Beauty

... with PHYL CLARKE

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Want to be completely au courant for just €20? Chanel has another classic on their hands with Particulière Nail Colour. While dark neutrals are notoriously difficult to wear – most having a lifeless effect on nails which is most unflattering – the addition of a lavender undertone to this perfect mix of grey/brown warms and lifts this shade into “must-have” territory. Because it’s a neutral, the shade will compliment whatever colour clothes you may be wearing – particularly perfect, yes?

Brownie points

Here I am with my VBF Susan O’Brien, and don’t we look swell? We went along together for a lesson in using Bobbi Brown’s Make-Up Face Lift – a new quartet of products, from €21.50, that tweak your make-up routine, rather than change it. Understanding the needs of real women underscores the success of this brand; this collection came about after a friend confessed to Bobbi that she was contemplating cosmetic surgery. A firm believer in the magic of make-up, Bobbi set to work to prove that plastic surgery was not the only option, and the results inspired these products. You can have a trial lesson, too – at Bobbi Brown counters in Brown Thomas, House of Fraser and Dublin Airport. Photograph by Lili Forberg

Arch ally

Brows have a transforming effect on the face. Clinique Instant Lift for Brows, €17.50, is a nifty pencil that gives a virtual lift in two easy steps. First, fill in brows with the pencil using short, hair-like strokes. Step back and assess as you go along, building up fullness and intensity for a natural effect. Flip to the other end of the pencil and apply the pearlised highlighter under eyebrow arch and blend outwards. Voila – wow brows.

Haute hair

Here’s a new way to wear scent – combine it with your shampoo and conditioner. Frédéric Fekkai is the last word in luxury haircare and now he has gone one step further by including a fine fragrance into his hair range. Sensuelle is a divinely feminine scent that makes hair look and smell great. Crowning glory indeed. From SpaceNK at Harvey Nichols and Brown Thomas, €49.

New in town

Beauty launches are ten a penny, but when French skincare brand Nuxe arrived in Ireland, beauty specialists crammed into the room and there was a definite buzz. And it didn’t seem to be just another launch, either – founder Aliza Jabes made a rare public appearance, forgoing an award ceremony in Paris for one of her cult products, the gorgeous Crème Fraiche moisturiser. Jabes has spent the past 20 years developing naturally luxurious products, including one of my all-time favourite treats, Huile Prodigieuse dry oil, €30. She has an impeccable pedigree – her father was a pharmacist and her sister Terry de Gunzburg created YSL’s legendary Touche Éclat. But she is her own best advertisement, with a youthful glow and radiant skin. Arnotts and Clerys are among the stockists; tel: 01-2846477 for others.