Beauty

I’m a big fan of oils – they are great for nails and hair as well as face and body. New Zealand brand Trilogy’s award-winning Rosehip Oil (€19.99) is light and absorbs easily, smoothing fine lines and nourishing even the driest of skins. It’s a purse- friendly skin treat and is available at Arnotts, pharmacies and health shops nationwide.

Scented candles are a special treat for the home and add the finishing touch to a room. There are some lovely examples from Irish companies that won’t break the bank and all the following can be bought online so you don’t even have to leave the house.

The Bog Standard range includes fragrances of Irish moss, orchards or clover (they cost £10.95, bogstandard.ie). The Galway-based Cloon Keen company has an unusual collection of scented candles including Blackcurrant Leaf and Lily of the Valley (€17.95, cloonkeen.com). Max Benjamin also has some lovely blends such as Olio, a mix of lemon, aniseed and cedarwood, and True Lavender, a relaxing scent perfect for the bedroom (€18, maxbenjamin.ie).

Peonies are both elegant and blowsy, with their nodding heads of delicate petals. They are also the inspiration for a new make-up collection from L’Occitane, including a fresh illuminating powder (€31.50), which corrects dullness, combats redness and brightens the complexion. L’Occitane’s Tinted Water (€13.95) adds an ultra natural flush to cheeks and lips. Cute as a button, each item comes in a “seed packet” illustrated with the peony. They are available at selected branches in Dublin, Cork and Limerick.

With exam time looming, stress levels can rise for parents and students. We do our best to stay calm, offering to go over the finer details of Shakespeare while providing the optimum study environment and toasted cheese sandwiches on demand. Bach Remedies offers some calm with its anti-stress range, which includes a treatment fragrance for rooms (€29.95) so you can set the right ambience for study, and a mini spray (€6.95) for on-the-go relief. Available from chemists – tel: 01-8455632 for your nearest stockist.

Sisley produces some of the best face masks on the market, including one called Express Flower Gel (€82.50), which is terrific when you need a quick boost of hydration before a night out. The soothing cream/gel formula contains both lily and iris to tone and firm skin. If time is tight you don’t even need to rinse it off – simply massage any residue into your skin after five to 10 minutes, and apply your make-up straight over it.

A facial spray can be refreshing on a muggy day – just think how well plants respond to a fine mist of water. Caudalie is a natural French skincare brand whose products have a sensual texture and subtle fragrance. Its Organic Grape Water is a soothing mist that moisturises with water extracted from merlot and muscat grapes – a lovely summer desk pal (€14.10). Available from Boots.