Sarah Halliwell, Beauty Editor

Listening to … the sound of silence. This week I read that people are logging on to Zoom not only for work meetings and parties, but also for a bit of quiet. Yes, silent Zoomers sit with strangers for an hour without communicating. I thought this was a joke at first, but people say it helps them, whether for quiet companionable working, reading or meditation; devotees liken it to working in a library, finding it easier to be focused and productive in a crowd. Just as some people are finding they currently wake up to the sound of birds, rather than planes scraping the sky, or traffic, perhaps this quieter mood will stay with us after lockdown, even a little bit. I went to a Quaker school which was very centred around silence – in place of church and vicars were periods of silence. It was torture to do as giddy teenagers, but the benefits seem clear to me now. We allow ourselves so little headspace, our phone addictions ensuring that any alone time is filled with scrolling, and our minds piled with to-do lists. So perhaps silence is golden, or we can at least try pressing mute every now and then.

Baking … It’s such a tough time for restaurants, and many are being so resourceful with takeaways, home deliveries and so on. And some are being generous enough to release best-loved recipes. No, we’re not talking about Ikea’s meatballs. Gloria’s in Shoreditch, London, have released the recipe for their famed pillowy lemon meringue pie, that 70s classic you either love or hate. Ok, so I haven’t actually made it this week (like everyone else I was totally distracted by the incandescent Normal People on tv) – but if I had either the time or the baking ability, I’d make it like a shot. If you’re a dab hand at meringue, find it via Time Out.

The recipe is in Big Mamma Cucina Popolare, by Big Mamma (Phaidon), available online at Easons.

Snipping … We feel like Fendi covered all the hair looks we need now on their SS20 catwalk back in September. Models sported everything from messy updos – most people’s failsafe lockdown look – to blunt choppy fringes. With more people dyeing their hair bright colours, or hacking at their hair while bored, we could be seeing a lot of short hairstyles come autumn as stylists everywhere attempt to correct the damage done. And it definitely feels like there will be a bit of a return to the fringe now, with leading inspiration from Daisy Edgar-Jones as Marianne in Normal People. Variations include shaggy, beachy hair with a long fringe, and super-short crop and fringe, Zoe Kravitz-style. Meanwhile, using the occasional hair mask can at least help with condition even if you did something drastic with colour or style – they don’t need to cost the earth (Aussie Deep treatment 3 Minute Miracle is less than a fiver). And L’Occitane have just launched a shampoo and conditioner in the divine Almond range which leave your hair, however bad, smelling like a Provencal harvest (from €18, or €35 duo, ie.loccitane.com).

Síomha Connolly, Digital Editor

Reading … again, thankfully. There are some days when I don’t have the concentration to read for long but this has been a good week. I find while it can be down to my mood and energy levels it also has to do with the subject matter of the book. This week I read Claire Lombardo’s The Most Fun We Ever Had. It was recommended on Instagram by someone with similar taste so I downloaded it to my Kindle blindly without reading any other reviews. I was captivated straight away, it’s a straightforward enough story about a family in America, navigating their relationships with each other and flitting back and forth between different timelines as the four daughters grow up. It turned out it was exactly what I needed as I just got lost in their lives instead of my own for a while! After finishing I went online straight away to order something else by Lombardo but was met with a mixture of disappointment and disbelief when I discovered this was her debut novel. The whole time I was reading it felt like such a mature author with an assured tone of voice and way of storytelling that felt like she’d done this a hundred times before. I’ll wait with anticipation for her next novel… In the meantime, I’ve downloaded Daphne Du Maurier’s Rebecca. This is a classic that has escaped me for some time, I’ve planned to read it a number of time over the years but never got around to it. I’m glad now that I’ve stumbled upon it during lockdown, it’s a good plot for offering some escapism.

Shopping local … I have a couple of occasions coming up this week for close friends and I wanted to order something small to be delivered to each of them. When browsing online I went straight for my favourite small boutiques. Not only do you get a really personalised and friendly service but you get the knowledge that you are supporting a brand that really needs your custom, now more than ever. There are so many great Irish brands that are still delivering during this time if you have a birthday, anniversary or any other need for a gift coming up! Some of my favourites include Indigo & Cloth (menswear and lifestyle), Industry & Co (homeware and lifestyle) and Scout Dublin (womenswear and lifestyle).

Burning … a beautiful candle by Ochre, a new Irish brand making candles from vegan soy wax scented with pure essential oils. They are all hand poured by Emma, the careful maker with scents like ylang ylang and rosewood and lemongrass and clary sage. At only €16 they are a lovely treat to buy during this time for yourself or as a gift. www.ochrecandle.com

Penny McCormick, Deputy Editor

Visiting … museums. “In difficult times, fashion is always outrageous,” so said designer Elsa Schiaparelli and for a fashion fix, I very much enjoyed my virtual visit to the Schiaparelli room at the V&A London this week, which includes her famous shoe hat, skeleton and tear dresses. On the same “visit” I also learned more about Irish designer Eileen Gray and her innovative S bend chair from a short curator presentation on video. Closer to home, the National Museum of Ireland’s new online gallery “Reflections on Resilience” hopes to provide solace and inspiration from the stories of our national collection. It’s an intriguing collection from jelly fish and sea sponges to bronze age artefacts and contemporary artworks by Alison Lowry and Úna Burke. The point? These objects have all survived and as Head of Collections and Learning, Dr Audrey Whitty explains; “As a country, and a planet, we have overcome great obstacles in the past and we will do so again.” www.museum.ie

Listening … to poetry readings, in honour of Poetry Day Ireland. One of the my most loved CDs is the soundtrack of the iconic Italian film Il Postino (The Postman), a fictional story about Chilean poet Pablo Neruda befriending a postman on a small Italian island who comes to love poetry. The CD comprises the Oscar-winning music score as well as 15 poetry readings of Neruda poems by actors and musicians including Sting, Ralph Fiennes, Julia Roberts and Andy Garcia. I’ve given this as a present to all my friends and I’ve enjoyed delving into Neruda’s poetry again. Seamus Heaney New Selected Poems read by the author (from Faber & Faber) is a precious present I received from my parents and it always brings joy and new nuances to poems when I listen. Do check the Seamus Heaney Homeplace’s new virtual programme, called “Keeping Going” – a series of readings and performances recalling Heaney’s poem dedicated to the perseverance and stamina of his brother Hugh. www.seamusheaneyhome.com

Attacking … my wardrobe and trying to create some order. During the process I’ve been listening to the new World Vision Ireland podcast “Wardrobe Change: Reimagining Fashion” a four-part series which encourages us to rethink how we make, wear and re-wear our clothes; www.sdgsforall.com. Meanwhile an added incentive to declutter is to monetise our cast-offs. Why not explore Designer Room, the Dublin-based designer rental’s new Outlet initiative? It is free to sign up and takes less than 60 seconds to list items, meaning you can sell unwanted designer items from the comfort of your own home. https://designerroom.ie/