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Young entrepreneurs find a way to make their CEO dreams come true

Jeffrey Bailey — Fri, 15 Mar 2024 09:39:32 +0000

Edward Silva grew up wanting to become a CEO.

In 2018, Mr. Silva enrolled in the Stanford Graduate School of Business with the goal of starting his own business. “I was going to live the Stanford dream,” he said. “I started looking for an engineer – we went looking for a venture capital firm and a technology start-up.”

Then a classmate told him about a different path for aspiring entrepreneurs. Instead of starting a company from scratch — Mr. Silva had co-founded and even served as CEO before business school — he could buy one and run it. To do that, he would have to raise a “search fund,” a collection of money from investors willing to bet that an ambitious young person with no track record will make them money.

Mr. Silva, 34, was intrigued. “I realized you don’t have to deal with VCs that have unreasonable expectations,” he said. After raising a search fund of more than $30 million from a small group of investors, Mr. Silva in July 2021 purchased MásLabor, a Virginia-based consultancy specializing in employment visas. It was the perfect target business: the owners, a couple in their 70s, were ready to retire and had no children – just 15 dogs.

Search funds started as a business school experiment four decades ago but have gained popularity in recent years as compelling newcomers armed with MBA degrees entice investors to make these niche bets with the promise of high returns. Nearly $800 million was invested in search funds in 2020 and 2021, about a third of the total amount raised for such funds since the idea was conceived, according to data from the Stanford Graduate School of Business.

“At first it was just a small group of interested students,” said H. Irving Grousbeck, an adjunct professor at Stanford. Mr. Grousbeck is credited with coming up with the idea for a search fund in 1984, when he was a lecturer at Harvard Business School and helped Jim Southern, a student in his entrepreneurial class, raise money to acquire Uniform Printing, a printer of special insurance documents. .

“Jim was an early success story,” Mr. Grousbeck said. In 1994, after a decade as CEO, Mr. Southern sold Uniform Printing for a return of 24 times its investment, according to a 2016 study on entrepreneurship by the University of Chicago Booth School of Business.

After seeding the idea at Harvard, Mr. Grousbeck went to Stanford, where he introduced the search fund model to generations of business school students. “Ultimately, the talent, capital and opportunity came together to form a true search fund community,” he said.

Today, search fund courses are taught in almost every major MBA program, including at the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University and the Yale School of Management, although Stanford is still one of the biggest proponents and the only institution that consistently charts data brings. the growth of the industry. Over the past ten years, the number of funds started has increased fivefold, from 20 in 2013 to 105 in 2023.

As venture capital funding has declined, tech hiring has cooled and salaries on Wall Street have stagnated, search funds have proven to be an attractive – albeit small – way to invest. The so-called average internal rate of return – the most common way for investors to estimate the potential of an investment opportunity – for all investments in search funds between 1986 and 2021 was 35 percent, well above the 15 percent that private equity funds have achieved in recent years have returned. the past two decades.

In the beginning, investors were mostly wealthy individuals backing young entrepreneurs – with hundreds of thousands of dollars to a few million – but major investors, including private equity firms, have recently started investing in search funds.

The typical search fund strategy goes like this: The entrepreneur raises an initial round of funding to cover his or her salary and travel expenses while looking for a company to buy. While there is no recipe for a successful acquisition, most share a few key ingredients: the company is profitable and in a fragmented industry (think HVAC, home health care, or waste management), and the owners are approaching retirement with no clear heir apparent.

If the future CEO finds a target, he or she will go back to the investors to try to raise a second round of financing to buy the company. Investors and entrepreneurs earn returns when the acquired company is sold or goes public for more money than it was purchased for.

Entrepreneurial MBAs from major business schools have long been able to raise millions of dollars from venture capitalists to fund their startups, and search funds have become another way for some of them to rake in big bucks straight out of college. Still, they have to convince cautious investors.

“Searchers often approach a small company from a fancy school without much experience,” says GJ King, a search fund investor.

Mr. King looks for entrepreneurs who are humble, collaborative and have a good sales pitch – three qualities he believes are essential to overcoming the skepticism of potential sellers and their employees. Only when he is convinced of these properties does he decide to invest. “People will rightly be skeptical of you,” he added.

Mr. Silva, who became CEO of MásLabor, said he wrote more than 1,000 personalized emails and made about 800 phone calls before he found the right target: a company in good financial health, with owners willing to sell .

“I looked at their finances and thought, wow, there’s something really special here,” he said of MásLabor. Mr Silva would not reveal how much he paid, other than to say it was more than twice the average purchase price of the search fund in 2021, at $16.5 million – which equates to more than $33 million.

The deal took more than five months to close and included uprooting his eight-month pregnant wife and their toddler from California and moving everyone to Virginia. (Mr. Silva closed his previous company, Henlight, after struggling to expand the business.)

As part of the deal, he also acquired AgWorks H2, a partner company of MásLabor. Mr. Silva plans to make more acquisitions to build the company.

An acquisition-based growth strategy is gaining popularity, driven in part by increasing competition among both investors and seekers. “You make a land grab, buy as many of these companies as you can and put them together,” says Peter Kelly, a search fund investor and lecturer at Stanford Business School, about the industry’s emerging M&A strategy.

Kelsey Holland, a 2023 Harvard Business School graduate who raised a search fund last year, said she was well aware of the growing competition. “There was a search,” said Ms. Holland, who had worked as a product manager at companies like Equinox before business school.

Like Mr. Silva, Ms. Holland always wanted to become CEO of a company and assumed she would achieve her goal by founding a start-up. Then, in her first year of business studies, she learned about search funds – a model she and her colleagues say they were particularly attracted to in the current economic climate.

“When you’re plugged in, you read about all these startups that you thought were doing well and are now going down, struggling and getting laid off,” she said.

In September, Ms. Holland, 33, began looking for a health care company to acquire after raising about half a million dollars from private individuals and investment firms as she looked for a company to buy. She has sent hundreds of personalized emails to business owners and met with more than twenty potential sellers.

Many of the owners she has met regularly receive emails from other searchers and private equity firms also interested in acquiring their businesses, Ms. Holland said. If she finds a company, she plans to go back to her investors and ask for an amount between $10 and $100 million, depending on the size of the target.

Ms. Holland does not think search funds are a sure path to the corner office given the increasingly competitive market, but said she was confident she would find the right company. “Nowadays we just need more creativity.”

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In my 30s I had it all, a partner, high-flying job and plans to start a family. But my dreams of motherhood were dashed in a decade of failed IVF, Then I lost the man of my dreams. Could Everest heal my broken heart?

Albert Elence — Tue, 12 Mar 2024 13:14:06 +0000

I was on top of the world. Literally. The summit of Everest, 8,848-metres high. It had taken six gruelling days and nights to get there after leaving base camp and the final hours along the summit ridge had been terrifying – the rocky track as thin as thread with a vertical drop either side. Dead bodies littered the way.

When I finally reached the prayer flags fluttering in the wind at the top, I sat down exhausted.

The view was unarguably magnificent – blue sky against white snow, surrounded by the most glorious mountains in the world. I hadn’t expected to feel triumphant. But I thought there would be a sense of relief that I’d finally made it.

Instead, I just felt numb. And I knew I still had to get down. Descending high mountains is just as difficult and dangerous as climbing up them. As it turns out, I was right to be anxious, something terrible was yet to happen.

I wondered how I got there. A 51-year-old woman from north London who is the most unlikely athlete.

At school, I was the arty one, not the sporty one. I never wanted to be a mountaineer. But somehow I had become a record-breaking adventurer. The first woman in the world to achieve ‘The Sea, Street, Summit Challenge’ – which is to swim the English Channel, run a road marathon and summit Mount Everest.

However, this wasn’t what I had always wanted. What I always wanted was to be a mother.

Jessica Hepburn, the first woman in the world to achieve ‘The Sea, Street, Summit Challenge’

Ms Hepburn trained for six years and made three attempts before reaching Everest’s summit

My long, hard journey to the summit of Everest started when I was 34. The day my partner, Peter, and I looked at each other and said: ‘Let’s make a family.’ We had been together for several years. We both had successful careers in the arts world. I had recently become Chief Executive of a London theatre – the Lyric Hammersmith – and I mistakenly thought I was one of the women who could ‘have it all’.

So we threw away the contraception and started trying. It was fun at first – making love for a purpose as well as for pleasure. Like so many couples we thought that soon we’d see a double line on a pregnancy test.

But after a year nothing had happened. We went to our first fertility clinic and were diagnosed with ‘unexplained infertility’. Around a third of all couples who struggle to conceive receive this frustrating diagnosis. We started on IVF. We got pregnant first time. But lost the baby early on. We went through another round. The same thing happened.

IVF was the first gruelling physical and mental endurance journey I undertook. It was a rollercoaster I rode for ten years, mostly in secret. Infertility is shrouded in shame. I didn’t tell family, friends or colleagues.

My job was often glamorous, mixing with famous directors and actors. But at first night theatre parties, behind my smiles for the camera, I was going through the saddest years of my life.

Miscarrying my babies in public toilets, sometimes tying a jumper around my waist to hide the blood and carrying on as if nothing had happened.

The façade cracked when a pregnancy was discovered as ectopic at three months. A perfect baby but not in my womb: in my stomach. An emergency operation saved my life. But pregnancy loss and infertility is barely recognised as an injury, illness or bereavement. As soon as I was discharged from hospital I went back to work.

The worst part of all was what it did to my mental health. I felt like a failure as a woman. I grew distant from my friends as they had their own families. The pain of their happiness too much to bear. I thought I would never be happy.

In total we spent over £70,000 in our pursuit of parenthood and got into debt to pay for it. But in the end the closest I ever came to becoming a biological mother was a cluster of cells. The only evidence the scars across my tummy from my ectopic emergency.

Aged 43, I instinctively knew it was time to give up on my own eggs. Around the same time my relationship with my partner, Peter, started to break down. Perhaps if we had stayed together we could have explored an alternative route to parenthood – adoption, egg or sperm donation, surrogacy. But we separated. It broke me: I fell into the abyss.

I was in my forties. Childless, single and alone. I didn’t know what I wanted from life anymore.

I had a fabulous career, but it wasn’t making me happy. So I gave up my job. I moved back to my childhood home to live, and care for my elderly mum. That’s when I started to exercise my way out of heartbreak.

I’d never swum in open water before so swimming the 21 miles that separated England from France was an odd choice. I couldn’t even swim very well. But I had enjoyed going to our local pool as a child – and it was a memory from then that sparked the idea.

She was in her forties, childless, single, not knowing what she wanted from life

Ms Hepburn has written books and toured schools raising awareness of fertility issues

Back in the 1970s and 80s swimming the English Channel made headline news. When I failed to get a place in my school swimming gala I told my disappointed dad that it didn’t matter because one day I was going to swim the Channel instead.

I loved my dad so much and I wanted to make him proud. He would have made a wonderful grandfather but after suffering a series of strokes he died in 2012 on the day I received the negative result of one of my final rounds of IVF.

I trained for two years – hours and hours doing drills in the pool throughout the winter, and then in the summer in Dover Harbour. When I achieved my qualifying swim of six hours in water below 16 degrees – I was ready to make an attempt.

I began my swim out of sadness on 2 September 2015 at 1.30am. It became my own version of giving birth – 17 hours 44 minutes and 30 seconds of labour in the sea. I suffered with violent vomiting, jellyfish stings all over my body and face. But when my feet finally touched the sand in France, all the pain was eclipsed by euphoria.

The adrenalin buzz of achieving something so big had got me, so I then set out to run the London Marathon. It had been on my bucket list but I had never seriously considered it because I am a rubbish runner.

When I started training a stranger shouted out at me that I must get exhausted running so slowly. On 23 April 2017, every step of the 26.2 miles from Greenwich to the Mall was a slog and I eventually finished in 5 hours and 27 minutes. There will never be a sub four in me.

But on the positive side, I had started using my challenges to raise awareness for fertility causes – writing books and touring to schools across the country to tell my story.

I want young people today to learn more than ‘how not to get pregnant’. They need to know the warning signs of fertility problems; the impact of age on pregnancy success; the limits, costs and ethics of reproductive science.

And then, finally, I embarked on the biggest journey of my life: to the top of the world. I had heard that very few people had swum the Channel and summitted Everest and that no woman had achieved the ‘Sea, Street, Summit Challenge’ – running a marathon as well. I wanted to give it a go.

I was under no illusion about the dangers. Every year a few hundred people attempt to climb the mountain and several die.

It was going to be especially hard for a middle-aged woman who knew nothing about mountaineering. I had never put on a harness, or tied myself to a rope. I started training – climbing all the highest mountains in the UK, and around the world.

I spent hours going up hills with a pack on my back. This inspired me to take on another endurance challenge far more suited to an arty girl – listening to every single episode of my favourite radio programme – Desert Island Discs.

The show’s castaways became my companions – their wisdom and music fuelling me. They inspired me to start creating playlists for every aspect of life. For the mountains; for the mornings; for the sun, wind and rain. Music to cheer me up when I was feeling down. To push me through a final mile.

I also start creating playlists for my family – my parents, grandparents, Peter. And I created a playlist for ‘Molly’ our longed for, imagined child. For her I chose Beethoven’s ‘Ode to Joy’ because all every mother wants is for their child to be happy. Creating these playlists brought me joy and has enabled me to cherish my family – including those I’ve lost and never had at all.

It took me six years of training and three attempts to summit Everest – whom I now call Chomolungma which is her original Tibetan Sherpa name and means ‘Mother Goddess of the World’.

The first try was a non attempt – in 2020 two weeks before I was due to fly to Nepal the mountain was closed due to Covid. I went back in 2021 but was unable to summit. I got sick but also wasn’t fit enough.

I returned for a final time in 2022. My six-day climb began with crossing the Khumbu Icefall. A tumbling cascade of giant blocks of ice, which at any moment can crash down and obliterate you. You have to cross cavernous crevasses with hundreds of metres of blackness below you on lightweight wobbly metal ladders wearing crampons. It’s like treading a tightrope in stilettos. I projectile vomited for 11 hours until we reached Camp 1.

The sickness weakened me and when we reached Camp 2, I had to rest and recover for two days. And from there we still had to reach Camp 3 up the legendary Lhotse Face, a near verticle ice wall, and to Camp 4 on the South Col from where you commence the final ascent – which for me was another 13 long hours upwards through the night.

At 7.30am on the 14 May 2022, I finally made it. But reaching the top of a mountain is only half of the journey. My descent was to become the biggest test of all. Several hours later, at 8,000 metres in the Death Zone – so called because it is too high for helicopter rescue and there isn’t enough air to survive for more than a few hours – I was involved in a freak accident.

Somebody’s oxygen cylinder came hurtling down the mountain, knocking me over and breaking my left leg. Most climbers need at least two bottles of oxygen to reach the summit. The extra bottles are carried on the back of your bag or, sometimes, shamefully thrown away when finished.

I’ll never know whether the bottle was dislodged or discarded. But the result was the darkest two days of my life in which I looked death in the face.

Everyone who climbs Everest is attached in single file to the same safety rope (without it the blow would have knocked me off the mountain). There was someone from my team in front of me and someone behind, and for a while they did what they could to help.

They took off my pack and carried it for me. But the situation was highly stressful for all of us as the injury had made me a life-threatening liability and everyone’s oxygen was running out. I could hardly move and at one point told them to leave me there to die and save themselves.

I crawled to Camp 4 where I passed out and when I woke up I discovered I had lost my sight due to snow and altitude blindness. This added an extra layer of terror.

Thankfully it returned after a couple of hours but even then the ordeal was far from over. I still had get down to Camp 2 where I could be rescued by helicopter. A descent that might usually take a few hours took a whole day – every slow painful step a game of Russian Roulette, my only support in that time Ibuprofen.

When I finally got to the relative safety of Camp 2, I collapsed and all I remember after that is lying in a tent vomiting.

The next day the weather was terrible and it was touch and go whether a helicopter would be able to land but suddenly I heard its thrum. I was carried to it in a frantic blur of sherpa, ice and pain and flown to hospital in Kathmandu.

My accident is not something I’d ever wish on anyone. But nor would I change it. Facing death has made me want to live. And one of the greatest gifts of my adventure from sea to summit is the renewed and profound relationship it has given me with Nature.

For a long time, I felt like she (Nature) didn’t love me because she wouldn’t give me a baby. Now I believe she does and saved my life – because all my injuries were man-made and if the weather hadn’t remained clement I would have surely died.

My adventures have turned the negative experiences of my life into positive. They have given me something else to focus on and the hardness of them has given me more strength to face everyday ups and downs.

I have become an activist for the power of adventure to improve your mental and physical health (including micro adventures closer to home and less dangerous).

The key is doing something new that requires effort. It makes you feel energised and ‘alive’. So I may never be a mother. I think I will always be carrying the grief of my personal life in my rucksack.

But in the words of Louis Armstrong, in one of the most selected Desert Island Discs songs of all time, I truly believe that it is (mostly) a ‘Wonderful World’.

Save Me from the Waves: An Adventure from Sea to Summit by Jessica Hepburn (£17.99, Aurum) is published this Thursday 7 March

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Samantha Murphy: Patrick Orren Stephenson’s classmate explains his teenage dreams – and why they thought he was ‘the next Elon Musk’

Albert Elence — Sun, 10 Mar 2024 21:36:58 +0000

EXCLUSIVE

A former classmate of Samantha Murphy’s accused killer has revealed that in high school he had big dreams of changing the world by creating a solution to combat climate change.

Patrick Stephenson, 22, the son of former AFL player Orren Stephenson, was this week charged with murdering the 51-year-old mother of three on February 4 after she left her Ballarat home for a morning run.

The development – four weeks after Ms Murphy’s disappearance – has shocked the rural town of Victoria, where both the Stephenson and Murphy families are well-known and respected members of the community.

As the search for Ms. Murphy’s body continues, a Damascus College graduate who attended the school with Stephenson for two years said he was also surprised by the arrest of his former classmate.

The man, who was a grade older than Stephenson, said they were in the same roll call class and that the alleged killer was friends with his younger brother.

Patrick Orren Stephenson (left) is charged with the February 4 murder of Samantha Murphy

‘He loved IT [Information Technology] and he was always tinkering with cars and tools and stuff, he was interested in mechanics and science,” the classmate said.

‘We both participated in a science fair [at school] and we worked on robots together. He would ask teachers for extra time to use the classrooms and tools.”

The former student said Stephenson was outgoing and an avid rower who was a member of the school’s sports team.

Outside of school, Stephenson would sometimes visit his parents’ house to hang out with his younger brother, where the pair would “work on stuff in the shed.”

However, his most vivid memory of Stephenson was his ambitions to tackle air pollution caused by the transport sector.

And the former student believed he seemed tenacious enough to succeed.

“I remember him talking about how he wanted to come up with a solution to make cars more environmentally friendly and reduce CO2 emissions,” he said.

“He seemed passionate about it, like he was going to tackle it later in life.

“You know, like ‘wow, he could be the next Elon Musk.’

Stephenson attended Damascus College (pictured) during his senior years of high school

The remains of Victorian mother Samantha Murphy (pictured) have yet to be found

Stephenson started high school at St Patrick’s College, before transferring to Damascus College for years 10-12.

He graduated in 2019 before taking up a profession as an electrician, like his father, a local electrician and telecommunications technician.

Police say Stephenson and Ms Murphy did not know each other, but she worked in the uniform shop at St Francis Xavier Primary School around the same time he attended the school.

Mrs Murphy’s eldest daughter Jess, who is also 22, was also a member of the same school community.

While Jess attended different high schools than Stephenson, Ms Murphy’s youngest daughter is currently studying at Damascus College.

In recent weeks, the high school has publicly expressed their support for the distressed Murphy family as they frantically search for their missing mother and wife.

“As the search for Samantha continues, Damascus College extends our prayers and support to the Murphy family,” the school wrote in a Feb. 9 message.

“As a community we have seen and heard Michael [Ms Murphy’s husband] and Jess about the recent news, and our hearts are full as we remain steadfast in hope.

Despite his big teen tech dreams, Stephenson (pictured with his girlfriend) took up a profession after leaving school

“In times of challenge and uncertainty, we may experience mixed emotions, and we recognize the sadness and vulnerability that the Damascus community may be experiencing at this time.

“We keep the Murphy family in our hearts and prayers as we pray for a positive outcome.”

Former student Stephenson would be arrested just four weeks later on March 6 while holed up with his girlfriend in a house in Scotsburn, 19km south of Ballarat.

Police will allege Stephenson killed the mother in Mount Clear – about five kilometers from her Ballarat East home – while she was running through Woowookarung Regional Park in the morning.

Victoria Police say they do not believe anyone else is involved and have seized a number of items including a car and CCTV footage from local pubs as part of the investigation.

Over the past month, police and dozens of volunteers have carried out large-scale searches of the area, but no traces of Ms Murphy have been found.

Stephenson has been in custody since Thursday and has not disclosed the location of her body to investigators.

A gag order on Stephenson’s identity was lifted by a Victorian magistrate on Friday.

His case will return to court at a later date.

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From village girl to airport manager: how Pampa Mahanta overcame social taboos and poverty to realize her dreams

Sabir Ansary — Fri, 08 Mar 2024 15:12:26 +0000

Pampa Mahanta had to move a lot during her school years because her father had a transferable job, and learned to adapt quickly.

Image shared on X by @AkasaAir

International Women’s Day: From a simple girl from a remote village in Assam to an airline manager at an international airport, considered a male-dominated profession, Pampa Mahanta’s journey included the struggle against scarcity of resources and rejection by family and society.

Now she manages safety and security, flight operations, passenger handling, administration, et al on behalf of her airline.

Born into a middle-class family in a village, she had to fight against all odds to achieve her dreams.

“No one, except my mother, wanted me to leave our remote village and go to work. In fact, I got no support from my family,” says Mahanta, now the airport manager of Akasa Air at Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport in Kolkata.

She did not even receive financial support from her father because he had a different view of women.

“My father wanted me to stay at home and later become a housewife. I have no problem sharing this truth,” Mahanta told PTI.

She faced several challenges such as limited resources and societal norms that prevented girls from pursuing higher education. But she never gave up.

Her mother stood by her side and taught her valuable lessons about perseverance and seizing every opportunity that came her way.

Mahanta had to move a lot during her school years as her father had a transferable job, and learned to adapt quickly.

The result was that she was able to work hard and at the same time combine a part-time job at a call center with her studies.

“There were times when I couldn’t sleep well because I had to go to college and work after classes,” she said.

Mahanta studied at an institute in Assam’s Guwahati and the journey there from her home in Kutalkusi village in Nalbari district was a nightmare. “I had to travel for hours to reach Guwahati,” she said.

When asked why she wanted to pursue a career in the aviation industry, Mahanta said: “I have always found this sector very interesting and every day is a new day here.”

According to her, the work she does is very demanding as she is responsible for the smooth operation of her airline’s flights from Kolkata airport.

From passengers to colleagues, she is in charge of everything every day. From providing the best services to passengers to addressing complaints from different quarters, she is responsible for everyone.

“The job of an airport manager is very challenging,” says Captain Sarvesh Gupta, former chairman of the Airport Operators’ Committee, Calcutta.

“Airport managers are local representatives of airlines. They ensure compliance with safety and security regulations, in addition to managing general flight operations, passenger handling and administration, coordinate with the local government and are also the point of contact during unforeseen events,” said Captain Gupta.

In most cases, men have been appointed to that position, but in recent years more and more women have been at the helm, he says.

“A lot has changed in my family since I started working. The best part is that my father is a changed man. His perception has changed and I am happy with it. I have four nieces and today they all look up to me,” said Mahanta.

She joined the aviation sector as an intern at a private airline in 2011. Her post was in Guwahati. From there she jumped from one airport to another (Colkata, Maldives, Coimbatore, Bangalore, Ahmedabad) and once again she was back in Kolkata, and this time as the airline’s airport manager.

Another woman airport manager in Kolkata, Anushila Chaturvedi of Emirates, told PTI that it has always been an equal opportunity city.

“In Calcutta, people pray to Goddess Durga and Kali and women are highly valued. Flight operations are a very dynamic issue and every day is a new challenge. All stakeholders at the airport have always cooperated with me and there has been no discrimination from anyone,” Chaturvedi said.

(Only the headline was reworked by India.com staff. The copy is from an agency feed)

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Dreams may change, but remain strong

Jeffrey Bailey — Tue, 05 Mar 2024 00:49:25 +0000

OUR beloved astrologer Meg sadly passed away last year, but her column will be kept alive by her friend and protector Maggie Innes.

Read on to see what’s written in the stars for you today.

RAM

March 21 to April 20

Your Saturn power is an amazing ability to see how dreams can change, yet remain strong.

Once you use this skill in a relationship conversation, partners get back on the same page.

If you start the day single, Venus brings back a friend of a friend who you’ve always regretted not getting to know better.

Get the latest Aries horoscope news, including your weekly and monthly predictions

Your daily horoscope for Tuesday

Taurus

April 21 to May 21

The ultimate prize that Jupiter promises may take some patience, but you are the perfect sign for this challenge.

From a travel ticket to a love affair, playing it cool can help you win.

A local group may not appeal immediately, but consider joining.

Happiness omits every second letter.

Get the latest Taurus horoscope news, including your weekly and monthly predictions

GEMINI

May 22 to June 21

A deeply spiritual time to reflect on your feelings and how they help you move forward – or hold you back.

If there is a family space in your life, the first step can be taken quickly.

In terms of love, it may be easier to postpone a decision, but your heart needs to know now, so make your move.

Get the latest Gemini horoscope news, including your weekly and monthly predictions

CANCER

June 22 to July 22

The plot of a love story feels far-fetched, but it can be yours.

You’ve learned all the correct lines, now say them out loud.

If you are still looking for someone special, you have already met and if you remind your heart, you will realize where.

The sun is strong in transformation energy, ready for hair renewal.

Receive the latest news Cancer horoscope news including your weekly and monthly predictions

LION

July 23 to August 23

Enlisting the help of someone who sees you every day and who always understands you can help make a fitness plan fly.

Together you can be stronger than alone, but it is still important to cherish your own goals.

When it comes to love, partnership and passion work well together, and tackling a postponed task can bring you closer together.

Receive the latest news Horoscope news about Leo including your weekly and monthly predictions

VIRGO

August 24 to September 22

You think you don’t like surprises – until today.

Your chart offers so many ways to amaze you and change your plans for the future.

The biggest surprise may be how easy you find this process, how powerful it makes you feel.

In terms of passion, casual conversation hides a serious purpose, so listen between the lines.

Receive the latest news Virgo horoscope news including your weekly and monthly predictions

The sun is strong in transformation energy, ready for hair renewalCredit: Getty

LIBRA

September 23 to October 23

You prefer to look forward rather than back, but take the time to examine past promises and decisions and what they really meant to you.

Deciphering this can unlock a bright future because you will truly understand your own head and heart.

Instant contests and one-word questions can link to prizes.

Receive the latest news Libra horoscope news including your weekly and monthly predictions

List of 12 zodiac signs

The traditional dates Mystic Meg uses for each board are below.

SCORPIO

October 24 to November 22

Build a sensible timeline into a creative plan and you’ll bring it much closer to reality.

Even if you encounter opposition, continue with your plans.

You have a love diagram of passion versus security – an existing relationship can provide both.

If you’re single, give a chatty Sagittarius a second chance to listen

Receive the latest news Horoscope news about Scorpio including your weekly and monthly predictions

SAGITTARIUS

November 23 to December 21

There is so much warmth in your words, thanks to the sun.

Stop wasting time convincing a rival to see things your way and instead focus on like-minded people.

When you are in love, ask for changes little by little, rather than overwhelming a partner with demands.

New love awaits where old photos are sold.

Receive the latest news Sagittarius horoscope news including your weekly and monthly predictions

CAPRICORN

December 22 to January 20

Your name on a reward document is now close by and the key is that you need to be clear about how much you are willing to give and how much you need to take.

In love terms, this creates a mutual agreement, while at work, opposition can coalesce into cooperation.

The luck factor finds you where outdoor exercises take place.

Receive the latest news Horoscope news about Capricorn including your weekly and monthly predictions

New love awaits where old photos are soldCredit: supplied

AQUARIUS

January 21 to February 18

While the sun motivates your money sector, you can set up and close so many deals with a special place for your own skills.

But when it comes to family sums, they become bigger and better when shared.

Romantically, you are a passion star.

The initial next to yours in the alphabet is your love clue.

Receive the latest news Aquarius horoscope news including your weekly and monthly predictions

PISCES

February 19 to March 20

Loyalty is important to you, so resist any attempt to downplay it.

You have the right to expect others to give you the same respect that you give them.

Your passion profile is full of desire, so treat yourself to some sensual experiences.

Jupiter adds your name to a secret list, you will notice when a price offer appears.

Receive the latest news Pisces horoscope news including your weekly and monthly predictions

The post Dreams may change, but remain strong appeared first on USMAIL24.COM.

Get the Juicy Pout of Your Dreams With This Lip Gloss

Sabir Ansary — Tue, 27 Feb 2024 16:29:14 +0000

Us Weekly has affiliate partnerships. We receive compensation when you click on a link and make a purchase. Learn more!

Bare lips with glam looks might be in, but don’t discount shiny, glossy lips. They’ll never go out of style. As such, neither will a full pout. You could spend a ton on a lip flip or fillers, or you could try a gloss that can help mimic the effect of fillers for you while depositing some seriously fun color.

Related: Add Shine to Your Lips With the Best Lip Glosses

In the world of makeup, lip gloss has become a must-have. Whether you’re going for a natural, no-makeup look or looking to add some extra shine to your makeup routine, a good gloss can provide just the right amount of tint and shine without a heavy application of
As with all makeup products, though, not all lip glosses are created equal. Some are too sticky, while others provide more shimmer than color. To help you out, we’ve rounded up the top lip glosses of 2023. From lightweight glosses that are perfect for everyday wear to bolder shades that will give you a pop of color, we’ve got something for every occasion and makeup look.

Reviewing the Leading Lip Glosses of 2023

– Best Overall

Looking for a sumptuous, non-sticky gloss? Look no further than the NYX Professional Makeup Lip Gloss. With sheer to medium coverage, this product feels like butter on your lips, leaving them soft and supple without any stickiness. From mauve plum to light beige, it comes in an array of delicious shades, making it easy to find the right shade for any occasion. Even better, the gloss can be worn alone or under another lip product as a base.

This pick comes with a doe-foot applicator wand that makes it easy to apply without making a mess. Additionally, this gloss’s thin consistency allows it to glide onto your lips smoothly while imparting a healthy sheen. What’s more, it is never tested on animals and is certified by PETA as a cruelty-free product. Because of its luxurious formulas, range of shades, and commitment to animal-friendly practices, this lip gloss stands at the top of our list!

Pros

Hydrating, non-sticky formula

Buttery smooth texture

Easy to apply

Available in multiple eye-catching shades

Cons

Requires reapplication throughout the day

– Great Value

Broadway’s Vita-Lip Clear Lip Gloss is an amazing five-pack of lip gloss that has everything your lips need to stay hydrated, healthy, and looking great. Formulated with nourishing ingredients, each gloss in this set offers a unique benefit. Coconut oil helps hydrate chapped lips, argan oil gives your lips a healthy, smooth appearance, and mango butter will condition dry lips. Additionally, rosehip oil can reduce fine lines, while mint oil will give your lips a cooling sensation.

Unlike other lip glosses that fade away after a few minutes, this pick is exceptionally long-lasting, so you don’t have to worry about reapplying it throughout the day. Plus, each gloss can easily be layered or blended together to create a dramatic look. On top of all these benefits, this lip gloss comes in a squeezable tube, making it easy to apply!

Pros

Hydrating, moisturizing formula

Not overly thick or sticky

Offers a subtle sheen

Comes in a pack of five

Cons

Tube might leak a little

Not tinted whatsoever

– Best for Lip Plumping

Whether you’re looking for a subtle everyday look or something bolder for special occasions, Wet n Wild Mega Slicks Lip Gloss has got you covered. Enriched with hyaluronic acid, collagen, sunflower oil, and vitamin E, this gloss can help plump, moisturize and nourish your lips. It also features a unique jojoba glaze that gives your lips an ultra-shiny finish.

Available in a range of flattering hues, this tinted lip gloss provides a beautiful pop of color and is incredibly easy to apply. The included applicator wand allows you to evenly spread the gloss with just a single swipe. The formula is also non-sticky, so you won’t have to worry about your lips feeling excessively tacky after application. With its long-lasting formula, this lip gloss will stay put for hours without fading or drying out — perfect for a night out with friends or a special date!

Pros

Moisturizing and conditioning formula

Extra shiny finish

Non-sticky and non-drying

Easy to apply

Cons

Could be sheerer

– Best Shade Variety

Almay’s Lip Gloss is the perfect way to get your glam on. Boasting a lightweight formula, this gloss is available in eight shades, so you can easily find something that’ll create an impressive, dazzling look. This product is infused with shimmery pigments that’ll give your lips a subtle shine without the glitz.

Further, its non-sticky texture ensures that your color stays throughout the day, while the flocked applicator allows for even color distribution. It also gives your lips a smooth finish, so you won’t have to worry about clumps or flakes when applying it. And, because this lip gloss is hypoallergenic and dermatologist-tested, you don’t have to worry about possible allergic reactions when applying it!

Pros

Fragrance-free and hypoallergenic

Provides long-lasting color

Glossy finish with a little shimmer

Smooth, clump-free application

Cons

Sticky to some, despite claiming it’s non-sticky

– Most Long-lasting

Rimmel Stay Glossy Lip Gloss is a must-have for anyone who wants to keep their lips looking glossy and gorgeous. Made using shine extend technology, this gloss will keep your lips shiny even after eating, drinking, and kissing. This product has a buttery smooth texture that glides on easily, leaving behind a beautiful shiny finish.

From nude to bold, the lip gloss is available in a variety of shades that’ll make your pout pop. Plus, the formula is very lightweight, so you won’t feel like you’re wearing any makeup at all. Providing medium coverage, this gloss can be worn alone or over your favorite lipstick. And, since the product comes in a tube with a doe-foot applicator, it’s easy to apply on the go!

Pros

Moisturizing with a smooth consistency

Shiny finish without being glittery

Formula is non-sticky

Available in multiple shades

Cons

Not very long-lasting

How to Choose the Right Lip Gloss: A Complete Buying Guide

Lip gloss has become a staple of every woman’s makeup bag, but with such a wide variety on the market, it’s hard to know where to begin. Whether it’s your first tube of lipgloss or you’re just looking to add some variety to your collection, it can be daunting trying to pick out the perfect color. But fret not! With this buying guide, we’ll help you choose the perfect lip gloss for any look.

Things To Consider Before Buying a Lip Gloss

Color selection

From natural shades like pink or peach to bolder colors like blood red or burgundy, lip gloss comes in a wide range of colors. If you’re just starting, choose a neutral color that will go with any outfit or occasion. The best part? Most lip glosses come in several shades, so you can mix and match them as needed.

More streamlined Khelo India Winter Games will help athletes chase dreams: Anurag Thakur

Sabir Ansary — Wed, 21 Feb 2024 23:51:27 +0000

The second and final chapter of the Khelo India Winter Games 2024 kicked off in Gulmarg on Wednesday.

Khelo India Winter Games (credit: Twitter)

New Delhi: The curtains rose for the second and final chapter of the Khelo India Winter Games 2024 as snowflakes flew through the iconic Gulmarg Club on Wednesday evening. Union Minister of State for Youth Affairs and Sports Shri Nisith Pramanik and Lieutenant Governor of Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir Shri Manoj Sinha inaugurated the meeting. The first part of the Winter Games was held for the first time in Ladakh from February 2 to 6.

The Hon'ble Union Minister for Youth Affairs and Sports, Shri Anurag Singh Thakur, through a video message, inspired the nearly 500 participants attending the Winter Games here. This is a unique phase for the Khelo India Mission as the University Games are being held simultaneously in northeastern India.

“This edition of the Khelo India Winter Games has a special significance. For the first time, the Union Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, in collaboration with the Sports Authority of India, is directly managing the technical implementation of the Games. This streamlines operations and sets a new standard for future editions,” said Shri Thakur.

Shri Thakur inspired the Gulmarg participants by saying how India has become stronger at the global level during the Winter Olympics. From a rather insignificant start in 1968, to a 16-year-old Shiva Keshavan at the 1998 Winter Olympics to alpine skier Arif Mohammed Khan at the 2022 Winter Olympics, the minister said how India has come a long way.

“Khelo India is not just about participation, it is about providing quality training, infrastructure and exposure to enable you to realize your dreams. The experience you gain here will propel you for national or international glory,” said Shri Thakur.

Lieutenant Governor of J&K Shri Sinha said he expected stiff competition. “It is a momentous occasion for athletes who have prepared for this spectacular event. The Games will celebrate the hard work, skill, dedication and sporting excellence over the next four days, while renewing the spirit of brotherhood, peace and harmony among all teams,” Shri Sinha said.

Union Minister of State for External Affairs Shri Pramanik highlighted the beauty of the Games. While praising Maharashtra for winning the first leg of the Games in Ladakh, Shri Pramanik said, “To all the athletes participating, play with passion, compete with sportsmanship. May your achievements inspire generations to paint the canvas of Indian winter sports with vibrant colours.”

Gulmarg will host four events: ski mountaineering, downhill skiing, cross-country skiing and snowboarding. Day 1 saw Army men take all three top positions during cross-country skiing. Karnataka, who claimed six speed skating gold medals in Ladakh, made a strong start in Gulmarg as their Bhavani Thekkada won gold in the women's cross-country sprint (1.6 km). ITBP's Selma Soreng and Sapna finished second and third respectively.

In the spring men's cross-country skiing competition (10 km), all three positions were taken by the army. Padma Namgail won gold, while Mangeet and Rameez Ahmad Paddar settled for silver and bronze respectively.

The post More streamlined Khelo India Winter Games will help athletes chase dreams: Anurag Thakur appeared first on USMAIL24.COM.

Mbappe 'willing to join Arsenal' and dreams of following in Henry's footsteps

Jeffrey Bailey — Wed, 14 Feb 2024 07:10:45 +0000

KYLIAN MBAPPE is said to be “willing” to sign for Arsenal in a blockbuster move so he can follow in the footsteps of his hero Thierry Henry.

The 25-year-old French forward has been the subject of intense transfer speculation over the past two summers.

Arsenal have received a surprising boost in their search for Kyliann MbappeCredit: Rex

Real Madrid have long been interested but he decided at the last minute not to switch there in 2022, leaving Los Blancos in anger.

Then it became apparent last summer PSG had given their talisman an ultimatum – sign an extension, otherwise you're sold.

That was after the 2018 World Cup winner turned the club upside down by informing them that he will not be renewing his deal.

Mbappe's contract with PSGReportedly worth more than £500 millionexpires in June, but there is a clause that could see him until 2025, but the extra twelve months are a player option, meaning it is up to him whether he wants to activate it or not.

As The Body Shop’s 200 UK stores are threatened with closure, what went wrong for the much-loved chain that went from scenting teenage dreams in the ’80s to ‘overpriced’ body butter

Sabir Ansary — Tue, 13 Feb 2024 23:23:36 +0000

Whether it was spritzing yourself in white musk body spray before a date or picking out colourful bath pearls to give to your best friend at school for Christmas, the Body Shop was an intrinsic part of the teenage experience in the 1980s.

Created in 1976, founder Dame Anita Roddick went from selling products in urine sample bottles to save money to becoming a multi-millionaire with a cosmetic empire in a matter of years.

The brand, known for its humanitarian focus, was the high street go-to for beauty products long before celebrity perfume ranges and beauty websites took over.

So it’s no surprise that news that up to 250 Body Shop stores could close across the country – with thousands of jobs at risk as the chain’s new owners call in the administrators – has sparked an outpouring of nostalgia.

Mourning the potential end of an era on social media, shoppers have insisted that if the brand returned to its roots with products such as Japanese Washing Grains, perfume oil and fruit-shaped soap, nostalgic Millennials would spend enough money to save it from going under.

Anita Roddick launched The Body Shop in 1976 to provide for her two children. In a matter of years, it quickly became one of the biggest names in skincare. She is pictured outside one of her first stores in October 1985

Taking to X, one fan wrote: ‘If the Body Shop started selling Dewberry, Fuzzy Peach, Ananya and White Musk perfume oils again, then all the nostalgic women in their 40s/50s who would buy them could basically save the entire business.’

Now, they feel the brand has strayed too far from its roots and hasn’t got much to offer other than ‘expensive body butters’.

But where did it really all go wrong for the much-loved chain, which has changed hands several times since being sold by Dame Anita stepped down in 2002.

Here, FEMAIL explores the rise and fall of The Body Shop.

First store opens in 1976

In 1976, founder Anita Roddick opened the little green door to the first Body Shop nestled in the streets of her hometown, Brighton.

The first store varied significantly from the ones you might expect to see today, with only 25 products on offer.

But the focus was still much the same, with an emphasis on ethically sourced and natural ingredients.

When Anita founded the beauty store at the age of 34, she did not predict global success.

The mother-of-two simply longed to make a living for her two daughters while her husband was travelling, fulfilling a lifelong dream to go horse riding from Bueno Aries to New York, according to the BBC.

Initially, Anita only sold 25 products from a store in her hometown of Brighton. She is pictured above in 1984

Anita initially launched the business to provide for her children while her husband, Gordon Roddick (right), travelled. He later became a director of the business

The store grew into an eco-friendly, socially responsible, politically outspoken chain of 1,700 shops, operating in 49 markets around the world. Anita is pictured above in 1984, in a shoot celebrating 25 years of the opening of the first Body Shop in Brighton

Anita initially invested £4,000 into her business venture and took a frugal approach where possible.

She travelled to her local hospital to purchase urine sample bottles to sell her products in with handwritten labels.

Anita quickly realised that she wouldn’t have enough of them to last, which led to the Body Shop’s trademark refillable bottles policy – long before it was fashionable.

She did not explicitly advertise her shop, but relied on local press, according to Cengage.

Success came quickly and Brighton resident were keen to get their hands on Anita’s produce.

She opened up a second store with financial help from a local garage owner, who got a share of the company in return.

And when Anita’ husband, Gordon Roddick, arrived back in the UK, he suggested that the business should adopt a franchise model.

In 1984, the company was publicly listed in London, and its stock price sky rocket by nearly 11,000 per cent in the first eight years of its listing.

Anita kept 27.6 per cent of the share and maintained her position to direct the company.

The company later secured a full listing on the London Stock exchange, which led the share price to increase.

The Body Shop successfully became a key part of the High Street, with adults and children alike keen to get their hands on animal shaped soaps and fruit-flavoured lip balms.

By the end of 1984, there were 138 stores open. And by 1994, nine out of ten Body Shop locations were franchises.

Ethical considerations

The Body Shop was as well known for its ethical stances, teaming up with Greenpeace in 1986 to promote the environmental organisation’s Save the Whales campaign.

From then onwards, The Body Shop transitioned from a typical cosmetic store to one with a greater purpose, forming alliances with other charities, including Amnesty International.

The brand’s morals were reflected in store décor, with petition sheets and posters available for customers in all branches.

Each franchised store was required to support a minimum of three campaigns each year that covered topics such as education and opposing animal testing.

Protesting against animal testing was a key business objective for the brand, with Anita leading the resistance

Anita merged business goals with humanitarian values, and was involved in a number of charities across the globe. Pictured: On a visit for the brand’s Community Trade Programme

In 1987, Roddick headed the Body Shop’s Trade Not Aid programme, which demanded social responsibility when obtaining ingredients.

In doing so, the company formed contracts with local businesses in impoverished communities to source ingredients from them and provide additional economic stability.

The store also helped struggling communities in the UK and made financial contributions to London homeless charities.

Promoting animal welfare was another key objective.

To support the brand’s stance against animal testing, all products sold by the Body Shop were certified cruelty-free by Cruelty Free International’s Leaping Bunny.

In June 2017, the company launched their biggest campaign to date in association with Cruelty Free International – Forever Against Animal Testing.

The campaign sought to ban animal testing in all companies across the globe, and required eight million signatures to escalate their objectives, according to HuffPost.

Redefining beauty standards was another key aim for The Body Shop, with the objective of making women feel comfortable in their own skin

Instead of animal testing, the brand proposed three other options: testing on humans, computer modelling, testing on reconstituted human skin.

Anita’s motivations spanned further than environmental activism, and the director also fought against toxic beauty standards.

In 1990s an ad campaign circulated on all the Body’s Shops channels. It featured a plus size doll with the writing: ‘There are three billion who don’t look like supermodels and only eight who do.’

The message is still circulated today, with the brand recently sharing it on Instagram last year.

Anita’s thoughts on redefining beauty were reflected in the Body Shop’s offerings that strived to make women feel like the best versions of themselves, rather than altering the way they look.

Celebrity support

In 2012, the brand announced its first global ambassador – British model and actress, Lily Cole who Lily fronted the brand’s Beauty with a Heart campaign and went on to endorse a line of cruelty free makeup with the brand.

The actress also travelled to Ghana with the Body Shop to support humanitarian charities.

‘The Body is Shop takes a responsible attitude to people and the environment, and it feels amazing to be supporting a brand that’s a pioneer in the way of working,’ she said to Vogue at the time.

In 2012, British actress and model Lily Cole (pictured) became the brand’s first global ambassador

X-Factor winner Leona Lewis (pictured) followed suit and became a brand ambassador a year later in 2013

Vivienne Westwood supported the brand back in 2012 and attended the launch of Beauty with Hear by The Body Shop

Made in Chelsea star and influencer Lucy Watson (pictured) partnered with the brand in 2018 in support of the #ForeverAgainstAnimalTesting campaign

Actress Maisie Williams (pictured) urged her social media followers to join the #ForeverAgainstAnimalTesting campaign a year before in 2013

One year later, X Factor winner Leona Lewis joined forces with the Body Shop to be their new brand activist and raise awareness of cruelty free beauty with the launch of a limited edition make-up and fragrance collection.

‘I’m passionate about beauty and I’m all about animal rights and Community Fair Trade. As a result, I’m really conscious of where the products that I use come from. The Body Shop sells cruelty-free, ethically-sourced products containing amazing Community Fair Trade ingredients,’ she told FEMAIL at the time.

She added: ‘Everything it creates has real soul – they call it ‘Beauty With Heart’ – and I love being a part of that. The collaboration is a natural fit and I’m proud to be their Brand Activist!’

And it didn’t stop there, with figures including Jameela Jamil and Victoria Beckham publicly declaring their adoration for products from The Body Shop over the years.

Bad press

In the late 1990s, the Body Shop came under attack as critics claimed that the brand had overstated its ecofriendly practices.

A British television programme named The Body Search claimed that the company had tested products on animals, despite advertising otherwise.

However, The Body Shop fought against the claims in a legal battle.

Eventually, The Body Shop won £276,000 in a case against the show in damages.

Anita and her husband stepped down from the company in 2002.

Four years later, in 2006, The Body Shop was sold to L’Oreal for more than £650 million, a move that was considered controversial at the time given the French company’s policy of animal testing.

Consumers from across the globe reacted to the news by boycotting the brand.

In 2017, the boycott ended when the L’Oreal sold the company to Brazilian cosmetics chain Natura & Co for approximately £850 million.

In November last year, it emerged the high street beauty retailer agreed to sell its 250 stores after struggling with profitability.

At the time, the private equity buyer, Aurelius, said that it would have an opportunity to ‘re-energise’ the retailer.

‘We are delighted to be undertaking this acquisition of an iconic British brand, which pioneered the cruelty-free and natural ingredient movement in the health and beauty market,’ said Aurelius partner Tristan Nagler.

‘We look forward to working with CEO Ian Bickley and his team to drive operational improvements and re-energise the business, and help to deliver the next chapter of success.’

However, las week it was revealed that Aurelius handed over much of its Europe and Asia enterprises to an unnamed ‘international family office’ as part of its turnaround strategy for the long-troubled health retailer, which directly employs around 10,000 people across the world.

Further scandal surfaced last week when it was revealed that The Body Shop’s former owners Natura & Co wrote to Aurelius to find out why former employees haven’t yet received bonuses worth £2million and £3 million that were promised as part of their severance.

RetailWeek reported that 20 former Body Shop employees are collectively owed the sum of money that they have still not been paid.

Anita Roddick: High Street pioneer who built £51m fortune then gave it all away before she died

Founder Dame Anita Roddick pictured in 1984

Founded in 1976, The Body Shop was one of the first cosmetics companies to prohibit the use of ingredients tested on animals and to promote fair trade with developing countries.

This was in large part to its founder, Dame Anita Roddick, who was a human rights activist and environmental campaigner.

She was an avid campaigner for environmental and social issues, including involvement with Greenpeace and The Big Issue.

In 1990, she founded a charity called Children on the Edge, which helped disadvantaged children in Eastern Europe, Africa and Asia.

She founded The Body shop to earn an income for her and her two daughters while her husband was away in South America. Upon her husband’s return, he joined the business.

By 2004, The Body Shop has 1980 stores, more than 77 million customers and was voted the second most-trusted brand in the UK – ad the 28th top brand in the world.

But that same year, Roddick was diagnosed with liver cirrhosis due to hepatitis C. She didn’t reveal this until 2007.

She was an avid campaigner for environmental and social issues, including involvement with Greenpeace and The Big Issue

She announced it by saying: ‘I have hepatitis C. It’s a bit of a bummer, but you groan and move on.’

Subsequently she promoted the work of the Hepatitis C Trust and raised awareness for the disease.

Roddick was said to believe she became infected with Hepatitis following a blood transfusion after the birth of her younger daughter. This was twenty years before the UK screened blood donors for the disease.

She tragically died of an acute brain haemorrhage in September 2007. Earlier, she had sworn to leave her fortune to charities rather than her families and friends – a promise she remained true to.

The businesswoman was always adamant she had no intention of ‘dying rich’ and her Will revealed she had given away her entire £15million fortune to charity before she died.

When she died, the gross value of her estate was £665,747 which was swallowed up by inheritance tax, leaving her net worth at nil.

She had previously described leaving money to your family as ‘obscene’ and cut her daughters Sam and Justine out of her will in 2005, which Sam called a ‘relief’.

New owners call administrators

Today, The Body Shop begun the process of filing for administration with jobs at risk across the brand’s 200-plus UK stores expected in another blow to the British high street.

The beloved chain currently employs 10,000 people across 3,000 stores it operates in more than 70 countries around the world – with a further 12,000 staff working in franchises.

Popular products which helped establish the brand’s name included bath bombs, White Musk fragrance and Hemp hand cream.

However in recent years it has seen its popularity in the UK with shoppers diminish due to the rise of rivals Lush and Holland and Barret.

Up to 250 Body Shop stores could close across the country with thousands of jobs at risk as the chain’s new owners call in the administrators (file image)

The chain, founded by the late Dame Anita Roddick who passed away in 2007, was sold by Brazilian cosmetics chain Natura & Co to Aurelius Group in November

The chain was sold by Brazilian cosmetics chain Natura & Co to Aurelius Group in November last year.

The £207 million deal saw the investment group take on the chain’s 250 British stores.

But they called in insolvency administrators just weeks after it bought the chain.

It has since emerged that the business has insufficient working capital and suffered from a poor Christmas period of trading.

It’s been reported that restructuring expert FRP Advisory will be appointed in the coming days to significantly restructure the brand.

Product changes

Teenagers would stop off at the store at any chance possible in its golden years – filling their baskets with Dewberry perfume and body butter in fruit-inspired scents.

However, some savvy consumers think they have the solution to bring about a resurgence – reintroducing retro items such as fruit-shaped soaps, innovative perfumes and body sprays, and Japanese washing grains.

The Body Shop fans have been left ‘heartbroken’ following the news of the brand’s potential insolvency and call for a reintroduction of their retro products, including perfume oil (pictured)

In its true quirky style, the cosmetic store once offered miniature soaps that resembled different fruits (pictured)

In the ’90s, teenagers would race to get their hands on The Body Shop’s exfoliating scrubs (pictured) in fruity flavours

In the early 1990s, The Body shop offered Japanese Washing Grains (pictured). The item is no longer available to purchase, despite fans loving the product

Today, The Body Shop continues to sell cosmetic products, but without the playful quirks.

Prices have also spiralled, with customers expected to fork out £19 for a body butter that once cost a few pounds.

Customers have taken to X, formerly Twitter to share their thoughts on the brand’s demise and where they think it all went wrong.

One said: ‘Heartbroken at the demise of The Body Shop, for its body butters, make up range, ethical value system, solidarity with communities across the world who grow the ingredients. I have been shopping continuously at The Body Shop since the 1970s. I am bereft. Thank you, Anita Roddick, for your vision.’

Fans of The Body Shop took to X, formerly Twitter, to share their thoughts on the news of the brand’s demise

A second added: ‘The Body Shop appointing administrators is so sad. Difficult to convey how revolutionary it was in the ’80s. The Body Shop on Elvet Bridge in Durham was one of my favourite places in the world. Things like fruit soap, lip balms & bath pearls were completely novel. I loved it.’

‘Bring back those delicious looking bars of soap that were like giant boiled sweets,’ said another.

One remembered their favourite items: ‘OMG! Fuzzy Peach!! Yes please … The Body Shop discontinued my last favourite – Green Tea and Lemon, and now Pink Grapefruit appears to be out of stock too. So, bringing back the old favourites, the green labels and packaging (Japanese Grains e.g.) and we will be queuing!’

Another added: ‘The Body Shop just need to bring back their range of tiny animal soaps, magic cloths and bath pearls range for kids and they’ll be absolutely fine.

‘I will single-handedly save The Body Shop just in Dewberry sales alone,’ said another.

Another wrote: ‘I’ll miss the Body Shop if they do go under but honestly putting up the prices of body butter to £17 was never going to lead to increased sales was it.’

Similarly, a different social media user added: ‘Every year I tell them to bring back the soap animals and they don’t listen. Millennials would single handedly buy them out and save them from collapse.’

Another chimed into the conversation and said: ‘I see the Body Shop is in trouble. I’ll tell you what went wrong, when they changed the classics to sell literally body butter only. Dewberry bath pearls, cornflower face mask, chamomile shampoo, elderflower eye gel. Those were the classics. All gone. Why annoy your customers!’

‘Very sad to hear of the Body Shop going into administration – in their time, they were innovative. Sadly, they have lost their way – the only thing I buy there is the body butter. Too many ever-changing ranges and fragrances, none of which quite suit me,’ another wrote.

The post As The Body Shop’s 200 UK stores are threatened with closure, what went wrong for the much-loved chain that went from scenting teenage dreams in the ’80s to ‘overpriced’ body butter appeared first on USMAIL24.COM.

I converted a shed into a tiny house in a canyon for $16,000 – it's better than my dreams

Jeffrey Bailey — Thu, 08 Feb 2024 18:58:03 +0000

A BUILDER showed how she converted a shed into a tiny house for $16,000.

The home may only be 280 square meters, but that is no small feat.

A couple built the tiny house of their dreamsCredit: Instagram katykrebshome

The barn was not a habitable space before the couple transformed itCredit: TikTok katyelizkrebs

TikToker Katy Krebs (@katyelizkrebs) showed how she renovated a cabin.

“Anything is possible,” she wrote. “We had no remodeling experiences before this project and I can tell you it was a ride.”

“I would honestly do it over and over again if I could,” she continued.

Katy showed what the shed looked like in the beginning. There were random items scattered around.

It was just four walls, a roof and a floor.

“Would you believe me if I told you we turned this into a livable tiny house for just $16,000,” Katy wrote.

She then showed several photos of the transformed house, which now has a bedroom, living room, bathroom and kitchen.

Katy and her partner Michael built the tiny house two years ago.

She loves the bedroom the most.

“Our bedroom is probably my favorite part of the tiny house,” she wrote via Instagram.

I'm a mother of three and ditched my house to live in a small shed – no, it's not aesthetically pleasing, but at least I don't have a mortgage to pay

“I'm sure I say that about every inch of the little thing, but the bedroom is my personal favorite,” Katy added.

Now Katy's niece lives there now.

“It's a gift to be able to provide a home for our family, and even though it's a small house… it's still a home,” says the builder. wrote.

“My niece now lives in the tiny house, and I couldn't be happier,” she added.

“The Little House will always have a special place in my heart,” Katy finished.

It could also be a future home for her children, she said.

People on TikTok were impressed with the conversion.

“Wow. Beautiful,” said one.

“It's beautiful,” wrote a second.

“You make me want to renovate the shed in my in-laws' garden,” a third added.

Katy said her favorite room in the house was the bedroomCredit: TikTok katyelizkrebs

The builder wants the house to remain in the familyCredit: TikTok katyelizkrebs

The post I converted a shed into a tiny house in a canyon for $16,000 – it's better than my dreams appeared first on USMAIL24.COM.

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