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Beauty

CHRISTMAS WITH... YOUR FAVOURITE BEAUTY BRANDS

Where does Aimee Connolly spend Christmas, what is Keilidh Cashell hoping to find under the tree? From treasured traditions to best and worst gifts, we’ve spoken to some of the biggest beauty stars in Ireland to find out how they do Christmas…

AIMEE CONNOLLY

Q: WHERE WILL YOU BE SPENDING CHRISTMAS THIS YEAR?

A: “It’s not officially decided yet but it’s usually between Dublin and London. My aunties and uncles live in London so we absolutely love going over there. It’s like a second home to me after all these years and my aunties are the best cooks! It’s also a place where I can totally switch off, which is great because naturally in this job you tend to always be on.”

Q: WHAT ARE YOUR GIFTING GO-TO'S?

A: “I love experiences myself so I tend to try and think of ideas in that area when I’m gifting people, so that we can either do them together or that they will enjoy. If it’s not that, then it usually revolves around the beauty industry - in fairness, it’s what people expect from me and it is an area that I’m very interested in. Naturally, there will always be a good measure of Sculpted presents being gifted too!”

SHOP EXPERIENCE GIFTS

Q: DO YOU HAVE ANY CHRISTMAS TRADITIONS?

A: “It’s actually my birthday on Christmas Eve so it’s usually a jam-packed time of year for me. If we travel to London, we usually do so on Christmas Eve and mum will always make it her business every year to ask the pilot to call out happy birthday to me! If we’re staying at home, I’ll usually meet my family and friends on Christmas Eve and have the morning with John, my fiancé, before he heads back to Galway for Christmas with his family. We’re not quite at the Christmas swim tradition yet but we did do a 5k run last year which we really enjoyed so who knows, that could be the new thing!”

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Aimee's must-give gift this year.

Q: WHAT’S THE BEST CHRISTMAS GIFT YOU’VE EVER RECEIVED?

A: “Honestly, I’m so lucky as I have my birthday and Christmas together - and then on top of that, I’m an only child so I’ve never been let down when it comes to gifts. I mentioned earlier that I love experiences so anything in that field makes me so happy. A few years ago I got gifted a trip to go skiing, I hadn’t been in years and I’d never been to that particular resort. It was amazing and such a brilliant way to kick start the year and make lots of memories.”

Q: …AND THE WORST?

A: “My friends always slag me and say that I’m the hardest person to buy for, so if anything, I’d say I’m the worst to be gifted! One year as part of our secret Santa, one of the girls got me a personalised mug which was lovely in theory but my name was spelt wrong on it which was hilarious; it was spelt Amy instead of Aimee…my pet hate! I, of course, forgave her though and we all laughed a lot at it.”

SHOP AIMEE’S CHRISTMAS WISHLIST:

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AINE KENNEDY

Q: HOW DO YOU PREPARE FOR THE FESTIVE SEASON?

A: “I try to be as organised as I can and start my Christmas shopping in the Black Friday sales. Just this week, I did a ‘spring clean’ so my room would be nice and tidy to make room for storing the presents I have been getting for my friends and family.”

Q: WHAT ARE YOUR GIFTING GO-TO'S?

A: “Well this year, everyone is getting a Smooth Stick - joking! But you can’t go wrong with a nice perfume or aftershave. Also a must-give gift every year is a pair of fluffy socks. I always get all of my friends a pair as part of their presents because you can never have too many fluffy socks!”

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Shop the Smooth Stick in-store at Planet Beauty Clarendon Street.

Q: WHAT IS YOUR SIGNATURE CHRISTMAS BEAUTY LOOK?

A: “Sleek smooth hair and sparkles - I love anything with sparkles at Christmas time!”

Q: WHAT’S THE BEST CHRISTMAS GIFT YOU’VE EVER RECEIVED?

A: “I have received a lot of great gifts over the years but one that I have to say I have gotten great use out of recently is my Apple Watch. I use it every day and it really motivates me to get out of the house and get my steps in.”

Q: …AND THE WORST?

A: “A few years ago, I got a car air freshener from someone…and I didn’t even have a car!”

SHOP AINE’S CHRISTMAS WISHLIST:

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KEILIDH CASHELL

Q: FAVOURITE CHRISTMAS MEMORY?

A: “Christmas was always just spent in my grandparents' house; all of us dancing around the kitchen and singing Christmas songs non-stop. I always loved leaving out milk and cookies for Santa, and carrots, of course, for the reindeer!”

Q: WHAT IS YOUR SIGNATURE CHRISTMAS BEAUTY LOOK?

A: “It’s not Christmas without glitter - and lots of it! I always go for a classic gold or silver eye, and maybe a red lip if I’m feeling extra festive. My brand, KASH Beauty, has plenty of glitters and eyeshadows to choose from to add that extra bit of Christmas!”

SHOP KASH BEAUTY

Q: WHAT ARE YOUR GIFTING GO-TO’S?

A: “I don’t think you can go wrong with nice smelly gifts! Whether it’s candles or body creams, I think great gifts are things that you wouldn’t usually buy for yourself; little luxuries that just enhance your self-care routine.”

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Keilidh's go-to signature Christmas eye look.

Q: WHAT’S THE BEST CHRISTMAS GIFT YOU’VE EVER RECEIVED?

A: “Probably the most sentimental one for me is a massive Scooby Doo teddy! I’ve had it for years and it used to be bigger than me at one point.”

Q: …AND THE WORST?

A: “Socks. When you’re a kid you don’t want socks or clothes or anything of the likes but now…now, I’d be delighted with a pair of socks…you can’t have enough.”

SHOP KEILIDH’S CHRISTMAS WISHLIST…

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JENNIFER ROCK

Q: WHERE WILL YOU BE SPENDING THE FESTIVE SEASON THIS YEAR?

A: “I am going to be hosting dinner for the first time, so I am going to have my mum and son here. My partner and I go to each of our own homes, so we celebrate Christmas together on St. Stephens' Day with her family. It’s in our new kitchen this year and so we are especially excited to host and have fun together in our own space.”

Q: ANY ADVICE FOR BATTLING THE NASTY WEATHER CONDITIONS THIS WINTER?

A: “Keep your skincare regime simple. It’s imperative that you cleanse and thoroughly remove all traces of cleanser with a mitt. Next follow up with your serums, up the ante with vitamin A and top off with SPF - which is a non-negotiable 365 days a year including Christmas Day! A ceramide-based barrier balm such as Skingredients Skin Good Fats is also ideal for this time of the year, with a cheeky treatment or sheet mask thrown in for good measure. Supplementation is also great in the winter as it’s a time of indulgence and helps to keep your skin topped up with goodness and nourishment. I also absolutely adore a body butter and love to smooth one on under my new Christmas PJs for some pampering between Christmas and New Year.”

Discover Skingredients magical offering this Christmas

Q: DO YOU HAVE ANY CHRISTMAS TRADITIONS?

A: “My Christmas traditions vary. Even though my son Matthew is 19, I still ensure that he gets some mince pies for Santa and that I leave a carrot out for Rudolph on Christmas Eve…much to his bemusement! And we always go to a pantomime, regardless of his age. Another family tradition is that he and I also always have a mother-and-son breakfast on Christmas Eve. This year is the first that he won’t be able to make it as he is working now, but we will find traditions in different ways, including building new traditions with my partner too.”

Q: WHAT’S THE BEST CHRISTMAS GIFT YOU’VE EVER RECEIVED?

A: “Two years ago, Matthew had a summer job and saved his money to buy me a ring. It cost beyond what should have been in his budget but it’s the story behind it that makes it truly special. He had visited the ring beforehand, took photos of it and sent them to my mum and partner to get their opinions on whether I would like it. He also took a ring of mine along to make sure it was the right size. The sentiment, meaning and care that he went to almost makes me emotional just thinking about it!”

Q: …AND THE WORST?

A: “A good friend of mine gave me lots of different cookbooks as a hint that they didn’t enjoy my cooking! I wouldn’t say it’s the worst gift, but it was definitely the most suggestive…I haven’t taken heed though, so I still have the same cooking abilities - much to his disappointment!”

SHOP JENNIFER’S CHRISTMAS WISHLIST…

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