Say it with me: Y2K is everything right now. Shoulder bags, Juicy tracksuits, and low-rise jeans? Check, check, check. One of our fave Y2K popstar-inspired trends at the moment is one that Tiktokers and red carpet A-listers alike are loving – the bubble braid. We’ve been seeing them everywhere- ‘Rising Star’ Brit Award winner Griff wore an ah-mazing oversized bubble braid for her live Brit performance, Gigi Hadid rocked (adorable) mini versions for her 24th birthday celebrations, and Priyanka Chopra looked insanely sleek and sophisticated with her red-carpet bubble braid at this year’s BAFTA Awards. Honestly? Bubble braids might just be the…

If you’ve spent most of 2021 scrolling through Tiktok (because let’s face it, what else has there been to do), you’ll most likely have come across 3 things: Addison Rae, *that* feta pasta, and the holy grail of beauty routines; Gua Sha. The technique is a firm fave amongst celebs and influencers, and involves scraping an insanely aesthetic-looking tool across the face, with the goal of achieving ultimate lifting-plumping results. It’s said to have countless health and beauty benefits, and has been hailed as the secret to healthy, glowing skin. What’s more? Celebs including Lizzo, Kendall Jenner, and Miranda Kerr have all…

Lockdown had us pining for the hairdressers, saving hair inspo left, right and centre, and dreaming of all the new looks we would try out once normality resumed. One style that kept catching our eye was locs; a hairstyle that’s becoming ever more popular with both men and women who want to show off their natural hair with pride – in a stylish and easy to manage way. Although locs are pretty low maintenance, there are some things you need to know when it comes to starting and caring for your locs. Loc expert Deborah at La Aibamania gave us the lowdown…

If you’re anything like me, your nails have been *through it* this past year. Excessive handwashing? Check. An at-home gel kit that peeled off later that day? Check. A DIY nail art attempt that looked like a toddler had let loose with their crayons? Check. (Okay, maybe some of these are just me, but you get the gist.) Luckily, salons are officially back, which means we can finally get back to our true happy place, the nail salon (insert heavenly choir noises here). This season, our insta feeds have been full of brights, pastels, and all things *joyful*. With spring…

I mean, seriously, because I can’t remember. If I could sum up the past year (and a bit) in three words, it would be “WFH”, or maybe “house every weekend” (and I don’t mean the song). Socialising has been replaced by social distancing. For me, that means greasy hair days are easier to hide (shout out “switch camera off” mode), and washing my hair is more of a treat than a necessity – which is actually good for your hair too, you know? The sleek bun is one of the few hairstyles where the greasier the hair, the better the bun (in my expert opinion, at least).…

Confession: I’m not the best at applying makeup. No matter how many Youtube tutorials I watch, Pinterest pics I study, or TikTok trends I scroll through, (and believe me, it’s a lot), I just can’t seem to get the hang of it. Luckily, 2021’s most notable makeup trend is surprisingly doable- which means it’s one that I can absolutely get on board with. Earlier in the year- the ‘2016 vs 2021’ makeup challenge was trending on TikTok. The trend took a nostalgic look back to those sweet, sweet pre-covid times, and showed how makeup trends have changed since then. On the whole,…

Salons are finally open again in Ireland(!!), which means we're counting down the days to our next appointment, and thinking about all the beauty inspo we've been scrolling through (and dreaming of getting) throughout lockdown. We’re already dead set on the haircut we’re getting, now for the nails. We’ve been obsessing over the modern French mani and now pic ’n’ mix nails. Otherwise known as indie nails or, simply, a different design on every nail. It’s no wonder these amazingly OTT nails are trending after months (and months, and months) of bare nails. When it comes to designs, pick a…

If you’re anything like us you’ve been counting down the days until salons reopened. It’s been a long time since we sat in the salon chair and when we say our hair is crying out for some TLC, we mean it. We spoke to afro Hairdresser extraordinaire, Debora at La Aibamania to find out what we can do in preparation for our first appointment back in the salon. Here are her top three tips:

Relieve pressure on your joints  Raise your hand if you spend your day hunched over a screen. It’s probably causing damage to your neck, shoulders and spine. “Regular massage reduces the risk of injury by keeping our bodies supple and improving our range of motion”, Paul, a therapist at Peace Star Therapy, explains, “a good massage will help your body to relax and relieve pressure on your back, neck and joints”.   Boosts your immune system  Regular massage is also great for boosting our immune systems which is super important as we enter flu season and Coronavirus keeps, you know,…

It’s happened to the best of us. In the chair, gown on, scissors ready – then the nerve goes and it’s all just “this, but shorter.” Deciding on a new hairstyle is tough, but knowing how to ask for it is tougher. Don’t let your vocab hold you back. We’ve gathered up 7 popular styles right now and exactly what you need to ask to get them. By Liam Clifford

Until you’ve had a facial, it’s easy to think of it as, well, a glorified face wash and, I guess on some level, it kind of is. It’s still worth getting one though – even just for that proper squeaky-clean feeling alone. If you’re thinking of giving it a go, here’s some of the stuff you might be wondering about. By Beth Ludolf

We have a date – 10th May (!!!) – that salons will open in Ireland, which means our dreaming about the treatments we’re booking has stepped up a notch. We’re already dead set on the haircut we’re getting, now for the nails. We’ve been loving the modern take on the classic French manicure for a while now and it’s not going anywhere for 2021. We’ve seen it on Gigi Hadid, Chiara Ferragni, and Rosie Huntington-Whiteley – not to mention all over Instagram. What makes this 90s classic a modern fave? A few little personalised twists. Switch up with shape from round…

What should I do if the hair is too long? Remember, your hair should be no less than a quarter of an inch long. If it’s too long, Sofia suggests giving it a trim, “make sure you leave about 1 cm of growth though, to make sure the wax can pick the hairs up”. If you’re not confident trimming it yourself (it can be trickier than you think), your therapist can do this for you before your wax. If I resorted back to shaving during lockdown, will my first wax hurt more? You’re not alone in worrying about the pain…

We’re dreaming about a lot of things during lockdown - nights at the pub, seeing our loved ones, and a sweet, sweet haircut. Something we’ll never take for granted again. While scrolling through Instagram and saving endless amounts of inspiration pics probably isn’t helping the frustration of not being able to head to the salon, it does at least mean that when they do reopen, we know exactly what we’re getting done. Curtain bangs, in case you were wondering. Curtain bangs are great. They’re notoriously cool (Alexa Chung made sure of that), less high maintenance than you might think and…

Aside from how to poach an egg, and the severity of a tissue ending up in the washing machine, mum’s taught us a whole bunch of stuff. Beauty advice included. Perhaps you’ve been bleaching your locks with lemon juice since the tender age of 12, or rubbing Vaseline into your lashes every night. Whatever advice has stuck, you’re probably (like us) curious to know which of mum’s ‘tips’ are actually true. We’ve done the digging, and it’s time to debunk some mum myths (with the help of industry experts). Hair, nails, brows – all the stuff you’ve been wondering for…

Argan Oil The gold standard when it comes to hair oil and likely the one you’ve heard lots about. Argan oil is rich in essential nutrients, vitamins and fatty acids all of which help lock in moisture and restore dry and damaged hair. It helps increase the hair’s natural elasticity making it feel soft and easy to manage as well as giving it a brilliant shine.   Coconut Oil Coconut oil isn’t just for the kitchen; it’s a natural moisturiser that can be used on both your hair and body. Rich in vitamin E and essential amino acids coconut oil…

Lockdown one was all about embracing no makeup days (and enjoying the skin benefits) but now it’s lockdown number three and we’re bored. So, we’re practising for when the restrictions lift. We’re talking hairstyles, makeup, you name it. Today: which shade of eyeshadow to wear to accentuate your eye colour. First things first, there are literally no rules when it comes to makeup. We’re purely talking about the best shades for making your eyes pop. According to science (well, the colour wheel), of course.

What is niacinamide?  Simply put, it’s a form of vitamin B3 (like how retinol is actually a form of vitamin A). Like many other vitamins, it’s pretty darn great for the skin because it works with the natural proteins in the skin, strengthening them. So, what’s so good about it?   It’s compatible with all skin types and other products One thing we love about niacinamide is that is works for all skin types. Yep, even sensitive and rosacea-prone skin. It also works extremely well with any of the other products in your routine (retinol, antioxidants, the lot). Because of this, you…

Fruit acids (AHA) You’ve probably heard of AHAs, it stands for alpha hydroxy acid (in case you wondered). The best known of these is glycolic acid – a chemical exfoliator found in toners, serums, exfoliators and creams that removes the surface layer of dead skin cells for a smoother complexion. Other AHAs include lactic acid, critic acid and mandelic acid.   Salicylic acid (BHA) Beta hydroxy acid, otherwise known as salicylic acid, is the number one for fighting acne. BHAs can get deeper into the pores to remove dead skin cells, impurities and excess sebum. While salicylic acid can help…

Snow, wind, rain - this weather is almost making us glad that we’re cooped up indoors. Not only is it absolutely freezing, but our skin is dry, cracked and flaky and cranking up that central heating is only making things worse (it dries out the air causing moisture to evaporate from the skin much faster). It really is a double-edged sword. Whether you struggle with year-round chapped skin or it just crops up in winter, urea is the ingredient to get to know. 

We’re all pretty well-versed on the skincare changes we should make in the winter months - two words: more moisturising, and ‘lip balm’, come to think of it - but do you pay the same amount of attention to your haircare? Much like our skin, our hair needs more moisture during winter. The colder temperatures outdoors and the central heating indoors make the air much dryer which lifts the hair cuticle, letting moisture out more easily and leaving the hair dry and frizzy. Here are some of the changes you should make to your hair routine during the winter.

Like all great beauty trends, we stumbled across this one on the Internet. Not Reddit or TikTok this time, but Pinterest. Skinimalism is an ultra-natural, skincare-cum-make-up routine. Think Glossier vibes - effortless, cool, fresh and paired back. Here’s how to hop on the trend.

You’re following every skincare guru on Instagram’s advice, you’ve bought all the latest products and you’re dedicating more time to your skincare routine than you are your career and social life combined but your skin just isn’t playing ball. If this sounds familiar then there’s a high chance it’s because you’re using the wrong products for your skin. Now we’re well and truly in lockdown number three (or is it four? We’ve lost count) and once again with more time on our hands (just please, no more baking banana bread) many of us will start to experiment with our skincare…

Coloured hair has come a long way since the frosted tips of NSYNC days. We’re embracing colour now (more than ever before) with acid brights, chalky pastels and good ol’ platinum blonde lining Fashion Shows, street style, and even our office. Colour’s cropping up everywhere, and it’s commanding our attention.   Yep, we’re calling it that a neon chop is a good idea for AW18. Better yet, whether you’re sporting longer locks, or an all-over buzzcut, there’s a dyeing technique to suit. From fluro green ombre, to ice-white afro, there’s heaps of inspiration for your next salon trip. So much,…