< Previous30 LINCOLNSHIRE TODAY HAIR & BEAUTY © stock.adobe.com/ Алина ТроеваLINCOLNSHIRE TODAY 31 HAIR & BEAUTY A s soon as December hits many of us are thrown into a circuit of holiday do’s – and each one requires a different look! The festive season inspires us to go a little more glam than our usual go-to, but this can be daunting for some. Fear not, for there are many ways to inject some festive glitz into our appearance without feeling out of our comfort zone. Likewise, this season and the prospect of new beginnings provides the perfect excuse to try some out-there styles for those who feel stuck in a rut. Whether you’re in the market for some glittery eyeshadow, or an elegant updo, we have you covered. Bold red lips always look festively chic around this time. The lipstick finish makes a huge difference. A matte finish gives a sultry, elegant look, and tends to last longer on the lips (perfect for dinner engagements) A shiny or glossy finish packs a dramatic punch. You could also opt for a gold or copper glittery gloss to sit on top of a matte colour. This is perfect for those who like to go understated on their eyes. Bold lipstick colours tend to pair wonderfully with a brown or black eyeliner, in the cat eye shape, for a strikingly old Hollywood vibe. The cat eye shape is winged eyeliner, which wings upwards, lifting and elongating the silhouette of the eye. Using a liquid eyeliner will give a sharper line and won’t smudge. Although harder to remove, a waterproof formula is a worthwhile investment if you have watery eyes. If you’re after a smokier effect, a pencil is better. Apply straight across the lash line, then gently smudge outwards and upwards to elongate the eye, and slightly up from the lash line to blend seamlessly into eyeshadow. If you want to focus on the eyes, then using a glittery or shimmery eyeshadow is the perfect way to do so. For full impact, use a cream formula. Creams tend to hold more pigment than powders, and last longer on the eye. Silver is complimentary to eye colours, gives an icy wintery vibe, and looks great with a cat eye liner. For added drama, take a matte grey powder and blend from the outer corner towards the center of the eye. Using a shimmery brown gives a more subtle effect, which pairs better with a red lipstick than grey or silver. Glam for the hols The holiday season is here and it’s time to get out and be glamorous. 32 Á32 LINCOLNSHIRE TODAY HAIR & BEAUTY So as not to overpower the look, bold lips and eyeliner is best paired with subtle eyeshadow and blush. Lightly sweep an apricot or dusty rose shade across the cheeks. Then apply a bone shade all over the eyelid, and gently blend a light brown through the crease. This will complete the makeup beautifully, whilst ensuring that the lips and eyeliner remain the centre of attention. All the festive lights might inspire us to adopt a Christmas glow of our own. This is done in no better way than plenty of highlighter. Traditionally applied to the cheekbones, trends are seeing it applied to the collarbones, cupids bow and even the tip of the nose for a high shine finish. A subtle champagne blends into all skin tones and gives a glow from within look. For those wanting more, there are options in gold, silver, and ice white that truly sparkle. Highlighter looks beautiful alone or atop a more dramatic look. For a festival vibe, you could use a glittery eyeshadow, applied with fingers for a punchy effect. If opting for a champagne, rose gold or gold highlighter, this is the perfect opportunity to dig out some deeper blush shades. These look beautifully jewel toned on deeper skin tones, and striking on paler ones. Berry tones evoke imagery of spices, leaves and winter fruits, making them perfect for this time of year. They truly stand out against metallic highlighter, and a similarly-toned metallic lipstick gives a modern, yet festive look. Blending some of this blush across the outer corner of the eyes will tie the whole look together. Hair is often the last thing that many of us remember when getting ready. However, even simple styles can be injected with festive fun. A perfect example is the bubble braid, a take on the classic ponytail. Prepare your hair with a lightweight styling cream to smooth flyaways, then slick back into a high ponytail. Decorate the ponytail with hair elastics a few inches apart from each other, teasing the hair in between with your fingers for the “bubble” effect. Even a simple ponytail can be Christmassed- up, by using a tinsel adorned hair elastic, or even some subtle gold glitter spray. Once again, ensure frizz is secured down and your hair is straightened before tying up for ultimate elegance. A half up half down style gives a very on trend 90s look and is extremely low effort. For maximum hold, put a bobby pin either side of the updo and use a flexible hold spray to retain hair movement. Use a curling wand to glamourise the style with some large curls. Leave to cool before touching them to ensure they set and retain their shape. © stock.adobe.com/ Photographee.euLINCOLNSHIRE TODAY 33 LACEBY MANOR T he list follows review visits from The Times team to spas up and down the country and recognises those with particular stand out features. These include treatments, knowledgeable therapists and results- driven skincare ranges along with thoughtful design, comprehensive facilities, health-focused cuisine and first- class accommodation options. It divides the country into 10 regions, with Laceby Manor named among the leaders in the North and North East England – and notably, the only spa chosen in Lincolnshire. Judges were impressed with the luxurious ethos of the resort and highlighted many of its unique features based on its Nordic inspiration. “The spa’s crown jewel is its al fresco oasis with its two wild swimming ponds,” it highlights, praising the atmosphere of the adults-only retreat as having a “quiet, club-like feel”. The review also highlighted Laceby Manor’s “unpretentious charm” and adds “service everywhere – including the two restaurants and the golf clubhouse – is unobtrusive yet attentive. That means feeling relaxed comes as naturally as breathing in the country air.” The family-owned, independently-run Spa at Laceby Manor opened its doors in July 2022, following a multi-million pound investment. The site was originally purchased in 2011 as an 18-hole golf course, and considerable investment over the past 13 years has transformed it into a haven for luxurious relaxation at the edge of the Lincolnshire Wolds. Along with the Spa, the resort has welcomed accommodation in the form of luxurious Lakeside Suites, Garden Pods and five-star lodges – all created with sustainability at heart – resulting in unique space offering a holistic wellness experience. The Spa offers a host of treatments and rituals in seven treatment rooms utilising products from leading UK and Irish brands VOYA, 111SKIN and tRiBe517, with an ever-changing selection of spa days and breaks. Guests can enjoy the Spa Café, book into The Oak Room restaurant for more sophisticated dining or enjoy a more casual dining experience in the adjacent Oak Room Bar & Pizzeria. Sunday lunches are also served in the Clubhouse. Alex Burnett, Spa Director is delighted to see Laceby Manor recognised. “Ever since we started development at Laceby Manor, we have strived to create the finest experience possible – without compromising our commitment to nature and sustainability,” he said. “Our goal has always been to create a unique and luxurious yet unpretentious resort here in the stunning Lincolnshire countryside where we could offer spa breaks, days, gym membership and golfers alike, and give them the very best experience. “We are thrilled to have been named in The Times’ & Sunday Times’ 50 best UK Spas in 2024 and this is testament to the hard work, commitment and attention to detail of the whole team here at Laceby Manor. “Being the only spa in Lincolnshire to make the grade really is a fantastic accolade and from here, we will continue to work even harder to stay at the top and give guests the finest experience, with a larger-scale expansion to look forward to in the future.” www.lacebymanor.co.uk Laceby Manor named in The Times' 50 best UK spas The award-winning Laceby Manor has picked up another top accolade after being named one of the UK’s best spas by The Times & Sunday Times. 34 LINCOLNSHIRE TODAY HEALTH & FITNESS Sticking to Although preparing your New Year’s resolution at the beginning of December may feel early, in truth early preparation and consideration gives you the highest possible chance of success. S ome of the most common New Years’ resolutions are losing weight, sticking to a healthier diet, and quitting smoking. Whilst all of these are worthwhile goals, they all require either forming or breaking long term habits, a notoriously difficult task. Research on habits suggests that a lot of it comes down to mindset when goal setting. People are generally more successful with approach-oriented goals (such as changing eating habits) rather than avoidance-oriented goals (trying to stay away from something) This means that if you’re trying to stay on a healthy diet, you should see healthy meals as the new normal rather than a trial period, whilst still allowing yourself the occasional treat. This way, you can build a sustainably healthy lifestyle, as denying yourself treats completely can lead to binging spirals. One of the most important things is to set achievable goals, rather than overly ambitious ones. This could be something like losing 15 pounds or going to the gym twice a week. This will be a much easier habit to form, increasing your chances of success. If you achieve this goal, you can set a more ambitious one. Seeing your resolution as a journey comprised of small wins, each win is a life improvement. Moreover, it feels much less daunting! Achieving even a small goal provides a huge boost to self-belief. In fact, the American Psychological Association suggests that, because new behavioural patterns take time and effort to establish, focusing on one behaviour or goal at a time significantly increases the chances of long-term success. In practical terms, this could mean that you build up to your overall goal slowly. Those trying to eat healthier could start by switching out certain ingredients or committing to a home cooked meal once 36 ÁLINCOLNSHIRE TODAY 35 HEALTH & FITNESS © stock.adobe.com/Marina36 LINCOLNSHIRE TODAY HEALTH & FITNESS or twice a week. Once this is established, you could focus on a different area such as reducing portion sizes. Incremental changes like these are much easier to slot into your existing lifestyle. A further strategy for keeping your resolution is making it different from ones you’ve tried before. Once again, self- belief and mindset are key, so if you’re trying something you’ve already failed at, confidence in your ability to succeed is likely to be low. If it’s something you’re really set on, try to spend some time evaluating your previous attempts. Think about what strategies were the most effective, and what caused you to stray. This could be recorded in a resolution journal, which helps you to remember your plan. From this, consider altering your overall goal slightly to make it more achievable. Even small changes to your approach (such as what times of day you eat and workout) could mean big changes. You could also record why you’re working towards your goal, to inspire you during periods of amotivation. Finalising your goal early is also important. This gives you time to create a detailed plan in your journal, formulating a strong strategy for success. Brainstorming how a major behaviour change will affect your life allows you to foresee any potential stumbling blocks. For example, if you want to try intermittent fasting, what time you start, and finish work is likely to impact when you begin and end your fast. Take time to formulate the plan by analysing how you currently live your life, and how changing a certain aspect will affect this. If you’re normally tired after work, it may be wiser to get up early and work out before you start. This means that you are prepared for a lifestyle change and are less likely to be derailed by changes in motivation and pace of life. © stock.adobe.com/WavebreakMediaMicroLINCOLNSHIRE TODAY 37 HEALTH & FITNESS What is Lens Personalisation? While every corrective lens is tailored to fit your prescription, personalised lenses consider your vision needs, physiological behaviour, and lifestyle too, so you experience optimal comfort and visual clarity. There are four steps to finding the right lens solution for your needs: • Correct your prescription. • Protect your eyes from UV. • Enhance performance with a lens coating that reduces reflections and prevents scratches and smudges. • There is now a fourth step… personalisation. This ensures your lenses consider your individual vision behaviour, physiological behaviour and frame fit. At Holland & James we offer complimentary lens personalisation on certain varifocal and digitally enhanced single vision lenses. Because your eyes are unique, we believe your lenses should be too. Using the Visioffice-X additional digital measurements are taken as part of your appointment. These include: • Near Vision Behaviour. A technology exclusive to Varilux® lenses, this tailors the lower part of your varifocal lenses, which is crucial for reading and other near vision activities such as using your mobile phone or tablet. • Eyecode. This maximises the performance of your lenses based on the measurement of the specific position of the eye rotation centre and integrating it into the lens design. • Extra frame measurements. If the position of your lens differs from the standard values, your perceived field of vision is impacted. Factoring the real position of the lens into the design calculation means the lens performs exactly as it should, while also respecting your necessary fields of vision. Lens personalisation is included on Varilux® XR series™ (from £395), Varilux® Comfort Max (from £295) and Eyezen® (from £50) lenses. Charlie Holland and Neil James For more information on lens personalisation and the various lens types visit hollandjames.co.uk call 01652 408200 or pop into the store in Brigg to speak with Charlie or Neil directly. Finally, pick a start date and stick to it. Although resolutions are traditionally begun on New Years’ Day, you may not be in the right mindset after a night of celebrating. Pick a date when you will be well rested and motivated. Achieving your New Years’ resolution for a better lifestyle will not be easy. Yet, that’s what makes the journey so rewarding. Robust planning, with a lengthy breakdown of how you want to achieve your goal will significantly increase your chances of success. Motivation is not fixed, so use your planning time to think about how to motivate yourself during low times. You could give yourself little challenges to complete, such as doing 15 sit-ups each morning, which would inject a sense of fun and competition. Most importantly, be kind to yourself. Enjoy the journey and celebrate the little wins along the way. © stock.adobe.com/Brian Jackson38 LINCOLNSHIRE TODAY FOOD & DINING fancies Christmas Cherry Florentine Preparation time: 20 minutes Cooking time: 10 minutes Allergens: Dairy, Oats, Nuts You’ll need: 100g Unsalted Butter 100g Demerara Sugar 2 tablespoons Golden Syrup 100g Rolled Oats 50g Flaked Almonds 50g Opies Cocktail cherries, finely chopped 50g Dried Cherries, chopped 100g Dark Chocolate, chopped What to do: 1. Preheat your oven to 180°C (160°C fan) and line a baking tray with parchment paper. 2. In a saucepan, melt the butter, demerara sugar and golden syrup over a low heat, stirring until the sugar has dissolved. 3. Remove from the heat and stir in the rolled oats, flaked almonds and chopped dried cherries until well combined. 4. Spoon tablespoon-sized portions of the mixture onto the prepared baking tray, leaving space between each spoonful as they will spread during baking. Flatten each spoonful slightly with the back of the spoon. 5. Bake in the preheated oven for 8-10 minutes, or until they are golden brown around the edges. 6. Remove from the oven and leave to cool on the tray for a few minutes until they are firm enough to transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. 7. Once completely cooled, melt the dark chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water or in short bursts in the microwave, stirring until smooth. 8. Dip the base of each Florentine into the melted chocolate, allowing any excess chocolate to drip off, and place them back on the wire rack. 9. Allow the chocolate to set completely before serving or storing the Cherry Florentines in an airtight container. Christmas is about more than just a turkey and some vegetables – there’s a whole month’s worth of December after all, and no reason the whole family can’t have some fun making festive treats. FOOD & DINING LINCOLNSHIRE TODAY 39 Reindeer Shortbread Serves 8 Preparation time: 20 minutes Cooking time: 15 minutes Allergens: Gluten, Dairy (check pretzel ingredients for additional allergens) You’ll need: 200g Unsalted Butter, softened 100g Caster Sugar 300g Plain Flour ½ teaspoon Vanilla Extract Pinch of Salt 16 Opies Cocktail Cherries 16 Mini Pretzels 32 Candy Eyes or Mini Chocolate Chips 50g Thick Icing What to do: 1. Preheat oven to 180°C (160°C fan) and line a baking tray with parchment paper. 2. In a large mixing bowl, cream together the softened unsalted butter and caster sugar until light and fluffy. 3. Add the plain flour, vanilla extract and pinch of salt to the bowl. Mix until the ingredients come together to form a dough. 4. Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface to a thickness of about ½ cm, use a large dinner plate as a template to cut a large circle and place on a lined baking sheet. 5. Place the baking tray in the preheated oven and bake for 12-15 minutes, or until they are lightly golden brown around the edges. 6. Once baked, remove from the oven and cool on the baking tray for a few minutes and cut into wedges, before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. 7. Use icing to glue one Opies Cocktail Cherry at the end of each cookie to represent the reindeer's nose. 8. Break the mini pretzels in half to create antlers. Use icing to glue two halves into the top of each cookie on either side of the cherry nose. 9. Place two candy eyes or mini chocolate chips above the cherry nose to create the reindeer's eyes. 10. Store cookies in an airtight container for up to one week. Next >