Whether we’re jetting off somewhere very hot or staying local, we know sun protection is vital.

As A/W trends land on cosmetics counters, it’s time to streamline your beauty regime. From classic pieces to the best new season launches, Weekend’s Beauty Editor Rachel Marie Walsh creates the perfect make-up bag.    

Pocket-sized and face-friendly? We put three SPF minis to the tests.

Kelly O’Brien has been getting increasingly obsessed with the chemicals in cosmetics. So this month, she decided to bin her regular routine and go 100% organic

Beat the heat with beautifying treats. Lisa Haynes reveals how to keep your cool.

USA:

Great skincare is not exclusive to department stores. Visit the supermarket or pharmacy for high-quality buys under €20.

In the dock this month: red lipstick, hand cream and eye makeup remover.

Secretary general of Basketball Ireland, Bernard O’Byrne, revealed it will be another five years before the green singlet returns to the senior international stage.

Irish prisoners, including their latest addition, John Dundon, will soon be wearing “Hollywood smiles”, sporting fake tans and smoking Hamlet cigars after retail giant BWG scooped a multimillion-euro contract to supply tuck shops across Irish prisons.

IF there is one lesson we should all have learnt from the heatwave spell, it’s that lobster-red skin is never a good look.

Basketball Ireland’s hopes of climbing out of debt by 2017 have been set back after long-time SuperLeague sponsors Nivea ended its association with the sport.

Changing times on Ireland’s basketball scene. The final four Champions Trophy spots for the Nivea for Men’s SuperLeague have been settled and there will be no Killester or UCD Marian in the shake up.

Three men have been found guilty of leading a terrorist bomb plot that could have been bigger than the Jul 7 atrocities.

It won’t compensate for the Cup final defeat, and it wasn’t especially pretty.

A superb performance from UL Eagles star guard Rob Taylor helped his team to a crucial win in their top of the table Nivea For Men’s SuperLeague clash with UCC Demons.

It was a shock when they beat UCC Demons in the cup semi-final.

Cup fever grips the basketball fraternity in Ireland this weekend and for those taking part — it’s a rare opportunity to showcase their talents under an intense media glare.

There’s just one game in the Nivea For Men’s SuperLeague this weekend as Moycullen welcome Dublin Inter to Galway tomorrow.

Swapping grubby rucks for designer looks, Donncha O’Callaghan, Simon Zebo and James Coughlan are measured up by stylist Niamh O’Rourke for our men’s style special.

Bord Gais Neptune 72 UCC Demons 74

The first week of the Nivea Women’s Superleague season led to the first big blunder of the year when the referees assigned to DCU Mercy and Ulster Rockets travelled to Waterford instead of Belfast for the game.

Knock years off your hands with high-performance creams and balms worthy of applause.

Belfast Star have withdrawn from the Nivea For Men’s SuperLeague.

Max Factor Liquid Effect Pencil, €8.99

UL Eagles were crowned Nivea for Men SuperLeague champions following their impressive win over DCU Saints at the National Basketball Arena in Tallaght last night.

UCD Marian produced their best performance of the season to defeat Neptune 83-80 in a thrilling Nivea Men’s SuperLeague quarter-final play off at the Neptune stadium.

UCC Demons could make for an interesting run-in when they host Northern Conference leaders and Nivea for Men SuperLeague favourites, DCU Saints, at the Mardyke Arena on Sunday afternoon (3.15pm).

Basketball's Northern Conference leaders DCU Saints travel to Cork on Sunday to play Bord Gais Neptune in the Nivea for Men’s SuperLeague.

UCC DEMONS return to the revamped Mardyke Arena on Sunday (3.30pm) but 11890 Killester, the defending Nivea for Men SuperLeague champions, can expect anything but a warm welcome.

ARDAGH, the Irish glass and bottling specialist, has further diversified within the international packaging market by agreeing to buy the Boxal group of companies for around €85 million.

DERBY games can be everything, close, tight, exciting but last night’s clash between UCC Demons and Bord Gáis Neptune was all about one side — Demons — and one can only wonder how much importance should be attached to the scoreline and the result, heading towards the business end of the Nivea for Men SuperLeague.

EVERY sport has a major rivalry, be it Cork-Kerry or Dublin-Meath in Gaelic football or Munster-Leinster in rugby but the Bord Gáis Neptune versus UCC Demons clash in basketball is up there with them (7pm tonight, Neptune Stadium).

GER NOONAN keeps rolling back the years and he did it again on Saturday night when he played the starring role as Bord Gáis Neptune confirmed the cup result was no fluke when they collected the valuable Nivea for Men SuperLeague points with a 99-96 win away to Belfast Star.

NEW signing Robert Taylor would appear to have solved the outstanding problem for UL Eagles’ coach Mark Keenan, who watched him contribute 21 points as they beat Bord Gáis Neptune 76-71 to return to the top of the Nivea for Men SuperLeague Southern Conference.

BORD Gáis Neptune coach Mark Scannell set his side a target of 80 points against defending champions 11890 Killester in yesterday’s Nivea for Men SuperLeague clash at Neptune Stadium and, while they did not achieve that, a close 73-72 victory was more than satisfactory.

REIGNING champions, 11890 Killester, got their defence of the Nivea for Men SuperLeague title back on track on Saturday night with an emphatic 100-86 win over UCC Demons.

UCC DEMONS, who sprung a huge shock last weekend when ending the winning run of the Nivea for Men SuperLeague leaders, DCU Saints, travel to Dublin tomorrow in search of another upset when they take on 11890 Killester.

TOMORROW night’s Dublin derby at Clontarf has all the ingredients for a thrilling encounter as joint leaders, 11890 Killester, take on Northside rivals, DCU Saints, for control of the Nivea for Men SuperLeague.

A best mate is worth a whopping €13,000 a year.

THERE was a dramatic end to yesterday’s NIVEA for MENSuperLeague clash at the Parochial Hall when the Technical officials stopped the game and awarded the points to 11890 Killester despite the fact UCC Demons were leading 60-42 after condensation was discovered on the floor.

THERE were perfect results for new coaches, Darren O’Neill and Mark Scannell, as the reigning NIVEA for MEN SuperLeague champions, 11890 Killester, Bord Gais Neptune, got the new basketball season under way.

FEW people can be as eager for the 2011-12 Nivea for Men’s SuperLeague to get going this weekend as new UL Eagles coach Mark Keenan.

BASKETBALL IRELAND chief executive Bernard O’Byrne is hopeful that the majority of the country’s international representative teams will be back on court by 2014.