From tanning-disaster hacks, to whitening teeth to the max and fragrance facts, our brilliant beauty-product queen has it all, right here, right now.
MOST WANTED
Shiseido WetForce Sports BB Broad Spectrum SPF 50+, below, €32, is the first ever very-high-SPF foundation I’ve ever used that I actually like the look of on my skin.
Combining their make-up expertise with their renowned suncare technology, Shiseido’s WetForce technology means the more you sweat, the stronger the sun-protection veil gets. I know, right!
So this foundation basically protects, nurtures and beautifies skin all in one. Now that’s hot!
TRIONA TRIES
I popped into Preen, on Dame St in Dublin, recently. Not only did Jordan give me a beautiful blow-dry, which made me look a little like Katie Holmes, above, I also got some serious style-inspo from proprietor Katherine, with her chrome nails; and a quick make-up tutorial from former Life cover star and MUA, Nadine Reid, who is now based in the salon.
Nadine talked me through the XIP Professional range of make-up, which is exclusive to the salon. I fell in love with the amazing Platinum Passion Eyeshadow palette, €46. It has really wearable colours, including a brown which can be used on brows, and a black shadow that can be used as an eyeliner when it’s used with a wet brush.
See preendublin.ie
ALL WHITE NOW
Remember when Ross whitened his teeth on Friends back in the 1990s? Oh, how we laughed! I doubt that would happen nowadays, as super-white teeth are the norm these days. The bright-white boom in teeth means a whole host of home products – such as the Spotlight Teeth Whitening Strips Kit, €39.95, which I really rate – have come on the market.
Now the Creaven sisters, who are both qualified dentists, have just launched their latest product, Spotlight Teeth White Paste, above €9.50. It’s specifically formulated to help maintain the results of the strips.
TRIONA’S TRICK
‘Slow hands, Like sweat dripping down our dirty laundry.’ Niall Horan’s song ‘Slow Hands’ or, rather, ‘Glow Hands’ as I change it to, goes through my mind when I see the dreaded Oompa Loompa-ish hands. Guess what, gals: hair-removal cream gets rid of unwanted fake tan.
CULT PRODUCT
The clue’s in the name, folks. Johnny’s Chopshop Born Lucky Shampoo with a Shot of Conditioner, above, €8.50, has a little conditioner in the mix, so it “leaves hair silky, smooth and not fluffy-looking”, as noted by Will, my official hair-product tester.
It’s also massively moisturising, as it contains shea butter, glycerine and pro-vitamin B. And it smells delightful.
Whenever Will washes his hair with this, he definitely gets lucky… if you know what I mean!
TRIONA’S TOP TRENDS
Obsession by Calvin Klein was the first designer fragrance I ever bought, back when I was studying beauty therapy at Bronwyn Conroy Beauty School. I felt so grown-up when I wore it, and hoped I seemed somewhat more sophisticated; just like the supermodels I was obsessed with – Kate Moss, in particular.
Little did I imagine that, 25 years later, I’d be at the exclusive launch party in London for the new Obsessed scents, which are a modern interpretation of the classic.
I got to hear Kate Moss talk about the iconic shoot she did with her then boyfriend, photographer Mario Sorrenti.
“We had nothing; we had nothing to lose, you know what I mean? Those were good times,” Mario says in a voiceover in the video, which features never-before-seen, behind-the-scenes footage from the campaign for fragrance. Go and watch it. It’s kind of heartbreaking, as it’s such a bittersweet love story.
But back to Obsessed. When you smell the female version of the scent, below right, from €44.50, you know it’s related to Obsession, but it’s edgier, with a heart of white lavender and a base of musk. It’s my new scent for the summer. I love it.
The men’s version of Obsessed, above left, from €41.90, is concentrated around the note of black vanilla in its heart, so it’s super sophis and sexy. Even the bottles are more contemporary looking, as they’re translucent, and a bit rounder and fuller in comparison to the original Obsession flacons, so they are very Insta-friendly.
*This piece originally appeared in the Sunday Independent Life Magazine on July 23rd 2017*