Author: Lauren Bravo
Style & Social Media Columnist Lauren is a professional tweeter, pop culture junkie and Netflix addict. She's written about fashion since she was in flared jeans, and barely a trend goes by that she doesn't have an opinion on. An early adopter, she can usually be found hunting for a bargain on the virtual high street and blasting the latest high-tech skincare claims.
10 genuinely original Halloween costume ideas
Put down the knee socks, and step away from the body glitter. Since Yahoo, Google and Amazon revealed their top Halloween costume searches – a snoresome mix of generic pirates, fairytale heroines and blockbuster movie characters – we thought it was time to stir up the imagination cauldron a bit. You've still got 10 days to find an idea…
The week in hashtags: #NeverOK, #StandUp2Cancer, #BringBackOurGirls
#NeverOK Exeter University has launched Never Ok, its campaign against sexual harassment. Inspired by Manchester Uni's We Get It campaign earlier this year, it's also a response to a recent NUS survey on 'lad culture', which found that two thirds of students had heard rape jokes on campus, while 50 per cent of students felt there was…
10 frightfully good Halloween make-up video tutorials
MWAHAHA. That's the evil laugh you'll be doing come Halloween, when you've painted yourself up into something dazzlingly original and everyone else has just worn devil horns and glitter again. We've rounded up 10 of the spookiest, ookiest Halloween make-up tutorials on YouTube. Try them... if you DARE. Mexican sugar skull Turn Halloween into Day of…
How Instagram made me a better person
We’re all narcissists now, had you heard? But of course you had. The news is everywhere. Self-promotion is the opiate of our masses, and vanity the virus that will eventually cause our slick, buzzy, digitally-enhanced lives to short circuit and blow a fuse. For every selfie and belfie and knelfie (that’s a photo of your…
Queens of YouTube: eight female vloggers who you’ll want to be your new best friend
Just when parents, career advisers and the media had got their heads around 'becoming a professional blogger' as a valid life choice, Gen Y moved things on a step. With social media becoming increasingly visual (why write a tweet in 30 seconds when you can Instagram in an instant?) and young people eschewing traditional TV…
The week in hashtags: #WakeUpCall, #NHSstrike, #ThorneTravel, #GBBOfinal
#NHSstrike Today, thousands of NHS workers from across six different trade unions are striking in protest at the government's refusal to give all staff a one per cent pay rise. Messages of solidarity have spread across Twitter, with celebs including Sue Perkins, Rufus Hound and David Schneider all tweeting their support for the strikers. …
Women who changed the face of writing for women #InspiringWomenWeek
It's good never to take things for granted. And shinyshiny's #InspiringWomenWeek wouldn't be complete without a tribute to all those fantastic female journalists and commentators who shook things up and broadened the scope of 'writing for women' long before we hit the scene. From 18th century activists to the next generation of critics and bloggers, for…
shinyshiny speaks to Becky John from Who Made Your Pants? about ethical underwear and empowering women through work #InspiringWomenWeek
Who made your pants? For most of us, unless we’re label addicts or skilled with a sewing machine, it’s not a question we’re ever able to answer – or even one we’ve ever given much thought to. Becky At the helm of pioneering online lingerie brand Who Made Your Pants?, Becky…
The week in hashtags: #EidMubarak, #Stoptober, #CassetteBoy
#EidMubarak Muslims across the world have been celebrating Eid al-Adha, also known as the Feast of the Sacrifice. Also marking the end of religious pilgrimage Hajj, this year more than 2 million people made the journey to the Grand Mosque in Mecca. #MeanGirlsAppreciationDay Because if there's one thing the internet was really lacking in,…
Your gif guide to pretending you know what’s going on in Downton Abbey
Warning... Sunshine and sweaty tube journeys aside, we know autumn has officially arrived – because Downton Abbey is back, to be the jewel in the crown of our weekends again! But while the frocks-and-footmen drama is as synonymous with cosy Sunday evenings as slankets and jugs of custard, we'll admit that, like the Dowager Countess,…
