Beauty Editor Sarah Halliwell brings us her beauty news, views and favourites this week. Trust us, these beauty standouts will spark joy for spring…
All products featured on thegloss.ie are selected by our editors. If you buy something through affiliate links on our site we may earn a commission.
Scent of the season
I am entirely smitten. I’ve long admired the work of perfumer Christine Nagel – I met her most recently in 2022 in her atelier, a light-filled space perched at the top of the Hermès HQ in central Paris, from where she creates gorgeous and surprising scents, from H24 (for men, but too good not to share) to Twilly. Her latest Hermès Hermessence eau de parfum, Oud Alezan, is simply exquisite: a luxurious, lustrous rose and oud with understones of the smoothest leather. It’s a most evocative rose, rich yet light. For me, it has a smoky, purring creaminess, and a depth of shimmering oud that practically vibrates. Oud can be divisive, but here it’s hard to overlook – held in perfect balance with petally rose, it makes complete sense. The perfume is inspired by the warm, rich and velvety scent Nagel remembers from a horse’s stable, and that makes sense; this is a really “alive” scent that sings on the skin. €325, www.hermes.com.
A mighty moisturiser
NeoStrata does a mean moisturiser, it has to be said. NeoStrata is a tried-and-trusted line of dermatologist-grade formulas, and we’re longtime devotees of their Triple Firming Neck Cream – one of very few that are worth the time and trouble to apply. And the new Rebound Sculpting Cream features breakthrough peptide technology in an advanced formula; there are also AHAs in there to help with age spots and texture, so it’s a great all-rounder ideal for daily use. A lifted, recontoured appearance? Yes please. Our verdict? This heavy-duty moisturiser delivers results worthy of creams priced three times as much. €79.95 at pharmacies nationwide and online at www.neostrata.ie.
Bright nails
Pleasing’s nail colours are fun to wear, and pretty on the shelf with their coloured lids that look like giant marbles. There’s every shade from shocking pink to pearl, but we do love the inky black (€21.95 each). The set of four comes with nail stickers too. There are perfumes too, priced at €160. The fact Harry Styles is behind this line is played down rather than up, though it’s all a bit lighthearted, colourful and cheeky, as per his vibe. P.S If, while browsing the website, you get distracted by the attractive tank top/vest in chocolate brown (we did), yes it is rather lovely but we do have one very similar (also 95 per cent cotton) from M&S that costs €12, instead of €75. Just saying. www.pleasing.com
The solution skincare
UK plastic surgeon Dr Douglas McGeorge has come up with a purposeful collection that looks at genuine skin concerns and how to prevent and diminish them. Science of Skin is dedicated to scarring through to stretch marks. His Solution for Scars (€26.95) is clinically proven to reduce the thickness and redness of a scar. At the launch last week, McGeorge talked about prevention as well as cure, and asserted that other products designed for scars contain no active ingredients; of one well-known oil that tends to come to mind when it comes to scars, he said frankly: “You might as well put cooking oil on your scar.” The Science of Skin range is dermatologically tested. At pharmacies nationwide and shortly launching into Boots. www.scienceofskin.com
The homegrown hotel ranges
Jo Browne has teamed up with Dublin’s Conrad Hotel to offer in-room treatments and bespoke gift boxes featuring the organic beauty line; prices start from €100 on top of room rate. The Facial Cleansing Balm is a beautifully scented natural option with camellia oil, and there’s pink bath salts, body oil and signature essential oil blends available too, all with the signature wooden lids. It’s great to see more hotels working with Irish brands such as Ground Wellbeing (now at many luxury hotels worldwide) through to Skin Formulas at Killarney Plaza Hotel and, of course, Voya. Alternative Jo Browne gift boxes are also available from the website; www.jobrowne.com.
The lipsticks
MAC has always done a mighty matte lipstick. And the Macximal (€30) range, now described as “silky matte”, seeks to reinstate them as leaders in this field. Why are the bullet cases larger than before, though? Same amount of lipstick, bigger lid. At a time when everyone is meant to be looking to reduce packaging, this feels like a mis-step. The colours are great, though, from chocolate and taupe to super-bright shocking pink. Many old favourites are there, such as Velvet Teddy, with Ruby Woo being a standout. A colleague was wearing Ruby Woo the other day and it still stands up as one of the best lip colours of all time. www.brownthomas.com
The exclusive treatment
Stop press: we’ve just heard that Sunday Riley skincare will be offering an exclusive 30-minute Signature Facial at Brown Thomas Planet Beauty treatment rooms across various dates between April and June (the booking price will be redeemable against product). The facial focusses on hydration, to restore your skin’s moisture barrier and radiance, kicking off with a nourishing cleanse, followed by a prebiotic hydration shot to replenish the microbiome and a restorative exfoliating mask. It includes a lymphatic facial massage to boost circulation and reduces puffiness, followed by a Vitamin C moisture treatment to brighten. It’s all about the Sunday Riley glow. Keep an eye on www.brownthomas.com for future bookings.
