Life

In the first of a week-long series, figures from music, art, food, sex work and education look back on a year that shook their fields. Here, Cafe East’s Mustafa Has reflects on Covid-19 a year on.

Earlier this year, the deadly-cool poet and visibility activist became Louis Vuitton’s first Black trans model to walk in a show. And with a bone structure like that, they’ll be coming to many more catwalks near you soon.

We asked the beauty expert to try the size-of-your-palm, hand-held, at-home device making astonishing, age-preventative claims. Here’s how it went.

Side Hustles: In November, Canadian creative Tamara Grunberg closed up her modelling agency. Now, she's making a career out of fashion and her statement accessory, The Challah Bag.

Six-foot-five and 198 pounds, 28-year-old boxer Lawrence “The Sauce” Okolie is not only on the cusp of becoming Hackney’s homegrown boxing champion – he’s throwing his hat into the ring of rap, too.

Deciphering the blockchain boom: explaining Grimes, Beeple and Kings of Leon’s interest in cryptocurrency’s latest gold rush.

It’s not just you, lots of us are suffering from dry, red, irritated skin thanks to lockdown. We sat down with the mother of skincare to find out what’s at play and what we can do about it.

Covid-19 has made young people more disconnected than ever. Psychotherapist Martina Jean-Jacques discusses the simple steps we can take to combat feelings of loneliness.

Side Hustles: Disco-in-furlough – from underground raves to the fabric factory, Keep Hush are the late-night events business now creating premium merch for artists sidelined by the pandemic.

Side Hustles: Model duo Breanna Box and Peter Dupont are raising the stakes in the homeware game, designing horny carafes and functional glassware – a creative pursuit found in the middle of lockdown.

Across the UK, queer saunas have provided a safe space for gay men to relax, unwind and shag. But the pandemic has brought on an uncertain future with Vauxhall’s Chariots – Europe’s largest gay sauna – closing its doors for good. Here, THE FACE investigates the likely post-pandemic outcome.

Thanks to an excessive amount of screen time, lockdown has not only changed the way we socialise, but also the way we look. Or want to look. From TikTok dermatologists to secret facial work-outs, we investigate how Zoom is affecting our relationship with skincare and our sense of self, 12 months in.

A remote island in the Indian Ocean, the far reaches of space... No place is off-limits for perfumers when it comes to creating unique scents.

Side Hustles: In lockdown last year, best friend duo Niamh Ferrier and Saskia Puxley lost their hospitality jobs. Fresh from uni and without income, they decided to set up their own tooth gem and nail art business-from home, rising to success one cuticle, and molar, at a time.

After all, Molly-Mae did it. And against a backdrop of botched procedures and a pandemic-fuelled return to natural beauty, it would seem many others are following in the influencer’s direction. THE FACE explores whether or not tweakment reversal could be the next big thing.

The beauty business has been one of the hardest hit by the pandemic. Against a backdrop of lockdowns, shoddy government guidelines and virtual appointments, we speak to beauty workers who remain hopeful against all odds, ingeniously adapting to a situation beyond their control.

As we look at the satisfying final act of the Hitman video game trilogy, we ask: “What makes a great villain’s hideaway?”

Side Hustles: When three East London coffee shop-owners faced closure last March, panic struck. But quick off the mark, they transformed a “horrible hovel into a really decent kitchen”, turning pandemic pandemonium into an overnight success, one sandwich at a time.

Thanks to brands like Jacamo, ASOS and Rihanna’s Savage x Fenty, big and tall men are finally having their moment in the spotlight, taking the leap from the high street to high fashion. Here’s why the tide is finally turning.

What is the mysterious humanoid that keeps being seen in British woodland? James McMahon sets off to investigate an enduring legend.

Sofia Malamute photographs the places and faces that shaped the late soccer star’s formative years, alongside the locals and fans paying tribute to one of the world’s greatest football players, one month since his untimely death.

2020 in review: In a year of lockdown and social distancing, millions have hit the street to stand in solidarity against injustices that pre-existed – and were made worse by – the government mishandling of Covid-19.