WHAT WE’RE ALL ABOUT...✱ Positive, practical and creative advice to cover all aspects
of manic, modern family life ✱ Inspirational beauty, anti-ageing tips and tricks, diets that work,
family health & wellbeing advice✱ Delicious family recipes, showstopping cakes & bakes and
(easy) show-off menus for a dinner-party wow factor✱ Home and craft ideas for inspiring interiors ✱ Fashion trends to suit every style and budget✱ Real-life features reflecting the lives, loves and issues
of our readers lives
MEET OUR READERS...✱ 61% of our audience work and have their own source of income✱ 78% own their home or have a mortgage✱ 90% make the important purchasing decisions✱ Each issue of Essentials is read for just over one hour – 5th
highest figure for women’s monthlies✱ Our readers are highly engaged on all platforms
ADVERTISING CONTACT✱ Emma Lowe, Print Account Director 020 3148 3679
[email protected]✱ Chris Dicker, Digital Business Director 020 3148 6709
MIX& MATCH
Be bold this season and experiment with clashing prints and eclectic accessories
FASHION DIRECTOR CAROLINE BAXTER | PHOTOGRAPHER OLIVIA GRAHAM
PRETTY IN PRINTTo make your summer dress work even on cooler days, simply layer with a white shirtShirt, £28, 6-22, Dorothy PerkinsDress, £89, 8-20, MonsoonBrooches (on collar), £12 for three, Mood by Jon RichardSunglasses, £5.99, New LookRing, £15 for six, AccessorizeBag, £27.99, New Look
ESSENTIALS ESSENTIALS
FAST FASHION
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SWEET POTATO FALAFEL, HERBY COUSCOUS & PEPPER SAUCESERVES 2 READY IN 30 MINS
1 Microwave 200g sweet potatoes for 10 mins, until
cooked through. Cool slightly, scoop out the middle and put into a food processor with 150g chickpeas, drained, 1tsp turmeric, zest of ½ lemon and seasoning. Whizz to a coarse paste. Sprinkle 3tbsp sesame seeds onto a plate, shape the falafel mix into patties and roll in the seeds.
2 Put 75g couscous, 1tsp oil and a pinch each of ground cumin
and coriander into a bowl and cover with boiling water. Cover with clingfilm and leave for 5 mins. Stir through 2tbsp each chopped parsley and mint.
3 Heat 1tsp oil in a pan and fry the falafel until golden brown
and hot through.
4 Meanwhile, put the juice of ½ lemon, 100g roasted red
peppers, 1tsp tahini and 1tsp coconut yogurt into a blender and whizz until smooth. Serve the falafel with the couscous drizzled with sauce. 559 CALS PER SERVING 23g FAT 3g SAT FAT 64g CARBS
1 Microwave a 250g pouch of mixed grains to pack
instructions and spoon out into two bowls. Slice 1 avocado, toss in the juice of ½ lime and add to the bowls.
2 Roughly chop 1 red pepper and add to the bowls. Chop
an 8cm piece of cucumber, toss with 1tsp chopped dill and add to the peppers with a handful of black olives.
3 Heat a frying pan to hot and add 6 slices of halloumi
cheese. Fry for 2 mins on each side until golden and crisp, and divide between the bowls. Top each with a large spoonful of houmous, a sprinkling of toasted pine nuts and a squeeze of lime juice.674 CALS PER SERVING 45g FAT 11g SAT FAT 40g CARBS
GREEK GRAIN BOWLSERVES 2 READY IN 15 MINS
NUTTY PEA PESTO WITH WHOLEMEAL PASTASERVES 2 READY IN 15 MINS
1 Cook 175g wholemeal pasta in boiling, salted
water to pack instructions, then drain and reserve 2tbsp cooking water.
2 Cook 75g petits pois in boiling, salted water
for 5 mins until just cooked through. Drain and cool under cold water.
3 Put the peas, 50g toasted pine nuts,
a large handful of basil, 2tbsp vegetarian hard
cheese and 50g Garlic & Herb Boursin into a food processor with the reserved cooking water and black pepper. Whizz until the mixture is coarse, then return to the pasta pan. Warm through for 2 mins, then add the pasta and stir well to combine. Serve with extra cheese. 651 CALS PER SERVING 31g FAT 9g SAT FAT 62g CARBS
Vegan
Gluten free
Veggie
ESSENTIALS 101ESSENTIALS 100
HEALTHY MEALS
Meat freeMONDAYS
These simple recipes are bursting with flavour, so give them a whirl and pile your plate high with good-for-you veg!
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ESSENTIALS
HOT RIGHT NOW
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TWISTEDTRENDS
✱ THE CLASSIC LASHESWithout mascara we are nothing. Leaving the house without it is not an option – you look wide awake and more ‘you’ with it on, making it the basic beauty go-to.✱ THE TWIST This season sees both false lashes and mascara as essential for that on-trend, irregular and quite gappy finish. Think ’60s Twiggy... but super-charged. ✱ HOW Loving mascara? Use the tip of the wand to separate lashes and coat liberally, or fall in love with falsies and use easy-to-apply eyelash strips. The fiddly individual pain-to-apply lashes are out. (Phew!) ✱ SEEN AT Sonia Rykiel, Thomas Tait, Sibling, Daks.✱ OUR PICK Ardell Press-on Lashes Wispies in black, £5.63, Revlon PhotoReady 3D Volume Mascara, £10.99.
✱ THE CLASSIC POUT A strong red lip never goes out of fashion – it’s a statement look, and one every woman can wear whatever her skintone. ‘It is the ultimate democratic beauty accessory,’ says MAC’s Lyne Desnoyers. ‘All women can make it their own.’ You put on a slick of red and you own the day – wherever it may take you.✱ THE TWIST Move away from the pillar-box shade and instead play with the tone: raspberry, hints of orange, paprika... Think of your lipstick as ‘bronzer for the lips’. There’s also a move towards different applications, from a clean and even finish to smeared onto the centre and middle of the lips to a high-gloss, dewy effect. ✱ HOW For a precise finish, use a lip pencil to outline your Cupid’s bow, then fill in using a brush. For a more carefree look, use your ring finger to pat on colour smudging slightly. ✱ SEEN AT Vivienne Westwood Gold Label, Oscar de la Renta, Giles, Kenzo. ✱ OUR PICK MAC Lipstick in Studded Kiss, £15.50, Rimmel Exaggerate Lipliner in Call Me Crazy, £3.99.
Red lips are the ultimate democratic beauty
accessory that every woman can wear
LIPS
This season it’s all about the classics you’re probablyalready wearing – but with a new spin on them…
EYES
ESSENTIALS
IN THE FRAMEBRIGHTEN UP A DOOR WITH YOUR LITTLE ONES’ ART
PICTURE PERFECTA PROPER CLIP FRAME GIVES YOUR CHILD’S MASTERPIECE A PROFESSIONAL LOOK✱ Clip picture frames ✱ White paper ✱ Glue stick ✱ Mini duct tape
1Take your picture frame and unclip
the glass from the backing board.
2Cover the backing board with paper.
Stick your artwork in the centre – make sure it’s nice and smooth. Place the glass on top and clip securely.
3Starting on one side of the frame,
neatly apply a length of patterned duct tape along the edge. Take the tape round to the back of the frame and smooth out any bumps. Continue on the other sides of the frame, until all edges are taped.
WHERE TO BUY Glass Clip Frames, from £5.99, Homebase (homebase.co.uk). Ducklings Mini Duct Tape, £1.50 for 4.5m, Hobbycraft (hobbycraft.co.uk)
Got a budding artist in the family? Here’s how toshow off their latest masterpiece in style!
✱ Picture frame templates ✱ Black sticky back plastic ✱ Glue stick
1Enlarge the templates (go to goodto know.co.uk/frametemplates) to your
desired size and print on paper.
2Roll out the sticky back plastic and stick the printed templates to the backing
paper. Neatly cut out the frames.
3Peel off the backing paper and apply the frames to a door or wall, smoothing out
any air bubbles. Place the artwork inside each frame with blue tack or pins.
WHERE TO BUY Fablon Sticky Back Plastic in black, £8.99 a roll, Homebase (homebase.co.uk)
GALLERYRogues
TAKES
MINS25
BLOCK OF ARTBRING CULTURE TO YOUR HOME WITH THIS STANDALONE GALLERY
✱ Large cardboard box ✱ Parcel tape ✱ Grey paint ✱ Blu Tack ✱ Black pen
1Tape the top and bottom flaps of the box shut. Paint each side with a coat
of grey paint and leave to dry.
2Select the artwork you would like to display and stick it around the
sides of the box with Blu Tack. When you’re happy with the arrangement, neatly draw black frames around each picture with a pen.
WHERE TO BUY Wardrobe Box, £10.50, The Big Yellow Self Storage Company (bigyellow.co.uk). French Pale Grey Absolute Matt Emulsion, £4 for 60ml, The Little Greene Paint Company (littlegreene.com)
TAKES
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easyMAKE IT
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SPEEDY CRAFT
MEDIA PACK
GoodtoKnow is the digital partner for Essentials, offering content across multiple platforms. The combined reach of the brands offers significant access to this key audience.
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✱ IN
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Source: Google Analytics Jan16, Facebook Mar 16, Twitter March 16, Exact target Mar 16 *Global figure across all devices – desktop, mobile and tablet
ESSENTIALS ESSENTIALS 6 7
‘You can
YOUR BEST’ONLY DO
Rachel Stevens talks exclusively to us about being a strong role model, standing up to criticism and what ‘sexy’ means to her
Somewhere hidden in Rachel Stevens’ London house there must be one of those fabled Dorian Gray-style pictures, which shows her face as it should
be; because in the flesh the 37-year-old pop star has barely changed since her S Club 7 days. Tiny, even in her towering heels (a dainty size two!), she really doesn’t look old enough to be married let alone a mother, yet she has two daughters – Amelie, five, and almost two-year-old Minnie – with her property developer husband Alex Bourne.
Rachel has been in the public eye for 16 years, ever since an eagle-eyed scout noticed her and asked if she fancied meeting pop Svengali Simon Fuller. As much as she is lusted over by men – in 2014 she was named FHM’s Sexiest Woman Of All Time – she is loved by women too; both for her girl-next-door style and the way she’s kept both her feet planted firmly on the ground. As she launches WaterAid’s new campaign and reprises her role on the Irish version of The Voice, she tells us how she stays grounded and keeps things in perspective.
because this one isn’t talking to her or that one says she’s not her friend. If someone says something horrible, I tell her she shouldn’t shout back – just say, ‘That’s not very nice’. Bitchiness is one thing I really can’t deal with, but you just can’t stop it from happening in the school playground.
Be kind, but be strong – that’s how I try to be and that’s what I tell the girls. I really want to be a good role model for them and I think the most important thing is to make them believe in themselves. I’ve had times when I haven’t believed in myself and times where I have – you can achieve more when you do. I think if you have confidence in yourself you really can do anything.
The no-sleep thing has to be one of the hardest things about being a parent. My mornings tend to start at 5.30am. My wake-up call is normally Minnie shouting out, ‘Milk! Milk! Miiiiiiillllk!’. She’s the boss in our house. I get one lie-in a week when Alex gets up with the kids on a Saturday morning while
COVER STAR
INTERVIEW NICOLE LAMPERT | PHOTOGRAPHY DAVID VENNI
‘Being a working mum feels like one big juggling act. Some days I feel I’ve got it sorted, but often it feels like chaos’
It’s easy to worry about being the perfect parent. I do it all the time. But it’s scary to think that you are responsible for this child’s everything. How do you help them become balanced people and be happy? I’m a perfectionist, but I’ve learned that you just can’t be perfect as a parent. If I’m in a bad mood, I can sometimes take it out on the girls, but I think they understand.
I found it hard when I was criticised for running out of my car to run an errand while the girls were still in it. Parenting is always going to split judgement and you never have all the answers. I would never do anything to intentionally harm my girls; they are my life. Whatever you do as a parent, you will be judged by other people. You can only do your best.
I think I was more terrified than Amelie when she started school. The night before, I was so nervous that it felt like I was starting a new job. She was up at 4am because she was so excited; it’s incredible to see how much she loves it now. Sometimes she comes home upset
CARVE OUT CONTRAST✱ Breathe life into your grey foundation with contrasting white or a pop of pretty, pastel – a lilac-toned grey looks stunning with soft pinks. ✱ Metallic shades, like gold and copper, also pair well with grey, but as a neutral, it really can work with any other colour if you put your mind to it. ✱ KATE SAYS ‘Throw in some pink until you feel like a change, then maybe swap it for orange and yellow to give a completely different feel. It’s more affordable to swap your accessories rather than change the wall colour.’
EMBRACE YOUR SPACE✱ You might want a restful pale shade for your bedroom, but favour a bold charcoal in the kitchen. You don’t have to paint a room white to enhance its size.✱ KATE SAYS ‘It can just end up looking like a small white room.
Choose a dark hue, instead, to add drama.’ ✱ A light grey border at
the top of a darker grey room can create
the illusion of height.TEASE OUT TEXTURE
To prevent grey from feeling flat, add texture with rustic wood, or make it cosy with a sheepskin rug and chunky-knit cushions. Using different fabrics prevents darker shades from feeling intimidating. Wood panelling, tiling or even wallpaper can create a really dynamic, interesting aesthetic in a room that might otherwise feel clinical or cold.
ALL IN THE DETAILCan’t face full-on grey? Introduce it with accessories instead. Stack eggshell charity-shop china on open kitchen or dining room shelves, upholster armchairs with stone-coloured fabric, or make a statement by
draping an almost-black throw – vary the scheme at either end of the grey
spectrum. Candles and crystals are your new best friends – both bounce light and create a warm, inviting feel.
FANCY FINISH✱ Matt or flat? It doesn’t really matter because either of these choices are a fashionable look at the moment – and the flatter the finish of your emulsion, the better. The finish of a grey paint in particular can make all the difference. ✱ KATE SAYS ‘It’s the least reflective colour and has a subtle, velvety texture. It will conceal bumpy or uneven walls better than other options, but it’s harder to clean, especially if you’ve chosen a very pale shade.’
Grosvenor Square No 109 Marble matt emulsion, £22 per litre, Mylands
ESSENTIALS
YOUR HOME
105
Interiors expert Kate Watson-Smyth shares her top tips on how to get this colour just right
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TEST THE BEST✱ Sample pots are a must when choosing your perfect grey – shades that are supposed to be in the palette can often vary from pale blue to verging on beige. ✱ The right choice depends on the orientation of the room, and how much light streams in. Ultimately, it’s not you who chooses the perfect grey for your room, it’s the room itself. Time to get swatching…✱ KATE SAYS ‘My friend used Elephant’s Breath by Farrow & Ball to great effect in her home. There, it’s quite definitely grey, but in my house it looks beige.’
FADE TO GREY
‘Try painting each door on a
row of FITted cupboards in
different shades from the
same colour card to create
a gentle ombre effect’ Vintage Smoke, £24.49 for 2.5 litres, Dulux
Home of Colour Dove Grey silk emulsion,
£6 per litre, Homebase
TARGET AUDIENCE ...............................................WOMEN 35-55
PRINT CIRCULATION .............................................................89,068 (combined print & digital abc jd15)
DIGITAL CIRCULATION ..............................................................628
TOTAL READERSHIP ............................................................152,000 (Jan-Dec 15 NRS)
ABC1 ADULTS .................................................................................... 63% (Jan-Dec 15 NRS)
GLOBAL UU ............................................................................4,927,283
GLOBAL PV ..........................................................................32,861,666
DESKTOP USERS ................................................................ 1,255,338
PAGE VIEWS ......................................................................... 8,028,785
MOBILE USERS .....................................................................2,821,819
PAGE VIEWS .......................................................................20,639,678
TABLET USERS .........................................................................850,672
PAGE VIEWS ..........................................................................4,193,203
FACEBOOK ................................................................................380,000
TWITTER ...........................................................................................9,617
GoodtoKnow is the digital partner for Essentials, offering content across multiple platforms. The combined reach of the brands offers significant access to this key audience.
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