Lifestyle Loves: Iced matcha, stabilised retinol, West Cork treehouse and more July favourites
Lifestyle Loves: Some of the things the team enjoyed in July
Drinking: Matcha is my go-to beverage – hot or cold – and I’ve been popping next door from our Dublin office to Póg Tara Street for my daily dose. I decided to brave the long queue for the Matcha Bar pop-up in Powerscourt Townhouse Centre and got the Iced Blue Vanilla, which was tasty. Next on my list is the Lavender Matcha. Always on the hunt for a good matcha in Dublin city centre!
I’m a big second-hand/vintage girly where possible, and my favourite thing at this time of the year is thrifting to find the perfect festival fits. In a world where there are so many fast fashion trends each year for outdoor events, making a bit of a challenge out of putting together your outfits is so much fun. As well as that, there is always so much waste each year from festivals so buying sustainably is a little bit that could help. So, in my bid to find some vintage and second-hand outfits, I’ve been keeping a firm eye on Depop, and visiting some shops around Dublin city – namely Big Smoke Vintage, Dublin Vintage Factory and 35 Vintage. Doesn’t hurt to pick up a few bits for everyday wear too while you’re at it!
I am so basic when it comes to makeup – I find it so hard to make most things look good! However, I’ve been trying to up my game a bit and I have been loving these two products. I got an ad on Instagram for Charlotte Tilbury’s Hyaluronic Happikiss and fell in love with the shade Happiberry. It’s my first Tilbury purchase and I am loving it so far. It’s a dramatic colour but feels like I’m just wearing a neutral lip balm on my lips. I was recently gifted the Bellamianta Glow Base and I am finding it great to bring dull skin up a few notches – especially on days in the office when I’m not wearing much makeup.
I’m sure I won’t be the only person to say this but I was hooked on The Real Carrie Jade podcast from RTÉ Documentary on One. I’m usually late to the party when it comes to new series – whether it’s Netflix or podcasts – so I binged all seven episodes throughout July. It is wild!
The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess. From Sabrina Carpenter to Charli XCX, it can't be denied this was the summer of the pop girly. Whether you're a polly pocket stan or living your best brat life, there's a three-minute bop for you. My jam of choice this month was Chappell Roan's The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess, a perfect pop album from start to finish. I am counting down the days till she rolls into the 3Olympia Theatre in September.
Hysterical starts off by returning to the outbreak of a mysterious illness (one that looks a lot like Tourette syndrome), that spreads among a group of high school girls in LeRoy, New York in 2011. Doctors believe it to be a case of conversion disorder, better known as mass hysteria, but those affected and their families are not convinced. In his search for answers about the 2011 outbreak, host Dan Taberski also explores other events in recent years across the US and further afield that have been chalked down to examples of mass hysteria. It's a fascinating, and at times deeply unsettling, listen. Well researched, not drawn out, this eight-episode series from Wondery and Pineapple Street Studios is the best podcast we've listened to in a while and well worth the €5.99 subscription.
I received a sample of Medik8 Crystal Retinal 3 Serum a long time ago as part of a Christmas advent calendar. At the time, I was using a prescription tretinoin so didn't look at it. But, unfortunately, my skin just couldn't get on with tret, and after trying some other retinol products, I kept finding the same thing - my skin would get so irritated, and peel so badly, that I just had to stop and couldn't make it through the so-called 'purge'. Then, this particular product was recommended to me by a member of the team at South William Street Clinic in Dublin. She explained that it was "stabilised" form of retinal (a faster-acting version of retinol) with time-release encapsulation technology - in layman's terms, it meant it was less likely to irritate and peel. Three months in, I am happy to report this is the case. At a RPP of €65, it is by far the most expensive product in my skincare arsenal, but for those who have wasted time and money using a variety of other retinols, I have to recommend it.
Like the rest of the world, I’ve been hooked on Charli XCX’s new album, Brat and have probably listened to every interview she has done since its release. The album features a mix of electropop, hyper pop and dance tracks. The album itself and the concept of 'Brat' are nothing short of iconic and I am obsessed. It really is Brat girl summer.
Bad Mormon. Following on from my previous recommendation of Real Housewives of Salt Lake City, I just finished Bad Mormon by cast member, Heather Gay. The New York Times best-selling memoir tracks her life from growing up Mormon to her divorce and decision to leave the church. The Real Housewife also just announced the upcoming release of her second book, Good Time Girl.
Buying London. Reality TV and amazing homes are my dream combination for a chilled evening watch, and this new Netflix show fits the bill perfectly. It follows property mogul Daniel Daggers and his team who work in high-end real estate in London. It’s like a mix of Made in Chelsea and Selling Sunset.
Nikon Coolpix. It’s true everything comes back into fashion and the days of taking a digital camera on a holiday or a night out are back. I’ve been on the hunt for one for a while and after a lot of research and recommendations from friends, I purchased a second-hand Nikon Coolpix S3600. It’s cute and compact and I love the early 2010s feel to the pictures.
I went with my husband, young daughter and our two Spanish students to support the girls in green when they played France in the Euro qualifier at Páirc Uí Chaoimh on July 16. We’d never seen the team play in person before and it was a wonderful experience. With a crowd of over 18,000, the atmosphere was unsurprisingly brilliant - plenty of families with young kids having a great time chanting and clapping along to all the favourites, like Olé, Olé, Olé, Olé (our students got well into this one!). Seeing the team win, and score three goals was the icing on the cake. We got home and my daughter was straight out the front with a football trying to recreate the goals. Inspiring stuff!
I’d been waiting with bated breath for season three of The Bear. I’d loved the first two seasons – tense, emotional, stressful, and wow, that soundtrack (the music is like another character in this show full of characters). Season three though was different – I enjoyed being back with the team, but it felt disjointed and there were too many flashbacks for my liking. However, there were some absolute standout episodes – Ice Chips for one was a powerhouse performance by Abby Elliot who plays Natalie, and Jamie Lee Curtis was on form again as mom Donna. The season didn’t really resolve any storylines and we’re left with some cliffhangers, but despite the lack of flow, I will definitely be tuning in for season four. It’s one of those shows that stresses me out but at the same time I’m marvelling at the unbelievable cast performances.
Books were my moments of mindfulness in what was a busy month. I finally finished Paul Murray’s The Bee Sting - an epic family story. The final, breathless few pages did nothing to calm my heart rate but I was sorry to leave the Barnes family behind. I also ploughed through My Father’s House by Joseph O’Connor, Water by John Boyne, and Yellowface by R.F. Kuang. I’m late to the party, but I just started Marian Keyes My Favourite Mistake, and it’s like settling into a comfy sofa.
Close to home, it's been a busy few weeks for independent music. I have finally caught up with Dublin avant-trad outfit Lankum's 'Live in Dublin' LP, a concise summary of the band's body of work to date that serves as a good document of their live experience; Limerick youngfolk Some Images of Paradise inflict an impressively noisy onslaught in debut EP 'Hell is Overcrowded, The Dead Have No Place To Go'; Mayfield's baddest man Dan Walsh and collaborators in Fixity have served up another selection of musical left-turns in 'Fixity 8'; Tralee vocalist Amano's collaboration with 'The Spark' producer Garry McCarthy under his Kalabanx moniker has resulted in Irish-inflected electronic single 'Southwind'; and gravel-throated Limerick rapper Hazey Haze has teamed up with beatmaker Mankyy to deliver the frankly outstanding 'SHY BOII GETS NO SWEETS', an introspective hip-hop document of life on the fringes of society in the Treaty City.
Off my usual Hibernocentric to-read mountain this month to belatedly catch up on two very good primers on neurodivergent life in the modern age. UK content creator Ellie Middleton's 'Unmasked' is a concise yet empathetic explainer on autism, ADHD and neurodivergence for late-diagnosed people, or those unfamiliar with the changing conversation, discussing the modern context of the whole matter, as well as navigating the realities of a world you hadn't even realised wasn't made for you. Meanwhile, US therapist KC Davis' 'How to Keep House While Drowning', a companion to her equally essential 'Strugglecare' podcast, is an easily navigated guide to rethinking domestic life and its demands in ways that suit the needs of neurodivergent adults and children. Great refreshers for those in the know, essential reading for those new to the whole area, or who love a neurodivergent person.
Tombi! Given a very limited release in Europe in winter of 1998, platforming role-playing game Tombi! became a cult classic due to its frankly bizarre storylines and side-quests, immediately accessible run-and-jump gameplay (that betrayed a surprising amount of depth and content for the genre), and immensely charming cast of characters. It helped pave the way for what contemporary gamers would now call the 'Metroidvania' category of digital tomfoolery. Inclusion on magazine-covermount and console-bundle demo discs gave this one huge Christmas-time exposure, but its seeming disappearance at retail renders it a rarity and something of a curio, especially when placed alongside cutting-edge contemporaries like Metal Gear Solid and Tekken 3. Under its original Japanese/American name of 'Tomba!', it's receiving a well-deserved reissue for the modern consoles and PC this month, with the addition of a newly re-jigged soundtrack, galleries of production art and other ephemera, and interviews with surviving original staff members from developers Whoopee Camp. If you're burned out on games, or simply hanker for some wholesome weirdness, give it a lash.
Seán Seanson. What a breath of fresh air is Dublin-born videographer Sean Seanson, whose long-form videos, mostly focused on the original PlayStation and its games, avoid the traps of modern content creation. They provide concise reviews of hidden gems selected by commenters and Patreon supporters, delivered with clarity, humour and a warmth that's so been badly missing from cultural journalism in recent years - while his longform mixes of music from across the nineties gaming titan's lifespan are equally thoughtfully-curated. He also doesn't shy away from the Irish perspective of a worldwide phenomenon either - check out his video essay on PlayStation appearances by television troll Hugo, best known to Gaelgóirs as TG4's Hiúdaí, including a potted history of the brief national pop-cultural phenomenon his Irish iteration inspired in the late '90s. You love to see it.
This month I spent a long weekend in Valentia Island, Co. Kerry. Tucked away off the country's most popular tourist route, the island is more commonly known as Kerry's best-kept secret. From the views of the Skelligs and the Blasket Islands to the lighthouse café, pints at the pier to the ice cream factory, it's a spot not to be missed.
I love a unique stay and recently spent two nights in a treehouse in Skibbereen, West Cork (known as Cottages for Couples). Although I'm not crazy about the name, I couldn't fault the experience. The treehouse was rustic, cosy, and positioned so deep within the trees that it exuded a serene calmness. The cherry on top is that each treehouse is complete with a private hot tub, located on the outside deck. With a book and mimosa in hand, this is where I spent most of the weekend.
As a crafty girly through and through, I'm always on the lookout for creative workshops, and this month I took two. One in Valentia Island and the other in Skibbereen. By request, Gillian Murphy hosts intimate oil and cold wax workshops in her garden studio overlooking the Skellig Islands. After a quick demo from the artist herself, you're left to create your own four 6x4 prints within one large print. Cré Pottery is a 'Paint Your Own Pottery’ studio located in Skibbereen. All you know to do is choose a piece of pottery from their extensive range of models, figures, and kitchenware and get painting. Each piece has an assigned price and that's all you pay unless you opt for a coffee and/or sweet treat. After an explainer regarding paint colours, the staff gives you all the necessary paints, brushes and stencils and lets you work independently on your creation. But don't worry, they are on hand if needed.
Sex and the City. I rewatch the entire series from start to finish every few years and each time, I’ve found solace in watching the main characters tackle the same love and life lessons. Indeed, the series hasn't aged well over the years but as a millennial who grew up watching it, the out-grown aspects are reflective of that time and relatable to how we grew up. Each re-watch I'm closer to the character's ages and in a way, it feels a tad comforting.
Wicked has flown into Dublin for a seven-week stay at the Bord Gais Energy Theatre and I was lucky enough to be invited along to the press night and went with my boyfriend and his parents. You can read my review of the show here but in short, I loved it. It's running until September 14 and Glinda is played by Dublin's own Sarah O'Connor, who I saw in December 2019 as an understudy Jenna in Waitress on the West End. I was blown away then and I'm still blown away now.
House of the Dragon. I've really been enjoying the second series of the Game of Thrones prequel, though the less said about the Harrenhal storyline the better in my opinion. The cast is outstanding, not least Emma D'Arcy as Rhaenyra Targaryen and I've come to the conclusion that dragons are just big dogs and I wouldn't mind one myself. Another viewing experience I enjoyed lately was Deadpool & Wolverine with Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman. It won't win any high-brow awards but it was fun, filthy, and gloriously self-aware — perfect for a couple of hours of escapism at the cinema.
Matcha latte ingredients. Much like Rebecca above, I enjoy an occasional cool green drink but a recent purchase of an iced matcha latte for twice the amount I'd normally spend on a normal (large) cappuccino made me reassess and decide to give making my own a go. The matcha itself is in the post so this time next month I'll hopefully share a success story. I'm looking forward to using my new Mara Duit iced coffee cup for it — it's double-insulated and you can block the hole for the straw with a cap so it can be used as a shaker, ideal when I'm following the Starbucks recipe for an iced brown sugar oat shaken espresso (another one I can't justify the price of, but Nicole did recently tell me the more words in your coffee order the higher the price and it's so true).
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