lockdown.

If you told us a year ago that we’d be creating a lockdown scent infused with trampled hopes, banana bread essence and loungewear, then we would have fully gone Piers Morgan and left the WhatsApp Group. But a lot can happen in 12 months and here we are, one rotation around the sun later and not mad about smelling a bit like Boris Johnson, emotional burnout and overhyped bakes.

Admittedly, when we first came up with the concept, we didn’t know if we could make it work. Phone calls were made, brows were furrowed (prototype #17: way too much banana) and nostrils were shook but after nearly a year in the making, the launch is finally happening.

Drawing on the scent profile of lockdowns 1, 2 and 3, Banana Bread & Loungewear is naturally quite a complex fragrance because, as it turns out, a pandemic + existential dread makes for one complicated concoction.

First you get the familiar bitter sweet ‘n’ buttery notes of banana bread and 2020 ignorance, followed by heart notes of stockpiled its-obviously-not-cashmere-bitch sweatpants and finally, you get the lingering slightly floral, if a bit savage, base notes of Carole Baskin and her wild cat litter tray. It’s different but it’s good different, ya know?

Oh, and because every cult fragrance needs a niche ingredient, every bottle of BBAL contains real salty tears. Now, that shit is bananas. Just how many breakdowns can one bottle hack, we hear you ask? The limit does not exist.

The Zoella Banana Bread & Loungewear EDP is set to hit the shelves next week, just in time for you to overwhelm a pub garden near you, and we can neither confirm nor deny if this article sits on a throne of April fool’s day lies. But yes, it absolutely does.

Have you ever wished someone would do all your skincare homework for you and curate it into a fully shopable library of lotions and potions. Well, today’s your lucky day because Skin Library has done just that.

The online beauty platform specialises in South Korean beauty, stocking everything from sheet masks to essences and fermented cleansing balms. What the beauty bookworms over at Skin Library don’t know about K-Beauty simply isn’t worth knowing. Everyone’s skin is different and the expert team of librarians at SL HQ embrace and celebrate our individuality, curating products that work for all skincare types and concerns.

Education is a huge part of the Skincare Library DNA and alongside all the best formulas, emerging products and Korean skincare staples, the beauty platform also creates Library Edits to demystify ingredients and arm you with the knowledge you need to make conscious and informed choices about your skincare. From baffling labels (non-comedogenic who what now?) to PPM and retinoids, it’s your one stop shop for learning and replenishing your beauty shelfie right.

We sat down with SL founder Abiola Renée to geek out over all things skincare and get the inside scoop on the products and trends we need on our radar in 2021.

First of all we love the name! How did you come up with it and what’s the inspiration behind Skin Library?

Haha, Thank you so much! I actually came up with the name based on our aims within the beauty space. We chose the word Library as a library is commonly known as a safe space regardless of age, gender, class, race. It is a communal environment that welcomes anyone irrespective of background hoping to seek knowledge. That is what our aim for Skin Library within the beauty space, by demystifying beauty and educating the consumer simultaneously we hope that our growing community will feel empowered when it comes to making their own beauty related decisions.

At Skin Library, you have a very cool team of Librarians testing the products to see if they make the cut, can you tell us a bit about the team and their credentials and what criteria the products have to meet to earn the #LibrarianApproved status?

Our Librarians aka our team are a small group of amazing individuals from around the world who help make Skin Library what it is.

Comprised of a full-time team and amazing freelancers; My Co-founder Yuri was a fashion and beauty marketer in Korea for many years before we founded Skin Library, she goes on ground and scouts upcoming and innovative brands coming out of Seoul that have really great quality products and an inspiring philosophy behind them.

Our contributing writer Claudia Christin (FunSkincare) is an amazing dermatologist who contributes to our curation decisions and she creates scientifically accurate infographics, articles and breakdowns for our community so that they’re staying informed in their skincare, which is really important to us. I am a Cosmetic Scientist so I am always looking at the science and formulation behind a product. You can always tell when a brand has taken time with their formulations and thought about their consumers and it is always exciting to see test out exciting new products that work very well or even discovering an underrated indie brand. Overall, all of our team contributes as they all have their own unique skin journeys and can provide informative insight as they are too a consumer from Juliana, who heads all of projects to Jacinta, a talented make-up artist who handles our social media. They provide us with honest feedback into the testing stage of a product. Our growing online community also sends us regular recommendations and feedback, so they are heavily involved in the curation process as they give us a more diverse outlook and have helped us cater more to their needs when curating new products.

To launch on the website, we normally follow these guidelines when introducing new brands onto our platform:

— STEP 01 —

Discover

We are constantly updated on trends, innovations and developments of its growing beauty industry. By regularly tuning into the needs of our consumers, we uncover what kind of products that they would want and what their peers are recommending. We also combine that with the voice of beauty experts in the industry, this includes make-up artists, dermatologists, aestheticians, editors, cosmetic scientists etc. We pay close attention to their opinions and industry reports. With this valuable insight, we embark on our journey to scout for the best products and innovations coming straight out of South Korea.

— STEP 02 —

Review

Before stocking a product or partnering with a brand, we take the time to dig deeper. We learn more about every brands ethos. This is done to ensure that every brand is aligned with the quality and efficacy standards Skin Library upholds. We speak with the brand over a period of time to understand the team and ethos behind the brand. This usually done in person but due to COVID it is being done through zoom calls and emails. This allows us to get to know a brand beyond the product. 

— STEP 03 —

Bookmark & Approve

When a product reaches this stage of curation, it is ‘bookmarked’. It will then be tested amongst our team for roughly a month. We take all feedback into consideration and if approve we then schedule it for launch!

How many of the brands you stock are natural, cruelty-free and vegan?

All the products we stock are cruelty free due to EU and UK cosmetic regulation, however a few brands have taken the extra step to obtain cruelty free certification such as Blithe, COSRX, Klairs, Axis-Y and Glosome.

We have a wide selection of vegan products that you can discover here: VEGAN BEAUTY | SKIN LIBRARY

Some of my favourites from the selection include:

• AXIS-Y Dark Spot Glow Correcting Serum
•  COSRX Ultimate Nourishing Overnight Rice Mask
• Beauty of Joseon Ginseng Water

For any of our readers who are new to Korean skincare, where do they start, what products would you recommend adding into their routine?

The approach to Korean skincare is a preventative one, they focus on gentle ways to replenish and strengthen the skin in result building healthy, glowing skin. Western skincare has a more reactive problem-solving approach. To incorporate the K-Beauty style method into your regular routine focus on soothing ingredients and products that work to strengthen your skin barrier. Add some of the steps that are unique to K-Beauty such as an oil based cleanser, an essence and a weekly sheet mask. The Korean beauty industry are big on SPFs so adding that to your routine is a must!

Can you talk us through the 10-step Korean skincare routine and the benefits?

The 10-step routine can sound daunting at first, but it’s not really a routine that should be used all in one go every day. It’s more of a guideline to show you all the possible steps, the placement of them in a skincare routine. If you choose 3,5 7 or all 10 it’s completely your choice and you should tailor it to you skin.

Step 1 –  Oil-Based Cleanser 

At the beginning of the standard K-Beauty routine is an oil-based cleanser. Its purpose is to break down all the make-up, SPF, excess sebum, environmental pollutants and other oil-based impurities that may leave pores clogged and congested. It can be used day or night and usually can come in a liquid cleansing oil form or sometimes a sherbet-like balm that when gently massaged into the skin melts the day away. Doubled up with your commonly known facial cleanser (water-based cleanser) to perform a double cleanse in your routine. 

Step 2 – Water-Based Cleanser 

A step you will find in nearly everyone’s routine is your standard facial cleanser. Its main purpose is to cleanse the skin of impurities like bacteria and sweat leaving your skin with a clean base (but not squeaky clean) to allow the rest of your routine to penetrate better. This step is a must.

Step 3 – Exfoliation 

Our skin regeneration slows down as we age, so this will can leave dead skin on the surface of our skin for longer which can result in dull, textured and dry skin. This is where an exfoliating product comes in. They are a great way to promote skin cell turnover and help clear clogged pores and trapped sebum as well as buff away any dead skin cells to reveal brighter, smoother skin. AHAs, BHAs, PHAs or fruit enzymes are some of the active ingredients that are considered exfoliators. They are usually added in this step but they can be placed anywhere in your routine after cleansing and before sun protection as sometimes exfoliating products come in different forms like moisturisers and sheet masks.

Step 4 – Toner 

Toners though not entirely necessary is a simple yet effective step in your standard K-Beauty routine. Toners work at removing any cleanser impurities leftover, balancing the pH of your skin after exfoliation and giving your skin that first dose of hydration that will come to follow. 

Step 5 – Essence

At the heart of every K-Beauty routine you will find an essence. A star and essentially secret sauce! Packed with hydrating and soothing ingredients they are the water-based preparation products that facilitate the penetration of the products to follow.

Step 6 – Serums + Ampoules 

Serums and Ampoules are essentially the same in that they are treatment steps, ampoules tend to be heavier in concentration than serums for specific skin concerns. Their purpose is to target any skin concerns that you may have such as dull dry skin, irritated acne prone skin, and/or textured hyper pigmented skin. They are usually a cocktail of actives working together to singularly tackle those skin problems.

Step 7 – Masking (Sleeping masks and Sheet masks)  

Sleeping masks are your night time heroes. Usually a thicker texture the focus is to apply before you go to sleep to allow for the active ingredients to do the work overnight whilst you are asleep. You usually find yourself with ultra smooth glowing skin in the morning!

Sheet Masks have gone viral on social media, looking fashionable in a selfie and glamorous in a dressing gown they actually serve a great skincare purpose. Sheet Masks are essentially these incredible face shaped sheets soaked in 30ml of serum so as you place on your face and mould to your face it will allow for a long contact time and essentially allows for the ingredients better in the skin.

Step 8 – Eye Cream 

The skin around the eyes being the thinnest skin on your face is prone to discolouration, puffiness and a hollow look. This is a result of many different factors. Mostly genetic factors, however they can appear due to tiredness, stress or even environmental factors. In that case an eye-cream may be able to relieve some of those problems. A regular eye cream is formulated with gentle ingredients that will help prevent dark circles from forming and reduce the appearance of wrinkles. 

Step 9 – Moisturiser

Moisturisers tie in closely with water-based cleansers as the most common products found in a universal skincare routine. They are an essential staple and can be the difference in your skin’s health. They are essentially packed with humectants (water-retaining ingredients) and occlusives (moisturising agents that work by acting as protective layer and sealing all the hydration in the skin) to keep your skin healthy with long lasting hydration.

Step 10 – SPF

If you haven’t got a sunscreen in your daily routine, this is a sign to end that today. All year round you need an SPF in your routine. SPF is the last and most essential step in your skincare routine. Its purpose is to protect your skin from potentially UV damage that can cause PIH (post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation), premature ageing and even skin cancer. It is important that it is worn daily.

Beauty tools are really having a moment, what are the benefits of using massage tools such as a gua sha in your skincare routine?

Beauty tools are such a great addition to the skincare routine, especially during a pandemic where things can appear repetitive and boring. It can turn what can feel like a regular routine into an at home spa massage giving you great results over time.

Gua Sha itself is defined as “Gua” which means “scraping” and “Sha” means sand or sharkskin. In short, it is a technique to scrape a part of the body to improve one’s health. This technique originated in China and has been used as a healing technique all over Asia for years. In history, it is known for people to use the Gua Sha to alleviate several conditions from flu, bronchitis to even musculoskeletal problems. Today people use it in beauty as it has many benefits such as aiding lymphatic drainage, improving microcirculation in your skin and relieving muscle tension. I use the Glosome 100% Rose Quartz Gua Sha in the mornings where my face feels puffy and I want to reduce it and feel more awake and I use the Glosome Gua Sha at night to revive the angles in my cheekbone and jawline. I follow a very talented Chinese acupuncturist and herbalist Sandra Lanshin Chiu who has uploaded a really helpful tutorial on how to use a Gua Sha effectively.    

With so many products and self-proclaimed TikTok experts out there on the internet, choosing the right skincare can be overwhelming. Could you suggest a curated Skin Library routine for the different skin types – we’d love to see which products you recommend trying for different skincare needs / concerns (dry, oily, sensitive, combination, acne-prone etc)

A tailored starter kit will be launching soon on our website with discounts and a step-by-step guide

Oily – The focus is on products that help with excess oil and sebum production whilst still providing your skin with the hydration it needs.

BEAUTY OF JOSEON Radiance Cleansing Balm

ACWELL Bubble Free pH Balancing Cleanser

ISOI Acni Dr. 1st Control Tonic

SOME BY MI AHA-BHA-PHA 30Days Miracle Serum

DR. ORACLE 21 Stay A-Thera Emulsion

Combination – Is catering to the multi skin types that your skin may have whilst maintaining a good balance and healthy skin.

AXIS-Y Quinoa One Step Balanced Gel Cleanser

ACWELL Licorice pH Balancing Cleansing Toner

ISOI CICAGO Cica Double Effect Ampoule

AXIS-Y Cera-Heart My Type Duo Cream

Dry – The focus is on replenishing moisture at a deeper level with hydrating and nourishing ingredients.  

ATRUE Sweet Song Black Tea Cleansing Gel

ACWELL Betaglution Ultra Moisture Toner

Klairs Freshly Juiced Vitamin Drop

ACWELL Betaglution Ultra Moisture Milk Oil

BE PLAIN Hyaluronic Aqua Gel

Sensitive – for calming and soothing the skin of any irritation whilst providing them with the needed hydration and barrier strengthening ingredients they will need.

AXIS-Y Sunday Morning Refreshing Cleansing Foam

KEEP COOL Soothe Bamboo Toner

COSRX Advanced Snail 96 Mucin Power Essence or vegan option COSRX Hyaluronic Acid Hydra Power Essence

BLITHE Crystal Iceplant Pressed Serum (which is a serum moisturizer hybrid)

BENTON Aloe Propolis Soothing Gel

As we move into spring, what are some of the skincare swaps we should be making?

Spring is a great time to switch up your skincare routine so you feel renewed and refreshed. I pack away my heavy moisturisers and serums and swap them for some skin barrier strengthening ingredients, soothing and healing products and mild exfoliators to buff away dead ‘winter’ skin and increase skin cell turnover.

My favourite skin barrier ingredients include Ceramides, Niacinamide, Fatty Acids, Hyaluronic Acid and Glycerin. My favourite soothing ingredients include Aloe Vera, Mugwort, Cica aka Centella Asiatica and Bamboo Water. Some of my favourite products that include the mentioned ingredients are the:

• AXIS-Y Artichoke Intensive Skin Barrier Ampoule a light weight serum that delivers rich antioxidants, nutrients, and hydration to heal damaged, irritated skin barriers. Phytonutrients defend against bacteria and pollutants to prevent future breakouts and irritation. 
• ACWELL Licorice pH Balancing Cleansing Toner – This superstar toner has a pH of 5.5 (similar to the skins optimal pH range) that deeply cleanses, hydrates and tones the skin all at the same time. This toner will help you remove remaining dirt/debris from your skin which helps your next skincare products so they absorb and work even better. It also happens to be our best seller!
• KEEP COOL Soothe Fixence Mist – A refreshing and cooling mist during the warmer spring days packed with soothing and hydrating ingredients that helps makes your makeup last longer while calming the skin of any irritations that the environment can trigger.

Any game-changing skincare heroes we should shop right now?

A few must haves would be:

COSRX Pimple Patches – You have probably seen pimple patches throughout Instagram as of late. There are different variation such as stars and hello kitty patches. COSRX are one of the first companies to release pimple patches. They are a thin clear hydrocolloid patch that sticks firmly onto the skin to protect pimples from secondary infections and also absorbs oil and sebum from the pimples. It also soothes the inflamed area and reduces redness. They also have a thin version that can be worn under make-up, and a wider size range for those with acne-prone skin.

The Klairs Freshly Juiced Vitamin E Mask and Klairs Freshly Juiced Vitamin Drop duo – The Vitamin Drop is a hypoallergenic vitamin serum that is formulated with stabilized 5% pure vitamin c (ascorbic acid). It helps to improve dull skin, uneven skin tone and fade acne scars. It pairs fantastically with the Vitamin E Mask, a pudding-like mask rich in vitamin E as an antioxidant that will help improve skin moisture, wrinkles and fights signs of premature ageing, for optimum brightening and hydration.

Blithe Vital Treatment 9 Essential Seeds Essence is a hydrating essence used as a treatment to get your skin back to its original state. The watery liquid is easily absorbed into the skin as the oils used were fermented for 120 hours to improve absorption ability. This essence is enriched with 79% seed extracts (Baobab seed extract, Green Tea Seed, Fennel Seed, Evening Primrose, Chia Seed, Lotus Seed, Quinoa, Grape Seed, Rose Hip Seed) to hydrate, improve skin elasticity and brighten skin. With the help of Vitamin E, it will brighten skin to reveal a radiant glow from within.

We have a mini shop on Skin Library with miniature sized versions of most of our stocked products, this is to give people the opportunity to sample products before committing to the full size. I am loving the Beauty Of Joseon Triple Hanbang Solution  (mini) a trio of serums with a focus to target various skincare issues using the power of traditional Korean medicine ‘Hanbang’. Depending on how your skin is feeling on the day, change up the serum you use. Skin looking a little dull and seeing early signs of ageing? Try the Repair Serum. Got some acne breakouts and fighting against enlarged pores? The Glow Serum is the way to go. Sensitive and irritated skin? Keep calm and use the calming serum.

Describe your ideal Sunday self-care session!

I love this question! I believe that we should all schedule in a self-care session for ourselves whether it is 5 minutes or 1 hour, if possible. I use this as an opportunity to utilise various skincare steps that I was unable to fit in during the working week. During lockdown, this has been extremely important to me as it contributes to my no-screen time. My ideal Sunday self-care session includes my phone off, laptop away and a great relaxing music playlist, I love the “Songs to put a ‘Spring’ in your step” Playlist Team Zoella put up in the first lockdown last year. I firstly do a double cleanse, this includes an oil based cleanser and a standard water based cleanser. My favourites are the BEAUTY OF JOSEON Radiance Cleansing Balm and AXIS-Y Sunday Morning Refreshing Cleansing Foam. This provides me a deep cleanse without stripping the skin and leaving it dry. I then multi mask with the AXIS-Y Mugwort Pore Clarifying Wash-Off Mask to help reduce and calm my current maskne breakouts and theAXIS-Y New Skin Revolution Mask to strengthen my skin barrier. I follow up with the Keep Cool and Soothe Bamboo Toner for hydration and then COSRX Advanced Snail 96 Mucin Power Essence to help with my hyperpigmentation. I then do my weekly sheet mask and perform my Gua Sha massage whilst the sheet mask is applied. My favourite go to’s are the GLOSOME All Day Glow Sheet Mask and ABIB Mild Acidic pH Heartleaf Sheet Mask. I finally seal all of the goodness in with a light moisturiser, my current favourite is the Be Plain Hyaluronic Aqua Gel. 

Name a skincare crime you think we should all stop making…

A popular trend I am seeing across social media is individuals putting beauty droppers directly on their skin. This is an easy way transfer bacteria on the surface of your skin to your skincare product. This could further breakouts and potentially cause chemical changes to the serums efficacy. The best way to minimise risk of contamination of your skincare product is to disperse the product from the dropper onto clean hands, without the dropper touching the hand and then apply to your face. 

The best skincare advice you’ve received / a tip you’ve learned along the way that we need to know?

The best skincare tip I have received is to treat your skin like a journey not a destination. Enjoy the experience and understand every day is different. There is no such thing as perfect skin. Skin without filters comes with texture, visible pores and unique traits. Celebrate your skin, celebrate yourself.

Essences are a big beauty buzzword right now but what’s the difference between an essence and a toner?

There are quite a few similarities in the formulation of toners and essences however, they have slightly different purposes.

A toners main purpose is to balance the skins pH after cleansing, hydrate the skin and in some cases gently exfoliate the skin. Western toners usually contain astringents that are known to strip and dry the skin. However, Korean toners take a more regenerative and replenishing approach, they do not contain harsh ingredients like denatured alcohol.

Essences are native to the Korean beauty routine. Their base formulations are similar to that of a toner, however they contain no cleansing agents or astringents. They introduce actives and hydrating ingredients that act as a preparation and progression step for the rest of your routine to follow. They’re light weight water-based products that are formulated for fast absorption and penetration to help the efficacy of the more concentrated products to follow.

Other than sheet masks, BB creams and 10-step skincare routines, is there any other K-Beauty tricks we’re missing?

There are so many amazing tips and tricks that have transformed our community’s skincare routines:

Double cleansing – It is two-step cleansing routine that involves an oil-based cleanser first and a water-based cleanser that follows. This is done to when a deep cleanse is desired without the stripping feeling. It ensure all impurities, whether water-based or oil-based, are broken down and washed away.

7 Layer Method – A method that went viral in Korea first and then made its way transatlantic. The idea is to replicate the level of treatment product you would get when receiving a facial by applying three-to-seven layers of toner, essence or ampoule on top of one another to allow your skin to deeply absorb into the skin for a deeply hydrating experience. You would apply a thin layer, let it absorb and then follow up leaving your skin with that post-spa-glow!

What do you think is going to be the hero skincare ingredient or skincare trend of 2021?

Mugwort – it’s a powerhouse ingredient that has been used in Korean traditional medicine for a long time. An incredible plant with healing properties, its antibacterial and anti-fungal attributes has made it a a key ingredient Korean spas, medicine and food to help detox the body. It has helped soothe the skin for those with acne, eczema, atopic dermatitis and many more. I am loving it currently, it’s the star ingredient in the AXIS-Y Mugwort Pore Clarifying Wash-Off Mask

Fermented Ingredients are another star focus of 2021. They are ingredients that have undergone a metabolic process where a microorganism’s natural enzyme breaks down molecules, such as sugar, to other new substances. This can improve the absorption of the product into the skin as they are smaller molecules, the by-products of fermented ingredients introduces new skin-benefitting ingredients such as amino acids, AHA’s and antioxidants. It is also great at reducing irritation.

The ATRUE Real Black Tea True Active Essence  uses the power of fermented black tea (78.8%) to nourish the skin whilst combating skin ageing concerns by boosting skin elasticity and brightening the skin.

First off, how are you and how is your 2021 going?

Grateful and optimistic! 2020 challenged us all, but I remember reading a quote that said ‘adversity doesn’t build character, it reveals it’ and that really spurred me on! I became a single mum to my 2 little girls last year and I feel a huge reasonability to show them that however tough things can feel, we have to work hard, be kind and keep smiling!

You have such a unique career; can you sum up to our audience what you create?

I’m an illustrator. I create black and white, hand-drawn artwork usually for Adult Colouring Books, but also sometimes for freelance commercial clients.

Can you tell us more about your books and how you started them?

It all began with Secret Garden. I had been working as a freelance illustrator creating black and white artwork for lots of big brands like Absolut, Starbucks, Nike and H&M. I was approached by a publisher to make a children’s colouring book, but I pitched the idea for an adult colouring book that would feature beautiful, elegant and intricate artwork like the stuff I was doing for champagne bottles and perfume packaging! The idea was a book of art that adults could colour without feeling silly! That was back in 2011. Fast forward 10 years and I’ve made 9 books, we’ve sold 21 million of them worldwide, adult colouring has become a key part of many people’s self-care and creativity practises and we have a flourishing online community of the most wonderful people!

What is the end-to-end process like for creating one of your colouring books?

I get an idea for the theme of a book, then spend a few weeks writing notes to myself, making little sketches on post-its, the back of receipts, the margins of invoices…!

Then I sit in my studio and just start drawing everything I have imagined! I draw in pencil first, then lay a fresh sheet of paper over the top and redraw in ink. Finally, I scan the artwork into Photoshop and tidy it up a little – I rotate things, put things into repeat, remove chocolatey fingerprints (happens a lot) and erase notes I’ve scribbled to myself (mainly shopping lists!). The computer is an editing and polishing tool for me, rather than something I create on.

Why do you think adult colouring has gotten so much bigger more recently?

I think we all just NEED an outlet for our creativity and a distraction from those screens! Colouring is a wonderful way to pause and reset. It’s analogue and no screens means no doom scrolling, no alerts to interrupt your flow and no opportunity to get distracted. It’s one of the few times you give your permission to sink into deep concentration and find yourself in flow, that gorgeous feeling when the world just melts away and you are absorbed in the task at hand. It’s incredibly soothing, like a spa break for your brain!

Other than colouring, what do you like to do in your spare time to be mindful?

Walking outdoors in nature (with no ear pods! I like to hear the birdsong!)

Baking – without my children. It’s a totally different experience to the carnage that is baking WITH them. Both fun, only 1 is relaxing though.

Reading, Journaling and pottering about in my garden.

Can you tell us about your Guinness World Record and how it came about?

I want to inspire as many people to be as creative as possible. Lots of people told me that the thing stopping them from drawing, was fear of the blank sheet of paper. So, in solidarity,  I thought I’d tackle the world’s BIGGEST sheet of paper! If I could accomplish that, then everyone else could for sure take on a post-it! The finished drawing was over 501 sq m and created in 12 straight hours (I couldn’t get a babysitter so despite there being no time limit, I had to draw the entire thing in 12 hours!)

What are you currently working on?

This week my new colouring book, Worlds of Wonder is released. It was due to be launched in October, but I brought the launch forward 6 months when we saw the Pandemic was going to last longer than we’d all anticipated – I thought people might need a little blast of joy sooner rather than later! It was created almost entirely in lockdown and takes people on an imaginative journey through wondrous realms of floating islands, treetop castles and underwater cities. In a year when we couldn’t go anywhere, I wanted this book to allow people to leave their troubles behind and escape on a journey that would inspire and delight them!

Who are some of your favourite illustrators online?

I tend to be drawn to work that is unlike my own for example Jenna Rainey’s watercolours. I’m currently in love with Denise Gasser’s gorgeous potion pictures, big bold, colourful paintings inspired by jars of water and petals that her kids make in the garden!

What does your perfect weekend look like?

Sunny and warm, mainly outdoors, with my kids and some friends. Lots of picnics!

What do you always carry with you?

A staedter pigment liner – I’ve used these pens since art school and create every single illustration with them and Burt’s Bees lip balm.

What would your last ever meal be?

As long as it wasn’t cauliflower cheese, I think I’d be ok…!

What is one positive piece of advice you could give to our audience?

Practice makes PROGRESS, not perfection! Keep going, don’t aim at some imaginary goal (for perfection is a moving target and you’ll never pin it down!) instead, focus on consistently getting better. Make each piece of work, better than the last. Sometimes I achieve this, sometimes I don’t, but it’s the single underlying aim in everything I do. From parenting to baking, to drawing. Just make each endeavour better than the previous one and you are onto a winner!

IRL shopping is still off the cards (who would have thunk it over a year later!) but thankfully our one and only true love ASOS has our back and has us sorted for the 12th April – nobody panic! There really is very little that the ‘New In’ section of ASOS can’t fix, and we wholeheartedly stand by the fact that a scroll of this bookmarked (and twice daily visited page) has seen us through it all. Anxious? Have a scroll on ASOS. In a queue? Have a scroll on ASOS. Waiting for your bagel to toast? Have a scroll on ASOS. Those who say retail therapy isn’t a thing clearly haven’t lived the joys of ASOS Premier Delivery is all we have to say on the matter.

This week’s team picks come in a variety of shapes, colours, fits and styles as per usual, as we prepare for the imminently warmer weather (we’re sure we were getting a tan this time last year?) and get ready for the ‘what shall I wear today?’ moments we have been craving for SO. LONG. To summarise: it’s a hello to chunky sandals, bare legs, tie-dye and even a smidge of swimwear (heatwave we’re ready for ya). Happy shopping!

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Spring has arrived, the end of lockdown is just around the corner (huzzah!) and we are ready to celebrate the four-day weekend right. We can’t wait to live our best horizontal lives in a haze of egg-shaped chocolate mirth with absolutely no idea when we’ll socialise with our top button again. Good riddance.

From artistic creations almost too pretty to eat to classic luxury Easter eggs, chock-a-block Easter hampers, melt in the middle bitesize treats and vegan Easter eggs, there’s something to suit every kind of chocolate lover.

Case in point, their White Chocolate Easter Egg – a stand-out creation based on your favourite soft-boiled brekky. Crack open the creamy chocolate egg, nibble on the edges and, willpower permitting, save the fun-loving yolk for last. Confession: we caved early doors.

If you’re after an Easter treat to send to your loved ones in lockdown, you might want to add the Extra Thick Rare & Vintage Easter Egg to your basket. Two halves of heavenly dark choc crammed with irresistible fruit and nuts, it’s the gift that keeps on giving. A snack within a snack – now there’s one Easter egg delivery that won’t disappoint.

Then there’s the season’s incomparable Brownie Chocolate Easter Egg hybrid, which is all the evidence you should need that genies do exist, and they take granting the kind of wishes we can eat very seriously indeed.

For the plant-based palate, there’s the impeccably fash-bunable (sorry) Big City Bunny. He may put our loungewear habits to shame but with a flavour profile like his, he’s entirely forgiven for showing us up in our own homes. If you’re after a vegan Easter egg with zero compromise on taste, he’s your bun, hun.

If you’re a grazer who likes to stretch out their snacks, the small and perfectly formed moreish Milk Chocolate Speckled Eggs are perfect for gobbling on the go or pecking at regular intervals.

However, you like your eggs and whatever big chocolate dreams you’re manifesting this year, Hotel Chocolat are here to make this Easter’s hatch your best yet. So, indulge your sweet tooth and treat yourself to luxury this year, you deserve it!

Use code ZOELLA10 for 10% off and shop the whole Easter collection here!

AD | This is a paid-for advertorial with Hotel Chocolat