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Photography Marlene Wessels
All year we’ve been hearing about Girl Math… and Girl Dinners… and both make perfect sense, but what about something that always leaves me bewildered, and something I’m guilty of myself… Girl Rationale?
Girl Rationale, in my mind, goes a little like this: “I’ll buy it for them, but I wouldn’t dream of spending that sort of money on myself. They can have the luxury one, or, I’ll go over budget for them, but I couldn’t justify a similar indulgence on me.”
This low-balling of oneself also comes around every Christmas when any of us are asked by loved ones what we’d like as a gift. We’d rather go without than furnish the asker with a precise list of glorious, possibly a bit extravagant, and most likely ephemeral items. The sort of things we really want, that have been living in our heads all year, but feel might be a bit extra. Our reluctance to show our hand and say “Yes, I want the overpriced Dior lipstick-in-a-clutch bag set, or something from La Mer’s even more luxurious Genaissance collection,” is baffling.
And so, I’m declaring this season to be the time to defy Girl Rationale. It’s time to either speak up and share that Christmas list, or become thoroughly modern and buy one, two or more of the items ourselves. Because truthfully, if looking for selection and value in the world of beauty, this is the time of year that offers both, best. And our complexions (and general mood) will reap the benefits.
While it’s so easy to get caught up in products, potions and lotions, perhaps take a breather to consider a treatment or two for the quiet weeks of early 2024. There’s always added value to be had from salon and skin clinic vouchers at this time, and if not, negotiate. Hot on my personal wishlist is EmFace, a 20-minute facial treatment that uses radio frequency and mild electric current to lift and plump facial contours, tightening the skin and boosting collagen production with the end result mimicking the effect of fillers without the “puff”. A course of four weekly sessions is usually recommended (priced €750 per session, discount for packages, at The South William Clinic), there’s zero down time and results start to show after about six weeks, lasting for approximately a year.
One final gift I bought for others last year, but will be choosing for myself in 2023, is a makeup lesson with one of the beauty style advisors in Brown Thomas Dublin. Both Aidan Corcoran and Elena Costello know their products (and what suits whom) inside-out, and after a private, one-hour session with them, clients leave with a new look, a face map, a product list and renewed mojo. The €100 fee is redeemable against the goodies one inevitably buys which is a great bonus, but nothing can compare with the new skills and swagger that comes from the session. But don’t tell too many people or they’ll be even more in-demand. It’s our little secret.
While throughout the year we may well suppress all urges to buy from the top shelf, maybe this Christmas is the year to indulge. Make it special, make it a ritual, and celebrate a very beautiful 2024 to come.
The Winter issue of IMAGE is here, and festive sparkles are on our mind, from our fashion shoot full of party-ready pieces to the home of jeweller Chupi Sweetman-Durney which is full of glinting gold. Plus, we learn how to make the most of festive leftovers, and are planning a winter break to remember. Plus: * Big knits * Cool corduroy * In studio with Pearl Reddington * Audrey Hepburn’s Irish connections * Confidence at work * A Kilimanjaro adventure * Beauty gifts to give yourself * Practical magic * A ski retreat with a difference * Weekend escapes * and so much more…
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