Seven products our beauty writer returns to again and again

When it comes to beauty and skincare routines, most of us will have a favourite product that we go back to time and time again. It might be the foundation that finally suits your skin, or an easy to apply liquid eyeliner for the perfect feline flick (do they exist?) or maybe it’s the lipstick shade that becomes the go-to for every occasion.

For Irish Times beauty writer Simone Gannon, there are a couple of “older and recent classics” that will always be found in her make-up and skincare collection. In the latest episode of the Irish Times Women’s Podcast, she shares the “hero” products, she just can’t live without.

1: L’Oreal Paris Lash Paradise Mascara

“I’ve been using one mascara for nearly eight years now. It is truly one of the best mascaras I’ve ever used and it’s very affordable. Depending on where you buy, it’s anywhere between 13 and 17 euro. It’s an incredible formula and I’ve tried a lot of mascaras… and it’s one I repurchase all the time.”

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2: Chanel Les Beiges Healthy Glow Bronzing Cream

“It’s been around for a long time and has gone through many name changes. It is just a classic product, works for everyone, beautiful to use… you use it and feel quite fancy, it looks beautiful on the skin. My mum uses it as well, it’s gone through many changes, but it’s always been there.”

3: Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream Skin Protectant

“It’s just brilliant, you can do a million things with it. I have the lip balm, the balm in the pot, the hand cream, I now have the body cream. It’s a brilliant product for chapped lips, dry patches, elbows, knees, anywhere. It’s a multi-use reliable product.”

4: Orgasm Blush by Nars

“I had it for years and years and loved it. There’s various different formulas available for it now, you can also buy it in a cream stick formula instead of powder.”

5: MAC Ruby Woo Retro Matte Lipstick

“One of my all time favourites. Everybody loves it and everytime I wear it people say, ‘oh my god what is that lipstick what are you wearing’ - it’s nothing new, it’s Ruby Woo.”

6: Real Flawless Weightless Perfecting Concealer by Laura Mercier

“This is a new concealer, it came out in January. It’s quite an interesting formula, because it is a serum-concealer hybrid… which is ideal because as we age we’re dealing with more dryness, more crepiness around the eyes, hollowness and so on. This concealer is just exquisite, it’s buttery, it’s creamy, it’s light, it’s very radiant. It nearly blends itself, it glides on under the eyes and it stays in place.”

7: Clarins Beauty Flash Balm

“Another brilliant product. Still around and still as good as ever.”

This is an edited version of a podcast conversation between Simone Gannon and Róisín Ingle. For more listen to the latest episode of The Women’s Podcast in the player above or wherever you get your podcasts.