New techniques to see you through that awkward time between salon appointments

That time between salon appointments can be tricky. Not only can your hair be lacklustre, but dreaded roots become a real issue if you use dye. Unless you are ready to transition to your natural colour, it’s time to invest in a root cover-up.

Root touch-ups have come a long way from their “hair mascara” beginnings. They come in semi-permanent to permanent formulas and wash-in and wash-out solutions. They’re available in different forms, too, from sprays to mousse and powders. Finding the right one for you depends on your needs. If it is a quick fix, go for a can spray. A dye might be a better choice if you need a more durable job.

From shapewear to surgery, the male quest to build the perfect behind has become a super-sized business

In a nation divided by politics, culture wars and the appropriate way to eat a scone, it seems that there is one thing we can all agree on: we like big butts and we cannot lie. In this (and every) regard, Kim Kardashian has a lot to answer for. The 2007 pilot of her reality show Keeping Up with the Kardashians began with her momager Kris Jenner discussing her “junk in the trunk”, and Kardashian’s ginormous bottom was hefty enough to “break the internet” after its official unveiling on the cover of Paper magazine in 2014. Her exaggerated hourglass silhouette changed the shape of the “ideal” woman’s body; a decade later, buttock augmentations are the fastest-growing procedure worldwide, with the International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery reporting a 137% increase since 2018.

Now men are getting in on the act. Fitness bible Men’s Health recently reported that “men are building their booties – and reaping the benefits”, while the Daily Mail was typically restrained, trumpeting that: “The 2024 fitness trend for men will be gigantic BUTTS.” Meanwhile, fashion and fitness retailers from Lululemon to Kardashian’s own brand, Skims, are scrabbling to corner the market in glute-hugging menswear. According to Ashley Wilson, head of brand at the bestselling gymwear business Gymshark: “We have noticed that men’s glutes are getting more attention in the gym, and have recently created products to meet the demand to accentuate this area.” A spokesperson for Spanx, which relaunched its men’s shapewear line in 2018, tells me that its Ultra Sculpt fit (which promises a perkier bum) is increasingly popular.

For some people, going bald or experiencing thinning hair can have a significant impact on mental wellbeing and self confidence. Madeleine Finlay speaks to Rudi Zygadlo about how it affected him and what he eventually did about it, and to consultant dermatologist and hair specialist Dr Sharon Wong about what exactly is going on when our hair thins, which treatments are available to help, and what we can expect from new technologies in the pipeline

Read Rudi Zygadlo’s description of his hair transplant

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Now is the time to repair dry feet – without using of any those fancy tools

Slingbacks are now a massive trend, at the worst possible time for them. Winter is the time I like my feet to move inconspicuously from thick socks and robust combat boots to hot bath, to sheepskin slippers, and back again, without risk of shaming exposure. Saint Laurent and Chanel can insist all they want, but exposing dry, cracked heels in these temperatures is against God and nature.

However, the trend serves as a useful reminder that your feet might benefit from attention in the shortening run-up to spring. Neglected heels can swiftly be soothed and restored in time for sandal, slingback or flip-flop weather.

Got a beauty dilemma? Our expert is here to offer advice. This week, Ellie, in her 50s, asks how she can stop foundation from pitting in her pores

Thankfully we now live in a more “ skin-positive ” society that recognises real skin doesn’t have to look airbrushed. But as you have asked for advice, let’s start with skincare. In perimenopause we lose collagen, which dermatologist Dr Sam Bunting tells me can “worsen the appearance of acne scarring”. After cleansing in the morning, Bunting recommends using a pre-moisturising treatment or serum containing azelaic acid and salicylic acid to “help improve any residual pigmentation and skin texture, refine pores and brighten the skin”. (Her Flawless Neutralising Gel contains both these ingredients.)

After moisturising, use a sunscreen of SPF30 or more to offset the collagen-depleting effects of UVA, then a primer. Benefit Porefessional Primer is silicone-based, which helps to fill in pits. Supergoop Matte Screen SPF30 is also silicone-based and has a mattifying effect. Finally, using a retinoid at night can support collagen production and minimise scars .

Bobbi Brown has built a billion-dollar beauty brand… because she wants women to look as if they aren’t wearing makeup. She opens up to Funmi Fetto about misogyny, family ties – and ditching her executive high heels

In 1991, as a riposte to red lipstick, Bobbi Brown, a then 30-something makeup artist, launched her eponymous brand with a handful of nude lipsticks. It marked the world’s introduction to the no-makeup makeup look, the antithesis of the more-is-more aesthetic that reigned in women’s makeup bags long after the 80s had made its exit.

As a jobbing makeup artist, she initially sold it directly to friends and clients and then, fortuitously, met a buyer from Bergdorf Goodman in New York, where it officially launched. Brown expected to sell 100 lipsticks a month. The new brand sold 100 a day. It outperformed all the establishment beauty brands in the store and very quickly other retailers, such as Neiman Marcus , asked to stock the brand across the country. “I wanted women to look like they weren’t really wearing makeup,” Brown said.

Homespun recipes for glowing skin and sleek hair

Bollywood sirens are the gold standard for smouldering Indian beauty. Their glowing skin and silken tresses are often down to brightening face masks or nourishing hair conditioners whipped up at home using recipes passed down the generations. My own grandmother’s recipe for brightening skin is a mix of yoghurt, gram flour and turmeric stirred into a paste and applied over the face for 20 minutes before washing off. These ready-made potions from a hydrating face serum with saffron to a brow oil that has cult status are inspired by the wisdom of the founders’ mothers and grandmothers.

1. Kama Ayurveda Kumkumadi Revitalising and Brightening Face Oil £122, kamaayurveda.com
2. Champo Vata Hydrating Shampoo £18.50, champohaircare.com
3. Ranavat Flawless Veil Resurfacing Saffron Masque £75, cultbeauty.co.uk
4. BBB Nourishing Brow Oil £24, bbb-london.com

A TikTok video battle is now in place, with Generation Alpha firing salvoes that are met punch-for-punch by every online generation that isn’t dead

An intergenerational war is brewing. Yes, another one.

It seems a plague of “Sephora Tweens” have been raiding available stocks of Drunk Elephant skin treatments at the makeup shop before mature consumers can get them. Deprived, older women have declared intergenerational war.

Streamlining your personal care purchases is easier on your wallet and the planet. But in a fast-paced beauty trend cycle, it can also be a challenge

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You only get one face, and understanding how to care for it properly is confusing with all the misinformation and overpromising. Every week there’s a new “holy grail” product or “hero ingredient” that you must have. Our daily routines are escalating from two steps to 14 – and we’re not necessarily looking or feeling any better for it.

It’s easy to feel overwhelmed by a cabinet full of broken promises, and with the rise of online shopping, more people are buying products that don’t work for them, like incorrectly matched foundations and undesirable formulations that are being chucked.