Why don’t you...

BEAUTY:Wear a brightly coloured scarf to offset the sometimes draining effects of wearing neutral colours – pinks and purples are particularly good, and a scarf will also double up to protect your hair in a sudden downpour (we do live in Ireland after all).

Splash out:A lovely rose print cashmere scarf by Crumpet is available at Asos.com. The oversize print keeps it modern, the spot print keeps it classic, the cashmere makes it soft (and €245), and the strong pink will bring a glow to your cheeks.

Find a bargain: Check out vintage stores and charity shops for old, silk printed scarves that are usually square shaped – very Grace Kelly.

Make it yourself: Remnant baskets at fabric shops usually have off-cuts at great prices. Simply cut fabric to double the required size, fold in half and stitch all round on the wrong side, leaving a 10-centimetre gap to turn right side out. Press lightly and you're out the door in style.

To the Max

When fashion's creme de la creme (we're talking Prada, Stella McCartney, Lanvin and Louis Vuitton here) want a make-up artist to design the "face" for their collections, the name on their speed dial is Pat McGrath. The British make-up artist's ability to create a look makes her one of the world's most influential beauty designers, devising the colours that we'll want to wear each season. McGrath has another very important string to her bow, and this is where we reap the benefits.

She is also creative director of Max Factor, and who better to translate the trends from the catwalks into real-life wearability? Her understanding of how women want to look has resulted in some terrific products, with prices to match.

Perfect brows: The eyebrow pencil in Hazel (€9.99) is a suits-all shade to naturally sketch in a fuller shaped brow, grooming to perfection with the built-in brush.

Pat's tip: Detail in one hair at a time.

Currant lips: Lipfinity in shade Frivolous (€10.79), a rich berry red which perfectly suits the deep, fruity stains that epitomise this season.

Pat's tip: For a velvet finish, dust loose powder over lips through one-ply of tissue. For a gloss finish, paint over with a matching lip gloss.

Hair heroine

I knew I'd love Elixir Ultime(€34) before the box was opened. It's made by Kerastase, the Rolls-Royce of hair ranges. With a blend of four nourishing oils, including the beautifully fragranced camellia, this is a stand-out product that suits all hair types and can be used in three ways: as a nourishing pre-cleanse treatment, a leave-in conditioner or as a superb controller of flyaway and frizz when used as a finishing product.