Revisiting stick foundations, taking a nail break and copying Jessie Buckley’s winning red lipstick …
Featured image; Hair by Sam McKnight using Hair by Sam McKnight for Emilia Wickstead AW26. “An ode to the 30s, with natural textures and waves defined and tied low with an androgynous silhouette. Short chops were textured with Dressed to Kill or my Perfect Mess. Waves and curls were nourished with my Happy Endings and Love Me Do. Plus heat protection from those hot tools with my Modern Hairspray.” Sam McKnight MBE.
1 UPPING STICKS
The new Complexion Rescue Luminous Skin Tint from bareMinerals, launching on March 4 (€38, available in 20 shades), is a return to form. While stick foundations are not entirely new – everyone from YSL to Nars did them for a while – traditionally they have been a bit heavy and flat on the skin. I feel like the modern iterations are worth reconsidering. Since Charlotte Tilbury came up with the glowy Unreal Skin Sheer Glow Tint, and Merit Beauty wowed us with the beautifully designed, well-formulated Minimalist, stick foundations have upped their game.
I’ve been trying this new bareMinerals version out for a few weeks and have been surprised by how much I like it. It’s foolproof to apply and delivers a sophisticated finish with a flattering blurring effect. There’s hydrating vitamin E in the formula, and the brand’s clinical studies claim that it has 24-hour wear (although we haven’t exactly stayed up long enough to test that). You simply swipe it on the skin and blend well, building up coverage where you feel that you need it. It doesn’t cake or flatten the skin, and it’s good for masking redness. A good option if you’re not big on wearing a full face of foundation. Available at Boots and Marks & Spencer.
2 THE RED LIP
Make-up artist Nina Park is working wonders for Jessie Buckley as the actor continues to storm red carpets. At the Actor Awards in LA, Park enhanced Buckley’s naturally glowing complexion with Chanel Beauty’s Les Beiges Water Fresh Tint, along with Ultra Le Teint Ultrawear All Day Comfort Flawless Finish Concealer (€47): a new lightweight concealer that’s landed quietly, but is making waves. Mary Greenwell enjoyed using it at the Chanel Denim Collection launch in London.
The scene-stealer, though, was Buckley’s red lip, so I immediately went searching for my own Rouge Allure Velvet in Rouge Charnel. This luxurious lipstick range is currently reduced at Boots, by the way (€42.50, was €50), but be quick …
3 A NAIL BREAK
We’re seeing more brands focus on nail care, just as we’ve seen with skin and scalp care. Beyond pretty polishes, we need to give our nails a regular break from polish and gel. Irish brand 14 Day Manicure is doing well with Gel Break, a nail treatment designed to smooth and strengthen nails in between manicures. Apply on natural nails and reapply every one to three days, removing completely after one week. Your nails will look and feel healthier, providing a better base for colour when you wear it (we recommend Chanel’s Le Vernis in Legende, a metallic denim blue). 14 Day Mani also do a neat cuticle pusher (€10) to complete the nail care routine.
We also rate the Manucurist Active Range, described as a “hybrid between nail care and make-up”. The Active Glow treatment polishes (€18) come in four shades, from blueberry to cranberry, and give nails a tinted glow and healthy shine, thanks to fruit extracts and almond oil. The Paris-based brand is stocked at Phare.
4 THE BIG BOOST
As with skin health, we need to consider strengthening our nails from the inside out. I’ve been trying Perfectil’s new Platinum Collagen Skin Drink, a ten-day treatment for skin, hair and nail maintenance. I don’t rate collagen supplements as a rule, and there’s limited evidence to support the much-hyped benefits. But I actually think this all-in-one supplement is helping my skin, and making it feel less depleted post-winter. It contains biotin, zinc, selenium, vitamin C and marine collagen peptides, and it’s not disgusting to drink, which helps (unlike those powders that don’t dissolve properly). It’s a good investment as a dedicated boost for skin, hair and nails, perhaps in the run-up to an event, or for general maintenance.
5 SPRING BEAUTY SALE
There’s a beauty sale on at M&S at the moment, with some alluring deals – I recommend Emma Hardie’s Vitamin C Intense Daily Serum (now €41), a gorgeous product that smells of oranges, plus lovely items such as Neom candles, Philip Kingsley haircare sets, Murad skincare and This Works – all at half-price. I’m baffled by the conversion rate on some items, though; for example, the Pai Rosehip Set, which was £49stg in the UK (now £24.50), but in Ireland it’s €67, reduced to €33.50. Quite the difference!
SEE MORE: The Non-Negotiables In Our Beauty Bag
