CURIOUSDRIVE – Page 45

17 Oct, 2025 | Admin | No Comments

Brave the winter wind with these weather-resistant jacket from Oodie

Two people wearing a puffa jacket from Oodie — It’s no time for light layers. (Picture: Metro/Oodie/Getty)

Metro journalists select and curate the products that feature on our site. If you make a purchase via links on this page we will earn commission – learn more

When the wind is blowing your perfectly styled curtain bangs to pieces, and the drizzling rain is removing your all your best attempts at a flawless base, it’s no time for light layers.

We may be lusting over certain winter coats for their style points, but this weather is a time for fashion AND function. And the new Long Puffer Jacket from Oodie promises to keep you snug and snazzy all season long.

Better yet? For a limited time only, you can save a whopping 30% off your snazzy new coat, with the code: OODIEPUFFER30.

Off White Splice/Off White Long Puffer Jacket

We're obsessed with this reversible, oversized winter jacket designed for warmth and comfort. It features a thick 200gsm fill for insulation, 5K water resistance to protect against rain, and is made with PFAS-free materials. The interior is lined with Oodie's ultra-soft ToastyTek™ fleece.

Buy Now for £119 (save 30% off with oodiepuffer30)

Unisex and available in sizes small to 3XL, it has a 200gsm fill for incredible insulation, and a 5K-tested water resistance, which is the highest rating. Whether it’s fierce winds or thunderous showers, this coat can keep you cosy and dry as a bone.

The new range of coats, priced at £119, also feature the brand’s signature fleece fabric, known as ToastyTek™. It delivers amazing softness, warmth, and comfort, and is crafted from ultra-fine micro-threads. It offers excellent insulation without feeling too heavy, so it’s great for everyday wear. And it’s PFAS-free, so it’s kinder to the planet.

The coat has a reversible design, so you can switch up your look as and when you fancy and enjoy two coats for the price of one. And it’s washable, so spills and stains don’t need to dampen your day.

There are plenty of designs to choose from, too. Keep things light in a cream and brown style or a deep burgundy, which is the perfect warm tone for the chilly weather. You can also take a walk on the wild side with a splash of leopard print or a steel blue.

‘This jacket is brilliant,’ Corey said in his review. ‘It’s nice, water resistant warmer than any other woody product I’ve had on, extremely comfortable and I like how it’s not too long. This one is slightly shorter than others which makes it perfect.’

‘Bought this for my daughter’s birthday and she loves it,’ Jenny added in her feedback, while Carolyn said: ‘It was a birthday gift for my daughter in law, she loved it. Fantastic that it is machine washable and dryer friendly.’

Oodie is an Australian comfort‑brand founded in 2018 by Davie Fogarty, and famous for creating the “wearable blanket”, which is a giant hoodie‑blanket combo with a hood and large front pocket, called the Oodie™ Original. Martin Lewis even praised the designs for helping you stay warm and keeping costs down in winter.

This summer, the brand also released a cooling blanket to battle the heatwave, crafted from a breathable and moisture-wicking blend of nylon and elastane to draw excess heat and moisture away from your skin.

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'I opened an advent calendar and it took just 10 mins to get a salon manicure'

Beauty writer Lucy Addicott opened the doors to this year’s OPI nail polish advent calendar and here’s what she found

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'I offload all my boyfriend drama on my mate but now she's ignoring me'

Coleen Nolan advises an anxious reader who is missing a friend who always gave her great advice

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'My in-laws ruined our big day and it’s spoiled everything'

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If you can do these 5 things in your 30s, your brain is in great shape

‘We often think about brain health as a concern for later life,’ says brain and cognition expert Natalie Mackenzie. She’s right: It’s something we associate with our parents or grandparents, filed away under ‘things to worry about after 50.’ But, Mackenzie asks: ‘What if the actions you take in your 30s are setting the stage for your cognitive future?’ She describes your 30s as a critical decade, juggling a demanding career, family life, and personal ambitions. And though many have finally gotten into the stride of life, bidding adieu to the learning curve of our 20s, it’s also when the first subtle signs of cognitive strain can appear if left unchecked. Your brain is operating at its highest capacity, after all. Think about it this way: you wouldn’t neglect your physical health, so why would you ignore your mental health? (Picture: Getty Images)

Thankfully, Mackenzie says that, at 30, our brains are typically in prime condition. We’re not too far away from the final finishes of frontal lobe development, so this time is a ‘window of opportunity to understand our brain and cognitive functions.’ According to the expert, the key is understanding what ‘good shape’ looks like and knowing how to keep it that way. ‘This isn’t about gimmicks or quick fixes,’ she says. It’s about building sustainable habits that protect your most valuable asset. ‘Far too many people only start thinking about this part of their body much later down the line, even though changes are happening inside the brain now.’ For example, Alzheimer’s — the most common cause of dementia in the UK — shows up in the brain decades before symptoms show. ‘The earlier you start thinking about it, the better,’ warns Mackenzie (Picture: Getty Images)

‘Your 30s are a fascinating time for cognitive function,’ adds the expert. While the intense growth and change of your teens and early twenties have settled, your brain has now reached a period of mature efficiency and reliability. ‘Cognitive strengths such as reasoning, memory, and problem-solving are typically in their prime,’ she says. However, the environments around us have changed considerably, and the ‘demands of the modern world are really pushing the performance boundaries.’ So, how can we keep our brains in tip-top shape, and what exercises help us to do so? Here, Mackenzie shares five self-tests that measure the state of your brain — if you fly through them all and you’re in your 30s, you’re in remarkable shape (Picture: Getty Images)

Remembering everyday details

‘If you can visit the supermarket without a list and come home with nearly everything you intended to buy, your memory is working well,’ states Mackenzie. Similarly, if you can remember key points from an hour-long presentation you saw at work last week (extra points if it was especially dull), or the plot of a book you finished recently, this reflects healthy episodic memory (Picture: Getty Images)

Working memory

Learning and recalling words

Next up, Mackenzie suggests another classic test: reading a list of 12 unrelated words twice, and checking how many you can recall after one minute. Apparently, normative data in this age group suggests it’s healthy to remember eight or nine out of 12 words instantly. But, if you can recall most of the list — nine or more — you’re performing above average, the expert states. Don’t fear, though: if only six to eight words come to mind, that’s still within the normal range. Mackenzie says that pressure and environment play a part in recall success here, so these things need to be considered (Picture: Getty Images)

Paying attention and switching gears

‘Healthy thirtysomethings can focus on a demanding task (like writing a report or analysing a spreadsheet) for at least 20 to 30 minutes without major lapses,’ Mackenzie states. She says that in tests that require switching between tasks or sorting things mentally, most people in this age bracket perform quickly and with only the occasional slip. However, the older we get, the more problematic task switching becomes. This is because it ‘slows down productivity due to the speed needed to attend to a new task’ (Picture: Getty Images)

Problem-solving and reasoning

‘Whether you’re solving a tricky work problem or planning a group trip, your ability to assess information and reach logical conclusions is typically operating at a high level,’ notes Mackenzie. For people who can solve simple brain teasers, logic puzzles or Sudoku with little frustration, Mackenzie says you’re ‘right where you should be for your age.’ But, the expert warns, these apps and puzzles only make you better at the puzzle, not necessarily at real-life tasks (Picture: Getty Images)

Ultimately, Mackenzie says, ‘if you find that you can recall seven random numbers, remember eight or nine items after hearing a word list twice, focus on a project for half an hour without constant distraction, and keep up with everyday problem solving, your brain is demonstrating the healthy “norms” seen in population data for people your age’ (Picture: Getty Images)

Health

16 Oct, 2025 | Admin | No Comments

The age your brain reaches its peak has been revealed

The human body naturally declines as part of ageing. However, new research has revealed that even if you’re over the age of 50, you still haven’t yet reached your cognitive peak. It’s thought that we reach our physical peak in our mid-to-late 20s and our optimal happiness in our early 20s or in retirement. Our psychological peak though is another matter (Picture: Getty)

New research, published in the journal Intelligence reveals that humans’ cognitive ability is at its best between the ages of 55 to 60, and the researchers say that knowing this highlights why people in this age range may be at their best for complex problem-solving and leadership in the workforce. In their study, the researchers said that while fluid intelligence, which is often believed to be the most important cognitive ability and peaks at around 20 years old, other dimensions like crystallised intelligence and emotional intelligence continued to improve (Picture: Getty)

So what did they do?

The researchers analysed age-related trends across nine markers linked to life success. These were cognitive abilities, personality traits, emotional intelligence, financial literacy, moral reasoning, resistance to sunk cost bias, cognitive flexibility, cognitive empathy, and need for cognition. Then they created two models to test this, and found that in both, overall functioning peaked during late midlife (Picture: Getty)

They also found that crystallised intelligence, responsible for applying acquired knowledge, decision-making and problem-solving, continues to improve as we age. Other traits such as emotional intelligence, moral reasoning, and resistance to the sunk cost fallacy also peak later on. The researchers also focused on well-established psychological traits beyond reasoning ability that can be measured accurately, which represent a person’s characteristics rather than temporary states (Picture: Getty)

The researchers say that they identified 16 psychological dimensions that met these criteria,among them core cognitive abilities such as reasoning, memory span, processing speed, knowledge and emotional intelligence – as well as the ‘big five’ personality traits – openness, conscientiousness, agreeableness, extraversion and neuroticism. They found that conscientiousness peaked around age 65, where as emotional stability peaked around age 75 (Picture: Getty)

The good news is that characteristics such as moral reasoning appear to peak in older adulthood, and the capacity to resist making irrational or less accurate decisions, may continue well into the 70s and even 80s. However, the bad news is that our cognitive ability tends to decline from around 65 years of age, and becomes more pronounced after age 75 (Picture: Getty)

Lead author, Dr Gilles Gignac of the University of Western Australia, told the Times: ‘The mix of accumulated knowledge, judgment and life experience is what shifts the overall peak of human functioning into the late fifties. So, while youth has advantages, maturity arguably brings a broader and more powerful set of tools for navigating complex problems and responsibilities. While some people might find this obvious, it had never been quantified and established scientifically’ (Picture: Getty)

Health

16 Oct, 2025 | Admin | No Comments

Get ready for dark nights with the BHS sale – and outdoor lighting essential we are investing in for winter

The Black BHS Zeb Outdoor Up and Down Wall Light with PIR Sensor against a pink background — Provide your garden with some much needed light this winter. (Picture: BHS/Metro/Getty)

Metro journalists select and curate the products that feature on our site. If you make a purchase via links on this page we will earn commission – learn more

The dark nights are drawing closer and closer, which can make finding her way to the front door a little problematic – and, let’s face it, scary.

Thankfully, the BHS sale has landed with huge savings to be had on outdoor lighting – it truly couldn’t come at a better time.

Whether you like a well-lit entrance to welcome you home after a night out, or you want to detect any goings on outside your home, then an outdoor light with a sensor is a worthy investment, and one we’re making.

We’re looking for functional, practical and chic lighting that is durable enough to withstand the elements outside, and we think the Zeb Outdoor Up and Down Wall Light with PIR Sensor ticks all the boxes.

Zeb Outdoor Up and Down Wall Light with PIR Sensor

Crafted from aluminium material to create a lightweight yet durable and weather resistant outdoor appliance. It has been IP65 rated, which confirms these lights are weather resistant. The light is illuminated upwards and downwards with a 11.5cm reach. It measures 7.2cm in width and 22.5cm in height.

BUY NOW FOR £24 (WAS £32)

The Zeb Outdoor Up and Down Wall Light has been crafted from durable aluminium, which is IP65 rated to confirm it is weather resistant – a key feature for outdoor props, obviously.

The wall light boasts a sleek back finish with light glaring out the top and bottom for a strong illumination to guide your pathway as far as 11.5cm.

This creation is an automatic lighting, and fitted with PIR sensors that light up when motion is detected, which makes it a fuss-free and easy to use design.

These lights are lightweight, weighing just 0.6kg, so it is unlikely to weigh down when propped into the wall or fall out of the wall. It is also compact in size as it measures 7.2cm in width and 22.5cm in height, so it is not a huge eye sore on the exterior of your home.

In a set there are two lights, which means two 7 Watt bulbs are required, but those bulbs are not included.

The lights are easy to erect, functional, durable, chic, and most importantly affordable now it’s on sale for £24.

It’s unknown how long the discount will last, but we strongly encourage you to shop quickly, especially as the clocks change at the end of the month, which means the winter nights will get darker even earlier.

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These are the must-have items from Bella Freud’s M&S collection that are still in stock

Latest clothing and accessories from Bella Freud x Marks & Spencer — We’re logging on at the crack of DAWN for the latest M&S x Bella Freud drop. (Picture: Metro/M&S/Getty)

Metro journalists select and curate the products that feature on our site. If you make a purchase via links on this page we will earn commission – learn more

Ok, everyone stay calm. It’s happening. Bella Freud is officially back in M&S for round two.

The luxury designer has just launched a brand new collection with the high street fave, bringing her coveted slogan cashmere sweaters back, along with a whole range of homewares, children’s clothing, family PJs and extra womenswear items. Swoooon!

Shoppable online and in select stores from today (October 16) this exciting drop is a lot bigger than the first, with a 43-piece collection available to buy.

Bella Freud x M&S Merino Wool Rich Slogan Relaxed Jumper

This merino wool-rich jumper from the M&S x Bella Freud collection combines everyday luxury with a playful twist. Crafted with cashmere and cut in a relaxed fit, it features a bold ‘Wham Bam’ slogan that reflects Bella Freud’s signature style. Part of a limited-edition gifting range, it’s a standout piece for the season – ideal for giving, or keeping for yourself.

Buy Now for £130

From cool slogan knit designs and a gorgeous velvet trouser suit, to cute cushions, luxurious bedding and scent diffusers, the whole collection is designed in Bella’s signature graphic style.

There’s a noticeable nod to the festive season too, with silk shirts and family pyjama sets, festive candles and fuzzy red socks on offer.

Bella Freud x M&S Pure Wool Belted Double Breasted Coat

Cold weather, but make it chic. This limited-edition coat from the M&S x Bella Freud collection proves that staying warm doesn’t mean compromising on style. Made from pure Italian mill wool, it’s tailored in a longline, double-breasted silhouette with wide peak lapels and a belted waist for a refined finish. Fully lined for comfort and cut to a regular fit, it’s a standout piece from the collaboration – blending M&S craftsmanship with Bella Freud’s signature edge.

Buy Now for £300

The addition of homeware makes this latest drop even more exciting than the first – and according to Bella, it was a natural next step.

Speaking about the decision to expand into interiors, she explained: ‘The new addition this season is homeware, and when designing these pieces, I was thinking of all the things I enjoy when I’m entertaining at home.’

M&S x Bella Freud Divine Feminine Scented Candl

Scent meets statement. This M&S x Bella Freud candle is as striking as it is indulgent. Poured in black wax and housed in a glass jar emblazoned with a golden ‘Divine Feminine’ slogan, it’s a bold addition to any space. The fragrance opens with floral notes, deepens into a spicy heart, and settles into a rich, musky base – part of the floral family known for its soft, uplifting character. It’s a thoughtful gift with edge, and yes, there’s a matching diffuser too.

Buy Now for £15

‘Inviting people into your space is about taking care of them – imagining their pleasure in the little things you provide. From feasting around the table together to the calming scent that carries you through your evening, it’s all part of the atmosphere.’

Maddy Evans, M&S Womenswear Director, also commented: ‘After the huge success of the debut M&S X Bella Freud collection last October, it was a no brainer that we team up with Bella once again. Customers loved the collection, from the iconic word jumpers through to the classic Bella Freud tailoring styles, and this newest collection features all of those hero styles and more, whilst continuing to champion luxe fabrics including 100% silk, 100% cashmere and velvet.’

M&S x Bella Freud Pure Cotton Sateen Slogan Pyjama Set

These pure cotton sateen pyjamas from the M&S x Bella Freud collection bring a luxe twist to cosy nights in. Cut in a relaxed fit, the button-through top features a soft collar and playful ‘Snuggle’ embroidery on the pocket, while the elasticated bottoms are finished with a colour-pop drawstring. Packaged in a smart storage bag, they’re also available in menswear and kidswear – perfect for gifting, or a matching family moment.

Buy Now for £50

‘However, we haven’t stopped there, there’s a surprise in store because we’ve expanded the collection, introducing family PJ’s, kids, home styles, and not forgetting the dog – a real treat for customers ahead of Christmas and perfect for gifting!’

Can’t wait to get your hands on it? Yeah, us too.

Red makeup bag with slogan across the front

M&S x Bella Freud Textured Toiletry Bag

This textured toiletry bag from the M&S x Bella Freud collection is crafted from plush fabric and finished with a chunky zip and bold appliqué slogan – a nod to the designer’s signature irreverent style. It’s a playful yet practical gift for anyone who loves their essentials with a side of personality. And yes, it’s definitely worth treating yourself too.

Buy Now for £18

Prices start from just £10 for the gorgeous home nibble bowls and go up to £300 for the women’s 100% recycled wool coat. In womenswear the knitwear is available in sizes XS-XL and the kids knitwear age 3-10. The wider women’s collection is available in sizes 6-24 (inc. Short, Regular & Long leg lengths).

The women’s PJ set will be available in sizes 6-22 and socks 3-8, men’s PJ’s S-XXXL, kids PJ’s 3-10 and baby 0-3. Finally, across home the bed set will be available in single, double, king and super king sizes.

Want it all? We don’t blame you. But, you’ll need to move fast as last October’s collection sold out in minutes.

Don’t say we didn’t warn you!

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