Muse

MUSE Love me Tinder Can you find love with an App?

UK Dating Awards Avoid digital dating disasters

Exclusive

Dating guru Katy Horwood: Embrace online romance

The modern dating guide

introduction

Dear Reader W

elcome to the first edition of Muse - the modern dating guide for the woman who works hard and plays hard.

We’re the first to admit that dating isn’t easy - juggling work, social life and romance can be a veritable jigsaw puzzle.

Muse is your guide through the bewildering landscape of 21st century dating. More than six million singles signed up to online dating services in 2014 and it’s a jungle out there!

This month we introduce you to the ‘Oscars’ of the dating world with our feature on the first ever UK Dating Awards. Discover the very best the British dating

industry has to offer you, both online and offline.

You’ll find advice from award winning dating blogger Katy Horwood as well as getting the lowdown on the fastest growing dating app Tinder.

You can also check out some of the hottest trends from the catwalk for that perfect ‘first date outfit’. You’ll even be able to find out whether your ideal date night might be getting down and dirty with Muddy Matches or sweating it out at Kick Box dating.

Dating should be fun. And we’re here to help you do just that. So enjoy!

Cover to cover REVIEW Love me Tinder - the award dating app that helps you swipe your way to love FEATURE Dating Oscars help you find love - what is the best online dating site for you?

INTERVIEW Award winning dating guru and blogger Katy Horwood talks dating stigma, online romance and being open minded DRESS TO IMPRESS Muse’s dating guide - helping you find your way through the modern dating scene with alternative dates and outfits to dazzle

lovee, team xx the Mus

The Muse team are here to help you find your way through the modern dating scene and show you how to have a little fun along the way

Hannah Richards

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Amelia Jones

Victoria Northbrooke

Robin Nierynck

Dating Awards

Love Me Tinder

Slide your way to love with award winning app Tinder is the app that’s dominating the digital dating scene.

It helps you find your ideal match based on their proximity to you.

A bit like a game you can swipe you way to ‘love’ through a slideshow of profile photos of people nearby. Slide left for no and right for yes - simple as that!

If the feeling is mutual and they have swiped yes too, you have made a match. You can now chat, flirt and even organise a date.

There’s no escaping that Tinder is essentially based on looks .

It can be fun, exciting and addictive. However it seems its rare for guys to actually start up a conversation once they’ve matched with you, leaving you with lots of matches and not

“Tinder felt more like a game than a legitimate dating service. It’s too easy to see a few people at the same time instead of spending the time to get to know a person.” Phil Lewis

much else.

It is still very casual sexfocussed. Many men are only on Tinder for a quick hook-up,

“I love Tinder, you can make of it what you want. I don’t think anybody is looking for a relationship on it, it is all just a bit of fun.” Caroline Price

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dating awards

Dating Oscars help you find love H

ow’s an intelligent modern girl to know what’s right for her when she’s swamped with choice in today’s dating world?

Is the man of your dreams to be found at Kick-Box Dating, online at Tinder, or should you be getting down and dirty at Muddy Matches?

The answer lies in the first UK Dating Awards which took place on November 13 and are the brain child of Charly Lester.

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MICHELIN STARS FOR DATING The Dating Awards are the Michelin stars of the dating world. They are a beacon of excellence to guide you through the digital dating maze.

Launched by dating diva Charly Lester of 30 Dates blog fame and Guardian SoulMates, The Dating Awards help you mine the modern dating landscape for golden opportunities and hopefully help you avoid dating disasters.

They will advise and help you choose which digital dating site or dating event is right for you.

The awards give you a ‘kiss mark’ of excellence to reputable, safe and successful ways to meet like-minded, genuine people who might just be ‘the one’ for you.

UK DATING AWARDS The awards included categories such as Best Dating Website, Best New Dating App, and

dating awards Best Dating Blogger. Supported by the UK dating trade body the Online Dating Association, whose members include Match. com, eHarmony, DatingLab, Oasis and Lovestruck, the awards are a hallmark of the best in the modern dating world.

As Charly Lester said, “You shouldn’t have to pay a six month website subscription,

only to find out that your specialist dating website only contains two members who are of the opposite sex. And you shouldn’t be enticed onto a website, only to later realise you’ve been chatting with catfish and scammers.”

So have a little fun now and try out our digital dating quiz below.

Find out which award winning dating service is perfect for you.

Find your digital match Wanting to try something new?

Y

N

Looking for a high-flyer with international connections

Looking for someone to share every moment of your life

Y Money rich but time poor, too hectic to find the one?

Y You need...

N

N

Y

Is personality more important to you than looks

Sick of the city scene

N Scroll through...

N

Y

Click away on...

N Dive into...

Y Put a bag on...

Lovestruck Dating website of the year

Trueview Newcomer app of the year

Inner Circle Newcomer website of the year

Muddy Matches Best specialist dating site

Love Flutter The app behind The Crazy Bags

Meet like-minded city prossesionals who are free for lunch

For singles who like to share every minute of their life

International dating for ambitious singles. By invite only

Your head is in the city but your heart longs for countryside romance

Say no to shallow, if your big on personality, try Crazy Bag dating

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interview

Your Dating Guru Award-winning dating blogger Katy Horwood talks dating stigma, online romance and being open-minded

You just won Blogger of the Year and Best Dating Blog. What attracts people to your blog?

I think it’s because I’m very honest. My site isn’t full of feel good mantras or wishy washy posts. It’s very straightforward and that’s the tone that people seem to like.

How has the internet changed the dating landscape?

Online dating really destroyed the organic side of things.

People are always looking over their shoulder, always have one eye open looking for something better. It also reinforces this list-mentality that people have.

Look at Tinder, people become commodities, it’s a game.

It is a bit of strange way of interacting socially, but then again,

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outside of dating, so many people connect socially through Facebook. It’s just the way technology is going. It’s a bit of a necessary evil.

‘

K

aty Horwood is a London based blogger who’s not afraid to speak her mind.

Her dating, sex & relationships blog All Sweetness and Life was lauded at the recent UK Dating Awards.

But actually I met my daughter’s father online!

What is the best way to go about choosing people to date?

Open your mind.

Get rid of the shopping list of things that you want and give people a chance.

And meet each other for a start! People spend months emailing nonsense to each other, but you can’t know until you meet in real life.

I’d rather say I met someone strolling along the Thames than say we met online

Is it really that bad?

I’m grateful that it’s there! It’s a realistic option. There is less stigma to it these days, but it’s not entirely gone. I mean, I’d rather say I met someone strolling along the Thames than say we met online.

dress to impress

Dark grey embellished vest. River Island: £40. Black leather look skinny jeans. New Look: £24.99. Silver heeled sandals. Zara: £39.99. Bag. Zara: £29.99. Black asymmetrical heeled court shoes. Faith @ Asos: £55.

BLIND DATES Bag-on-head dating is causing a stir on the speed dating scene by encouraging you to go beyond looks.

Perfect for those who feel a bit shy, want to build up their confidence or just want to have some fun.

Skinny jeans.

H&M: £24.99.

Floral top.

Zara: £25.99.

Grey tshirt.

River Island: £18.

Cardigan.

H&M: £7.99.

Leather boots.

River Island: £85.

DARE DEVIL Why not test your nerves and break through that first date awkwardness with sky diving or white water rafting. Go explore your adventurous side and bond through your fear!

Muse’s dating guide

Helping you find your way through the dating scene

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ating doesnt have to be a drag. There are hundreds of quirky dates out there for you to get hands on with. Here are our favourites, and gorgeous outfits to dazzle your date.

MASTER CLASSES Take a cookery class or a cocktails master class and mix food with pleasure - after all they say the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach.

Cut-out velvet skater dress. Topshop: £48. Relish metal high sandals. Topshop: £56. Necklacke. H&M: £24.99.

Gem leather box clutch. Topshop: £48.

DATE SWAP Have a friend that would be the perfect boyfriend but you’re just not attracted to him? Well there are lots of other girls out there thinking the same. Why not swap dates with a friend or colleague and make that first date much less daunting.

Parka coat. Zara: £129. Necklace. H&M: £7.99. High waist treggings. Topshop: £25. Hunters wellies. www.huntersboot.com: £90. Shirt. River Island: £38.

Floral cigarette trousers. Topshop: £42. Scattered embellished sweater. Topshop: £85. V-panel holdall.

Topshop: £40. Red block heel che;sea boots. River Island: £60

COUNTRYSIDE GETAWAY Why not take a quiet walk in the Brecon Beacons with wine and a picnic. Get to know each other over a beautiful view. Muddy Matches sets up outdoorsy dates for country minded people and gets you away from the bustle of city life.

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real life

Dating Disasters

Dating doesnt always go to plan, but fear not you are not alone. Here are some dating disasters from other singles..

Amelia Jones, 21, Student and Muse mag writer from Cardiff “I once tripped over a guy’s foot and fell flat on my face as he leant in to kiss me after a rather awkward evening together. Safe to say we never went on a date again after that.”

Max Goldbart, 23, Student from Sheffield “I went on a second date with a girl I had been seeing for a few weeks and we went to the spaghetti house. I had a starter and it came with a really red sauce that I thought was salsa so I piled lots on. Unfortunately it was a really hot chilli sauce and I spat it all over her. I paid for her meal and we never spoke again.”

Emily Burt, 23, Student from Cardiff University “I went on a date to the park once and we decided to go tree climbing, which turned out to be a big mistake. As I jumped from the branch, my date caught me but he noticed a long pink strand leading up from my back. My knicker elastic had snagged on the branch and tied me to the tree!”

Tom Phillips, 21, Student from Carmarthen “When I first started seeing my girlfriend she came to watch me play football. After winning the game I went to give her a hug. I stood on her foot in my football boots and broke her toe as she was wearing flipflops.”

Francesca Donovan, 22, Student from Nottingham “I got asked on a date to the cinema to watch a scary film and agreed in the hope that he would comfort me when I was scared.

Unfortunately the film that he picked was 28 Days Later. I am terrified of zombies and blood, so cried and passed out. Less romantic than I had hoped.”

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