| Should I get a facelift? It’s something I’ve been considering more frequently, especially when looking at this summer’s snapshots: I am distracted by the two deep crevasses etched between my brows. Aestheticians call these lines the “11”, the delightful result of having spent too many decades with one’s features set to scowl. Options for the remedy thereof are plenty: I could try a bit of gentle Botox; the light incisions required for a “ponytail lift”; or go the whole hog and get a deep plane facelift, a process so gruesome it sees the surgeon “releasing the ligaments that anchor the facial tissues to the underlying bone”. In “The Seven Stages of a Facelift”, Hannah Coates looks at the most popular procedures, discussing the pros and cons of each. 
© Indigo Lewin To be honest, I’m far too squeamish to slice my face off. So I’m looking for less invasive ways to freshen up. Together with photographer Indigo Lewin and our style director Isabelle Kountoure, make-up artist Mel Arter highlights the key cosmetics trends for the new season in “Character Study”. Watching the AW26 collections, I was struck, in fact, by how little make-up seemed to be on show. Mascara was near invisible, and a “full face” of make-up was largely replaced by statement features such as a bronzed cheek or – currently the most fashionable red lipstick – a lick of dark Bordeaux. Sarah Creal makes make-up for 40-plus skin. Everyone wants in | | | | 
© Olivia Malone Of the looks showcased, I like the flushed cheek best: I will be applying big swipes of pink blusher “towards the lower cheek”, along with smearings of “good old-fashioned Vaseline”(!) in order to convey the perkiness of someone who has just been to the gym. I’ll combine this with some concealer by Sarah Creal Beauty, a hero product I have been using for at least a year. Creal is the entrepreneur who helped to launch both Tom Ford and Victoria Beckham Beauty (she came up with the bestselling “Kajal” eyeliner on which Beckham has built her brand). But she launched her own namesake line in 2024 to compensate for the lack of products she could find that suited older skin. As someone who uses less make-up as I get older, I have found Creal’s products extraordinarily good. They’re finally available in the UK, and she caught up with Nicola Moulton to talk about the challenges of trying to launch a niche product in a market that is perpetually obsessed with youth. Primary brights are everywhere this season | | | | 
© Rodrigo Carmuega Things are also popping outside our beauty special. In Rob Armstrong’s guide to wearing colour, the Unhedged columnist offers an expert take on primaries and how to introduce more spots of interest via one’s watch strap, suit or socks. His piece accompanies a menswear shoot by Aylin Bayhan and Rodrigo Carmuega that is fresh but also wearable, in a rainbow of yellows, electric blues and reds. I’ve got my eye on a soft pink-coloured sweater by Campbell’s of Beauly, currently sitting in my husband’s drawer. I’ll be swiping it as soon as these heatwaves come to their conclusion; I’m more than ready to welcome autumn’s chill. |
