My life is all food stains and dead pot plants – no wonder I dream of beauty and good taste

I’m tired of the dull, drab and mundane. Bring on the gold lamé dresses and pomegranate-scented potpourri, writes Emma Beddington

Gwyneth Paltrow meditates while loading the dishwasher – will her new app work for us?

The Goop founder’s latest venture promotes ‘eyes-open’ meditation. We try it out to see if it helps us see the light – or is just another wellness gimmick in disguise

‘Men now want their bum to look good in jeans’: how male butts got bootylicious

From shapewear to surgery, the male quest to build the perfect behind has become a super-sized business

Credible science or false claims: calls for more regulation of beauty products

Consumers need to be able to distinguish between innovative products and marketing hype, say experts

I have been forced into a month of minimalism – and I hate it

Far from home, in a rental apartment, the scarcity of my own stuff is making me strange, writes Emma Beddington. Where is the focus, calm and happiness I was promised?

Don’t flake, don’t dump friends and don’t hold grudges: experts on what not to do in 2024

Guardian writers including Marina Hyde, John Crace (and a few other successful types) reveal what they won’t be doing in the coming year

I loved my new glasses – until everyone told me what they thought of them

Loved ones, friends and complete strangers have all waded in. I’ve even been told I look just like the bloke from Up …

‘I steer away from sugars, and most of all stress’: how six experts look after their own skin

Dermatologists reveal their daily routines, which products they use on themselves and why they avoid soap

More and more people are having ‘tweakments’. But what do we really know about the long-term effects?

Non-surgical cosmetic treatments are growing ever more popular worldwide, but how safe are they? And are fillers and Botox changing our idea of beauty?

A sting in the tale: weaving with nettles helped turn grief into joy

Recovering from the loss of his wife, Allan Brown turned his hand to an ancient craft