Product watch: MAC partners with luxury milliner Philip Treacy

Rachel Marie Walsh finds Philip Treacy’s collaboration with MAC is sure to turn heads and also advises not to be blinded by marketing speak when it comes to the latest releases.

MAC partners with luxury milliner Philip Treacy on this season’s most creative makeup collection.

Recalling his extraordinary career, including collaborations with Alexander McQueen and John Galliano, as well as his famously extravagant pieces for Daphne Guinness and the inimitable Isabella Blow, Treacy drew inspiration for three fabulous hats.

Each emphasises the structure of the face and pairs beautifully with an equally form-focused group of makeup products. His pink fascinator-headband hybrid, for example, is crowded with Spring blooms and colourful plumes and picked up by MAC High-Light Powder in Blush Pink, €30, MAC Lipstick in Cardinal, €19.50, a burgundy red, and MAC Pro Longwear Paint Pot in Genuine Treasure, €20, an antique gold.

Giorgio Armani Beauty Eye Tint, €32, makes quick progression from handy timesaver to true makeup obsession.

Liquid shadow in a tube is not a new idea but Armani’s formula is exceptionally light and long-wearing. Ten jewel shades go on creamy and dry to a non-glittery powder finish.

Each of these strongly-pigmented tints requires a good pre-application shake to ensure even distribution but is very much a swipe-and-go product otherwise.

The doe’s foot wand makes lining just as easy as creating a wash of colour over the lids and shades can be layered for dreamy, dramatic looks.

Cold Copper, Rose Ashes and Senso really make blue eyes pop. Jade and Obsidian look great on brown-eyed girls and Gold Ashes, Flannel and Minuit were seen on green-eyes models at SS15 shows in Milan and London.

Laura Mercier’s Tarte au Citron is sweet, indulgent and carb-free. This three-piece bathing collection was inspired by scents wafting from a Paris patisserie.

The Creme Body Wash, €42, is rich in shea butter and sweet almond oils, so cleanses without stripping the skin of moisture. Follow up with Soufflé Body Creme, €63, a luscious, non-greasy blend of grapeseed extract, more shea butter and macadamia nut oil.

Finish the ritual with Eau Gourmand, €60, a fragrance that hits the nose with tarty lemon zest, sugared citron and a touch of bergamot. These top notes give way to a heart of whipped vanilla custard and warm pastry that lingers over base notes of blonde wood and musk.

Makeup launches happen so frequently that much of deciding what to try means a wade through emphatic marketing-speak aimed (tediously, yet justifiably), at distinguishing some new “innovation” in the beauty hall.

Allow me to fast-track your understanding of Bare Minerals Complexion Rescue Gel Cream SPF30, €29. This is a very good tinted moisturiser for normal to dry and sensitive skin. The formula “rescues” the complexion only if yours is dry or has pigmentation issues that you wish to neutralise.

It contains broad-spectrum sun protection and comes in radiant, natural-look shades that can be built up for foundation-like coverage. You should certainly layer it on if you use makeup as your sole source of UV protection.

Aveda’s latest eye moisturiser deserves more than a passing glance. Botanical Kinetics Energizing Eye Cream, €39, is rich in emollients and plant-based antioxidants that offer hydrating and anti-aging benefits anywhere on the face.

Botanical Kinetics is the brand’s dry skin range but the formula is also safe for sensitive and normal skin types.

I’d like if Aveda did this cream in a larger-sized tube for the face instead of the facial moisturiser Botanical Kinetics Intense Hydrating Cream, €48, which comes in jars that expose the formula to air and other de-stabilising agents.

The eye cream is fragrance-free and a luxurious base for makeup.

DKNY Women, €57, a limited-edition riff on the brand’s signature fragrance released in a skyscraper-inspired pink atomiser for Spring/Summer 2015.

The perfume is an energising bouquet for hot city days that gives an initial hit of sweet orange and grapefruit sharpened with a dash of spearmint.

The warm heart smells of lily, spicy carnation and lush tiare flower before giving way to a lingering base of vanilla and patchouli.

Clarisonic Pedi Sonic Foot Transformation Set, €199. Clarisonic takes the at-home pedicure to a whole new level with this kit.

The brush is a variation on the brand’s signature rechargeable brush designed for everyday buffing, wet or dry.

Use an attachment called The Pedi Smoothing Disc to give heels an intensive sloughing twice weekly. The Pedi Balm reinforces the softness of soles with a thick blend of emollients.

My favourite part of the kit is the Pedi Boost, an alpha hydroxy acid lotion that produces far more elegant, even results than attacking the skin with a grainy scrub.

AHA exfoliants are typically used to clear dead or sun-damaged cells, scars and stubborn marks on the face.

They can also increase the skin’s natural moisture content. Treating the feet to such a sophisticated formula makes them feel and look especially pampered.