Beauty

Compiled by PHYL CLARKE

Appy Face

It seems there’s an App for everything nowadays and one of my favourites is Five in 5 – a nifty little set of five facial exercises that take five minutes to complete and claim to take five years off your face. The workout is very clearly demonstrated but be warned, you do need a sense of humour with some of the contortions, so you won’t be able to do them on the bus.

Bag a beauty bargain

If you’re feeling sluggish after the seasonal excess or want to give your diet a kick start, check out the Universal Contour Wrap, a natural treatment that promises inch loss through a detoxifying and sculpting process.

The body is wrapped in bandages soaked in a (warm) sea clay solution, and yes, you will look like a mummy. The clay is also a great tonic for your skin, which will be silky smooth. Having the treatment might also tighten your resolve to stick to that diet. The wrap is available at Dublin's Buff Day Spa and costs €95, but if you mention The Irish Times when booking, you'll also get a complimentary Dermalogica Facial worth €47. See thebuffdayspa.com, tel: 01-6774624.

If you are feeling stuck in a make-up rut, not sure what suits you, or feel bamboozled by the array of skincare available, a three-hour session with make-up artist Zoe Clark (below) will sharpen your skills and may save you money. As Clark is not affiliated to any brand, she can sift through the maze and recommend tried and tested favourites. You’ll leave with insider secrets and a tailored product list to suit you and your budget. The classes are discounted to €150 (a saving of €50) for bookings made before the end of January.

See zoeclark.com.

RETAIL DEALS:Give your skin a moisture boost with the Body Shop Body Butters, down to €10 from €17.95. The excellent Lancôme Renergie Yeux eye cream is €35 (a saving of €20) at Arnotts, and from Tuesday, Boots is having a fragrance blitz with up to 50% off.

I can't live without . . .

ANOUSKA PROETTA BRANDONmodel and blogger

There are five main things that I find are essential in my beauty regime:

My GHDI never use it to straighten my hair but I love to curl my hair everyday, by twisting my hair around it. If I am having a good hair day I don't need to wear as much make-up to make me feel good. I love big bouncy hair, it feels very feminine.

Eyebrows brushFilling in your eyebrows is something that is very under-utilised in women's beauty regimes. Shaping and filling in your brows will frame your entire face. I don't use an eyebrow pencil, I just use a Mac 208 angled eyebrow brush with a matte eyeshadow that matches my hair colour.

PerfumeSmelling delicious is always a positive. My favourite perfume is Flower Bomb by Viktor Rolf, however it is very expensive. I usually only buy it duty-free when I am travelling.

JewelleryI collect interesting and unusual rings, especially big blingy ones. The great thing about statement jewellery is that I can be wearing a totally plain outfit, and once I throw a ring or two on, it can transform the whole look into something a little bit edgier.

Guinness is good for you

Always on the cutting edge, Mac is famous for its collaborations with the bold and the beautiful of the artistic world. No surprise then to hear that their latest face-off is with the wonderfully eccentric Daphne Guinness, who describes her collection as “a window into my imagination”. The palette is surprisingly muted coming from such a dramatic source, featuring dusty pinks and lavender shades underpinned by soft greys. The range includes eye, cheek and lip shades and you can finish off a with co-ordinating nail colour. It’s available in a limited edition at Mac counters.