Desire Lines: A capsule collection, body makeup, and a Spice Girl gúna
The blazer
Founded by former corporate lawyer Sonica Beckmann, House of Kind is a mission-led fashion brand championing kindness as a force for change.
Launched in London on World Kindness Day 2024, and supporting organisations that empower marginalised women, the debut collection features a capsule collection of hard-working, versatile blazers designed for women at all stages of their careers. Distinctive details include Scales of Justice buttons — a nod to the founder's background — a discreet purple love heart on the sleeve, signifying a supportive presence, and breathable lining printed with the brand mantra: Kindness is our Superpower. Blazers from £239 (approx €283) .
houseofkind.london
The home fragrances
Synonymous with glamour, the late Princess Grace of Monaco, had close ties to The Shelbourne Hotel.
So it's fitting that the iconic Irish hotel was chosen for an exclusive partnership with Grace de Monaco, the modern luxury maison inspired by the Hollywood icon.
A first-of-its-kind luxury-for-good brand offering products in fragrance, home, beauty and accessories, Grace de Monaco is wholly owned by the Princess Grace Foundation-USA, with all revenue directly supporting the Princess Grace Awards programme, which elevates aspiring young dancers, actors and filmmakers. Princess Grace also made artwork, including pressed flower creations using native blooms of her Mediterranean home.
Those flowers have inspired the prints and fragrances of the new collection. Capture the essence of the French Riviera with the initial selection of Grace de Monaco at The Shelbourne, through glamorous home fragrances including candles (€260) and diffusers (€330).
Our favourite is the citrus-bright Danse Étoilée candle. Visit The Shelbourne to explore the collection and look out for the exquisite fragrances launching exclusively in Brown Thomas too.
gracedemonaco.com
The festival
Soprano Eva Kavanagh. Picture: Mark Reddy
The Blackwater Valley Opera Festival (BVOF) returns this week, presenting two operas for the first time — A Midsummer Night's Dream and Dido and Aeneas.
Celebrating its 15th anniversary year, Ireland's summer opera festival also has accessible ticket pricing, making it easier than ever before for audiences to experience the magic of live opera in some of Ireland's most breathtaking settings.
As part of the festival, soprano Eva Kavanagh, pictured, has been announced as the first-ever recipient of the Bríd Phelan Emerging Talent Award with a €6,000
bursary, supported by Kildare Village. From May 27 - June 2.
blackwatervalleyopera.ie
The exhibition
The Newbridge Museum of Style Icons unveiled a new celebrity collection this week. Victoria Beckham takes centre stage with an additional four dresses on display from the designer and singer. The most iconic? The leather mini dress she wore at the height of her Spice Girls fame. The museum also launched a new ad this week, created and shot by Dancing With The Stars judge, Arthur Gourounlian.
visitnewbridgesilverware.com
The rosé
There are now even more reasons to drink Whispering Angel, the cult French rosé from Provence. The 2024 vintage is being hailed as a stand-out, serving up
finessed citrus notes with a fruit-forward profile and smooth and dry finish.
And Château d'Esclans has reduced the weight of the 2024 bottle in a step towards reducing carbon dioxide emissions by 50% before 2030. The lighter bottle is also helping reduce transport emissions, energy use, and waste. Feel-good vibes, all round. €26.65, from independent off-licences and Avoca, Brown Thomas, O'Briens and Molloys nationwide.
esclans.com
The body make-up
Tanning has come a long way, and this latest launch from Bellamianta proves it.
Designed to deliver instant, flawless coverage while nourishing and conditioning the skin, their new cream-to-gel body makeup is water and sweat resistant. Available in five shades, from fair (and it really is fair) to ultra deep, the buildable formula means you can add a touch for a glow, or build it up to conceal. €23.99.
bellamianta.com
The bank holiday event
Bloom returns this June bank holiday weekend. Gardening for Wild+ Well Sessions with Leonie Cornelius, in association with Zarbee's, will take place daily at 1.45pm at the Garden Stage.
In celebration of nature, garden and all things wild and wonderful, a total of 40 talks and panel discussions will see a range of experts take to the Garden Stage over the five days of the festival. Diarmuid Gavin and Adam Frost of BBC Gardeners' World are among the gardening experts announced who will be speaking.
bordbiabloom.ie
Compiled by Vickie Maye, Nicole Glennon and Jillian Bolger, weekend@examiner.ie
Read More
The sustainable closet: I tried an app to help me wear everything in my wardrobe
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Irish Sun
2 hours ago
- The Irish Sun
‘This must be a first?' – Ireland fans puzzled by RTE's scaled back coverage for Luxembourg friendly
LUXEMBOURG vs Ireland was an instantly forgettable match with about the only standout aspect to it being RTE's scaled back coverage. There was no studio coverage before, during or after 2 In the second half Troy Parrott scored with a delicate chip but it was ruled out for offside 2 Some viewers also reported the sound was out of sync with the picture on their TVs Curran and Whelan were on commentary and also filled the half-time break by narrating 'highlights' of what chances were created by both sides. O'Donoghue was at least present in the stadium as he conducted interviews with Heimir Hallgrimsson, Player of the Match But the main talking point generated throughout the entire evening was that there were no pundits in studio talking things over. Among the tweets posted on X about the significant break from the norm, Indo Sport podcast host Joe Molloy posted: "No RTE studio panel for the match?" Read More On Irish Football The replies to his post were broadly critical of the national broadcaster. Barry fumed: "Shameful drop in standards!! Niall Bergin posited: "Surely cost-cutting from RTE but Most read in Football Finally, someone else pondered: "This must be a first?" However, others didn't think it was that egregious of a decision given last night was about as close to a meaningless international game as you're ever going to see. Inside Arsenal's Ibiza holiday as Katie McCabe and teammates pop champagne to celebrate Champions League win Mick Finn argued: "A meaningless, nothing game…lucky to have it shown." Lastly, one fan used what a dreadfully poor spectacle it was to crack an amusing gag. He quipped: "Is it possible they had one and they just all fell asleep? Understandable enough." HEIMIR HUFF Head coach Hallgrimsson The birthday boy admitted: 'Let's be honest, we're not happy with this performance. 'It's good to keep a clean sheet but we all felt that in the first half we were sloppy, the game was boring in the first half. "All the good things we did against Senegal were missing, all the quick movement, the press, the ball speed - so sloppy. 'We were so different from all the things we want to represent. We lost duels, we lost ball, our rotations were slow, our pressing was more individual than collective. 'It was not tactical, I think it was just focus. We were not doing the things we did four days ago. 'We changed in the second half, we had more tempo, and won more duels. 'But it was not good enough. We always like answers to questions and this one is a negative one, so we at least know that. His side will begin their World Cup qualification campaign with a similar double-header in September, hosting Hungary before travelling to Armenia.
The Irish Sun
2 hours ago
- The Irish Sun
First look of RTE icon's son as gangster Gerry Hutch in his one-man stage show after seal of approval from ‘The Monk'
ACTOR Rex Ryan is sporting a scruffy beard as he plays Gerry 'The Monk' Hutch. 3 Rex Ryan is playing Gerry 'The Monk' Hutch in a new stage show 3 Rex had extensive meetings with Gerry 'The Monk' Hutch over the production Credit: Sam Boal/PA Wire Rex has revealed he had extensive meetings with the underworld figure about the production, even visiting his Glass Mask However, his Glass Mask Theatre are now billing the play as 'a work of historical fiction by Rex Ryan'. A show insider told It was an early start last night with punters asked to arrive at 6pm at the Glass Mask Theatre with the curtain going up at 7pm. READ MORE ON SHOWBIZ Actor and director Rex revealed earlier this month how he corrected his script after meetings with Hutch. Rex said: 'I had written that his father was a mechanic. "He said he was a docker. I got some names wrong and he corrected them.' Thursday is the official opening night for The Monk with the Ryan family expected to attend. Most read in the Irish Sun Meanwhile, an They said: "Gerry was consulted on the show. He had a look at an early draft and trusts Rex to get it right." 'LAW UNTO HIMSELF' A previous description of the show read: "Rex Ryan writes and stars in a one man show about the life and times of 'The Monk', Gerry Hutch. "Gerard Hutch is a law unto himself. An ambiguous, mercurial and now, mythic figure of Irish modern history. "'I done lotsa crimes. Some of them I got caught. Some I got away with.'" It added: "Centred around the trial at the special criminal court, join us in Glass Mask as we witness Gerry bear witness to a lifetime of alleged crimes, triumphs and misdemeanours." 3 The play is directed by Rex Ryan
Irish Daily Mirror
4 hours ago
- Irish Daily Mirror
From Anna Nolan to Vogue Williams and Jennifer Zamparelli - here are Ireland's best-known reality TV stars
It all started with a skateboarding, lesbian-ex nun from Dublin's Rialto. That was 25 years ago and now, Anna Nolan will always be known as the first Irish reality TV star. Plenty have followed in her footsteps since - most notably, our most famous and successful reality show contestant, Maura Higgins. While Maura didn't win Love Island, she immediately owned the show by proclaiming she had the 'fanny flutters' for date Tommy Fury. Her Irish accent was a hit with audiences, who found her distinctly midlands phrases and twang appealing. Maura, from Ballymahon, Co Longford, has had stellar success, and is estimated to be worth nearly €4million. Her commercial partnerships, modelling work and TV presenter work has been extremely lucrative. The 34-year-old is now hoping to break America after being cast in the celebrity version of The Traitors USA. Now, Irish eyes are on two homegrown contestants being tipped for the top in the latest series of Love Island. Megan Forte Clarke, 24, originally from Dublin, says she is flattered fans of the show are comparing her to Maura; while Limerick rugby player Conor Phillips says he is looking for someone who is 'up for the craic.' As they get ready to find love in the villa, we take a look back at Ireland's reality TV hall of fame. From Vogue Williams to Jennifer Zamparelli, we see how they got their start in front of the cameras, and what they're doing now. Next month, it will be 25 years since Anna Nolan entered the Big Brother house. It was the first ever UK Big Brother and so, nobody knew what to expect of this social experiment. Housemates like Anna, who was 29 at the time, didn't even know if anyone was watching - but it was a huge success and a landmark moment for the genre. Irish viewers had a reason to tune in - we had the charming, down-to-earth Anna Nolan to root for. Describing herself as a 'lesbian ex-nun' Anna came close to victory, finishing second to winner Craig Phillips. She said afterwards that while the effects of being on reality TV can be tough, ultimately the show changed her life for the better and she would always be grateful She recalled the first series of Big Brother, saying she left her boring job as an office manager to risk a run at the new show: 'I didn't know yet that the production of this massive show brought narratives, drama, love stories and war into what had seemed an uneventful 10 weeks. Big Brother had created personalities out of all of us, and we were the last to know. The Z-list celebrity had been born.' Anna went on to present a number of TV shows both for the BBC and RTE. She has since stepped away from the limelight but she now works behind the camera, in TV production. Brian Dowling Our first reality show winner was a fresh-faced Brian Dowling, who won the second series of Big Brother, in 2001. Arriving in the house as a 23-year-old airline steward from Co Kildare, his lively personality and quick wit made him a massive hit with viewers. He was also the show's first gay contestant and was once voted the UK's favourite BB contestant ever. Four and a quarter million people voted for Brian in the public vote, and he took the £70,000 prize home to Rathangan, to a fan frenzy on the streets. He went on to present English kids' show SMTV, before hosting his own programme, Brian's Boyfriends. In 2010, he won Ultimate Big Brother, an all-star version of the show and he remains the only UK housemate to ever win it twice, going on to present the show. Brian married his real boyfriend Arthur Gourounlian in 2015 in Powerscourt Estate in Wicklow and the two relocated from Britain, back to Ireland. Arthur is now a judge on Dancing with the Stars and the couple live in Straffan have two daughters. He presents The Six O'Clock Show and The Salvage Squad on Virgin Media. He said: 'To go from 2001, working for Ryanair, to winning and winning ultimate to then hosting, I only really have the best memories of my time on Big Brother.' Maura Higgins is known as the most famous Irish reality TV show, but Vogue is likely the wealthiest. The TV presenter, podcast host, influencer and model has a multi-million media firm and is also now married to mega-rich Spencer Matthews, who is reportedly worth €14milion. But it all started for Vogue on a small Irish reality TV show called Fade Street, back in 2010. Based on the MTV show The Hills, it followed four young Irish women in Dublin. Looking back on it, Vogue said: 'It was my first TV job and it was absolutely gas, and it is still gas to watch back. "It meant she was in the same circles as Westlife's Brian McFadden, who she married in 2012. The model took part in ITV's celebrity dance show Stepping Out alongside McFadden in 2013. While the pair split soon after, she had her break in UK television. But it was Vogue's podcast with comedian Joanne McNally that has been her big success. My Therapist Ghosted Me is the main source of her company's profits. Vogue married aristo-entrepreneur Spencer Williams in 2018 and the couple have three children. Jen Z is one of the biggest names on Irish television. But the cheeky host started off as 27-year-old marketing consultant Jennifer Maguire on British TV series The Apprentice. Jennifer, from Dublin's Baldoyle, was a continent in the fourth series of The Apprentice in 2008. With her forthright manner and clever quips, she stood out from the crowd, describing herself as 'the best saleswoman in Europe.' She didn't win it - but it started off her TV career. She returned to Ireland and presented the hugely popular satirical sketch show Republic of Telly on RTE, which is now regarded as a classic. She famously asked Michael O'Leary: 'What's it like being the biggest prick in Ireland?" The 45-year-old became a household name when she started co-hosting Dancing With the Stars with Nicky Byrne; and presented Jennifer Zamparelli on RTE 2FM. Jen, who has two children with her husband Lau, left her radio show last year to have more time with son and daughter, Enzo and Florence. However, she does not think back fondly on her reality TV beginnings. 'Even to think about it makes me want to get sick. I thought this is going to be amazing, a great platform for whatever I want to do. But nothing prepares you for the s** that comes after it.' Hughie Maughan Long after Anna Nolan and Brian Dowling, Hughie Maughan became a Big Brother star in 2016. The traveller from Dublin's Ballymun was just 21 when he became a runner up on BB17. He thanks the show for helping him have the courage to be his authentic self, and saving his life. He said afterwards: 'Without Big Brother, I don't think I would have openly came out as gay. Big Brother allowed me to do that in such a spectacular fashion. 'My family had a chance to watch me being the real me on TV. They could see me being happy as the real person I am. I was living a lie that I couldn't cope with as I got older. "I couldn't deal with it. I wouldn't still be around now. You only have to look at the suicide rates for Travellers to know that could have happened.' Hughie went on to do RTE's First Dates, To Hell and Back and Dancing With the Stars, where the fake tan lover is best known for his mortifying fake tan disaster. He has competed on numerous series of MTV's The Challenge and currently works as a fitness instructor.
