YSL Beauty All Hours Glow Foundation
A long-lasting matt foundation, but not as we know it. YSL Beauty All Hours Glow Foundation (€50 from Brown Thomas) is something of a revelation. Full, skin-like coverage, excellent longevity, but with a beautiful radiance that belies its advertised matt finish. This is the foundation to reach for when you want a flawless base that lasts until you decide otherwise. Available in 40 shades.
Merit Beauty Day Glow Highlighting Balm
Let me count the ways I love this multitasking highlighting balm from Merit Beauty. The chic, streamlined American brand only recently began shipping to Ireland, and Day Glow Highlighting Balm (€35 from meritbeauty.com) was one of the first products I tried. Swipe it solo, layer it over your base, under the brows, on the cupid’s bow, on your cheekbones – use it however you like for instant luminosity and head-turning glow. Available in four shades.
Hildun Beauty Silk-To-Set Kajal Liners
One of the best kajal eyeliners ever made, from one of my go-to Irish brands, Hildun Beauty. Silk-To-Set Kajal Eyeliners (€18 from hildunbeauty.com) are exceptional: creamy, richly pigmented, easy to blend, and once they set, nothing moves them. The shade range is where they truly shine – from Navy Nights and Chocolate to Pecan and Noir, plus a Limited Edition Trio of new shades: Rich Violet, Copper Glow, and Milk Chocolate.
Victoria Beckham Beauty Lid Lustre Shimmering Eyeshadow
If there’s ever a time of year to break out the shimmer, it’s now – and nobody does creamy, pigmented, exceptionally shimmering eyeshadow quite like Victoria Beckham Beauty. Lid Lustre Shimmering Eyeshadow (€42 from victoriabeckhambeauty.com) comes in eight delectable hues, from rose gold and silver chrome to antique pearl and reflective champagne. A tip: they are intensely pigmented, so a little goes a long way – start with a small amount and build up as desired.
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Lisa Eldridge True Velvet Lip Colour
No one does statement lipsticks quite like the arguable queen of make-up, Lisa Eldridge. True Velvet Lip Colour (€32 from lisaeldridge.com) was the first product from her eponymous brand, and unsurprisingly, it sold out instantly when it launched. Available in 15 shades – including the now-iconic Velvet Ribbon, a blue-toned, true red that suits every skin tone – this is the “treat yourself” equivalent of a lipstick: long-lasting, luxurious, and the sleek gold bullet packaging instantly levels up your make-up bag.
Charlotte Tilbury Unreal Blush Healthy Glow Stick
Glow-giving, long-lasting blush with a highlighting twist: Charlotte Tilbury’s Unreal Blush Healthy Glow Stick (€40 from charlottetilbury.com) does it all. The perfect blush to fling in your handbag, this skincare-infused highlighter-meets-blush is exceptionally pigmented – just a small swipe delivers a flush of colour, but it’s buildable if you want more drama. Available in six shades.
Laura Mercier Translucent Hydrating Setting Spray Ultra-Blur
Flawless festive make-up is no use if it doesn’t stay put – but the trick is to use something undetectable yet with serious staying power to keep it in place. Enter Laura Mercier’s Translucent Hydrating Setting Spray Ultra-Blur (€38 from Space NK). As someone who usually loathes setting sprays, I’ve been using this religiously all year – it’s that good. Truly transparent, it adds a subtle sheen to the skin while keeping make-up perfectly in place.
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Poco Beauty Universal Solar Glow
The face may get all the attention at this time of year, but the body deserves some glow, too. Much loved since it launched a few months ago, Poco Beauty Universal Solar Glow (€55 from pocobeauty.com) is a tinted, bronzed version of their bestselling Universal Glow Treatment. For use on the face and body, it seamlessly matches your tan or adds a beautiful bronzed sheen to shoulders, décolletage and beyond. A festive-season essential.
This week I’m loving ... Sam McKnight Modern Hairspray
Festive make-up deserves equally fabulous hair – and an even better hairspray to hold it in place. Sam McKnight Modern Hairspray (€31 from Brown Thomas) is one of those rare products that does exactly what it promises without looking like it’s doing anything at all. It holds styles in place while still keeping hair movable and touchable. It brushes out in seconds, too – perfect for when you need to restyle in a hurry.
