From a pile of self-tans, bronzers, body creams and perfumes, we’ve picked out the very best – here are the things that are worth your time and money this summer (including lots of brilliant Irish brands, too) …
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1 PERFUME
The Burren Perfumery Néroli eau de parfum was a labour of love to create – the Perfumery’s Sadie Chowen worked with master perfumer Marianne Nawrocki to craft this beautiful natural perfume and, being a perfectionist, it’s taken time. This perfume is Cosmos natural certified, and made with 100 per cent natural ingredients. It took a while to find a sustainable source of Vanilla CO2, for example. Chowen will never compromise: “When something is based on simplicity, every ingredient counts,” she explains. The result? One spritz and you’ll feel like you’re transported to the fragrant warm air of Grasse. It smells sunny and gentle, with top notes of yuzu giving a brightness, and jasmine for warmth. If you look for integrity and quality in your beauty buys, as well as sheer loveliness, then look no further: this family business always goes above and beyond, on every level. €130. www.burrenperfumery.com
2 FACE MASK
Swissline skincare is a premium range found exclusively at the Spa at the Shelbourne Hotel, which offers gloriously indulgent and relaxing facial treatments. We love the hugely hydrating Hydraholic rose face mask (€145), because it gives sun-dried skin a hit of instant hydration, which you wash off after 15 minutes and there’s no messy (and wasteful) sheet mask involved. Is it just me that’s over sheet masks? When do people have time to walk around wearing one? You can wear this face mask to answer the door and it’s a brilliant travel option, too. It’s like having an entire facial in 15 minutes. If you’re due a treat, though, consider booking in for one of the new Oxygen Facials (from €185), for a divinely relaxing and uplifting expert experience. At The Spa at The Shelbourne; www.theshelbourne.com.
3 FACE SPRAY
Let’s imagine it’s warm enough to need a face spray. Actually, they’re useful for all weathers, to refresh and hydrate your skin (and wake you up during that post-lunch slump). I keep Mervue Organic Hydrating Floral Mist on my desk – I love this face light spray with its hydrating aloe vera and hyaluronic acid, and natural scent of chamomile and rose geranium, €30 (100ml). It’s Soil Association certified Cosmos Organic, made in Ireland and, like far fancier ones, comes in a recyclable glass bottle. www.mervuenaturalskincare.com
4 HAIRCARE
Inner Sense, from The Clean Beauty Edit website, makes the best shampoo (sorry, “hair bath” – I know, a bit annoying) and conditioner (€32, 295ml) I’ve used this year. The bottles are refillable, they smell great, they’re fragrance-free and suitable for sensitive scalps, and I see a noticeable improvement in hair condition, shine and manageability. Hard to fault, though you’ll pay a bit more for the quality. From €11 (travel size); www.thecleanbeautyedit.ie.
5 HAIR TOOL
I hesitate to include something so expensive, but Dyson’s Airstrait is a winning tool for both drying and smoothing hair, fast. Those of us with troublesome hair know that when something makes it look better, it’s worth it. And this smart tool dries your hair smooth – without the excessive heat damage – while being entirely quick and simple to use. Cost it in terms of salon blowdries and you’ll quickly break even; I was shocked to be charged €60 for a blow dry the other week. For creating waves, you’re better off with the Corrale. As we know from Fleabag, “Hair is everything.” www.dyson.ie
See also https://thegloss.ie/the-big-beauty-question-should-i-get-a-dyson-airstrait
6 CANDLE
Make your home smell like summer with scents like Pomelo 1830 (gin, grapefruit, coriander), Tuscan Bergamot and Sage & Bitter Orange: La Bougie candles are made in Ireland by perfumer Lucy Hagerty. At €30 (for 220g, 50 hours burn time), they offer good value for money, comparing favourably to brands such as Jo Malone London (€62 for 200g, 45 hours). We’d rather have less Tom Hardy (a recent “face” for JML) and more candle for our cash. www.labougie.com
7 BATH AND BODY
Matiere Premiere’s bath/shower range is an absolute standout. I can’t do a roundup of the best summer products without their bath/shower gels and body lotions being in the mix – such punchy, memorable scents! The only difficulty is choosing just one, whether warm Vanilla Powder, fabulous modern Radical Rose or spicy Crystal Saffron. The perfumes, meanwhile, are available at Parfumarija in Westbury Mall, and they are modern classics, created by master perfumer Aurelien Guichard, who grows his own raw materials together on the family farm in Grasse. From €45, www.matiere-premiere.com.
See also https://thegloss.ie/the-bath-and-body-treats-to-brighten-up-your-mornings/
8 SHOWER CREAM
I also love L’Occitane’s creamy new Almond Delicious Shower Cream, with its luxurious whipped texture and gorgeous smell, (€19.50). And if you’re in France at any stage, or London (visit the French Pharmacy in New Cavendish Steet, W1 or order online www.thefrenchpharmacy.co), stock up on the affordable bath and shower treats by Le Petit Marseillais – I love the Bio Orange Blossom shower cream (£6.49stg for 250ml).
9 LIP COLOUR
I’m not normally bossy, but – go right now to the Clarins Boutique & Spa on Wicklow Street, Dublin and check out the new Lip Oil Balms, especially this 06 Fig shade. You can’t really tell from the packaging, but these are the softest, most subtle, moisturising and flattering lip colours, like tinted lip balms but with a little more oomph. They may not look madly special, but believe me, the texture is just beautiful. €31; www.clarins.ie.
10 MASCARA
It takes a lot to sway me from the Victoria Beckham mascara, but I’m fully aware that €37 is a lot to spend, and not necessary. Though it is really, really good. I love the Clarins Wonder Volume Mascara XXL that launched recently – it stays on beautifully and gives lashes a natural-looking boost. It’s caring for your lashes (with sunflower and jojoba waxes) while making them look bigger and sleeker. €30, www.clarins.ie.
11 BRONZING
Vegantan (Leaping Bunny certified, vegan and plastic neutral) at Penneys is worth a look for its full range of bronzing beauties, from sticks to lotions. We’re into the Bronzing Drops, a bargain at €10, while the Penneys own-brand PS… Pro Instant Bronzing Drops, in light or medium dark, are just €4. www.primark.com
12 SPF
I won’t go on about SPFs here – see everything you need to know through this link www.thegloss.ie. But I have to mention Q&A’s SPF50 range, priced €17.50 for 50ml. Great value, and so handy for when you’re travelling – plus they each feature a key skincare ingredient, from squalane to niacinamide, so take your pick. Check out the body range too – the body washes and creams are good for €9-€12. Available at select pharmacies and www.cloud10beauty.com (where the SPFs are currently on offer at €14); see www.qandaskin.com for stockists.
13 CHEEKS
Chanel launched its Les Beiges blusher range earlier this year and we have worn it ever since – somehow it’s not drying on the skin, and the colours are really subtle and flattering. It’s hard to pick just one summer highlight from Chanel, as the Bleu Abysse eyeliner (stunning) and the Winter Glow Primer (for a brilliant glowy base all year round) are great, too. At counters nationwide. www.chanel.com
14 FOR FEET
A pedicure is a lovely treat, but if you’re in a hurry to get your feet out, a foot mask such as Neutrogena’s Norwegian Formula Cica-Repair masks are quick and easy to use, and give a whack of moisture to dry skin and heels. €6.10 for one pair. Another (more cost-effective) idea is to lash generous amounts of Neutrogena’s Fast Absorbing Body Lotion (€4.66 at www.boots.ie) onto your feet, carefully slide on a pair of socks, and wake up to softened feet.
Also Scholl have a new Hard Skin Remover Foot File (€10.49) that’s gently effective, like a high-tech version of a pumice stone. www.boots.ie
15 DAILY ESSENTIAL
Can you face summer without Dr Pawpaw’s Scrub & Nourish? We can’t. There are so many pricey lip scrub/balm options out there (we have a weakness for the ones by Tatcha, at Space NK, but they’re astro). This little double yellow pot (sugar scrub in one end, balm in the other) is a legend – and once you’ve finished, clean it and use it for decanting skincare for travel (at €10.95 it’s a lot cheaper than Trinny’s travel pots). www.lookfantastic.ie/dr.-pawpaw-scrub-nourish
For another bargain lipbalm, pick up Nuxe’s Reve de Miel when you’re passing through Duty Free at Dublin and Cork airports (www.theloop.ie). A jar of this honeyed balm is €12.70 (usually €15). There are good offers on brands from Sculpted to Elemis at The Loop too, so it can pay to be patient.
16 FACE FITS
Bobbi Brown’s Jones Road is a big hit with GLOSS readers and these Neutralizer Pencils are ideal for summer – these ones are to kill dark circles without any chalkiness. At a time of year when we’re wearing much less foundation, these are a good little back-up. €28, www.jonesroadbeauty.com.
We love this Classics kit too (€96), with its mini Miracle Balm – so useful for travel; www.jonesroadbeauty.com.
17 FACIAL TREATMENT
For facial acupuncture, it’s got to be Escapada, Dun Laoghaire, Co Dublin. Visit the lovely Maeve O’Sullivan in her seaside health space (there are yoga classes here too) right opposite Dun Laoghaire Baths/cafe. I was talking to a woman of my age who is not into Botox but “hates the lines on my forehead”, and she has booked a facial acupuncture session for her birthday treat. I’ve tried it, and can vouch for both the relaxation aspect of the treatment (which includes facial massage, gua sha and can also include LED light), and also the face- and mood-boosting effects. If you’re into “slow beauty” rather than so-called “fast fixes”, this one’s for you. Escapada Health Clinic, Ardeen House, 10/11 Marine Terrace, Dun Laoghaire; www.escapadahealth.com.
See also https://thegloss.ie/a-new-beauty-and-wellbeing-haven-has-opened-in-dun-laoghaire/
18 FOR HANDS
We love the geranium scent of Cath Kidston’s C.Atherley bath and body line, which has the tagline “from greenhouse to bottle”. We hear that the bath oil is divine, too. Gorgeous gifts for gardeners and beyond. The range is at Howbert & Mays, Clare Street, Dublin 2 and Monkstown, Co Dublin; www.howbertandmays.ie.
19 BODY CREAM
We have so many favourites when it comes to body creams – there are others apart from Sol de Janeiro you know. Barbara Sturm’s body cream is one of the best out there, should you be looking for firming, properly restorative cream (from €25 for 50ml). www.eu.drsturm.com
We also love the M&S Burst Bodycare range, with its €11 body butters in sunny scents such as Orange, Mango, Melon and Cherry. See more thegloss.ie/7-of-the-best-beauty-buys-for-spring-all-under-e30/.
20 BODY OIL
I have fallen heavily for Soak’s body oils – the website, a bit confusingly, is called www.soakbathsalts.com but this Sligo-based business makes much more than bath salts, and for me the standouts are the body oils, which smell incredible (think lavender, rosemary, glorious orange) and leave your skin really gleaming and sheeny, as well as fragrant, but non-greasy. Applying this is a beautiful ritual, and the glass bottles are lovely too. Soak also make body scrubs, pillow sprays (including a sea spray one that swimmers will love) and it’s all well worth diving into.
For more favourites, see also https://thegloss.ie/summer-loving-weve-found-the-perfect-tinted-spf/
