\nOur columnist is feeling pretty and it\u2019s all down to a few essentials and some trusty professionals\n<\/p>\n
I\u2019ve been watching The Summer I Turned Pretty with Mini, my 10-year-old, and her bestie Biba, and yes I get far more \u2018emosh\u2019 than they do #teambelly. Anyhoo, it got me thinking about The Season I Turned Pretty. After hitting the big 50 and entering the madness of menopause, honestly, I felt like I fell apart, so I\u2019ve done a few things to, eh, turn pretty! Something I\u2019ve learnt as I\u2019ve got older is you need to invest in people over products \u2013 let me show you how.<\/p>\n
Fitness Fun<\/p>\n
Having always hated exercise, I finally found someone that makes me come back. Every single week. Sometimes twice a week! Jessica Kavanagh is a genius. Not only is she a personal trainer with her Rathmines studio Inform Fitness (informfitness.ie) but the grit and determination she shows competing worldwide as Ireland\u2019s first IFBB Bikini Pro is iconic. While I won\u2019t be doing that any time soon, I love that she understands that everyone needs a different approach to their fitness and a tailored nutrition plan.<\/p>\n
Toothy Tri<\/p>\n
With my great advanced age, my teeth decided to move around so I had to embark on my Invisalign \u2018journey\u2019, as the kids call it on social media. I had heard great things about Seapoint Dental Clinic in Dublin (seapointclinic.ie) and my relationship with the clear plastic braces began. I have to admit I found it hard to start as you have to leave them in for 22 hours per day, but I\u2019m on it now. I can\u2019t wait to dazzle you all with my smile.<\/p>\n
Bloomin\u2019 Good Botox<\/p>\n
While looking after my skin with suitable skincare for texture and tone, Botox is the business for that extra bit of better. I\u2019m a big believer in doing your research and finding the person that\u2019s right for you, especially when it comes to injectors. Sisters Jane and Katherine Mulrooney (drmulrooney.com) have helped me hold back the tides of time. They\u2019re both doctors and skilled in cosmetic procedures.<\/p>\n
Hair We Go<\/p>\n
A great cut can take years off you, so I go to the amazing Christian Shannon at Brown Sugar (brownsugar.ie), who knows exactly how to give me the perfect cut to flatter my face shape. He convinced me to cut my hair shorter a few years ago, which gave it much more body and made it much easier to manage.<\/p>\n
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Elta MD UV Sheer Broad-Spectrum SPF 50, \u20ac60, instituteofdermatologists.ie<\/p>\n
Super SPF<\/p>\n
It was Professor Caitriona Ryan from the Institute of Dermatologists that turned me onto Elta MD UV Sheer Broad-Spectrum SPF 50 (\u20ac60, instituteofdermatologists.ie), which is a lightweight SPF that helps to even out skin tone and is non-comedogenic and vegan-friendly.<\/p>\n
![\"Poco](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/3436c83e-2ecc-4034-89a8-bf33c07fa90b.jpg\")
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Poco Beauty Skintuition Foundation, \u20ac32, pocobeauty.com<\/p>\n
All About the Base<\/p>\n
Cher sang If I Could Turn Back Time, and a great foundation can take years off you. I\u2019m enjoying Poco Beauty Skintuition Foundation (\u20ac32, pocobeauty.com) at the moment. Pippa O\u2019Connor Ormond\u2019s foundation is basically skincare with coverage so it nourishes your skin from within. It also evens out skin tone, smooths texture and strengthens the skin\u2019s barrier.<\/p>\n
Mind Yourself<\/p>\n
The most significant glow-up for me lately has been BTL Exomind (\u20ac500 a session, ailesburyclinic.ie). It uses magnetic stimulation on the brain and helps with anxiety. As someone with ADHD in menopause, let me tell you, it works! <\/p>\n
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Westman Atelier Petite Petal Edition Set, \u20ac82, shop.cashelpalacehotel.ie<\/p>\n
Boutique buys<\/p>\n
I love dropping into The Boutique at Cashel Palace Hotel on our way to West Cork, as they have a fabulous retail space with an emphasis on wellbeing. It stocks great items, such as the Westman Atelier Petite Petal Edition Set (\u20ac82, shop.cashelpalacehotel.ie) with mini blush, highlight and lipstick.<\/p>\n
Lifting the lid<\/p>\n
Blephs are the new Botox! Blepharoplasty is a type of surgery that repairs and corrects drooping eyelids, puffiness and undereye bags by removing or repositioning excess skin, fat, and muscle. If you\u2019re getting your eye lids done, make sure to schedule your Botox appointments wisely. It\u2019s better to let Botox wear off so the surgeon can accurately assess your natural brow and eyelid position for optimal surgical results.<\/p>\n
![\"Triona](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/f4ce252b-7ac0-4068-b301-526ae2fca600.jpg\")
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Triona McCarthy lets us in on her secrets to staying pretty. Photo: Gerry Mooney<\/p>\n
Triona\u2019s budget friendly beauty buys <\/p>\n
Fab facials<\/p>\n
I love a word-of-mouth recommendation and that\u2019s how I found Agne at Absolue Skin (absolueskin.ie) on Upper Pembroke Street in Dublin. Her facial sculpting massages are fabulous, and they range from Kobido (from \u20ac100) that boosts circulation, releases muscle tension and improves fine lines, and another more intensive one called the Reconstructive Facelifting Massage (\u20ac145) that aims to restore symmetry and reshape the face.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Our columnist is feeling pretty and it\u2019s all down to a few essentials and some trusty professionals I\u2019ve…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":159192,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[75],"tags":[18,117,19,17,4746,5046],"class_list":{"0":"post-159191","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-entertainment","8":"tag-eire","9":"tag-entertainment","10":"tag-ie","11":"tag-ireland","12":"tag-life-magazine","13":"tag-triona-mccarthy"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@ie\/115481554999864836","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/159191","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=159191"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/159191\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/159192"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=159191"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=159191"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=159191"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}