Brush strokes: beauty tips, tricks and product picks

Triona McCarthypictured for her page. Picture; GERRY MOONEY. 9/4/14

Triona McCarthy

Brush up on all your beauty tips, tricks and product picks with must-read advice from our beauty expert, Triona McCarthy. It's perfect for conquering your nearest beauty counter!

Triona's Trends

Remember my mantra? Your make-up is only as good as the brushes that you use?

The bespoke brush in my photo, above, is from Make Up For Ever's Artisan Brush collection. It's a complexion brush, so I can use it with any face powder, blush or bronzer.

There are a lot of brushes on the market, but I'm going to let you in on my top eight must-haves.

1. Foundation brush: I actually prefer to use my fingers to apply foundation, but, if you like to use a brush, try the Dior Backstage Make Up Full Coverage Fluid Foundation Brush, €46, available nationwide.

2. Powder brush: The YSL Couture Powder Brush, €57, available nationwide, is perfect to use with translucent powder to set any make-up look, and it's also ideal for the application of powder foundations, such as mineral make-up.

3. Concealer Brush: Some concealers come with an applicator, but I prefer to use a bareMinerals Maximum Coverage Brush, €16.

4. Blusher brush: The Mac 129sh brush, €29, is the best.

5. Eye-shadow brush: I use the Trish McEvoy 40 Medium Laydown Brush, €40, from Harvey Nichols.

6. Blending brush: The Mac 224 Tapered Blending Brush €22.50, is the classic brush for blending eye-shadow colours at the eye crease.

Blusher brush: The Mac 129sh brush, €29, is the best

7. Angled brush: I love my Blank Cosmetics E30 Double Ended Brow/Spoolie, far left, €5.76. I use it on my brows, and for perfect feline eye flicks as well.

Pro Deluxe

8. Lip brush: The Bobbi Brown Retractable Lip Brush, €26, is a must.

Lip brush: The Bobbi Brown Retractable Lip Brush, €26, is a must.

Make Up For Ever, 38 Clarendon St, D2, tel: (01) 679-9043

Triona's Trick

Oil pulling is the biggest health trend at the mo. This ancient Ayurvedic method of orally swishing coconut oil between the teeth and around the gums – first thing in the morning, on an empty stomach, for 20 minutes – apparently helps whiten your teeth, freshen breath, increase oral health and overall health.

Sweet memories

It was my son Maxim's first birthday recently. It was a bittersweet day for me. Bitter, because it was also my late sister Tricia's birthday – and sweet, because of all the wonderful memories.

Then Maxi looks up at me – as he sucks his thumb, just like Tricia did – wondering what's wrong with me. So I tell him some more stories about his wonderful Auntie Tricia, who loved owls, egg sandwiches and Fleetwood Mac. She also loved Dr Hauschka Lemon Lemongrass Body Oil, left, €19, available at health-food stores and pharmacies nationwide. I find that reminiscing about these things really helps...

Dr. Hauschka Skin Care; Dr. Hauschka Kosmetik

Take the weight off

"I see he has the McCarthy nose – you don't have to lean backwards to look up it!" Anna, my sister, made this observation recently while holding Maxim. Will, my boyfriend, quotes this continually now!

Anyhoo, I have a trick to help slim down my big honker.

I simply apply some limited-edition Giorgio Armani Maestro liquid summer bronzing fluid, right, €48. It's from the Maestro Mediterranea range, which is exclusive to Brown Thomas Dublin and Cork.

Giorgio Armani Maestro

It's a new member of the Armani Maestro family, so, if you're a fan of Armani's Maestro foundation, with its transparent look and feel, then you'll love this.

I've ditched my powder bronzer in favour of it – but beware, a little bit goes a long way! The Maestro Fusion Blush – also new – which comes in three shades, has the same incredibly fine texture for a delicious pop of colour on the cheeks.

Triona's most wanted

Now, you know how I'm not a big fan of fake tan. But sometimes, just sometimes, a spray tan makes me look and feel a lot better in my outfit – like when I went to my brother Gavin's wedding recently.

The trick to not looking like an Oompa Loompa is to get a light spray tan, such as the one that I occasionally get in Mimi's in Sandymount.

Here, they use Rockstar Tan, which really suits the pale complexion of most Irish girls, such as Laura Whitmore, right. A half-body tan is €25, while a full body is €35.

Rockstar Tan really suits the pale complexion of most Irish girls such as Laura Whitmore

I like to get Mimi-ed, as I call it, here as I also get a mani and pedi, which always makes me feel super-groomed for an occasion.

A 45-minute Citrus Spa Manicure is €35, while an hour-long Marine Spa Pedicure is €45, and includes a sea-salt scrub, and a hydrating foot and leg massage. Sometimes – depending on how glam the event that I'm going to is – I'll get a few eyelash extensions, a half set is €75, and maybe an eyebrow shape, €12.

So it's a great Party McCarthy kinda place, as you can get all your bits done if you're heading out to an event.

The next time you have a special occasion coming up, go and get yourself Mimi-ed and see what I'm talking about.

Mimi's Beauty Room, 6 Seafort Ave, Sandymount, D4, tel: (01) 207-1916 or see www. mimisbeautyroom.com