China :: Lifestyle

Add to My Stories Share Were always hearing that one of the best beauty tips around is a good nights sleep and with the clocks going back yesterday, sleep is something well all want a lot more of as winter sets in. But if, like me, you woke up this morning feeling sleep-deprived and bemoaning the bags under your eyes, you probably dont need convincing that how much sleep and how good that sleep is does make a difference to how you look. But, surprisingly, given that dark circles are one of womens biggest beauty bug-bears, science is still struggling to explain why we look so bad after a sleepless night. Pillow talk: Beauty experts are split over the benefits of night skincare Theres a lack of evidence-based research into the relationship between sleep and appearance in the short term, says consultant dermatologist Dr Nick Lowe. Theres an increasing body of work suggesting that in the long-term, sleep deprivation could prematurely age skin. Chronic lack of sleep (consistently ...

Add to My Stories Share As any family with young children can attest, once there are young children in tow, eating out at nice restaurants goes from being one of life's most exquisite pleasures to a stressful minefield. Peaceful candlelit suppers deux become battlegrounds, as parents struggle to wrestle unruly children back into seats, keep elbows off tables and to chew with their mouths shut. If all this sounds familiar, you are not alone. A survey of 2,000 people has revealed that one in five parents refuse to eat a meal in a restaurant because they are embarrassed by their children's behaviour. The Kensington Hotel is to offer etiquette classes to parents too embarrassed by unruly children to eat out in restaurants Nearly half (48 per cent) of UK parents admit to being embarrassed by their youngsters when dining out, while one in five have left a restaurant mid-way through a meal because of their children have been behaving badly. Now, a London hotel has responded to...

Add to My Stories Share Generations of men have grown up with sexy images of Marilyn Monroe and Brigitte Bardot on their walls - and now Christie's are giving art collectors the chance to get their hands on some original prints of their idols. The 150 photographs, of everyone from Barak Obama to Eighties Madonna are on sale for as little as 400. The pricier pictures are expected to reach up to 50,000. It is an inspiring array of powerful, seductive and beautiful 21st century images ranging from famous faces of fashion, style and celebrity, to contemporary architecture and even pictures taken by legendary photographers Henri Cartier-Bresson and Robert Doisneau, Sexy starlet: This image of Brigitte Bardot could be yours. The Towel Session, 1959, by Sam Levin is expected to fetch between 600 and 800 It is the portraits of Hollywood and fashion superstars that are bound to attract the most attention, though. The incredible roll call of subjects captured includes Coco Chanel, Mar...

Add to My Stories Share Preparing dinner in a bustling household can be a frenzy of dicing, slicing and beeping smoke alarms. Now a kitchen gadget offers that much-needed extra hand by stirring soups or sauces so you can concentrate on other tasks around the house. The Robostir is a cordless, battery-operated device that sits in the pan and stirs the ingredients in circular motions. The Robostir gadget sits in the base of the pan while its three legs whir around, stirring sauces or soups It stands on three metal legs with silicone feet ensuring that it does not scratch the pan and moves around the entire container to prevent ingredients sticking or burning. It also has three speeds to suit the temperature or thickness of the recipe. More... Feel the squeeze: Smoothie sales down a third as they are 'too expensive' for credit-crunched Brits Posh boil-in-the-bag or a kitchen revolution? Heston's Sous Vide in the must-have gadget for foodies It don't matter if it...

Add to My Stories Share Generations of men have grown up with sexy images of Marilyn Monroe and Brigitte Bardot on their walls - and now Christie's are giving art collectors the chance to get their hands on some original prints of their idols. The 150 photographs, of everyone from Barak Obama to Eighties Madonna are on sale for as little as 400. The pricier pictures are expected to reach up to 50,000. It is an inspiring array of powerful, seductive and beautiful 21st century images ranging from famous faces of fashion, style and celebrity, to contemporary architecture and even pictures taken by legendary photographers Henri Cartier-Bresson and Robert Doisneau, Sexy starlet: This image of Brigitte Bardot could be yours. The Towel Session, 1959, by Sam Levin is expected to fetch between 600 and 800 It is the portraits of Hollywood and fashion superstars that are bound to attract the most attention, though. The incredible roll call of subjects captured includes Coco Chanel, Mar...

Add to My Stories Share Drink up: Womens' preference for white wine stemmed, in part, from the fact that there were slightly fewer calories than in the darker variety Bridget Jones may have single-handedly turned women off drinking chardonnay in the Noughties, but her grip on our wine preferences seems to be loosening. After turning the crisp white wine into a symbol of singledom, it appears all has been forgotten. Women now love chardonnay even more than sauvignon blanc. And - contrary to popular legend - we love red wine just as much as white varieties. Bridget Jones' preference for a huge glass of white wine stemmed from the fact that there were slightly fewercalories than in the darker variety. But that doesn't seem to bother usany more. A blind-tasting survey of 3,000 shoppers showed that men and women valued the red and white wines equally, said Emma Nichols, head of buying at wine merchantOddbins. The survey also found that, when askedwhat they wanted to pay fo...

October 31, 2011 Shoppers walk past the front of a Giordano clothing store in Hong Kong. The chain has joined a campaign against wool production that is cruel to sheep. AFP pic HONG KONG, Oct 31 Hong Kong clothing chain Giordano on Friday became the latest brand to join a campaign against Australian wool over allegations of cruelty to sheep, in a bid welcomed by activists. Animal rights groups have campaigned against mulesing, the practice of cutting a slice of flesh from lambs rear ends to prevent the animal dying of flystrike the infestation of flesh-eating maggots. We will urge our vendors to stop using wool grown from mulesed sheep so long as commercial alternatives are easily available, said the retailer, which has more than 2,400 outlets in Asia, Australia and the Middle East. US-based group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), which has spearheaded the campaign against mulesing, which it describes as barbaric, said Giordano set a worthy example and urged other ...

Add to My Stories Share Lets give a muted cheer that female members of the Royal Family are to be given equal rights of succession, but it wont benefit the lives of ordinary women. David Cameron can crow as much as he likes about ensuring the contents of the Duchess of Cambridges womb will get a fairer start in life but female voters who are not going to breed a future monarch are increasingly turned off by his policies. The Prime Minister has a problem he doesnt connect with women and modernising the monarchy is an irrelevance. Royal equality: If Prince William and his wife Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, have a daughter first, she will be able to succeed the throne If Cameron wants to do one thing to demonstrate he understands women, he can stop bleating that he wants our leading businesses to appoint more female directors and take the decisive step of imposing quotas. It will cost absolutely nothing except courage and strength of purpose, something this former PR man seem...

Add to My Stories Share The clocks have gone back, so get set for the winter blues, triggered by shorter hours of daylight. One in 15 of us will have full-blown Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). Last week, a survey of 11,000 people revealed that 77 per cent of Britons say they are negatively affected by cold, dark winter mornings. But darkness is not all bad news. Indeed, some experts say many of us fail to get the amount of exposure to darkness we need to maintain health. Wax work: Candle light can be better for your health than modern artificial lighting Over-reliance on artificial lighting at home and in the office can have negative effects on the body and mind. According to sleep consultant Dr Neil Stanley, we have an innate need for daily darkness. We dont respect the dark in the way our ancestors did, and the result is a host of health problems, he says. More... Sleeping beauty: Want to get up and glow? You need a special night-time skincare regime Treatment of the week: ...

Add to My Stories Share It's the bride's big day and she wants everyone to know about it, but texting during the service may be taking things just a little too far. Here the bride is walked down the aisle by her father and a preacher begins the service. Standing with her father directly in front of the preacher, she suddenly puts her hand down her chest and pulls out her cellphone. CU later: Clearly a prolific texter, the bride rattles off a one-handed text in no time As the preacher talks of the sanctity of marriage and God's love, the bride furiously sends a text message. After the text she replaces the cell phone down the front of her dress. Her father, meanwhile, looks more than just a little embarrassed. At one point it looks as though he's going to say something but, hey, it's the bride's big day so let her carry on. Special day: The preacher speaks, the phone vibrates and the bride's hand goes down the front of her dress Daddy's girl:...