Triona McCarthy: What the Real Housewives of West Cork (and their glam friends) keep in their beauty bags
I'd better start with a Cork brand. Doctrine Radiant C Serum (€54, doctrineskincare.com). Doctrine was founded by Tracey Ryan, Caoimhe Donoghue and Mark O'Sullivan, and it uses natural, biotech and safe synthetic ingredients. This radiance-boosting serum locks in moisture and illuminates your complexion, smoothing away fine lines, and leaving skin looking firm and radiant. Just the way we like it.
In my bubble
My daughter Mini LOVES Bubble Skincare and since we're sharing a bathroom here, I've been checking out HER products and I'm completely taken with the Bubble Cosmic Silk Hydrating Milky Toner (€20.80, boots.ie). I thought toners were a thing of the past but this wraps your skin in a velvety finish that calms, restores and strengthens it – without the dreaded greasy aftermath. Good to know when young skins are using Bubble's products, they're non-comedogenic, fragrance-free, dermatologist-tested and sensitive skin-approved.
Oh, Wow
With the recent heatwave and frequent dips into the sea, I needed help to stop my hair turning into a dry, frizzy puffball. That's where Color Wow Dreaming (€45, spacenk.com) comes in, as it's a repair and resurfacing treatment mask that repairs visible damage, temporarily seals split ends, smooths the cuticle and prevents frizz and puffiness, even in high humidity.
Glow baby
My West Cork women turned me on to Poco Beauty Universal Solar Glow (€55, pocobeauty.com), a multi-tasking SPF30 tinted skin enhancer for face and body that bronzes, blurs and nourishes. It has the same soft-focus, light-reflecting technology as the original Universal Glow, which everyone I know down here uses, but it has a tint. Hydrating and universally flattering, it's great for days when you want a quick hint of colour but protection as well.
Channelling Chanel
For a little bit of luxury combined with the power of an active ingredient and the lightness of a mist, check out the No1 de Chanel Serum-in-Mist (€110, chanel.com). My mum, Margaret, is a Chanel fan so I borrowed this from her bathroom. The daily triple-action skincare essential soothes skin, deeply hydrates it and delivers a feeling of freshness. Enriched with red camellia oil and camellia water, the serum helps to protect your skin from stress and revitalises its natural radiance.
Pssst – it's PS Pro
We all love Penneys for make-up bits, and now it has introduced a new fragrance range. The Primark Beauty's PS... Pro Fragrances (€7) are skin scents that deliver a soft fragrance that isn't overpowering. There are five travel-friendly scents; I like Soul Reflections Eau de Parfum, with blackcurrant, violet leaves and papyrus.
Trick
Cheeky fix
Everything in the garden is rosy this summer, but if you've been a bit heavy-handed with the blush and your cheeks are a little too pink, here's how to fix it without wrecking the foundation underneath. All you have to do is take a blender brush and add a tiny bit of foundation to it and then blend it over the cheek area. Hey presto, the Aunt Sally look will magically disappear.
Treat
Portofino paradise
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If getting away this summer isn't on the cards, there's still a way to bring the Italian Riviera into your life. Or at least into your bathroom! The Tom Ford Neroli Portofino Hand and Body Wash (€80, brownthomas.com) is the height of luxury, and aptly named after the coastal town where celebs and the mega-rich spend their summers. It leaves skin feeling soft and refreshed, and you'll smell gorgeous thanks to its notes of neroli, bergamot, winter yellow mandarin, orange flower and lavender.
Treatment
Go to Ground
Ground, the Cork-based wellness brand founded by Peigín Crowley in 2020, specialises in rituals focused on rest and renewal. I was fortunate to be among the first to enjoy the Tenalach treatment at the luxurious Castlemartyr Resort. This immersive massage experience (from €145) truly reconnects you with nature, enhanced by a signature oil created via a collaboration between Peigín and the spa manager. The treatment features a soothing blend of lemon verbena, sweet geranium, rose, fennel, pine and lavender. Available options include a 60-minute Back of the Body, Face and Scalp Ritual for €145, or a 90-minute Full-Body Ritual with a Foot Ritual and massages for €180. You can also enhance your experience with 30-minute add-ons like Body Polish and Scalp Therapy for €45 each. The Tenalach treatment truly offers a personal 'Earth song' for rejuvenation and well-being in the serene beauty of the estate. castlemartyrresort.ie
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Irish Examiner
an hour ago
- Irish Examiner
All Together Now review: Fontaines, Wet Leg, Cliffords... six talking points from Friday night
1. Fontaines the conquering heroes Fontaines DC's last show in Ireland was at Dublin's 3Arena before Christmas and it feels like the entire 30,000 attendees at the sixth edition of All Together Now have turned out at the main stage to welcome them back to Ireland on Friday night. In the interim they've played to 45,000 at Finsbury Park in London. They're a no-frills rock band; as usual frontman Grian Chatten keeps the talking to a bare minimum: "We're Fontaines DC," he needlessly declares halfway through their 90-minute show. "Free Palestine" and "Fuck the far right", he adds during the show, the latter by way of introducing I Love You. Chatten, clad all in black, conducts the crowd through the likes of Skinty Fia and Jackie Down the Line. A Hero's Death, with the hopeful refrain "Life ain't always empty", shows the simple but effective way in which Fontaines DC inspire devotion. It's not all amazing, though, as the middle section of the set needs Big to shake it free of a plodding couple of songs, In The Modern Worldthen inducing another mass singalong before they finish with a riotous Starburster. Earlier in the evening, Spanish rock band Hinds told the crowd that their first gig in Ireland, back in 2016, featured Fontaines on support duty. It's been a meteoric decade for them since - who knows where they go next. Wherever they want - they haven't put a foot wrong yet. 2. Busy crowd All Together Now has been sold out for months and it feels busier than usual on Friday afternoon. It's the first year that they've opened the site up to all ticketholders for the Thursday, the handful of acts who performed on the night enjoyed good-sized crowds. On Friday, every second person seems to be sporting the Fontaines DC-emblazoned Bohemian FC jersey. Surely the best band merchandise in recent years. Enjoying All Together Now on Friday were, front, Dylan Griffin, Yasmin Gardezi and Conor Fahy; back, Alan McCarthy and Zak Collins, from Cork and Kerry. Picture: Larry Cummins 3. Site tweaks Organisers have made a few tweaks to the site this year. As usual the main thoroughfare has the giant wooden deer statue looking over it towards beautiful Curraghmore House. The Bandstand, scene of lots of fun over the years - including a storming set by the Knocknaheeney's finest the Kabin Crew last year - has had a glowup, becoming the Bandstand Arena, with towering pillars of lights and speakers all around. It looks and sounds great. 4. Cliffords as the next big thing Another new addition, between the main stage and Something Kind of Wonderful, is the small new bands tent, called Flourish. It plays host to Cork five-piece Cliffords on Friday afternoon - another band to benefit from the busier than normal early turnout. Judging by the reaction, with almost all the songs shouted back at them, they seem primed to lead the next generation of bands in 'doing a Fontaines'. Cork band Cliffords at All Together Now. Iona Lynch already looks and sounds like the quintessential frontwoman, explaining how Cliffords hadn't even played a show outside of Ireland a year ago. She calls for a moshpit at one stage because "We haven't had one of those before; we're not Gurriers," she jokes of the Dublin post-punk noiseniks who play ATN on Saturday night. Lynch is happy to declare, halfway through the show, that it's already the best gig they've ever played. It feels like one everyone in the hot, heaving tent will remember for a long time past this weekend. 5. Wet Leg look the part Another band who have enjoyed a meteoric ascent are Wet Leg, who exploded in popularity with the winking song of the summer 2021, Chaise Longue. Since then, there have been Grammys and Brit Awards and stadium support slots with the likes of Foo Fighters. For their second album Moisturizer, released last month, frontwoman Rhian Teasdale has completely transformed her look. Maybe it's simply after finding the unexpected new love that informs the new record, but she has gone from a previously unassuming brunette from the Isle of Wight to writhing and crawling around on the ground, flexing her muscles and shaking her ass in silver hot pants. She looks like the quintessential rock star now. She started the band with Hester Chambers who still writes and performs with Wet Leg but has taken a step back from the limelight due to a heady dose of social anxiety. It's interesting to watch her play guitar in their set ahead of Fontaines DC. She goes long stretches without looking at the crowd but still seems to be enjoying herself. How could anyone not have fun at a Wet Leg show? 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Irish Examiner
5 hours ago
- Irish Examiner
Cork video game studio urges greater backing after global success of 'Ready or Not'
A Cork video game studio is celebrating 2m console sales of its first-person shooter game Ready or Not, but says more supports are needed for the industry to thrive in Ireland. Ready or Not was released internationally by Cork studio Void Interactive for PlayStation 5 and Xbox on July 15, having been released initially in 2023 on Windows for PC. Sales of the first-person shooter game, which sells for around €50, exceeded 2m in the two weeks following its release on console, taking its total global sales to 11m. First established more than seven years ago by Julio Rodriguez, Ryan David Post, and Stirling Rank, Void Interactive is based in the National Esports Centre on the South Mall in Cork City, employing 70 people in total, who work remotely. Void Interactive CFO Philip Nathan, COO Stirling Rank, and CEO Julio Rodriguez celebrate the success of their first-person shooter game 'Ready or Not' with David Cronin at the National Esports Centre in Cork. Picture: Gerard McCarthy Its flagship product, Ready or Not, is a tactical first-person shooter game set in the fictional dystopian US city of Los Sueños, depicting a modern-day world in which Swat police units are called to defuse hostile and confronting situations. Following the significant uptake in the game so far, the company is actively looking to expand its teams, offering remote positions for developers spanning across graphic design, animation and programming. 'We want to hire as many people as we can in Ireland,' said Philip Nathan, chief financial officer of Void Interactive. Speaking on the release of the game for console, Mr Nathan said: 'Surpassing the 2m milestone has been an incredible success for us. It can be so hard to estimate, as it is so reliant on the consumer market and how it reacts. 'Our lowest estimation for the release was 800,000, while our highest estimate was 2.75m, which we are on track to exceed very soon, with demand remaining strong.' 'Ready or Not' was released internationally by Cork-based Void Interactive for PlayStation 5 and Xbox on July 15, having been released initially on Windows for PC in 2023. Picture: Speaking to the Irish Examiner, Mr Nathan says the company's establishment in Cork was an easy decision, noting: 'The founders always knew this would be a global business and we needed a strong area to facilitate this. 'Our founders are from Mexico, Australia, and New Zealand and wanted an English-speaking city with strong European ties. "They also didn't want a capital city, which made Cork the perfect choice for the company." While its staff are fully remote, Void Interactive is based in the National Esports Centre, located in the Republic of Work on South Mall. Officially opened in March 2025 following €1m investment in gaming infrastructure, the National Esports Centre created 10 new jobs along with further positions in gaming, media, and technology expected as the centre continues to expand. The hub is used by professional eSports athletes, aspiring gamers, developers, gaming researchers, and students and is also home to WYLDE, Ireland's first professional Esports academy, which was founded in Cork in 2021. Gamer Karina Shastak, Steve Daly of the National Esports Centre and Philip Nathan of Void Interactive with Taoiseach Micheál Martin and Wylde Esports player Ciarán Walsh at the official opening of the Esports Centre in Cork in March. Picture: Gerard McCarthy Recent years have seen Cork City become an epicentre for Ireland's growing video game industry, but despite a strong ecosystem, Mr Nathan says more needs to be done for Ireland to realise the opportunities available within the sector. 'Ireland has a thriving film and TV industry, which offers everything from heavy supports to generous tax breaks. While this is great, the video game industry should get similar attention. 'The video game industry is valued significantly higher than TV and film, and is only growing larger. 'The current generation of retirees is the first to grow up with mainstream video games, which means a growing customer base with the industry now targeting every generation. 'There is so much potential for the Irish Government, universities, and Enterprise Ireland to get behind this and allow for Ireland to become a video game hotspot in Europe." The global videogame market is projected to grow by 3.4% to $189bn (€165bn) in 2025, compared with last year's growth of 3.2%, according to a report by video game research specialists Newzoo, with this projected growth reflecting concrete changes, hardware cycles, pricing trends, install base growth, and title pipelines. 'We've seen this happen in Cork before, where one company comes and a whole industry follows,' Mr Nathan said. 'In 2005, McAfee set up here, and it wasn't long before the city became a hub for cybersecurity companies. The Government was quick to take notice, and universities altered their offerings to cater for the heightened demand for computer science graduates. There is an opportunity here to do that again and replicate previous success. 'I've reached out to universities and government agencies, offering sponsorships and other things. I said, whatever they wanted, we would give it to them. I never got a response. 'I hope that changes in time, and people begin to see the opportunity that lies in front of them.' Looking forward, Mr Nathan says sales of Ready or Not are expected to total 5m by the end of 2025, with a further 2m to 3m sales anticipated over the next five months, and the company also looking to add extra levels to the popular game in the near future. 'We are constantly investing in ways to improve the game and user experience,' says Mr Nathan. 'And while we do that, we are also looking to diversify our offerings and develop new games, while always keeping Ready or Not our main focus and at the core of our business. 'There are a lot of exciting things in the pipeline, and we're looking at a very busy few years ahead.'
Irish Examiner
a day ago
- Irish Examiner
Hannah Looney won't rule out following Meath's Aoibhín Cleary to AFLW
Hannah Looney will be in Croke Park on Sunday. And no, the multiple All-Ireland winner and All-Star camogie player hasn't got her dates mixed up, she will be supporting her partner, Meath ladies football captain Aoibhín Cleary, in the All-Ireland final. Seven days later the Cork dual star will line out against Galway in the camogie decider. In between, Aoibhín is Australia bound to play AFLW with Richmond in Melbourne. Hannah has the travel bug too and says 'the door isn't closed' on her trying her hand at the Australian Football League. 'No immediate plans, but yeah, it's definitely something that's always been very tempting. 'You never know what will happen and I will definitely get over to her in the winter. Before that I will focus on the club with Aghada (defending their football title) and camogie with Killeagh. 'What I always reflect on is, when I was a kid the dream was to play for Cork and to win All-Irelands and to be living that is very hard to step away from. Who knows in the future, I wouldn't say the door is closed. 'It will be very interesting to see how Aoibhín gets on and I wish her all the best. She leaves on Thursday. 'The professional lifestyle of course is very tempting. We'll see.' Four years ago Hannah got a chance to work in the US. 'I'm a senior chemical engineer with MSD and they are a brilliant, brilliant company. I'm in a global role and do a bit of travel, mainly to Italy. 'I went to New York in September 2021 with MSD and I would have had an opportunity to stay there for the full year. I did love New York but camogie brought me back and I think it always will. 'I came back in June and I got the end of the championship. It is just so hard to step away from such a good thing and it was great to be playing in the All-Ireland final in 2022. Unfortunately we didn't get over the line, it took us another year to do that. 'I'm getting that bit older (28) and it doesn't last forever. You have to enjoy it while you can. 'I know for a fact when I'm finished playing camogie I won't be in Cork. I'll come back eventually. 'We'll figure out the rest of life at some point.' Right now, they are aiming for double honours. 'Aoibhín wouldn't let on a lot about what is happening in the camp but credit to Meath to be in the final. I do know they are such a tight-knit group, they work hard and are really fit and that has brought them back to where they are. They're reaching those peaks that would have won them All-Irelands back in 2021 and 2022. 'It is nearly worse watching because you can't do anything about it. Hopefully they do get over the line because Aoibhín and those girls, they're a special group and I do think another All-Ireland is in them. 'We do learn a lot from each other being in two high-performing camps. 'I think that is why it works in many ways because we get it.'
