< PreviousUpgrade your Upgrade your Lincolnshire Today helps you refine your look and refresh your winter wardrobe with some new menswear. LINCOLNSHIRE TODAY 31 FASHION Opposite: Cotton Traders A check shirt and jeans can be enhanced quickly with a cable polo, as Cotton Traders shows. Top left: Barbour This ensemble from Barbour illustrates how to layer up colours perfectly, with rich cord trousers, a checked shirt and teddy jacket. Above: Fat Face Fat Face presents a simple, suave look with a sophisticated wool blazer, leaf print shirt and jeans. Left: Dune London With a timeless silhouette and suede construction, these Chelsea boots from Dune London provide a great way to elevate casualwear. © stock.adobe.com/Victoria AndreasLINCOLNSHIRE TODAY 33 HAIR & BEAUTY I t’s hard to make sense of the world right now, but at least the beauty world offers some respite and escape. With the advent of a new year, there’s plenty of opportunity to forget your troubles and experiment with your look. So, without further ado, let’s explore some of the latest trends. There’s plenty of evidence to suggest that 2025 (and early toward spring especially) will be the season of blush. Ordinarily, blush is an accent, a way to add a little rosy glow to those cheeks. But at recent fashion shows, it’s been worn loud and proud across the entire cheek. As if that wasn’t enough, plenty of models were spotted sporting blush across their eyes and temples as well. Now, blush is being used as a statement and can be used as a tool to craft some powerful looks. Of course, what goes on the catwalk isn’t necessarily going to work in everyday settings, but for a party or a night out, this is a sure-fire way to grab some attention and leave an impression. While we’re on the subject of bright colour, it’s worth mentioning that big, bright neon eyeshadow is very much in again. Five years ago, this style was all the rage. You couldn’t scroll for more than a few seconds on Instagram without coming across an eyeshadow style more outlandish than the last. Now we’ve reached a point where the aim is less about getting the most likes online but rather to complement your entire look. You could say that statement eyeshadow has grown up. Our advice would be to pick a colour and stick with it. Things get messy when you start putting three or more bright strips over the eye. Particular trendy colours are pink, blue and green. Thankfully, a new year doesn’t mean New year you have to throw out your old favourites, with plenty of recognisable trends coming back around. Take glossy lips as an example. Without fail, they make a return in one shape or form every year. So bust out that gloss and let your lips shine. Elsewhere in the lips department, there’s a return to the classic red lippy. Some looks are just so timeless, so brilliant that they don’t need any messing with. What served movie starlets in the forties is just as powerful today. To really maximise the effect of wearing red lipstick, pair it with a bare face. The effect is immediately impactful. While we’re on the subject of a bare face, it’s time to touch on the all-natural look. The name is a bit misleading, as it’s less about forgoing make-up, but rather it’s about using make-up subtly to enhance one’s natural beauty. It’s all about achieving glowing, lit from within skin. To accomplish that, try using nude and rosy shades to enhance rather than smother your natural assets. The same classic status of red lips is also afforded to smoky eyes. Could there be a more timeless look? The answer is no. Trends come and go, seasons change, but smoky eyes are perennial. They pair with just about anything and, while they can be tricky to learn how to apply yourself, they are simple when you know how. If, for some reason, you’ve never tried smoky eyes, then go and do yourself a favour. Whether or not that’s following an online guide or tutorial or popping into your favourite beauty parlour. Where hair is concerned, we’re seeing the next evolution of the bob. There’s usually a new variety to be found each year as this old favourite undergoes a transformation. You may have already noticed that nineties nostalgia is going into overdrive. We’re talking body glitter, bandannas and braids. Oh, and denim. Lots and lots of denim. No surprise that the grunge look is reemerging with a resurgence of choppy blonde hair and baggy plaid shirts. Whether or not you were too young, or missed it the first time around, the new twenties offers the opportunity to recapture some of the nineties. Whether or not that’s a good thing, we’ll leave up to you. A new year means a new opportunity to doll up, and 2025 may bring about a revival of the nostalgic. STYLE34 LINCOLNSHIRE TODAY HEALTH & FITNESS A good night’s sleep not only leaves us feeling refreshed in the morning but can also support healthy brain function, and our immune systems. Long periods of inadequate sleep have been found to drastically increase the risk of chronic health conditions, and sleep deprivation is a well-known torture method used since the middle ages. Sleep deprivation isn’t something we normally have to deal with, but poor sleep is – and it can have a big impact on our lives. Sleep isn’t just about time spent asleep either, as there are different stages to sleep and they’re all important. There are three main stages of sleep (there is a fourth but it’s just when you first fall asleep and it only lasts 1-7 minutes), and these are light sleep, deep sleep and REM sleep. You’re probably more familiar with the latter REM (Rapid- eye movement) as it’s traditionally when people dream, but the other stages are still important. REM and deep sleep are the most necessary phases in terms of maintaining a healthy mind and body, as they are what lead to you feeling refreshed and active in the morning. Light sleep gives less benefits but is necessary for remaining asleep in the first place, and so it’s an important part of the cycle. Without it, you would wake up after every dream and get no sleep at all. In a good night’s sleep, you will cycle between light, deep and REM sleep, before going back to light sleep to repeat the process. We have to say a “good night’s sleep” because the cycle can be disrupted, sometimes having too much of one and too few of another. If you’ve ever woken up from what feels like a long sleep feeling exhausted and drained, then it’s likely you’ve had Sleep has been found to be one of the most important parts of staying healthy both physically and mentally and is one area where a lot of people are struggling. Sleep your way healthy LINCOLNSHIRE TODAY 35 HEALTH & FITNESS © stock.adobe.com/pijav4uk too much light sleep and not enough deep or REM. This can happen for many reasons but a very common one is alcohol consumption. Alcohol can help you fall asleep quicker, but it inhibits the proper sleep cycle, which is why people tend to wake up feeling groggy and just awful for the day after. Sleep doesn’t cause the hangover, but the alcohol stops the sleep being good enough to help you recover, and so you wake up with a poor night’s sleep. Stress also has a big impact on the sleep cycle, often requiring your body to have more light sleep in order to stay asleep because your stress responses are trying to wake you up. The body knows it needs sleep, so it’ll give you more light sleep to maintain it. This means little deep sleep and REM, however, again leading to feeling exhausted and unrested despite getting seven or eight hours of shuteye. Sleep can be monitored using many apps and health watches and rings nowadays, but doctors do warn people to be cautious about reading too much into it. Self-diagnosis is rarely a good idea and data can be wrong, but it is still good to keep it in mind for the sake of awareness. If you feel groggy most mornings and struggle to feel rested, then using a device to monitor your sleep quality can help detect issues that you can work to fix. Some ways to help fix sleep are easily attainable – such as removing electronic devices from a bedroom, investing in blackout blinds to limit all light, and getting into a routine of when you go to bed so the body can adapt to it. Others are less simple, as noise from neighbours or children could be difficult to fix, and 36 Á36 LINCOLNSHIRE TODAY HEALTH & FITNESS stress through the night might be caused by a tough time at work or relationship problems. However, the relationship between sleep and stress is especially pervasive because high stress causes poor sleep, and poor sleep causes high stress, leading to a cycle that can impact sleep patterns for half a week or more. Sometimes it can be partners who also make sleep worse as well, be it through snoring, tossing and turning or stealing of blankets. Sleep divorces are becoming increasingly common – which involve couples living together but sleeping in different beds – but some see them as signs of a bad relationship. They needn’t be, as sometimes someone can just be a terrible sleeper and their partner might not be able to handle it. For issues with blankets, a term called a “Scandinavian sleep divorce” can work out, which sees a couple share a bed but have two blankets – an elegant solution if your partner keeps hogging one, as changes in temperature can obviously impact sleep quality. It goes without saying that feeling irritable waking up beside someone every day is far worse for a relationship’s longevity than sleeping in the same bed with separate blankets, so it’s better to address the issue than let sleep deprivation eat away at it. Avoiding alcohol and food before bed can certainly help as well. Food and drink containing sugar causes spikes in blood sugar, and the human body feels stress when it breaks down food even if the person is healthy. That’s just a natural reaction to the body having to expend energy to digest food. That’s where old rumours about cheese before bed causing nightmares come from, as it disrupts sleep and can lead to poor sleep – which can cause nightmares. Try not to eat close to bedtime and be sure to limit alcohol to occasions or going out with friends. © stock.adobe.com/Rafael Ben-Ari Looking after your eyes in 2025 Help keep your eyes healthy and reduce the risk of developing an eye condition. Regular eye tests Everyone should have their eyes examined at least once every two years - even if there is no change in your vision. Some sight-threatening conditions have no symptoms and could cause you to lose sight before you notice a difference. An eye examination can pick up these conditions making sure that you get any sight saving treatment you need. Detect early, treat early, save your sight. Eat healthily and watch your weight Eat a diet low in saturated fats but rich in green leafy vegetables such as spinach and broccoli. It reduces your risk of eye diseases associated with obesity, diabetes and high blood pressure. Taking supplements is not a substitute for a healthy diet. It is important to maintain a healthy weight. Obesity can increase the risk of developing diabetes, which in turn can cause sight loss. Stop smoking Did you know smoking can double the risk of developing age- related macular degeneration, the UK's leading cause of sight loss? In fact, the link is as strong as the link between smoking and lung cancer. Speak to your GP about stopping smoking. Keep your eyes covered in the sun UVA and UVB rays in sunlight can harm your eyes and may increase the risk of cataracts and AMD. Wearing sunglasses, glasses or contact lenses with built in UV filter will protect your eyes. Safety first DIY causes thousands of eye related injuries each year. Always wear the correct safety glasses for the job you are doing to protect your eyes from flying debris and fine particles. Sport is another major cause of eye related injuries. Investing in a good pair of protective sports eyewear will help prevent serious damage to your eyes. Charlie Holland and Neil James To book an eye examination visit hollandjames.co.uk/book, call 01652 408200 or pop into the store in Brigg to speak with Charlie or Neil directly.LINCOLNSHIRE TODAY 37 SOCIAL SCENE Ellie Barnaby and Lincoln College Vice Principle Matt Vaughan Mehmet Ozkasap with Lincoln College Vice Principle Matt Vaughan Jake Green with Richard Greaves of Bauer Media The team at The Drill who took home a staff award Level 3 Dance Students open the FE Awards Izzy Hall with Chloe Richardson from Currys The opening show from Level 3 Dance Students Level 3 Performing Arts Student, Meave Fogg singing the solo ‘Broadway Baby’ from the musical 'Follies' Level 3 Performing Art Students Holly Clarke and Freya Ellais, singing ‘New York State of Mind’ by Billy Joel Jake Green and family The opening performance from the Level 3 Dance Students Lincoln College recently shone a spotlight on students from Lincoln and Newark College, along with the Air and Space Institute. Students and their families as well as staff gathered at Lincoln College-managed venue, The Drill, to celebrate the accomplishments of those who found academic success this year but also overcame personal challenges to do so. Hosted by BBC Radio Lincolnshire presenter Jennifer Watters, the ceremony celebrated our previous cohort but was also a forum to highlight the skills and talents of our current students. The Drill came alive with a Hollywood theme this year, with performances from Dance students as well as solo performance from singer and Level 3 Performing Arts student Meave Fogg and a closing performance from Level 3 Performing Arts Students Holly Clarke and Freya Ellais. Catering and Hospitality students also created and served a delicious three-course meal for winners and their families to enjoy. 38 LINCOLNSHIRE TODAY FOOD & DINING TREATS January Lemon drizzle cake You’ll need: * 200g unsalted butter * 200g caster sugar * 200g self-raising flower * 3 Eggs * Lemon to zest and juice * 4tbsp icing sugar What to do: * Pre-heat oven to 180C/160C Fan (Gas mark 4) * Grease a loaf baking tin with butter (not the 200g saved butter) and line it with baking paper. * Mix butter and sugar in a blender and mix. Add the eggs one at a time, blending each before adding the next. Once mixed, add the flour and some grated lemon zest and blend all together until smooth. * Pour the mixture into the baking tin, flattening the top with a spoon or knife, and set in the oven to bake for 50-55 minutes. * Stir together lemon juice and icing sugar and when the cake is finished and has cooled, drizzle the mixture over the top. Alternatively, you can also poke some holes into the top of the cake so that some of the icing mixture penetrates deeper for flavour. Optional: Slice some lemon and lay decoratively on top, or add your own preferred decorations to give it that personal touch. © stock.adobe.com/vm2002 There’s a lot of “-anuary’s” to deal with in January, be it dry January, Veganuary, ginuary (which rather defeats the purpose of dry January). All these combined with those looking to lose weight make it difficult to plot what to suggest for the month. Here, we’ve gathered a range of different recipes to pick and choose from.FOOD & DINING LINCOLNSHIRE TODAY 39 Scotch Pie You’ll need: * 600g (1lb) of mutton mince * 1/4 tsp ground mace * 1/4 tsp nutmeg * 5 tbsp gravy * Salt and pepper to season * 120g lard * 360g flour * 1 egg What to do: * Set and pre-heat oven to 200C (Gas Mark 6) then line a tray with baking paper. Cut strips of baking paper (about two inches wide) to later wrap around the pies to help them maintain their shape. * Mix mutton with mace, nutmeg and gravy into a bowl and season generously with salt and pepper. Help the gravy work into the meat by working it with clean hands, and then divide into four roughly even balls and set aside. * Prepare the pastry by heating 160ml of water, 1/2 tsp of salt into a saucepan until it is nearly boiling. At the same time put flour into a mixing bowl. Pour the hot (but not boiling) liquid into the bowl of flour and mix together with a spoon. You can then knead by hand once it has cooled enough not to burn. Work it into a smooth dough. * Cut off roughly a quarter of the pastry and set aside - this will be used later. Divide the remaining © stock.adobe.com/JoannaTkaczuk dough into four balls to go with the filling and roll each ball flat with a rolling pin until you have a circle of flat pastry about 7 inch in diameter. * Place a ball of meat on each circle and gather up the pastry around it into the shape of a pork pie. Then take the pastry set aside earlier and cut “lids” for the pies to the size required. You can use water to dampen the sides and pinch (or crimp) the pastry together between your fingers to seal the lid to the sides. * Wrap the greased baking paper around the edges of your pies and tie them with cooking string to ensure they keep their shape, then cut a small steam hole into the top of each pie to ensure the heat penetrates to the meat. Set on the baking tray. Brush your pies with a beaten egg yolk. It is a good idea to set the pies in the fridge for 30 minutes to cool and harden (for holding their shape) before transferring them to the oven to bake for 35-40 minutes, or until golden brown. Next >