Hannah Pool: I can't remember who gave me my first make-up kit but, suffice to say, the colours suited me so badly that I ended up using them as paints rather than on my face.

Hannah Pool: I have never understood why so many black women use a dark lip-liner around their mouths.

Hannah Pool: "Believe it or not, we're all born with the brow shape that best suits our face," says make-up artist Bobbi Brown. That might be so, but I've been plucking mine for so long that I can't remember what their natural shape is.

'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