Ken Boylan, Makeup artist and one half of Boylan & Balfe

Ken Boylan


Makeup artist and one half of Boylan & Balfe


"I go to New York to shop about one or two times a year, and I like to go to the big department stores – they're great to walk around and see what's going on; they get you in the mood to shop! Then it's in to the mecca of makeup and skin care, Sephora. A girl (or boy who's a makeup artist) could stay there for hours.


"Mooch about the Village as there are many beautiful hair and makeup boutiques – one that stands out for me is called Butterfly, and De Berardinis is another great hair and makeup salon. Ranges that I buy in America include Laura Geller, in particular the baked power range, but the eye shadows, bronzers and blushes are also great. Cargo is fab too; it's a great all rounder."


Liz Dwyer


Beauty editor, Image magazine


"I head to America about once a year, and I always buy Crest Whitestrips – they deliver blinding pearly whites after just a week of use. They are too high in chemicals to be legally sold in the EU, but they do the trick and I'm beyond toxic as it is! If I come across Shu Uemura eyelashes I pick them up too.


"Sephora rocks. It doesn't necessarily sell anything that's exclusive bar its own-brand offerings, but the way it's merchandised is quite magical, like a sweet shop for grown-up girlies. Plus I love that you can get amazing bulletproof manis and pedis for $10 in those trashy-looking cornershop nail bars – I always get the works done when I come across one. Bed Bath & Beyond is always worth a mooch too."


AnneMarie O'Connor


Journalist and blogger at iblogfashion.blogspot.com


"Years ago, it used to be the case that when my four sisters or I would head Stateside, there'd be a spare suitcase and shopping list in tow. Online shopping and bespoke beauty apothecaries, like Nue Blu Eriu and Space NK, have since broadened the choice here in the capital. That being said, when I'm in New York I always visit Sephora or, of all places, Duane Read pharmacies. It's not very glamorous but the choice and price points are phenomenal. Heritage brands like Noxema face cream are great staples along with a broader selection of high-street brands like L'Oreal that you just can't get in Europe. Having lived there, I miss the ubiquity of beauty in the US. Manicures, pedicures and daily salon visits are as common as going grocery shopping and don't cost the earth. It's a much more democratic approach. Even if you can't afford that Prada dress, you can still look polished!"


Aisling McDermott


beaut.ie


"While I love buying beauty bits in the States, I can't help feeling that we Irish suffer a bit from 'grass is greener' syndrome. Remember all those impassioned pleas to people on J1s to bring home Maybelline Great Lash Mascara? Then when we got it for ourselves, we decided it was rubbish. So I tend to stock up on stuff I know I like, like bath and body goodies from Bliss and Kiehl's and luxury makeup from NARS, as well as my trusty Crest Whitestrips and Cetaphil cleanser. Oh, and I always make a trip to Sephora, of course.


"The other thing America is amazing at is waxing and manicures, as well as terrific blow dries at cheap prices, which are just nothing like we get here – American women really view beauty treatments as an essential rather than a luxury and it shows in their salons."