< Previous40 LINCOLNSHIRE TODAY FASHION Make or break © Dune London Dune London The delightful denim Dorchester bag from Dune London will add the finishing touch to your outfit. The beautiful thing about this bag is that it will pair well with just about any colour. It’s make or break with an outfit when it comes to the accessories. But rather than fretting trying to find the right additions to whatever you’re wearing, use the opportunity to experiment to find what will really pop this spring. 34-43.qxp_Layout 1 26/03/2021 15:17 Page 7LINCOLNSHIRE TODAY 41 FASHION Götti For fans of the style principle of reduction, Götti glasses embody authenticity in everyday life. With harmonious proportions and the sophistication of modern technology, full effect is given by both timeless design and clever functionality. You can pick up this pair if you visit O’Brien’s Opticians in Brigg or visit www.obriensopticians.co.uk. Gabor Heels are a dime a dozen, but this one from Gabor is worth a second look. It’s casual enough to be worn with jeans, but can easily be upscaled with the addition of a lovely evening dress. Marc Cain We’ve all seen straw hats before – especially as the weather warms up – but this one from Marc Cain has to be one of the very best. We’re sure you’ll agree. Le Jaana Woven on handlooms, this weekender bag from Le Jaana is baby pink and metallic gold which gives it a fun sparkle. The bag comes with removable suede navy tassel. Inside is a crisp, neutral linen with an interior zipped pocket on one side and open pockets on the other side. Engravers Guild of London From Engravers Guild of London comes this large gold plated oval locket on sterling silver with scroll engraving on the front. Numph Why have one pearl in your ear when you can have a whole string? That’s exactly what you get with Numph. Masai This tortoise shell barrette from Masai has all the function you could want from such a clip, but will also add striking pop of style to your looks. Kirk & Kirk There’s a reason why Kirk & Kirk is the favoured brand of Bake Off host Prue Leith. They’re bold, beautiful and simply stunning stunning. If you’d you like to pick up this pair for yourself, head down to O’Brien’s Opticians in Brigg or visit www.obriensopticians.co.uk. 34-43.qxp_Layout 1 26/03/2021 15:18 Page 842 LINCOLNSHIRE TODAY All the right parts Sometimes, it’s less the outfits than the individual parts that make them. By focussing on the best boots and shirt etc. for your style, you’ll end up with a sharp ensemble. © Barbour 1 34-43.qxp_Layout 1 26/03/2021 15:18 Page 9LINCOLNSHIRE TODAY 43 FASHION 1) Barbour There’s no need to overstate your style with this Barbour tee-shirt. Couple with jeans and a jacket, there’s nothing else to say. 2) Crew Clothing Company If you’ve still only got black shoes or boots in your wardrobe, it’s time to mix things up. Brown boots open up a whole other possibility and these ones from Crew Clothing Company are a great place to start. 3) FatFace The plaid shirt might just be the little black dress of men’s fashion – but don’t settle for any old one. Try this FatFace example on for size. 4) Dune London These taupe coloured shoes from Dune London will add that final pop of colour and style to your spring outfits. © FatFace © Crew Clothing Company © Dune London 2 3 4 34-43.qxp_Layout 1 26/03/2021 15:18 Page 1044 LINCOLNSHIRE TODAY HAIR & BEAUTY © Shutterstock /W A YHOME studio 44-45.qxp_Layout 1 26/03/2021 15:21 Page 1LINCOLNSHIRE TODAY 45 HAIR & BEAUTY Spring is here, bringing warmer days and sunny skies. Skin and hair changes with the seasons, and it is therefore time to alter your beauty routines. When it comes to skin, with winter and its extra dry skin gone, the moisturisers, serums and oils that have been used should be switched out. The warm weather can cause a number of skin issues such as increased oiliness, which leads to breakouts, and skin flare ups as a result of pollen allergies. The first key step for the new season is a spring clean of your products, to get rid of older items which can hold bacteria that will negatively impact the skin, making it dull and seeing pores clog. Look for the period after opening symbol which indicates how long you should keep your product after it has been opened, or the expiration date. Ensure to clean up your makeup brushes and other accessories/tools as well, to get rid of dust and minimise accumulation of bacteria, and replace any sponges (which should be done every three months). To clean brushes, rinse bristles with water then cleanse with soap, lather, rinse, and repeat. Once clean, squeeze out the water, lay brushes flat on a towel and leave to dry. When cleaning sponges, run them under warm water until soaked, add a few drops of a mild soap and massage to work out product, rinse and wring out water, then pat with a clean towel and leave to air dry. With the start of spring one should look to buff away winter skin, the build-up of dead skin cells all over the body, especially now your arms and legs will be coming out of coats, leggings, and trousers. Get rid of dry, flaky, dull skin on the body with an exfoliating mitt in the shower and moisturise after. For the face, employ a gentle exfoliating scrub to remove dead skin cells to uncover a fresh layer of skin and achieve a nice glow and improved skin texture. This will also help skin absorb products more effectively. Warmer air, building humidity, sun, and more time spent outside can be a shock for skin, therefore one must prepare adequately. With skin holding more water in spring, and oil production increasing with the temperature, one should replace heavy winter moisturisers with something lighter and water-based, so pores are kept clear and as a result skin doesn’t face excess oil. Water-based moisturisers prevent over saturating skin and clogging pores, whereas if one continues with a thick moisturiser the skin can be left looking greasy. The same goes for your cleanser (look for a lighter option), and heavy makeup should be avoided too, as in the warmer, humid weather clogged pores and breakouts become more likely with a lot of makeup. Perhaps consider replacing your liquid foundation with a face powder. A moisturiser with SPF is also a must, as well as upping your regular sun cream when the rays really intensify - SPF 15 at a minimum, though SPF 30 or 50 is preferable. Another option is to mix a high factor sun cream with your moisturiser. The need for SPF products also extends to protecting your lips, so look to acquire an SPF lip balm. The importance of this is clear, with sun exposure leading to premature ageing, wrinkles, and lines. The eyes should also be taken care of, with brighter days impacting the delicate skin around them. Keep sunglasses with you when out and about and integrate an eye cream or eye gel into your skincare routine. Spring can also worsen allergies, leading to dark circles, inflammation, swelling and redness around the eyes. A hydrating and brightening eye cream can work wonders here as well as those containing caffeine, which reduces puffiness, aloe, to sooth, and vitamin C, for discolouration. Hair meanwhile can also be damaged by the sun. A UV protecting shampoo can minimise this, especially for colour treated hair. The main changes people see in their hair between winter and spring are a more oily scalp, increased shedding, and decreased volume. Try adding a clarifying shampoo into your shampoo routine to cleanse the scalp and handle grease. Furthermore, dry shampoo becomes an essential in spring, to counteract the increased hair grease from humidity in the air while our hair transitions from having needed to produce more oil in winter to be protected against the harsh environment. Spring can also see hair become frizzier with rising humidity. A handy serum can help protect against this puffiness. As the seasons change so do the needs of your skin and hair. With spring in full swing, Lincolnshire Today considers how your beauty routine needs to be altered. Spring clean your beauty routine 44-45.qxp_Layout 1 26/03/2021 15:21 Page 246 LINCOLNSHIRE TODAY HEALTH & FITNESS Flexibility comes to the forefront Frequently forgotten in favour of more active workouts, flexibility is a key aspect of fitness. 46-47.qxp_Layout 1 26/03/2021 15:22 Page 1LINCOLNSHIRE TODAY 47 HEALTH & FITNESS © Shutterstock /GP PIXST OCK Despite being a vital component in improving fitness, flexibility is often neglected in favour of strength and aerobic workouts, forgotten next to these higher intensity activities. Important for keeping you moving and active - particularly for older adults as when we age our bodies degenerate - flexibility is about slowly stretching muscles, and should not be avoided. While in exercise flexibility means you can perform at your best in a chosen sports activity with reduced injury risks, it is just as essential for day-to-day tasks like reaching to tie shoelaces. There are a number of reasons to include flexibility stretching exercises in your fitness routine. Firstly they enable complete range of movement of muscles - and flexible muscles make moving more comfortable and lets joints move in proper sequence. They also improve blood circulation, decrease muscle stiffness, relieve muscular tension, and help relieve aches after exercise. In addition by increasing range of motion through flexibility training, certain exercises can be performed with better technique. Further, it can minimise risk of injury, with flexible muscles less likely to experience injury if a sudden move is required. In enhancing range of motion in a joint via stretching, allowing smooth movement, one can diminish resistance on the body’s muscles during exercise. Of course this won’t put a stop to all injury types, but it can assist with the prevention of muscle and ligament sprains. Flexibility is also important for improving posture and undoing some of the damage of desk working, which many of us are all too familiar with. By stretching your lower back, shoulders, and chest muscles, one can achieve better alignment for the back. With good flexibility also comes a decreased risk of lower back pain, with flexible hamstrings, hip flexors, and muscles attached to the pelvis relieving stress on the lumbar spine. Furthermore stretching is associated with reducing stress - muscles that are well stretched hold less tension, stretching increases blood flow and circulation through the body and sends oxygen to the brain for improved mood and a clearer mind, and stretching offers a perfect opportunity for a mental break, to gain a chance to recharge. The two main types of flexibility exercise are static stretching (like touching your toes), and dynamic stretching. The first, used primarily to maintain flexibility and after exercise to aid recovery, involves moving into a position, stretching a muscle to the end of its range of motion, and holding. Dynamic stretching, meanwhile, which is frequently used in warm ups, involves repeatedly moving through ranges of motion, increasing them to warm up muscles, mimicking the sport that will be done after. One might think “great another activity I have to force into my schedule,” but flexibility training does not have to take up a major part of your weekly exercise routine. It can be easily integrated into your strength and cardio training days. Simple gentle stretches can help with flexibility - look to hold them for 10-60 seconds and repeat them two to three times. It is worth noting that this should not hurt - this could lead to injury or be highlighting a current injury - so take things carefully and add intensity gradually and aim to stretch each muscle group. Just a ten-minute stretching routine a couple of times a week can lead to significant improvements in flexibility. Alternatively if looking to make use of a specific activity to bolster flexibility, yoga and Pilates are a great place to start as workouts that involve gently stretching the body into various positions and holding in position while focusing on breathing. Not only do these boost one’s flexibility, but they also assist with strength and balance. As with other forms of exercise, proper technique is key in flexibility training. Despite seeming like a calm activity, it does not come without its own risks. When stretching it is important to avoid bouncing or jerking, as this can lead to tears, and flexibility training should come when your muscles are fully warmed up - a short walk will do. While warm muscles are more elastic, when cold, stretching is harder and can lead to injuries. It is also important to only stretch to the point of mild discomfort (do not force the muscles to extend beyond this), to relax when stretching (range of movement can be impacted by physical and mental tension, preventing effective stretching), to ease into the stretch, and to take deep breaths via the nose, exhaling through the mouth, which will reduce muscular tension and allow a deeper stretch (if you hold your breath, your body will tense up). Avoiding stretching can minimise range of motion over time, make muscles tight and shortened as a result of inflexibility. Consequently, this makes muscles weak and increases chance of joint pain, strains, and muscle damage. A well-rounded fitness routine needs flexibility exercises - the benefits of which will be seen in general life and performance in sports and fitness activities. 46-47.qxp_Layout 1 26/03/2021 15:22 Page 248 LINCOLNSHIRE TODAY FOOD & DINING feed the mind There’s no reason why food can’t be both delicious, a little bit indulgent and healthy as these wonderful recipes prove with every mouthful. Perfect for a supper with friends, easy and quick to make; the shallots can be prepared ahead of time and everything simply thrown together at the last minute. Serves: 2 Preparation time: 10 minutes Cooking time: 10-15 minutes You’ll need: 12 shallots, peeled and halved 1 tbsp olive oil 1 ready-made pizza base or use flatbreads 100g mascarpone cheese 12 cherry tomatoes, halved 25g Godminster cheddar cheese, grated Rocket leaves, to serve What to do: Pre heat oven 200°C/ 180°C fan/ Gas 6. Place the shallots in a frying pan, add the olive oil and cook gently until softened and beginning to brown, approx 10-15 mins, cool a little. Spread the pizza base with the mascarpone cheese, top with the shallots, cherry tomatoes and the grated cheese. Cook for 10-15 minutes until golden and melting, serve straight from the oven sprinkled with rocket. Recipe courtesy of www.ukshallot.com Feed the body, Shallot, Cherry Tomato and Mascarpone Pizza 48-51.qxp_Layout 1 26/03/2021 15:30 Page 1LINCOLNSHIRE TODAY 49 Vegan vanilla frosted plum cupcakes Prep time: 10 mins Cook time: 25 mins You’ll need: 1/2 cup vegan butter 1/2 cup caster sugar/coconut palm sugar 1 cup GF self-rising flour 1 cup oat milk mixed with 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar 1/2 tsp baking powder 2 South African plums- chopped into small chunks Dash vanilla extract To garnish: 3 tbsp vegan butter (stick kind works best here) 1 1/2 cups icing sugar Dash freeze dried berry powder or pink food colouring What to do: 1. Preheat your oven to 180°C and line a cupcake tray with paper cases. 2. In a mixing bowl, cream together the vegan butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Then whisk In the milk and vinegar mixture and vanilla. 3. Fold through your dry ingredients to create a smooth batter. Using an ice cream or cookie scoop, divide the mixture amongst the cases for an even result. 4. Add a few pieces of chopped plum into the centre of each cake and bake these for approximately 25 minutes. 5. Once your cakes are cooked through and golden in colour, allow to cool completely on a wire wrack. 6. Meanwhile, beat your vegan butter until pale, then gradually incorporate the icing sugar. Mash your blackberries and berry powder (if using) into your butter cream. You can add extra icing sugar to thicken if required. 7. Pipe or spread the frosting onto each of your cakes and garnish with toppings of choice! Recipe created by Charley’s Health. Courtesy of South African Fruit 48-51.qxp_Layout 1 26/03/2021 15:30 Page 2Next >