Get your beauty kicks with the latest lip tricks, hair slicks and eye flicks with all the top picks from Triona McCarthy, right here, right now.
TRIONA’S TOP TRENDS
I always have a lipstick in my bag or pocket.
With a few swipes, lipstick can dial up my daytime look to night time glam.
Here are three new lippies to up the ante this season.
First up we have a first from Urban Decay, a lip mousse!
These Lo-Fi Lip Mousses, €22 are modern matte lip colours, similar to a lip stain but with a comfortable whipped airy feel and finish.
I adore the electric red colour called Frequency.
They’re perfect for your pocket as you simply dab on with your finger. There’s a hidden pop-out applicator, but I only spotted this after a week! However, these are totally buildable and waterproof, so using a finger is best.
Buxom do the best lip products and their latest launch Buxom PowerPlump Lip Balm, €18, is a total buxom babe! If you’re not mad about lipstick and having to keep it in check, then this could be for you as not only do you get hydrated lips, you get a wash of colour and a little plumping action as well.
Finally for pure showing off purposes when pulling something pout of your pants – sorry, wha? – Pat McGrath Labs, Lip Fetish, €45, is a divine balm that leaves my lips smooth with a lovely luminous finish.
I follow Pat McGrath on Instagram and ordered the Nude Astral, an opalescent pale pink, the minute it dropped. There are three colours, by the way – Bronze Astral, Gold Astral and VR Pink Astral.
HAIR LIKE LIV
My weekly blow dry in West Cork this summer was always at Reflections in Lowertown in Schull.
In this ever-increasingly impersonal world, Sinead the proprietor provides a bespoke hair services to clients seeking a more personal approach when having their hair and make up done.
Sinead, my first cousin – I swear I’m not related to everyone in Schull – also coloured my hair using Montibello- a range I’d never heard of before but now I’m all over as my colour looks so good and just like Sinead, I’m incredibly picky about what I choose to use.
My hair is super shiny and healthy, just like Liv Tyler!
If you want easy-to-maintain, wearable beautiful hair and make-up, Sinead is your gal. You’re welcome!
Reflections, Lowertown, Schull, Co. Cork, tel: (083) 034 3121
MORNING GLORY
I am definitely not one of those peeps who leap out of bed first thing, full of energy, feasting on overnight oats before a 7am session in the gym.
I have to hit the snooze button ten times and dive into a vat of coffee before I can have a sensible conversation with anyone.
It’s about time I woke up and smelt the coffee: I AM NOT A MORNING PERSON!!!
Anya Hindmarch Smells Coffee Scented Candle, €45 – which is inspired by early mornings, and has a dark, woody scent like freshly-brewed coffee – it’s the nearest I get to enjoying mornings.
MOST WANTED
The Shiseido Waso Purifying Peel Off Mask, €38, is possibly the prettiest peel-off mask I’ve used.
It’s so Insta friendly yet works a treat in real life.
Powered by botanicals, it peels away dirt and dead skin cells, leaving my skin smoother and fresher and more hydrated. I use two-to-three pumps, then smooth the pretty pink potion straight onto clean, dry skin and let it do its thing (selfie optional). The, 20 minutes later, I peel it away.
TRIONA’S TRICK
No to ugly swimming caps! Before diving into the sea or a pool, I always rinse my hair with tap water. Porous hair strands absorb the tap water first, preventing the salty sea or polluted pool water from damaging your hair. A leave-in conditioner is also a good idea.
CULT PRODUCT
Are you on the lookout for a new, affordable mascara? Then check out L’Oreal Paris Unlimited Mascara, €10.99.
Based on that MUA trick where they bend the mascara wand, this innovative design means the mascara wand bends at the handle as opposed to the brush, making it easier to get to those hard to reach area. I prefer to use it straight for me top lashes, then, for a wider-eyed look, I bend it, to get into the inner and outer corners of my lashes.
