NEW SPICE

Forget sugar – in perfume, we love a bit of spice, whether that’s bright ginger or a hint of pepper. Spring feels like a good time to wear Matiere Premiere’s Crystal Saffron eau de parfum (€145), a gorgeous celebration of saffron oil. This oil is sourced from the dried stigmas of crocus flowers (thousands of them) in Greece; Greek saffron is said to be the best in the world. Here, perfumer Aurelien Guichard blends it with musk and Somalian incense to brilliant and longlasting effect. www.matiere-premiere.com. 

WHAT’S IN STORE

Beauty boutiques are flourishing, with brands seeking to “immerse” customers in their ethos and values as much as their skincare. The new Clarins Boutique & Spa in Wicklow Street, Dublin 2 is a city centre example. Meanwhile natural Irish skincare company Green Angel has opened a flagship store in Kilbride, Co Wicklow, complete with café. www.greenangel.com. 

CLEAN BEAUTY

It’s easy to get into a cleanser rut. While more inclined to invest in a serum or day cream, occasionally I find a cleanser that’s worth spending a bit more on. Currently I’m using the excellent Deviant Skincare Cleansing Concentrate (€64). Rich in oils (hemp, cucumber, camellia, sacha inchi and borage seed, to name a few, mostly certified organic), it has a glorious silky texture. There’s no added perfume so it has a herbaceous natural smell, and sleek glass jar. I’ve tried the justlaunched Vintner’s Daughter Active Renewal cleanser too, and it’s seriously smart. Both at www.floraison.ie. 

IN SCENTS

Vyrao perfumes, created by fashion guru Yasmin Sewell, (pictured above), look striking and smell as good as they look. Sewell’s focus is on feeling energetic and positive via scents that are uplifting and sophisticated. Try I am Verdant (£135stg), a refreshing green mix of bergamot, orange flower and iris; and The Sixth, in a magnificent silver bottle, by Irish star perfumer Meabh McCurtin. At www.brownsfashion.com and www.vyrao.com. 

BLUSH ON

A cream blush is the most instant route to a rosy-cheeked spring. I’m charmed by the baby-blue compacts by Lukey Lukey beauty, the brainchild of Waterford’s Luke Nolan. Dream Cheeks Creme Blush, €29, created in Italian labs, is perfectly light for a natural-looking flush, especially this berry shade (blend with a bit of lip balm to tint lips, too). www.lukeylukey.com. 

Also in the berry lips zone, new MAC Locked Kiss Ink in Daredevil (above) promises to deliver all-day full colour (in 30 shades).

MAGIC MUSHROOMS

Mushrooms have been a feature in traditional Chinese medicine for aeons, due to their antioxidant benefits and high levels of vitamin D. Tremella, or snow mushrooms, are known as “beauty mushrooms” as they’re rich in plant collagen and effective at hydrating skin. “Tremella mushroom has the ability to hold up to 500 times its weight in water,” says Amy Cahill of Oxmantown Skincare; her organic Tremella Mushroom Facial Serum is a skin-soother. Try Cultured Biome One Mask (€59, at Brown Thomas), where mushroom extract helps to calm skin and retain moisture. An Irish pharmacist has created a range of supplements starring ‘shrooms, too; check out www.fabuwellness.com. 

Main featured image for The Gloss Magazine March 2022.

PHOTOGRAPHED by Amanda Pratt at Art Department, assisted by David Walters and YC Dong.
STYLED by Luis Rodriguez at Carolyn Bodner, assisted by Seoul Choi and Nate Woodruff.
HAIR by John Ruidant at See Management.
MAKE-UP by Campbell Ritchie at Art Department.
MODELS Marta del Caño and Esti van Balen.