'Carnival make-up is often so intricate, but is it supposed to be a part of the costume, or is it just what the wearer thought would look good on the day?'

Hannah Pool: No one has ever advised me on how I should look after my skin. If I'm lucky, a magazine might tell me that "black skin needs a lot of moisture", or some other equally vague instruction.

Hannah Pool: I've never had much success with blushers. I like the idea of something that gives me instantly rosy - not to mention razor-sharp - cheeks but, although cream blushers work fine on light skins, if you are dark the colour tends to fade within minutes of application, leaving just a glitter residue.

Hannah Pool: I've always liked the idea of custom-made make-up. It seems the perfect answer to my Number One make-up gripe: the fact that so few companies create powders, foundations or concealers suitable for black skin.

Protection is the key to keeping Afro hair looking good over summer months, says Hannah Pool.

Hannah Pool: I never know what make-up to take on holiday. After a couple of days in the sun, there's hardly any point in applying my usual favourites, as they literally pale into insignificance on my darker self.

Hannah Pool: Black women spend their whole lives being told that the lighter they are, the more attractive and, by implication, the more successful they will be

'Ever since a school bully told me that I wasn't "properly black" because I didn't have big enough lips, I've concentrated on making my lips look as full and as big as possible.'

Hannah Pool: Hair has always been as much of an identity issue for black men as it has for black women. But instead of wondering whether or not to relax their hair, black men are pondering the long and short of it.