Most researchers seem to be pretty busy with conducting medical studies and making valuable scientific discoveries for society's gain, but this latest survey really takes it to the next level.
Bloom & Wildhave worked with London Metropolitan University to undergo an experiment to figure out when the 'love hormone', AKA oxytocin, is released.
The anti-anxiety and stress reducing hormone is pretty special, the chemicals are made when you're in love, and having some KICK-ASS sex. We heart it.
The study measured how the brain reacts to receiving certain gifts, and it's led to some pretty interesting, and useful, results. We're not hugely surprised at what topped the list, they're all unreal.
Research also suggests that people in the first three stages of love reported higher oxytocin levels that last for roughly six months to a year. At a chemical level, can presents recreate this high of lovestruck heartbeats?
Scientists reported that the subjects of the study showed an average increase of 73pg/ml in the hormone oxytocin after getting chocolates, and 62pg/ml after receiving flowers. Feeling loved comes in all shapes and sizes, it would seem.
The official top five items or experiences included on the list which trumped having sex were; chocolate winning the number one spot, then flowers, food, shopping and booking a holiday.
Receiving chocolate apparently creates a high increase in oxytocin the same rise in oxytocin comes from sex, so a quick nip down to Butlers could solve your stress issues.
Flowers can spark the same feeling as love, relationships and sexy times, and a study by Havas Worldwiderevealed that 57 percent of millennials think that food is better than sex. Damn.
Retail therapy also made the list, according to the experiment. The neurologist David Linden, in his book The Compass Of Pleasure, explains that the experience of shopping triggers dopamine circuitry in the brain's mesolimbic pathway.
In plain-old-English, the mesolimbic pathway is a key part of how we experience entertainment and happiness, so having a sneaky online shop at ASOS is good for you. Thank God we have a valid excuse to do this now…
Booking a holiday is better than having some intimate. alone time with a partner, according to research. 16% of Brits claim to support this, so those Aer Lingus January sales must have had people feelin' pretty damn euphoric.
To carry out their research, Bloom & Wildand London Metropolitan University split 30 volunteers into three groups.
Each were to receive a gift of flowers, chocolate, or water, and took saliva samples before the gift arrived, and then again 10 minutes after delivery, and finally 40 minutes after receiving the gift.
It just goes to show, chocolate should always be cherished. We're in a loving relationship with Cadbury's Dairy Milk, and there are zero signs of a break-up coming our way.
Aer Lingus has finally copped on to the fact that it's 2019 and ditched some outdated rules.
The airline has announced that their cabin crew are no longer required to wear make-up at work.
Yes, the ''trolly dolly'' standards that they're known for (and that belong in the 1950s) have been banished.
I'm sure the women of Ireland welcome @AerLingus to the 20th Century. Female flight attendants no longer have a stricter, more expensive and inconvenient dress code than their male colleagues. Now for the sports sponsorship to be spent on women 50/50(that'll be another century)
As well as make-up, female employees will soon be allowed to wear trousers, instead of the previously obligatory skirts.
Yeah you read that right, obligatory skirts.
Aer Lingus are following in the footsteps of Virgin Atlantic, who announced this week it was allowing female members of the cabin crew to scrap the make-up if they wanted.
We're delighted for those women, who are surely chuffed that they'll get an extra few minutes in bed now.
Nowadays, when some of us need career and lifestyle guidance, Instagram has taken over as one of the leading platforms to imitate those whose lives we'd love to lead.
However, when it comes to so many of the primary influencers, the image looks pretty far from reality, not to mention relatability.
Luckily for us, BBC broadcaster, style guru and journalist Angela Scanlon is renowned for her Irish charm, her gorgeous style and her affiliation with Irish brands.
From studying business in college to making the big move across the pond and making it as a stylist and broadcaster, we could DEFINITELY use some of her advice.
We stopped by the launch of Aer Lingus and Bank of Ireland's collaborative project; the new Aer Credit Card, to chat with Angela.
Acting as their new brand ambassador, she gives us some travel tips, career path wisdom and self-care supplements. The card itself sounds like an unreal choice; with two free lounge passes, two priority boarding passes and two return flights to Europe once you hit the 5000 euro spending amount as well as travel insurance on offer. The gal chooses her partners wisely, that's for sure.
As well as boosting Irish companies, she splits her time between London and Dublin while taking care of her daughter Ruby Ellen, who turns one this February.
Since her time at Xpose and Off The Rails back in 2008, Angela has gone from strength to strength on her career path. She now works as a BBC presenter for The One Show, Robot Wars and acts as a panellist for big UK names.
How did she go from studying business to practising fashion guru? Picking out stunner styles is a lot harder than it looks, we suspect…
"In a nutshell, I studied business, I then set up a stall in the loft, I started personal shopping in Dundrum and from there I went into TV as a pundit doing fashion news and trends. From there I knew I really liked TV, and I started pitching fashion programme ideas at the time and then Oi, Ginger, which was the first documentary I did. It all kicked off from there," she says.
We're taking notes in our pristine fashion bible for future reference, and are working up the courage to enquire about her haircare routine. (Those auburn locks are just mesmerising)
"It was a slightly zig-zaggy way of doing things, but I think that was an absolute blessing. At the time I thought ‘Oh God, it’s taking me ten years to figure all of this out’, but actually having had that path often gives me a different perspective and different approach, which I think is a good thing.”
‘I always say to people who think they’ve done the wrong thing, having studied the thing that they want to do ultimately, that actually there are ways of turning that into an advantage. It’s never too late," she continues.
" thought, when I got to London that I was too old to get a break there. You had to be 22 and kind of fresh, whereas I was almost 30 at that stage when I went there. It’s never too late to do what you want to do, but start somewhere.”
The presenter has been open towards her social media followers in the past when it comes to feeling burnt out, trying to make it in an alien city.
One Instagram post in particular saw Angela open up about life as an Irish gal abroad, looking to make a name for herself;
"London was so SO alien to me at that point , I was coming over here with a smile on my face knocking on doors and showing up every single day. Meanwhile I was working for myself in Ireland, trying to build a career in both countries and not really believing I deserved one in either. I was so hideously lonely, I couldn’t find my way around the Tube, I felt constantly out of my depth & I was riddled with self-doubt. I was blindly focused and so terrified I would fail that I didn’t have time to do anything on a personal level… my relationship was under strain, my friends had lost me and my family, although supportive, did wonder what the hell I was doing it for," she wrote.
"I was not even 30 and was close to being burnt the f*ck out! I felt like it was too late to build something, too late to “get a break”, too late to make a go of things & I spent a lot of time deeply regretting the lack of focus I had in my twenties. Really it was a lack of confidence, a lack of belief in my own ability."
It's this kind of honesty that draws her followers to look up to her as a type of down-to-earth mentor. She describes her life in London fondly, but stays true to her Irish roots.
"I do a lot of work with the London Irish Centre, which has Kerrygold and Tayto Irish crisps and McCambridge bread and Cadbury’s chocolate which is better here. Most things you can get online, but it’s more the familiarity, the feeling of always bumping into someone you know in Dublin. That small-town-feel that Dublin has is really quite unique. Not just if you’re Irish, that’s how it feels if you come here. One of my girlfriends came over to Dublin for a five-day break and spent the last three days looking for a job here so she could stay.”
Join us to celebrate powerful Irish women for St Brigid's Day this Feb 2nd – hosted by the incredible @angelascanlon
The woman is loyal to the Emerald Isle by the sounds of things. What drove Angela to make the big move?
“There’s loads of work here (in Dublin) but it’s individual to everybody. I chose to move abroad because I was kind of doing Ireland and the UK at the same time, it was never a deliberate move. Different people move for different reasons. I certainly think the pace is very different, but I do miss the familiarity of having your mum or dad up the road. You take for granted that we’re a new generation who have moved to England who have a lot more opportunities than our parents would have had. You kind of forget that there is a massive amount of vulnerability over there. There’s homelessness and addiction problems that many Irish people struggle with over here, but London is a big city and can be very isolating”
How does she follow her rules of self-care now that she's a big name? She claims that bath-time is where she finds her chill;
“It’s kind of about being really disciplined with yourself about giving yourself a little bit of time. t can be a bit of a luxury, but being in that for, whatever, 20 minutes, and using a face mask. That ritual of putting something on and for ten minutes just hitting pause, I think that’s really important. I’ve started running again, which I haven’t done for a long time. Everyone has to start somewhere."
Be it the start, middle or end, Angela's got it covered. Please be our life coach?
For more information on Aer Lingus and Bank of Ireland's new collaborative Aer Credit Card, click here.
Azealia Banks is a woman of controversy, and her career has arguably been stalled and stopped multiple times because of her numerous spats with famous faces.
While Paddy Power was taking bets on whether or not the Harlem rapper would even play her set at The Academy last night, the 27-year-old miraculously showed up onstage.
She dedicated her gig to "All the beautiful Irish women", much to the amusement of the crowd of beloved fans who admitted that their rap hero was 'problematic', but has such good tunes you forget about it.
Banks hit the headlines yesterday after an incident on board a flight from Gatwick to Dublin airport, which led to the artist having to take the ferry to Dublin.
She ended up having quite the rant on board the Aer Lingus flight, calling Irish women 'ugly' and launching into a tirade about our Celtic people.
“I’ve had enough of y’all oompa-loompa looking, spray-tanned, crazy-looking b****es tonight,” she raged, which was characteristic of her numerous feuds with other musicians.
“The girls have scurvy, they’re vitamin deficient, need some calcium tablets.”
Reviews of the show claim the rapper brought an impressive set to her debut Irish show, channelling talent which is arguably gone to waste as her Twitter arguments have only done her damage.
Fans know her attitude well enough to dispel any negative thoughts of her social media ranting, choosing instead to focus on her musical prowess, surprisingly soulful voice and explosive rap verses.
“I’m a rude b**ch nigga, what are you made up of?” she spits on her classic hit, 212.
The 'Queen of Ireland' doesn't make any effort to cover up her personality, so take her with a pinch of salt but don't try to deny that the gal has talent.
Prepare the throne; Azealia Banks has officially declared herself 'The Queen of Ireland' after arriving to her gig in Dublin via…FERRY. Ok then, your highness.
The 212 rapper was forced to get the boat after storming off an Aer Lingus flight last night.
The 27-year-old seemed pretty confused after trying to change her travel arrangements, asking her Insta following if Ryanair and Aer Lingus were the same airline.
She claimed she had been given clearance to fly with Aer Lingus, whatever that means, according to Dublin Live.
Calling herself "Queen of Ireland", she ranted:
"I've been asleep, and I woke up to some excellent news. It's out, I'm the Queen of Ireland! I never knew I was the Queen of Ireland!" We never knew either, henny.
She continued;
"Aren't you happy to have such a Queen like me? Oh my God, the first black queen of Ireland! I really just woke up in the Irish Spring and the girls can't take it." She wasn't done yet…
"I got the pot of gold, b*tch. I've got the pot of gold, and I'm not even from here! Now wait, until I do this sold out f***ing show. Y'all b***hes are gonna see who the f***ing Queen of Ireland is."
Understandably, she got a fair few angry messages in her inbox, but Banks said she was sick of the "oompa loompa crazy looking b***hes". Oh my.
"The girls have scurvy, they're like vitamin deficient, they need some calcium tablets and some Camaraderie soap. Anyways, I'm back on the Chardonel (wine)." We Celts are just very pale, and can't do much about it unforch.
She enlisted the Notorious Conor McGregor for support, sharing a screenshot of a message, where she wrote; "Conor help they are bullying me".
Banks got into a massive row on Monday morning with a female cabin crew member, after boarding a flight from Gatwick to Dublin airport.
Aer Lingus confirmed that the rapper left the 10.55am flight from Gatwick but declined to comment on her allegations.
They have released a statement following the incident.
They said: "Aer Lingus can confirm that two guests scheduled to fly on 10:55am flight from London Gatwick to Dublin (EI233) this morning disembarked themselves prior to departure."
"The guests in question got off the plane safely of their own accord, while all other guests remained on board…Aer Lingus has a strict no-tolerance policy towards disruptive guest behaviour.
"The safety and security of our guests and crew remains our first priority."
Azealia, poor little divil, said she was 'treated like a wild animal' in the lengthy post, portraying the incident as her 'travel day from hell'.
Banks plays a sold-out show at the Academy on Abbey Street tonight, that should be an interesting one to say the least…
If the January Blues have well and truly set in, then there's no doubt that thoughts of sunnier climes have crept into your mind at least once over the past five days.
But considering the financial car crash that is most of our bank accounts right now, a holiday seems like little more than a pipe dream, right?
Keen to remedy this, the good folk at Aer Lingus have decided to give the public a chance to get their hands on free flights by setting up special Sun Dials at three locations across the capital city.
So, how does it work exactly?
The Sun Dial will ring at their spots on Grand Canal Dock, O’Connell Street and South King Street, and the first person to answer the call will be in with a chance with winning flights to Europe or North America.
But how exactly?
Well, the Aer Lingus Whisperer on the other end of the phone will provide the potential winner with three clues about a particular destination, and if guessed correctly, that person could well be packing their bags… and bringing a plus one!
But if you're not a Sun Dial winner, that doesn't mean a holiday abroad is out of your grasp!
The Aer Lingus January Seat Sale is live now with 3 million seats on sale including up to 50 per cent off European travel and flights to North America from just €209 each way. Sale fares are valid for travel from 01 April to 30 September 2018 and include taxes and charges.
Beach babes can dip their toes in the sand at popular European seaside destinations including Malaga, Alicante, Faro and Nice, while city slickers can soak up the atmosphere in Paris, Amsterdam, Barcelona and Milan, among many others.
Those interested in transatlantic travel can choose from New York, Newark, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Miami, Orlando, Hartford, Boston, Washington, Chicago and Toronto, as well as recently added cities – Philadelphia, from March 2018, and Seattle, from May 2018.
We've added another New Year's resolution to our list: travel more.
Thanks to Aer Lingus, that resolution shouldn't be too hard on our wallets.
Three million seats are on sale in the Aer Lingus January Seat Sale, including up to half off on European travel and flights to North America from €209 each way
Flights to Ireland's favourite summer holiday destinations are on sale. Malaga, Alicante, Faro and Nice are the perfect travel spots for beach bums. And to be honest, we are ready to break out the sunglasses by now.
If museums are more your speed, take the family to get nice and cultured in enchanting cities across the continent, including Paris, Amsterdam, Barcelona and Milan.
We can already picture ourselves munching on croissants in a charming Parisian cafe.
In summer 2018, Aer Lingus will have 945,000 seats to Spain, so we can indulge in our tapas and sangria habit.
The airline will also operate 310,000 seats to the Canary Islands and 495,000 seats to Portugal.
More seats will also be added to the routes going to Bordeaux, Lyon, Lisbon, Rome, Prague and Vienna.
On the intercontinental side, there are 13 destinations available in North America, including New York, Newark, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Miami, Orlando, Hartford, Boston, Washington, Chicago and Toronto.
The airline also is adding Philadelphia to its routes in March 2018 and beautiful Seattle in May.
These sale fares are valid for flights from April 1 to September 30 in 2018. Be sure to book before midnight on January 16 to avoid disappointment.
'However, we would always advise our guests to check the status of their flight prior to departing for the airport.'
Ryanair does not have any information relating to today's flights, however, yesterday's advice reads:
'Ryanair advises customers to arrive at least 3 hours before the scheduled departure time of their flight, to ensure they have sufficient time to arrive at the boarding gate at our recommended 30 minutes prior to their scheduled flight departure time.'
Passengers who were queuing for a flight to Cornwall on Saturday were surprised when their boarding call turned out to be a spontaneous sing-song.
A native Cork band, The Molgoggers, were boarding the flight along with the passengers, and instead of the usual final call, the band serenaded the flyers with an original song called All Aboard.
The eight piece group were flying out to take part in the Falmouth International Sea Shanty Festival in Cornwall.
The tune was written in reference to the history of Cobh, and the emigration that people faced in past centuries.
The song was written by the man singing the verses, Jim Halligan, and we have to say, it's a beautiful song. Their harmonies are on point too.
