Parfumarija

Perfect Scents: 1. DJ Gile Murphy and Avila Lipsett; 2. Maria Fusco; 3. Marija Aslimoska and Anne Marie O'Connor. (Pix. Conor McCabe)

Parfumarija (pronounced ‘perfume-maria’) Ireland’s first niche perfume boutique dedicated to exclusive perfume and colognes opened in the Westbury Mall last week. The brainchild of perfumer Marija Aslimoska, and her husband Brendan Coyle, Parfumarija has been created to be the home of rare scents in Dublin; stocking different and special fragrances for men and women, made by some of the world’s top perfumers.

There is also nu_be, a collection of five creative but simple fragrances for men and women, oozing crisp Italian coolness; and The Different Company, a leading name in haute parfumerie, founded by Jean-Claude Ellena, in house perfumer of Hermes, with celebrated perfume bottle designer, Thierry De Baschmakoff.

Other Parfumarija collections selected for their adventurous spirit and unconventional approach include  Ys-Uzac, a Swiss niche perfume brand by perfumer Vincent Micotti; and Agonist, a Swedish range with six unisex perfumes, each characterised by a finely balanced combination of natural fragrances.

Perfumer Marija Aslimoska was classically trained in Grasse, the historic home of perfume in the South of France, and has been described as an exciting fresh talent in the creation and selection of scents.  Marija’s ambition is to change the way Irish people perceive fragrance, taking individuals on a journey of discovery into niche perfume, she says.

 www.parfumarija.com

DreamTone

DreamTeam: 1. Clodagh Edwards and Caroline Breslin; 2. Sarah Halliwell and Victoria Campbell; 3. Audrey McGrath and Diane Connor. (Pix. Brian McEvoy)

Leading the search for perfect skin is Lancome, with yet another new product that is set to raise the bar.  DreamTone, a skin pigmentation corrector tailored to specific skin concerns, is the latest addition to the premium skincare range. 

Billed as a grand reveal of a product that could offer the skin tone of your dreams, even without make-up, the DreamTone launch didn’t disappoint with those in attendance including Sonya Lennon, Elaine Crowley and Diana Bunici, who just returned from a charity trip to Moldova working in an orphanage.

Welcomed by Victoria Campbell, General Manager Lancôme UK and Ireland, guest scientific speaker Julie Mc Manus, Head of L’Oreal UK and Ireland Scientific and Regulatory Affairs, was joined by independent science broadcaster and Vivienne Parry OBE.

McManus outlined the incredible studies carried out across 19 countries, involving over 10,000 women identifying no less than 64 different skin shades, for Lancôme’s bespoke skincare, which has been tailored to one of three different pigmentation profiles helping you achieve your dream skin!

   

Sending their best wishes for the evening, and have been gifted DreamTone as part of an Irish VIP panel to trial the product, were Kathryn Thomas, currently in LA; Caroline Morahan, who’ll soon be back in Ireland for film a feature film; Maura Derrane who was performing official duties as Roscommon Best Dressed Lady judge; and Love Hate’s Susan Loughnane. 

L’Oréal Colour Trophy

Good hair day: 1. Orla Tobin and Deric Hartigan; 2. Jules and Trish Fallon.

The Convention Centre Dublin played host to the “highlight” of every hairdresser's calendar last night when top salons from across the country battled it out to win the much coveted L’Oréal Colour Trophy Award.

It was the ultimate head-to-head but there could be just one overall winner on the evening, fighting off stiff competition, Peter Mark Training Centre, North Earl Street Street, Dublin reigned supreme as this year’s L’Oréal Colour Trophy winner. 

The L’Oréal Colour Trophy is the world’s longest running and largest, most directional live competition in hairdressing presenting hairdressing salons across Ireland with the platform to showcase their unique talent, by fusing fashion trends and technical excellence to create outstanding results.

There were also 2 other awards up for grabs on the night, which included; the Men’s Image Award won by Dylan Bradshaw and the Young Colourist Award, which was won by Danielle Whelan from Style Club. 

 

No Stress

Stress Free: 1. Sybil Mulcahy; 2. Audrey McGrath and Dyane Connor; 3. Vicki Notaro. (Pix. BME)

A fashionable group visited the Kiehl’s store at 35 Wicklow Street, Dublin 2 as the hip brand (which was founded as an old-world apothecary in New York's East Village) unveiled its breakthrough solution to help correct the visible signs of stress on skin.

Those gathered to hear about the reality of stress and the effect it has on your skin included many familiar faces.  Audrey McGrath, Sybil Mulcahy and Dyane Connor were there, shocked to hear the global realities of stress. Norman Pratt joined TV presenter Darren Kennedy in store where they spoke to Avila Lipsett about her new role with trendy club, The Black Door.  Film publicists Nick Costello and Maryse Fitzpatrick swapped favorite movie stories.

Kristina Luykx of Kiehl’s introduced to the group the brand’s Skin Rescuer Stress-Minimizing Daily Hydrator, explaining how the highly efficient Mannose and Rosa Gallica formula helps address and reduce skin’s visible response to stress, before showing before and after images taken during clinical tests, which showed skin improvement at one week, minimizing the appearance of dehydration, redness, blotchiness and skin fatigue.

In other news, private car app Uber is launching in Dublin.  Using this Uber promo code you will save €20 off your first ride http://www.uber.com/invite/gamgg

Si by Giorgio Armani

Si signor: 1. Charles de Montalivet; 2. Claire Byrne;  3. Norman Pratt and Elaine Butler-Doolin. (Pix. BME)

A host of Ireland’s leading lights from the world of TV, radio and print gathered at an exclusive evening to unveil Giorgio Armani’s latest female scent, Sì, at The Clarence Hotel.

The most anticipated launch of the year, not only because of its ambassadress, Cate Blanchett, but because Mr Armani has spoken openly about how he has worked on the scent to make it the best ever from the Haute Couture House. Chic, sultry, intense and soft at the same time, Sì is a chypre scent reinvented, lingering on the skin and captivating the senses.

Guests on the evening were treated to an exclusive preview of the campaign film featuring Blanchett, in which we see her saying Sì, meaning ‘Yes’ in Italian. She declares, “Sì to strength / Sì to dream / Sì to freedom / Sì to love / Sì tomyself”.

Welcomed on the evening by Giorgio Armani Parfums General Manager Charles de Montalivet, guests included a series or high profile names including publishers Norah Casey, who has just announced she will step away from her role at Newstalk to spend more time with her son; Saturday Night Show host Brendan O’Connor, may have been outnumbered amongst the ladies but he caught up with Montalivet on other important matters, specifically The Lions Tour.

The very gorgeous Triona McCarthylooked fab as she stepped out leaving baby Maxim, who turned two months last week, in the very capable hands of her ‘White’ beau, Will. Triona swapped baby stores with TV3 producer Debbie O’Donnell, whose second baby Sam is also a few months old.

Darren Kennedy.  Darren, who has been busy filming in the UK for the past while, spoke about his return to Dublin for the coming weeks, as he is in town filming his upcoming documentary for RTE 2. As part of the reality bites series, Kennedy will take a light hearted look at virginity in Ireland in 2013.