Regular listeners of the podcast will know that we absolutely love a book that revolves around women’s stories; that reclaims/wrestles the narrative from the petty patriarchal posturers of history. So we were delighted when Annabelle Hirsch’s 'A History of Women in 101 Objects' landed on our doormats. The book tells stories of female history through ‘things’; through the quiet power of their everyday items: perfumed gloves, thumbscrews, sewing machines, the Brontës’ miniature books, the contraceptive pill and abortion testimony. Female life through the ages, ordinary and extraordinary is here. We talk to Annabelle about the power of doubt, horror and humour, and the amazing resilience, resourcefulness and strength that women have shown every single day since the dawn of time.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Happy Friday! Just slipping into your feed to let you know that the week is nearly over, and there’s only one more week to go before we have to get through the next week. Oh God. This week it’s all about the rookie errors. Yes we are seasoned, experienced, wise, broken in, been around (WILL YOU STOP NOW) but we are still making basic balls ups. Like putting on our coats ten minutes before we leave the house so we end up in a muck sweat, wearing g-strings and being surprised that we spend the whole day “adjusting” and saying things like, “Don’t worry, I’ll remember that,” when we absolutely will not… Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How to look like a fully-functioning woman? The odds are against us BUT…'tis the season of miracles after all. So, Annabel has a rummage through her drawers to put together a beauty box selection of old favourites and new wonders to try and fix our faces. And bodies. And spirits. Emilie falls in love with Sun Bum’s Glow 30. We get transported back to our late 20s by REN’s Moroccan Rose Otto, and find that every woman needs a bit of Clarins, Charlotte Tilbury and Glossier in her arsenal. There’s budget beauty, a bust-the-bank mascara, a lot of wisdom (Annabel) and some idiocy (Emilie). Go from sickly, consumptive Victorian child to fully functioning woman in a flash…Plus if you head to Instagram (@themidult) we’re running a competition…   Starring…   REN Moroccan Rose Otto Body Wash Nécessaire Body Wash Eucalyptus Dr Bronner Eucalyptus Pure-Castille Liquid Soap Beauty Pie Firewall Blend Bath & Shower Oil & Niacinamide Drops Clarins L’Huile Tonique Sol de Janeiro Beija Flor Elasti-Cream CeraVe Body Lotion Farmacy Green Clean Cleansing Balm Trinny London Enzyme Balm Cleanser Dermalogica Daily Microfoliant Revolution X Sali Hughes Better in 5 Express Exfoliating Mask Vichy Normaderm 3-in-1 Nivea Soft Moisturiser RMS Beauty Primer Glossier Future Dew & Stretch Balm Concealer & Boy Brow SunBum Glow 30 Erborian CC Cream in Doré & Eye Cream in Doré Charlotte Tilbury Healthy Glow & Invisible UV Flawless Primer Drunk Elephant Sunshine Drops Dr Hauschka Rose Day Cream & Translucent Bronzing Tint Hourglass Veil Hydrating Skin Tint Ilia Super Serum Skin Tint SPF 30 & True Skin Serum Concealer Rose Inc Soft Light Skin Smoothing Liquid Foundation & Brow Renew & Lip/Cheek Colour in “hydrangea” Merit Blusher Hannah Martin & Ciaté brushes Benefit They’re Real mascara Westman Atelier mascara Hermes Rosy lip enhancer Hershesons Almost Everything Cream Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Happy Friday! Just slipping into your feed to let you know that the week is nearly over, and there’s only one more week to go before we have to get through the next week. Oh God. Ok so Emilie was on the tube when a nice young man politely offered her his seat. IT’S HAPPENING… Annabel got into a swearing match with a much older woman, both from the comfort of their cars. Are you turning into “THAT WOMAN”? The harridan? The banshee? Please send comforting examples…because if we’re not in it together, we’re not in it at all... Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Water. Water is meant to give us good skin, improved mental health and more energy. What does it actually give us? Pee. We all know we’re supposed to get eight hours sleep a night or - they tell us again and again - we may go mad and die. How many of us manage? How many times in the past week, month, year have you woken up at 2am, 3am, 4am and then started the useless, desperate process of trying to get back to sleep? Why is sleep such a scam? It turns out there are a lot of things that are scams in our lives: things that are supposed to be good for us but instead are brutal: like Christmas. And weekends. On the podcast this week we discuss these, why we are exhausted by life’s tiny dilemmas (let alone the big, hairy ones) and phrases we’d like to retire, such as, “I did a thing”. Anyway we did a thing, link in bio… Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Happy Friday! Just slipping into your feed to let you know that the week is nearly over, and there’s only one more week to go before we have to get through the next week. Oh God. Anyway, it’s spooky season and we imagine some terrifying haunted house scenarios: a room where your WhatsApp groups have all come to life; another room where there’s a party and people keep saying ‘So, tell me about you…’; a hall of mirrors where each one reflects your mother back at you. And she’s always saying something dispiriting like ‘Your hair is much better like that.’ #shudders. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Desperate for a little corner of calm that you can tuck yourself into? A mini-escape that is not demanding or exhausting or expensive? We are delighted that this week’s guest has found a way to calm the wild voices in her head… Poetry. Allie Esiri is a poetry anthologist and her wonderful new book 365 Poems for Life harnesses our extraordinary literary resources to offer - if not a solution - then a balm for the soul. Of course, you might be thinking, ‘How is reading a poem a day going to make me feel less mad, vulnerable, sad, tired, stretched, defeated?’…Well, Allie came and talked about poetry. Read a few of her favourites. Recommended a few others. Does poetry have the power to make us feel a little less alone? Have a listen... Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Happy Friday! Just slipping into your feed to let you know that the week is nearly over, and there’s only one more week to go before you have to get through the next week. Oh God. Anyway, this week we decide to become local legends. But how? By wearing cloaks? Adopting a treachery of ravens? Maybe a monkey? Emilie thinks replenishing everyone’s stock of recycling bags would do it. Annabel thinks more majesty is required… Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Are you reaching the edge of reason? Do you find yourself shouting at the Today programme, slamming your laptop shut after reading the Sunday papers, cursing wildly at how insane the news cycle is: the politics, the fuckery, the backstabbing, and the actual stabbings. Our next guest is at the frontline of the news – he has to watch everything, listen to everything, talk about everything and try not to shout or lose his mind. We’re not sure how he does it. Hugo Rifkind, writer, broadcaster and all round good egg came back to give us a political update: we talk about party conferences, Suella Braverman standing on a guide dog’s tail and why the current Tories are making up things to be frightened of... Listen as Annabel & Emilie discover what HS2 stands for (yes, really) in real time as we analyse Labour’s strategy of boring everyone into voting for them. It’s politics but not as you know it… Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Happy Friday! Just slipping into your feed to let you know that the week is nearly over, and there’s only one more week to go before you have to get through the next week. Oh God. Anyway, in this episode, we get all nostalgic/nauseous about all the lies we told our parents when we were 15/16. All the shady places we went. The many dodgy vehicles we got into and the European waiters we kissed. How are we still alive? OOF… Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This is a very personal conversation with our friend Mandy Saligari where she allows us all the privilege of bearing witness to her experience of a recent stage 4 cancer diagnosis. Longtime listeners of the podcast will know Mandy is someone who we hold in extremely high regard: an addictions therapist, founder of Charter Harley Street, and all-round badass, who has given us and many others life-changing advice over the years. Five weeks ago, she was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma and, last week, began her chemotherapy. Feelings are Mandy’s speciality - her TedTalk is called “Handle Your Feelings Before They Handle You” - and so she generously agreed to come on the podcast and share exactly what she has been feeling. It’s an emotional listen. To all of our listeners affected by cancer, we send you masses of love.  Mandy Saligari's Instagram Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Happy Friday! Just slipping into your feed to let you know that the week is nearly over, and there’s only one more week to go before you have to get through the next week. Oh God. Anyway, in this episode, Emilie has swapped oppressive cheerfulness for gnawing anxiety and Annabel is trying to cheer her up with three-word happy stories…So you can imagine how that went… Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

So we recorded this week’s podcast schvitzing in our stupid summer dresses, fretting about what we can bear to put on our bodies for Autumn. It’s like all the ghosts of our fashion past are out there: the return of the Sienna Miller-style coin belt; massive blazers and baggy jeans a la Eternal, as well kitten heels. How do we feel about wearing something with the word ‘kitten’ in it? They say hair is everything but it’s also everywhere - sprouting erratically, so Annabel pays homage to her epilator while Emilie bemoans her sparse and patchy body hair situation. We also solemnly swear to tend each other’s coma beards, should the occasion arise, and discuss ways to answer the phone that might make life more bearable. Plus your favourite three-word horror stories: Are you busy? Printer not found. Some assembly required. Is Pepsi okay? You are invited….  *Emilie gets the name of the character from Superstore wrong – it’s Jeff not Gregg.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sometimes we need reminding that we aren’t failing. The entire fucking system is against us. We have interviewed three brilliant American women who have dedicated their careers to looking at the patriarchy: Ada Calhoun with her Generation X defining book, Why We Can’t Sleep: Women’s New Midlife Crisis. Eve Rodsky’s manifest for female creativity: Find Your Unicorn Space. Elise Loehnen’s primal roar that is On Our Best Behaviour. Presumably you are already angry. Have a listen, get angrier and feel better. We could say empowered but we can’t quite bear it. Remember that you are not alone. After all, if we’re not in it together we’re not in it at all….Note: these are highlight, not new recordings Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hopefully you are fully engaged in a wonderful holiday, spending joyous time immersed in the glorious slipstream of your family dynamics. If so GOOD FOR YOU. If, however, you feel that you are on the brink, near the overwhelm or just unbelievably tired, have we got an episode to you… We’ve gathered together some self-preserving thoughts from therapy titans, Julia Samuel, Mandy Saligari and Sam Akbar, to talk you down off the emotional cliff. Note: these are highlights, not new recordings. PS: For further inspiration you might want to take a look at Julia Samuel’s Every Family Has A Story, MandySaligari.com and Sam Akbar’s Stressilient.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Here at I’m Absolutely Fine we have gathered the finest beauty minds for a Beauty 101. Nadine Baggott brought us her Skincare SOS kit: she decodes the ingredients to look out for and keeps budget front of mind. Sali Hughes, who has launched her wildly successful skincare range with Revolution (Emilie is a devotee of her Daily Exfoliant), opened up her make-up bag, uncovering treasure, and Annabel rifled through her bathroom to share her summer sensations…NOTE: These are highlights not new recordings… Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Summer is here. Maybe you are leaping into August with the enthusiasm of a newborn deer or maybe you feel as if you are about to be culled and mounted on the living room wall. We are veering wildly from wanting to scamper and scurry the streets, eating snacks and generally channelling rat girl energy; and spending so long in the bath that we turn ourselves into broths. Either way we will not be replying to emails in a hurry: Sorry for the delayed response but….I’m Absolutely Fine podcast is taking a break (having a break-down). However we will be sending out some greatest hits to keep you company. See you in September…. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Happy Friday! Just slipping into your feed to let you know that the week is nearly over, and there’s only one more week to go before you have to get through the next week. Oh God. So this week we asked you the question: You’re a burglar…but you can only steal things that MILDLY INCONVENIENCE your victims. What are you taking? 700 of you responded with mildly inconveniencing horrors…Long story short, we are not the bigger person... Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Our guest this week is Anna Richardson - host of Channel 4’s Naked Attraction and the recently-launched podcast It Can’t Just Be Me: a sex and relationships podcast where she answers all kinds of problems about anything from ‘Can you be friend with an ex?’ to ‘how do I cope partner’s depression?’. Anna has seen more naked people than anyone else we know, so we ask her about the dynamics of attraction and what she’s learned about bodies from looking at so many of them. She’s also making a documentary about Ozempic, the so-called skinny drug so we dive into that…is it a horror story or a fairy tale? Have a listen... Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Just slipping into your feed to let you know that the week is nearly over, and there’s only one more week to go before you have to get through the next week. Oh God. This week we talk about JULY WEIRDNESS. July is the waiting room of summer, and waiting rooms are weird: you don’t know your life is about to change for the good or for the bad. As a result we find ourselves thinking the same thing over and over… ‘Disappointed, but not surprised’. And we have also discovered a good catch-all for when you don’t feel like explaining yourself…. Because, sometimes, it’s just none of their business. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices