From blush and nails to ’90s scents and a French beauty comeback …
IT’S A BIG BLUSH SEASON
It’s the beauty statement of the season, exemplified by Margot Robbie’s windswept rosy glow and seen on every catwalk and red carpet. We can all wear a bit more blush – modern formulas are more natural-looking and blendable than ever, so it’s hard to overdo it. A stick format such as Charlotte Tilbury’s offers the speediest blush-and-go. We loved the rose and beige shades at the Chanel SS26 Haute Couture show (above), and we’ve also returned to No1 de Chanel Lip & Cheek Balm in Berry Burst. Make-up artist Siân Miller confirmed it was one of the products used in the Wuthering Heights movie.
SPRING MANICURE COLOURS
Inglot’s Playinn nail polish shade 122 is the colour of faded denim. Relaxed yet chic, it’s a brilliant palate-cleanser for spring, and goes with your jeans. We’ll be alternating it with shade 102, a clean, soft ballerina pink that elongates your fingers. Try also 14 Day Manicure’s Nonicure Blurring Nail Veil (€19) to protect and treat your nails, as well as smoothing and hydrating them.
AN ICONIC 1990’S SCENT
As we admire Carolyn Bessette and JFK Jr in Love Story and reminisce about the clean-cut fashion of the time, we’re reaching for nostalgic scents too. And CK One takes us right back to the 1990s. CK One, created in 1994 by Alberto Morillas and Harry Fremont, was the first cool scent I ever owned, in its minimalist glass bottle with screw cap. It was the original “clean” scent, designed to be gender-fluid: everyone could splash it on with abandon, and it was never overpowering but just smelled great. It still does – and you can often pick it up in pharmacies and airports for around €20. It stands up as a fresh, bright eau de toilette – a breeze of citrus and aromatics, from bergamot and lemon to amber and oakmoss. At pharmacies nationwide.
THE FRENCH BEAUTY COMEBACK
French heritage brand Decléor is back, and it’s better than ever. It’s been reclaimed by the original family owners after a stint in the L’Oréal stable – and this time round, it’s accessible and affordable. The brand’s USP is high-quality essential oils, and the best way to experience these is via Aromessences – concentrated, water-free oil-serums that are beauty boosters par excellence. Make these a part of a sensorial skincare ritual: three drops and your skin will glow. We also recommend the Rich Day Cream in hero range Néroli Bigarade (a bargain at €23); there are complete routines, from clarifying Rosemary to radianceboosting Green Mandarin, as well as White Magnolia, a glorious range for mature skin. This is the kind of French pharmacy beauty we want to use every day, with proven results and excellent formulas at reasonable prices. And it all smells incredible. Mais oui! At pharmacies nationwide; full range at www.cosmeticsonline.ie.
