The Three Best Things On Our Beauty Radar This Week - The Gloss Magazine

The Three Best Things On Our Beauty Radar This Week

Our edit of three things worth raving about, from a stellar facial to a smokey new scent …

1 THE FACIAL WE’RE RAVING ABOUT

As a devotee of Biologique Recherche skincare, I’ve been to several brilliant therapists who specialise in their treatments, such as Olga Kochlewska (Skin by Olga) and Megan Byrne (at Institute of Dermatologists). But I hadn’t had the pleasure of visiting Dawn Hill in her peaceful and calming Floraison studio in the centre of Dublin until recently. And I’m kicking myself – Hill is a first-class facialist who puts her own spin on the treatments according to what your skin needs, and avoids fads and fakery – no wonder she is booked out until well into the new year.

As I’ve mentioned before, Biologique Recherche facials could have been created specifically with menopausal skin in mind. With all the menopause talk around now, and everyone jumping on the bandwagon, it’s worth knowing about a facial that can truly benefit peri/menopausal skin. As well as being a seriously relaxing experience – as facials only are when you’re in expert hands – the whole experience is uniquely cooling on your skin. So there are no ragingly hot towels being layered on your face: everything is chilled, and Hill’s hands feel like marble as they sculpt and massage your face. The only warmth throughout was via an LED light session – a good option for those feeling SAD due to season changes and darker evenings, as you’ll emerge feeling like you spent a few hours in glow-giving sunlight.

I found Hill to be particularly skilled at natural face-sculpting: even if you haven’t been aware of your cheekbones since back in your teens, she will locate and define them. But really each treatment is absolutely customised to your own face. All the firm upwards movements really help to give you a natural lift. A signature facial with Dawn costs from €175 for 90 minutes, or from €155 with facialist Kakie. A serious winter treat, then – but this is as good as facials get.

While you’re there … Floraison stocks exclusive products, including ultra-luxurious facial oil Vintner’s Daughter (and the hydrating powerhouse Active Treatment Essence too – each bottle of which takes five weeks to make).

Floraison, 16 Fitzwilliam Street Upper, Dublin 2; www.floraison.ie.

2 ARE MUSHROOMS THE NEW HYALURONIC ACID?

I keep seeing articles about mushrooms, from Catherine Cleary’s fascinating piece in The Irish Times about The UpCycle Farm using coffee grounds to grow mushrooms for their Revolution Ragu, through to recipes celebrating the humble vegetable (see Trish Deseine’s shitake-powered comfort food here, and Ottolenghi’s mushroom lasagne has to be worth a try as a good option for cutting down on meat).

Mushrooms have been used in skincare for aeons, particularly Tremella, a regular feature of traditional Asian skincare. And now many modern brands are including mushrooms in skincare due to their antioxidant benefits and high levels of vitamin D. Shiseido’s award-winning Ultimune Power Infusing Concentrate (from €95) features reishi mushroom extract, along with iris root, to firm and defend skin. Irish skincare guru Marie Reynolds recommends her 3-Set botanical supplement (€35), with natural ingredients such as turmeric and mushroom, to support women pre- and during menopause by helping to regulate hormonal acticity and reduce tiredness and stress. (I’d also recommend her hydrating Reson8 gel moisturiser, a beautiful way to hydrate and boost skin; www.mariereynoldslondon.ie). Meanwhile, Nunaia uses a form of mushroom waste to create unique sustainable packaging.

If you want to try the ‘shroom side of beauty for yourself, head to Amy Cahill’s Oxmantown Skincare. Her latest release is an organic Tremella Mushroom Facial Serum (€43). It might be a slightly unusual ingredient to focus on in your skincare routine, but Cahill believes that Ireland is ready for it, and that it’s a great alternative to hyluronic acid as a moisturising ingredient: “Tremella Mushroom has the ability to hold up to 500 times its weight in water,” says Cahill. “To the best of my knowledge, this is the first Irish-made mushroom skincare product to launch here.” There’s also lots of rose flower water and aloe vera in here so it’s refreshing as well as helping to keep your skin well moisturised.

Find Oxmantown and other Irish skincare stars, from Dublin Herbalists to Palm Free Irish Soap, Rathbornes1488 candles and Wicklow’s Esker Fields, at Gifted at the RDS from December 1-5 – it is always a great place to source original and interesting local beauty, as well as meet the interesting and creative people behind them. It’s all available online from www.giftedfromireland.com as well as direct from the makers’ websites.

3 THIS PERFUME IS WINTER IN A BOTTLE

We’ve tried to resist the siren call of Tom Ford perfumes. They are undeniably expensive. But they remain distinctive, with a unique signature due to the excellent perfumers Ford works with. Even my low-maintenance 18-year-old says that whenever he nabs a spritz of one, people always notice and comment on how good he smells. When you hug someone wearing a Ford fragrance, you always know instantly. And there’s a new Private Blend out at the end of this month – a surefire hit with the scent-lover in your life (and honestly more interesting than the usual Jo Malone). A gorgeous-looking amber-coloured scent, Ébène Fumé brings the intoxicating smell of Palo Santo wood to the fore, together with African ebony wood, herbs and resins, pine, citrus and violet. From €206 50ml, with a limited-edition giant 250ml decanter at €478. From November 30 at counters nationwide.

A good tip: if you adore the smell of smoky burning Palo Santo wood, which is said to be grounding and cleansing, also check out Nunaia’s sustainably and ethically sourced palo santo incense sticks as a really intriguing and atmospheric take on room fragrance – I absolutely love its hypnotic warm smell, and it’s well worth setting the smoke alarm off for. €12.95, www.nunaïa.com.

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