Our pick of affordable beauty products that deliver, from make-up multitaskers to sunshine scents …
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THE AFFORDABLE PERFUME
There are plenty of decent scents on the high street that don’t cost a bomb, if you know where to look. I regularly check Zara, as they have a range of scents created by perfumer Jo Malone (which sell out fast), such as Fleur d’Oranger (€25.95). Check Marks & Spencer for good brands, too – for example, you can bag the Floral Street discovery set for €24 (and it makes a pretty gift). And Fragonard is a great French brand with quality scents for around €32, including Rose de Mai eau de toilette. But my current pick would be this cheerful orange blossom cologne (€26) by a Venetian brand called Monotheme – you can’t go wrong with tangerine and bitter orange, the packaging is lovely and, with Sicily as an inspiration, it’s giving us Ripley vibes. I plan to explore Marks & Spencer’s own range of eaux de toilettes, too, including Orange Blossom & Amber, a bargain at €17 each.
ONE THING THAT WORKS
I came across Hildun Silk to Set Kajal Liners some time ago, and really rate them – I like the way this Irish-owned brand excels in just one thing, which is brilliantly pigmented and lasting eyeliners. They’re the closest I’ve found to the excellent Victoria Beckham ones (€34); both are made in Germany. Make-up artists, such as Brown Sugar’s Dearbhla Keenan, swear by Hildun’s pencils. There are currently six shades, and it’s worth experimenting beyond your usual black. The website is fairly basic (there’s no word about the brand itself, its Irish founders, or where the liners are made), but the liners are excellent (try the chocolate brown or emerald green, for a change). €18 each; www.hildunbeauty.com.
THE DAILY ESSENTIAL
Dull but true: SPF is the only true beauty essential, whatever anyone says. Affordable ones that work? We’re stocking up on La Roche-Posay Anthelios Invisible Fluid SPF50, currently €16.80 for 50ml at www.boots.ie (usually €21). It’s a neat, phone-sized bottle that you can take anywhere. Fabulous Italian tennis player Jannik Sinner recently became an ambassador for the brand, and if it’s good enough for the red-hot clay courts of Roland Garros, it’s good enough for us.
THE AFFORDABLE TAN DROPS
We’re warming up our skin now, as subtly as we can, and find tan drops the easiest way – just add a drop or two to your moisturiser. This means you can build up colour gradually. As with any self-tan, do up your moisturising levels when using tan drops; as Trinny and I discussed at our recent event, it’s not great for your skin to wear a self-tan product every day, as they have a drying effect on your skin. Self-tan drops have become pretty pricey: Charlotte Tilbury’s Island Glow, for example, is lovely, but costly at €46. Drunk Elephant’s D-Bronzi drops are flying out of store at the moment (€39). For alternatives that work just as well, I recommend Pai’s Impossible Glow (€29), and you can also get a mini 15ml bottle of Pestle & Mortar’s Glow Drops for €21 (with the added bonus of supporting an Irish brand). Try also Sarah Keary’s new Souffle Bronzer, a cream formula (in two shades) to buff into your skin for a bit of warmth. €26, at www.sarahkeary.ie and selected Dunnes Stores.
THE NEW ARRIVAL
New at Boots is Milk Makeup, a New York City-based brand with easy-to-use staples that are all vegan, cruelty-free and paraben-free. Milk’s Hydro Grip Setting Spray is a bestseller. Try the Cooling Water Jelly Tint Stick, €24, for a flush of summery colour on lips and cheeks. The range is now available online from €17 at www.boots.ie.
THE SUPERFOOD SKINCARE
This PS… Superfood Avocado Recovery Serum (€4.50, at Penneys) is practically the same price as an avocado these days. The Penneys Superfood range is bright, cheerful and appealing, making a good core range. The website info seems pretty abrupt – no ingredients are listed, etc – but do go and check it out. We love the vegan Coconut Eye Make-up Remover, too (€4), and the range features Fairtrade shea butter.
THE HEALTH BOOST
For an easy way to support your skin, hair and nails, we love the easy-to-adopt health foods by Linwoods – a family-owned company started in Co Armagh over 50 years ago. They do a great range of convenient pouches of nutritional seeds, fruits and nuts. We love the Cold Milled Flaxseed (from €4.10), one of the richest sources of Omega 3 – just sprinkle onto your porridge or yoghurt for a boost of Omega 3 fats, key for “strong and healthy nails and hair growth, reducing scalp irritation and may help to reduce hair loss,” notes nutritionist Jane McClenaghan, as well as supporting your brain function and cardiovascular health. “Adding just one tablespoon of Linwoods Milled Organic Flaxseeds a day adds to your plant-count with some nice bonuses: antioxidant lignans, healthy omega-3s and more than two grams of gut-healthy fibre.”
