Times 2 - UK (2020-11-18)

the times | Wednesday November 18 2020 1GT 5

fashion

the looking glass) that you’re not yet

sprouting your own lambswool tufts.

It needn’t be a shoulder you show.

Reiss’s slashed-sleeved slinky black

Nora blouse (£135, reiss.com) shows a

narrow band of skin from shoulder to

elbow. Reformation’s oatmeal ribbed

jumper (£215, thereformation.com) has

cutouts stretching from the neckline to

the outermost corner of your bra, near

the armpit — one way to avoid

overheating. Or hedge your bets:

Andersson Bell’s neon-green Jessica

knit has two bites missing, one on the

right shoulder, the other on the left

forearm (£210, net-a-porter.com).

The style set, who clearly didn’t eat

Waitrose’s new Christmas gruyère

fondue pot (contains four servings,

apparently, but didn’t give me any

trouble) and box of breadsticks for

supper last night, often prefer to wear

their cutouts around the waist. If

you’re so inclined, Reformation’s

crimson silk Noemi dress (£300) and

Benny dress (in floral print, emerald or

black, £265) are the best around, and

the cutouts are cleverly placed so as

not to dip quite as low as our intrepid

influencers dare go.

Instead of low V-necklines (and the

need for a skimpy-ish lowcut bra that

comes with), try a chest cutout.

Monse’s are off-centre and teardrop

shaped, curving in from the shoulder

on knitted dresses and jumpers (from

£880, net-a-porter.com). There’s much

to like about a classic keyhole too; see

Ghost’s spearmint-green Mila blouse

(was £89, now £44.50, ghost.co.uk),

which cuts away at the back, Kitri’s

Pepto-Bismol-pink Eloise blouse (£80,

kitristudio.com) with voluminous

pleated sleeves, or Hush’s abstract

animal-print Elisabeth mididress (£110,

hush-uk.com). Whatever bits you bare,

a little goes a long way.

Instagram: @charliegowans

Two-week

beauty

tweaks

N

ot everyone is bothered by

beauty regimens. I am. My

salon was the last place I

went before lockdown 2,

and it’s the first place I am

booked into the week of our sweet

liberation, just a fortnight away. We

are officially halfway through, yippee!

Oh, you’re thinking, she’s optimistic.

Yes, I am. Come December 2, I expect

to bounce out of Hershesons with

a glossy blow-dry, festive red shellac

on my nails and a spring in my step.

Until then, there are small tweaks

that those of us that way inclined can

do at home.

Before you judge, this is less about

vanity and more about keeping morale

high. By which I mean avoiding the

horror I experienced last week at the

sight of my inner thigh, since tended

to by hot wax. Let’s move swiftly on.

Grow your own lashes

The three months of lockdown 1

gave us ample time to grow out

over-plucked eyebrows. In lockdown 2

it’s all about pimping our lashes. Start

applying No 7 Lash Impact Serum

now (it goes on like mascara) and see

the difference it makes when you’re

flirting across a socially distanced pub

come December 2. (£16, boots.com)

Baby feet

No, not the patter of, but rather the

somewhat slimy socks that promise

smoother, more attractive piggies after

use. Baby Foot masks come in bootie

form: just slip one on each foot, leave

for 15 minutes (or as long as your next

Zoom call) and wait for it to peel away

the dead skin. Lovely. (£13.10,

amazon.com)

Get glowing

Fake tan doesn’t have to mean a

mitt, streaks and stained sheets.

Tan Luxe drops mix in with your

moisturiser and deliver a subtle,

pretty glow overnight — assuming

you get the right shade. If it helps, I

am fair and freckled and use light/

medium. If it doesn’t, at least you

have two weeks for an overzealous

glow to fade before re-entering society.

(£35, lookfantastic.com)

The DIY wax

Yes, you can. I was brave enough —

something had to be done about that

aforementioned inner thigh. If you

think you can hack it, nothing beats

Veet Sensitive Easy Grip Body & Legs

Wax Strips (£7.29, superdrug.com). Just

smooth down and swiftly yank away

in the opposite direction of hair

growth. Then enjoy extreme levels

of self-proficiency and smugness.

Hannah Rogers

— not the full monty

COVER: LOIC VENANCE/AFP; STEVE GRANITZ/GETTY IMAGES. BELOW: AXELLE/BAUER-GRIFFIN; CHRISTIAN VIERIG/GETTY IMAGES

c

B

N

s

Left: the model Kendall Jenner in

Rami Kadi couture. Right: £

(thereformation.com)

The influencer Gitta Banko.

Below: Nigella Lawson

The cold shoulder

Left: jumper, £25.

(topshop.com)

Now