Photographer Darlyne Komukama and her friends set up a roving hair salon for Black women to ‘convene, connect and converse’

This photo was taken as part of an art project called the Salooni that I created with three other Ugandan women: Kampire Bahana, Aida Holly-Nambi and Gloria Wavamunno.

The Salooni explores the idea of Black hair practices as systems of knowledge through which culture and survivalist strategies are passed from generation to generation.

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Take advantage of refills, dupes of high-end products and sharing with your partner

There are plenty of ways to reduce the cost of your skincare routine – from everyday moisturisers to potent serums.

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How to get a full-brow look, plus Beyoncé’s new hair range and luxe evening scents

Recently, to celebrate what would have been Maria Callas’s 100th birthday , the Merchant of Venice launched a fragrance paying homage to the opera singer – and it smells gorgeous. But let’s talk about the soprano’s brows. Full, healthy, glossy and highly desirable, they were extraordinary. Olaplex’s new Browbond Serum will give you denser brows in four weeks. In the meantime, we can fake it with these products, which will give the wispiest of brows Callas magic in seconds.

1. Charlotte Tilbury Brow Fix £25, charlottetilbury.com
2. BBB London Eyebrow Pen £23, bbb-london.com
3. Morphe Supreme Brow Sculpting Wax £9, selfridges.com
4. Rare Beauty Brow Harmony Flexible Lifting Ge l £17, spacenk.com
5. Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Freeze Gel £24, sephora.co.uk

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Looking for brilliant products that don’t break the bank? Our beauty editor selects the best for skin, body and hair

At the drawing board stage of this year’s bargain special, I genuinely worried I wouldn’t find enough products at a low enough price to celebrate. Having formulated my own products (which naturally, I excluded from consideration), I know how expensive the entire supply chain has become since Brexit and Covid.

Unlike with the creation of luxury products, the formulation of beauty bargains is a precarious process. Every single spray mechanism, lid and millilitre of ingredient increases the bottom line and jeopardises commercial viability. Which is why I’m even more impressed when a bargain brand launches something brilliant that can hold its own against the limitless budgets of the luxury sector.

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Despite criticism for the use of potentially harmful chemicals, companies are still selling the products around the world

It was just before Christmas, and eight-year-old Gloria Moraa sat holding a mirror as her aunt painted her curls with chemicals that would straighten every strand. “All the young girls would get matching hairstyles for the holidays, and relaxers were fashionable back then,’’ says Moraa, now 28, who lives in Nairobi, Kenya.

She no longer straightens her hair because she thought it was starting to thin. But over the years, Moraa used almost every relaxer on the market , with one goal: making her coily hair silky. The ingredients didn’t matter.

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Life’s too short for complicated routines and crowded makeup cabinets. Choose a hardworking product and do more with less

Creating the best beauty routine is all about picking the right products – and to streamline that process your best options are multi-use products. These two-in-ones have become a staple in the beauty world with cult favourites like Jones Road and Glossier Cloud Paint now viral sensations. The great thing about them is how effortlessly they can slip into your routines. Want a summer glow without foundation? A CC base will give you subtle highlights and coverage with just one blend. Or there is the simplicity of a multi-stick: some give your cheeks, lips and eyes a unified colour, while others work as a highlight and contour duo. The combinations are endless. And the best thing about these hardworking multitaskers is that you tend to spend less – one purchase works more for your money.

1. Saie Glowy Super Gel £22, cultbeauty.co.uk
2. Ilia Multi-stick £36, sephora.co.uk
3. Ambient Lightening Palette £66, hourglasscosmetics.co.uk
4. Coast Cloud Paint £22, glossier.com
5. Highlight Stick £44, westman-atelier.com
6. The Multi £33, narscosmetics.co.uk
7. Blush and Highlight Duo £40, bobbibrown.co.uk
8. Lip and Cheek Balm £38, chanel.com
9. Flush Balm £32, meritbeauty.com
10. Lip and Cheek Stick £34, jonesroadbeauty.com

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They occur naturally in the body, and are triggers for proteins such as elastin and collagen. But peptides aren’t enough on their own

My heart gladdens when an established and evidenced skincare ingredient catches fire in an industry full of dubious claims and silly, marketing-driven trends. In a world of oxygen-boosts, diamond dust and Boswelox, be more peptide and you will finally get your moment.

Peptides are everywhere and it’s high time, since they are endlessly supportive of good-looking skin. Peptides are short or long chains of amino acids, occur naturally in the body, and are commonly referred to as “the building blocks of skin”. But it’s maybe more helpful to think of them as triggers for proteins such as elastin and collagen.

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She’s the ex-hairdresser who turned Bowie into Ziggy Stardust, then set off around the world in his entourage. Ronson relives those wild days – and recalls seeing a darker side of David

One Saturday morning early in the summer of 1971, Suzi Ronson was busy at work at the Evelyn Paget hair salon on Beckenham High Street when a couple walked past pushing a pram. The woman was wearing black jeans and a furry jacket, the man was in a flowing gold midi dress. “Everybody rushed out to have a look,” recalls Ronson, who then went by her maiden name Fussey. “Everyone was like nudging, poking each other, asking, ‘Who’s that?’ Then someone whispered, ‘It’s David Bowie.’”

Ronson had vaguely heard of Bowie: the success of his Space Oddity single had made him a local celebrity and the singer’s mother was a client. But she recalls: “He was in an arty clique, not my world.” However Ronson would end up becoming part of Bowie’s world, the only working woman in his touring party – as her new memoir Me and Mr Jones relates.

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Got a beauty dilemma? Our expert is here to offer advice. This week, an anonymous reader asks for assistance choosing a look that lasts

There are so many lipsticks to choose from now, which is fun but can be overwhelming. The longest-wearing formulation is liquid, which forms a sort of seal on the lips, but many people find them drying. The next best thing is a matt lipstick bullet, offering staying power without parched lips.

Start with picking a colour you love. You told me your outfit and colourings: a cream dress suits bright red. If you’re new to red lipstick, I’d recommend a brown-ish red such as Charlotte Tilbury Matte Revolution in Walk of No Shame . Or try something with a hint of orange, such as Chilli, a warm, brick red, or Lady Danger, a vivid coral, from Mac’s reformulated Macximal Silky Matte range .

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