Hi, my name is Nima Niamh… and I’m a beauty junkie.

Self-confessed. Hands up. Guilty as charged. but my god do I love it!!

I test everything. Textures, formulas, pairings, longevity. My beauty drawer gets an overhaul every 2–3 months because it overflows at the seams with the amount I’m trialing and testing constantly. As a makeup artist, products have to work together, last all day and photograph beautifully. So I get the beautiful excuse that this is part of my job and I simply must do it! For the good of the people.

These are the products I reached for again and again - on brides, on clients and on myself. So here’s a list of the products staying firmly in my kit for 2026…and beyond.

1. Hildun Eyeshadow Quads & Liners, €18-25

Hildun gives the final pow to any makeup look. I’ve said it time and time again

Super pigmented. Stunning colour range. Adult glitter at its finest. Finger-applied shimmers = glossy, wet-look lids. Liners are smudgeable, buildable and effortless. Colour range is fab.

Irish brand. Iconic. Non-negotiable.

2. Charlotte Tilbury Unreal Cream Blush €34

Creamy, dewy and foolproof.

Gives instant hydration and glow — no liquid topper needed. Works over powder.

Favourite shade: Rosy Glow.

3. Et Al Radiant Foundation, €52

Skin-perfecting magic.

Works on oily, dry, rosacea, everything. Hydrating, long-wearing, HD-ready and protective. Active ingredients, UV protection, water proof (tried and tested in the form of a bottle of champagne that got a little frisky!).

A little goes a long way. Amazing colour range for fair skinned gals.

My shade: 70C.

4. Hourglass Ambient Lighting Palette – Vol. 2 €69

One Bronzer. Every skin tone.

Sweep all three shades together for the most flattering bronzer ever. Keep it light, deepen it up, the choice is yours. Gives dimension and volume to skin in the most beautiful natural way.

Expensive spend upfront - will make you wince ever so slightly - but lasts forever.

5. Rodial Blush Drops, €38

The final gloss on the skin. Like the icing on the cake.

Ultra-sheer, luminous, lifting. Looks intense - applies like a dream.

One dot does the job. Apply with a stipple brush

6. Danessa Myricks Color Fix (Nudes) €20-25

Super versatile - can be used as Eyeshadow. Liner. Concealer. Bulletproof. Flesh, white, black, brown. The shade range is extensive and stunning.

Once it’s on, it’s not moving. Waterproof, budge-proof, bridal-approved. 

Bonus: the foil shades are stunning (check out ‘fantasy’ for that stunning baby pink champagne tone.

7. Poco Universal Glow Treatment €30-69

Hydration, Glow, SPF 30, primer - all in one.

Works on all skin types. Trialed extensively. Face, chest, shoulders. The works.

Locks makeup in without affecting foundation shade. Irish brand brilliance.

8. MAC Lipsticks & Liners, €18-35

Tried everything. Still unbeatable.

Soar. Whirl. Longevity, shade range, reliability.

Top of the pops - always.

Fave combos - 

Pink girls - soar liner & creme cup lip

Mauve ladies - whirl liner & modesty lip

Moody nudies - Whirl liner & velvet teddy lip

9. KIKO Maxi Mod Mascara

€11.99 and unstoppable.

Lengthening, curling, volumising and the waterproof DOES. NOT. Budge.

Artists: waterproof. 

Personal use: regular (trust me).

10. Primark Luminous Body Oil

The budget hero.

Dries fast, no transfer, no colour - just glow. Been using for over a year and wow!

€4.50 for 80ml and lasts for ages. Absolute steal.

So these are the products I’ll be proudly taking into 2026 and beyond.

Truthfully, this list could’ve easily been 20… maybe even 30 products, because there are so many absolute staples in my kit that get repurchased time and time again.

But this is the fun part of the job: trial and testing. It’s the part I love most — even if my husband is currently finding lipsticks in his sock drawer because I’ve officially run out of space. 

So now I want to hear from you.

Are there products I haven’t tried yet that I need to know about?

What were your ride-or-dies going into 2026 and coming out of 2025?

And will you be trialling anything from this list in 2026?

Drop your recommendations…let’s enable each other responsibly 😉

Thanks for stopping by, Love, Nima xx