Welcome to the RENEESSANCE

She had us at 'hello'. From single mother Dorothy Boyd to the murderous Roxie Hart, Renée Zellweger was Hollywood's darling... until she disappeared. Now she's back, second Oscar in hand, and putting herself first.

11 WAYS TO FEEL BETTER in 10 minutes or less

... because we could all do with a mood boost right now.

Is SEX ESSENTIAL for a HAPPY MARRIAGE?

Love him or hate him, daytime TV shrink Dr Phil is a master of pithy aphorisms regarding modern relationships.

MAKING A splash

It's been an eventful awards season, mostly thanks to one woman: the indisputable star of the biggest breakout show of the last two years: The White Lotus*. At 61, Jennifer Coolidge has finally reached a longawaited career peak.

OUTSIDE the 9-TO-5

From a pet psychic to a human lie detector, these four women have eschewed traditional careers to pursue unusual interests.

WATER MARKED

Mother's Day is on 14 May this year. But the Sunday before that is a day few have heard of: International Bereaved Mother's Day, for moms who have lost a child. I am one.

I'll do it tomorrow

Painting your nails on deadline? Procrastination often gets written off as laziness, or poor time management. But experts say it's more complex than that.

THE WHY,THE WHICH & the wardrobe

What sets your heart aflutter? For Kamo, it's neutral but textured pieces with a sculptural edge; for Desiree, magnificent prints and shoulder pads; and for Raya, romantic sack dresses and gem-encrusted jewellery.

TIME FOR AN UPGRADE

WE'RE COMING UP TO THE TIME OF YEAR THAT MEDICAL SCHEMES ALLOW PLAN UPGRADES FOR THE FOLLOWING YEAR. THIS IS A CRITICAL WINDOW FOR YOU TO REVIEW YOUR CURRENT COVER.

Fall in LOVE with PARIS ON YOUR OWN!

COULD THE CITY OF LOVE AND ROMANCE BE EVEN MORE MAGICAL... ALONE? I SPENT 10 DAYS IN PARIS BY MYSELF. AND FELL HEAD OVER HEELS IN LOVE.

The joy of being an ADULT BEGINNER

When was the last time you learnt an entirely new skill? Learning something new has a number of benefits that go way beyond the thing itself.

From the MOTHER CITY to MOTHERLAND

Jessica Sutton has enchanted audiences around the world with her breakout role as warrior witch Tally Craven in Motherland: Fort Salem, but off-screen she's just a South African girl making her way in the world.

Why do you want WHAT YOU WANT?

COULD THE ANSWER REALLY BE AS SIMPLE (AND AS DEPRESSING) AS 'BECAUSE SOMEONE ELSE WANTS IT'? LUKE BURGIS, AUTHOR OF WANTING: THE POWER OF MIMETIC DESIRE AND HOW TO WANT WHAT YOU NEED, THINKS SO.

REINVENTING MYSELF

AT 59, I COULD SEE MYSELF DOING A LITTLE LESS AND FEELING A LITTLE LESS RELEVANT EVERY YEAR. IT UNSETTLED ME SO MUCH THAT I DREAMT UP A NEW CAREER, PACKED MY BAGS AND SET OFF ON A HUGE ADVENTURE.

DEEP FAKES & BORED Apes

'I, ROBYN MACLARTY, REGRET TO INFORM THE FOURTH INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION THAT I AM UNABLE TO ATTEND.' (AND IT CAN KEEP ITS NONSENSICAL TOKENS.)

FLYING high

'By some beautiful twist of fate, I've landed in this vocation that demands that I feel and helps me to learn.' Some 20 years after Jennifer Connelly's Oscar acceptance speech, her words still ring true for her today.

THE WHY, THE WHICH & the wardrobe

EXPERT ADVICE ON HOW TO 'BUY LESS, CHOOSE WELL AND MAKE IT LAST', COMBINE BASICS WITH STATEMENT FINDS, AND 'FAKE IT TILL YOU FEEL IT' WITH BOLD COLOURS.

Odd jobs

We're fascinated by women who've stepped outside the nine-to-five to earn a living.

Far from the MADDING CROWD

MORE AND MORE SOUTH AFRICANS ARE TRADING THEIR CRAMPED CITY-CENTRE LIVES FOR THE SPACE AND FRESH AIR OF SMALL RURAL AND COASTAL TOWNS.

Ditch the SUGAR FOR GOOD!

MOST PEOPLE STRUGGLE WITH A SUGAR DEPENDENCY IN ONE WAY OR ANOTHER, WHETHER IT'S HORMONAL CHOCOLATE BINGING OR ALL-DAY SWEET GRAZING. HERE'S HOW TO QUIT.

NOT by the BOOK

These two bestselling South African authors published their novels themselves under their own brands, and they're flying!

SCENTS of adventure

STILL LOOKING FOR YOUR SIGNATURE SCENT? WE'RE ROUNDED UP THE FRAGRANCES OF THE SEASON TO HELP YOU FIND IT.

JUST HIT refresh!

TOO NERVOUS TO GO UNDER THE KNIFE? AS I DISCOVERED, YOU DON'T HAVE TO THERE ARE A NUMBER OF LESS DRASTIC THINGS YOU CAN DO TO GET YOUR SKIN LOOKING SMOOTHER, FIRMER AND MORE REFRESHED.

Is your MIND'S EYE BLIND?

Some people describe their imagination as vivid, colourful and hyper-realistic - but if you find that trying to 'picture' something in your mind is an exercise in futility, you may have aphantasia.

12 WAYS TO SAVE AN HOUR every day!

VERY FEW OF US THINK WE HAVE TIME FOR ANYTHING OTHER THAN WHAT WE'RE ALREADY DEALING WITH. BUT WE DO! HERE ARE 12 EXCELLENT WAYS TO CARVE OUT AN EXTRA HOUR FOR YOURSELF EVERY DAY TO USE HOWEVER YOU LIKE: WRITING THAT BOOK, DOING AN ONLINE COURSE, RESEARCHING YOUR FAMILY HISTORY, OR JUST STARING AT A WALL WHILE YOU SETTLE YOUR SOUL.

How to be BETTER at being SAD

Look, no one wants to be sad. But we've been so busy chasing after happiness that we've become quite bad at just sitting with sadness when it inevitably comes shuffling along. The fact is, you need a good wallow every so often, so the temporary sadness doesn't tip over into something more serious.

It's TIME to DE-THINK SLEEP

YES, YOU READ THAT CORRECTLY: DE-THINK, NOT RE-THINK. WHY? BECAUSE OUR CULTURE'S INCREASING OBSESSION WITH SLEEP MAY WELL BE WHAT'S KEEPING US AWAKE.

Game, set, Maggie

We've always loved Maggie Gyllenhaal for her intelligence, acting chops and girl-next door vibes. But the actress is ready to move on to bigger and better things - she's proven herself as a talented director and snagged an Oscar nomination for her first screenplay for a feature film.

BECOMING INVISIBLE...and loving it

THE INVISIBILITY THAT SOCIETY CONFERS ON WOMEN OF A CERTAIN AGE CAN MAKE US FEEL USELESS AND IRRELEVANT - BUT IT CAN ALSO OPEN DOORS TO A WONDERFUL TIME OF UNIMPEDED SELF-DISCOVERY AND SELF-INDULGENCE.

Fragrant FEAST

WE'VE COLLECTED A FEW TRADITIONAL MIDDLE EASTERN RECIPES PASSED DOWN THROUGH GENERATIONS. IT'S A CUISINE THAT ENGAGES THE SENSES TO CREATE WONDERFUL FOOD MOMENTS AND MEMORIES.