The new black

Hannah Pool: I tend to avoid gold, but hey, it's nearly Christmas, and I'm feeling festive, so what the hell.

The new black

Hannah Pool: Tinted lip balm doesn't get nearly enough praise.

The new black

Hannah Pool: Maybe it's because I'm fast approaching the right side of 30, but this winter has hit my skin particularly hard.

The new black

Hannah Pool: It's not much to ask for, is it, a decent, brown pair of tights?

The new black

Hannah Pool: You can tell a lady's age by her hands, so the adage goes. This is something that has always worried me.

The new black

Hannah Pool: So that's it, the end of British Summer Time as of early tomorrow morning. Long nights, shivery mornings and horrible dry skin until at least April.

The new black

Hannah Pool: The trouble with us black girls is that we all look alike. How's a chap supposed to be able to tell the difference between, say, Alek Wek and, um, another black woman who looks nothing like her?

The new black

Hannah Pool: Beauty is only worth bothering with if you do it properly.

The new black

Hannah Pool: It never ceases to amaze me how much time, money and energy I spend trying to look as if I've not made any effort at all. Most of the make-up I wear, weekends aside, is supposed to look like I'm not wearing any.