News
Lidl cashier reveals: The tough reality of the job for just €1,500 net pay
Harriet L. Whitcombe
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A permanent contract, a wage that looks respectable at first glance, and a big-name brand: it is easy to see...
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Why keeping spare change in a dedicated jar builds a subtle saving habit that accumulates without conscious effort
Harriet L. Whitcombe
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At the beginning, it contains nothing more than three coins and an old bus ticket somebody never used. No one...
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Is Nivea cream good or bad for your skin? Here’s what dermatologists say.
Harriet L. Whitcombe
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Nivea Creme (the iconic blue tin) is one of those products almost everyone recognises. In France alone, close to 4...
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Washing hair too often: what dermatologists actually warn about and how to find your personal rhythm
Harriet L. Whitcombe
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Hot water meets your scalp and, for a second, it’s as if you’re rinsing off the whole day: dry shampoo...
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Rodent droppings and carcasses: the butcher’s counter of a Yvelines hypermarket reopens after days of closure
Harriet L. Whitcombe
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Shoppers at a usually calm Intermarché hypermarket in Freneuse (Yvelines, just west of Paris) turned up expecting an ordinary grocery...
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IKEA surprises with the BILLY bookcase in deep cobalt blue – a new take on the iconic furniture.
Harriet L. Whitcombe
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For decades, IKEA’s BILLY bookcase has turned up everywhere: student flats, busy family homes and carefully styled design lofts. Now...
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Are used electric cars a risk or an opportunity?
Harriet L. Whitcombe
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Buying a used electric car still leaves many consumers with questions, even though interest is rising very sharply. This is...
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New Volkswagen T-Roc prices announced for Portugal
Harriet L. Whitcombe
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The second-generation Volkswagen T‑Roc looks set to become one of the German manufacturer’s most significant models over the coming years....
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The forgotten herb that eased nausea when the machines could not
Harriet L. Whitcombe
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The scent reached me before anything else did. It was nothing like the antiseptic mix of cleanser and machine coffee...
News
Sorry, the matrix doesn’t exist: mathematics shows the cosmos cannot be a simulation
Harriet L. Whitcombe
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What if the real twist in today’s tech mythology isn’t that we’re living inside a simulation, but that mathematics rules...
News
Bubble tea under review: Trendy drink or hidden sugar bomb?
Harriet L. Whitcombe
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Bubble tea has long since moved beyond Instagram-ready cups, rainbow pearls and creamy add-ons. Children, teenagers and adults alike enjoy...
News
Brilliant sewing tip: How to make tight trousers comfortable again in just 30 minutes.
Harriet L. Whitcombe
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Many people know the feeling: a couple of kilos gained, an evening bloat, or even a hot wash cycle, and...
News
The forgotten soak that restores cast iron pans to a smooth, black finish
Harriet L. Whitcombe
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On the hob, the skillet looked like it had given up. What used to be a rich, glossy black had...
News
No more hair dye: the new trend that covers grey hair and makes you look younger
Harriet L. Whitcombe
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Grey hair is increasingly being worn as an intentional look rather than treated as an emergency, as a low-key shift...
News
People who plant these vegetables in January know something the others don’t
Harriet L. Whitcombe
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The sky hangs low, your fingers sting with cold, and the soil looks as though it’s dozing. Most people are...
News
Why 80s kids call it ‘being tough’ when experts call it trauma and hyper-independence
Harriet L. Whitcombe
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A woman stands ahead of me on the tram, and at first glance she could be anyone in her forties...
News
The trick of rubbing a Brazil nut over a scratch on light wood flooring makes it disappear thanks to the nut’s rich oils
Harriet L. Whitcombe
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She’s in her socks, hair twisted into a scruffy bun, with her phone balanced against a mug. She drops to...
News
Just half a glass is enough: smart tricks to make old toilet bowls and sanitary ware look like new again
Harriet L. Whitcombe
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Across Europe and the United States, a growing number of households are choosing to refresh tired loos and basins rather...
News
Why skipping toner can sometimes be better for sensitive skin
Harriet L. Whitcombe
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The toner stings first. Then the redness creeps in, slowly, like an unwelcome guest taking over your cheeks. You look...
News
A bowl of salt water by the window in winter: this simple trick works just as well as aluminum foil in summer
Harriet L. Whitcombe
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The very first time I noticed it, I genuinely assumed my neighbour had left something out after making dinner. A...
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Spring trend: Alexandra Lamy shows how effortlessly cool retro jeans can look.
Harriet L. Whitcombe
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As the temperature climbs and the first cafés pull out their terrace tables, the same question returns every spring: what...