WW14 2024

FAMILY, HOME & WELLNESS FASHION & BEAUTY PICKS €2000 + AMAZING PRIZES OUTRAGEOUS DECOR WITH LAURENCE LLEWELYN-BOWEN 46 DirtBirds MADE IN OUR IRELAND LIFE'S A BEACH SPECIAL ISSUE Sunshine Style SKINCARE’S HOLY GRAIL Retinol THEATRICAL GARDENS SUPPLEMENTS EVERY BODY… EXPLAINED IS A BEACH BODY DirtBirds DOINGTHE OUR FINALIST LIGHTING THE WAY Issue 14 July 15th 2024 €3.50 (NI stg £3)

CONTENTS ON THE COVER Online... womansway.ie Subscribe... 01 4569872 Email... womansway@harmonia.ie Facebook... facebook.com/womansway TikTok... @womansway1 Instagram... Womans_way MUM OF THE YEAR AWARDS WIN WIN WIN HOME & GARDEN FOOD & DRINK FASHION & BEAUTY Cover image Marc O'Sullivan Online... womansway@harmonia.ie womansway.ie 54 Tom Kerridge’s Treats: Healthy recipes from local produce. 58 Rachel Khoo’s Recipes: Summer dips. 46 Hotel Chic at Home: Everyday luxury. 48 Outrageous Homes: Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen celebrates difference. 62 Brilliant Blooms: Hanging basket secrets. 64 Jazz up your patio: Simple ways to brighten it up. 68 Garden theatrics: It’s showtime. 18 Lighting the Way: Meet fi nalist Aoife Donoghue of Lola’s Lampshades. 10 Russell Hobbs: Three Sensigence blenders. 12 Lir: Five €100 chocolate hampers. 22 Mervue Organic: A €500 self-care hamper. 70 Triton: An ENVi Electric Shower. 4DirtBirds: Comedians Sue Collins and Sinéad Culbert talk about how they met and what it takes to make it on the circuit. 14 Just the Way You Are: Every body is a beach body. 16 The Art of Travel: Make travelling your muse. 26 Beach Buys: Holiday inspo. 28 Straw Style: Summer bags. DirtBirds Page 4 23 Beauty Faves: What the WW crew use on repeat. 24 The Lowdown on Retinol: How to use it. 30 Naomi Through the Years: Naomi Campbell's evolving style. LIFE'S A BEACH SPECIAL ISSUE Lighting the Way Page 18 Hotel Chic at Home Page 46 Russell Hobbs Page 18 Tom Kerridge’s Treats Page 54 Naomi

Contact us: Subscriptions, email subscriptions@harmonia.ie; telephone hotline, 01 465 9872. Woman’s Way queries, email womansway@harmonia.ie; 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. © 2024 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 ENTERTAINMENT TRAVEL REGULARS THE WW TEAM HEALTH & WELLBEING Carifi a xx 38 Land of Lemons: A visit to the island of Procida, off the coast of Naples. 40 Interrailing at 50: Realising a teenage dream to reach Istanbul by rail. 44 Bargain Breaks: How to bag one. 45 Spa Time: Center Parc’s Aqua Sana Spa reviewed. 20 Tracey’s Doctrine: Meet Doctrine Skincare’s founder. 84 Careful About Cover: Holiday insurance pitfalls. 88 Holly’s Happy Project: Life coach Holly Matthews on people pleasing. 32 Hidden Gems: Great watches you may have missed. 34 Books: Check out our top picks. 35 Review: Irish fi lm The Sparrow. 36 Wicked: We meet Glinda the Good. 74 Choosing a Supplement: Expert tips. 76 Hear We Go: The stigma around hearing aids. 78 Rainy Day Blues: The link between weather and mental health. 80 Understanding Lupus: All about the condition. 82 Mind Your Moles: What to check for. 86 Monye’s Mission: Broadcaster Ugo Monye’s cancer campaign. 9 We Love: The WW team shares what they’re loving. 50 You Said It: Readers' letters and pictures. 52 Timeout: Take a break, try our quiz and Prize Crossword. 68 Knitting: Oversized jumper. 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: Tenor Gavan Ring. 93 Hacks: Summer-ready homes. 94 Why Is This a Thing: Hospital clamping. Welcome to our Life’s a Beach Special Issue. Summer is fi nally here and, regardless of whether it meets our expectations in the sunshine department, it’s time to relax and take it easy. It’s the silly season after all. Ireland’s beaches are among the loveliest in the world, so even if you’re heading off to foreign climes at some stage, it’s worth taking a trip to one of our own. Now that I live so close to a host of amazing beaches, I’ve started to realise that there is a kind of magic at work where sandy beach meets lapping sea. People, for the most part, are generally quieter and calmer. Old people stroll, kids explore, the hardy few head into the water. It’s as if we’ve left the world of hassles and deadlines behind. The vast canopy of sky frees our minds from day-to-day fretting and simple pleasures are more than enough. Arrive at a beach with a ‘to do’ list if you must, but don’t be remotely surprised if it’s whipped away by the breeze. We all need that kind of a break and whether it’s a day trip or a caravan weekend or a stay at a fancy hotel, it’s within our reach. We’ve two full months to make the most of living on a pretty small island and enjoying our beautiful coastline. Elsewhere we take aim at that dreadful ‘beach body ready’ phrase, which suggests that as women, we need to pass some kind of test before we’re allowed to enjoy the seashore. That’s nonsense of course. The beach is there for us all. So relax, put the kettle on, and we sincerely hope you enjoy this issue as much as we have enjoyed putting it together. Le grá, Publisher: Norah Casey Editor: Carissa Casey Deputy Editor: Andrea Smith Contributing Editor: Astrid Madsen Contributors: Áine O'Connor, Chrissie Russell, Domhnall O'Donoghue Art Director: Karl O’Toole Designers: Áine Duffy and Susan Conley Subscriptions: subscriptions@harmonia.ie Email: womansway@harmonia.ie Woman’s Way, July 15, 2024 Vol.62 Issue 14 Land of Lemons Page 38 Wicked Page 36 Choosing a Supplement Page 74

4 WOMANSWAY.IE Funny husbands hiding under chairs at the back of the auditorium, crying,” says Sinéad. “We’ve realised that women have been hungry to hear about their own lives, and not through the lens of the husband, the male comedian, because as funny as that is, it's not as funny as hearing it from the female perspective.” Sue made her name as part of the popular comedy trio The Nualas. She is married to actor and musician Phelim Drew, and is mum to Vivian (19), Milo (18) and twins, Seanie and Lily (16). She and the “quiet and gentlemanly” Phelim met in a Dublin pub in 1990 and found they had a lot in common, as apart from being actors, they each had well-known parents. Sue’s mum, Audrey Park, was leader of the National Symphony Orchestra and her dad, Archie Collins, was leader of the viola section. Phelim’s dad was the legendary Ronnie Drew from The Dubliners. Sadly Ronnie and his lovely wife Deirdre passed away when the children were small and Sue’s parents both died at 58, six years apart. Archie’s death took place when Sue, The women began writing the sitcom, which was called DirtBirds, and although BBC Three picked it up initially, it got shelved when there was a change in personnel at the station. This was disappointing for the women, but they had written a wealth of funny material at that point, and Sinéad’s husband suggested that they put the sketches online. The reaction was so good, DirtBirds was launched as an act and fans were soon clamouring for live shows. The women put on their fi rst show in February 2017 and it completely sold out. They grew their following on the golf circuit and ladies’ lunches after that and have been selling out venues all over the country since then. FAMILY LIFE As women with husbands and kids – they have fi ve teenagers and a tween between them – the comedy at the heart of DirtBirds centres around the humour found in life’s ordinary struggles. “What we've found is that 99.9 per cent of our audiences are female with a few Having spent the past few years thoroughly enjoying their sketches, Woman’s Way was delighted to catch up with DirtBirds, AKA Sue Collins and Sinéad Culbert, who have taken the country by storm with their highly relatable and spot-on observational comedy. The women fi rst met when they were doing stand-up at the same comedy club 16 years ago. A reviewer said afterwards that they were her favourite acts in the show, which inspired Sinéad to contact Sue about the idea of writing a sitcom together. “The minute we started talking, we realised the same things made us laugh and we had a very similar sense of humour," says Sinéad. "And I also remember that Sue had just found out that she was pregnant again – on twins! “I had no kids at the time and I remember looking at her and thinking, ‘Why are you ruining your life?’” Sinéad jokes. “Then I got pregnant not long after that myself.” The women behind DirtBirds tell Andrea Smith about their very successful comedy partnership. Friends

IN PERSON WOMANSWAY.IE 5 Sue Collins (l) and Sinéad Culbert (r) continues overleaf >>

6 WOMANSWAY.IE the middle child of five, was only 19, and she was one of his primary carers through his illness. “That was probably a bit too tough on me,” admits the Dubliner. “I look at my son Vivian now and he’s the same age now as I was when my dad became ill. I'd never in a million years ask him to take on that responsibility, but it was a different time. To be honest, my mother just wasn't able to cope without him.” Originally from Dundalk, Sinéad is married to her Dutch husband, Rogier Meijer, and is mum to Sophia (15) and Leon (12). She met Rogier in a bar in Galway when he was on holiday here for the weekend. “He tells this romantic story about how he saw me standing there and there was light all around me, and he thought, ‘This is it. I have to go over to this girl’,” she says, mimicking Rogier’s Dutch accent. “The truth is that it was just the bar light over my head and I was well-shot, but all my friends melt when he tells his version of the story.” Sinéad sadly lost her mum Margaret to breast cancer during the pandemic and her dad Michael before that. Margaret was really supportive of DirtBirds, and used to come to all the gigs. "She was a nurse and she was just fabulous,” says Sinéad. “She was such a feminist and way ahead of her time. My dad was a marine engineer so he was gone for long periods of time, leaving Mum at home on her own with three girls. He was very charismatic and a brilliant storyteller and he used to come home from the sea and entertain everyone with his stories.” Sinéad’s mother-in-law Agatha also sadly died during the pandemic, but her father-in-law Carl is still going strong and the children love going over to Amsterdam to visit him. Sinéad says that Rogier has a great sense of humour and he acts as their social media manager. Actually he works for a website development company and greatly contributed to the DirtBirds’ success as he was the one who encouraged them to put their sketches online in 2016. When they look back on it now, Sue and Sinéad could never have imagined that their act would become so successful that they would sell out five nights at the Olympia Theatre, as they did last year. Or that a genuine friendship would grow between them. “It was all organic as when we started writing, we realised that our experiences were very similar,” says Sinéad. “We were writing sketches while on the phone, making the dinner, with the dog barking and children wanting things. We have a great laugh and we also have a similar work ethic.” SKETCHES The women have worked for their success as writing sketches and filming and editing them is hard work and comedy is a tough business. They had just got into their groove when the pandemic struck and with theatres closed, they feared that would be the end of their comedy career. “We just kept writing sketches and posting them online and it was kind of as much for our own mental health as it was for followers,” Sue explains. “It’s only when you look at it afterwards that you realise it really helped us too because we had a purpose. We got lovely messages from nurses and people working in the hospitals and that really encouraged us to keep going. So we did and our followers tripled.” DirtBirds have just launched their fourth show, Girls World Tour, which will be visiting counties all over the country in the autumn and sounds like it will be unmissable. When it comes to putting together a live show, it can be very stressful and all hands are on deck. Phelim can be found in the studio recording the “We were writing sketches while on the phone, making the dinner, with the dog barking and children wanting things”

IN PERSON WOMANSWAY.IE 7 Sue Sinéad voiceovers while Rogier works on online campaigns to sell the show and puts together the intro music. “It's great to have the husbands running around,” laughs Sue, mischievously. The women recall how they even offered fi vers to their children to star in sketches when they were younger. “We used to tell them they just had to walk in the door and say something like they had no homework, but by take 28, I’d think I was Scorsese and I’d be saying, ‘Give me real,” Sinéad says, adopting a dramatic American accent. “I think the children have PTSD from the experience of being in sketches with us, but in a way it's great as their childhoods have been documented. A sketch came up recently in our [social media] memories, and the kids are so young and cute in it. It was full-on child labour exploitation because we told them it would take half an hour and they were there the whole day.” The women are delighted that their children are fans of what they do, especially as they are almost all teenagers now, the age at which young people are normally mortifi ed by their parents’ mere existence. The kids seem to appreciate that they are constantly challenging themselves and have created a very successful line of work for themselves. “They're very proud and they’ll be in the box at the Olympia beaming down at us at the curtain call,” says Sue. It takes a lot of courage to put yourself out there in the comedy world, which is still predominantly male-dominated. Sue and Sinéad feel that, similar to women in sport, as more women go out and are seen to do it, the more seriously they will be taken. “It's not there yet but it is happening,” says Sinéad. “We are in that process, we are on that wave and myself and Sue are very excited about that.” Now both in their 50s, the funny pair love that women who never went to comedy gigs before are coming to see them. They hope this gives younger women, and older ones, the confi dence to pursue comedy careers. “It requires courage and belief in yourself and that is the hardest part of this job,” says Sinéad. “It's not writing a joke or getting up in front of people, it's believing that you have something important to say that other people will want to listen to.” “What I feel is that you'll never hear a man saying he’s too old to do comedy, as he’ll just go, ‘Yeah, I'm hilarious so I'm going to do it’. Or ‘I'm a really good artist’ or ‘I'm still a big ride and I'm going to do my thing’. I'm not saying that in a derogatory way, because that’s just the way they feel and it's great. I know there's a lot of sexism out there, but there's also the narrative we tell ourselves. As women, we really need to learn to stop limiting ourselves.” WW Catch DirtBirds’ Girls World Tour at the 3Olympia on September 13, September 14, October 24 and October 25. Tickets from ticketmaster.ie. They are also at UCH Limerick on September 21, Mandela Hall, Belfast, on September 28, Everyman, Cork, on October 5 and Leisureland, Galway, on October 12. The full list of dates can be found on dirtbirds.net.

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WOMANSWAY.IE 9 Carifi a Loves... Cahore I’ve a new favourite spot on the southeast coastline. Just a stone’s throw from Ballygarrett, Cahore beach is tucked away in a sheltered cove that makes even a cold water cynic like me want to go sea swimming. I haven’t yet (obvs) but I have made for dinner to The Strand, which sits atop a hill overlooking the beach. Delish sea bass, all the better for the sweeping views over the Irish sea and across to Wicklow Head. Foxgloves I spent a fair bit of time last summer, sowing, pricking out and then planting out foxgloves for this summer. They’re biennial so if you start them off in seed trays around now, move them on once they’ve germinated, they’re strong enough to be planted out by early September, giving them plenty of time to get established before the fi rst frosts. I planted a group en masse, forgot about them all winter and now have a great big clump of them in an otherwise shady corner. Divine. Giverny I hadn’t quite expected to feel quite so inspired by a recent visit to Giverny, the garden Monet made famous in his impressionist paintings. I was curious, a bit excited but well aware it’s a very popular tourist spot so it was going to be crowded. It was and I didn’t care. It’s so beautiful in a non-gardeny kind of way. At the risk of stating the blindingly obvious, this is a painter’s garden. It’s less about the prize specimens and more about a tumbling mass of shapes and shades; bursts, pops and swathes of colour using pretty familiar plants and fl owers all arranged as if by happenstance. If you ever get the chance… Distraction It’s been a diffi cult time of late and I’ve needed a way of switching off or, more accurately, something to distract my mind from day-to-day reality. I’m late to Richard Osman’s The Thursday Murder Club series but it’s gotten me through some very tough days and nights. Funny, tender, with a great cast of characters and plotlines that rollick along with abandon. WW

10 WOMANSWAY.IE COMPETITION Win A Russell Hobbs blender Three lucky readers will each win a Russell Hobbs Sensigence Intelligent Blender worth €169.99. There is no better way to start your day than with a superfood smoothie. And with the Sensigence Intelligent Blender, you can get up to 30 per cent smoother mixes and up 45 per cent faster blending. The Sensigence Intelligence Blender’s adaptive blending technology adjusts the speed and power of the load, giving you tailor-made blending for optimum results. And for ultimate ease, use its three Intelligent Blending Functions: Soup, Smoothie, and Ice Drinks – that automatically stops blending when your mix is ready. To enter, please answer the following: WHAT MAKE IS THE SENSIGENCE INTELLIGENT BLENDER? HOW TO ENTER Email your answer by July 15 to: womansway@harmonia.ie including your name, address and telephone number and labelling your mail ‘The Russell Hobbs 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.

WOMANSWAY.IE 11 She’s Electric My car is 17 years old - some might say it’s a banger but I think it has great character. I’m very interested in the idea of electric vehicles though, so I really enjoyed the panel discussion hosted by Pat Kenny recently at allta restaurant. He discussed and debated the future of electric vehicle technology with representatives from the BMW Group and SIMI (Society of the Irish Motor Industry) - and it was a fascinating insight that answered loads of my questions. Afterwards we drooled over the latest EV models from BMW and MINI - well a girl can dream, eh? AndreaLoves... Flying Fido As someone with seven dogs, I wouldn't be able to handle the stress and worry of putting them in a plane’s cargo, so I was fascinated when my pal Linda Martin told me about a new airline that lets pets fl y in the cabin with you. K9 Jets, a new airline route from Dublin to New York, allows your dog or cat to travel beside you in its own passenger seat and there are pet relief areas, pet snacks and water on board. Visit k9jets.com for more information. WW Dimplestilskin I recently came across the comedian Dympna Little, better known by her online handle @dimplestilskin, and I think she’s hilarious. She makes online sketches about really Irish situations and scenarios several times a day, and she always gives me a laugh. I’m not the only one fi nding Dympna funny though as she has almost 200,000 followers on Instagram. Ghostly Goings-on I quite enjoy being spooked so am looking forward to seeing 2:22 - A Ghost Story, which runs until August 11 at the 3Olympia Theatre. Written by Danny Robins, it’s about Jenny (Shona McGarty AKA Whitney from Eastenders) who believes her new home is haunted, but her husband Sam (Jay McGuiness from the band The Wanted) isn’t having any of it. They argue with their fi rst dinner guests, old friend Lauren (Laura Whitmore) and new partner Ben (Colin O'Donoghue) and stay up until 2:22am to see what happens. Eek!

COMPETITION 12 WOMANSWAY.IE To enter, please answer the following question: LIR CHOCOLATES ARE HANDFINISHED BY LIR’S TALENTED CHOCOLATIERS IN NAVAN, CO MEATH. TRUE OR FALSE? HOW TO ENTER Email your answer by July 15 to: womansway@harmonia.ie including your name, address and telephone number and labelling your mail ‘The Lir 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. Win A Lir Chocolate Hamper Win one of fi ve delicious Lir chocolate hampers to celebrate World Chocolate Day, each worth €100. World Chocolate Day, the annual celebration of one of the world’s favourite foods, is just around the corner on July 7. The Lir ‘Love Chocolate’ Collection offers a mouth-watering combination of smooth caramel, dark pralines and zesty fruit-fi lled chocolates and is presented in beautiful, soft green packaging. The Lir Collection Gift Wrap Box also comes complete with a luxurious green ribbon, making it the perfect gift for loved ones. The divine fl avours in this beautifully balanced collection are hand-fi nished by Lir’s talented chocolatiers in Navan, Co Meath. The Lir Love Chocolate range is available online at lirchocolates.com and from selected Tesco, Supervalu, Centra, Dunnes Stores, Carrolls Irish Gifts, Nolans, Donnybrook Fair and at Dublin Airport. awarded by drawing entries after the closing date. Winners will be notifi ed by email. The editor’s decision is fi nal.

WOMANSWAY.IE 13 Flower Power A couple of days ago, a very kind friend thoughtfully left fl owers on my doorstep and texted to let me know they were there. It was one of our alltoo-frequent dull days in Dublin and those cheery pink and purple blooms brightened up me and my kitchen. A little bit of summer scented the air and they made me smile. Such a beautiful gesture. I have promised myself to buy fl owers again soon - for me or for someone who might need a little unexpected mood boost. Attractively Remote I had to go to Italy for a day or so to a very remote spot where Dara was doing an archeological dig in the Tuscan countryside. I decided on the spur of the moment to stay on for a few days on a local farm at Tenuta di Paganico in the heart of Maremma. The pretty cottage was down a long dirt track and a drive over a moving river, all the while watching out for the cows, sheep, pigs, chickens, donkeys and horses. With no light pollution in this pretty corner of Italy, the skies were lit up with stars every night, with the owls and woodpeckers joining a nocturnal chorus of wildlife chatter. I think it was the fi rst time I truly got away from it all. I can recommend it. Norah Loves... Beach Life I discovered a new beach. Well new to me. There is nothing quite like the beauty of Ireland’s coastline when the sun makes a rare appearance… As it did this weekend. Way up on the west coast of Donegal, the beautiful sandy stretch of Narin Beach (also known as Portnoo) with its stunning azure blue waters looks like it might be more at home in the Carribean. Minded by Dunmore Head, the sea is safe for swimming and when the tide is out you can can amble out to the island of Inishkeel for an hour or two to visit its historic churches and holy wells. You might even spot a dolphin. Summer Rosé My guilty pleasure on warm sunny days is a glass of chilled rosé, as long as it’s dry. The paler the colour the less sugar is in the wine, so I am a bit of an expert now in getting the right mix of low sugar and low alcohol with plenty of those lovely fl oral and fruity fl avours. Somehow the pretty pink hues of rosé doesn’t travel to any of the other seasons, it’s just perfect summer wine. WW wells. You might even spot a dolphin.

14 WOMANSWAY.IE activity and exercise that you enjoy can make you appreciate your body more, and in turn build body confi dence,” she adds. “Weightbearing exercise, yoga, swimming, running and dancing are all great options.” Dr Laura Geige, medical doctor and psychologist, also believes promoting an internal dialogue that emphasises body functionality over aesthetics is helpful, and explains: “Celebrating what one’s body can do, rather than how it appears, helps in fostering gratitude and resilience against negative self-perceptions.” 2 DIAL DOWN THE NOISE Our Instagram and TikTok feeds are often inundated with size 6 functionality over aesthetics is helpful, and explains: “Celebrating what one’s body can do, rather than how it appears, helps in fostering gratitude and resilience against 2 Our are often inundated with size 6 Lowri Dowthwaite-Walsh JUST you are sunshine – we’re all ‘beach body ready’ just as we are. Sometimes, it’s just our minds that aren’t quite ready. So, here are fi ve tips to help us all feel fabulous on holiday this summer, no matter our shape or size… 1 FOCUS ON ALL THE WONDERFUL THINGS YOUR BODY CAN DO “Focus on what your body can do, rather than how it looks,” says Lowri Dowthwaite-Walsh, psychotherapist and senior lecturer in psychological interventions at the University of Central Lancashire. “Building strength in your body by engaging in physical Blue skies, beaches and bikinis are in touching distance, but summer can be a very daunting time for many of us – as the panic to get ‘beach body ready’ looms. Despite great strides in the body positivity movement, many still feel the pressure to achieve unrealistic societal beauty standards – such as chiselled abs and glowing, sunkissed skin – before daring to enjoy the beach. Social media and adverts often perpetuate these ‘ideals’, which lead many people to turn to extreme diets and fi tness regimes at this time of year. But, nobody should have to change their physique in order to enjoy the sea and you are Every body is a beach body and these simple ways can help you feel more confi dent in your skin. THE WAY

BEACH LIFE WOMANSWAY.IE 15 By Camilla Foster, PA models, tanned celebrities and perky fi tness infl uencers with sparkly white teeth, which can make us lose touch with reality. Comparison is the thief of joy, after all – and Suzy Reading, chartered psychologist and author of Rest To Reset, recommends editing the content you are exposed to on social media and being mindful of the facade around it all. “Dial down the noise if this messaging is getting to you,” says Reading. “Curate your social media feed, unsubscribe from mailing lists, and be mindful of your audio and visual diet. “Remember that the images we’re consuming are likely to be manipulated and come in handy – try and focus on the sound of the crashing waves, and the feeling of sand under your feet, for example. “Cultivating mindfulness practices can help anchor one’s thoughts in the present moment, reducing the propensity to make unfavourable comparisons,” explains Dr Geige. This is something Reading does regularly, and she recommends taking slow breaths and using words of affi rmation – even if you’re just saying them internally – to help soothe the nervous system. Explaining her process, she says: “I’ll breathe in through my nose and exhale through pursed lips to lengthen my exhale. I’ll lift my gaze and the corner of my lips and feel the uplift this creates and I’ll remember why I’m doing it, because life is for the living! “I want to feel alive and drink the juice of summer – the warmth of the sunlight on my skin, the sand beneath my feet, the fresh cool sensation of the water washing away these doubts, these artifi cial defi cits, and I will give myself permission to keep immersing myself in my senses and savouring the many joys available to me.” WW on my skin, the sand beneath my feet, the fresh cool sensation of the water washing away these doubts, these artifi cial savouring the many joys available to me.” Dr Laura Geige Suzy Reading fi ltered, so the ideals we aspire to are rarely humanly possible – ‘reel life’ is not real life!” 3 EMBRACE COLD WATER THERAPY Enduring a cold shower in the morning could be the ticket to body confi dence, suggests Dowthwaite-Walsh. “Taking cold showers every day can be another way of building confi dence in your body,” she says. “By tolerating the extreme feeling of cold, the body learns to manage the stress response and over time it can help you become less reactive to stress, more alert and energised. “Studies have also found that cold water therapy such as cold showers, cold water immersion and outdoor swimming can reduce symptoms of depression,” Dowthwaite-Walsh adds. 4 SELF-CARE RITUALS Comfortable swimwear and a spritz of your favourite perfume are two great ways to boost your confi dence before heading to the beach. And incorporating simple self-care rituals can help set us up for a good day. Dr Geige says: “Building confi dence can involve preparatory selfcare rituals that emphasise self-respect, rather than vanity. This could include choosing beachwear that emphasises comfort and personal style over trend conformity, engaging in activities that boost body positivity, and setting realistic expectations." Dowthwaite-Walsh also encourages regular acts of self-kindness and selfcare. For example, by having a massage, or wearing clothes you love. “These regular acts of kindness are great ways to say thank you to the wonderful body that houses you. By showing we care, we tell ourselves that we are worthy, and this in turn can build confi dence,” says Dowthwaite-Walsh. 5 MINDFULNESS PRACTICES If you start to feel anxious while at the beach, mindfulness techniques could Taking cold showers every day can be a way of building confi dence “Remember that the images we’re consuming are likely to be manipulated and filtered so the ideals we aspire to are rarely humanly possible”

16 WOMANSWAY.IE THE ART OF TRAVEL

WOMANSWAY.IE 17 IN PERSON incorporated the majesty of New Mexico’s deserts into her paintings. Elsewhere, Edward Hopper retreated almost annually to Cape Cod, where he allowed the Massachusetts peninsula to serve as his muse. It’s easy to imagine how stark our museums and galleries would be without the many masterpieces born out of these journeys. ARTISTS ON THE MOVE On my return to Ireland, I turn to my brother, Darragh, archive curator at Tate Britain, one of Europe’s leading museums. He sheds light on the historical context of artists on the move, explaining that there were many reasons at play — initially, it was a thirst for education. “Ancient Greece and Rome were considered the source and acme of art, and every artist was expected to learn from them,” he explains. “From the Renaissance period onward, Northern artists — Dutch, German, British, Flemish — regularly travelled to Italy to learn perspective and anatomy. “Later, when such studies had become codifi ed and clichéd, artists then went to Paris for more liberal teaching.” Along with the status acquired from travelling, there was another reason for artists to roam the world — a very practical one. Simply put, artists followed the money. In Georgian Ireland, for instance, many of the decorations were created by Italian craftsmen. More dramatically, others, like murderer Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio, sought refuge from the law in Malta, while many fl ed the various wars or escaped being drafted into the army. However, most importantly, artists travelled for creative reasons. Take titans from the late 19th Century, including Paul Henry, who wanted to paint ‘real’ Waiting for a glass of wine in a taberna, I inhale the intoxicating sights and scents of Cadaqués, a thriving fi shing town in the Catalonia region of Spain. Around me, the white-walled buildings are fl anked by oak, pine and juniper trees, and as it’s the shank of the evening, glamorous locals pound the pavement, eager to enjoy the dying embers of sunshine. Their only obstacle is navigating the tourists and their oft-used cameras. When church bells send the wildlife into a sudden frenzy, a smile creeps onto my face. Without a doubt, Cadaqués is one of the most enchanting destinations I’ve visited in my long career as a travel writer — and that’s not the Rioja talking, which has just arrived. But don’t take my word for it. Salvador Dalí, one of the twentiethcentury’s greatest artists, declared it “the best place in the world”. In fact, the surrealist icon decamped here permanently after a stay in 1929. He eventually purchased a fi sherman’s cottage with his wife toward the north of the town, where the Mediterranean Sea, with its ever-changing colours, surely inspired him daily. This atmospheric setting prompts me to refl ect on the centuries-long role travel has played in art. Paul Gauguin was captivated by the exotic surroundings of Tahiti, while Georgia O’Keeffe Travel has inspired some of our greatest artists — could your next holiday spur you into painting the world’s next masterpiece, asks Domhnall O’Donoghue. Domhnall O’Donoghue people; he and many of his contemporaries ventured to places like Brittany and our very own Connemara, where the locals were allegedly uncorrupted by modern life. “They were in search of new sights,” Darragh continues. “J.M.W. Turner, for instance, having been forced to stay in Britain during the Napoleonic wars, was bowled over by the light and sights of Switzerland and Italy. His work became more experimental and liberated as a result. “It was the same with Vincent Van Gogh: compare his dark Dutch and Belgian works with the dazzling light of the Arles paintings.” DON’T FORGET YOUR PAINTBRUSH The creative benefi ts that Darragh describes from such explorations resonate most with me. As anyone who has indulged in wanderlust will attest, travel allows us to break our patterned routines and exchange the stress and pressures of our daily lives for enriching experiences in far-fl ung destinations. This ultimately leads to a surge in positivity and fl exibility and, quite literally, broadens our horizons. As those superstar painters demonstrated, surrendering to the charms of local communities and their slew of traditions can be transformative for the creative process. New and diverse itineraries provide us with fresh perspectives, insights and stimuli. Engaging with different customs, traditions and habits inspires us — simply listening to another language or tasting their culinary delicacies can rouse emotions within us. Disappearing into nature can be equally fortifying and the genesis of a profusion of ideas. Being alone on a secluded beach or mountain allows us to disconnect from the noise of modern life, encouraging us to refl ect and activate our imagination. And when that fl ourishes, everyone benefi ts. After all, creativity is the fuel that drives the world forward. So, when packing your suitcase this summer, don’t forget your passport, but more importantly, don’t forget your paintbrush. WW Domhnall O'Donoghue is Travel Extra Travel Journalist of the Year 2024 artists — Dutch, “Being alone on a secluded beach or mountain allows us to disconnect from the noise of modern life”

18 WOMANSWAY.IE belies what a diffi cult journey Aoife has faced in recent years. Until 2016, the mum-of-two was working in a bank. “I’d loved art at school and wanted to be a fashion designer,” she smiles. But, as a single mum to Oisín (now 26) and Enya (now 21) Aoife knew the practicalities of being able to provide had to be her priority. Even after completing her qualifi cation in accountancy at night while working in the bank by day, the stability of income from her job in fi nance kept her there for nearly 20 years. “I worked with some great people but it was the salary, the job, the hours,” she says pragmatically. “I had to be able to keep the roof over our heads, food on the table, a good income and that’s why I stuck with that. I wouldn’t have been able to leave the bank to go work for myself, there’s no way I would have given up a job with a salary and all of that.” TRANSVERSE MYELITIS In March 2016, Aoife woke feeling unwell. Her son had mumps and it was thought it might have been that, but a week later she felt worse, with crippling pain in her legs and an inability to pass urine. Aoife was admitted overnight to hospital in Ballinasloe. The next morning she hobbled from her bed to a trolley. “And those were the last steps I ever took,” she reveals. “I never walked again after that.” Her condition deteriorated further, and by the end of the week the paralysis had moved up to her neck, leaving Aoife unable to use her arms and hands. She was intubated, tube-fed and put on an intense course of steroids. “That was the worst point,” says Aoife. “If you’d told me before that this was going to happen to me, I’d have said I never would have coped with it, but the strength comes from somewhere.” She knows a huge part of that ‘somewhere’ was her two children, both in those fi rst weeks and the years that have followed. “It was because of the kids,” she explains simply. “I needed to be strong for them, they were my focus. They needed me and I needed to be there for them.” “Of course there were times when they’ve seen me upset and cross and all that, I’m not perfect,” she continues, laughing gently. “But I do think that strength comes from the fact that you are a parent. You need to be strong.” With the steroid treatment Aoife regained feeling in her arms and, after two months in University Hospital Galway, she was told she was being moved to the National Rehabilitation Hospital in Dun Laoghaire. “I thought I was going up there for them to teach me how to walk again,” says Aoife. “But when I went I was told, ‘No, you’re not going to walk again Aoife, you are here to learn how to live in a wheelchair’.” Aoife had been diagnosed with transverse myelitis, a rare condition affecting the spine. She explains: “I had got hepatitis E, which we believe was from eating pork, probably some time in the January of that year, and my immune system was fi ghting that, but my immune system basically attacked my spinal cord.” Her home had to be completely gutted and remodelled to make it suitable for wheelchair use and, in the meantime, Aoife, the two kids and their dogs moved in with her mum and dad, whom she hails has having been “amazing”, as was the support that rallied around from their wider family. Woman’s Way and Beko Mum of the Year fi nalist Aoife Donoghue tells Chrissie Russell how an unexpected illness gave her a new perspective - and career. From vibrant fl orals and splashy geometrics to fun Frida Kahlo prints and adorable woodland themes, there’s a huge amount of joy to the offering at Lola’s Lampshades. Just as there is to the woman behind the company making these gorgeous drum lampshades, Aoife Donoghue, or ‘Lola’ as people often expect her to be called. “I sign off every email with ‘Aoife’ but still get people coming back saying ‘Hi Lola’,” laughs Aoife. “But I wanted a name with a ring to it, one that people would remember, and they seem to remember Lola’s Lampshades.” The uplifting nature of the Tipperary woman’s beautiful creations, and her own warmth, good humour and positivity, Lighting the way Aoife Donoghue

MUM OF THE YEAR FINALIST WOMANSWAY.IE 19 • If you’d like to nominate someone for Woman’s Way and Beko Mum of the Year Awards please email us on womansway@harmonia.ie and tell us why. Please include photographs and any supporting material. Even though the return to a wheelchair-suitable home gave her some independence, Aoife knew a return to her old life was impossible. “With all my personal care, I wasn’t able to get out in the morning to be somewhere at 9am fi ve days a week,” she explains, but days doing nothing didn’t appeal either. LAMPSHADES Before getting sick, she had been redecorating her living room and searching for a bright pink lampshade to match her curtains. Finding only options in beige, grey and white, it stayed in her mind that there could be a gap in the market for more brightly coloured options. Aoife started by making herself a lampshade, then some for friends and family before creating an online shop. During covid, she was sitting watching Formula One with Enya, when they discussed her putting up a post on Facebook that was championing small Irish businesses. “We put the post up and I think I had more than 30 orders come in that night,” laughs Aoife. Since then Lola’s Lampshades has gone from strength to strength, and today Aoife believes she is happier as a person than she was before her illness. “I know that sounds a bit strange,” she says. “But I think now I’m grateful for what I have.” This applies particularly in her role as a parent. Aoife explains: “I worked full time for my kids’ whole life until this happened. Then I was actually at home every day when Enya came home from school for the rest of her secondary school years and to be able to be there for her when she came home, rather than coming home to an empty house, was really nice. It felt really special.” To her children she is still very much just mum. “They just see me as a normal person, they don’t take account of the fact “Don’t be worrying about things, especially things that might not happen. Worrying is such wasted energy” I’m in a wheelchair,” smiles Aoife. She remembers getting frustrated about something she was fi nding hard to do when Oisín gently reminded her. “Don’t be getting upset, we still have you, you’re here.” It’s this attitude Aoife most wants to inspire in her children. “Don’t be worrying about things, especially things that might not happen,” she urges. “Worrying is such wasted energy. And if something comes along, deal with it then. We’ll get through it.” WW Visit lolaslampshades.ie Aoife with Enya and Oisí n

20 WOMANSWAY.IE Tracey Ryan explains how she went from making nappy cream to face cream. She’s been making waves in Ireland’s beauty industry for years, but Tracey Ryan laughs at the notion that skincare was always in her destiny. “No! Defi nitely not,” she chuckles. “Plants were always my passion, and that’s where it all started.” Now head of research and development at pioneering brand, Doctrine Skincare, which she launched with business partners, and skincare industry veterans, Caoimhe Donoghue and Mark O’Sullivan earlier this year, Tracey’s initial route into the industry began in the distinctly less glamorous area of nappy cream. “I had my son when I was in my fi nal year of college,” explains Tracey, who studied herbal science at MTU (Munster Technological University ), graduating with honours in 2010. “I had been messing around at home making little things like nappy cream for him from herbal extracts, as well as creams for myself, and really loving it. “In our fi nal year we had this innovation module where we had to come up with a product that we could make from plant ingredients, and I thought, ‘Oh! I could do my innovation around a natural skincare product’.” Her batches of the homemade product sold well at local craft markets, and the project saw her earn a place at the Rubicon Centre, a business incubation centre attached to MTU, where Tracey, originally from Co Tipperary but living in Co Cork, studied the practicalities around setting up her own business. Six months later, she launched Bia Beauty, a skincare brand that went on to win multiple awards in the seven years Tracey ran TRACEY'S DOCTRINE FINDING YOUR PASSION We chat to inspiring women from all walks of life. Tracey Ryan

WOMANSWAY.IE 21 it before selling to global skincare collective, Codex Beauty, in 2018. It was a leap of faith selling the company that she’d worked so hard to build, but then a mum-of-two, Tracey felt it was the right time to let go. “I was kind of exhausted at that stage,” she admits. “My youngest boy was quite unwell when he was born and ended up having heart surgery at six months. Having to run a business and be responsible for staff while something like that was going on was hard, because I knew everything would fall back on me – making sure staff are being paid, that the business is healthy – it’s an awful lot of pressure.” She stayed on working in the company under the new management and also used the opportunity to upskill, completing a diploma in cosmetic chemistry, a postgraduate in skin and follicles health as well as extensive research in labs. But the bug for running her own brand never quite left her, and in January this year, Doctrine was launched. At the core of the company’s ethos is genuine sustainability. Tracey explains: “When I started out, it was all about plant-based ingredients and everyone was all, ‘Is it natural? Is it plantbased?’ But I suppose now, if we look at the amount of resources that go into growing and harvesting and processing ingredients – should they really be used in skincare? Or should they be used to feed people? Or should we be conserving land and conserving biodiversity?” In an exciting time for the industry, Tracey feels the opportunities are ripe for Doctrine to stand out as a brand demonstrating the potential for accessing new technology to benefi t the planet. “I think sustainability is “My youngest boy was quite unwell when he was born and ended up having heart surgery at six months. Having to run a business and be responsible for staff while something like that was going on was hard” LIFE INSPO Doctrine Radiant C Serum and Divinity Cleansing Balm an area where it has been a bit of a buzz word but all that is about to change,” she says. “There’s a lot of compulsory reporting coming in for businesses and a lot of people realising what sustainability really means.” Tapping into the ‘circular economy’ to fi nd materials that are waste materials from other industries, Tracey recently found a supplier for leftover materials from juicing, brewing beer and rice production, that could be used as raw materials in product formulation “instead of having to have virgin materials created just for us”, she explains. Biotech fascinates her, and the potential posed by creating plant-identical ingredients in a lab “so that it’s bio-identical to nature but not being grown in fi elds where it has to be watered, harvested and transported”. At Doctrine, Tracey’s constantly assessing where better choices can be made. She reveals: “We’re trying to look at minimal packaging, materials that are really easily recycled by the consumer, like glass, aluminium, compostable paper and even just looking at how we do business with no business cards, no thank you notes or freebies, sachets and travel sizes – all the things that are such an ingrained part of the industry and just trying to get away from those things.” She adds: “It’s a really interesting time for the industry and I think that where I would love us to stand out is as a genuinely sustainable brand, really trying our best to help consumers navigate that whole area of, ‘Well, I’m buying something, but how can I make that a more sustainable choice?’” Newly mum to a teen (her eldest son is 13 and youngest aged eight), Tracey’s privy to the fascination the younger generation has with skincare. “I fi nd it so strange that he’s asking about silk pillows, different kinds of cleansers, their active ingredients and he uses a gua sha roller on his face,” says Tracey. “That generation are so much more into skincare and looking after themselves.” But she’s strongly against the trend for tweens using products meant for adult skin and containing retinoids. “Pre-teens don’t need a skincare routine, unless there’s an issue, and there’s no harm in teens having a really simple, good skincare routine, something they enjoy, that takes care of their skin,” explains Tracey. “But tweens using retinoids is absolutely insane. It’s just about staying away from the real active ingredients and the fact that some brands are really pushing them is quite sad to see.” At the moment Doctrine has two products on the market, its Radiant C Serum and Divinity Cleansing Balm, with another product due for launch by the end of the year and two more in the pipeline for next year. All Irish made, creating a lower carbon footprint. As a qualifi ed cosmetic chemist, it sometimes frustrates Tracey that the serious work that goes into product formulation can be underestimated. “I always think there are people who feel it’s a really frivolous thing to be doing and sure, ‘Who needs more of that stuff, it’s only women’s interests’,” she says. “But there’s so much deeper science than I think people realise.” Spare time is dedicated to family camping trips and hikes, but Tracey admits when it’s your own business, it’s hard to switch off. “It’s always there in my head,” she laughs. “I’m always thinking about what we can do next.” WW Visit doctrineskincare.com

COMPETITION 22 WOMANSWAY.IE To enter, please answer the following: NAME ONE OF THE PRODUCTS INCLUDED IN THE MERVUE ORGANIC PAMPERING BOX. HOW TO ENTER Email your answer by July 15 to: womansway@harmonia.ie including your name, address and telephone number and labelling your mail ‘The Mervue 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. Win a Mervue Organic Pampering Box One lucky reader will win a Mervue Organic Pampering Box, curated especially for Woman's Way, worth €500. Take self-care to a new level with this wellness hamper designed to relax, revive and pamper. Relax with the Lavender & Geranium Body Oil, the Rose Geranium Candle and the Rose Geranium Bodywash, then uplift and revive with the Lemongrass & Ginger Hand and Body Lotion, Lemongrass & Ginger Hand and Body Wash, and the Lemongrass Candle. The wellness Pampering Box curated for Woman's Way also includes the Mervue Organic Superfruit Facial Serum, Organic Superfruit Facial Balm, Rose Geranium Candles and Rose Geranium Hand and Body Wash. Visit mervuenaturalskincare.com Organic Pampering Box Hand and Body Lotion, Lemongrass & Ginger Hand and Body Wash, and the Lemongrass Candle. Superfruit Facial Balm, Rose Geranium Candles

BEAUTY Hydrate, hydrate… I’ve been a bit lackadaisical on the water drinking of late. It’s so easy to get out of the habit. But, as I write, I have a water bottle at my elbow which I’m sipping away at. Staying hydrated boosts collagen production, something a host of very expensive creams also promise to do. I also love a good moisturiser and am a long-time devotee of the offerings from Clarins. My current favourite is Clarins Multi-Active Day Cream €62. Vitamin C My two favourite skincare ingredients are retinol (see page 24) and vitamin C. There are several reasons to love vitamin C; it’s hydrating, nourishing and does a great job of protecting skin from pollutants and sun damage. Irish brand Doctrine’s Radiant C Serum €54 is light as a feather and melts into the skin, leaving it with that lovely healthy vitamin C glow. A well-priced alternative is the Garnier Vitamin C Daily UV €15. HotPicks Carissa Casey on some of the beauty bits she’s loving at the moment. Sun Screen I’m still amazed at the number of women I talk to who don’t use daily SPF. To be fair, I only started about a decade ago and that was after being told umpteen times that it was the single best thing you could do for your skin. So, forgive me if this is the umpteenth time I’m mentioning the importance of daily SPF. At the moment I’m loving the Q+A range of SPF50 sunscreens at €18 each. They contain a range of lovely skin nourishing ingredients and provide broad spectrum coverage. The Eyes Have It I’ve just about given up on the smokey eye look. My attempts at it invariably end up looking smudgy and blotchy, like I’ve just done a very bad job of putting on eyeshadow. Enter Irish brand Hildun Beauty and its Silk to Set Kajal Liners €18 and the all-important Wing and Smoke Dual-ended Brush €14. I’ve been living in one or the other of these liners for a while now and have even occasionally managed a pretty passable smokey eye. WW WOMANSWAY.IE 23 loving at the moment.

24 WOMANSWAY.IE The Lowdown on Retinol There are so many reasons to include retinol in your skincare routine. But it can be tricky to use, especially on sensitive skin. Carissa Casey explains how to make it work for you.

WOMANSWAY.IE 25 BEAUTY Retinol is a form of Vitamin A that helps increase the rate at which new skin cells are made and dead ones removed. As we age, this process takes longer, which means our skin can end up looking dull. So using retinol on the regular helps give skin a youthful glow. The problem is that retinol can be tough on the skin. My skin is the polar opposite of sensitive. But even I struggle sometimes with using retinol. Instead of a bright complexion I’ve ended up with dry, irritated skin that weeps skin cells whenever I try to put product on it. Not a good look. I’ve learned the hard way to go easy with any new retinol product and to use plenty of moisturiser when using it, According to Michelle Ryan, national trainer for Ultraceuticals, retinol has lots of other benefi ts, aside from helping slow down the ageing process. “Retinol works by promoting the growth of new collagen in the skin to restore volume lost as we age,” she says. “It also has a positive impact on strengthening our skin's barrier health and can help regulate oil in the skin.It can also improve the appearance of acne scarring.” To start with, it’s best to avoid retinol entirely if you are pregnant or lactating. It’s not good to use either on ‘hypersensitised’ skin, if it’s reacting badly to other ‘active’ products. Start slowly so your skin can build up a tolerance. The amount of retinol in a product can vary with two per cent the maximum allowable for overthe-counter creams. Any more and it requires a prescription. If you’ve never used retinol before, defi nitely start with a lower concentration. Retinol can make your skin more sun-sensitive so only use it at night. The following day, layer on the SPF and stay out of the sun as much as possible. Lots of moisturiser and hydrating serum will help with any drying effects. Two or three nights a week is a good place to start. WW “Retinol works by promoting the growth of new collagen in the skin to restore volume lost as we age" 5 of the best retinol beauty products 1>> Skingredients Retinol Rocks available in 0.6 per cent €49 and 1 per cent €55 I hadn’t used retinol in a while before I decided to try the 0.6 per cent formulation. Having used lots of retinol before I didn’t consider the tolerance issue. The 0.6 percent from Skingredients is pretty powerful but, once I’d scaled back my usage, it rekindled my love of retinol results. 2>> Ultraceuticals Ultra A Perfecting Serum €82 This is a great range with options for sensitive skins. The Ultra A serum packs a punch and, when used properly, gives great results. 3>> Sunday Riley - A+ High-Dose Retinoid Serum €80 Despite containing a range of different retinol types in pretty high concentrations, this is one of the least irritating products to try. It combines the retinol with lots of skin-soothing ingredients and is particularly good for sun-damaged skin. 4>> Neostrata Potent Retinol Complex €64.95 A great option for sensitive skins, combining 0.3 per cent pure retinol with soothing niacinamide and tigergrass. 5>> Skintheory Retinol Retinaldehyde Cream €69.95 Reviewed by Sinead Behan I had been using a 0.3 per cent retinol night cream but found the reaction quite unpredictable. One day my skin would look great, the next it was very fl aky. I couldn’t fi nd a balance. I found this cream much more gentle and consistent. The results were subtle on a day-to-day basis but after a while I could see a difference. My skin is much fresher looking when bare and makeup goes on really smoothly.

26 WOMANSWAY.IE We all deserve a little treat to get us beach ready. Check out our picks of what’s in the shops right now... Fantasie Halkidki Swimsuit €78 Gucci Butterfly Sunglasses €210 Tommy Hilfiger Elevated Slides €30 BEACH BUYS

WOMANSWAY.IE 27 SHOPPING Joanne Hynes at Dunnes Embellished Jeans €120 KG by Kurt Geiger Piper Flatform Espadrilles €90 M&S Two Pack Tummy Control Swimsuits €80 M&S Straw Packable Bucket Hat €24 My Essential Wardrobe Estelle Skirt €89.95 Phase Eight Ayana Skirt €89 Selected Femme Linen Shirt €70 Selected Femme Linen Shorts €70 By Carissa Casey Cos A-Line Shirt Dress €125 Cos Oversized Straw Hat €69 Soaked in Luxury Olivie Dress €94.95

28 WOMANSWAY.IE StyleNothing says summer has arrived quite like a straw bag, writes Carissa Casey.

STYLE WOMANSWAY.IE 29 B lame it on Jane Birkin. When she didn’t have her eponymous tote over her arm, she sashayed through the streets of Paris swinging a wicker basket. How effortlessly cool and chic. A straw or wicker basket is the exact opposite of try-hard, trend-core. It’s timeless, chilled out practicality. It’s ‘I’m off to buy a baguette and some exquisite artisan cheese for a picnic in a wildfl ower meadow’. ‘I’m a free spirit without a care in the world and couldn’t give a toss about fashion'. For most of the year, we live pretty regimented lives. Be here on time, pick this up for dinner tonight, don’t forget to put the bin out… Our wardrobes are similarly constricted. We need to stay warm but be ready to peel off a layer or two in a stuffy shop or offi ce. Will it or won’t it rain? And as for bags; most of us have a standard black number that goes with everything and we end up using it on repeat. I’m not naive about the vagaries of the Irish weather and just how disappointing summer can be in this country. But for two months of the year - July and August - we are all slightly off-duty and it’s a touch warmer. It’s time to start channelling that free spirit vibe with an everyday straw bag, ideally large enough to accommodate a lightweight cardi or scarf as well as all the necessities. The good news is we’re in something of a golden age of these bags. There are so many shapes and styles, whether slouchy or structured, decorative or minimalist, roomy or micro. I defy anyone not to fi nd their own ‘perfect’ straw bag. Personally I have an everincreasing selection. No matter how many I have, I always spot a new one that I immediately start craving. Call me vapid, but choosing which of my straws to tote is one of the highlights of my day. There are plenty available in the shops but it’s also worth checking out Etsy if you’re looking for something unusual. These are investment buys, since they’re not going out of fashion anytime soon. Regardless of which you opt for, forget the ‘to do’ list and sashay with style. You'll fi nd some of our favourite picks here...WW Carvela Gala €160 Cos Mini Sling Raffia Bag €69 H&M Straw Shopper €44.95 Mango Leather Basket Bag €99 Whistles Mira €115 Zara Flower Tote €59.95 All Saints Allington €159 Massimo Dutti Raffia Shopper €169

30 WOMANSWAY.IE Ahead of the V&A Museum opening its multifaceted exhibition NAOMI In Fashion, we uncover Naomi Campbell’s most iconic layered looks. Through the Years NEWSPAPER AND DOLLAR BILLS DRESS From the mid-1990s onwards, there was no stripping back for Campbell. In 1994 she modelled a wedding dress made entirely of newspapers and dollar bills at the Harvey Nichols and Perrier New Generation Designers Show. Perhaps the perfect choice for the rising star who was making leaps and bounds in her career whilst having a tumultuous relationship with the press. The abundance of ruffl ed newspapers were symbolic of how the mainstream press disguised what the model felt was the real Naomi. The V&A has launched a new exhibition that explores the life and career of supermodel Naomi Campbell. With a selection of her archival pieces, the exhibit, NAOMI In Fashion, goes beyond fashion, diving deeper into Campbell’s layered career, activism and cultural reach. To celebrate, here are some of those moments embodied in iconic outfi ts, peeling back the layers of her life in looks.

WOMANSWAY.IE 31 STYLE FAVES By Lara Owen, PA VIVIENNE WESTWOOD TARTAN SUIT Meeting on a Los Angeles photoshoot in 1992, Naomi Campbell and Kate Moss were among the founders of the Nineties supermodels. Campbell’s outfi t pictured at the end of London Fashion Week perfectly encapsulated how many layers there were to come of the young model. Against Moss’ fairly reserved monochromatic look, Campbell’s overlapping tartan suit paired with ultramarine accessories and a hot pink feather boa were emblematic of the 23-year-old’s rebellious and carefree spirit. WW HAIR FLICK AND FRINGE Alongside copious clothes, wigs and extensions have been a part of Campbell’s canon throughout her career. Routinely shifting her image required fl exibility; thus layering extensions over wigs and intense styling contributed to bald patches. Telling the Evening Standard in 2017, “I lost a lot of [my hair] with extensions,” she revealed, “I am more careful and do things differently.” Campbell dismissed the idea of black hair as a political issue, noting that “everybody in the world wears wigs… I do whatever the job calls for”. Campbell’s persevering attitude unveiled a deep insight into the model’s ambition. FRILLS AND RUFFLES Layering doesn’t mean covering up. In 2004, Naomi sported a sheer tiered mini dress at the Louis Vuitton party for the brand’s fall/ winter collection. The bohemian ruffl es and natural hair evoked a more laid-back countenance in Campbell. The neutral colour palette, eclectic accessories and sheer bodice foreshadow some of the model’s relaxed future looks. DECONSTRUCTING HER IMAGE The year 2017 saw Campbell taking a more structured and straightforward approach. Angularly layering suit trousers, skirts and formal lapels, this look symbolises Campbell’s ability to do it all. Integrating bold accessories in the form of fi shnet tights and a bejewelled nose ring epitomised Campbell’s chameleon-like character. Whilst the layering seemed disjointed, she held it all together with her poised persona. REMEMBERING HER ROOTS While mainly sporting simple silhouettes and muted hues, Campbell reminded the world that she is never predictable at the 2019 MET Gala. The model harked back to her feather boa frolics with this pale pink Valentino gown – a piece featured in the coming exhibition. Themed ‘Camp’, Campbell imbued the freedom to be oneself through this sheerly layered look. Offering strength in the form of a bold feathered cape and fragility through lace tights, Campbell’s look was unapologetically authentic, revealing her true disposition. SLEEK AND SIMPLE WITH DOLCE AND GABBANA As Campbell enters her fi fth decade, the model is leaning into baring all. When walking for the Dolce Gabbana FW 2024 show, she once again sported an all black outfi t which experimented with textures and opacity through its use of lace, silk and mesh. Using the most delicate of fabrics, this look evoked a vulnerability in Campbell, as the mourning veil almost disguised her face of true emotion. It seems the supermodel has become more comfortable in simple silhouettes and monochrome palettes, as she continues to reveal more of herself, whilst always leaving a protective facade: in this case, one of a mesh veil.

32 WOMANSWAY.IE Time Travel Since HG Wells published The Time Machine in 1895, time travel has been an integral part of popular culture from pure sci-fi to thriller, comedy and romance. Dr Who has been on the go for a while now and s/he mostly sticks to trotting back and forth through time, tweaking bits and pieces but s/he doesn’t deal in major world events. However, movies and more recent TV series tend to be a lot more serious in their time-travelling intent. There is almost always an ecological subtext and that’s usually combined with an earthshattering event or a major crime. As befi tting such serious content, the metaphysical conundrums inherent in time travel are taken equally seriously. To hideously simplify Christopher Nolan’s fabulous Interstellar (available to rent), a group of astronauts (Matthew McConaughey, Anne Hathaway) travel from a dystopian 2067 through a wormhole to save the earth. The wormhole is so intrinsic to the plot that it is brilliantly explained in and through the movie. I can’t hideously simplify Nolan’s Tenet (available to rent) because I’m not sure I understood it, which may explain why I didn’t much like it. But it defi nitely involves time travel to save the world too. German series Dark (Netfl ix), whilst rigorous in its rules around time travel, focuses more on exploring the nature of time. Over three series, it follows four families across four generations in a town in the Black Forest. Unbeknownst to its inhabitants, the town is near a wormhole and the show goes back and forth between 33-year intervals. Dark is, well, dark. It has a thriller vibe and I liked it but confess to more than one “Wait, who?” moments. The series 11.22.63 (Prime) is based on a Stephen King novel and has James Franco go back to 1960 with a view to stopping the series of events that led to the assassination of JFK. It’s got a blockbuster vibe, big budget, glamorous, with an orchestral soundtrack and a light touch to the heavy theme. I really enjoyed it. There are online forums devoted to debating the accuracy of onscreen time travel. They thrash out things like the grandfather paradox, which says that if you went back in time and bumped off your grandfather before he procreated, you wouldn’t exist in the future to go back in time to bump off your grandfather. It’s what Back to the Future (available to rent) and Terminator (Prime) and their sequels are either based on or play on. There are causal loops where the future is caused by the past that is caused by the future. That, in movie terms, translates as The Edge of Tomorrow (available to rent), which is great fun HERE'S OUR PICK OF THE BEST THINGS TO WATCH, READ AND BOOK THIS FORTNIGHT. The Chill Zone HiddenGEMS Matthew McConaughey and Anne Hathaway in Interstellar Tom Cruise and Emily Blunt in The Edge of Tomorrow Aine O’Connor ventures into the hinterlands of the streaming services to fi nd some great watches.

WOMANSWAY.IE 33 ENTERTAINMENT Sideways Disney+ and available to buy Sideways is one of my favourite fi lms of all time and I’d go so far as to say it’s a classic. In it, Alexander Payne gives a masterclass in writing and directing, and his stars, Paul Giamatti and Thomas Haden Church, are just perfect. Two middle-aged men on a wine-tasting roadtrip in California might not sound relatable, but the emotion and humour of this are really easy to identify with and that’s where the genius lies. Jack (Haden Church) is about to get married and to mark this momentous occasion, he and his long-term friend Miles (Giamatti) are doing a tour of California vineyards. They’re very different but each has a persona, a carapace to present to the world. Jack is an actor who focuses on his success and, despite a beautiful young fi ancée, is determined to woo women. He is so deeply invested in his persona as ‘actor and ladies’ man’ that he can’t see any other way to be. Miles is an English teacher and writer who focuses on his failure. He pines for his former wife and is so wedged into his perception of himself as ‘stoic victim’ that he uses it to justify some bad behaviour and gets angry at any suggestion that he might have some role to play in his own destiny. Miles is both wine buff and wine snob (“hints of strawberry, asparagus, Dutch Edam”), Jack just wants to drink it (“Um, strawberry yeah, but not the cheese.”) Miles can be po-faced and judgemental, Jack is mostly just interested in himself. These men should be profoundly unlikeable, but the contrary is true because although they sometimes behave badly, they’re not bad, they’re just struggling through like the rest of us. The characters are drawn and acted with such nuance and skill that we watch how the 'offi cial' versions that the two men present to the world, sometimes serve to make what lies beneath all the clearer. The process is accelerated by the introduction of two women, Maya (Virginia Madsen) and Stephanie (Sandra Oh). This is a fi lm about male menopause for sure, but it’s more universal than that and the end result is insightful, funny and wonderful. WW action with Tom Cruise and Emily Blunt killing aliens, and Predestination (Prime) where Ethan Hawke bounces around from 1975 to ‘92 and back to ‘70 and that’s just the least confusing bit of this very clever Australian movie. But beware, causal loops are not to be confused with time loops, where the same time period happens over and over again until something is achieved. That would be your Groundhog Day (Netfl ix) and Source Code (Netfl ix), which sees Jake Gyllenhaal going back and forth trying to catch a bomber in a highly watchable movie. There’s also a lesser known subgenre called the Rachel McAdams loop. With the exception of Doctor Strange (Disney+) where time can be bent and she plays a surgeon, the Rachel McAdams loop generally features our comely heroine in time-warped romances. The Time Traveller’s Wife in which Clare (McAdams) and Henry (Eric Bana) are so destined for each other they keep meeting at random moments, isn’t available at the moment but you can catch About Time on Netfl ix. In this, she is married to Domhnall Gleeson whose genetic time-travelling ability teaches him to appreciate what he has. It’s a Richard Four Weddings Curtis movie so it’s all very pleasant and gore-free. Learning to appreciate what we have is also the theme of Woody Allen’s really enjoyable Midnight in Paris (available to rent) in which McAdams plays Inez, fi ancée to Owen Wilson’s disillusioned writer who is transported nightly to Paris in the 1920s. It’s got a real magic to it, and that’s not just down to the time travel. James Franco in 11.22.63 Rachel McAdams and Domhnall Gleeson in About Time Paul Giamatti and Thomas Haden Church in Sideways Sandra Oh, Thomas Haden Church, Virginia Madsen and Paul Giamatti in Sideways

34 WOMANSWAY.IE Review The Sparrow In cinemas July 5, Cert 15A RTÉ’s recent troubles have caused a sharp increase in people complaining about the TV licence fee. Whatever you feel about RTÉ, it’s worth remembering that a large part of the money raised by the fee goes into supporting Irish film, including Oscar winner An Cailín Ciúin, the recent beauty That They May Face the Rising Sun and new release, The Sparrow. Writer/director Michael Kinirons’ ambitious and accomplished debut is essentially a family drama that transpires and evolves in the shadow of grief. The film is also a study of masculinity yet, despite a largely male cast, the female gaze that shaped them all is very evident. Richard Kendrick, the director of photography who did such a great job on That They May Face The Rising Sun, does another great job on The Sparrow. It opens with an aerial shot of West Cork where teenager Kevin (excellent newcomer Ollie West) is always in trouble and is frequently brought home by the local guard (Mark O’Halloran). His father Larry (David O’Hara) seems to expect no less and makes no bones about his preference for older son, Robert (Éanna Hardwicke) whose military plans fit in better with Larry’s version of manliness. It soon emerges that the family are negotiating the loss, and the circumstances of the loss, of their wife and mother. Kevin misses her badly but, because of the circumstances, and because his style of grieving is very different to his father’s, he is not allowed to express his grief. According to his aunt (Aisling O’Sullivan), Kevin’s similarity to his mother is remarkable, and this constant painful reminder puts further pressure on the teen’s relationship with his father. A chink of light shines on Kevin’s sullen unhappiness when he meets new arrival to the area, Hanna (Isabelle Connolly). Together they find a baby bird and Kevin brings it home, a caring project that he shares with his young sister, Sally (Michelle Gleeson). However Kevin’s hopes of a romance with Hanna are dashed just before a new and shocking tragedy occurs. The Sparrow is raw in ways that were perhaps not intended. It takes about 10 minutes to get into its stride, the script and plot mechanisms are clunky on occasion and the sparrow motif feels laboured. But these are outweighed by the film’s many strengths. It keeps you guessing and engaged, there’s a great moral quandary and a clever reference to The Field in the character of Manny (Dara Devaney). It’s also ambitious both in terms of emotional scope and the interesting plot that could have proven difficult to tie up with a good ending but Kinirons managed it very well. I look forward to seeing what he does next. WW Áine O’Connor is impressed by an ambitious and accomplished Irish film debut. The Sparrow Éanna Hardwicke and Ollie West as brothers Robert and Kevin in The Sparrow Newcomer Ollie West as Kevin

WOMANSWAY.IE 35 ENTERTAINMENT By Prudence Wade, PA CHILDREN’S BOOK The Happy Prince by Oscar Wilde, illustrated by Harry Woodgate, is published in hardback by Andersen Press, priced €17.55 Oscar Wilde may be better known for his classic adult books such as The Picture of Dorian Gray, but the author also wrote several children’s stories. Now, a new edition of The Happy Prince has been published, complete with a set of beautiful illustrations by award-winning author Harry Woodgate. With rich colours of purple and gold, the book is a feast for the eyes. The Happy Prince tells the story of a homeless boy, Swallow, and his friendship with the weeping statue of the prince. Together, the pair set out to correct society’s ills and spread some joy to those who are suffering, who are sick, and people living in poverty. As relevant now as it was over 130 years ago, the story will help teach children over the age of six about the value of giving to those less fortunate. WW Books book about a volcanic eruption started by Jurassic Park author Michael Crichton before his death. The collaboration has produced an extraordinary story, building slowly just like a volcano, and exploding into a dramatic fi nish. Set in Hawaii, Eruption charts a race against time to save an island, and possibly entire countries, against lava reaching deadly canisters containing radioactive waste. It’s a ticking time bomb which the best scientists and high-ranking military have to work out how it can be defused before death and destruction. Patterson fans will be no doubt thrilled to recognise his style of writing, as he has picked up the reins of such an astonishing story. NON-FICTION Lucky by Louise Thompson is published in hardback by Ebury Spotlight, priced €25.52 Former Made In Chelsea star-turnedinfl uencer and fi tness entrepreneur Louise Thompson reveals the shocking truth of what happened to her during the birth of her son Leo in this raw and searingly honest memoir. Anyone who follows the 34-year-old on social media will know she’s suffered a myriad of physical and mental health problems since becoming a mother two-and-a-half years ago, but the book details how she nearly died twice after two haemorrhages and the PTSD she was left with. At times it’s a harrowing and heartbreaking read but it’s an important one. In a world where women often aren’t listened to when it comes to their health or their pain, Thompson wants to help them advocate for themselves and know their birth rights. It’s a story of a rise to fame at a time when reality TV was in its infancy (and cast members were paid £25 (€30) per day) and toxic relationships, to fi nding real love, and recovery after trauma. Plus, how, through adversity can come incredible strength. FICTION Spoilt Creatures by Amy Twigg is published in hardback by Tinder Press, priced €27.55 Spoilt Creatures, a debut novel by Amy Twigg, follows Iris, a 32-year-old single and lonely woman who is drawn to Hazel, a resident of a local women’s commune in the Kent Downs. Enticed by the opportunity to escape the men who have let her down and the oppressions of society, Iris joins the commune. However, she quickly realises that even within this group of women, power dynamics are at play, especially under the leadership of the domineering Blythe. When a group of men descend upon the farm, the women’s existence is threatened. Twigg’s storytelling is both captivating and unsettling, drawing readers into the complex emotional landscapes of her characters. The narrative unfolds slowly under the oppressive summer sun, building to a gripping climax. The Switch by Lily Samson is published in hardback by Century, priced €21.75 Lily Samson’s fast-paced debut thriller will have readers gripped as Elena and partner Adam get sucked into the intriguing world of their glamorous neighbours Sophia and Finn. The disturbing plot, inspired by Roald Dahl’s 1974 short story The Great Switcheroo, sees Elena and Sophia start a bizarre secret swap, sneaking into each other’s houses in affl uent Wimbledon at night to climb into bed with the other’s unsuspecting partner. It’s gradually revealed that this is more than just a way to spice up their relationships, with Alfred Hitchcock fan Samson offering twist after twist. While this page-turner’s plot may not be a complete surprise, the signposting isn’t so heavy-handed to make it predictable. Eruption by James Patterson and Michael Crichton is published in hardback by Century, priced €31.90 Renowned thriller writer James Patterson was asked to complete an unfi nished happened to her during the birth 5 new books to read.

36 WOMANSWAY.IE Interview Dubliner Sarah O’Connor talks about taking on the role of Glinda the Good in the UK and Ireland tour of Wicked. Wickedly Talented Westside Stage School in Lucan and she was a contestant on RTE’s TV reality show, Fame: The Musical in 2010. Even though she didn't win, the process was good training for the rejection inherent in the entertainment industry. MARRIAGE Now 34, Sarah moved to London in 2008 to pursue a career in musical theatre, and has been in Frozen, Mamma Mia!, Evita and The Commitments. She lives in Kent with her husband Sam Day, who is also her agent, and actually, Wicked is particularly special to them as they met through the iconic show. “I met Sam at the 10-year anniversary the witches from the 1939 fi lm, The Wizard of Oz, the musical tells their backstory, as imagined by novelist Gregory Maguire. He was a fan of the fi lm and L. Frank Baum’s children’s book, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (1900), but it bothered him that the story depended on the extremes of good and evil. He decided to address this in his novel, Wicked – The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West (1995), in which he provided a more nuanced origin story for Baum’s famous characters. The musical is based on the book, and Sarah is thrilled that it is playing in Dublin for seven weeks as she’s originally from Lucan. Her talent was honed at the When the beloved musical Wicked comes to Dublin later this month, all eyes will be on Sarah O’Connor as she glides onto the stage at the Bord Gáis Energy Theatre in a bubble. The talented Dubliner was delighted to win the role of Glinda the Good, the teenage witch at Shiz University who is not quite as good as she likes to think she is. Glinda develops a shaky friendship with Elphaba (Laura Pick), a green-skinned student who wants to make the world a better place, even though she is destined to become the Wicked Witch of the West. While most people will be familiar with Sarah as Glinda and Laura Pick as Elphaba

WOMANSWAY.IE 37 ENTERTAINMENT By Andrea Smith and Mark Fisher of Wicked – at the after-party,” she says. “And then when I got the role of Glinda, he got to deliver the news to me.” Sarah and Sam were married last September, after which she went straight on tour with the musical, which is written by composer/lyricist Stephen Schwartz and scriptwriter Winnie Holzman. It has now been seen by 65 million people in over 130 cities in 16 countries. Fans adore the amazing score, which contains power ballads and stunning duets like Defying Gravity, Popular, For Good and What Is This Feeling? Sarah is delighted to be starring in a musical in which the two leads are played by women. “It’s amazing,” she says. “It’s important to be telling stories where women are strong, independent and driven. For Glinda, it’s about where she wants to be in her career and becoming a better person. It’s important that people can see that women can have that voice.” She also fi nds it very interesting to play a beloved 'good' character who is actually not all good? “Their names are the Wicked Witch of the West and Glinda the Good and yet they’re neither of those people,” she says. “They are titles that have been given to us to make it easier for people to go, ‘Yes’ or ‘No’. it’s enjoyable to be playing characters that have more to them than just beige.” A theme in Wicked is highlighting “It’s important to be telling stories where women are strong, independent and driven” how people who are different are excluded, such as Elphaba for being green or her sister, Nessarose, for being a wheelchair user. Sarah feels that this demonstrates that the show was before its time. “It’s one of the reasons it’s been running on Broadway for 20 years and nearly the same length in the UK,” she says. “Thank God these things are being discussed now and acceptance is being normalised, be it disabilities, looking different or feeling different. We’re putting a mirror in front of people and going, “How are you treating these people? How are you making other people feel?” Wicked is a coming-of-age story with friendship at the heart of it, and Sarah believes she knows why the musical has resonated with so many people over the past 20 years. “All of the characters have something that different people can relate to and I just think that will never get old,” she says. “It’s timeless and it’s why everyone loves it.” WW Catch Sarah in Wicked at the Bord Gáis Energy Theatre from July 23 to September 14. Tickets from bordgaisenergytheatre.ie. Sarah O'Connor

38 WOMANSWAY.IE metaphor of a modern man” where culture, exploration, experimentation and knowledge collide. As poetic a statement as the island itself. (And, I can’t help but think, perhaps refl ective of Italy’s lingering machismo.) GETTING THERE Although I did develop seasickness on this trip (I blame perimenopause), the hour-long ferry ride from Naples was quick and easy. And as far as I could tell, all of the passengers were Italian. Even though many were likely tourists just like ourselves. The staff on board only spoke italiano, which was a surprise because on the mainland everyone had some English (and quite a lot of French). A multilingual fellow passenger was happy to translate for me as the barman got exasperated at my order, which was, in fairness, changing by the second with the kids. “She’s French,” I understood my translator saying to the ‘spresso man. One furtive glance, and I could tell that wasn’t reason enough for my antics. Despite the mild embarrassment, these moments are the reason I love to travel. To get a glimpse of what my life might be like if I lived here. Chatting to a neighbour. Getting stink eye from the grumpy guy. Landmarks are majestic, art is engrossing, but it’s the people who make a place. The prouder and louder the better, I reckon. I almost feel bad writing about this little gem of an island. Simply because, to me, it’s clear the locals don’t particularly want more tourists to fl ock to its gorgeous beaches and postcardperfect marinas. As compared to its wealthier, fancier, and more touristy neighbour Capri, the foursquare-kilometre island of Procida feels like a place where its 10,000-odd inhabitants can, and do, make a living without having to exclusively rely on tourism. It does feel like the islanders manage to strike a balance here. For one, unless you’re a resident, there’s no car access from April to the end of October. There are no big hotels, or any other types of chains – food or retail. Fishermen directly supply local restaurants. It’s also semi-famous. Two movies were fi lmed here, in the 1990s: The Talented Mr Ripley and Il Postino. Plus, the island was named Italian Capital of Culture in 2022. When the mayor accepted the accolade, he didn’t tout it as a bonanza. Instead he referred to Procida, pronounced pro-she-dah, as “a And for the Italians, food is a big part of what life is all about. I have to agree with them; there is nothing quite like the taste of a freshly picked clementine, ripe and bursting with fl avour, savoured in a fragrant garden. Which is just what we did at our lovely accommodation at Casa Giovanni da Procida (€160 per night for two double rooms, casagiovannidaprocida.it). The perfect place to sit on a deck chair and stick fl owers in your hair. MARINAS The active fi shing harbour that is Corricella, only accessible by land from four staircases, is what the island is most famous for. Cascading rainbow-coloured houses absorb and refl ect the Mediterranean sunshine, the gentle lapping of the crystal-clear water setting the pace. As with other fi shing villages, story has it the colourful facades are there for the fi shermen to be able to spot their house while at sea. It’s a place where time stands still. In contrast, Marina Grande, where you dock from the ferry, is a hive of activity. Not nearly as picturesque as Corricella but the obvious place to be if you’re under 30 and brought your dancing shoes. Astrid Madsen reports back from the island paradise of Procida, just an hour’s ferry ride from Naples. LAND OF Lemons View of Corricella from Terra Murata

TRAVEL WOMANSWAY.IE 39 LEMONS GALORE I don’t know if it’s the ash from the four founding volcanos that’s still working miracles for Procida, or if it’s the mix of sun and shade, but there really is something to be said of lemons you can eat as an appetiser. In a salad. I had my initiation at one of the many restaurants on the Corricella waterfront, which gave me just that. Sweet and refreshing, topped with sprigs of mint. In fact, that was the fi rst thing that struck me as we fi rst ambled through the narrow streets off Marina Grande. The size of the lemons. In every shop window, cart. Hanging out of trees. They’re huge. Lemon cocktails up next at the Chiaro di Luna, and why wouldn’t you? The owner has her own orange and lemon groves and makes gelato that packs more than the proverbial punch. If that’s not enough lemon for you, try lingue di Procida which is a lemon creamfi lled pastry. Or tiramisu sprinkled with lemon. I couldn’t get enough of the citrus fruit, so up next was lemon pesto at the beachside restaurant Da Girone. Needless to say, we brought back limoncello liqueur from the island. It doesn’t come close to any other I’d ever tasted before. TERRA MURATA A steep climb from Corricella is the mediaeval fortifi cation of Terra Murata, where you’ll get the best views of the beautiful townscape below. We didn’t venture all the way up to the heart of the village, as we were drawn to the intriguing, and derelict, Palazzo d'Avalos. It was built as a fortress-cum-palace in 1563 by the Spanish family that ruled Procida until 1700. The stately residence was turned into an infamous penal colony in 1830 and incarcerated fascists and mafi osos until it closed in 1988. From the side garden, we ventured past a playground and followed a beaten path through the weeds. Worth the trek as we were rewarded with a breathtaking view of what I presume was the mainland. Even though the prison itself didn’t seem open to guided tours, (I later discovered you have to book two days in advance on visitprocida.com), the hubby found there was a way into the building. Intrepid and reckless in equal measure, he fi gured he might as well shortcut his way back to the entrance (he had to loop back). The photos he took were haunting. The only regret we had on this trip was not staying long enough to go up and around the entire island. It really is hard to beat a secluded holiday like this, not a worry in the world apart from where to amble next. And what to eat. Procida is a world apart and, dare I say it, a little slice of heaven. We’ll be back as soon as we can to explore more nooks and crannies, and well and truly relax. WW “The owner has her own orange and lemon groves and makes gelato that packs more than the proverbial punch” Procida Casa Giovanni di Procida lemons View of Terra Murata from Corricella View from the back of Palazzo d'Avalos

40 WOMANSWAY.IE I t all began on a park bench in London’s Soho Square. We had both just turned 50. We had known each other for years (since college). We had family responsibilities, but we wanted to get away for a while – and had the green light to do so from those close to us. We both enjoyed Europe. We both enjoyed travelling by trains. We were seeking what the writer Jerome K. Jerome so pithily put at the beginning of Three Men In A Boat, his 1880s comic masterpiece about a journey down the River Thames: “Rest and a complete change… the overstrain upon our brains has produced a general depression throughout the system. Change of scene, absence of the necessity for thought, will restore the mental equilibrium.” Within an hour or so of mulling this over in the sunshine (accompanied by Red Stripe lagers), my old friend Danny and I had hatched a simple plan: we would go on a long rail journey to Istanbul, following the classic route of the Orient Express. Two men on a (load of) trains heading for Turkey, rather than three men in a boat on the Thames. A few clicks on the Interrail website and, hey presto, a couple of weeks later we were at St Pancras International, hopping on a Eurostar. STARTING OFF Many people believe Interrail journeys are just for gap-year students hoping to “fi nd themselves” and explore Europe, and this was indeed their original purpose. Back in 1972, the International Union of Railways created Interrail passes specifi cally for the under-21s, INTERRAILING AT Author Tom Chesshyre realises a teenage dream to reach Istanbul by rail. Tom Chesshyre; at right, Istanbbul and the Bosphorus river

TRAVEL WOMANSWAY.IE 41 Continued overleaf >> 50

42 WOMANSWAY.IE who had been cut off from travelling around the continent by high ticket prices. In those days, passes had cost about €30 for unlimited journeys over a month. And they were such a hit in their fi rst year, with almost 90,000 sold, they were continued and marketed more widely. By 1998, all ages were permitted to book, with prices higher for those over 27, but discounts for over-60s. These days, the railways of 33 European countries participate, up from 21 in the 1970s. You download the Eurail app – Eurail is a Dutch-based company running Interrail – and a simple system allows you to book tickets. And so, for us, the tracks led to Paris, in the midst of protests against President Macron’s plans to increase the French Gare du Nord, Paris The Monument of Liberty, Ruse, Bulgaria retirement age by two years to 64. The joy of arriving in the French capital and thinking, “Where next?” while mooching about in cafés and bars was, it must be said (despite riot police rumbling by in vans), extremely liberating. We soon spun onwards down the line to Strasbourg, departing from Gare de l’Est, which was appropriately where the very fi rst Orient Express left on October 4, 1883, led by the fl amboyant Belgian railway entrepreneur Georges Nagelmackers, the wealthy son of a Belgian banker. Nagelmackers had visited America to see how transcontinental trains worked and had been inspired to emulate the luxurious services, many run by another famous early rail impresario, George Mortimer Pullman. It was not long before we were in Strasbourg’s fi ne medieval old town, with its magnifi cent cathedral – and, very soon after that (the next day), we arrived in Nuremberg in Germany, visiting the courtroom where the Nuremberg Trials were held, and enjoying bratwurst and frothy lagers in Bavarian beerhalls. GETTING TO TURKEY So began our sometimes-hectic, spur-ofthe-moment, zigzag route to Turkey. Via a night in the small, quaint city of Passau on the River Danube, still in Germany, we pulled into Slovakia’s lively capital, Bratislava, having traversed a slice of Austria. Bratislava is also on the Danube, as was our next stop-off in Budapest, Hungary’s

WOMANSWAY.IE 43 TRAVEL Timisoara, Romania Sirkeci Train Station, Istanbul Strasbourg, Alscace capital, with its ornate river bridges, fi ne parliament building, thermal spas, downto-earth bars and distinguished 19thCentury stations; the best, Keleti Station, featuring a statue of Britain’s railway hero George Stephenson on its fi ne façade. From there, Danny and I booked seats for Timisoara in Romania, which was where the revolution had begun against Nicolae Ceausescu, Romania’s despotic ruler from 1967 to 1989. There’s a museum all about it near the many elegant squares lined with Neo Baroque architecture. By this stage of an Interrail trip to Istanbul, you will be in the swing of it. We booked the sleeper to Bucharest, Romania’s rather gaunt capital fi lled with communist-era buildings. Next up came a night in the remote Danube-side city of Ruse in Bulgaria – home to Bulgaria’s National Transport Museum, fi lled with old locos (for any train buffs considering the route). More clattering tracks led to Sofi a, Bulgaria’s capital, with its compact old town, Roman ruins and excellent views of Mount Vitosha. And courtesy of another long sleeper ride, we were soon arriving at dawn in Istanbul, listening to the echoing calls to prayer, watching ships slide by across the luminous Bosphorus, and tucking into a blow-out lunch at the Orient Express Restaurant at Sikeci station. This ornate station, designed by the Prussian architect August Jasmund in ‘oriental style’, was where the old Direct Orient Express from Paris terminated up to 1977, when the service was fi nally cut due to lack of passengers, as people had been turning to jet planes. Now, for those wanting a continuous train from Paris to Istanbul there is only the Venice-Simplon-Orient-Express running once a year, covering fi ve days. The price? An eye-watering €19,000 per passenger. No need to blow all that doing it the DIY way using Interrail, though. At Sirkeci, we raised our glasses to the journey, our equilibria happily restored, á la Jerome K. Jerome. What a great way to go. WW How to plan your trip • A 15-day Interrail pass costs from €415 Tom Chesshyre is the author of Slow Trains To Istanbul… And Back: A 4,570-Mile Adventure On 55 Rides, published by Summersdale.

44 WOMANSWAY.IE By Sarah Marshall, PA TRAVEL hotels and destinations where they have more availability. Booking your holiday on a Tuesday can drive savings of around 5-8 per cent for international travel when compared to the higher price points later in the week. Don’t fall into internet traps One of the biggest mistakes consumers make is revisiting the website and searching for the same holiday and dates to check out the price. Each website has algorithms, so the more searches for specifi c dates or visits to a particular page, means the price may increase. Add the holiday you like to the favourites tab, which many booking platforms have to view later. Be fl exible Travelling on a Tuesday through to Thursday is typically much cheaper than travelling over the weekend. Sign up for airline discount alerts for cities you want to visit on sites like SkyScanner or CheapFlights.com. If there is a discount rate that pops up within your budget, be prepared to book immediately. With the Irish summer showing no signs of improvement, the race is on to fi nd sunshine elsewhere. But don’t worry if you’ve still not booked anything – there’s still a chance to pick up a good deal with a bit of savvy planning. HotelPlanner.com CEO and co-founder Tim Hentschel shares his tips. Pick your day to book Tuesdays are usually a good day to pick up a good holiday deal – particularly if you can travel at the last minute. Most often, the pricing teams for hotels and tour operators meet on a Monday to review what’s sold well over the weekend. Then on Tuesday morning they’ll update their systems and websites with deals and offers to increase bookings to HotelPlanner.com cofounder Tim Hentschel spills the secrets to grab yourself a value-for-money break. Pick up the phone All hotels are subject to the industry’s ‘rate parity’ protocol for published rates, but some online travel agencies such as HotelPlanner can sometimes offer an unpublished discount rate, but only if you speak to a reservation agent by phone, where it’s considered a private, closed-sales environment. When you have more time to plan your trip, this can be considered the best option. Sign up to loyalty schemes If there is a particular hotel chain you enjoy staying in – sign up to their loyalty scheme as they upgrade repeat customers. Many credit card companies and supermarkets are also offering reward points for every euro you spend that can be put towards hotel stays. WW BARGAIN Breaks

WOMANSWAY.IE 45 TRAVEL pool and two jacuzzis nestled amongst the beautiful tall trees in the forest. It’s really something special. When it was time for my treatment, the staff kindly replaced my wet robe, offered me a chilled mimosa and walked me to the treatment area. I was met by my therapist Renata who talked me through my Natural Glow Facial – an illuminating and renewing facial, using the Aqua Sana Natural Glow product range. She started with a gentle cleanse, tone and exfoliation followed by light therapy, a craze Decked out in my robe and with my towel in hand, I sauntered into probably the most beautiful spa I’ve ever been to. The scent, the sound, the warmth and the general atmosphere was elevating. As a newbie, it was almost overwhelming. I didn’t know where to begin, so the large map detailing the steam and sauna rooms was much appreciated. After a quick walk around the area, I settled on the foot spa experience to start followed by a quick nose around the other ‘experience rooms’. I loved the variation in the steam and sauna rooms. You’d lose time gazing at the forest views and the heated contour beds were out of this world – as a sleep-deprived mother of two children under four years of age, I was on cloud nine. I felt so relaxed yet invigorated at the same time. In the centre of the spa is an outdoor heated Áine Duffy checks out Aqua Sana Spa at Center Parcs in Longford. FOREST ESCAPE in the beauty industry I’ve been dying to try. Renata explained the benefi ts of LED light therapy; it stimulates cell regeneration, increases circulation, contours facial features and fi rms the skin. SOLD! It’s completely non-invasive and painless and boy did it leave my skin feeling refreshed and glowing. The treatment ended with a scalp and face massage releasing any tension and stress. I didn’t want it to end. The treatment was one hour of pure bliss and I can honestly say it’s the best facial I’ve had in terms of immediate results. I have rosacea and I noticed a difference in redness as soon as I left the spa. I would defi nitely consider investing in a regular course. This is defi nitely up there as one of the best spas I’ve been to. It ticks a lot of boxes and would make a wonderful addition to a stay at Center Parcs (or a day visit, which is also an option). WW Visit centerparcs.ie Nordic Sauna Forest Garden

46 WOMANSWAY.IE shelving to display fashion favourites, plenty of mirrors and task lighting to make the space feel bigger,” suggests Hutcheson. Moreover, for a bespoke boutique look, imbibe a sense of calm with a statement bed boasting a low padded headboard, loose linen covers in ivory and putty, strewn scatter cushions and a vase of fresh fl owers. STATEMENT SEATING There’s no doubt the hotel chic trend is having a moment, yet getting it right is just as much about comfort as it is aesthetic, says Gisela Lancaster, head of buying at Sofology. “Elegant and natural tones, sumptuous fabrics and a combination of clean and beautifully curved furniture all work No longer just for vacations, if a luxurious living aesthetic is on your bucket list and looking to revamp and glow up this summer, a fi ve-star vibe is where it’s at. Indeed, if wanderlust takes you as far as focusing on the overall feel and functionality of your space, touches of boutique style ‘hotel chic’ will truly elevate your home. Here, with a curated mix of furniture, lighting and accessories, experts share their top tips for day-to-day comfort crowned with lush accents, without having to stray too far, or jet off... BESPOKE BEDROOM “As people continue to invest in their existing homes rather than move into new properties, the appetite for elevating spaces is ever increasing, especially within the bedroom,” highlights Rachal Hutcheson, national retail manager at Sharps. “Transforming unused box rooms into dressing areas or walk-in wardrobes is a consumer trend we don’t see slowing anytime soon, with many designs centring on an aesthetic commonly seen in premium hotels,” notes Hutcheson. As well as being a beautiful addition to any home, she says a bespoke walk-in dressing room will also help maximise every inch of space, using clever design features to give you the most storage possible. “For a boutique appearance, design the space using neutral tones, utilising designated toward creating an elevated feeling to most living spaces. “Our homes often cry out for a more cosseting approach and curvaceous, sculptural designs are the perfect solution.” She continues. “For a hotel experience that lasts, look for tactile fabrics such as plush velvets, bouclé or even faux fur to offer a real touch of luxury.” Design elements such as curves, fl uting or elegantly turned legs can also maximise comfort while making an impact visually, says Lancaster. Creating ‘everyday luxury’ can be achieved in your own home with these expert tips. HOTEL CHIC AT HOME Statement bed with low padded headboard, sofa.com Ivory accent chair in faux shearling, Sweetpea & Willow Rattan shell light shade, The Den & Now

WOMANSWAY.IE 47 INTERIORS By Sam Wylie-Harris, PA “And enhance the ambiance of a space while injecting individuality into the room.” STANDOUT LIGHTING “The key to creating a fi ve-star designer look in the dining room is to invest in statement pieces that inject a refi ned elegance,” advises Mara Rypacek Miller, Industville's founder. “This can be achieved most effectively through pendant lighting and quality rugs that not only serve as focal points but combined, evoke a considered and thoughtful scheme.” Laying down a well-chosen rug will make any room feel brighter and more inviting, says Rypacek Miller. When considering rug styles, she says to opt for handcrafted designs and unique textures that will add depth and a sense of subtle luxury. “Investing in durable, high-quality lighting fi xtures ensures longevity, but also adds an element of instant sophistication to your interiors.” “Artisanal rattan brings texture to any room and creates a bold statement, casting light in unique and interesting patterns. For high visual impact, clustering pendants will give a high-end fi nish with timeless appeal.” Rypacek Miller continues: “These investments may carry a higher upfront cost, but will provide value for money in the long run, keeping your home looking and feeling luxurious for years to come.” HANDSOME HALLWAY The hallway is often the big reveal where you can make an entrance, suggests Pooky’s head of design Jo Plant. “Of course, while you should keep perspective in mind, you can afford to be quite bold in this space – no one dwells here, so you can be daring with size and colour, without disrupting the space beyond.” Think about what features you have in your hallway and use lighting to frame and draw the eye, says Plant. “Perhaps it’s an alcove, a console table or large decorative mirror – use wall lighting or lamps to accent these features and break up a long hallway.” Rather than using strong overhead lights which tend to have a pool effect, she says to opt for wall and table lamp combinations to layer light levels. However, this only works if you have the space for table lamp options in your hallway. “If not, wall lights are a great option as an added layer, and combined with ceiling lighting with dimmers fi tted, you’d be well set up for a balanced, layered lighting scheme,” she adds. WW “For a hotel experience that lasts, look for tactile fabrics such as plush velvets, bouclé or even faux fur” Customised dressing area, Sharps Walk-in dressing room, Sharps Table lamp in burnt orange with empire shade, Pooky Plush ivory sofa, Sofology

48 WOMANSWAY.IE in their right mind would ever want to do, that would take the concept of fl ying a freak fl ag into a completely different stratosphere. “It’s the home design equivalent of Naked Attraction. Yes, it’s all a bit giggly, it’s all a bit, ‘Oh, goodness me look at that – look how that dangles!’” VAMPIRES Featured in the four-part series are a couple whose home and attire are based improvement show Changing Rooms, gleefully reveals the idea “quite obviously came out of a very boozy lunch”. He adds: “We made it a bit like Eurotrash so it was funny, rather than being all about how much or how little your house is worth, and whether people need to decorate in a certain way. Why not just make a celebratory series about the fact everybody is a bit different? “There are some people that are so different, and so happy about being so different, that when they come to decorate, they want to just do something that nobody Outrageous Known almost as much for his fl amboyant dress sense as for his dareto-be-different interior design ideas, Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen is no stranger to the word ’outrageous’. So it’s fi tting that his latest show, Outrageous Homes, is all about eccentric homeowners, who – like him – aren’t afraid to abandon conventional style. And the 59-year-old, who rose to fame in the Nineties on the BBC’s iconic home Outrageous Homes Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen believes our homes should refl ect our personalities – including the bits that are ‘different’.

WOMANSWAY.IE 49 INTERIORS By Sam Wylie-Harris, PA on a gothic vampire fantasy, including a black lace fourposter bed and red tiled bathroom – plus a walk-in wardrobe to die for. “We hang out with a couple who want to be 14th-Century Transylvanian vampires,” says Llewelyn-Bowen. “But actually, they’re so honest about it, and they’re not on some kind of weird, mighty mission to turn the world into 14th-Century Transylvanian vampires, unlike all those people telling you that you’ve got to paint everything beige.” And then there’s Dawn, who bought the Treasure Island- and pirate-themed former home of the late publisher Felix Dennis, complete with life-size movement-activated animatronics of Dennis dressed as Long John Silver. “So she’ll be going around with a [vacuum cleaner] or a duster, and suddenly there’s Felix Dennis going ‘Oo-ar, me hearties’,” says Llewelyn-Bowen with a chuckle. “I wish there were more people that were confi dent enough to do something that was a bit different, because they wanted to do it,” he continues. “There’s nothing worse than someone who has always wanted to be a bit different, but never really did it. We live in a world where difference can and should be celebrated.” Another quirky home featured in the series is in Manchester, where householder Estelle introduces Llewelyn-Bowen to the furnishing delights of the 1970s. “You walk through Estelle’s front door on a very ordinary suburban street, and suddenly you’re in a Joan Collins Cinzano advert, where it’s all so incredibly international and sophisticated,” he says. “She’s created this kind of Valhalla of Seventies style, where it’s the best possible bits from everywhere, and it really works because it’s all together – it’s so exuberant, so heady. I’m not sure I’d want to live there, but it’s defi nitely a great place to go on holiday.” Another Outrageous Homes owner is 86-yearold Trevor, who’s spent decades creating his very own Venetian palazzo in suburbia, with plunging light wells, vaulted ceilings and lavish waterways forming a little slice of Italian heaven in Staines. “Trevor’s been building his own personal Venice just outside Heathrow for something like 30 years,” explains Llewelyn-Bowen. “There’s not much to see on the ground level, but then you descend these staircases and you’re in a series of ruinous Venetian palazzi. There’s someone who at 86 is still proving that as you get older, it’s not a question of embracing the corduroy and the Werther’s Originals, you can actually still keep innovating.” COLOURFUL And that’s what Llewelyn-Bowen and his wife Jackie want to keep doing. “Jackie has this big thing about us at the moment – our big commitment is that being 60 means we must never stop being brave, and that being brave as you get older is much more important than it was when you were young and it was very easy,” he says. So, is his own home as bravely outrageous as we’d all expect, too? “We live in a 17th-Century listed Cotswolds manor house, so arguably just about everything we’ve done that’s not a shade of beige is a brave thing to do in that kind of context. But I very much believe the original builders would have loved what we’ve done – it’s colourful, it’s patterned, it’s exotic – all these things were a big part of style in the 17th Century,” the designer reveals. “I think you should use something like the 17th Century as a starting point for your own feelings about what your home should be. Our attitude has always been to refl ect who we are, and that’s not just our house, it’s the clothes we wear, the food we eat. That’s what we do.” He points out that through the internet, people can see what any outrageous design ideas they may have could look like. “There are no excuses anymore. The internet can lead you into the most incredible spaces – it gives you a great portal into designers and craftspeople. So, all the things you dream about are absolutely in your power to achieve. “There are 1,001 reasons to not do something – it’s actually being confi dent enough to get those reasons why you should do something, and I think something like Outrageous Homes is a great opportunity for people to be inspired.” Paint is a “great starter”, he says. “When people move into a house, just paint it. You’re not making a commitment, you don’t have to have that red wall for the rest of your life, but just make it yours, whatever yours might be – actually scent mark where you live, and colour is one of the fi rst and greatest ways of doing that. “When your haven, your comfort zone, is something that you feel is absolutely you, you become a much happier you,” he adds. “If there’s one place in your life where you should be allowed a personal expression, it’s your home.” WW Watch Outrageous Homes With Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen on Channel 4. “I wish there were more people that were confident enough to do something that was a bit different” Estelle and Laurence in her 1970s home Poppy's rainbow house Laurence in the pottery house

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