Bare Escentuals brushes

Brush up on basics


a latest 'it' shade of nail polish, a mascara that really opens up our eyes – these are the beauty products that make our hearts sing. But to get back to basics, good quality brushes are an essential part of any make-up kit. This is a set of five brushes from Bare Escentuals (€48.75), which comes in a round leather brush holder, allowing you to apply foundation, blush, eyecolour and liner professionally and with ease. Available from BT2.


Crystal clear


dior and swarovski crystals have a long history dating back to the mid 1950s when Christian Dior asked Swarovski to create a crystal for Dior costume jewellery reminiscent of the Hall of Mirror in Versailles. This Christmas, Dior is joining forces with the luxury brand once again, with a shimmering collection which is high on festive sheen. Star product is the Crystal Borealis (€79), an oval locket inlaid with 52 stones. Available at Brown Thomas.


Eight is great


Elizabeth Arden's Eight Hour Cream is one of those cult products that deserves every accolade it gets. Created by Arden in 1930, its skin smoothing and healing properties made it an instant success. The name comes from one of the cream's loyal clients who used it on her child's skinned knee – eight hours later, the knee was better. Thankfully, the original formula hasn't been meddled with but they have given the packaging a neon-tastic update and made it more portable too. €20 available from asos.com