Catrice Prime & Fine Professional Contouring Palette (€4.95, pharmacies nationwide)
This comes in a great size for the handbag and while it works to create contours and highlights, I have also been using it as an eyeshadow palette and to fill in and highlight my brows.
Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream (€35, Boots)
A cream that soothes and hydrates wherever you put it. Cuticles, chapped lips, dry hands – all will benefit from this wonder cream. I also like to put it is on my brows, to hold them in place, and I sometimes tap it onto my cheekbones as a highlighter.
Mac Mineralise Skinfinish Soft and Gentle (€31.50, Mac at Brown Thomas)
Can be used as a blush or a highlighter or works beautifully as a blending shade for different eyeshadows. It leaves a dewy finish wherever it’s applied and my little pot has lasted forever.
Nars The Multiple (€41, Brown Thomas)
The clue is in the name. This clever little stick, enriched with Argan oil and vitamin E, can be used as a lipstick, blush, or even as eyeshadow. The sheer, natural finish is flattering to all skin tones, and blends easily.
Voya's Nourishing Sugar Scrub (€39.50 voya.ie)
This can be used on the body and face (as long as you aren’t too heavy-handed or sensitive). The milky formula not only removes dead skin cells but also nourishes those beneath with with a blend of seaweed and sunflower seed oil.
Yves Saint Laurent's Full Metal Eyeshadow (€29 Brown Thomas)
Can be used all over the lid, in the corner of the eye, under or over other eyeshawdow or on the cheekobone as a highlight. It comes in a range of colours, and leaves the most sparkling, glittery, radiant finish.
Christian Louboutin Oeil Velours (€40, Brown Thomas)
Christian Louboutin have just released an exquisite eye collection and the eyeliner Oeil Velours in particular is one to invest in. It comes in black, brown, burgandy, a beautiful teal and a rather unusual yellow. The super soft, highly pigmented sticks provide a bold colour usually reserved for ultra-dense khol liners and can be used all over the lid, and smudged easily along the lash line.
Dominique loves . . .
I am a sucker for French Pharmacy brands and Caudalie is one of my favourites. Their Divine Oil (€29.50, Arnotts) can be used as a non-greasy leave-in conditioner, as a luxurious post-shower moisturiser, or as a nourishing face oil. It smells, well, divine, and Claudalie plant one tree for every bottle sold.
