Benefit Ultra Plush Glosses €19.50/£13.50

Available: July

Benefit have been doing some seriously good re-marketing recently and their latest launch is something I’m very excited about. While I love the Benefit Ultra Shine Lip Glosses for their cute colours and lasting sheen, the applicator brush is extraordinarily small and awkward.

Now, come July, the brand are launching a range of glosses with an easy squeezy applicator. Better still, each gloss coincides with one of their cult boxed bronzers and blushes. So, for those who love the natural look you can team your Dandelion soft blush with a matching pearly pink gloss or for anyone who prefers a bright coral flush, Coralista comes with a matching pinkish-orange gloss.

Other additions to the range include Bella Bamba (sheer bright watermelon), Dallas (dusty rose), Hoola (shimmering golden nude) and Sugarbomb (glistening pinky nude). Best of all, they’ve a non-sticky texture so you can lash them on and not end up picking strands of your hair away from your lips in the slightest breeze.

Soap & Glory Sit Tight Super Intense XS Serum €21.99/£16.50, 125ml

Available: Now at Boots

Our faces get all the attention. From serums and masks, to facials and micro-derm, we frequently spoil our skin from the neck up. With summertime officially upon us—before we anxiously peel off our winter layers—it’s time to give our neglected bodies some TLC.

Lured in by its miracle-promising name, I opted to try Soap & Glory’s new Sit Tight Super Intense XS Serum. The “special super strength body firming serum” is a supped-up version of the original Sit Tight formula and vows to be twice as effective. Bombarded by faux-scientific sounding ingredients like ‘Puffdrain 82’ and ‘Slimenergy3 Caffeine Complex’, I threw caution to the wind and massaged the wince-inducing, cold ‘circo-360 massage roller’ around my thighs for a couple of minutes each morning.

The beauty of this product is it activates when you sit down, so you don’t feel so guilty about that mid-morning digestive at your desk.  After two weeks of meticulous rolling, I can’t say my pins are ‘absolutely flab-you-less’ as promised, but without any dieting, there is a definite tautness and a new suppleness that I’m looking forward to showing off on the beach.

 John Frieda Full Damage Collection

Repair Full Body Shampoo, 250ml – €6.31
Full Repair Full Body Conditioner, 250ml – €6.31
Full Repair Deep Conditioner, 150ml – €7.03
Full Repair™ Perfect Ends Deep Infusion, 50ml – €7.03

Available: Now

Whether your hair crime is colouring, heat styling, back-combing or all three, if you want your hair to continue to look good without having to forsake styling it, you’ve got to invest time and care into its condition.

As someone who ashamedly is guilty of all three on a regular basis, I started using John Frieda’s new Full Repair range about a month ago and am genuinely delighted with the help its given my abused tresses.

For anyone who likes to know the science behind the product, the key ingredient is Inca Inchi, a lightweight micro-oil rich in repairing omega-3 that helps to restructure the hair, detangle it to prevent future snagging and protects from heat styling. The hero product from the range is the Perfect Ends Deep Infusion; it’s a potent remedy for over-worked hair.

While the UK marvel at Stella McCartney’s kit for their Olympic team and the Italian Olympians get fitted for their team Armani suits, we Irish treat our Olympic team’s Mums to a spot of pampering ahead of their departure for the London Olympics 2012.

Earlier today we popped along to see P&G Professional Ireland’s VIP Day in Dublin where Irish Olympic athlete’s Mums got their hair styled by the country’s top Wella Professionals Stylists and received a full beauty makeover, courtesy of Olay and Max Factor celebrity makeup artist, Lyndsey Cavanagh.

After contributing greatly to the development of their sons and daughters and now doubt made many sacrifices along the way, today’s pampering session was a welcome pat on the back for these special Irish Mums.

See how to wear sportswear as streetwear with these street style pictures we took at the event

More pictures from the event below.

[View with PicLens]

We’ve turned to award winning hair stylist Ciaran Nevin of Shampoo.ie to show us how to do the perfect blow dry.

They’ve got a great ‘Ask the Expert’ section and there’s a whole section devoted to video tutorials too, packed full of useful ‘how tos’ on hair-care musts like how to simply wash your hair correctly or getting that blow dry right whatever the occasion.

P.S. Want to win Kerastase hair care products, chosen by Ciaran, tailored to your hair type?   Enter to win from Shampoo.ie!

From its humble beginnings as an independent fashion blog, Rosemary MacCabe’s FashMob is now the resident blog of  TheIrishTimes.com. This fashion editor isn’t one to hide behind her computer screen however and you may recognise her from regular styling slots on Xpose where she divulges some very fashionable insights.

With a sense of style that’s “comfortable, eclectic and variable”, this blogger-slash-stylist is renowned for injecting a bit of fun and colour into her editorial offerings on the pages of The Times Weekend Magazine. With many sartorial strings to her bow already, today Rosemary has come on board to be our May Guest Editor where she shares her favourite shopping tips with us.

Spring/Summer 2012 designer collection

I loved Ashish‘s Wizard of Oz inspired sequined collection (pictured left). Those red brick sequins, sunflower-print tees and Doc Martens with sprouting flowers coming out at the ankles – dreamy, punk perfection. It helps of course that the show was styled by Ireland’s own Celestine Cooney. I love everything she does.

S/S trend and how you’ll be wearing it

I’m wearing a lot of pastels at the moment. It comes in every spring season but this season especially it’s been really big. I’m teaming lilac jeans with minty green jumpers and floral shirts from Zara.

Indigenous Shop in Dublin

I love Bow in the Powerscourt Centre. It stocks some great Irish labels as well as vintage stuff, and it’s a great space. It started up at a really tough time and has grown and grown, which is great to see.

Shop (clothing or otherwise) in another country

I love Eataly in New York. It’s this amazing Italian food emporium that has a cafe, seafood restaurant, pizza restaurant and you can take guided tours of the shop – that’s how labyrinthine it is! It stocks every kind of Italian food you could ever want to buy and the coffee and cakes are to die for.

Shoes

I bought those Miu Miu booties last season, when they went on sale on Net-a-Porter. I love them, even though they are definitely not the most comfortable shoes on the block. But they’re so pretty and monochrome and they go with everything. In terms of everyday wear, I love SixtySeven’s Bullet boots from Buffalo. I have them in three colours. They’re a dead ringer for Acne’s Pistol boots, but a fraction of the price. So comfy, too.

Handbag

My sister is a handbag designer for Vince Camuto, a large label in the US that hasn’t quite made its way over here yet, so I’d be being disloyal if I said anyone else! But in all seriousness, I love the stuff she designs. My current fave is a cream bag with coral piping. Very appropriate for the season that’s in it.

Best bargain buy

I’m not great with bargain buys – I have really fallen out of love with disposable fashion lately and I don’t mind investing in things I think I’ll wear a lot. But my skinny jeans from New Look, at €29.99, are definitely up there. Like everyone, I find it hard to find jeans to fit perfectly but these are great.

Beauty Salon & Treatment you get there

I got the best manicure of my life in Rouge in Ranelagh not too long ago. Essentials on Baggot St does a killer pedicure – they use a blade to scrape off all the dry skin which sounds extreme, but it’s amazing.

For hair and make-up I’d always go to Brown Sugar on South William Street, I don’t think they can be easily beaten; and Top to Toe in Stoneybatter does a brilliant spray tan. For blow-dries I pop next door to Steel Magnolias. I love the name and they only charge €20. It’s great to have somewhere local to get these things done.

Top style tip

Don’t wash your clothes too often! Seriously, if your clothes aren’t stained, air them out, add a touch of Febreze and wear them again. They’ll wear so much better if they aren’t being thrown in the washing machine every time you take them off.

Fashion pet hate

I find it really weird when groups of friends dress the same; I guess I’m against the idea of fashion as a uniform, I just like individualism.

 - Gillian Brett

P.S. Want to win Kerastase hair care products, chosen by an award winning stylist, tailored to your hair type?   Enter to win from Shampoo.ie!

The past month has been awash of social outings for me, which was great after a low lying few weeks since Christmas. Doing my hair and makeup is usually as far as it goes when it comes to getting ready for events, so to be treated to some Novalash eyelash extensions by Mimi’ s Beauty Room was extra special, especially as they lasted for three weeks.

I’d indulged in eyelash extensions only once before (for my wedding) and was pleased to see that the cost of the treatment has come down considerably and now costs €100 for a full set.
The treatment takes a full hour, as each eyelash is individually applied and after lying down on the treatment table, I soon found myself nodding off and waking up when the extensions were in.

I chose eyelashes in same length as my natural lashes and went for a fuller eyelash look, as opposed to applying longer lashes which in some case can look too false I think.

The finished look

Once in place, Novalash eyelash extensions come with specific aftercare instructions such as:

-    No washing your face, swimming, splashing water or using cleaners in the eye area for the first 12 -24 hours
-    Avoid cleansers containing glycol, organic solvents and products with high concentrations of alcohol as these can break down the adhesive bond and thus shorten the duration of the eyelash extensions
-    Using NovaLash water soluble mascara. I found that I didn’t need to use mascara at all as the eyelashes looked good enough without it, so didn’t bother buying this
-    Wearing swimming goggles when you shower to prolong the life of the extensions.  This was what the beautician recommended, based on feedback from others who had gone to Mimi’s and I dutifully did this every morning, despite feeling like an eejit!

You can lose one or two extensions on any given day, as they shed with your natural eyelash shedding process and I found that they stayed in for at least two weeks with the last remaining lashes lasting a third week.

Cost: Eyelash extensions: €100 for a full set, €75 for a half set. If you love the look, touch-up appointments are every 3-4 weeks after your initial appointment and cost €40.

Mimi’s Beauty Room, 6 Seafort Avenue, Sandymount, Dublin 4. Tel 01 207 1916. Mimisbeautyroom.com

The latest “natural” false tan, a multivitamin must try of the skincare world and a trio of lip balms to answer all our climate change complaints; read on for all the details in this  month’s beauty round up.

St Tropez Naturals Milk €32.00/£26.00

Available now from most pharmacies and department stores

Despite a few promising sunny days of late, we’re under no illusion that we’re in for a tropical summer and as such it’s time to crack out the fake tan. Despite its funky odour, we all know it’s far safer than sun bathing and will stop you looking like a well-used Mulberry satchel a few years down the line. The only downfall to false tanners is the ingredient DHA (the chemical that causes the colouration). While it’s not the worst out there (see: sodium laureth sulfate and polyethylene glycol) DHA is known to irritate sensitive skin (an Irish birthright for most of us) and makes the skin especially susceptible to free-radical damage from sunlight during the initial day or so after application. This means slathering on the self-tan and then hitting the beach isn’t great for your skin without a seriously strong SPF.

Luckily, fake tan connoisseurs St. Tropez have stepped in with a new ‘natural’ false tan. St Tropez Naturals is made with sensitive skin types in mind and is formulated with Vegetan, a 100% natural eco-cert approved self-tanning ingredient, instead of DHA. I tried the tanning milk which is really easy to use and because the colour is so light, you can’t really get it wrong; use it for a few days to build-up the colour. They’ve also added a lotion and a face tanner to the range.

Trilogy Rosehip Oil Antioxidant+ €32.95/£27.50 (30ml)

Available May 1st from Arnotts, selected pharmacies and health stores nationwide

While we’re on the topic of natural products and anti-oxidants, ten years after introducing the world to the wonders of Rosehip oil, Trilogy have launched a new and improved version of their cult face serum: Rosehip Oil Antioxidant+.  The original Rosehip miracle oil has become a staple on the beauty pages of glossy magazines (including our own Tatler and Image) and Dannii Minogue was raving about its stretch-mark preventing properties when she was pregnant with her son Ethan last year.

The oil has now been given a facelift of its own with the innovative new addition of red berry super antioxidants. Potent super antioxidants Lycopene from Tomatoes and Phytosterol from Acai berries were added to help protect from premature ageing caused by environmental free radical damage. While nourishing Essential Fatty Acids (omegas 3 and 6) from Cranberries and oil extracted from Rosehip seeds moisturise and renew the skin’s cell. Finally, a mineral and vitamin rich Oat extract provides repairing vitamin A and E and creates a soothing and luxurious feel that glides on the skin. The 100% organic oil boosts the skins moisture levels by 44%, yet it manages to retain a non-greasy formula.

I chose to add a couple of drops to my moisturiser rather than applying it alone to speed up the preening process and found it absorbs nice and quickly so you don’t have to wait long to put your make up on. I also found that if I used it as a night treatment my skin looked like I’d got my full 8 hours in the morning even if I’d only managed 6.

A lot of people ask why we need a serum on top of moisturiser and eye cream and the short answer is they are the multivitamin pills of the skincare world; a super-boosting supplement for any skin complaint.

Soap & Glory ‘A Great Kisser’ Lip Balm €7.00/£5.00 Each

Available now at most Boots Stores

There’s no point in having perfect skin with a glowing tan if the change in weather has left your lips chapped and unsightly. With a soothing mix of Mango Butter to moisturize, Apricot Butter for weather protection, Lingonberry Oil to boost barrier repair (and prevent water loss) and Pomegranate Extract to renew a ‘dewy’ appearance, the Soap & Glory ‘A Great Kisser’ lip balms have answered all our climate change complaints.

Presented in their signature kitschy packaging, these little lip gems come in three flavours (two tinted, one transparent). Chocolate Cherry is a sheer lollipop pink, Juicy Peach adds a pastel pop of coral and Sweet Coconut is sheer and shimmery. They have a non-waxy, non- slippery, non-greasy and non-sticky formula, meaning the only problem is trying not to lick the yummy flavours straight off!

Gillian Brett

When TK Maxx asked me to take part in a photoshoot for Enable Ireland, it sent me into a bit of a tizzy.  I’m normally at the other end of the camera and the thoughts of being photographed up close didn’t sit well with me, so I had my hair and makeup done at Brown Sugar, the boutique salon in Dublin’s South William Street.

For makeup, Séana Long, who regularly transforms the faces of Ireland’s movers and shakers, asked what I was after and my brief was simply “good coverage in front of the camera”.  Séana used Kohl cosmetics (Brown Sugar’s own makeup line which has become a household name and make-up bag must-have) and I loved the definition she achieved on my cheeks; it’s definitely not something I’ve ever been able to do myself.

She went for a red lip and black liner –a look I stick to when it’s not a time to experiment with a high fashion and even lent me the red lippie in case I needed to touch up during the shoot.

As for the hair , I went for an up do, a very large bun as you can see! I love this look, ever since I spotted it on the Mary Katrantzou AW12 catwalk – again it’s not something I knew how to do myself.

It involved getting my hair into a high ponytail, smoothing out the front and sides by spritzing with hairspray and combing it through and for the bun itself, the ponytail was split into sections, backcombed like crazy and then pinned into place.

And all that while being served herbal tea and mini muffins. (And watching Glenda Gilson in action she interviewed Séana for a summer makeup look TV slot on Xpose).  Bliss!

The end result

Brown Sugar is sponsoring Better Fashion Week with a ‘Nomadic Shop’ in No. 6 Castle Market St Dublin until 29th April.  The venue will host a selection of Irish designers giving discerning Irish fashionistas the chance to pick up a range of beautiful Irish designs or get their hair and make-up done, all under one roof. For more info on Better Fashion week see our events listing or betterfashionweek.com.

Brown Sugar, 50 South William Street, Dublin 2, Tel 01 6169967 and Brown Sugar, 33 Main St Blackrock, Co. Dublin Tel  01 2108630. Brown Sugar on Facebook.

With the nail looks now a key part of fashion shows worldwide, every season the Chanel catwalk serves as a guide for the nail colours and trends we’ll be wearing.

And this for autumn 2011/2012 Peter Philips, Global Creative Director of Chanel Makeup, got whisked away by denim and created a trio of blues:  Blue Rebel, Coco Blue and Blue Boy, each shade based on a different shade of jeans.

It’s good news if you like cool blue as this shade will be hot for autumn/winter 2012-13 too, as we saw at Erdem.

Get the look with a CHANEL Les Jeans shape and paint from Thursday 29th March to Sunday 1st April at Arnotts (€40, redeemable against a CHANEL nail purchase on the day). To book call 01 8050537.

I was blown away by the hairstyles at yesterday’s Louise Kennedy  show. You can see a from-the-front look on Yomiko (top right) and from-behind on Sarah Morrissey (bottom right). Makeup is by Zoe Clark.

Created by Michael Leong, each model had a bow, sitting prim and pretty on top of their head, perfectly matching their hair colour.  The huge bee hive style buns added to the whole Jackie O feel of the show, modernised with a Ga Ga edge with a bow!

I found out that the bows are €19.95 from Hairspray.ie and come in a range of colours to suit your hair.

Will you be trying these bows in your hair?

While we were obsessed with the frocks (check out our gallery and style report of dresses here) we were also busy gushing over the brightest beauty looks to hit the Oscars red carpet.

Hair-wise, our favourites included Rose Byrne and Rooney Mara’s fringe and nude lips on Emma Stone and Natalie Portman but we often wonder what makes a Hollywood star’s skin glow for their red carpet moment.

The answer? St Tropez appaz!  The tan brand had a beauty suite at the Oscars where they ensured gorgeous celebrity skin to compliment the amazing gowns and hair. So,   we got the lowdown from St Tropez for three looks of the night;  Penelope Cruz, Kim Kardashian and Kelly Osbourne.

Penelope Cruz

Matthew Van Leeuwen wanted to give her a bronzed glow with a modest shimmer to compliment her elegant, sophisticated Oscar look.

“I combined an equal amount of the St. Tropez One Night Only Instant Glow Body Lotion with the St. Tropez Rose Skin Illuminator and applied it all over her upper body.  Next, I dusted the St. Tropez Bronzing Rocks over her shoulders, back and décolletage to finish it off.”

Products used:  St. Tropez One Night Only Instant Glow Body Lotion, St. Tropez Rose Skin Illuminator and St. Tropez Bronzing Rocks.

Kim Kardashian

In true Kardashian style, Kim wanted a dramatic colour to compliment the glamorous and sexy red carpet look she was channeling.

“Kim has such a beautiful dark tone to her skin already I wanted to enhance it even further with St. Tropez dark tanning mist. So, Fiona Locke of St Tropez took it to the next level and showed off her beautiful bone structure with added contouring.

Products used:   St. Tropez Skin Finishing Treatment. Get this look at home using St. Tropez Dark Self Tan Bronzing Mousse and Applicator Mitt (€27.89).

Kelly Osbourne

Tanning expert Fiona Locke also created Kelly Osbourne’s “Pastel Tan” to compliment her Badgely Mischka vintage dress.

“Kelly is such a chameleon she can wear any look on her skin.  I gave her the Pastel Tan with an added boost of colour.  This allowed her to choose any colour gown and gave her the feeling of confidence “.

Products used: St. Tropez Skin Finishing Treatment. You can get Kelly Osborne’s look at home using St. Tropez Violet Skin Illuminator (€20.38 at pharmacies nationwide, Brown Thomas Cork & Limerick and at Aer Rianta airport shopping).