All posts filed under: Beauty

Red hot – perfecting the red lip

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How to get the perfect red lip I adore red lipstick. It never ceases to enhance my mood or transform my outfit, it’s a little bullet of instant glamour. Ever since that the sugary smear of red “M&Ms” or smushed raspberries as “lipstick” before you were allowed to wear it, then graduating to the trashy pound shop efforts that made you look more disturbing than Dietrich; red has always been the lipstick look I wanted to master. Throw in a few years of getting it spectacularly wrong; seeing yourself in a nightclub bathroom at 2am with a less than precise pout will compound efforts to try to learn a thing or two about investing in getting it right. It is sexy, defiant, bold and can transform how you feel when you apply that dramatic kiss of poppy colour. And it’s always in style. Bernadette Mc Bride is an IFTA-nominated professional make-up artist and has worked on countless TV and film productions. She is also my Godmother and my go-to for any make-up advice or tips …

Dressing up for ‘The Restaurant’

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Going back to the Restaurant was a little bit like bumping into an old boyfriend, except I was given a little more warning so wanted to make sure it wasn’t dressed with a hoodie and last night’s mascara on my face. As a former producer and director, I had once enviously watched the diners from the kitchen while they sipped wine and commented on how rubbish or wonderful that night’s chef’s offering was for four years. Everyone who works on The Restaurant crew works very, very hard and the actual shoot day runs as a real restaurant with prep from early morning until the afternoon’s tastings and then diners arrive in the early evening and the kitchen kicks into service. I started as a runner on the series in 2008 and loved every step of the journey to becoming Series Producer in 2011 when I last worked on it. Seeing everyone again was a gorgeous reunion. Going on as a diner was as much exciting as it was nerve-wrecking. I was often asked ‘Where on …

The eyes have it – some of my favourite eye creams

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We brush our teeth, we comb our hair, we check Twitter and Facebook as morning and nightly rituals, but are we always good enough at putting on eye cream? It’s the most delicate and thinnest skin on our face, and absolutely unforgiving when it comes to ageing. I’m far from perfect when it comes to remembering to use it daily, but it does make a difference when I do remember. HOW TO USE Applying and storing anti-wrinkle creams is important too. Always keep it in cool, dry place (some people like to keep them in the fridge) and apply by dabbing a small amount of cream under the eye and along the contour of the eye bone. I use my baby or ring finger to apply as it’s less pressure, and pat the cream rather than dab on the inner corner of the eye towards the outer corner, working up to the brows. Our eyes are the window to the soul, so let’s keep our souls looking bright and shiny. Here are some of my …

Skincare for a snip – Beauty on a Budget

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  This was originally published over on Help My Style Quality skincare products don’t have to cost the earth, here are some of my favourites: Pond’s Cold Cream – €5.99 This iconic product needs no introduction. It’s been around since the dawn of time, or at least since I discovered it on my Mom’s dressing table in the 80s, and has been selling millions of pots all over the world for over 100 years. You can’t argue with that. Its versatility makes it a great cleanser, toner and moisturiser, or pop on a thicker layer for five minutes as a moisturising face mask. Laura Whitmore and Kylie Minogue are just two of its many fans, but I think our mothers are a better endorsement than any celebrity. Silcock’s Base – €3.99 My Mom has always advocated Silcock’s Base and Aqueous cream (a similar product) as the best cleanser and moisturiser a girl could possibly wish for. And based on how great her skin is, I’m trying my best to follow suit. This is the least …

My five favourite mascaras

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This was originally published over on Help My Style Lancome Hypnôse RRP €27.50 Good Lord, the packaging alone makes me feel like I’m Ava Gardner. All yummy curves and glamour and little hints of gold with this little beauty. This is a wonderful, glossy and shiny mascara. There’s a great result from the first application, but use a zig-zagging with the brush on the second go and it’ll give you pretty, fluttery lashes. Marks and Spencers Autograph – Falsh Lash Effect RRP €15.00 Marks’ isn’t this first place you would think of for make-up, but their range is surprisingly good quality and reasonably priced. And if your Nana and your Mom shop there it has to be good for you. I love this mascara because the brush is big and fat but has incy wincy bristles on the comb so there’s very little clump. It won’t last as long as the more expensive mascaras but it’s a good everyday option.             Benefit ‘They’re Real’ RRP €26.00 I still remember the …