If like us you're burning the candle at both ends right now, chances are your skin will be bearing the brunt. When eight hours of sleep is out of the question, there's only so much concealer can do. So perk yourself up with a fatigue-fighting under-eye mask.

“The skin around the eye area is extremely fragile and is often neglected, and if not looked after correctly, can become dry, puffy and congested and age your face beyond your years," explains Noella Gabriel, cofounder of Elemis. "An eye mask will provide an instant boost of deep hydration, and have a cooling and anti-inflammatory effect.”

But if we're already investing in an eye cream, do we really need an eye mask as well? Gabriel thinks so: “An eye cream is a continuous everyday maintenance product to protect and support skin throughout the day, whereas an eye mask is like a booster, it delivers a concentrated surge of hydration instantly.” So there you have it. Despite your social calendar heating up as the temperature drops, your skin need not suffer.

Read on for our pick of the best masks for tired eyes, to see you through the end-of-year festivities.

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Following a froggy-green 2017, last week Pantone revealed the colour of 2018, a decidedly more wearable, uplifting hue of Ultra Violet. According to Pantone, the "dramatically provocative and thoughtful purple shade... communicates originality, ingenuity, and visionary thinking that points us toward the future."

"We are living in a time that requires inventiveness and imagination," Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Colour Institute explained. "It is this kind of creative inspiration that is indigenous to Pantone 18-3838 Ultra Violet, a blue-based purple that takes our awareness and potential to a higher level. From exploring new technologies and the greater galaxy, to artistic expression and spiritual reflection, intuitive Ultra Violet lights the way to what is yet to come.”

Elected the colour of 2018, the shade has already made a significant cultural impact over the past year. Remember the purple-accented Ralph Lauren trouser suit Hillary Clinton wore to nobly concede defeat to Donald Trump in November 2016? In June 2017, Prince's Purple Rain Deluxe Expanded was posthumously released, with suitably ultra violet album artwork from the iconic musician whose artistic image was intrinsically linked to the colour purple.

Then, in September during Milan Fashion Week, Gucci's SS18 collection was not only presented under an ultra violet strobe light but a number of the 106 looks were head-to-toe ultra violet, from a purple jumpsuit and shimmering ruffled gown to velvet trousers worn with a snake-adorned jacket.

Mixing blue and red, two shades which are seemingly opposed, to create something entirely new, Ultra Violet is therefore one of the most complex colours. "Complex and contemplative, Ultra Violet suggests the mysteries of the cosmos, the intrigue of what lies ahead, and the discoveries beyond where we are now. The vast and limitless night sky is symbolic of what is possible and continues to inspire the desire to pursue a world beyond our own," Pantone stated.

During such turbulent sociopolitical times, we're excited about the prevalence of a colour that stands for hope, discovery, limitlessness and reflection. It's time to get into the colour purple. Click ahead for 18 ways to wear ultra violet now.

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There’s something about winter that really lends itself to breakfast. Give me a frosty first light and a cosy kitchen and I'll give you any number of start-the-day eats and warming drink ideas.

Over the past few years our morning meals have got far more exciting as we've learned to play around with traditional breakfasts foods. No longer is milk just milk; there are now a million different incarnations to have in your coffee, on your cereal, or to bake with.

One of our current faves is new-to-the-UK Califia almond milk. It's made in the traditional way, by taking whole raw almonds, blanching them, grinding them and then soaking them in water which is as close to homemade as you could get! This means it's super fresh and really tasty too, it also has a thicker consistency making it the perfect creamy addition to coffee. Ahead, we've got three recipes showing you how to use it to create a healthy and delicious breakfast but first, let's make you a ginger latte to accompany your reading...

Chop yourself one teaspoon of stem ginger, add two teaspoons of the ginger syrup and a quarter of a teaspoon of ground cinnamon. Pour in 150ml of steaming hot, freshly brewed black coffee, stir and leave for a minute to infuse. In the meantime, heat 100ml of Califia unsweetened almond milk in a saucepan (almost to the boil). Take off the heat and froth the hot milk in the pan for a minute or two with a whisk (battery frothers work brilliantly). Strain the spiced coffee into a heatproof glass or cup and top with the frothy hot milk. Finish by sprinkling your drink with a little grated nutmeg, cinnamon or dark chocolate.

Nice.

Now you're settled with that, click through to find out how else you can use Califia to make yourself an excellent winter warmer breakfast.

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"I think we've pierced every nipple in Los Angeles by now — and then some," Brian Keith Thompson, celeb piercer and owner of Body Electric, told me on the phone yesterday. "It's definitely taken the septum’s place as the most popular piercing."

Thompson knows a thing or two about what's cool; after all, he's the piercer of choice for celebs like Beyoncé and Scarlett Johansson. But if you think that means the waitlist for his services must be miles long, think again. If you were to pop into his shop on Melrose Avenue tomorrow, there's a 50/50 chance you'd be sitting in his chair. That mix of A-list and local clientele makes him the guy to consult on West Coast industry trends, on which he has a lot to say — starting with the body.

"I think the nipple is very sought-after because it's the piercing you can share with only the people that you want, like your significant other; it’s totally concealable," he says. Right now, Thompson prefers just one nipple piercing for women, and two for men, but notes it's currently primarily a female-driven request. To make it feel fresh, pick the right jewellery: "I am doing a lot of my nipple piercings in gold and rose-gold barbells," he says. "It’s kind of elegant; it bumps up the sophistication." Oh, and before you commit, consider this: The healing time is between six to eight months.

The belly button piercing is once again gaining traction, too — but it got an update. "It's more petite, more delicate now. In the '90s, it was heavy, big, and bulky, but now I am piercing 99% with curved barbells, with gold and genuine stones," he says. "I'm excited to see it get more popular again; it got a bad rap for a while."

These two body trends, according to Thompson, are eclipsed only by the ear — and it's all about the conch in single, double, even quadruple piercings. Nose trends are also shifting: Multiple piercings are popular, as is the classic, single-nostril piercing with a simple hoop. That's in sharp contrast to last year's septum craze. "It's dramatically slowed down; I still have a lot of clients that are coming in and buying jewellery for the piercings we’ve already done — it’s still relevant — but sometimes I think that everyone who wanted it already got it," he jokes. "A year-and-a-half ago, we would do 12 to 15 septums every day; now we’re doing maybe four or five a week."

Of course, at the end of the day, it's all about what you like, he reminds us. "There are no rules when it comes to piercing. Whatever someone’s taste is, and whatever they're into, there's no good or bad way of doing it," he says.

To get the creative juices flowing, Thompson shared some of his recent work and more insight in what's happening in his L.A. shop. Rad new piercing combinations to try, ahead.

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Skincare experts have long advised us to steer clear of makeup wipes – they strip the skin and don't remove makeup thoroughly – but sometimes using them is unavoidable (after a big night, at a festival). And if you're a parent, baby wipes are likely a staple in your armoury against all manner of bodily fluids.

However, wipes are doing some serious damage to the environment, according to a new study. Water UK, which represents the country's main water and sewage companies, found that wipes make up a staggering 93% of the material blocking our sewers.

They're causing hundreds around 300,000 sewer blockages and costing us an eye-watering £100m each year, Water UK said – money that could otherwise go towards reducing our water bills or improving services.

Rae Stewart, Water UK's director of corporate affairs, said the findings highlight that we can all do something about the problem of blocked sewers. Simply put, we need to either stop putting them down the loo or refrain from using them completely.

He said: “There are things that water companies can do, such as improve education about what should and shouldn’t be flushed. There are things manufacturers can do, such as make labelling clearer on non-flushable products. And, of course, there are things individuals can do – which is bin the wipes rather than flush them.”

There's now even a campaign to remind people to only flush "the three Ps: pee, paper and poo." A useful, if grim, reminder of how to properly dispose of waste. Natalie Fee, from plastic pollution group City to Sea, which is behind the initiative, urged wipe manufactures to list plastic more prominently on their ingredients lists as it would make people less likely to flush them.

Remember when a giant fatberg the length of two football pitches was found blocking east London's sewage system earlier this year? At the time, many remarked on the sheer number of wipes, nappies and sanitary products that could be spotted among the congealed mass of fat.

If you're an avid makeup-wipe user and are looking to cut down, you could do a lot worse than cleansing the old-fashioned way, with a muslin cloth. Liz Earle's Hot Cloth Cleanser, Cleanse & Polish, is one of the most-lauded products on the market and a good place to start.

Using micellar water and biodegradable cotton pads is another way to make your bedtime beauty routine more environmentally friendly. Or you could can simply invest in some eco-friendly wipes (Yes To wipes are made with compostable fabric and cost about £3). The most high-end ones may cost a bit more, but at least the environmental brownie points will help you sleep better at night.

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A post shared by Nigella (@nigellalawson) on Oct 6, 2017 at 11:49pm PDT

For some people, it's not Christmas until the festive cookery specials start airing on TV. The cosy houses strewn with a hazardous number of candles. The "friends" enlisted to coo over the celebrity chef's quirky take on a Christmas dinner. The outlandish recipes we know we'll never attempt but like to pretend we might one day... eventually.

Yule kicked off last night for many BBC Two viewers thanks to Nigella’s Christmas special of At My Table. The hour-long show came complete with all the delicious clichés we've come to expect from our favourite celebrity chef – the enviable kitchen (which everyone knows isn't hers, but who really cares?), the coquettish sidelong glances to camera and even a trademark midnight fridge raid, complete with a red silken dressing gown.

Nothing like a midnight ice cream to start Christmas right. 🕛🌙🍦😋 #Nigella #AtMyTable pic.twitter.com/WfUDpYWQxA

— BBC Two (@BBCTwo) December 11, 2017

Watching Nigella, who's well-known for cooking and behaving as if every day is Christmas, in the company of Twitter was almost as amusing and satisfying as the show itself.

nigella popping into town for supplies #Nigella pic.twitter.com/Dhhqu7G4ws

— Matt Sheriff (@i71Sheriff) December 11, 2017

I mean... #nigella pic.twitter.com/oc2xdFa8zy

— Tom Miller (@onceuponatom) December 11, 2017

#Nigella - straight through the door and onto the vodka. She doesn't mess around! pic.twitter.com/DhpgAA2lp1

— James Ward (@jamesward01) December 11, 2017

On the menu were roast duck with orange, soy and ginger, parmesan mashed potato gratin, devilled eggs, sticky toffee pudding, chocolate pistachio meringue cookies and a Christmas martini. While the recipes were all characteristically decadent, viewers were particularly concerned about Nigella's liberal use of one ingredient: salt, with many claiming her guests' health was at risk. Cranberries, eggs and caramel were all sprinkled with alarming quantities of the stuff.

Nigella sprinkling the salt #Nigella pic.twitter.com/yuFBGW8EFw

— Matt Sheriff (@i71Sheriff) December 11, 2017

Steady on with the salt #Nigella
The roads need gritting tonight!

— Dominic (@yoswansrock) December 11, 2017

Blue planet 3 cancelled as #Nigella has used all the fucking salt in the sea

— Rob (@magic_goats) December 11, 2017

'#Nigella At My Table,' A Review: Salt, salt, salt, salt, salt, salt, salt and "a sprinkling of salt."

— Amanda (@LockwoodKT) December 11, 2017

#Nigella attempting to kill her guests with salt poisoning!

— Geraint (@_fueled_by_tea) December 11, 2017

OK. Loving Nigella this series. But can we talk about how much salt she’s adding to everything? pic.twitter.com/0FO6LXqj5O

— David Gregory-Kumar (@DrDavidGK) December 12, 2017

Some were concerned about the menu for other reasons...

Sprouts and devilled egg's? Going to be a windy Christmas round Nige's #nigella

— Chris Durning (@rtisantraveller) December 11, 2017

Others were more amused by Nigella's fascination with fairy lights, which admittedly was weird considering how au fait she must be with them at this point, and her typically flamboyant language.

Find you a man who looks at you the way Nigella looks at fairy Christmas lights #NigellasChristmasTable #nigella pic.twitter.com/PxXcMC6awU

— Tweet_Dec The Halls🎄 (@Tweet_Dec) December 11, 2017

God bless #Nigella looking at those Christmas lights. She was on a different planet there. pic.twitter.com/5XzSyCNcoT

— Lady Laura (@LawaLaura) December 11, 2017

Yes.....you heard her! Describing crispy duck skin, she did say 'quackling'.#Nigella

— Denis Spillane (@spillaneda) December 11, 2017

Some people just seemed rather turned on by the whole experience.

I know everyone complains about noises on cookery shows but #nigella peeling that orange was fucking sexual

— 🎄Rachel Christmas Dai-ley🎄 (@RachelCDailey) December 11, 2017

We're already counting down the days until next year's special.

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Dear Theresa May & Justine Greening,

On Wednesday 20th December, from 5-8pm, you will not fail to notice a crowd gather opposite Downing Street. You will see hundreds of people, of all genders, races and ages, stand together, wearing red, waving banners, and demanding change.

We will be there because it is time to end period poverty. This is the #FreePeriods movement, and we invite you to be a part of it.

My name is Amika George and I’m an 18-year-old A-level student from London. I started the #FreePeriods campaign from my bedroom in April after reading about the plight of children across the UK who cannot afford menstrual products when they have their period. These children can be as young as 10. They miss school every month because they cannot face the embarrassment, shame and fear of going to their lesson using socks stuffed with tissues or old, torn clothes to catch their period blood. These are children whose parents face a daily struggle to feed them let alone afford menstrual products, which are considered an unattainable luxury. Sadly, the stigma surrounding periods means they suffer alone and in silence.

Although eradicating the taboo is a mammoth task which can take generations to dispel, your government can consign period poverty to history by taking immediate, legislative action. We ask that you address the needs of these children without delay. By providing free menstrual products for all children already on Free School Meals, you will be ensuring that they can continue their education without interruption, with dignity and in confidence so that they can achieve their goals without impediments.

We have calculated an estimate of what this would cost, which you can see on our website, #FreePeriods. For a relatively small amount of funding, you can transform the lives of children who live in crippling, abject poverty, who will struggle to escape its clutches unless they can better their lives through education.

The recent Budget was hugely disappointing – it failed to address period poverty, despite unwavering cross-party support and the efforts of passionate campaigners working tirelessly to elicit change. Periods are not a choice, and menstrual products should NEVER be a luxury for any child. Indeed, we believe that access to menstrual products is a fundamental human right.

Our protest will be peaceful, and we will stand united in solidarity on behalf of every one of these children who feels voiceless and powerless. More than 80,000 people have added their name to the #FreePeriods petition, asking your government to make a statutory pledge to end period poverty by providing all children receiving free school meals with free menstrual products. We are hopeful that you will listen.

Best wishes,
Amika and the #FreePeriods campaigners

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It’s a fertility clinic, but I’m not here to be fertilised. I’m here because I’ll be 35 in 42 days, a real adult by any normal person’s standards. Though I couldn’t feel farther from it because, in my mind, real adulthood has always been defined by the transition from child to parent, and that’s certainly not happening to me any time soon.

I’m here to freeze my eggs.

A matching man and woman in navy blue peacoats sit across from me. Their spines are pulled straight, like a string is holding them upright. The two peacoats smile at me and I feel naked, suddenly spotted, foolish and alone, lacking in the simple elements of life that everyone else in the world has easily and neatly made regular. Yet I don’t hate being alone. I kind of love it, and I’m convinced this is the biggest factor keeping me single. Being alone is the only time I ever really feel like myself, free from other people’s expectations. I don’t fear solitude. Sometimes I fear what I’ll become without it.

I flash back to my walk over, stomping down 23rd Street, when I felt like a woman in charge. A woman who had made up her mind to take her fertility into her own hands. A woman with a good enough job to have that option. A woman who doesn’t want to be bothered with other people’s needs right now because she’s finally learning to listen to her own, yet deep down she knows that if anyone tries to get in her way, she’ll let them, like she’s done so many times before. She’ll slide into their world and forget what it was she wanted — because their needs and dreams will be clear in that way that men’s needs so often are — and she’ll make them happy, because what makes other people happy is often so much easier to understand.

The manicured woman behind the desk, with the thick, penny-coloured hair and glossy plum lipstick, makes me feel like the opposite of a woman in charge. Her clothes look brand new, perfectly matched like what you’d see on a magazine cutout of a woman with a shiny diamond on her left hand. As if a light has been switched on, I notice the frizz of my hair, everywhere now; the sloppiness of my pilling, stained sweatshirt; my big, dirty sneakers, unfit for a 4-year-old, let alone a 34-year-old.

Surely this magazine woman won’t have to freeze her eggs, I think.

The act of giving her my last, then first name, then birthday — mumbling the year so the other patients don’t hear — feels like my declaration of failure as a woman. The irony punches the pit of my stomach as I realise my fancy job and good friends and fierce independence, things I spent decades fighting for, are rendered useless in this space. The one job my body was “made” for, the simple act of finding a partner and bearing a child, has slipped through the cracks. I think about this from the dark, honest corners of my mind, and then hate myself for thinking it and then hate myself for hating myself. I close my eyes for a few seconds to make it all stop.

The purple-lipped woman writes my name, and I wonder, like I always do, what it’s like to live in another person’s body; to inhabit their mind while retaining some level of your own consciousness to understand how it compares. Do other people, the ones who laugh easily and talk like they're scripted, feel like failures some of the time? Of course they do, my mom would tell me, curled up in her bathrobe at the foot of my bed. Everyone does.

I visit my mom often between the hustle of our working days. We don’t do much of anything but seep in each other’s company to remind one another that it’s possible to be with another person and still feel like ourselves.

Life is a performance for a certain kind of woman. For the kind, hardworking woman who thinks the best version of herself is making other people happy. We slip into other people’s reflections like ghosts, millions of times in a single day, inhabiting their fears and dreams, bouncing around in their jokes, cringing at their horror, making them feel seen and heard. Until finally we’re left alone at the end of the day to sit in the fragments of our own reflection, and all we can do is hope that in the short hours before the next morning we can remember who we are.

"I never set out to have kids," my mom says, holding her steaming mug of tea with both hands against her cheek. "I never knew if I wanted them. It just kind of happened." She’s trying to reassure me that no one really knows what they’re doing, but I can’t help but wonder why it never just kind of happened to me.

My mom teaches kindergarten in Queens. I visit her class to help with the boxes and papers and books, and she’s surprised at how much I smile around kids because, by all accounts, I am not a kid person: I don’t fawn over photos of cute children; I hate holding babies; caretaking is not my thing.

But it’s always little girls, fierce and spunky little girls, who do this to me; who make me smile uncontrollably. It’s not because I want them as my own — the thought of catering to a tiny creature’s needs when I’m just starting to understand my own still makes my stomach twist. I envy them: the girl with the wild hair and dirty knees; the one who tells the boy sitting too close to get away so she has room to draw her purple monkey; and the one who tells me, without hesitation, that when she grows up she wants to be president. I envy them, and I’m grateful that energy like theirs exists.

The woman takes my papers, hands me my insurance card with her diamond hand. I take a seat in the empty room, grabbing a Time magazine to signify, if nothing else, that at least I am a person interested in the news. “Billing” is a small man who talks for what feels like an hour, but by the end I know nothing at all. When I ask how much I’ll have to pay for this initial consultation, he sighs audibly and tells me it will be a few hundred dollars. When my jaw drops, he mentions the process would be cheaper if my eggs were fertilized (i.e., if a man were doing this with me).

The taxes of being single, I think. It starts with the rent. Twice as much as our coupled-up counterparts without a person anticipating, caring, even knowing whether or not we’ll come home. This is fine: We learn to be our own support. We know there’s a difference between loneliness and being alone. But then there’s leaving the house, which singles have to do far more often to fend off the nagging pressure to be what society deems “complete.” We endure the cold to buy beers we strain to finish, as strangers tell their stories and we listen, desperate for a thread of intimacy to make the ride over worth it.

I’m brought into the doctor’s office, which is far bigger than my entire studio apartment and has almost nothing of medical relevance in it. Mostly, it’s a place to display photos of the doctor’s perfect-looking wife and even more perfect-looking kids. I do notice a poster of the female reproductive system in the corner, with a glossy, white male doctor explaining it.

Growing up, the posters on my walls were always men. The women in the spotlight at the time were the agreeable Rachel-esque sidekicks, goofy Cameron Diaz-types, sexy Britney Spears. Those women didn’t interest me, so I lined my walls with athletes: Mark Grace and Ryne Sandberg, Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen. Characters from action movies, like Harrison Ford and Keanu Reeves, heroes and problem-solvers. The role models I knew.

When puberty came, I learned in the chatty hallways of my small suburban middle school that if something wasn’t sexual, it wasn’t acceptable. I didn’t want to sleep with the men on my walls, I just wanted to be them. So I replaced my piles of baseball cards with stacks of Teen Magazine and YM, covers telling me the ten million ways to get a man. How to look and laugh and dress and smile. If I couldn’t be the men on my walls, I would at least please them.

I still have no idea how to matter, or what I want from life.

I imagine I can see judgments about my hair and my backpack and my dirty old shoes scroll behind his white toothy smile like a scene from The Matrix. I imagine him thinking, No wonder she has to pay me for more time.

“Being a woman is hard,” he begins, once he’s settled into his leather chair. “You have to make decisions quickly, and that will make you feel like you don’t have control.”

I nod and laugh a little but not too much, because while it’s ridiculous that he feels the need to tell me, I also agree. He has PowerPoint slides to back himself up. He continues like this, and I nod, excessively. I don’t understand why he’s doing this, why he’s telling me how hard it is for women like me when I’m the one paying hundreds of dollars to sit in this miserable wooden chair and listen to him. I’m embarrassed for him, so I try to look extra eager and interested: I lean forward, make direct eye contact, make sure he feels heard as he explains my needs to me, because making men comfortable is annoyingly reflexive. I forget what I want to say or ask because I’m distracted by the challenge of responding to his pushy presentation in a way that makes our situation feel more normal.

Every time I do have a question, I feel like I’m interrupting his speech, and I apologise before I ask it. I’m old and aware enough to hate that I do it, but it’s instinctual. He offers me countless reasons why women should freeze their eggs, and they all make sense.

Some people hate the childless. They think we’re selfish, that we lack concern for other people; that our lives are big empty holes with no real purpose or meaning. Personally, I find children to be a kind of lazy path to purpose. It’s so paved. The others — art, justice, impact at scale — seem way more exciting to me; terrifying, in their unreliability, but exciting nonetheless. They require you, yourself, to actually figure out how to matter.

I still have no idea how to matter, or what I want from life. Maybe it’s kids, but I’m not ready to assume that. I’m afraid if I do, I’ll never really know. But every year I get closer, sand down another layer of expectation, dig toward a real self. I know she’s in there. I just need more time.

After the 20th slide or so, I’m caught off-guard when, finally, he asks me a question. “Do you want kids?”

I laugh again. I have no idea what he’s asking. When all you’ve ever wanted is what other people want for you, it’s a tricky thing to figure out. When you spend your entire life assuming you’ll grow up to have kids, complete the grand finale of your gender, and then find yourself unable to perform, it’s easy to feel like a failure. I’d love to not feel that way. But that’s not what he asked me.

I should do what I want, not what people expect, he tells me. I try and imagine what it’s like to inhabit the mind and body of someone who knows the difference between the two.

He leaves for a moment and I wait for him, naked under a robe on the exam room chair. I have never had a male gynaecologist, and the force of his hands as he shoves his equipment in my vagina makes me feel like a giant lump of flesh. A sonogram appears on a screen, and I tilt my head 90 degrees to see it: It’s a shaky, black-and-white image, like the kind I’ve seen a million couples smile at on TV as they hold each other’s hands and watch a heartbeat together. Today, though, it’s just my ovaries, my follicles, no life other than my own.

Later, the room is ice as I step into my underwear, put on my clothes, and head back out to the waiting room. I don’t realise the full extent of my loneliness until I find myself swiping Tinder. I hate Tinder, the gamification of human insecurity, but I’ve been on it for years. I swipe every now and then when I’m particularly craving human contact, like before bed. Never during the day. Swiping during the day feels like drinking in the morning; it’s a bad sign. Swiping in the middle of an empty midtown egg-freezing clinic feels even worse, like modern independent womanhood has been playing a practical joke on me my entire life and, now, I’m living in its punchline.

“Emily?” A woman in a suit hands me her card. “Call me to talk about your next steps.”

“Can we talk about them now?” I ask. I took the day off for this appointment, and still I don’t fully understand how it’s supposed to work.

“No,” she says. “I’m busy now.”

Four hours from the time I left, I’m back home in my apartment. I feel like the grossest version of myself — all wrong because right has been abstracted to the point of obscurity, an invisible target. I order greasy Chinese takeout that could feed a family because I know that trying to do anything remotely healthy or productive will only make my grossness that much more acute, so I submit, crawl in bed with a carton of fried rice, and sink deeper.

I don’t yet know that in two months I will go through the whole consultation again, with a new doctor because when I think of calling the woman about my Next Steps, I’ll freeze. I won’t want to imagine that beautiful pushy man in control of my life and my ability to create more of it — a power I didn’t ask for and still don’t know that I want, though I am pretty sure I don’t want it taken away.

I’ll go to another doctor, a man, still, because the choices are slim, but a kinder and more thoughtful man. He’ll explain that the dosage the first doctor would have prescribed would have put me at severe risk because I have something called Polycystic Ovary Syndrome, which will explain so much about my body and my mind — why I never get my period; why I’m always slightly depressed; why my hair is so painfully thin. I’ll learn this 10 days after my 35th birthday, and he’ll know because he’ll have taken the first 20 minutes of our time together to ask me questions.

I’ll go through the egg-freezing treatment, pumped with hormones each day, and feel like a living balloon, completely empty inside and so bloated I can barely move, but the procedure will give me the chance of maybe, one day, having a child, the act that gives so many people a sense of true purpose and meaning. Yet through the growing of eggs in my body and the sacrifices I’ll make just in those short 10 days — unable to work or write, run or travel, all the things that I’m learning bring me real joy — I will realise, when I’m completely alone, staring back at my own reflection, that I’m just not sure that’s the purpose I want.

I need more time.

A version of this essay originally appeared on Catapult.

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End-of-year roundups are cool, but arguably even more interesting are the trends we've got to look forward to – which is where Pinterest 100 comes in. Our favourite virtual pin-boarding site has compiled a global forecast of the biggest crazes in fashion, food, home decor, travel and more coming next year, and we're eager to get stuck in.

The list, compiled based on the percentage rise in saves for Pins within the past year, provides a riveting insight into the crazes that will no doubt be taking over Instagram and lifestyle publications in 2018. Here's a taste of what you can expect.

Food and drink

North African spices, such as cumin, coriander and cardamom, will be flavouring our food and tantalising our tastebuds next year, with Pinterest saves for “Moroccan” up by 2,579%. Other than that, and the continuing dominance of hot sauce, specifically Korean condiments, 2018's most hyped-up food is predicted to be very much in keeping with the #cleaneating trend.

"Air frying" (frying without oil) is in the ascendant – the technique allows you to make some mean drive-thru-quality fries, apparently – as is vegan protein, with searches for "plant proteins" like lentils, hemp and quinoa continuing to rise, as well as vegan desserts. "Super" coffee (adding protein and superfood powders to your morning brew), soup and snap peas will also be making us feel smug af in 2018.

Home

Our home decor choices will be getting bolder in the new year, if Pinterest's report is anything to go by. Wall art will be bigger – think large posters and blown-up works of art and photography – with the number of "big wall art" pins saved up by 637%. "Statement ceilings" (a bold paint job or striking wallpaper that's different from the walls) will be big news, along with patterned plants. No more plain green foliage – bring on the flashes of colour.

Travel

Pinterest is ripe with 2018 holiday inspiration and apparently river cruising will be the next big thing. Travellers are swapping sea cruises for the natural scenery of a more sedate riverboat cruise through places like Vietnam, Germany and Egypt (saves for “river cruises” are up by a substantial 346%). Desert escapes in places like Morocco, Dubai, the Atacama Desert and Joshua Tree National Park look set to be all the rage, and more of us will be seeking an "authentic" experience from our holidays. We'll be shunning big-name tourist hotspots in favour of living like a local.

While we're travelling, more of us will be documenting the experience in our travel log, according to Pinterest, adding creative touches like watercolours, washi tape and calligraphy to our IRL journals. How quaint.

Women's fashion

Lots of 2017 trends will be staying put next year: Big statement earrings are a big one, with Pinterest saves up by a jaw-dropping 1,809% on this time last year. Berets, wide-legged trousers and logos will also be sticking around, along with embellished detailing on our shoes (studs, pearls and bold buckles) and slits in our clothes.

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Every year, The Black List compiles a list of scripts that come recommended by film executives. Specifically, the scripts have to either be written in or associated with the current year, and not have begun principal photography during it. According to the document, 2017's list is compiled from suggestions of over 275 film execs, each of whom submitted up to ten of their favorite scripts. Basically, it's a list of scripts that desperately need to be made into movies, and while all 76 look like they would make great blockbusters, there are eight in particular that are really getting us excited.

Let Her Speak by Mario Correa received a total of 42 recommendations, and tells the true story of Senator Wendy Davis who filibustered for 24 hours to save abortion clinics in Texas in 2013. It's been announced that Sandra Bullock will be playing the role of the senator.

There are also some true stories that are up for adaptation. This J.K. Rowling biopic by Anna Klassen, When Lightening Strikes, coming in at 20 recommendations, or The Fifth Nixon by Sharon Hoffman, which tells the story of Watergate through the eyes of his secretary, Rose Mary Woods, or Call Jane by Hayley Schore and Roshan Sethi, which takes place in Chicago when an underground group of women performed safe but illegal abortions in the 1960s.

There are some inspiring coming-of-age tales, like The Other Lamb by Catherine McMullen, about a girl growing up in an alternative religion, or Queen Elizabeth by Shatara Michelle Ford about an "uptight, high-achieving, Black post-grad" who realizes her life isn't what she wanted.

And then there are the ones that look absolutely bonkers. Breaking News In Yuba County by Amanda Idoko tells the story of a woman whose husband dies after she catches him cheating, so she buries his body and soaks up the attention of being a wife with a missing husband. The Grownup by Natalie Krinsky is adapted from Gillian Flynn's novel of the same name about a con woman hired to banish an evil spirit from the house of wealthy woman. And, finally, Jihotties by Molly Prather, about two women who literally "catfish ISIS."

There's not a single one of these I wouldn't see on opening weekend. Hollywood, chop chop.

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The Southern California wildfires are now so expansive that you can see them from the space. Travel + Leisure reported that NASA data visualisation and cartography lead Joshua Stevens has posted a satellite photo of the fires from space, which shows just how far they have spread.

The devastating fires have destroyed an area larger than New York City and Boston combined, according to CNN, and the Santa Ana winds have been making them worse. The Thomas Fire, which started in Ventura County and is currently moving across Santa Barbara County, is the largest one at 234,000 acres. It's the fifth-largest fire in the modern history of California.

Why the SoCal Fires are So Fierce, Q&A with @avoiland and a @NASAJPL scientist studying wildland fires: https://t.co/XYWo8TbtDS #ThomasFire pic.twitter.com/IRavNPMNuA

— Joshua Stevens (@jscarto) December 11, 2017

The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, or Cal Fire, said at least 95,000 people have evacuated so far as a result of the fires. Cal Fire said about 25,000 homes have been threatened by five wildfires and over 1,000 structures have been destroyed. Nearly 9,000 firefighters, including many from states outside California, have tackled the blazes. Only about 20% of the Thomas Fire has been contained as of Tuesday morning, according to CNN.

Last week, new NOAA/NASA nighttime satellite photos were released of the wildfires spreading.

Nighttime satellite imagery clearly highlights the explosive growth of the #ThomasFire in #SoCal (comparison from the night before). Latest estimates have it at 31,000 acres. #CAFire #cawx pic.twitter.com/BcZ6P62USD

— NWS Sacramento (@NWSSacramento) December 5, 2017

If you want to help those who have been affected by the fires, you can choose from several organisations that are taking donations of money and supplies. Check out our guide here.

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“One half of the world cannot understand the pleasures of the other”, wrote Jane Austen in Emma. Fittingly, that is the premise of episode two of Sky Arts' Passion series entitled I Hate Jane Austen.

Writer and food critic Giles Coren is the ‘I’ here, and Coren can’t get his head around why over 200 years after her death, readers and moviegoers are still so taken with Austen and her novels.

His dislike, he explains, began in school, where he holds Austen personally responsible for ruining one of his summers. Reading Jane Austen deprived him of opportunities for “partying and shagging”, but Coren’s premier objection is that Austen’s books, characters and themes are all too trifling for him. He classes her as "an average chick-lit writer of her day”, who doesn’t hold a candle to his personal literary heroes, Shakespeare and Henry Miller.

Of course Coren, who has been known to court a little controversy from time to time, says this all while doing his best to come across as the twinkly-eyed class clown in school who you can’t help but love.

His particular charm fails to work on author Joanna Trollope (who penned a reworking of Sense and Sensibility in 2013). In fact, she is totally unmoved by Coren’s limited understanding of Austen’s books, asking him at one point, “Do you know what ‘sensibility’ means?”

As it turns out, he doesn't.

Trollope succinctly dismisses his assumption that Austen is too “girly” and light, arguing instead that she is sinewy, tough and capable of brilliantly conveying the subtlety of human interaction.

Trollope also points out, in her cut-glass accent, that we should give Austen credit for correctly identifying that romantic love, money and class would continue to preoccupy the writers who followed her for centuries. Yet Coren holds firm that Austen's themes are trivial.

Author Marian Keyes has spoken about this. She believes we should stop using the term 'chick-lit' altogether. Speaking at the Hay Festival in 2015, Keyes said: "It’s simple fact that one way of keeping women shut up is to call the things they love ‘fluff’. It’s a device. And I think people probably aren’t even aware that’s what’s going on, but it’s absolutely innate in our society that anything pertaining to women will be treated with less respect and given disrespectful names.”

It’s simple fact that one way of keeping women shut up is to call the things they love ‘fluff’

She continued: “It’s definitely a pejorative term. I’m going to quote Gandhi here: ‘First they ignore you, then they mock you, then they fight you’."

In I Hate Jane Austen Coren definitely has a go at mockery. He is seen sniffing at the myriad of Austen merch and sneers over a Regency ball held by Austen fans. When getting dressed up in full Mr Darcy regalia ahead of the ball, he addresses himself in the mirror, saying that if he were to be a character in one of Austen's novels, he'd be the bad boy. Later he meets some men at the ball, neither of whom have ever read any Austen, and concludes they are right to prefer ‘proper honest novels by blokes’.

Though Coren chooses to ignore many of them, the hour-long show contains genuine insights into Austen and her legacy. The good-humoured director of Bride and Prejudice, Gurinder Chadha draws Coren's attention to how Austen shone a light on ordinary women's lives, and the barriers they existed within. Elizabeth Bennet’s love of stomping across fields seems petty to him, but Chadha points out this is a symbol of women's need for freedom.

In a pertinent moment, when Coren is invited to a reading with the Jane Austen Society of Pakistan, one woman spells it out for him. “ Pride and Prejudice may be period drama to contemporary people living in London but to me it was a roadmap”, she explains.

It’s a vital point. For many women (and men) around the world, the issues in Jane Austen’s 19th-century England – class, status, the obsession with appearance, marriage, money and snobbery – still resonate, even if they don’t seem important to a privileged white man in London.

As a presenter, Coren isn’t unlikeable, and he knows exactly which feathers he's ruffling, but for someone who positions himself as anti-fluff in literature, there is much in I Hate Jane Austen that should have ended up on the cutting room floor. He tells us he doesn’t like dancing several times, and in one scene we watch Coren take an Austen-themed BuzzFeed quiz in real time. He complains that Austen wrote the same book over and over, yet the viewer is supposed to never tire of Coren’s mischievous lad act.

Time-wasting and waffle aside, I Hate Jane Austen has some timely reminders of Austen’s subtlety, innovation, nuance and wit. In Pride and Prejudice, Mr Darcy learned a lesson from being too up himself – there may be hope for Coren, too.

Passions S2 continues on Sky Arts, Tuesdays, 9pm

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At just 18 years old, writer and director Atheena Frizzell is already working to make film a more inclusive medium for women by showcasing the issues that impact them most. Her new short, Better Late Than Never, gives a darkly comic look at the struggles faced by young girls growing up in deeply religious homes — above all, the immense tensions surrounding teen pregnancy and abortion. While we won't spoil the climactic, sadly hilarious ending, we will say that the lengths to which Marie, Frizzell's main character, goes to explain a potential high-school pregnancy truly underscore the urgency of changing the often caustic tone of women's rights debates.

"The plot of the film was not inspired by any one event in particular, but rather an accumulation of my interests at the time," Frizzell explains. "Girlhood, religion, and how the two intertwine has always fascinated me." And though Frizzell wasn't raised in a devout household herself (her mom is actress Augustine Frizzell, by the way), her film is nevertheless inflected by the stories of the kids she knew growing up. "I was homeschooled, which means I spent a lot of time around kids who were homeschooled because of their religious affiliation," she says. "Additionally, I am always eager to desensitize menstruation. I think I’ve seen three maxi pads on screen in my life, if that!"

It's clear that the goal of Frizzell's provocative movie is to enrich the diversity of narratives featured on the big screen, especially those created for female actors. "Filmmaking is freeing in this sense; there's magic in the realization that you have the power to put whatever you want to see on screen. There are so many stories to be told."

Press play above to catch all of Better Late Than Never. If you're anything like us, you won't know whether to laugh or shed an empathetic little tear.

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Sarah Michelle Gellar is reviving her role of the biting and cunning Kathryn Merteuil, and she has a message for everyone going to see Cruel Intentions: The '90s Musical Experience.

The actress is bringing back one of her most iconic characters to tell people to silence their cell phones before watching the Off-Broadway musical of the 1999 teen classic, reports Entertainment Weekly.

In the recorded pre-show announcement, shared exclusively on PEOPLE, Gellar falls right back into character as the elitist, Upper East Sider resolute on ruling her prep school alongside her brother Sebastian Valmont, played by Ryan Phillippe. "It's not that difficult, morons," she snips as she asks – nay, demands – that the audience silence their cell phones before the start of the show. "Take out that second-rate phone and hit the silent button."

For those coming from out of town to see Cruel Intentions at (le) Poisson Rouge in New York City, Gellar has a special message. "For all of you tourists out there who think it'll be swell to take a photo or video of the show and bring it home to bum f— nowhere? Well guess what — that’s not permitted either," Gellar adds. "Please obey or I will cyber-shame you into oblivion."

The show sounds like a must-see for anyone who loves a good '90s throwback. The musical brings together the hit film and some of the top songs from the decade including "Just a Girl" by No Doubt, "Genie in a Bottle" by Christina Aguilera, 'NYSNC's "Bye Bye Bye," and "Bittersweet Symphony" by the Verve, just to name a few. Basically, it's all of your favourite songs from your '90s playlist.

The show debuted in 2015 in Los Angeles where original cast members including Gellar, Reese Witherspoon, and Selma Blair all came to see it.

And what would a biting speech from Kathryn Merteuil be without one of her most memorable lines? Gellar ends the message by saying, "Happy hunting...and enjoy the show!"

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The country anxiously monitored the Alabama special election on Tuesday night, which determined whether Democrat Doug Jones or Republican Roy Moore would fill Attorney General Jeff Sessions' empty senate seat. Despite Moore receiving support from President Donald Trump and former White House chief strategist Steve Bannon, Jones was victorious, winning 49.5% of the vote.

The election attracted much attention due to the multiple women who came forward accusing Moore of sexual misconduct, one of whom said she was 14 at the time of an alleged assault. In addition to these allegations, Moore has also been criticised for racist and homophobic comments.

A triumphant Jones beamed as he addressed a cheering audience Tuesday night, celebrating his victory and his 25th wedding anniversary.

"I am truly, truly overwhelmed. I always believed that the people of Alabama have more in common than what divides us...We have shown the country the way that we can be unified," he said. Later, he added, "This campaign has been about common courtesy and decency."

The internet erupted with opinions on the results, but it was Trump's reaction that people anticipated most. Surprisingly, the president refrained from name calling and using all caps.

"Congratulations to Doug Jones on a hard fought victory," he wrote. "The write-in votes played a very big factor, but a win is a win. The people of Alabama are great. And the Republicans will have another shot at this seat in a very short period of time. It never ends!"

Congratulations to Doug Jones on a hard fought victory. The write-in votes played a very big factor, but a win is a win. The people of Alabama are great, and the Republicans will have another shot at this seat in a very short period of time. It never ends!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 13, 2017

For some, like Senator Elizabeth Warren, Jones' win sent a clear message that Americans are rejecting bigotry and are starting to take allegations of sexual assault and harassment more seriously.

Tonight Alabama is sending a powerful message across the country. The American people will fight back against bigotry, hate &, yes, pedophilia – & reject a man totally unfit to serve in the US Senate. Republican, Democrat, Independent – on this, there will be no compromise.

— Elizabeth Warren (@elizabethforma) December 13, 2017

What a difference a year makes... feels good to not be sending a known sexual predator to DC for once... #AlabamaSenateElection #DougJones

— Cyrus McQueen (@CyrusMMcQueen) December 13, 2017

The freed black vote freed Alabama from international shame and disgrace tonight by electing #DougJones. It's a victory for health care, wages, education, women and children's rights. #AlabamaSenateElection pic.twitter.com/7BwGNLNVAH

— Rev Jesse Jackson Sr (@RevJJackson) December 13, 2017

Tonight, Alabama voters elected a senator who'll make them proud.

And if Democrats can win in Alabama, we can -- and must -- compete everywhere.

Onward!

— Hillary Clinton (@HillaryClinton) December 13, 2017

Doug Jones. Thank you, Alabama. You’ve elected a man of incredible integrity, grit, and character. A fighter for working class and middle class Alabamians. He is going to make you proud in the Senate.

— Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) December 13, 2017

#WhenWeFightWeWin, Indivisibles. The Alabama Senate race was called for progressive Democrat @GDouglasJones. By electing Doug Jones, Alabama rejected Roy Moore’s anti-woman, anti-Muslim, anti-immigrant, Trump-backed, hate-filled agenda.

— Indivisible Guide (@IndivisibleTeam) December 13, 2017

Others, like Meghan McCain, took the opportunity to drag Steve Bannon.

Suck it, Bannon

— Meghan McCain (@MeghanMcCain) December 13, 2017

Shouts to Steve Bannon, MASTER STRATEGIST, who managed to lose a Republican election in fucking Alabama. pic.twitter.com/fWT4AhFzGW

— shauna (@goldengateblond) December 13, 2017

I'd like to extend my congratulations to Steve Bannon for masterfully humiliating himself, the Republican Party, AND Donald Trump — all in defense of a child molester. That takes talent. #AlabamaSenateElection pic.twitter.com/JG8I31vHHA

— Caroline O. (@RVAwonk) December 13, 2017

Trump and Bannon are truly miracle workers—the put a Democrat into the Senate from Alabama!

— Garry Kasparov (@Kasparov63) December 13, 2017

So many folks to whom gratitude is owed.
Black women for turning out to vote.
Black voters for overcoming obstacles.
People who voted their conscience.
Journalists and victims who talked.
Doug Jones for running.
And Steve Bannon for managing Roy Moore’s campaign.

— Paul Musgrave (@profmusgrave) December 13, 2017

the biggest loser in Alabama tonight is the man spending the evening in the Hampton’s, Steve Bannon.

— Katty Kay (@KattyKayBBC) December 13, 2017

biggest loser gotta be steve bannon. now his signature "i'm wearing every shirt I packed because I don't want to pay baggage fees" look will never catch on

— Desus Nice (@desusnice) December 13, 2017

Some celebrated the first major win for Sir Charles Barkley, who campaigned on behalf of Jones. Of course, there were the inevitable, "OMG, we agree with Barkley?" comments.

Friend texts: "Charles Barkley finally won a championship."

— Chris Hayes (@chrislhayes) December 13, 2017

That point where you’re shocked to find yourself nodding along with Charles Barkley’s commentary.

— jelani cobb (@jelani9) December 13, 2017

Only in 2017 does Charles Barkley serving as a political analyst of a special election seem pretty normal

— Jen Psaki (@jrpsaki) December 13, 2017

Hi from Doug Jones' election night party turned dance party, where Hey Ya is playing and Charles Barkley is making the rounds to every TV camera. #ALSEN

— Alexis Levinson (@alexis_levinson) December 13, 2017

Asked by CNN what the message was for Trump in the Doug Jones victory, Charles Barkley passed (not his natural state). Instead, he told Dems to get off their asses. Buzzer beater.

— Art Thiel (@Art_Thiel) December 13, 2017

"It's time for Democrats to get off their asses... this is a wake up call for Democrats to do better for black people & poor white people."

Vote Charles Barkley 2020.

— Nick Jack Pappas (@Pappiness) December 13, 2017

It’s an inspiring story, that if we work hard, come together, and get Charles Barkley, we can barely keep a known pedophile from deciding our laws

— Zack Bornstein (@ZackBornstein) December 13, 2017

What a night.

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Sunday, 11.15am, BBC Radio 4 app, the reassuring sound of "By The Sleepy Lagoon" – the opening score to Desert Island Discs. First aired in 1942, Desert Island Discs was an idea the broadcaster Roy Plomley had in his pyjamas one day. It’s a 45-minute programme with one presenter interviewing one famous person about their life and work within the format of a story, and the story is the same every time, every Sunday for 75 years, the same story, but it never gets boring. It goes that the famous person is stranded on a desert island, and they can take with them eight songs – which are played live in the studio in front of the person to evoke a real emotion – a book, and an inanimate luxury item. The castaway is also given the Bible or an equivalent text, and the complete works of Shakespeare.

Since 2006, the presenter has been the journalist Kirsty Young, and she has her interview technique well and truly down, moving her subjects seamlessly from very difficult, personal stories about their lives, to witty anecdotes related to one of their chosen tracks. Young’s predecessor, Sue Lawley, lasted a whopping 18 years and described the job as “one of the best in broadcasting.” Though the show runs every single Sunday, the prestige of being a guest on Desert Island Discs never abates; it is always considered an honour – a lifetime achievement – even for the already very famous. The interview has also proved to be a career-defining moment for many guests, who reveal things to Kirsty that they’ve never revealed in public before.

Choosing 10 from all the amazing women who have featured on the show was difficult, and this is by no means an exhaustive list, but these are the 10 that affected me the most. Listening back to these women’s interviews over the last few days, I realised the one thing that unites them as women in the public eye, is that they have all experienced difficulty in their lives. Some of them grew up isolated and lonely, some of them had very tough home lives, some of them experienced illness, divorce and loss. It’s clear that all of them learned to be who they are, it was never just given to them.

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Welcome to Money Diaries, where we're tackling what might be the last taboo facing modern working women: money. We're asking a cross-section of women how they spend their hard-earned money during a seven-day period – and we're tracking every last penny.

This week we're with a comedian who makes her living doing that and lots of different bits and bobs, and is currently doing something to do with freelance social media on the side. She lives in London, always takes too much on, and is consistently chasing invoices. Sometimes she says she is very good with money and then sometimes, like last month, she drunk-bought £200 of expensive moisturiser.

Industry: Writer/comedian
Age: 29
Location: London
Salary: £35,000
Paycheque amount per month: I don't ever get paid on time, literally ever. It's usually between £1,500-£3,500. This month it's £250 because everybody decided to pay me late.
Number of housemates: 2

Monthly Expenses

Housing costs: £579 for rent and council tax (I am living in my sister's flat and the landlord doesn't know)
Loan payments: £0 (I haven't paid my student loan in ages OOPS)
Utilities: £50 covers water, electricity and gas
Transportation: £250 a month
Phone bill: £27
Savings? HAHAHAHAHAHA
Other: I put 20% of my earnings in a tax account which I use to pay, er, tax. It's the most sensible thing I do and would recommend it to all freelancers. I also pay £150 a month to my dad, because he paid for my MA which was £10k. I also pay £65 a week to a therapist because I have anxiety issues.

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2017 has proved an exciting and eventful year for beauty, for fans and industry players alike.

It was the year we embraced vegan products, weighed up the benefits of both synthetic and natural ingredients, and reached for the scissors to crop our hair. Blonde in all its shades – from cream soda to champagne – reigned supreme, as did sparkly, shimmery makeup.

We’ve had long-anticipated UK launches, bricks-and-mortar store openings, and landmark government bans, but while there’s been more diversity in campaigns and makeup ranges, the media has at times struggled to keep up, being called out for conspicuously altering images of women’s natural beauty.

This year was a thrilling one for all things skincare, makeup and hair – let's hope 2018 brings more diversity and representation, more creative techniques, and more innovative launches.

Click through to see our beauty highlights of the year.

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Wedding season may be spring through summer, but you'll often find the best venues and caterers are more available during the colder months. So while your calendar may not be brimming with invites to your friend's big day in December, we guarantee there will be the rogue one taking advantage of the benefits of a winter wedding.

But what to wear? Resist the urge to don 60 denier tights, and instead opt for a statement piece that'll slot nicely into your everyday wardrobe post-event. From ruffled dresses to sleek clutches, via elegant mules and floral floor-skimming gowns, we've found the most gorgeous pieces to wear to a winter wedding.

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Acids are no longer reserved for monthly facials with a dermatologist, having become a mainstay of our bathroom shelves. Cult Beauty has over 200 products containing the word 'acid' and Space.NK has nearly 300. But are they for everyone? We have a tendency in beauty to follow the leaders, whether or not our skin agrees, but with something as harsh as an acid, this isn't always wise.

First things first; it's important to understand the distinctions between acids. "There are different kinds of acids used in skincare – some are very beneficial. For example, hyaluronic acid, which helps refill the skin's moisture reservoirs due to its very high ability to bind water," celebrity facialist and dermatologist Dr. Barbara Sturm explains. "Hyaluronic acid is a natural component of our skin whose production diminishes with age. We can replenish it through topical application or supplemented oral intake."

Next up, there are AHAs (Alpha Hydroxy Acids) and BHAs (Beta Hydroxy Acids). "All acids have an exfoliating effect but AHAs can be used by all skin types, while BHAs are good for people with problematic skin as they have an antibacterial effect and prevent clogged pores," Lixir Skin founder Colette Haydon tells Refinery29. "Each acid offers a special benefit: Lactic acid improves hydration, lactobionic acid reduces oxidative stress (which makes your skin look dull and grey) and phytic acid eliminates heavy metals to detoxify the skin. Salicylic acid is antibacterial and prevents clogged pores and azelaic acid controls sebum."

When there are so many options, how do we know what will work for our skin type? Should someone with sensitive skin be using it as much or in as high a concentration as someone with dry skin? And does age come into it at all? "The 'good' acids like hyaluronic acid or citric acids support the skin with moisture, strong anti-oxidative effects and other valuable benefits," Dr. Sturm says. "The acids that damage the skin, however, cause a serious disruption of its protective barrier and often cause dehydration. They accelerate the cell renewal and cause a long-term effect of the skin thinning out, as the cells cannot divine infinity. This affects all skin types, but someone with very sensitive skin might suffer a faster negative response, which could lead to serious cases of hyperkeratosis."

While this sounds scary, rest assured that the acids you'll find on the market are regulated by the EU. "The critical point is the concentration used on our skin," Dr. Mirela Mitan, CEO and founder of MMXV INFINITUDE, states. "The safety level in cosmetic products is if the concentrations are lower than 10% at final formulation (pH > 3.5) and when formulated to avoid increasing sun sensitivity or used with daily sun protection. When applied by trained professionals, in beauty salons, the AHAs are safe at concentrations less than 30% at final formulation and a pH higher than 3. If applied according to a dermatologist's recommendation, an even higher concentration of AHA preparation could be considered safe to use."

So once you've found a good acid that works for your skin type, and made sure it's lower than 10% in concentration and above 3.5% pH level, the next step is making sure you apply it properly. "It’s very important to only apply acid at night and never use it on holiday when you’re exposed to the sun," Haydon warns. Of course, apply SPF every day when using acids, too.

If you think your skin is too sensitive, or you've had bad reactions in the past but still want that cobweb-blasting exfoliation, there are alternatives to acids. "Vitamin C, or L-ascorbic acid, is an acid but it’s not an AHA, so it won’t exfoliate your skin and it will just give you a magic quick fix of radiance," Haydon says. "It’s a wonderful ingredient, one of the most active of them all and is increasingly beneficial to your skin with continued use."

"An alternative to AHAs are called PHAs (Polyhydroxy Acids) and bionic acids, which carry similar effects of AHA without the possibility of skin irritation," Mitan explains. "PHA is more compatible with sensitive skin, has better moisturisation activity and enhances skin barrier function." So whether you stick with the popular acids in your skincare routine, or you try out their alternatives, there are countless ways to get the glow this winter.

Want more like this?
Exfoliators That Won't Irritate Your Skin  
The Easy Way To Know Which Acid Is Right For Your Skin Type
Break It Down: Hyaluronic Acid

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