Roses supposes

By the by, if you are happening by Space NK, or indeed www.jurlique.co.uk, you could do worse than pick up Jurlique Rose Hand cream. It does come in other fragrances for those of you who prefer not to smell like a granny, but I'm quite fond of it actually. It simply has the best texture and absorbencey of any hand cream I have ever tried. And it's all happy-clappy nature loving sustainable biodynamically farmed blah blah. You know yourself.

Time and Space

I have been meaning for some time know to say a few words about the new Space NK in Harvey Nichols in Dublin. I went to the launch at the end of November and here, dear readers, are my musings.

Nicky Kinnaird likes to talk about how her own brand ranges are free of all the nasties, especially parabens (dangerous? It's debateable.) But what comes up again and again as her favourite product? Eve Lom Cleanser. And let's face it who doesn't heart that in a big way. But for those of you who like to freak out, check out the ingredients. Every type of paraben contained therein. Just so you know. (I have decided to embrace parabens and my Eve Lom Cleanser. And the Kiss Mix lip salve - zingy!)

Chirpy chirpy cheap cheap

I'm the biggest beauty snob going. If it's cheap I'm very dubious. Half the joy is pretty packaging after all (hello Guerlain, you big heap of gorgeous). But I have to say, I'm coming to love the lower end mascaras. No guilt at dumping at three months of age or the slightest hint of drying, so you always have fresh and fab lashes. My latest love - Max Factor Falsh Lash Effect. Superb.

Get touched

Speaking of Ole Henriksen...I interviewed him last year. He is ridiculously healthy-looking, wiry and spry. Clearly has a portrait in the attic/pact with the devil/fresh blood injected weekly. And the advice of this fresh-faced beauty mogul: "make love to your skin".

I'm still trying to work that one out but I think gentle touch and massging products in is the key. It's what works for uber-facialists Anastasia Achilleos and Emma Hardie in the UK, and if I may say so, Virginie-Claire in Harold's Cross in Dublin (Tippy tips of fingers like tiny angels wings brushing across your face. I have never been so relaxed in my life as I was when I went for a facial there.).

Muscle tension makes a huge difference to your face. After a week off work recently, I looked like a different person. After half an hour of traffic hell driving in on the first day back the tightness across my forehead and cheekbones was palpable, and tooth grinding was back with a vengeance. And my ten years younger holiday face disappeared.

Softly softly, catchy monkey

First up, I've been a bad bad blogger, with nary a glance this way in two months. But a very busy two months starting a new job as resident fashion be-atch on Irish Tatler. So busy in fact that there is precious little time for looking the part - eep! State of me...

And so, on the bank holiday weekend I decided to gift myself with beautiful body care that I had been hoarding for ages, waiting to use. (I was doing that thing where I say I really must use up the 50 lip glosses I have before I get another one. Ah but minimalism is no friend of the beauty-holic.)

Confession: I don't really bother with body moisturiser. I get plenty of compliments from me handsome fella about having soft skin, so I reckon I must be doin alright. However, there being no clean bedclothes in the fella's house except for a nylon-y, ball-y horrible set, I was soon driven demented by night itches, and decided the way forward was to grease myself up to provide a coating between skin and icky bedclothes.

Enter stage left Clarins Satin Smooth Body Lotion. Verdict: disappointing in the fragrance department. It doesn't have that Clarins smell. You know the one... So enter stage right Ole Henriksen Lavender Body Oil. Nice. Lavender-y. Nearly gave the fella a heart attack that someone would pay 44 euro for something you could make up with some essential oil. Anyway, a trick they use in Clarins salons is to mix body cream and oil for massage. Lovely slidey texture without the greasiness. Verdict: we likey. And so does himself, who did not object to several euros worth of ridiculously expensive massage oil being worked into his post-match muscle aches.

Oh and he said my skin was softer than usual. So perhaps I'll convert to the cult of body moisturisers after all. He'll be telling me cellulite creams work next...

Let there be Lumiere

I just spent the weekend working backstage at our Ultimate Girls' Day Out event and while the ladies of Ireland enjoyed the shopping and pampering in the exhibition hall we were up to 90 backstage making the fashion shows happen. After the fifth fashion show of the day I was ready for a small glass of wine and hoping a nice red would knock me out into a deep sleep. No such luck, and after the head finally hit the pillow at five o'clock in the morning there was only a few winks of sleep had before we were up and at it again the next morning. I was desperate to look lively again before I had to go and spend the day in a room with 12 of Ireland's most beautiful models (who were all bloody super nice, clever and hardworking, therefore making it impossible to hate them!).
I'd kind of reckoned this new Chanel Lift Lumiere Firming and Smoothing Fluid Makeup and Lift Lumiere Smoothing and Rejuvenating Eye Contour Concealer would be for a slightly older skin than my own, but after slapping on a face-load on Sunday morning I am converted. The undereye concealer in particular is radically brilliant stuff, and the colour and texture are great. The foundation is light and radiant yet covered a really stubborn acne scar on my cheek which usually requires a couple of rounds of concealer and powder to tone down.
It's in shops from 15 September, so get your sleeping bags out and get in the queue early!

Eye eye, Cap'n

I knew when I put that darned mascara on this morning that it irritates my eyes. I just couldn't bring myself to throw it out...until now. So here I am sitting in work, eyes-an-itching, and I grab the first thing to hand to wipe that mascara off, and it happens to be a bottle of Decleor Eye Make-up Remover Gel, which had been knocking around under my desk for several months now. Why I waited so long I don't know, but it got that mascara off quickly, cleanly, using only tissue and left my eyes refreshed. Wahoo. I never want to use anything else.