Beauty Editor Sarah Halliwell picks her favourite new year treats …
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A flush of soft colour is one way to brighten up winter-dulled skin in January, as this fresh-faced shot from the Paul Costelloe SS24 catwalk illustrates; the soundtrack to Pretty in Pink is playing in our head. And make-up tricks, such as balm sticks, mean it’s easier than ever to get this effect. Chanel make the best one – the Baume Essentiel, in transparent, soft pink or skin-warming bronze, is just a brilliant bit of beauty kit, guaranteed to enhance your skin instantly (€42). Every beauty expert I know swears by it. Westman Atelier’s Lit Up Highlight Stick (€52) is also a quick-fire staple in my beauty bag, as it creates a flush that’s glossy rather than powdery.
These are long-lasting investment buys, but affordable Irish-founded beauty lines are taking on the mantle and embracing the stick approach too, from Luna by Lisa’s blusher (€20, with eye pigment pot; www.lunabylisa.ie) to Poco Beauty’s Face Glaze sticks (€21; www.pocobeauty. com), made in Italy. Just blend them in well, to avoid 1980s-style streaks of colour; and avoid wearing these all day, every day – your skin can skin break out around the cheek area if you’re swiping these on constantly.
We’re staying with the soft pink theme on lips too, avoiding harsher reds and mattes, to get us through to spring. Charlotte Tilbury’s Rocket Girl nude-pink lip shade (a Kate Moss favourite) is pretty…
…and we love the shades in this stunning Pat McGrath Labs palette, (€109.50, at The Loop at Dublin Airport). The colours in Tom Ford’s Soleil Neige Colour Quad (€84, at Brown Thomas) are as fresh and bright as a morning on the ski slopes.
The Cure: Our latest pharmacy find is Cure, a bestselling exfoliator in Japan. It’s an easy way to exfoliate the skin using minimal ingredients such as rosemary and gingko leaf extracts, and helps to brighten skin after the excesses of December. Suitable for all skin types, it’s €40, at pharmacies including www.chtralee.com (where you’ll also find a guide to using it).
Another pharmacy treat: Q&A Niacinamide Serum from the appealingly simple and effective UK brand. €10.80, at pharmacies and www.millies.ie.
The Name To Know: Skin and beauty expert Marie Reynolds’ skincare and supplements line is a bit of a hidden gem, particularly if you take a natural approach. Eye-drate (€43) is one of the best eye creams out there, light but effective, and the Butter Balm (€69) is a comfort blanket for the skin. Stockists include Olivia Murray in Galway, and Carmel Hunter at The Skin Hub in Howth, Co Dublin; www.mariereynoldslondon.ie.
Brushing Up: One for the Christmas vouchers – French company Bonne Brosse uses traditional brush-making expertise and has made the humble hairbrush an object of beauty. In delicious colours – coral, baby blue, glossy cherry and lemon yellow – these elegant brushes are now available at Harvey Nichols, at Dundrum Town Centre. Choose from four types, from soft bristle to detangling. From €110; www.labonnebrosse.com
Heaven Scent: If you were lucky enough to get BT vouchers for Christmas, head for the luxurious Dior beauty boutique in Brown Thomas Grafton Street: the extravagant line-up of Collection Privée perfumes has one to suit every taste, from punchy Patchouli to bestseller Gris Dior. From €325.
