MY LIFE IN BEAUTY

Embrace your natural look, says Charlotte Mensah

Staring at yourself in the mirror all day forces you to make peace with how you look

My grandmother taught me the importance of self-care.

She’d have long baths where she’d spend hours pampering herself with scented Avon products – a big deal in Ghana in the 1970s! She never wore make-up but would look after her skin by ensuring it was always hydrated and moisturised.

My mum died when I was 11 and hairdressing helped me with my grief.

She’d always braided my younger sister’s hair, which then became my job. I’d search in magazines for looks to try, which helped me feel less sad that she wasn’t around any more. When I left school, I started working as a hairdresser. The moment I stepped through the salon door, I felt like I was home. Hairdressing has been a joy to me ever since.

My life motto is ‘Don’t look backwards, you’re not going that way’.

My dad always said it, and it reminds me not to dwell on life’s disappointments, but to keep moving forward and stay hopeful.

I layer my perfumes to create something personal.

At the moment,

I’m mixing Byredo Gypsy Water (2) and Rose Of No Man’s Land, £115 each, with Tocca Bianca (6), £68. I’ll spray them in whatever order I fancy until I’m happy with my bespoke blend.

I love to make my own skincare.

Every time I go back to Ghana, I buy slabs of raw shea butter, which I’ll whip until it’s soft and soufflé-like and then blend with Chantecaille Rose de Mai Face Oil (1), £160. It works brilliantly as a nourishing overnight treatment and, by day, it gives my skin a lovely sheen.

True beauty comes from the inside.

Both my mother and grandmother had incredible, glowing skin and gorgeous features, but it was their warmth and kindness that made them seem even more beautiful to me.

A happy mind is good for the skin.

I believe that the way skin behaves is directly linked to your mood and outlook. If I am feeling blue and need a boost, I’ll put on some uplifting music and dance around. Having said that,

I do think genetics plays a part; I have six sisters and one brother, and we’re all blessed with lovely, trouble-free skin.

I’d rather focus on my skin than wear lots of make-up.

But I do use a tiny amount of Hourglass Vanish Seamless

Finish Foundation Stick (4) in Walnut, £45, as under-eye concealer to camouflage dark circles. And, depending on my mood, I might apply some Nars Blush (5) in Sin, £25.

You’ll rarely catch me without eyeliner.

My go-to is Nars Larger Than Life

Long-wear Eyeliner (3) in Via Veneto Black, £20, which intensifies and defines the shape of my eyes. I always keep my sharpener next to me when I’m applying it, as I like the pencil to be pointy so

I can get a nice, clean line.

My self-confidence has grown over time.

Working as a hairdresser and staring at yourself in a mirror all day forces you to make peace with the way you look. As a youngster, I thought my high cheekbones made my face look enormous when I smiled, so I spent my childhood frowning. But now I think they’re one of my best features: people often ask if I’ve had filler!

Manketti oil is the superstar ingredient that inspired my haircare range.

It’s been used as a hair treatment in Africa for years but was unknown in the West. It’s incredible for curly hair, as it adds beautiful but weightless hydration, and you can also use it on dry elbows or cuticles. I have a bottle of my Manketti

Hair Oil (7), £48, in every room of the house, as well as in my handbag.

The client is always right.

I want my customers to feel happy from the minute they arrive in the salon, so we play soft, spa-like music to create a relaxing environment. The consultation is a big part in deciding what we’ll do with their hair; what are they wearing? What’s their lifestyle like? What’s happening personally and professionally? It’s important we truly listen to them, so we can make the best decision together.

Healthy hair starts with a healthy scalp.

In the salon, we offer an exfoliating oil and scalp massage treatment to remove product build-up and boost circulation. Clients who’ve had it tell me they’ve had a better night’s sleep afterwards! At home, taking 10 minutes to massage in hair oil before shampooing will help to make you – and your hair – feel more revived.

Dramatic transformations don’t happen overnight.

Especially if you’re making a big colour change, like going from black to blonde. But as long as everyone communicates openly from the start, I find there’s never a problem.

Working with your natural texture makes every day a good hair day.

During lockdown, a lot of my clients were able to wean themselves off chemical straightening and extensions and embrace their natural texture, and now their hair looks full of life and vitality. I wrote everything I know about natural hair in my book Good Hair: The Essential Guide To Afro, Textured And Curly Hair. It gives readers lots of positive encouragement and practical information on how they can make their hair look fabulous.

It’s important for me to give back.

I opened my first salon with help from the Prince’s Trust, so I recently set up a charity that enables women in Ghana to have economic freedom by teaching them hairstyling skills, which helps them gain employment or start their own business. It’s called LOVE Naa Densua (lovenaadensua.com). LOVE is short for Ladies of Visionary Empowerment and was also my late mother’s name. She was a beautiful woman who lost her life too early, at only 42, and this is my tribute to her. • Good Hair: The Essential Guide To Afro, Textured And Curly Hair (Penguin Life, £14.99) by Charlotte

Mensah is out 29 October