WW7 2023

FAMILY, HOME & WELLNESS OUR BUMPER EASTER MOODBOOSTING SPECIAL EASTER BUYS Sa yanne JEAN-GENIE DENIM'S BACK & DERRY CLARKE CELEBRATE A NEW CHAPTER MADE IN IRELAND TREND ALERT STYLES WE Lowdown Sa yanne EGG-STRA Special prizes to win inside 60 WORTH IT GREEN INTERIORS CHICKS & PICKS THAT SPARK POSITIVITY GLIMMERS Sa yanne Homeware & fashion GET GARDENING WITH OUR EXPERT TIPS SKIN CYCLING YELLOW Me ow Issue 7 March 27th 2023 €3.50 (NI stg £3) WW7 Cover Sallyanne KOT2CC2AMAK.indd 2 21/03/2023 14:13

CONTENTS ON THE COVER Online... womansway.ie Subscribe... 01 4569872 Email... [email protected] Facebook... facebook.com/womansway Twi er... Womans_way Instagram... Womans_way WIN WIN WIN HOME & GARDEN FOOD & DRINK TRAVEL 38 Andalucía: Celebrating Easter in Marbella, Seville and more besides. 42 Beautiful St Barts: Norah Casey discovers the tropical paradise. 54 Jamie’s Wonders: Thrifty recipes by Jamie Oliver. 56 We Should Be So Lucky: The story behind Kylie Minogue’s zero-alchohol rosé. 58 Ramadan Explained: Eat well during the muslim holiday. 34 Springtime Green: Decorate with the trendiest interior design colour. 36 Duvet Dreams: Gorgeous bedding for optimal sleep. 62 Fruit Trees: The hardiest ones to grow in pots. 64 Herb Inspo: Fun alternatives to parsley and thyme. 66 Beautiful Boundaries: Revamp them with a riot of colour. 20 House Hotel Galway: Win a twonight stay for two with breakfast and afternoon tea. 32 SEABODY: Bag yourself a €500 hamper from the luxury Irish wellness brand. 70 Laser + Skin Clinics: Win a €500 voucher for aesthetic treatment. 84 Dermalogica: A skincare hamper worth €500 is up for grabs. 4 Sallyanne Parker-Clarke: Celebrating a fresh chapter running a brand new restaurant, The Club at Goffs, with her husband, celebrity chef Derry Clarke. 21 Beauty Faves: What the WW crew use on repeat. 22 Beauty Trends Rated: The jury is out. 24 Skin Cycling: What it is and how to make it work for you. 26 Trend Alert: How to style the spring/ summer 2023 trends. 28 Denim Days: New ways to rock the classic look. 30 Easter Bonnets: Irish milliners are rewriting the rulebook. 33 Rosemary Oil: Can it revitalise your hair? Sallyanne Parker-Clarke Page 4 discovers the tropical paradise. FASHION & BEAUTY SEABODY Page 32 Duvet Dreams Page 36 Springtime Green Page 34 Herb Inspo Page 64 Ramadan Recipes Page 58 Beautiful St Barts Page 42 Facebook... facebook.com/womansway Twi er... WW crew use The jury is out. What it is and how to How to style the spring/ New ways to rock the Irish milliners are Can it revitalise your hair? FASHION & BEAUTY Win a €500 voucher for aesthetic treatment. 84 Dermalogica: A skincare hamper worth €500 is up for grabs. 21 Beauty Faves: on repeat. 22 Beauty Trends Rated: 24 Skin Cycling: make it work for you. 26 Trend Alert: summer 2023 trends. 28 Denim Days: classic look. 30 Easter Bonnets: rewriting the rulebook. on repeat. Instagram... 2-3 WW7 Contents KOT2NCAMAK.indd 2 23/03/2023 10:31

Contact us: Subscriptions, email [email protected]; telephone hotline, 01 465 9872. Woman’s Way queries, email [email protected]; website womansway.ie. Published by Harmonia Limited, printed by Boylan Print Group, distributed by Newspread. Woman’s Way is now a fortnightly magazine. Subscription rates for the Island of Ireland are: Annual €91.00,; Six Months: €45.50; Monthly Payments: €7.58. Woman’s Way Subscriptions Dept, Units 2&3 M50 Business Park, Ballymount Avenue, D12 HP11. © 2022 Harmonia Ltd. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise without prior permission of the publishers. The publisher cannot accept responsibility for errors in advertisements, articles, photographs or illustrations. All information is correct at time of going to press. SUBSCRIBE TO WOMAN’S WAY & DON’T MISS A SINGLE ISSUE To subscribe online log on to womansway.ie or call the Subscription Hotline on 01 465 9872 FEATURES REGULARS THE WW TEAM HEALTH & WELLBEING Cari a x Hello, Welcome to our Easter issue. What’s not to love about Easter? From cute little chicks to frolicking lambs, it’s a chocolate paradise of all the loveliest things, wrapped up in a huge yellow bow. It’s also a time of hope and renewal. All around us we see signs of new life; trees are shaking out fresh green leaves, daffodils and tulips abound, birds are busy building nests and, for us gardeners, weeds start sprouting everywhere. There’s such an extraordinary rush of new energy in the natural world that it’s hard not to feel buoyed by a sense of optimism. Not hard, but many of us (myself included) manage it all the same. We have things to do, people to see, emails to read, socials to scroll, the digital frenzy of modern life is never ending. In all that busyness, we forget that we too are part of the natural world. We need more than constant preoccupation to feel fully human. I’d love to say that Woman’s Way invented a whole new way of tuning in to a less frenetic way of living. But the concept of ‘glimmers’ has been around for a while. If triggers are small things that make us disproportionately upset, glimmers are small things that make us unaccountably happy; a baby belly-laughing, a smile from a loved one, a blazing sunset. In this issue, we each set about fi nding our own glimmers and, I think, found a marvellous new form of feel-good therapy. It’s easy, it’s free and available to all. Happy Easter! Editor in Chief: Norah Casey Editor: Carissa Casey Staff Writer: Niamh O’Reilly Copy Editors: Astrid Madsen, Aisling Keenan Art Director: Karl O’Toole Designers: Áine Duffy and Susan Conley Subscriptions: [email protected] Email: [email protected] Woman’s Way, April 10, 2023 Vol.61 Issue 7 14 All That Glimmers is Good: Finding the things that make us happy. 86 Shop Savvy: How to save money on your supermarket shop. 88 Tattoo Love: Celebrities declare their undying love. 90 London Moments: Highlights of the autumn/winter 2023 catwalk. 74 Habit Helps: How to cut back on things that are bad for you. 76 Fit at Any Age: Exercise guru Rosemary Conley on asthma and arthritis. 78 Indoor Cycling: Five reasons to take up spinning classes. 80 Night, Night: What to do if you’re not getting enough shut-eye. 82 Living with Endometriosis: The stories behind the debilitating chronic illness. 9 We Love: The WW team shares what they’re loving - and what they’re not. 10 MoodBoard: Embracing Easter in your home and your wardrobe. 16 We Share: Finding our glimmers. 46 The Hot List: Check out our top entertainment picks. 50 You Said It: Reader’s letters and pictures. 52 Timeout: Take a break, try our quiz and Prize Crossword. 68 Knitting: Baby cardigan. 71 Horoscopes: What’s in the stars for you? 73 Ask Fiona: Our columnist answers reader dilemmas. 91 Lend a Hand: Ways to give back. 92 Quick Fire: Laura O’Brien of Your Hospital Bag. 93 We Tried: Toothpaste tablets. 94 Why Is This a Thing: Back garden dogs. MoodBoard Page 10 London Moments Page 90 Contact us: Subscriptions, email [email protected]; telephone hotline, 01 465 9872. Woman’s Way queries, email [email protected]; website womansway.ie. Published by Harmonia Limited, printed by Boylan Print Group, distributed by Newspread. Woman’s Way is now a fortnightly magazine. Subscription rates for the Island of Ireland are: Annual €91.00,; Six Months: €45.50; Monthly Payments: €7.58. Woman’s Way Subscriptions Dept, Units 2&3 M50 Business Park, Ballymount Avenue, D12 HP11. © 2022 Harmonia Ltd. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise without prior SUBSCRIBE TO To subscribe online log on to womansway.ie or call the Subscription Hotline on 01 465 9872 Tattoo Love Page 88 Habit Helps Page 74 Knitting Page 68 2-3 WW7 Contents KOT2NCAMAK.indd 3 23/03/2023 12:45

4 WOMANSWAY.IE Main image by Barry McCall, other images by Kieran Harnett. Sallyanne chapter celebrates a new 4-7 Cover profile Sallyanne KOT2NCAMAK.indd 2 23/03/2023 10:32

IN PERSON WOMANSWAY.IE 5 Main image by Barry McCall, other images by Kieran Harnett. continues overleaf >> Sallyanne Parker-Clarke tells Andrea Smith about celebrating life and the joy of running a new restaurant. Sarah May has lived all over the world, so Sallyanne is thrilled that she is only a 35-minute flight away now. She works as operations director for Brand Events, which runs festivals like Pub in the Park, and she loves her job. “James is a really nice guy and Sarah May met him while working at the festivals,” says Sallyanne. “He’s an electrician with his own company and his family are really nice people. They were together about a year when he proposed and they got the keys to their new house last month so they're really happy.” TIME TOGETHER Closing the restaurant during Covid was the first time Derry and Sallyanne had an extended period of time off on their own. They busied themselves by painting their house and doing all of the jobs that needed to be done. “We learned skills that we didn't know we had,” laughs Sallyanne. “I haven't used a sewing machine for years, but I found beautiful percale sheets I bought in America years ago so I made duvet covers and other things out of them. I also sorted out the clothes that needed fixing or darning or whatever. Derry did the Derry and Sallyanne met in the bar of the Westbury Hotel when she was 22 and he was 27, and they got married in 1987. They opened L'Ecrivain in 1989, and Sallyanne’s warm efficiency and Derry’s culinary talent made them a winning combination. Although they had decided to close L’Ecrivain anyway, the pandemic meant that they never got to do it the way they would have liked. “We paid redundancy to all of our staff but never got to say goodbye,” Sallyanne says sadly. “We had so many ‘last nights’ that were cancelled and we didn't get to reopen again.” She and Derry have a beautiful daughter, Sarah May, who lives in Bristol and got married to James last September. They lost their lovely 16-year-old son Andrew to suicide at the end of 2012. “Sarah May and Andrew were very close and she misses her brother,” says Sallyanne. “She had a ‘memory table’ at her wedding, with pictures of Andrew, my mum and dad and James’s grandparents. I spoke at the wedding about the people who were no longer with us and would have liked to be there. They got married in Somerset at this old country house that has an underground nightclub. It was such a lovely wedding and everything went really well.” When Woman’s Way meets the gorgeous Sallyanne ParkerClarke in the restaurant at The Club at Goffs, she’s in full flow, greeting diners, making people feel at ease and ensuring that everything runs smoothly. Most people will be familiar with Sallyanne from L'Ecrivain, the fabulous Michelin-starred Dublin restaurant she owned with her chef husband, Derry Clarke. When they closed it after 32 years, they weren't ready to retire and are now running the restaurant at the brand new equestrian-themed hotel located next to Goffs, the famous bloodstock auctioneers in Co Kildare. Derry is director of culinary, working with head chef James Sheridan, and Sallyanne is director of food and beverage. They’re managing the restaurant and bar and are offering a breakfast menu, a day menu from noon to 5pm, and an evening menu from 5pm to 9pm where Derry’s brilliant skills really come into their own. “L’Ecrivain was five-star formal dining and this restaurant has a much more casual vibe, plus it’s half the price,” Sallyanne explains. “It’s really good food and really nice service, and we've got a great wine menu with lovely house wines. We've a children's menu for Sunday lunch, which is different for us as people didn't generally bring children into L’Ecrivain.” She and Derry are working seven days a week at present while they get everything set up and their staff fully trained, and then they will probably work three to four days a week after that. Watching Sallyanne at work, you can see she’s in her element as she exudes charm and is a real people person who lives and breathes the industry. “I think once you get the buzz, you're hooked.” she laughs. “I still love what I do.” “Sallyanne and Derry are now running the restaurant at the brand new equestrian-themed hotel at Goffs” 4-7 Cover profile Sallyanne KOT2NCAMAK.indd 3 23/03/2023 10:33

6 WOMANSWAY.IE garden and driveway and painted the gates - all of the things we’d normally get people in to do.” “It was completely different because we’ve never had time off like that in all our married life. I know a lot of marriages went south during Covid, but we were very lucky as we seemed to get stronger because we were together all the time. “We watched TV on a Saturday night and had date nights with a bottle of wine, all of the things that other people normally do. We really enjoyed it.” Sallyanne was heartbroken to lose her beloved mum Sadie in July 2021, a month before her 89th birthday. Sadie was very active and played bridge three nights a week, but her bridge club wasn’t operating during Covid so Derry and Sallyanne played cards with her twice a week. “She just went to sleep and never woke up,” says Sallyanne, who was very close to her mum. “I found her and couldn't believe it when she wouldn't wake up. It was what she wanted though as she didn't want to be sick and had been saying for months that she was ready to go. She had a full life and she did her shopping the day before, and she was still playing bridge and poker and was as sharp as a tack.” Sadie had been slowing down a bit and had been having trouble with her feet swelling, so Sallyanne persuaded her to see the doctor. The appointment was made for two days later, with the doctor advising that Sadie might need to see a heart specialist. Sadly she died the following day. “After I found her, I rang Derry to tell him that my mum was gone and she never said goodbye,” says Sallyanne. “And he said, ‘She's been saying goodbye for months and has been telling you all that she's tired.’ “I was devastated at losing her, but it's a different kind of grief to losing a child as you expect your parents to go fi rst.” STRONG MARRIAGE Sallyanne grew up in the Dublin suburb of Crumlin as the eldest of six. Her mum opened a clothing boutique called Sallyanne’s in 1969, and the family lived above it. Her dad Desmond had a newsagent’s shop off North Circular Road. He sadly passed from meningitis in 1996 aged 63, six weeks before Andrew was born. around it and feels that as young people’s frontal lobes are not fully developed until they’re around 25, they don't realise the consequences of their actions. “Suicide is a permanent solution to a temporary problem, but it seems to be much worse among young boys than girls,” she says. “I think we need to go into the schools to talk to children as young as 10 or 12 to teach them that everything's fi xable and while there may not be an instant solution to a problem, there is always a solution. They need to know what suicide does to the family and the everincreasing ripples that don't just go on for six weeks, six months or six years. For the people they leave behind, there's something missing for the rest of their lives." “I would happily get involved with that,” she adds, “because while we’re not the only ones who have suffered a loss by suicide, it would be nice if we could do something to help prevent anyone else suffering it.” Andrew’s passion was cars and he was Sallyanne’s parents were very industrious and instilled a work ethic in their children. They weren’t handed pocket money and had to work for it in the shops or by doing chores. “They were a great team and had a strong working relationship, like Derry and myself,” she says. “My dad was a real character and Sadie was very patient and kind. She was a peacemaker but you didn't cross her. She was very fair and could see both sides and I'd like to think I’m like that and I'm usually quite patient. While it's not a case of ‘don't cross me’ with me, you can do something a few times and after that, I'm not going to roll over any more.” Derry and Sallyanne have been together 36 years, and like every other couple, they've had their ups and downs. Losing Andrew was obviously unimaginably devastating and they remain heartbroken at the loss of their beautiful boy. “I've met lots of people whose marriages disintegrated after they lost children but we leaned into each other as opposed to away from each other,” says Sallyanne. “I think Derry and I were always on the same chapter before that, but we weren't always necessarily on the same page. When a child dies through suicide, there can be a huge blame game around what you didn't see. That didn't happen to us because neither of us saw anything, because there wasn't anything to see. People still ask me about that but do they not think that if we had seen something, we would have done something about it?” Sallyanne feels that a huge stigma still surrounds suicide and she fi rmly believes that more needs to be done in schools. She has done a lot of research “I've met lots of people whose marriages disintegrated after they lost children but we leaned into each other ” 4-7 Cover profile Sallyanne KOT2NCAMAK.indd 4 23/03/2023 10:33

IN PERSON WOMANSWAY.IE 7 into rallycross driving and boats. He was a boarder at Clongowes Wood College, and would come home on Sundays to enjoy his dad's cooking, usually with a group of lads in tow. “Some days it feels like 10 days ago, and on others it feels like ten years or ten minutes,” says Sallyanne, when asked how things are for her now. “Different things can trigger grief, like a song on the radio. We have seen Andrew’s lovely pals graduating and some are getting engaged and married. You're thinking, ‘I will never see that with Andrew,’ although we’re lucky that we’ve got to see all of those milestones with Sarah May. Andrew was six foot five and a half and he was built like a tank and was the most gorgeous child. He looked and acted older and liked to hang around with older people, but he was still a baby. He was only 16.” STAYING POSITIVE In trying to process her grief, Sallyanne spoke to a few mediums who didn’t work for her. She found one she felt was really good and has chatted to her a few times by phone. “Every time I speak to her, she tells me something she couldn't possibly have known,” she says. Sallyanne turned 60 last September and she looks amazing. Her skin is glowing, which she attributes to using My Clear Skin, capsules designed to help skin from the inside that contain antioxidants and anti-inflammatory ingredients. Its creators have had great success with it from teenagers with spots through to adults with rosacea (see visageplus.ie). “I got menopausal acne pretty badly on my face, shoulders, back and chest,” says Sallyanne. “I was on Roaccutane for a few months when Covid hit, and they said to stop taking it straight away. My friend Una Brankin was developing this compound for clear skin and to give it a boost and a bit of a glow. I was a guinea pig, so every time she had a new compound, she sent it to me and I took it. It’s being made in Ireland and the idea is that it works on your skin from the inside out and contains high-quality ingredients like turmeric, vitamin D and beta-carotene. I’ve had great results with it and my menopausal acne disappeared so I’m delighted. I've given it to my niece and a few other kids who had bad acne and they’ve had great results too. I had acne as a kid so my skin is probably in better shape now than ever before.” Sallyanne has had several operations but she is still walking miles around the restaurant every day. She has two new knees, two new hips and had surgery for ruptured Achilles tendons and to reconstruct her right ankle. She also had surgery for carpal tunnel syndrome, but is as vibrant and dynamic as ever. “If you do what your physio says, there's no reason why you can't live like you did before,” she says. “Okay, very few people I know can kneel down after a knee replacement but you can do everything else. I haven't let it stop me doing anything. Maybe because I've been through other things - like losing Andrew - I realise that life is very precious. I’m 60 now but it’s just a number and unfortunately you can't go backwards. You have to go forward. If I get an opportunity to dance on a table when we’re down in the south of France, I will do it.” WW The Club at Goffs is open now in Kill, Co Kildare, visit clubhotel.ie 4-7 Cover profile Sallyanne KOT2NCAMAK.indd 5 23/03/2023 12:46

MADE IN IRELAND TERMS & CONDITIONS: Price includes P&P and is correct at time of going to press. Your subscription contract will be fulfilled by Harmonia Limited ([email protected]) together with its agents. See www.harmonia.ie for full terms and conditions. Prices quoted are for postal delivery to Irish addresses only. Please allow up to six weeks for delivery of first subscription issue via An Post. Buy online at: womansway.ie Or phone our Hotline on: 01 465 9872 Tired of reading from a tiny screen? Take time out from your busy life and rediscover the joy of fl icking through a beautifully designed magazine. Woman’s Way is the leading Irish women’s magazine, one of the few left on the market. We are a voice for Irish women and support Irish brands, large and small. Packed full of fabulous beauty, fashion, interiors, gardening, recipes and more, along with great stories and interviews with our favourite celebrities. You’ll see euro prices for all our product recommendations and they are all available here in Ireland. We support Irish women, support us. Stop scrolling, start flicking Take time out, Take Woman’s Way Our six monthly subscription is ONLY €45.50 or, even better, pay monthly for JUST €7.58 Subs Ad NEW 2023 KOT2CCRS.indd 2 21/03/2023 14:16

We Love PASSION • CRAVES • MOOD PASSION WE LOVE WOMANSWAY.IE 9 Cari a l es Lovely Leitrim. Just back from a week there with the mammy. So relaxing and we even watched Ireland win the Grand Slam in a pub. Proper knitting patterns. I Can’t get with this knitting in the round business. After three false starts with a sweater I decided to adapt the pattern to what I call proper knitting. Wish me luck. Astrid l es Jeff, the robot vacuum cleaner. We inherited this rather slow, yet effi cient, piece of kit. The cats are still unsure what to make of him. The Intelligence podcast. The name is a bit pompous, and there’s no doubt there’s an English cultural bias to The Economist’s fl agship podcast, but I still think it’s by far the best daily news roundup out there. Niamh l es Emerald Park. The theme park formerly known as Tayto is back open and my two little dudes are just the right age for some daredevil thrills. I just hope their mammy is up for the challenge. Good drying weather. I feel like I haven't used my line in months, but the simple pleasure of being able to dry clothes outside again is a lifesaver because my washer is always going. So Into... Easter chocolate heaven. As if we needed an excuse... but it’s nice to have one. Blossom season. Fluffy clouds of pink, cream and white adorning trees near you. The Rugby World Cup. It’s ages away but still… Imagine if… The grand stretch. It’s offi cially here and we love it. Trench coats. They’re having a moment and are perfect for Irish spring (four seasons in one day) weather. Fake Facebook stories about immigrants. Facebook isn’t a reputable news service to put it mildly. Please don’t believe everything you read there. Shrinkfl ation. Prices staying the same but less product. It's possibly even more annoying than price gouging. Turning the heating on. Yup it might still be needed at times but there’s a reason why jumpers were invented. So Over... 9 WW7 We love KOT2CCAMAK.indd 3 22/03/2023 10:12

MOODBOARD CREATE • CURATE • INSPIRE EASTER SCAPING Our new passion for embracing seasonal and festive holidays has created a surge in easter-inspired décor and design. From Easter wreaths to miniature trees festooned with colourful eggs, the celebratory mellow yellow hues of easter are mood-boosting. Getting you and your home spruced up for the long bank holiday weekend can be as minimalist as a vase of punchy yellow daffodils and a dollop of tulips to full-blown easter overload with bunnies, chicks and eggs (of course). Go big and bold to shake off the winter with a glorious spring wreath or garland, make your own easter tree and spread the mood with egg-embellished windows and fl oral mantelpieces. And don’t stop with dressing up your home when there are some lovely dopamine shades of yellow frocks and accessories to put you in the easter mood. Here are our favourite Easter pieces to get you started. 1 SOSTRENE GRENE Easter Egg Cardboard €2.49 visit sostrenegrene.com/ie 2 PRIMARK 3 Pack Daisy Pinch Bowls €5, visit Penneys 3 VERY IRELAND Sunshine Print Footed Planter €19.99, visit very.ie 4 MEADOWS & BYRNE ‘Beatrix’ Bunny €35, visit meadowsandbyrne.com 5 SOPHIE ALLPORT Decorative Hanging Easter Eggs €16.88, visit sophieallport.com 6 PEP&CO Easter Bowls €1.69, visit poundland.co.uk 7 ANNABEL JAMES Easter Napkins - Bunny €4.45, visit annabeljames.co.uk 8 LIGHTS4FUN Pastel Pink Mottled Bunnies Easter Decoration €56.27, visit lights4fun.co.uk 9 TRUFFLE TABLESCAPES Large Mint Green Easter Bunny €20.26, visit truffl etablescapes.co.uk 10 GINGER RAY Bunny Easter Balloon Mosaic Stand Kit €19.12, visit gingerray.co.uk 11 HOME FASHION Servietten Easter Collage €2.99, visit homefashion.de 12 BLUE BRONTIDE Easter Spring - Breakfast Set - Cloud Toast Board & Egg Cup €50.65, visit bluebrontide.com 13 ANNABEL JAMES Peter Rabbit Luxury Easter Crackers €29.21, visit annabeljames.co.uk 14 STUDIO LE COCQ The Lost Garden Wallpaper - Ebony €219.49, visit studiolecocq.com 15 WE LOVE CUSHIONS The Easter Egg Pram - Special Occasions Cushion €37.81, visit welovecushions. co.uk 16 LIGHTS4FUN Easter Egg & Micro Light Indoor Wreath €28.13, visit lights4fun.co.uk 17 GRACE SISTERS Scallop Edge Placemat/Napkin €11.26, visit gracesisters.com 18 REBECCA UDALL Millefi ori Murano Tumbler €50.65, visit rebeccaudall.com By Norah Casey 10 WOMANSWAY.IE 1 BOARD 4 6 7 12 2 10-11 WW7 Mood Board Interiors_ADKOTCCAMAK.indd 2 22/03/2023 15:07

MOODBOARD MOODBOARD WOMANSWAY.IE 11 By Norah Casey 5 3 16 8 9 10 11 12 14 15 17 18 13 Easter-themed style overleaf>> 10-11 WW7 Mood Board Interiors_ADKOTCCAMAK.indd 3 22/03/2023 15:08

12 WOMANSWAY.IE 4 2 3 1 ONE HUNDRED STARS Amarillo Gold Espadrille Sliders €101.30, visit onehundredstars.co.uk 2 SCHUH Santi Snake Strappy Stiletto €15.95 (reduced from €50), visit schuh.ie 3 QUEENMEE ACCESSORIES Crystal Hair Clip Large Rose €33.77, visit queenmee.com 4 PRIMARK Broderie Twist Top €16; Broderie Mini Skirt €16, visit Penneys 5 THE DESIGN GIFT SHOP Collapsible Umbrella Blunt Metro XS Yellow €62.10, visit thedesigngiftshop.com 6 MONSOON Green and Yellow Tassel Earrings €33, visit monsoon.com/ie 7 COTTON TRADERS Pip Long Sleeve Embroidered Blouse €48, visit cottontraders.com/ie 8 J.J.TEXTILE Bee Throw €131.70, visit jjtextile.co.uk 9 NISHURAEAST Hoop Hiroshima - Yokonaga Bag - Yellow €129.44, visit nishuraeast.com 10 PALAVA Mabel Mustard Rabbit Dress €151.96, visit palava.co 11 YELLOW OCTOPUS Deliciously Designer Burger Scarf - Exclusive to Yellow Octopus €6.21, visit yellowoctopus.com. au 12 JEWELLERY BOX 9ct Gold 5mm Round Claw Citrine CZ Necklace €82.17, visit jewellerybox.co.uk 13 OLIVER BONAS Sophia Yellow Weave Curved Top Crossbody €51, visit oliverbonas.com 14 ROMAN Yellow Ditsy Print Frill Waist Midi Dress €47.73, visit roman.co.uk WW 9 10 12 12-13 WW7 Mood Board Style_ADKOTCCAMAK.indd 2 22/03/2023 15:09

WOMANSWAY.IE 13 MOODBOARD 1 5 6 7 8 9 11 13 14 12-13 WW7 Mood Board Style_ADKOTCCAMAK.indd 3 23/03/2023 11:32

14 WOMANSWAY.IE We all know what it feels like to be triggered. It’s an immediate, often intense and unpleasant emotional reaction to something. At its mildest it can be a passing inconvenience, but at its worst it can provoke heart palpitations, increase stress levels, make you feel anxious and leave you breathless. We effectively enter that strange prehistoric fi ght or fl ight mode. Often, we know our triggers. Taking on too much, certain social situations, feeling out of your depth, driving on the M50 in rush hour traffi c. Whatever they are, triggers are deeply personal and unique to each of us, but why are we hardwired to react this way? “Our nervous system responds and reacts to our environment moment to moment, and this is primarily automatic,” says psychotherapist and sparkback.ie founder Anne Morgan. “Sometimes we are triggered because we feel overwhelmed or overstimulated, other times we may perceive danger because something in our environment subconsciously feels familiar to something from our past. This could be a look someone gives us, a particular smell or even a gut feeling about someone.” Plus it seems that as women our biological makeup can predispose us to feeling triggered more often, says author of Unravelling Motherhood Meet glimmers, your body’s own simple yet savvy self-defence mechanism against feeling triggered. And as Niamh O’Reilly fi nds out, it's easier than you think to get your glimmer on. Geraldine Walsh. “Our brains are wired differently to men's, with higher levels of emotional understanding and empathy. This is not a bad thing,” she stresses. “They are excellent traits to have, but this wiring of our brain is also linked with depression, anxiety, and trauma.” Feeling triggered from time to time is a normal part of life, and learning to cope with it is key. And that’s where glimmers come in. Think of glimmers as the opposite of a trigger; a cure that will take you out of fi ght or fl ight mode and get you back into feeling calm and connected again. The concept of a glimmer comes from polyvagal theory and was introduced by behavioural neuroscientist Stephen Porges in the 1990s. It became a popular term in the 2018 book The Polyvagal Theory in Therapy by psychotherapist Deb Dana. Identifying glimmers is key. But how do we do that? It’s not diffi cult, but it does require a willingness to engage with our emotions. Simple on paper, but harder to do in our busy, noisy and distraction-laden modern lives. “Become more curious about your nervous system,” says Anne. “Do this by paying more attention to your body and how it responds moment to moment. What does joy feel like? What does sadness feel like? As a society we are so accustomed to distracting ourselves rather than leaning into our emotions. Just be curious, no judgement whatsoever,” she stresses. “Our emotions are not good or bad, they just are and if we can just pay attention to them, they hold so much wisdom.” For Geraldine, her glimmers were easy to fi nd. “When in the depths of severe ALL THAT GLIMMERS is G d unpleasant breathless. We effectively enter that strange prehistoric fi ght or “They are excellent traits to have, but this wiring of our brain is also linked with depression, anxiety, and trauma.” and learning to cope with it is key. And that’s where glimmers come Anne Morgan Identifying glimmers is key. But rather than leaning into our emotions. Just be curious, no judgement whatsoever,” she stresses. “Our emotions are glimmers were easy to fi nd. “When in the depths of severe Geraldine Walsh “Our emotions are not good or bad, they just are and if we can just pay attention to them, they hold so much wisdom” 14-15 WW7 Glimmer Mindset KOT3CC2AM2AK.indd 2 22/03/2023 10:14

WOMANSWAY.IE 15 MINDSET postnatal anxiety, my youngest daughter was my glimmer. Being needed and in contact with her calmed my mind. Now that she is fi ve, she is still that sense of calm for me, along with a perfect cup of coffee, a blazing fi re, or a toasty blanket.” Anne, however, fi nds practical glimmers are her go-to. “For me it’s nature or even just 15 minutes in the fresh air,” she says. “Box breathing is another go-to. Breathe deep down into the diaphragm, inhaling for four, holding for four, exhaling for four and pausing for four. I usually do this a minimum of fi ve times and everything slows right down.” WW Anne Morgan’s top three tips for identifying glimmers 1>> Slow right down or pause. Recognise small things that make you feel grounded in this moment. It could be anything from the birds singing, to your favourite scent or song. It could be standing in nature for 10 minutes or petting your furry companion. Pay attention to how your body responds and you’ll know you’ve found your glimmer. 2>> Take note of what you are doing and who you are with when you feel truly safe, at ease and connected to your environment. This is your biggest clue as to what your glimmers are. Let your body be your guide rather than your mind. Keep a glimmer journal to track what you’ve learned. You can have more than one glimmer. 3>> Glimmers are often ridiculously simple, like self-hugging. Cross your arms over your chest, place your palms on your shoulders, and gently squeeze right the way down your arms as if you were giving someone you love a big hug. When we are in fi ght or fl ight we are out of our body in service of survival. This is a lovely way of grounding ourselves back in it, in order to feel safe again. Geraldine Walsh’s top three tips for when we feel triggered 1>> Breathe. Our brains are reacting quickly to the event to protect our bodies and minds. After all, it thinks we are under attack so adrenaline is rushing, our heart rate increases, bodies tense, and our reactions may be volatile. To calm your brain, breathe slow steady breaths to trick your mind into safety. 2>> Secondly, stay in the moment and ground yourself. Grounding is the act of staying in the moment and focusing on the physical space around you to keep you present and centered. Root your toes into the ground and focus on fi ve things you can see, four things you can feel, three things you can hear, two things you can smell, and one thing you can taste. 3>> Finally, accept your feelings. We have all been taught that certain emotions are good while others are bad, but every feeling you have is valid so allow yourself to feel, embrace your vulnerability and don’t cover up your sadness, anger, or frustration. 14-15 WW7 Glimmer Mindset KOT3CC2AM2AK.indd 3 23/03/2023 10:44

16 WOMANSWAY.IE The Woman’s Way crew go in search of glimmers… NORAH LEARNED TO CREATE GLIMMERS I love this concept and I have certainly leaned into ‘glimmers’ far more in recent years. My daily glimmer is walking in the early morning. I switch between the beach and the woodland areas of the Phoenix Park. It grounds me and calms my mind. Whenever I feel overwhelmed or my rumination goes into overdrive, walking releases me from worry and overthinking and brings me back to myself. I always feel better after a walk. Whenever I am away, out there in the world, working or travelling, nothing beats the feeling of coming home. When I put the keys in the front door, I know I am entering my sanctuary which is fi lled with all the things that make me feel safe. I didn’t always feel safe at home so I appreciate how precious it is to live in a space that makes me feel secure and happy. My house is small but fi lled with beautiful things. There is art everywhere, paintings and photographs that remind me of wonderful times and the people I love. My lovely rose table and beautiful furniture coverings are all made by Irish craft makers. Even as I write this I am glancing at a lovely painting that Richard (my late husband) bought me for our last wedding anniversary together. It makes me smile. My home was fi lled with triggers when Richard died. I saw him everywhere. In the garden, looking drawn and tired, sipping tea after a long day of chemo, next to me in my bed in those fi nal days. It took some time to transform the energy and make it the glimmer-fi lled sanctuary it is now. But it was so worth it. On any given day my guaranteed glimmer moments usually involve a hug from my son Dara, laughter with Mags (our mum) and lighting candles in Clarendon Street church. Small things that light me up. ALL THAT GLIMMERS With mum Margaret 16 19 WW06 Glimmers SCCCSC2AMAK.indd 2 23/03/2023 10:40

WE SHARE WOMANSWAY.IE 17 Continued overleaf >> CARISSA SLOWS DOWN When I’m calm and unhurried, I see glimmers everywhere. The way the sunlight falls through leaves, the fi rst few cherry blossoms outside my window, snatches of bird song; I rarely have to go searching for glimmers when I’m feeling relaxed and at peace with the world. But that’s not as often as I’d like. Take the start of my ‘glimmer week’ when I would actively seek glimmers in my life. I was off to Leitrim with my mother and my head was full of ‘to do’ and ‘don’t forget’ lists in an effort to get everything organised on the home and work front. I could have been faffi ng around with my lists in the Hanging Gardens of Babylon and not noticed a single thing to admire. And that gave me my fi rst lesson in glimmers; they’re sparked by something in the outside world but my mind has to be open to receiving them. Once safely decamped to Letrim, the glimmers fl ooded in. Of course it rained or drizzled pretty much all the time but I like that soft Irish weather. Bare trees sprinkled with raindrops sparkling in a sudden burst of sunshine; that peculiar damp woody smell on a forest walk; trees seeming to grow on lakes which were actually fl ooded fi elds. Turf smoke and silence. The second lesson; glimmers calm my mind. Once one breaks through, others follow. I’m back home writing this and I keep stopping to listen to the pigeon cooing nearby, gazing empty-minded at my bonsai trees. Lesson three: Glimmers and deadlines aren’t necessarily ideal companions. But having tapped into that lovely zen world where just about everything is interesting, I’m reluctant to let it go. ALL THAT GLIMMERS A forest walk 16 19 WW06 Glimmers SCCCSC2AMAK.indd 3 23/03/2023 10:40

18 WOMANSWAY.IE NIAMH GETS IN TUNE I’ve made no secret of the fact that I went through feelings of anxiety after I had my fi rst child. I didn’t go to a GP for help and it’s something I regret. Stigma, fear, shame, who knows why, but I decided to deal with it on my own. Lots of things helped me heal; time, writing my feelings down, being kinder to myself and an eventual acceptance that none of it was my fault. Today I couldn’t be further away from that dark place, but like anyone I can still feel overwhelmed from time to time. A cold dip in the sea is usually how I reset myself, but for a more instant hit, my glimmer is music. When things get on top of me, I stop and put on a gogo track like AC/DC’s It’s a Long Way to the Top. I’ll belt it out at the top of my lungs if I’m alone or driving the car and by the time the song is over, I’m back and feeling full of energy. More than that, it manages to anchor me. It’s something I even did back in the bad days, when I would take the baby on a long drive to get him to sleep and he would fi ght the tiredness and cry for what seemed like hours on end. When I ran out of nursery rhymes on repeat, I’d belt out Wonderwall because that was the only song I knew every word to. Music unsticks me and it works on my two little boys too. At three and six, they can get tetchy with each other from time to time, so we turn on a high-octane tune they like such as Fascination and sing and dance and all of a sudden, we’re human beings again. Listening to music by the sea 16 19 WW06 Glimmers SCCCSC2AMAK.indd 4 23/03/2023 10:41

WE SHARE WOMANSWAY.IE 19 ASTRID COUNTS HER GLIMMERS Searching for glimmers wasn’t easy. Triggers, on the other hand, are everywhere. Kids not getting on, or complaining about chores. The chores themselves. The feeling of not doing enough, ever. And above all, as someone with particularly sensitive ears, there’s the noise. But I knew I must have some ways to cut through it all. Otherwise I’d go mad. Yet fi guring out what those glimmers were took me a while. Then they came fl ooding in. The kids eager to tell me what happened to them that day. Heating up lunch, knowing I’ll get to share it with the hubby. The anticipation of listening to my podcast back to back. Making plans to visit family or go out with friends. Getting ingredients ready to cook or bake with the kids. Or all four of us plating up snacks before we snuggle up to watch something on telly. Taking stock of all these things was a glimmer in itself, a welcomed distraction in the midst of a hectic week. One evening, confused by directions, despite the GPS, I was tense, feeling triggered. Driving left, right, breaking. Every turn was an expression of my annoyance. Yet I knew it was silly. So what if I was late? No big deal. I took a breath. And looked at what was in front of me. Wow. The sight of the clouds, at dusk, made my shoulders melt. It was immediate. That expanse of sky is something else. That experience probably best sums up the trigger-glimmer yo-yo I’m rollercoasting on. The best way I can deal with it is acknowledging the triggers and taking the time to appreciate the seemingly small things that are glimmers. It’s all about taking stock. Because at that end of the day, the glow is on. It’s just a question of stepping back, reminding myself of it, and nurturing the glimmers. WW Making time for lunch 16 19 WW06 Glimmers SCCCSC2AMAK.indd 5 23/03/2023 10:42

COMPETITION 20 WOMANSWAY.IE *Terms & Conditions apply. Available Sunday to Thursday. The offer is based on two people sharing. Subject to availability. To enter, please answer the following question: WHAT IS THE HOUSE HOTEL’S SPRING PACKAGE CALLED? HOW TO ENTER Email your answer by April 10 to: [email protected] including your name, address and telephone number and labelling your mail ‘The House Hotel Competition’ This Woman's Way competition is open to anyone resident in NI and the Republic of Ireland, aged 18 and over, except employees and their families of Harmonia Publishing, its printers and anyone else connected with the competition. No purchase is necessary. We will only accept one competition entry per reader. Prizes are awarded by drawing entries after the closing date. Winners will be notifi ed by email. The editor’s decision is fi nal. To celebrate the launch of its Spring into Galway package, The House Hotel in Galway city is offering one lucky reader a chance to win a two-night stay with breakfast each morning and afternoon tea for two*. Even if you don’t win the competition you can avail of the special Spring into Galway package at The House Hotel which offers guests a 10 per cent discount on bed and breakfast on the best available rate for the entire stay. The Spring into Galway package includes overnight accommodation along with: cooked-to-order breakfast, two complimentary glasses of house red or white wine, complimentary wifi and Chromecast. The offer also has a free cancellation policy prior to 24 hours before arrival. WIN A TWO-NIGHT STAY AT THE HOUSE HOTEL, GALWAY 20 WW7 Hotel comp KOT2CCAMAK.indd 2 18/03/2023 15:15

BEAUTY WOMANSWAY.IE 21 My current obsession is eyes. More specifi cally any remedy that reduces wrinkles, puffi ness, dark circles and those laughter lines that aren’t that funny when the third person you meet looks earnestly at you and says those immortal words: “You look tired”. The eyes, they say, are the windows to the soul but stress, tiredness, too much screen time and lack of sleep tell their own story with far more brutal clarity. And of course the relentless passage of time takes its toll. In my 20s the marketing blurb for eye creams was all about erasing those fi ne lines, by my 40s it was eradicating wrinkles and over the middle way mark in life the serums, potions and lotions tell me I am in the ‘anti-sagging’ space. And don’t I know it! So, I have been trying out all different kinds of eye products from the keenly priced to the seriously expensive. Here’s what’s working for me right now. What are the products the Woman’s Way crew use on repeat? In this issue, Norah Casey shares a few of her new favourites that have found a forever place on her bathroom shelf. Beauty Faves Goop Glow: Glow Lotion €67, visit niche-beauty.com I am in love with this skin-brightening glowy moisturiser, which also does wonders for my eyes. Actress Gwyneth Paltrow is the famous founder of Goop which led to a bit of scepticicm on my part. But when I am travelling and can’t take all those separate beauty products for my face it works really well across the whole spectrum of my beauty needs from hydration to fi rming. It’s a lovely lightweight lotion that really does achieve that elusive dewy glow. I am a big fan of spirulina and take it daily. The Glow Lotion uses a spirulina enzyme with hyaluronic acid, proteins and vitamin C to boost skin radiance. Not that easy to get in Ireland but you can order online. Kash Beauty Se ing Face Mist €16.96 (reduced from €19.95) And fi nally, after switching products many times, I have found a setting spray that does exactly what it claims to do. Another great product for travelling, doesn’t smudge my makeup or make my ‘laughter lines’ immediately reappear after all that hard work to conceal them. I spray once and wait fi ve minutes and then add a second spray for a longer hold. WW LA MER Genaissance de La Mer: The Eye & Expression Cream (15ml) €395 I am a late adopter to La Mer as I couldn't bring myself to pay those hefty prices but a very kind person gifted me this precious pot of luxurious anti-ageing eye-cream when I was unwell and not feeling too glamorous. I have been using it twice a day for a couple of months now and I really see a difference in the skin texture and fi rmness in the under eye area and crease lines. I fi nd it works really well if I gently massage it in about 30 minutes before I put anything else on my face in the morning. Celebrity fans include Nicole Kidman, Kendall Jenner, and Jennifer Lopez and the reason for the high price is because aerospace physicist Dr Max Huber spent 12 years pioneering the use of sea kelp and bio-fermentation processes to create the magic ‘Miracle Broth’ elixir. LA MER Genaissance de La Mer: The Eye & Expression Cream (15ml) I am a late adopter to La Mer as I couldn't bring myself to pay those hefty prices but a very kind person gifted me this precious pot of luxurious anti-ageing eye-cream when I was unwell and not feeling too glamorous. I have been using it twice a day for a couple of months now and I really see a difference in the skin texture and fi rmness in the under eye area and crease lines. I fi nd it works really well if I gently massage it in about 30 minutes before I put anything else on my face in the morning. Celebrity fans include Nicole Kidman, Kendall Jenner, and Jennifer Lopez and the reason for the high price is because aerospace physicist Dr Max Huber spent 12 years pioneering the use of sea kelp and bio-fermentation processes to create the magic ‘Miracle Broth’ elixir. glowy moisturiser, which also does wonders for my eyes. Actress Gwyneth Paltrow is the famous founder of Goop which led to a bit of scepticicm on my part. But when I am travelling and can’t take all those separate beauty products for my face it works really well across the whole spectrum of my beauty needs from hydration to fi rming. It’s a lovely lightweight lotion that really does achieve that elusive dewy glow. I am a big fan of spirulina and take it daily. The Glow Lotion uses a spirulina enzyme with hyaluronic acid, proteins and vitamin C to boost skin radiance. Not that easy to get in Ireland but you can order online. Ayu Instant Under Eye Concealer €18 I was at an International Women’s Day event last month and got to hear the inspiring journey of Irish makeup artist Suzie O’Neill who founded Ayu in 2015. She spotted a gap in the market when she couldn’t buy the right tools for the job and launched her own range of makeup brushes. This cult classic eye concealer has won multiple awards and had a huge fan base at our table. Also born out of a gap in the market for a lighter under eye concealer, I was eager to try it. I have been using it for a few weeks now and it really works much better than some of the heavier and more expensive brands. It’s lightweight, brightens the dark circles under my eyes and sets easily. middle way mark in life the serums, potions and lotions What are the products the Woman’s Way crew found a forever place on her bathroom shelf. makeup brushes. This cult classic eye concealer has won Also born out of a gap in the market for a lighter under 21 WW7 Beauty Faves_ADKOTCCAMAK.indd 2 22/03/2023 15:12

Contributions by Katie Wright, PA Fashion and Beauty Editor 2 Plum pouts One of the more surprising trends to emerge from the spring shows, plum and berry lip colours were seen at Chanel, Molly Goddard, Versace and more. We give our verdict on the hottest backstage hair and makeup looks of the season Rated Beauty Trends 1 Sparkle and shimmer The SS23 catwalks were awash with all things sparkly, from diamante-lined lids at Halpern to glitter eyeshadow at Mark Fast and face jewels at Edward Crutchley. WW Verdict: Bejewelled eyelids are best left to the teenagers. But a shimmer eyeshadow is lovely in the summer months. Keep it barely there by day and save the full-on sparkle for nights out. S pring/summer 2023 is all about optimism and individuality, according to the backstage beauty pros who worked their magic on models at the catwalk shows. From shimmery makeup in bold hues to cool girl hair, can the top trending styles of the season work for the rest of us? We give our verdict. 1 Sparkle and shimmer The SS23 catwalks were awash with all things sparkly, from diamante-lined lids at Halpern to glitter eyeshadow at Mark Fast and face jewels at Edward Crutchley. best left to the teenagers. But a shimmer eyeshadow is lovely in the summer months. Keep it barely there by day and save WW Verdict: Dark lip colours are hard to pull off. Try a few if you must and see if you can fi nd one that works for you. Models backstage at Halpern rocking pink sparkly eyeshadow We say leave the bejewelled lids seen at the Halpern show to the teenagers Model backstage at Chanel show which featured lots of berrycoloured lips 22 WOMANSWAY.IE 22-23 WW7 Beauty Trends_AD2CCAMAK.indd 2 22/03/2023 11:31

WOMANSWAY.IE 23 Contributions by Katie Wright, PA Fashion and Beauty Editor BEAUTY 3 Slicked-back hair Bringing a sleek, chic look to long and short styles, slickedback locks was the biggest hair trend to emerge from the spring fashion weeks. Glossy and polished, as seen at Victoria Beckham and Michael Kors, wet look at Huishan Zhang and Molly Goddard, or pushed to one side like the models at Bally. 4 Barely-there brows You may have heard that pencilthin brows are back, and yes, Bella Hadid was spotted with skinny, drawn-on eyebrows during Paris Fashion Week. Makeup artists at Missoni and Dries Van Noten gave brows a naturally groomed look, while at Victoria Beckham brows were lightened slightly to match the muted tones of the eye and lip colours. 5 Airbrushing No, not fl awless foundation or digital trickery – we’re talking rainbow bright eyeshadow and blush that looks like it was applied with an airbrush, as seen at Chet Lo, Etro, Marni and Christian Cowan. 6 Pink The pink craze continues this season with lips in every shade from bubblegum (at Vivienne Westwood) to fuchsia (Paul Costelloe) to magenta (Carolina Herrera). Eyes daubed with matte cream shadow in punchy pink shades took the trend to the next level at Paul & Joe in London, and Alice + Olivia in New York. WW Verdict: From a generation who plucked their eyebrows out of existence, this is a complete fail. Keep what you have and if the young ones want to learn a lesson the hard way, let them. 7 Blunt bobs Gone are the days when every model walking a show had identical, super-long locks. Now, designers value individuality. Bobs are a massive catwalk trend, from the wavy crops at Alberta Ferretti to the bleach-blond wigs at Paul Costelloe, and glossy, blunt locks at Coach and Fendi. Celebrities like Lily Allen and Hailey Bieber have recently unveiled bobs. WW Verdict: A big thumbs up from us. Shorter styles look great on older faces. Long tresses, aside from being hard to maintain, create a dragging effect on skin that’s already trending downwards. Slicked-back hair on the catwalk at Huishan Zhang show Glossy and polished hair on a model backstage at Victoria Beckham Dries Van Noten gave brows a naturally groomed look, while at Victoria Beckham brows were lightened slightly to match the muted tones of the eye and lip colours. 7 Blunt bobs Gone are the days when every model walking a show had identical, super-long locks. Now, designers value individuality. Bobs are a massive catwalk trend, from Airbrusing as seen on a model backstage at the Chet Lo show Model on the catwalk at Coach rocking a blunt bob WW Verdict: Eh, no. WW Verdict: If you have the bone structure, go for it. But it’s a look probably best saved for sun holidays. WW Verdict: We love, love, love. There’s a shade of pink for most skin types. Pale pink creamy blushes are great on older skin and powder pink looks lovely on most eye colours. 22-23 WW7 Beauty Trends_AD2CCAMAK.indd 3 22/03/2023 11:33

24 WOMANSWAY.IE By Prudence Wade “It can work for most people, and be adapted to all skin types simply by choosing the right products for them” Psychodermatology, slugging, skin fl ooding… there are so many new skincare trends, it can be hard to keep up – let alone know what will benefi t your skin, and what could do more harm than good. Every so often, a trend comes along that professionals actually approve of – like skin cycling. Here’s everything you need to know about the remarkably straightforward trend… What is skin cycling? “Skin cycling is essentially using one active ingredient or one specifi c skincare step in the evening per week,” explains Dr Ahmed El Muntasar, a GP and aesthetician. “So, for example, night one, you cleanse and then you use your retinol. Night two, you cleanse and then you use your exfoliant.” The general rule of thumb has nights three and four dedicated to moisturisation and recovery. It tends to work on a fournight cycle, which “allows your skin a few days of recovery and healing time, as a lot of active ingredients can be irritating for the skin”, he says. While most of us have only just heard of skin cycling, it’s not new. “Rotating skin products according to your individual needs within your skincare regime has been around for a long time,” explains Dr Mazin Al-Khafaji, founder of Dermatology M. SKI transform your skincare routine, N This simple technique could CYCLING according to experts. Why do it? A complicated, 12-step skincare routine isn’t for everyone, and skin cycling could be a good way of stripping back your routine and focusing on what actually works. According to El Muntasar, this technique “allows your skin to fully absorb that product and treatment, without your skin getting as irritated or as dry”. And if you’re a skincare newbie, it could help you fi nd a balanced routine. “Some people tend to overuse exfoliants, for example, or certain actives – which can cause sensitivity, or even skin problems such as acne,” Al-Khafaji explains. “So skin cycling is a useful way to measure the applications and balance the use of certain actives, thus maybe reducing irritation and sensitivity to certain ingredients.” And it could also help you get more bang for your buck: “It does also help people have the confi dence to use expensive products, counting active ingredients more economically, rather than every day, thus getting more use out of them,” Al-Khafaji adds. So, who might really benefi t from skin cycling? Al-Khafaji says: “Generally, skin cycling can work for most people, and be adapted to all skin types simply by choosing the right products for them. However, I would not necessarily recommend it to people with hypersensitive skin, or individuals prone to allergies. They need to be careful with their choice of product, and ingredients.” What do people need to know? While there are plenty of suggested guides, El Muntasar warns: “When it comes to skin cycling, I think it’s very much tailored to your needs. So, what would work for patient A might not work for patient B, and this is why I think doing your research and trying to understand your skin is very, very important.” But as a general rule of thumb, he says: “Having a night that’s focused on retinol, another focused on exfoliation and another focused on hydration and moisturising ingredients, such as niacinamide, is important.” You might also want to shorten the number of days in a cycle if you have thicker skin, El Muntasar suggests, but otherwise, it’s all about getting the right products. “Watch out for actually picking the right products, because you’re not getting the ingredients in your skin every single night,” he says. “Keep an eye out for any irritation, redness and dryness that you would usually expect. However, if it’s out of the ordinary, such as any rashes or any excessive pain when you’re applying the product, seek medical opinion urgently.” Al-Khafaji’s top piece of advice is to be patient with skin cycling. “This type of routine may need a little time to adjust to, you may experience fl aking or red skin, especially if applying retinol-based products,” he says. WW 24-25 WW7 Skin Cycling_AD2CCAMAK.indd 2 18/03/2023 15:20

WOMANSWAY.IE 25 By Prudence Wade BEAUTY S TART YOUR SKIN CYCLING ROUTINE SKIN CYCLING NIGHT ONE: EXFOLIATION NIGHT TWO: RETINOL NIGHTS THREE AND FOUR: RECOVERY By Prudence Wade Q+A Glycolic Acid Daily Toner €9.95 Mario Badescu Glycolic Acid Toner €19.40 Vichy Liftactiv 0.2% Pure Retinol Specialist Deep Wrinkles Serum €45 Dermalogica Dynamic Skin Retinol Serum €99 Skin Proud Sleep Hero Overnight Sleep Mask €15 FaceGym Hydro-Bound Daily Serum €40 Dr. Brandt Hyaluronic Facial Cream €94 24-25 WW7 Skin Cycling_AD2CCAMAK.indd 3 18/03/2023 15:21

T he fashion shows are over and the trends have been set. As usual, not all of them are practical or even wearable, if you don’t happen to be six foot tall and rake thin. But there’s a surprising number that can be adapted for mere mortals. Here are some worth trying... Utility Major fashion houses including Fendi, Balmain, Dior and Versace declared cargo pants this season’s must-have – albeit soft, slinky trousers in pretty colours, rather than the starchy, beige kind. There were also plenty of cargo skirts and dresses. Multi-pocket minis were seen at Miu Miu, Louis Vuitton and Coach. This is a fashion trend I can get behind, since it’s so very wearable and makes a nice change from my go-to black trousers for formal and jeans for everyday. There are plenty to choose from in the shops. My own preference is for something with a bit of give (about two per cent elastane) so they’re comfortable to wear. And I’ll be honest here and admit I’m not a fan of the baggy parachute variety (even on young ones); they do nothing even for the skinniest among us. Also beware of anything with too much material around the hips, particularly if that’s not the favourite part of your body, or any with too heavy a material that will bag everywhere you don’t want trousers to bag. Silver Silver takes fi rst place this season, thanks to the glitzy gowns at Dolce & Gabbana, Gucci and Jason Wu. It’s also bang on trend for jewellery and accessories. It’s a great colour for older women. Helen Mirren has rocked many a silver dress on the red carpet. A silver dress or top refl ects light towards the face which helps mimic a youthful glow. A silver scarf around the neck will do the same thing. Next Sosander Silver Sequin Dress €109 Oxendales Khaki Straight Leg Cargo Trousers €45 Carissa Casey rounds up the key style trends for the spring/summer season and how to make them work for you. Trend 26 WOMANSWAY.IE he fashion shows are over and the trends have been set. As usual, not all of them are practical or even wearable, if you don’t happen to be six foot tall and rake thin. But there’s a surprising number that can be Silver takes fi rst place this season, thanks to the glitzy gowns at Dolce & Gabbana, Gucci and Jason Wu. It’s also bang on trend for jewellery and It’s a great colour for older women. Helen Mirren has rocked many a silver dress Carissa Casey rounds up the key style trends for the spring/summer season and how to Next Khaki Formal Cargo Trousers €41.20 Marks & Spencer Silver Bag €49 26-27 WW7 Style Trends_AD2CCAMAK.indd 2 23/03/2023 10:47

STYLE Bold blues Finally, a rival to the ubiquitous pink that has ruled the runways (and the red carpet) in recent seasons – blue is back. Statement shades like cobalt, royal and electric blue were used to great effect at Richard Quinn, David Koma and Alexander McQueen. I’m not giving up on fuchsia pink but I do love these shades of blue. They’re very easy to wear and go with pretty much everything. Understated tailoring and muted colours At London Fashion Week slouchy, oversized tailoring was seen at Eudon Choi, Rejina Pyo and Eftychia in muted tones like slate, mushroom grey, mint and jade. This is a tricky one, if you’re not blessed with a model’s fi gure. It’s easy to feel swamped in some of the styles around. I bought an oversized suit, wore it once and then donated it to the charity shop. I felt like it added a good stone to my fi gure which was entirely lost in all that fabric. That said, I have a slightly oversized grey jacket that I robbed from my husband’s wardrobe and I wore it a lot last year. I expect I’ll do the same this spring/summer. It’s not so big that I feel like an American footballer but it’s still loose enough to make even the plainest outfi t a little chic. It’s well made and beautifully cut which I think really helps. I keep everything else slim fi tting, so no baggy trousers or over-sized knits. As for the muted tones, to be frank they’re just not my thing. There’s a serious beige vibe in all the shops since neutrals are back in a big way. I’m fi ne with cream or beige (or a combo of the two) but personally I’ll be sticking to strong colours. WW Skirts Skirts are the new fl oral dresses which have kind of reached saturation point in most women’s wardrobes. Maxis obviously work best on taller women but the short of stature can simply raise the hemline to midi or even knee length. The joy of skirts is that we can style them to suit our own particular shape, using whatever we already have in our wardrobes. Go for one colour top-to-toe if you want to elongate your body or - if you’re like me - pair withthe mutlitude of black pieces you already own. They also make great transitional pieces. Team with a soft cashmere knit and boots in colder weather. Go for a crisp white shirt and chunky loafers or your favourite trainers for those inbetween days. And in summer, just throw on a t-shirt and a pair of sandals. Key to making them work is to keep the silhouette neat. Most of us can’t get away with pairing a skirt with anything too oversized; we’re trendsetters not bag ladies. Think in terms of a fi ne knit, slim-fi tting jumper, a tailored shirt or a silky drapey t-shirt or top. Sheer One of the biggest trends of the season, sheer fabrics were seen everywhere from Erdem, Victoria Beckham and Nensi Dojaka in London, to Prada, Fendi and Bottega Veneta in Milan. Most of us wouldn’t be seen dead wearing anything that shows our underwear. But a lacy or sheer top over a camisole works beautifully on nearly everyone. I’m loving ripped cotton jumpers; I’ve one in white from Zara sitting in my wardrobe waiting for a sunny day. If ripped isn’t your thing, the shops are full of pointelle knits or those crochet jumpers in lots of lovely bright colours. I think these look great if the bottoms are nicely casual in the form of jeans or even cargo pants. Anything too formal and you risk looking more Victorian dame than the fabulous on-trend fashionista you actually are. dresses which have kind of Understated tailoring reached saturation point in most women’s wardrobes. shape, using whatever we already have in our Monsoon Plain Blazer in Blue €89 (reduced) Marks & Spencer Autograph, Wool Blend Single Breasted Blazer with Silk €140 Straight Leg Trousers €95 Zara Sweater with Ripped Effect €29.95 V by Very Bias Cut Midi Skirt €24 Zara Floral Print Skirt €39.95 Cos Relaxed Fit Wool Blazer €150 WOMANSWAY.IE 27 26-27 WW7 Style Trends_AD2CCAMAK.indd 3 22/03/2023 15:18

There truly is nothing like putting on your favourite pair of jeans. They are like an old friend, the ultimate moodbooster and when you’ve got them, you feel as though you can take on the world. Since it fi rst emerged as workwear in the late 1800s, denims have never really been out of style and it’s not hard to see why. Flattering, versatile and hard-wearing, denim has evolved to become so much more than just a pair of jeans. From dresses, to skirts, shirts and jackets, denim is a go-to for most people. In terms of jeans, we’re living in a golden era where everything from the stretchy skinny to the wide legged varieties are available. Ignore the trends and go for a pair that works with your own body shape. Equally while long denim skirts are back, look for a length that won’t swamp your frame. Midis are a good compromise, or why not look for lighter, softer denim material that won’t be so stiff. Denim dresses are another gorgeous option. Cap sleeves and nipped-in waists are very fl attering; simply change up your footwear and a denim dress can take you anywhere. Double denim is having a moment once again. Britney Spears and Justin Timberlake may have scarred us for life in their matchy-matchy moment in 2001 but try and think of Debbie Harry in her iconic late Seventies era instead and you’ve got it. WW Here are some of our favourite denim fi nds available right now. By Niamh O’Reilly M&S Collection Eva Bootcut Jeans €32, Marks and Spencer Maxine Skirt €255, visit rixolondon.com Denim is always a good idea. The iconic fabric is the ultimate style staple that never goes out of fashion and this season there’s more choice than ever on how you wear it. Denim Days good compromise, or why not look for lighter, softer denim material that won’t be so stiff. Denim dresses are another gorgeous option. Cap sleeves and nipped-in waists are very fl attering; simply change up your footwear and a denim dress can take you anywhere. Double denim is having a moment once again. Britney Spears and Justin Timberlake may have scarred us for life in their matchy-matchy moment in 2001 but try and think of Debbie Harry in her iconic late Seventies era instead and you’ve got it. Here are some of our favourite denim fi nds available right now. 28 WOMANSWAY.IE here truly is nothing like putting on your favourite pair of jeans. They are like booster and when you’ve got them, you feel as though you can take on in the late 1800s, denims have never really been out of style and it’s not hard to see why. Flattering, versatile and hard-wearing, denim has evolved to become so much more than just a pair of jeans. From dresses, to skirts, shirts and jackets, denim is a go-to for most people. In terms of jeans, we’re living in a golden era where everything from the stretchy skinny to the wide legged varieties are available. Ignore the trends and go for a pair that works with your own body shape. Equally while long denim skirts are back, look for a length that won’t swamp your frame. Midis are a good compromise, or why not look for lighter, softer denim material that won’t be so stiff. Denim dresses are another gorgeous option. Cap sleeves and nipped-in waists are very fl attering; simply change up your footwear and a denim dress can take you anywhere. Double denim is having a moment once again. Britney Spears and Justin Timberlake may have scarred us for life in more choice than ever on how you wear it. Plus Cinched Oversized Denim Shirt €38, visit boohoo.com Next Rinse Blue Denim Midi Shirt Dress €61.50 Fat Face Ottile Oversized Denim Jacket €91 Maxine Skirt €255, visit rixolondon.com McElhinneys White Stuff Poppy Midi Denim Skirt €79.95 Minnie Denim Jacket €676, visit nynne.eu 28-29 WW7 Denim_AD2CCAMAK.indd 2 23/03/2023 11:03

STYLE By Niamh O’Reilly Maxine Skirt €255, visit rixolondon.com Next Mid Blue Tiered Maxi Denim Skirt €54 Penneys Blue High-Waisted Flared Denim Jeans €20 Mos Mosh Bai Denim Trousers €150, visit macbees.ie Next Rinse Blue Patch Pocket Formal Wide Leg Jeans €67 Oliver Bonas Light Denim Short Sleeve Boilersuit €110 Munthe Jally Blue Dress €329, visit musewaterford.ie COS Tapered Ankle Length Jeans €79 Zizzi Jamina Kimono in Blue Denim €27.50, visit wardrobeplus.ie Marks & Spencer Denim V-Neck Midaxi Tiered Shirt Dress €75 Bacall Denim Trouser €350, visit nynne.eu New Look Tori Mom Jeans €39.99 Monsoon Embroidered Denim Midi Dress €106 lana Denim Shirt Dress €49.99, visit iclothing.com Everyday Long Sleeve Dress €45, visit very.ie McElhinneys Masai Silje Soft Denim Skirt Light Blue €129 WOMANSWAY.IE 29 Vila Tie Waist Denim Dress €49.99 28-29 WW7 Denim_AD2CCAMAK.indd 3 22/03/2023 16:16

30 WOMANSWAY.IE Deb Fanning Pastel Flower Power Crown €289 DEB FANNING debfanning.com A hat lover all her life, Deb completed a design course in 2011 and never looked back. Her pieces are known for their eclectic colours and mix of fabrics. 1 Buy your outfi t fi rst and then work your hat and accessories around it. 2 Consider choosing something that you might be able to wear more than once. 3 Don't be afraid to go for something a little different. Hats and headpieces can make people feel really confi dent. Try on as many styles as you want and need to before choosing the right shape and size for you. Easter From Audrey Hepburn to Sarah Jessica Parker, hats have always been associated with style and elegance. Niamh O’Reilly meets the Irish milliners who are rewriting the rulebook on hats. T hey used to say if you want to get ahead, get a hat. No longer a status symbol however, hats are now an expression of style, personality and often a chance to play dress up. Adding a hat to an outfi t can be a complete game changer. It can instantly transform the overall look and tone. It can add drama, colour and when you fi nd the right hat, it’s the ultimate confi dence booster. Today most of us reserve those eyecatching hats for once-off special occasions. Instead, we tend to reach for pared-back beanies or baseball caps for day-to-day wear. However, there’s a growing number of Irish milliners who are redefi ning the idea of the hat and how we wear it. Deb Fanning’s feminine and fl oral creations are breaking new ground with their wearability. “Headpieces are so popular right now. The piece might be smaller but the embellishments like the fl owers, feathers, beadings can be even more daring,” she says. Fellow milliner Siobhan Boyce echoes Deb’s sentiments. “I love the transition we’re seeing from the traditional hat styles to more modern contemporary headpieces, fascinators and hatinators.” Philip Treacy protégé Freya Oatway is also seeing shifting attitudes. “A lot of customers come to me for a hat that they can wear on several different occasions and work as a sun hat for example.” Women are clearly investing in hats as key wardrobe pieces, but what about the idea that you need a face for hats? “It’s defi nitely a myth,” says Freya. “A hat can balance your proportions and features. It can add height or width, soften angles, or give more structure. You just need to fi nd a hat that works for you.” WW Easter From Audrey Hepburn to Sarah Jessica Parker, hats have always been associated with style and elegance. Bonnets colours and mix of fabrics. Buy your outfi t fi rst and then 30 31 WW07 Irish Milliners SCCCSC2AMAK.indd 2 22/03/2023 16:40

STYLE WOMANSWAY.IE 31 Siobhan Boyce Millinery Aurora Pink Butterfl y Pillbox €230 FREYA OATWAY faomillinery.com Contemporary hat maker and milliner Freya Oatway draws her inspiration and ideas from her love of art, travel and natural aesthetics. She interned with Philip Treacy and completed a millinery course at the London College of Fashion. 1 For me, it's about confi dence and what you feel comfortable in. Once you fi nd your hat you will have a gut reaction, feel fabulous and stand taller. The hat needs to work for you and with the style of the outfi t. Think about what you feel confi dent in. 2 Can you wear it again on another occasion? Perhaps choose a colour you know suits you and will wear again. 3 Watch out for the brim size. Will there be lots of photos at the event? Lots of hugging? Take all of this into account as you want to feel comfortable. CAROL KENNELLY MILLINERY carolkennellymillinery.com After winning Best Dressed at The Galway Races in 2008, wearing a hat she made herself, Carol used her cash prize to take a millinery course to learn the fi ner details of her hobby. In 2010, she launched her very own label. 1 The size and style of the hat or headpiece should be appropriate for the occasion. What might be sensational for the Royal enclosure at Royal Ascot may be over the top for a guest at a small foreign wedding. 2 As hats are positioned so close to the face, it is important to choose shades that fl atter your colouring and complexion. The wrong shade can make the wearer look tired. 3 Make sure the hat you choose feels effortlessly comfortable and secure. You do not want to be fi dgeting with it or worrying that it will blow away. SIOBHAN BOYCE MILLINERY siobhanboycemillinery.com Limerick-based fashion lover Siobhan Boyce studied with award-winning milliner Lina Stein and went on to set up her own line of handmade hats. 1 When going to your appointment with your milliner, always bring your full outfi t with you as you must consider how the hat will fi t in with your overall look. 2 Make sure you choose the right size and shape to suit your face. 3 Remember you are going to be wearing this hat all day so make sure it is comfortable to wear and it sits securely on your head. You don’t want it to come fl ying off with a gust of wind. ideas from her love of art, travel and natural aesthetics. After winning Best Dressed at The Galway Races in Lina Stein and went on to consider how the hat FAO Millinery Gwendolyn €265 Carol Kennelly Millinery Royal Blue Trilby with Butterfl ies €395 Carol Kennelly Millinery Ivory Leather Flower Lulu Pearl Hairband €475 30 31 WW07 Irish Milliners SCCCSC2AMAK.indd 3 22/03/2023 16:40

COMPETITION Win To enter, please answer the following question: WHICH COUNTY IS SEABODY BASED IN? HOW TO ENTER Email your answer by April 10 to: [email protected] including your name, address and telephone number and labelling your mail ‘The SEABODY Competition’ This Woman's Way competition is open to anyone resident in NI and the Republic of Ireland, aged 18 and over, except employees and their families of Harmonia Publishing, its printers and anyone else connected with the competition. No purchase is necessary. We will only accept one competition entry per reader. Prizes are awarded by drawing entries after the closing date. Winners will be notifi ed by email. The editor’s decision is fi nal. 32 WOMANSWAY.IE To enter, please answer the following question: WHICH COUNTY IS SEABODY COMPETITION A €500 HAMPER FROM LUXURY IRISH WELLNESS BRAND SEABODY SEABODY has €500 worth of luxury skincare and supplement products to give away to one lucky reader. Taking a relaxing dip in the ocean is wonderful for your wellbeing, and is certainly something many of us have embraced over the past few years, but did you know that it’s also great for your skin? Research shows that marine plants, like seaweed, have unique benefi ts for our skin and overall wellness, but do you really know what it is within seaweed that makes it so special? SEABODY, a County Kerry based biotech company, is unlocking the next generation of marine molecules from ocean plants and developing a high-tech range of skincare and supplements, sustainably, from sea to self. Every element has been considered to ensure the SEABODY range is sustainable, plant based, cruelty free and luxurious to use, the perfect range of products for those with a keen interest in skincare, natural ingredients, sustainability and supporting Irish. COMPETITION 32 WW7 SEABODY Comp KOT2CCAMAK.indd 2 18/03/2023 15:22

WOMANSWAY.IE 33 HAIR By Imy Brighty-Potts, PA Want long, thick, healthy hair? Rosemary oil may be the solution. Rosemary oil is a pale oil derived from the herb rosemary, which has a strong, fresh fragrance and is often hailed for its antiinfl ammatory, soothing and anti-oxidising qualities. People claim they’ve experienced better hair growth and hair health while using it, with many massaging it directly into their scalp. So, is there any truth to the trend? Why are people using rosemary oil on their hair? “In recent years, there have been claims that rosemary oil may be great for hair growth,” says Jeff El Zenny, trichologist at The London Hair Clinic. “Some say it could even prevent hair loss, pointing to Mediterranean cultures’ use of rosemary in hair rinses to promote hair growth for hundreds of years as supporting evidence.” Oliver Amodio, stylist at Blue Tit East Village, says: “Rosemary oil, among other oils, has many properties that are good for the scalp. It has anti-infl ammatory and antioxidising properties that could help with problems associated with hair loss, such as a dry or infl amed scalp. “It also does help increase blood fl ow, which is one factor contributing to hair growth. Therefore, using rosemary oil regularly in a mask or adding it to your shampoo could reap some benefi ts.” Will rosemary oil work for everyone? Even if it does potentially promote some hair growth, this doesn’t mean rosemary oil will work for everyone in this way, and all hair types. “It’s not the miracle product that will solve the problem, as there are multiple factors that play a part when it comes to hair loss,” says Amodio. If you are experiencing hair loss, you may need to look more closely at what is going on for you – there can sometimes be different underlying causes. “When I have a client that is suffering from hair loss and growth issues, they sometimes are looking for something off the shelf for immediate help, but we look into the root of the problem,” says Amodio. “Firstly, I look for signs of regrowth to confi rm there is hair coming back. Then we look at the lifestyle, things like a stressful work environment or a big event that may have happened – from a positive wedding to a death in the family, all of which could be triggers. “We further talk about good sleep hygiene and a well-balanced diet – a lack of vitamins from a diet change could affect hair growth, even if you think it may be a healthy change.” Are there any risks to be aware of? Any substance when applied to the skin can potentially cause irritation or reactions – and this includes those that are ‘natural’. So it’s always important to do your own research and seek advice if you have any pre-existing skin conditions. Rosemary oil may have a harmful impact if you have a sensitive scalp, for example. “For those with very sensitive scalps, it can cause irritation, so use sparingly on the fi rst occasion. “Avoid getting this into the eyes as will cause a burning or stinging sensation,” says El Zenny. WW Rosemary Oil Could rosemary oil be the secret to luscious, healthy locks? We ask the experts. 33 WW7 Rosemary KOT2CCAMAK.indd 3 18/03/2023 15:31

By Sam Wylie-Harris, PA and Norah Casey 34 WOMANSWAY.IE With spring veggies coming into season, this delightful rose print picnic or tableware was made for spinach salads tossed with spring onions and a drizzle of olive oil. 2 Oliver Bonas Lila Floral Green Ceramic Jug €41.50, visit oliverbonas.com/ie Anything you serve up will taste that much more refreshing in this joyful jug. 3 Tom Tailor Handtowels €2 each, visit wayfair.de Mix’n’match these gorgeous 100 per cent cotton greens for a spa-like haven. Available in olive, eucalyptus, light mint, aqua and petrol. S age accents, faux foliage, grasses and leafy illustrations are all bringing fresh life into home décor right now. As springtime hots up and buds bloom, the temptation to forage for greenery and channel new beginnings is hard to resist. In fact, many interior experts are even citing green as the new grey, with a spike in sales for all things green. “Avocado has been in the style wilderness since those Seventies bathtubs were ripped out in favour of dazzling white,” says John Lewis colour expert, Melanie Archer. “But now it’s fi nding love again among a new generation, who want some colour and joy in their lives. “What we are seeing is far more than green shoots – with the colour poised to overtake grey as the interior shade of choice,” Archer adds. Here’s our edit of the best green pieces to bag now… 1 Rose Melamine Side Plate €14; Dinner Plate €15, and Beaker €11, visit sophieallport.com 4 Excelsa Green Toilet €26.48, visit eprice.it Why not splash out on a little love for the hardest working bathroom accessory with this gorgeous showstopper toilet brush. 5 Tom Raffi eld Morvah Ceiling Hanging Planter €219.49, visit tomraffi eld.com Summon nature inside, and transform your space with this beautiful steam-bent piece of solid oak which loops around and embraces a hand-glazed earthenware planter bowl creating a unique, ceiling hanging feature. 6 Lexington Olive Green Two Line Satin Stitch detail White Egyptian Co‘ on Sateen Luxury Bed Linen from €36.02, visit thefi neco oncompany.com Sink into these glorious smooth, silk-like sateen cotton sheets and bed linen for that boutique hotel feeling. Made with Egyptian Green Spring 1 2 In case you haven't heard, green is the new grey. Here are 12 ways to weave tranquil green into your home and celebrate the arrival of spring. 9 By Sam Wylie-Harris, PA and Norah Casey 34-35 WW7 Interiors_AD2CCAMAK.indd 2 18/03/2023 15:36

By Sam Wylie-Harris, PA and Norah Casey INTERIORS WOMANSWAY.IE 35 cotton yarns, you'll be sleeping in this classic Lexington set for years. 7 Divine Savages Kyoto Blossom Willow Green Wallpaper €168.84, visit divinesavages.com Bring some fl oral fantasy to your home with this enchanting Kyoto Blossom wallpaper with a mellow green base and accents of pink and cream. Pair it with vintage pieces for a beautifully eclectic interior. 8‘Olive Green Plants' Mural by Carol Robinson €48/sq m (made to measure), visit wallsauce.com Feel like you’re walking through a summer meadow with stunning Olive Green Plants wallpaper. Fresh and fl oral, this fl ower wallpaper celebrates a mix of blue, yellow and purple shades. 11 6 5 Bring some fl oral fantasy to your home with this enchanting Kyoto Blossom wallpaper with a mellow green base and accents of pink and cream. Pair it with vintage pieces for a beautifully eclectic interior. ‘Olive Green Plants' Mural by Carol Robinson €48/sq m (made to measure), visit wallsauce.com Feel like you’re walking through a summer meadow with stunning Olive Green Plants wallpaper. Fresh and fl oral, this fl ower wallpaper celebrates a mix of blue, yellow and purple shades. Bring some fl oral fantasy to your home with this enchanting Kyoto Blossom wallpaper with a mellow green base and accents of pink and cream. Pair it with vintage pieces for a beautifully eclectic interior. 8‘Olive Green Plants' Mural by Carol Robinson €48/sq m (made to measure), visit wallsauce.com Feel like you’re walking through a summer meadow with stunning Olive Green Plants wallpaper. Fresh and fl oral, this fl ower 9Vintage Green Glass Carboy €106.93, visit nataliawillmo .co.uk A demijohn bottle vintage glass carboy in a lovely green colour makes a beautiful statement piece for any home, from scandi to rustic themes. And as Natalia says: “It looks fabulous with a branch and decorated with some wild fl owers.” 10 Green Rice Basket with Leather Handles €49.90, visit takatomo.de This beautiful green tonal rice basket fi ts perfectly on almost any shelf. It has two sturdy leather handles and is perfect as a toy basket or knick-knack box. Better still, it is produced under fair conditions in Madagascar. 11 Light Green Glass Candle Holder €15.76, visit talkingtables.co.uk This beautiful candle holder makes a lovely addition to your Easter tablescape, kitchen table or for dinner parties with friends and summer nights in the garden. 12Artichoke Ceramic Vase €12 (reduced from €39), visit next.ie With artichokes at their peak, now’s the time to top this fetching vase with fragrant 3 viburnum. WW 12 4 10 7 34-35 WW7 Interiors_AD2CCAMAK.indd 3 18/03/2023 15:38

By Sam Wylie-Harris, PA 36 WOMANSWAY.IE 3 French Blue Embroidered Bedspread French Bedroom €147.37, visit frenchbedroomcompany.co.uk This generously-sized bedspread is adorned with a pretty quilted pattern of swirling fl oral motifs. Fresh, elegant and graceful it will add an extra layer of warmth and give the fi nishing styling touch when dressing your bed. 4 Duvet Cover Set NELL Sateen, Double Set, Light Grey €40 (reduced from €79.99), visit jysk.ie Contemporary in soft grey, this sateen stripe in 100 per cent cotton creates a luminous look that goes well with artisan pieces. 5 Sheridan Asmara Quilt Cover Set €77.50 to €90, visit arno s.ie What better way to welcome springtime than dressing the bed with sprays of wildfl owers? Made from soft cotton sateen with contrast print on reverse, this fl oral print is a natural bedfellow with soft greys and soothing peach tones to bring home the granny chic trend. 6 Duvet Cover Set TOVE Double Blue, from €49.99, visit jysk.ie Seaside stripes teamed with blue throws and I t’s the dream ticket in this day and age – a great night’s sleep. There is nothing more wonderful than waking up after a long uninterrupted night. From snuggling down into a comfy mattress and duvet to creating that perfect wind-down space, investing in a little spring refresh of your bedroom couldn’t be more timely. Here’s how to style up your slumber and bring a positive frame of mind… 1 My Home Moda Tied Duvet Cover and Pillowcase Set by My Home from €10.20; Pack of Two Muslin Cushion Covers €9.07; Muslin Throw in Sage €14.74, visit therange.co.uk In a simplistic and elegant design, this set is ideal for bedrooms with a modern and minimalistic theme. Featuring stylish ties on the pillowcases and bottom of the duvet cover, this will add a charming boutique feel to your space. 2 Rosalie Bed Linen Collection Single Oxford Pillowcase €59; Double Duvet Cover €176; Flat Sheet €143, visit thewhitecompany.com This chalky white palette looks so clean and fresh, with intricate embroidery detailing giving this linen-cotton blend the edge. Team with natural rattan furnishings and cotton throws for understated chic. cotton muslin curtains hint at coastal style and laid-back living. 7 Dreams Knox Velvet-Finish Bed Frame, Pink King Size €779, visit rabbe esfurniture.ie For a boutique hotel, fi ve-star feel, this stunning pink velvet bed frame offers the most uplifting fi nish. Easy on the eye, the plush panelled headboard will transform any space and style up those sheets. 8 DFS Litcham King O“ oman Set Geltex in Pebble Herringbone €1,379, visit dfs.ie With cool grays trending big time thanks to its links with wellbeing, this neutral and elegant bed will imbibe a sense of calm. 9 M&S Collection Co“ on Blend Daisy Print Bedding Set from €24; M&S Colelction Watercolour Lines Bedding Set from €24; M&S Collection Co“ on Rich Ruffl e Edge Bedding Set from €27, visit marksandspencer.com/ie Dial up your beauty sleep with these dreamy bedding collections and furnishings for some bedtime bliss. Duvet Dreams 1 2 36-37 WW7 Interiors - Bedding KOT2CCAMAK.indd 2 21/03/2023 14:19

By Sam Wylie-Harris, PA INTERIORS WOMANSWAY.IE 37 If you love to mix it up with prints, ruffl es and stripes for a vintage, cottagecore aesthetic, these three sets fall beautifully into place – and create a gorgeous retreat from the cares of the day. 10 Savoy Bed Linen Collection in White/Navy Single Oxford Pillowcase €37; Double Duvet Cover €143; Double Flat Sheet €94, visit thewhitecompany. com For a sophisticated take, this Savoy bedding collection looks sharp. Combining luxurious 400-thread-count Egyptian-cotton percale with navy piping, imagine how sublimely sumptuous this will feel when you climb into bed. WW 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 3 36-37 WW7 Interiors - Bedding KOT2CCAMAK.indd 3 21/03/2023 14:20

38 WOMANSWAY.IE time as I go through second cousins twice removed, where he or she went to school, grew up, worked and fi nally a tiny thread will emerge. Something like his sister knew my sister’s best friend. ‘Ah now I have you’; I declare with relief. But here’s the oddest thing, while I am gleeful over fi nding one fellow countryman or woman. I am allergic to going anywhere that hordes of Irish holidaymakers populate in the summer months. This tendency among us Irish to swarm a sunny outpost holds no attraction for me. So we gave Marbella a miss and headed to more obscure destinations. But having planned and cancelled many travel review trips because of various concerns across Europe and with only a week to go to the Easter holidays I reluctantly settled on Marbella as a base for exploring Andalucía. It’s only a few hours away by plane with Ryanair and Aer Lingus options, I found a great hotel and it was an easy drive to places like Seville, Granada and Cádiz. And anyway how bad could it be? Marbella Old Town So let me be upfront. I went with zero expectations of liking Marbella, my plan was I rish people have a habit of gravitating towards their own when away from home. Even when I have been in the furthest reaches of civilization I get excited when I hear an Irish accent and I babble on about how we might be connected. Sometimes this can take some to put up with it as a convenient location for travelling around the region and writing about the beauty of Seville and the stunning scenery in the mountains around Ronda and Granada. But I fell in love with it. The locals say it's not a shadow of its glitzy glamorous heyday, the parties are less brash and it's no longer a magnate for the A-listers, but I liked it all the more because of that. Easter was unusually quiet, it was sunny and pleasant in the old town and we lost hours strolling around the cobbled streets and stopping for tapas and the odd glass of wine during long lazy days. Plaza de los Naranjos (Orange Square) is the heart of the old town, it's buzzy and touristy and the food in the many restaurants is overpriced but we still went there for sundown every evening to sip a glass of wine and soak up the atmosphere. Off the beaten track we found some gems, Cortes Café on Calle Peral (cortescafe.com) do a great tapas selection for €10, a brilliant Italian, Stuzzikini (stuzzikini. com), where we waited for the kitchen to cope with the demand of the small space, the Sicilian Caponata (€15) made it well worth the wait. On our fi rst night we stumbled upon Arco’s Tapas bar where the staff took Proud, passionate and mysterious, Spain’s beautiful Andalucía has given the world the thrill of the fl amenco dance, the swirl of the matador’s cape, the fi nest sherries and a legion of World Unesco Heritage sites. Norah Casey follows the trail of Christopher Columbus and peeks beneath the skirts of Life on Marbs. Andalucía EASTER in Alhambra, Granada 38-41 WW7 Marbella FinalNC.indd 2 23/03/2023 12:47

TRAVEL WOMANSWAY.IE 39 matters into their own hands and sent out scrumptious fried aubergine with sugar-cane honey, fi ne Jamon Iberico and artisan sheep cheese. Fellow foodies kept up a constant stream of recommendations on twitter and we game-fully tried out most of them. What I loved about Marbella was how easy it was to walk everywhere. We walked miles every day, exploring the lane-ways of the old town and venturing through the cool leafy subtropical Parque de la Alameda to linger on the ornately tiled benches on the way to the sea front. The surreal Salvador Dali sculptures of the Avenida del Mar look like they have been honed by the wind and sea itself as you ramble onwards towards the Paseo Maritimo where the seafront restaurants spill onto the promenade. Some afternoons Dara and I lost an hour or so sipping coffee and making up stories about the strollers (the late Maeve Binchy told me once it was good practice for creative writing!). Semana Santa (Holy Week) The Easter processions reminded me of my childhood when we donned our communion dresses and walked like angels through the streets behind the statue of the Virgin Mary held aloft on a makeshift platform. But only vaguely, as our ramshackle homemade Legion of Mary procession is nothing like the full on Spanish extravaganza. We arrived on Holy Thursday so caught daily processions until Easter Monday – each featuring different colours and music and iconography from the soulful trumpets and purple hues of the hooded penitents on Holy Thursday to the black cassocks and mantillas of the dark days of Good Friday through to the joyous white, red and gold spectacle of Easter Sunday. We even got to go backstage to see the enormous bejewelled statues being cleaned and repaired for their annual outing carried along on Tronos (elaborate thrones). We lined the streets along with the locals to catch a glimpse of the marching bands and the cute children. It was magnifi cent. Puerto Banús So you might wonder why this lovely historic idyll has earned a reputation for brassiness. Fortunately or unfortunately it shares spaces on this coastline with what regulars call the 'Port of Abuse'. Puerto Banús is unashamedly a playground for the uber-wealthy and those who want to gawk at them. That said, we really enjoyed strolling around taking in the Continued overleaf >> Orange Square, Marbella “We caught daily processions - each featuring different colours and music and iconography” Marbella's Old Town Semana Santa (Holy Week) La Semana Santa Procession in Andalucía Spanish Tapas, Marbella 38-41 WW7 Marbella FinalNC.indd 3 23/03/2023 12:47

40 WOMANSWAY.IE The sherry from each area has its own distinctive fl avours and characteristics and a good guide will help with the tastings. While you may not be a connoisseur at the end of the day you will have enjoyed lots of this magical golden elixir from the very dry to the succulently sweet. Try to book tickets to an equestrian performance at the Real Escuela Andaluza del Arte Ecuestre, (between €15 to €34, visit realescuela.org) or you can visit the stables outside of the performance time. Lamborghinis, Ferraris and Rolls Royces as well as the mega yachts and their occupants. The architect who built Beverly Hills, Noldi Schreck, was the brainchild for the marina and tourism complexes. When it opened in May 1970, Playboy’s Hugh Hefner rubbed shoulders with the Aga Khan, Prince Rainier and Princess Grace of Monaco and heart transplant pioneer Dr Christiaan Barnard. It's that kind of place! You are as likely to see the cast of TOWIE and Life on Marbs as Michelle Obama, the King of Saudi Arabia and Eva Longoria. It’s defi nitely lost a lot of the glitz and glamour since Audrey Hepburn and Cary Grant holidayed back in the day. Now, instead of presidents, princes and acting royalty, the wealthy residents and super-yacht owners are more likely to be ‘new money’ from indeterminate sources. Locals will regularly and wistfully recall meeting George Clooney who was on the hunt for a house, or the excitement of Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt paying a visit back when they were a couple, not to mention Posh and Becks, Lady Gaga and Hugh Grant. Puerto Banús is an odd milieu of opulent villas, designer shops, sex clubs and lots and lots of plastic surgery clinics. There is nothing elegant or sophisticated about Puerto Banus; it's full on bling. But it’s fun all the same and the shopping is amazing. EXCURSIONS & DAY TRIPS Snowy Peaks and Stunning Vistas I was a regular visitor to Nerja for a few years (north of Malaga) and did some rambling day trips to wonderful historic landmarks and pretty ‘Peublos Blancos’, Berber whitewashed villages dotted around the hillsides of La Alpujarra. In Andalucía and neighbouring Malaga you can spend the morning skiing on the snowy peaks of the Sierra Nevada and the afternoon on the sunny beaches of the Costa del Sol. On this trip there was only time to do the more spectacular gems of the region. We started early from Marbella and revisited the best of the best on a memorable day trip that included some incredible UNESCO World Heritage sites. The unmissable palace of Alhambra at Granada, the Islamic temple of Mezquita at Córdoba and the Moorish fortress of Alcazaba which stands guard over the port of Almeria. If you have the time it’s really worth driving on to Ronda, a city layered with history from the Romans (Julius Caesar fi rst declared it a city) to the Moors. Marvel at the view over the Serranía de Ronda mountains from the 18th century Puente Nuevo. Regardless of how you feel about bullfi ghting (I’m not a fan) the old bullring at Ronda is worth a visit. This is the birthplace of Spanish bullfi ghting and every September it is host to the Corrida Goyescaa where the fi ghters pay homage to Goya’s work. The Sherry Triangle The best advice I can give you is to book a driver for a day and take in some of the great bodegas (wine cellars) north of Cadiz for a tasting tour with some of the region's best sherry and brandy producers. Jerez de la Frontera (the origin of the English word Sherry) is not only home to great sherry producers but is the birthplace of Flamenco dance and the magnifi cent dancing Andalucían horses. It forms one of the three points of the Sherry Triangle, the other two being Sanlucar de Barrameda and El Puerto de Santa Maria to the south. The Feria de Abril in Seville Bull fi ghting at Ronda Kite surfi ng in Tarifa The Sherry Triangle, Andalucía 38-41 WW7 Marbella FinalNC.indd 4 23/03/2023 12:47

TRAVEL WOMANSWAY.IE 41 Tarifa Where the Mediterranean and the Atlantic meet lies the town of Tarifa in Cadiz famous for tuna fi shing, kite surfi ng and all manner of wind sports. It’s also the most southern point of mainland Europe with strong Arabic infl uence, the African continent is just 14 kilometres away with a regular ferry service to Tangier. We stopped off for a few hours to see the remains of the ancient medieval walls and the Moorish fortifi cation, the Castle of Guzman el Bueno. The beaches of Los Lances, Valdevaqueros or Punta Paloma are spectacular. There’s a bit of a hipster vibe about Tarifa, pretty low key on the touristy spectrum with nice well-priced hotels and hostels. It’s charming and real – a rare combination. Don’t expect fancy high-end restaurants, the cafés are full of locals and serve great seafood (especially Bluefi n tuna). The Rock of Gibraltar Missable, especially the queues. You still need a passport to enter the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar which is no longer in the EU and out-with the Customs Union so you can still buy duty free there – hence the long custom check queues to get back into Spain. The Rock is pretty dramatic but otherwise head on once you’ve taken the pictures and marvelled at this Colonial outcrop. We got delayed for an hour as I tried to recount to Dara the details of the documentary Death on the Rock and the aftermath of the SAS shooting dead three members of the IRA ten years before he was born. Cádiz If you plan on visiting Cádiz, set aside a half day, it’s a bit off the beaten track. Cádiz is the oldest city in Spain and pretty ancient by western European standards. But that said it hides its treasures well. Unlike the more spectacular vistas of Seville, Cordoba and Granada, Cádiz is quieter and less grand. But if you take the time you will love the less commercial aspect of the ancient streets and laid back locals. Seville According to myth the Greek God Hercules founded this glorious place some 3000 years ago. Seville is a beautiful city steeped in character and full of architectural wonders where Baroque, Islamic and Gothic façades blend magnifi cently. The Plaza de Toros (bullfi ghting ring) is one of the oldest in Spain and even outside of the bullfi ghting season is open to visitors. It took over 100 years to build the enormous Gothic Cathedral of Saint Mary of the See, a UNESCO site and the world’s third largest church. The royal palace complex of Alcázar combines Mudejar and Gothic architecture. For something completely different head to the Plaza de la Encarnacion to wonder at the ‘mushroom of the incarnation’, the world’s largest wooden structure. You can take an elevator to the top of the Metropol Parasol to look out over the city. If you have time then take in the Museo del Baile Flamenco where daily fl amenco shows take place at the centre of the museum which houses fl amboyant costumes and an education in the history of the music and dance that travelled the world. We stopped for lunch at the bustling bodega, Dos de Mayo (bodegadosdemayo. com), where we jostled to get a table and to be heard above the chatter at the bar. This is traditional Andalucían tapas where you shout your order at the bar and be ready to pick up when the waiter calls it out. The fl avours were divine and I loved the hustle and bustle with the locals. Order aubergine with honey sauce, cod on spinach (very different), grilled goats cheese and octopus – all wonderful. Christopher Columbus We headed west from Seville towards the Gulf of Cádiz to visit Huelva where nearby, Christopher Columbus set sail for the New World. There are three main sites on the Columbus trail, La Rabida, Palos de la Frontera and Moguer. We made it to Palos de la Frontera where a museum featuring replicas of the Niña, the Pinta, and the Santa María from his fi rst voyage of the Americas was a hit with the historian-loving son. Shopping for a day! The best place to shop is Puerto Banús, home to all the high end brands including Gucci, Jimmy Choo, Dior, Cartier and Versace. It also boasts one of the biggest El Corte Ingles department stores in Spain and of course a suitably large Zara. A stroll down Avenida Ricardo Soriano in Marbella will also take you past many high end and high street stores. The old town of Marbella has lots of ceramics, craft-work, jewellery and souvenir shops including some lovely cashmere scarves and fl oaty capes. WW Mushroom of the Incarnation The Rock of Gibraltar Flashy Puerto Banús 38-41 WW7 Marbella FinalNC.indd 5 22/03/2023 11:37

42 WOMANSWAY.IE I’d expect to know quite a bit about any destination that I’m going to spend some time in. But I have to admit that surprise was exactly the reaction I had when I arrived at the small airport in St Barts. And the airport was indeed small, as was the plane in which we arrived. Ten minutes earlier we had been at St Martin’s International Airport walking towards a tiny plane. The friendly pilot waved and said “Bonjour,” as we squeezed into the smallest of cabins. “Vous êtes prêts?” he asked as he got into the bench seat in front of us. Within seconds we were bounding up into the sky, bouncing a couple of thousand feet up over the clear blue waters of the Caribbean and heading for a small island visible in the distance. St Barts, St Barth or the Isle de St Barthélemy to give it its formal name, is one of the most intriguing islands in T the world. Little more than eight square he fi rst thing you need to know is that St Barts is more Cannes than Caribbean. It’s rare nowadays for a place to take me completely by surprise. After all the research on the internet and scanning of the travel pages, miles, it's full of steep hills that divide the island into distinct areas. The fact that it rarely rains meant that after its discovery in 1493 by Christopher Columbus (and named after his brother Bartolomeo) colonists initially had a hard time eking out a living. At one point it was sold to the Knights of Malta, then to the King of Sweden, even the British took it over at one point before the French bought it back in 1878. However the place was too dry and too rocky to become part of the sugar and cotton plantations and therefore never got involved in the monstrous slave trade. However back in the 1970s the island began to get a reputation for its marvellous beaches and year-round sun. The addition of a small airstrip made it accessible for the rich and famous and before long a few hotels had sprung up. It was to that airstrip that we were bouncing in that small plane. As we began At only eight square miles with an abundance of sandy beaches and gourmet restaurants it’s no wonder that St Barts is the playground island of the wealthy and famous. But as Norah Casey discovered it has plenty for any kind of visitor to see and do. Beautiful ST BARTS Harbour in Gustavia 42 - 45 WW7 St Barts 2023 KOTCCAMAK.indd 2 22/03/2023 16:42

TRAVEL WOMANSWAY.IE 43 our descent I noticed that we seemed to be heading towards a busy traffi c roundabout between two hills. As we approached the pilot seemed to look both to the right and the left before he made his fi nal descent over the roundabout and onto the airstrip. As our wheels touched down with the merest of wobbles, I saw ahead of us the beach. Literally as the tarmac ended, the sand began. The pilot smiled: “We can bring you directly to the sea if you wish,” he said. Suddenly the side of the plane was being lifted up and we got out. A few minutes later we were waiting for our transport to take us to our hotel, The Christopher St Barth. And it was as we sat in the warm sun that we noticed the number of French cars, the girls on those small French motorcycles, and everyone wearing chic sunglasses. Now it's not unusal for an island in the Carribean to be Frenchspeaking, nor for the euro to be the main currency, but where are the rusty buses or the rundown beach shacks serving rum? Not here. But on the other hand, the neatness of the place did not seem forced. Nor was it overly self-conscious. As we were driven in air con luxury up to our new temporary home, Olivier, our driver from Paris told us he’d arrived on the island 13 years ago and never left. “I just fell in love with the place.” A few short minutes later we were relaxing by the pool at The Christopher gazing at the coastline and the clear blue water. The hotel lies in a beautiful part of the island, between the azure waters and Pointe Milou with stunning views of the neighbouring islands. With only 42 rooms and three villas, each with a balcony and a beach view, the hotel is comfortably small, but as you’d expect from a fi vestar establishment it had two stunning Continued overleaf >> Touchdown at St Barts Airport “It’s rare nowadays for a place to take me completely by surprise” Hotel Christopher Christopher St Barts Aerial view of Gustavia Harbour at St Barts 42 - 45 WW7 St Barts 2023 KOTCCAMAK.indd 3 22/03/2023 16:42

44 WOMANSWAY.IE clear water small yellow and black fi sh (sergeant majors) darted round our legs and towards the relative safety of the bordering cliff rocks. But what made St Barts stand out for me was the food. A multitude of restaurants provided brilliant food at a really good price. For the fi rst three days we hardly left The Christopher in the evening as its restaurants, spa, gym and wifi . The Christopher was hit by Hurricane Irma (and a fi re) and reopened in 2018 following an eight-million-euro renovation. The Sisley Spa and the fi ne dining Christo Lounge and Restaurant were new additions along with a new contemporary design (with strong orange accents). SMALL IS BEAUTIFUL Because St Barts is so small there are only about 600 hotel bedrooms available at any one time. And the locals keep it like that so that the place does not get too overcrowded during the winter season. Instead many families take a villa for the months of December and January, while others park their superyachts in and around the capital of Gustavia. And it is a mecca for the rich and glamorous. Bill Gates had just been in when we arrived and regular visitors to the luxe island include The Kardashians, Dua Lipa, Beyoncé, Miranda Kerr, Leonardo DiCaprio. David Letterman and Steve Martin. They also own property on the island. There is no public transport in St Barts but getting round the island was easy with a hired 4x4 and enabled us to simply explore the place. After a stretch of dutyfree shopping (amazing prices but high end luxury mainly), we found ourselves at Gouverneur Beach, a beautiful stretch of golden sand, and immediately jumped into the warm waves. As we splashed and snorkelled about in the crystal- “The Kardashians, Beyoncé, Leonardo DiCaprio and Steve Martin own property on the island” Beach life 42 - 45 WW7 St Barts 2023 KOTCCAMAK.indd 4 22/03/2023 16:43

TRAVEL WOMANSWAY.IE 45 restaurant served fabulous dishes and as you’d expect in a good French restaurant, it had an excellent wine cellar. After we did venture out we found restaurants offering every type and style of food and to suit everyone’s purse – from the decidedly gourmand Le Toiny Restaurant (formerly Le Gaïac), to lots of lovely low-key beach bars. We also discovered vanilla rum – a drink so lovely that we lingered over a glass most evenings after a sundown swim. St Barts is defi nitely one for the bucket list, maybe as part of a visit to some of the other incredible Carribean islands. Yes, it draws celebrities and the super wealthy but there are so many beautiful places to explore completely free. There are some great hikes, like Cul de Sac’s natural pools or the incredible views of Toiny Beach. The beaches are open to all and there are sixteen from the appropriately-named Shell beach to the gorgeous turquoise-hued waters at Salines and Governor. The island has adopted the slogan Je t'aime with good reason. If you fi nd yourself there you will discover why. WW For more visit saintbarth-tourisme.com and hotelchristopher.com. Says it all Le Grand Bleu superyacht anchored off Gustavia Iconic surf shack at Lorient Beach Le Toiny Restaurant Nikki Beach Club 42 - 45 WW7 St Barts 2023 KOTCCAMAK.indd 5 22/03/2023 16:43

46 WOMANSWAY.IE Check out our review of The Boston Strangler, the latest movies, shows and podcasts and, as always, our picks of the best new books. Hot List The 5 NEW BOOKS TO READ THIS WEEK READ • WATCH • LISTEN By Niamh O’Reilly and Carissa Casey Carissa Casey reviews: Death of a Bookseller by Alice Slater, published by Hachette, €18.75 Take a dark, disturbing story with complex characters, plot well and write beautifully; it’s the noir novel recipe perfected by Dashiel Hammett and Raymond Chandler. Debut novelist Alice Slater wrests the format from shadowy men on shady streets and brings it to, of all places, a modern day chain bookstore struggling to survive. In the True Crime section we have the aptly named Roach (it’s her surname which she’s happy to use as her fi rst name), who is a murder podcast obsessive and serial killer afi cionado, contentedly whiling away her days snagging free crime books and doing as little as possible. Wafting about the store is the fl oral fragranced Laura, sometime poet and part of a newly arrived team charged with revamping the shop. Roach should hate her but beneath Laura’s rose oil smiles, Roach detects the stench of a rotting corpse. They share a connection, Roach believes, much to Laura’s horror. Slater worked at Waterstones for years and takes us into the heart of modern day bookselling. She also riffs off the true crime trend; grisly violent death served up as entertainment for the masses, the cases known by the killer’s name, while their victims are, at best, name-checked. The tension between the two protagonists is palpable and utterly believable. Laura, far more fragile than she appears, begins to disintegrate as Roach grows stronger. Slater is adept at keeping the reader glued to the page, without ever sacrifi cing atmosphere. Surprisingly, we end up caring about both young women as they careen towards an inevitable showdown. The Last Days of Joy by Anne Tiernan is published in paperback by Hachette Books, €17.49, out March 30 This darkly funny and heartfelt debut from the sister of Tommy Tiernan shines a light on that most universal of things – the complicated family dynamic. Inspired by her own complex family history, the book follows the Tobins who are an Irish family living in New Zealand. As the book opens matriarch Joy is in hospital after suffering a devastating self-infl icted injury and her family are told she only has days to live. Her three children Conor, Frances and Sinead are all very different and each bring their own issues to the situation. A mad, messy portrait of a family and their issues and secrets, there is a lot to like in this book and a lot to relate to. The Coroner’s Daughter by Andrew Hughes is published by Transword, €12.50 Not a new book, but The Coroner’s Daughter has been chosen as the title for this year's One Dublin One Book event. The idea is to encourage everyone in Dublin to read a designated book connected with the capital city during the month of April. Hughes' thrilling historical fi ction novel is set in 1816, where a rare series of events sees Dublin plunged into frost in July. The plot centers on Abigail Lawless, the only child of the city’s coroner, who has an independent mind and rails against the restrictions of the time she lives in. When a young nursemaid in a religious household hides a pregnancy and then murders her newborn, Abigail gets drawn into solving the murder and fi nding the truth. Full of meaty description and with lots of twists and turns, this is a great slice of historical mystery. NON-FICTION BOOK OF THE WEEK Under Water by Claire Walsh is published by Gill, €18.99 It’s hard to imagine being able to comfortably hold your breath underwater for any length of time, but freediver Claire can do it for almost six minutes. This beautifully written book details her love affair with being under the water and her success competing in one of the most dangerous sports in the world. Full of descriptive prose and lessons on life, Claire’s book candidly details how her new hobby helped her to beat depression, fi nd freedom and fi nally happiness in her life. CHILDREN’S BOOK OF THE WEEK Li  le Love Lessons by Tarsila Krüse is published by O’Brien Press, €12.99 Tarsila Kruse drew on her own experience of postnatal depression when writing Little Love Lessons. This gentle and kind book urges both parent and child to come together to celebrate the beauty and love in ordinary things. In a world where we’re all busier and often more anxious, the message of slowing down and enjoying the little things in life is one we can all relate to. Ideal for reading to or with smaller children. WW has been year's One Dublin One Book by Anne Tiernan is published Books, €17.49, out March 30 46 WW7 Books KOT2CCAMAK.indd 2 21/03/2023 14:21

WOMANSWAY.IE 47 HOT LIST By Niamh O’Reilly The insatiable appetite for the true crime genre shows no signs of slowing down and this very infamous case from the 1960s gets dusted off for a fresh look. The difference here from the original 1968 fi lm starring Tony Curtis and Henry Fonda, is that instead of looking at the crime from the point of view of the police investigation, this time we focus in on the two journalists who doggedly pursued the story over a number of years. They both happened to be women who, in the 1960s, were fi ghting raging sexism and inequality. It would be easy to point the obvious parallels between the female victims being strangled, while women of the era also struggled to breathe under the weight of the patriarchy, but the fi lm makes some overly obvious references to that already. For those unfamiliar, the Boston Strangler brutally sexually assaulted and murdered 13 women in the Boston, Massachusetts area during the early 1960s. Known as the silk stocking murders, the city and its female residents were terrifi ed. The fi lm follows Boston Record American newspaper reporter Loretta McLaughlin (Keira Knightley) who up until now is pigeonholed into covering more so-called female lifestyle and fashion beats. However, she is the fi rst to connect the dots and give the perpetrator his name. Along with her colleague and confi dante Jean Cole (Carrie Coon) the two journalists fearlessly and relentlessly go at the truth about the serial killer who is terrorising the city. The frustration of the times is palpable, however, as neither woman is taken seriously by most of the male-dominated newsroom and it shows just how determined they had to be to get ahead. Even more frustrating is that Cole is an experienced undercover reporter at the time and even with that under her belt, she’s still dismissed. Their grizzled newspaper editor Jack MacLaine, played by the always great Chris Cooper, eventually champions the women and things get increasingly tense as the victims rack up. Visually, the 1960s is brought to life in rich detail. The city feels dark and brooding and is refl ected in the cinematography which feels oppressive at times. It has a David Fincher potboiler quality to it, with obvious nods to two of his fi lms Zodiac (2007) and Seven (1995) and the sense of dread is telling. Still, with something so complex and meaty, one can’t help feeling that a limited series might have done the story of the victims and the journalists more justice. Coon’s Cole character doesn’t get enough fl eshing out and at times there doesn’t feel like there’s enough on the line to keep you hooked for the entire run time. That said, Knightely is on terrifi c form here. WW Streaming on Disney+ The case of the Boston Strangler gets a big-budget revamp in this gritty crime thriller, which tells another side to the story. To Catch Killer Carrie Coon and Keira Knightley Keira Knightly in The Boston Strangler Chris Cooper Killer a 47 WW7 Hotlist Review KOT2CCAMAK.indd 3 23/03/2023 12:48

48 WOMANSWAY.IE Hot Right Now… MOVIE PICKS A Good Person How do we move through grief and carry on? That’s what’s at the heart of this Zach Braff written and directed film starring Florence Pugh and Morgan Freeman. Pugh plays Allison who’s happily engaged to Nathan (Chinaza Uche). Life is gliding along just fine until she’s involved in a car crash which kills her sister-in-law-tobe. To make matters worse she was at the wheel and looking at her phone momentarily when the accident happened. The film charts what happens next. How her life falls apart, the impact it has on those around her and brings her unexpectedly back into the life of her almost father-in-law Daniel (Freeman). It all sounds very dark and the story does veer into depression and addiction. However, Braff’s writing manages to find the lightness in the dark moments and the unlikely friendship Disrupting the power balance, dealing with grief and the story behind one of the world’s most successful games are just some of Niamh O’Reilly’s eclectic entertainment highlights for the fortnight ahead. Taron Egerton and Nikita Efremov in Tetris Florence Pugh in A Good Person between Freeman and Pugh is utterly beautiful. In cinemas now 48-49 WW7 Hot Right Now KOT2CCAMAK.indd 2 21/03/2023 14:22

WOMANSWAY.IE 49 HOT LIST Tetris It’s impossible to mention the title of this movie without having the game’s theme tune get stuck in your head. Most of us played Tetris at some point or had someone in our lives who were obsessed with it on their Gameboy and while it wasn’t the most exciting of games, it turns out the story behind its birth is. A very moustached Taron Egerton plays Henk Rogers who comes across the addictive game in 1988 and wants its Russian inventor Alexey Pajitnov (Nikita Efremov) to let him buy the rights so he can release the game to the world. The only problem is that this is the Cold War era Soviet Union and doing a deal with an American is not on their agenda. What unfolds is a highly entertaining and rather thrilling film which takes us behind the Iron Curtain with all the espionage-style intrigue you’d expect from a spy movie, plus a kicking soundtrack to boot. Streaming on Apple TV+ on March 31 TV PICKS Big Door Prize Chris O’Dowd is pitch-perfect in this adaptation of the M.O. Walsh novel of the same name. Once again, he keeps his Irish accent which in itself makes him very likeable. He plays high school teacher Dusty Hubbard in the fictional small town of Deerfield. He’s happily married, has a teenage daughter who still likes him, and he’s just turned 40. While he’s not overly thrilled at the prospect, for the most part Dusty is happy just floating through his simple life. Until one day a strange, blue glowing machine called Morpho appears in the small town's general store and promises to reveal a person’s true potential. The machine forces him to ask that eternal question many of us have during middle age - is he happy? Has he wasted his potential? Each half-hour show is packed with lots of great character studies and plenty of very funny moments. We see residents suddenly try their hand at acting, or divorce their spouses and get remarried, all because of a single word printed on a card. Streaming on AppleTV+ March 29 The Power Fans of the Handmaid's Tale will love this meaty new show which asks what would happen to the world if young women suddenly held the balance of power? That’s exactly what happens when one day out of the blue, teenage girls all over the globe wake up with the power to control electricity. Essentially, they can electrocute anyone and anything they wish. The show cleverly looks at the consequences of the reversal of power in the world. Girls now have the power to be free, the power to be strong, the power to do good and even the power to corrupt. What’s even more interesting is that it looks at how this plays out all over the world from London to Seattle, Nigeria to Eastern Europe. The cast is top notch too with Toni Collette as Mayor Margot Songs From the Soil at Big Bang Dublin Cleary-Lopez, alongside John Leguizamo as her husband Rob and Auli'i Cravalho as their teenage daughter Jos. Streaming on Prime Video March 31 ON STAGE Big Bang Dublin March 30 – April 2 Enjoying live music with the younger people in your life is not always easy. With most events on late in the evening, it’s refreshing to see something like Big Bang Dublin taking families into account. Describing itself as an international music festival, it’s got a range of events that will appeal to ages across the board, from two years old upwards. Highlights include a new music show by Lauren Kinsella titled Songs from the Soil, which explores the world of fungi, and a playful show from France for ages three to six that merges music and dance called Love Song. Other events include guided trails of music rooms featuring miniperformances by Davey Kelleher, Sharon Carty, Nuala Kennedy and Cathy Jordan, as well as quirky electronic sound installations and more. Find out more on ark.ie CLASSIC MOVIE Prey Woman (1990) Hard to believe it's been 33 years since this charming tale hit our screens and put Julia Roberts on the road to stardom. A modern day fairytale, the film follows Roberts as Hollywood prostitute Vivian Ward who meets Richard Gere’s wealthy businessman Edward Lewis. The pair spend the evening together and Edward hires her to be his ‘beck and call girl’ for a week of important business and social meetings. He has to get through the week without any romantic entanglements. Things don’t go to plan and they fall for each other. Predictable? Yes, but the chemistry is off the charts and the opulence of Rodeo Drive is dreamy. And if you’ve never seen it on the big screen it’s showing in ODEON Cinemas on March 29 with Pigsback.com. Alternatively, it's widely available to stream. WW Toni Collette in The Power Chris O'Dowd in Big Door Prize 48-49 WW7 Hot Right Now KOT2CCAMAK.indd 3 21/03/2023 14:23

50 WOMANSWAY.IE Online... womansway.ie Subscribe... 01 240 5363 Email... [email protected] Facebook... facebook.com/womansway Twitter... twitter.com/Womans_way LETTERS LETTER EMAIL DETAILS For the moment, we are asking you to send us all your letters and pictures to [email protected]. We love to hear from you so please stay in touch. LETTER EMAIL DETAILS For the moment, we are asking you to send us all your letters and pictures to [email protected] STAR LETTERPRIZE Our lucky Star Letter will receive the Clearly H2O Bundle. It contains he-shi's latest and top-selling Clear Collection products. Both products are formulated without a guide colour (and yet are just as easy to apply) so you can avoid any transfer onto clothing or bed sheets. Tan to your tone and achieve your most natural tan yet with the H2O Glow Tanning Mousse and H2O Glow Hyaluronic Face Mist. For those who want to bag a bargain, the bundle is currently on sale online for €37.50, visit he-shi.eu a few honest pointers. In the end I went to a boutique in our local town and they were so helpful. I’m ashamed to admit, I’d never darkened their door before, but the help they gave me to fi nd the right outfi t I felt good in was terrifi c. We really need to support local and that goes for our local clothes shops too. Betty Madden, Co Cork Faux fl owers I was delighted to read your article about faux fl owers. I’ve always wanted to switch to buying fake ones as the upkeep on real ones is too much for me these days. I never went near them before as I always found them to look a bit too much like what they are, so I’m delighted to see it really is possible to make them look like the real thing. Thanks for the tips, I will invest in my fi rst bouquet and take it from there. Veronica McFadden, Co Donegal Happiness is the key to life In life the only one thing that matters deep down is happiness, nothing else. Too many people get obsessed with careers, relationships, owning their own house, and money. It does not matter how much you have, what you spend, make or wear, it all means nothing if you are not happy within yourself, happiness is the richest thing we own... It is not possible to be happy all the time, but it is very possible to lead a life full of happiness overall... happiness is the true key to success. Claire Mulrooney, Co Offaly Irish boutiques I couldn’t agree more with your feature on Irish boutiques. They are just brilliant. When I was looking for an outfi t for my son’s wedding recently, I didn’t know where to start. I did try some of the bigger department stores and even online, but I just felt very overwhelmed. I didn’t know what would suit my shape and I needed From one granny to another I was a little taken aback and shaken by the star letter in Issue 6, where a grandmother said she didn’t want to see her nine year old grand/great-granddaughter if she was going to be on her phone all day. I’m sure the young child, for that is what she is, means no disrespect. Perhaps the grandmother’s house rules could be that all phones, including Granny’s and other adults, be put in a basket and kept at the front door while they all enjoy each other’s company. Please don’t miss out on the love of this child and consider taking steps to make your home welcoming and happy for all, yourself included. Doreen Burke, Co Dublin own... It is not possible to be happy all the time, but it is very possible Nuala Carey’s words about grief really struck me. As she says, losing a parent is inevitable. It’s something we know will happen and yet when it does it's still devastating. I was sorry to hear about her father but I’m sure he’d be very proud of her. She always comes across as a very friendly and down to earth person. I love that she is unapologetic about who she is. She is not sad or regretful about not having children and it’s great to normalise that. That journey is not for everyone; we need to celebrate those women just as much as those who do decide to become mums. Her and her mum make a great pair and look forward to seeing more of them in the magazine at your brilliant Mum of the Year awards. Jo Balfe, Co Wexford LETTERS 50 WW7 Letters KOT2CCAMAK.indd 2 21/03/2023 14:28