Simone Gannon: My four top new beauty products for the season

Chanel Sublimage La Lotion

When it comes to luxurious skincare offerings, Chanel Sublimage La Lotion (€180 from Brown Thomas) might just reign supreme. Enriched with antioxidants from a complex of vanilla planifolia, sourced from one of the 117 varieties grown and harvested by the brand in their Open Sky Laboratory in Madagascar, this luxuriously lightweight, milky lotion offers much more than hydration. It plumps, softens and soothes while balancing pH levels and priming the skin to better absorb subsequent skincare products. Apply a few drops to fingertips after cleansing and gently pat into the skin, before following with serum(s) and moisturiser. It absorbs quickly, leaving the skin comfortably hydrated and visibly radiant.

[ Simone Gannon: This is my long-standing favourite tinted moisturiser and I’m never without it ]

Color Wow Money Mist Leave-In Conditioner

If you’re on a hair repair journey or battling day-to-day frizz, this excellent new leave-in conditioner from Color Wow deserves your attention. The second addition to the Money range – the first was Color Wow Money Masque (€43 from millies.ie), a collaboration with hairstylist to the stars Chris Appleton, Money Mist (€32.95) is the decidedly low maintenance option out of the two. Spritz on damp, freshly washed hair, brush through and style as usual. The impact is immediate: smoother, shinier, healthier-looking hair that, dare I say it, looks expensive. It’s worth mentioning that the mist is exceptionally fine, so those with finer hair need not be afraid, as no weighing down of the hair occurs (the pump-style bottle makes for a rapid application, too).

Fenty Beauty Soft’Lit Naturally Luminous Longwear Foundation

When I think of Fenty Beauty foundation, I think of Pro Filt’r Hydrating Longwear Foundation. Launched in 2019, it adorned my complexion intermittently until it was quietly phased out at the end of last year. With a glorious, ultra-luminous, exceptionally hydrating base, I knew there was a strong possibility I would love its new (and improved, according to the brand) replacement, and I’m pleased to say it hasn’t disappointed. Soft’Lit Naturally Luminous Longwear Foundation (€49 from fentybeauty.com) is a lightweight, smooth, buttery base that feels like a hydrating tint but delivers the finish of a foundation. Coverage is light but buildable, and the end result is glowy without being greasy. It evens and brightens while still letting your natural skin shine through.

[ Simone Gannon: new fragrances to uplift, inspire and look pretty on the bathroom shelf ]

Cloon Keen Lá Bealtaine

Spring gracefully transitions into summer in the confines of an architecturally beautiful bottle with Cloon Keen’s latest creation, Lá Bealtaine (€135 for 75ml from cloonkeen.com). Named by the brand to honour “the day when spring moves into summer and the earth tilts its face towards the sun”, this is the kind of scent that elicits an “ooh” at first spritz – it’s dreamy, ethereal and reminiscent of a stroll through a sun-kissed garden. Bright, citrusy top notes of bergamot, mandarin and neroli mingle with a heart of jasmine absolute and Turkish rose, but it’s the base that anchors Lá Bealtaine in memory: a warm, evocative blend of cedarwood, patchouli, amber and musks. Wear it and anticipate inquiries from intrigued passersby.

Dupe economy: Are beauty ‘dupes’ from Aldi, Shein or Temu really a great deal?

---

Flying is becoming more volatile. Here is what pilots have to say on the issue

---

Derry’s Kenya-born mayor: ‘I would struggle finding any immigrant who would say a united Ireland wouldn’t benefit them’

---

Anatomy of a fake story: How anti-immigration candidates spread false information to boost their profile

---

This week I’m booking ... Laser Lift Facial

Laser Lift Facial (€250) is an exclusive new treatment available at the Dublin clinic Ora. Combining a corrective peel with light laser therapy, this 60-minute treatment works to stimulate collagen, refine pores, and brighten the skin – all in one session. Minimal to no downtime is expected, and the results are said to be instant. A pre-treatment consultation is recommended for optimal results.