Beauty
Here’s How Legendary Hairstylist Charlotte Mensah Practises Self Care
Charlotte Mensah is an award-winning hairstylist, owner and artistic director of the Hair Lounge salon, founder of the Charlotte Mensah Manketti Oil products. Celebrity hairstylist from celebrated Afro fashionistas from Janelle Monae to Zadie Smith and Erykah Badu, Charlotte Mensah is renowned for her legendary hair prowess. She speaks to Net-A-Porter’s PorterEdit magazine on her day and night beauty routines.
ON HOW SHE MANAGES STRESS
I cook for therapy. The more stressed I am, the more dishes I cook. Recently someone crashed into my car while it was parked and knocked down my front wall in the process, and I cooked ten dishes – with a face mask on – including my famous pound cake. Nutmeg is the secret ingredient.
ON HER HAIR RITUALS
…usually each Sunday. I cocktail my conditioner with an oil and sit under a steamer for 20 minutes (the only time I put heat on my hair), which makes the oil penetrate deeper into the hair and makes it softer, more malleable and hydrated.
ON THE BEST PIECE OF ADVICE SHE’S EVER RECEIVED
‘Feel the fear and do it anyway’. One of my biggest fears is boats (I’m not a strong swimmer) and I’ve just come back from Venice where I was with the First Lady of Ghana for Ghana Freedom, and the only way to get around, as everyone knows, is on a boat! I conquered my fear and came back feeling so liberated.
ON HER BEAUTY SECRET WEAPON
I love Chantecaille’s Rose De Mai Oil for my face and Tata Harper’s Revitalizing Body Oil for my body, but I like to boost them and add 100% raw shea butter, which I bring back in blocks from Ghana. I even brush oil through my brows, which makes them grow super-fast.
Read the full feature here
