What Women Want 2017

Singer proves it’s never too late to follow your dream Cosmo line up for ďŹ rst Belfast Cocktail Week Seventies looks: Pretty v Punk

Women WHAT

WANT

2 | What Women Want

Belfast Telegraph | 13 October 2017

Contents 4

10

Belfast’s first Cocktail Week is set to create a stir

11

Cool ideas for a girls’ only getaway

12-13

Blush meets luxe ... Home thoughts for Autumn

4

Who dares wins: How Brigid O’Neill packed in her career to follow her dream

12-13

5

Soothers to help your skin recover from summer and prepare for winter

6-7

Revamp your wardrobe for a warm and stylish AW17

6-7

8

Make-up goes back to the ‘70s with a Pretty v Punk face-off

PUBLISHED BY Belfast Telegraph, Belfast Telegraph House, Clarendon Dock, 33 Clarendon Road, Belfast, BT1 38G ADVERTISING Jackie Reid – Senior Advertising Manager Tel: 028 9055 4685 j.reid@belfasttelegraph.co.uk EDITOR Fiona Rutherford Realtime Editing & Design NI Ltd f.rutherford@redni.co.uk

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CONTRIBUTORS Davina Gordon, Maureen Coleman, Maeve Richardson DESIGN Susan McClean INM Design Studio, Belfast PRINTING INM, Newry

Project Eve asks: Is running the new religion?

A voice, at last...  that the Baby Boomers (aged 50-69) and What do women want? It’s a quesGeneration Y (20-34) had more in common tion that has confounded everyone than the Generation X (35-49) women who from partners to marketing gurus are too busy balancing work and home life for years. At present, with the multiple inand childcare to be militant about social cursions of huge hairy arachnids into our reform. homes, many of us would be happy with Many of the women talked about a reone of the latest spider catching gadgets! turn to basics – walking in the countryside A major new survey south of the border and valuing meaningful relationships over has looked far beyond the superficial and asked the question, at last. The result holds a social whirl as well as esteeming personal happiness over material goods. up a mirror to the lives of women which Of course, women are not a homogenewill be recognisable to people in Northern ous group and there are huge differences Ireland too.

Project Eve (greatirishreset.ogilvy.ie) has in values and desires. There are definitely some for whom the height of ambition is a identified a number of emerging trends which are in fact applicable to both women perfectly – tattooed if necessary – eyebrow, however, it’s good to see that Project Eve and men – Authentic living (back to enhas opened up a conversation rather than joying nature), Community rising (thanks trying to tie up several thousand loose to festivals and running clubs), ends into a tidy summary in its attempts to Citizen (politically engaged or map out a vision for females in Ireland. volunteering) Control Freak In this edition of What Women Want (major aversion to debt), we meet local woman Brigid O’Neill, Contracting circle (deeper a mum of two, who has followed her relationships with fewer dreams and given up her long people), Self care (the drive term job to pursue her dream for better mental and physical of a career in music. health) and the only negative Spider catcher, We also look at some one, Anti-Social Media (the about £12, from ideas for a great weekend ongoing dominance of social Argos and Amazon, away and the rise of the media). lets you remove cocktail as the drink over It found that by and large, spiders at arm’s which women tend to discuss women want to be treated the length without the issues of the day. same as men and especially harming them There’s the latest home, fashwhen it comes to pay and ion and make-up trends and tips for taking opportunities for career progression. Interestingly, the survey, by Kantar Millward care of your skin for a healthy glow into winter. Enjoy!

Brown and Ogilvy and Mather, found

4 | What Women Want

Belfast Telegraph | 13 October 2017

Brigid’s career takes a musical turn

Brigid O’Neill gave up her career as a conservationist to pursue her musical dream

Surveys show that only 10% of us end up doing the job we dreamed of. Maureen Coleman meets one woman brave enough to make the leap...

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Social gatherings at the home of Co Down singer/songwriter Brigid O’Neill regularly turn into impromptu trad sessions. The former nature conservationist, who quit her job two years ago to pursue a full-time career as a performer, shares a love of music with husband Barra, a lawyer and musician, and twin teenagers Iseult and Cian.

“My husband and the twins would play a lot of trad stuff together and I’d sing too,” says Brigid. “We’ve always had great parties at our house as a lot of our friends are trad musicians as well. Cian and I write songs together and have done so since he was quite young. I could definitely see us performing together in the future. It’s lovely that the twins share our passion for music but then they’ve been around it all their lives. Barra and I are both mad into music and we spend a lot of time going to gigs, when we’re not working.”

Brigid’s family are among her greatest supporters, encouraging her to follow her dreams when she decided to take the plunge and try to carve out a full-time career as a singer. From an early age she’d

been called upon to sing at parties and social events and while at university, she became involved in Belfast’s folk scene.

Over the years she performed in a number of bands, including Deanta, with Cara Dillon’s sister Mary, Allset and a five piece female a capella band. She sang different genres of music including jazz, country and trad and experienced life on the road.

She also released a debut album of cover songs, Inland Sailor, which was produced by well-known musician Garry O’Briain.

Then around five years ago Brigid began to write her own material. A full-time job in conservation and her role as mum to the twins meant she hadn’t as much time to devote to her music as she would have liked. Taking the decision to leave work was a risk – but one that paid off.

Last year Brigid was among a number of musicians who went to Nashville, Tennessee, on a prestigious Arts Council NI award scheme. There she performed songs from her EP Arrivals and Departures at the iconic Bluebird Café, Music City Roots Show, and a series of other high profile gigs. Since then she has been working on her new

album Touchstone, which was mastered in Nashville with some tracks co-written with Gareth Dunlop and Thomm Jutz (Nancy Griffith’s guitarist). The album, a blend of country blues, folk, jazz and bluegrass, was launched last month at the Black Box. “I do love singing different genres of music but since I started to write my own stuff, it’s taken on more of an acoustic singer/songwriter style,” says Brigid.

“While the first album was all covers, this one is my own material, so some of the songs are part autobiographical. It’s an album full of positivity and strength.”

Brigid is also proof that age isn’t an issue when it comes to following your heart and fulfilling lifelong ambitions. She didn’t start writing her own songs until she was in her 40s and next year, hopes to perform at various festivals and have her music picked up for television or film.

“Emmylou Harris didn’t write her first song until she was 50 so I think life experiences definitely help when it comes to song writing,” she says. “There are some fantastic young songwriters around but I do think the things I’ve been through in my life have helped me with my songs. I think this is a very empowering age for women and I count myself very lucky that my family have supported me and helped me to follow my dreams.”

✸

Brigid will perform the following dates:  Friday, October 13 – An Culturlann, Derry  Friday, October 20 – Flowerfield Arts Centre, Portstewart  Friday, November 10 – Down Arts Centre, Downpatrick  Wednesday, November 15 – The Grand Social, Dublin

What Women Want | 5

13 October 2017 | Belfast Telegraph

ROLLBACKTHEYEARS WITHULTHERAPY

If you need an ageing boost that lotions and potions won’t be able to achieve, Ultherapy is a must-have beauty treatment.

WHAT IS ULTHERAPY?

Ultherapy is an exciting, non-surgical, minimally invasive procedure, which uses ultrasound and your body’s own healing processes to improve your appearance.

It lifts, tones and tightens loose skin, of the upper and lower face, brow, neck and décolletage. Finally, there is a non-surgical treatment for the neck!

NATURAL, NOTICEABLE RESULTS

One of the many advantages with Ultherapy is that there’s no downtime, and no radical or drastic changes to facial appearance; just a more natural, youthful you.

Ultherapy treats deep layers of the skin and muscle with ultrasound, creating collagen production and the desired skin tightening.

CELEBRITY FAVOURITE

“I just take care of my skin, eat well, exercise and I love Ultherapy.”

Jennifer Aniston

“Ultherapy was my favourite of all the treatments I tried. I definitely would have it done again and I do think it’s worth the money.” Anna Richardson, Channel 4’s ‘How Not to Get Old’.

THE BEAUTY OF ULTHERAPY

With Ultherapy, your daily routine is not interrupted. It requires a 60 to 90 minute procedure. You may notice an immediate improvement in your appearance, but the natural process of creating new collagen occurs over time. Beautiful results will unfold over two to three months and some patients have reported continued improvement for up to six months. These include lifting and tightening of the skin on the neck, along the jawline, and the entire face and brow areas. While ultrasound does not achieve the results of face lift surgery, it is an excellent alternative for people who are simply not yet ready for major surgery. Typical results should last anywhere from 18 months to three years – with maintenance once every other year thereafter.

WHO OFFERS ULTHERAPY IN IRELAND?

Before

After 90 Days

Contact Medi-Cosmetic today for a complimentary, confidential consultation with one of their highly experienced aesthetic team. www.medi-cosmetic.com

Smoothe your way through autumn

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The change of season wreaks havoc on our skin and as autumn unfurls its russet tendrils we face the double whammy of repairing the damage from sun-drenched holidays as well as preparing for the harsh, colder weather ahead.

However, skincare in winter is not all about the face! The colder weather can be harsh on our bodies too – Baobab Body Butter quenches your skin’s thirst and smells good enough to eat.

If you want to be reminded of warm summer nights, Crabtree & Evelyn’s Pomegranate & Argan Oil Nutri-Oil keeps skin soft and smelling delicious and it’s lightweight enough to use on skin and hair.

The mix of central heating and cold temperatures can be tough on hands so look after your mitts with Citrus Hand Softener from Neal’s Yard.

Finally, keep your lips soft and kissable with Liz Earle’s Superskin Superlip Balm which plumps, replenishes and softens.

Citrus Hand Softener, £15, Neal’s Yard

Pomegranate & Argan Oil Nutri-Oil, £30, Crabtree & Evelyn

Baobab Body Butter, £27, Nu Skin Dream Cream, £6.95, Lush

Soy Milk & Honey Whipped Body Butter, £37, Kiehl’s

Superskin Super Lip Balm, £16, Liz Earle

6 | What Women Want

Belfast Telegraph | 13 October 2017 M&S Collection Jumper, £39.50, M&S Collection Skirt, £45, M&S Collection Boot, £55

New season, new wardrobe

By Davina Gordon

additions to your wardrobe and if you love nude shades then opt for camel or caramel hues.

As the air chills, the evenings lose Chunky knits are another welcome must-have light and the trees sacrifice their item so go bold with jewel tones. leaves to a glorious carpet of red, If you love showing off your pins, opt for midi purple and gold that crackles under skirts although, short hemlines were seen on a well-heeled foot, it’s time to add some cosy many of the runways from the four fashion cities. staples to your wardrobe.

Don’t underestimate the power of Dressing for winter is a much the slogan t-shirt. Team with more luxurious affair than sumjeans or smart, tailored fluted mer. We can drape ourselves in trousers for a strong and femivelvet, fur, feathers, shearling nine look. and of course, sequins.

In fact, this season is It’s no surprise that red is all about power-dressing, a prominent colour this season, so don’t forget to invest in a so invest in a boxy double–breasted pillarbox red lippy to team with your blazer to smarten up a pair of jeans ensemble. Of course, it’s not winter or power dress in a fitted red dress without the addition of a statement that shows off your waist – perfect fur coat – there are no rules here, the for an easy transition from the office more tactile the better! to cocktails or dinner. Red is an easy If you wear tights on a daily basis, colour to wear for all skin tones and why not pretty up your pins with goradds vibrancy and sex appeal to your geous intricate patterns. Complete look but if it’s not for you, all hues your wardrobe by investing in of blue are on trend.

Maison De Nimes over the knee boots and team with There’s a nod to the Seventies Wanderlust skinny jeans or a simple LBD. with all things shearling and Now all you need to do is sort Embroidered Stripe Tee, corduroy being must-have tactile out your social diary… £25, House of Fraser

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Biba Sequin lip embellished jumper, £49, House of Fraser

Biba Star Printed Black Trouser, £79, House of Fraser

What Women Want | 7

13 October 2017 | Belfast Telegraph

Leather Jacket by Todd Lynn, £300, Debenhams

Red Double Breasted Jacket, £38, Dorothy Perkins

Biba Gold metallic shirt dress, £89, House of Fraser

Knee Boot, £65, Faith

Studio by Preen, £69, Debenhams

Black Floral Asymmetric Skirt, £35, Dorothy Perkins

Black Dress, £79, M&S Red Bow Heel, £39.50, M&S

Black Ankle Boot with Bird Embroidery, £65, Miss Selfridge

Pleated Sequin Skirt, £55, Very

8 | What Women Want

Belfast Telegraph | 13 October 2017

New York Apple Lipstick, £16.50, Mac

Cushion Highlighter, £30, Lancome Anti-Ageing Gel No Tug Liner, £17, IT Cosmetics

SEVENTIES GAL: Superhero Mascara, £19, IT Cosmetics

v

Full Spectrum, £43, Urban Decay

Matte Lipstick in Velvet Teddy, £16.50, Mac

Troublemaker Mascara, £19.50, Urban Decay

Colour Correcting CC Cream, £30, IT Cosmetics

G

et ready to break out the glitter because AW17 is all about the Seventies. Whether it’s pretty pop princess, disco diva or punk rock chick, this trend has something for everyone ranging from pretty pastels and neutral shades to metallics and bold lines.

When it comes to make-up, most of us focus on eyes or lips, never both – but the freedomloving Seventies’ trend breaks all the rules.

First up, it’s all about the base. Mac’s Prep + Prime Skin Base’s lightweight formula evens redness and skin tone, and helps achieve a longlasting finish when used before foundation. If you’d rather avoid lots of layers, IT Cosmetics’ Colour Correcting CC Cream gives flawless coverage, with the added benefit of 50+SPF. It’s a win win.

To nail Seventies’ glam, a great eyeliner is an essential weapon in your arsenal. Urban Decay Perversion Waterproof Fine-Point Eye Pen is the perfect combination of precision and intensity.

Whether you want to achieve delicate feline flicks or a more dramatic strong line – this does the job beautifully. If you’re not a lover of liquid eyeliner, Mac’s Technakohl Liner boasts a soft and creamy texture with intense, rich colour.

It blends on application, making a clean finish easier to achieve for those of us with a wobbly hand, and dries quickly with a long-wearing, no-smudge finish. For those who want their

Technakohl Liner, £14.50, Mac

products to be multi-purpose, IT Cosmetics have released waterproof and anti-ageing gel eyeliner, No-Tug. There is a massive selection of eyeshadow palettes encapsulating the Seventies’ vibe.

Check out Mac’s new range that is big on attitude with names like Prissy Princess and Rockin’ Rebel, or if you you want to go full-on disco(ball) then Urban Decay’s Afterdark and Full Spectrum palettes are definitely for you (and amazing stocking fillers). We also love Lancôme’s glorious new range by Olympia Le-Tan. Perfect for the modern baby doll, Olympia’s Wonderland Palette includes dashing eyeshadows, luscious lip colour and vivid blusher. The Cushion Highlighter from the new range has a new generation highlighter ideal for sculpting the face with a chic strobing effect.

Intense shades of eye make-up require defined lashes, and Urban Decay’s Troublemaker Mascara provides super-fat, super-long lashes, while IT Cosmetic’s Superhero Mascara also packs a punch.

To perfect your pout, try Lancôme’s Matte Shaker Liquid Lipstick, which comes in an array of shades from candy pink to intense plums and guarantees vivid colour with a velvety finish. For a more retro feel, Mac New York Apple Lipstick provides a vibrant colour pop with an old school frosted finish. They also have a rather nifty neutral shade, Velvet Teddy.

Waterproof Perversion Fine-Point Pen, £17, Urban Decay

Rockin’ Rebel Palette, £32, Mac

Matte Shaker in Insoupconnable, £13.50, Lancome

SkinBase, £21.50, Mac

After Dark Palette, £39.50, Urban Decay

Olympia Wonderland Palette, £45, Lancome

10 | What Women Want

Belfast Telegraph | 13 October 2017

There’s nothing as COSMOPOLITAN AS A COCKTAIL

By Maureen Coleman

The Slieve Donard Spa

Treat yourself to an Autumn Spa Experience with Hastings Hotels

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When Sex and the City first aired on our television screens in the late 1990s, it not only made stars of it four female leads but a certain pink vodka-based cocktail as well. The Cosmopolitan was glamorised and popularised by Carrie Bradshaw and co. as the fashionable friends were often seen sipping the cocktail while discussing the latest developments in their love lives.

The success of the show not only led to a marked increase in sales of Cosmos in trendy bars around the world but also stirred a renaissance in cocktail culture.

CULTURAL MIX The pink drink may no longer be the go-to cocktail of choice for young women but it’s helped revive ‘cocktail hour’ – that post-work period when the world is set to rights, romances are analysed and friendships are forged.

Cocktails have been a staple of bar menus for years, but in a similar fashion to the foodie and craft beer cultures, they are now being given new life with a new breed of mixologists perfecting their craft.

Cocktail culture, particularly among women, is, once again, on the rise.

A quick, casual drink in the pub with a friend, a girls’ night out, even a weekend lunch date is now as likely to include a Mojito or Mai Tai as a glass of wine or a beer.

And bars are responding to this trend, introducing innovative and varied menus to keep cocktail lovers happy.

Bronagh Bennett, manager of the National Grande Cafe, said Belfast’s cocktail scene had grown massively in recent years and was able to hold its own while competing on an international level with ‘cosmopolitan’ cities such as

 London, Edinburgh and even New York.

BELFAST COCKTAIL WEEK Speaking ahead of the first ever Belfast Cocktail Week (www.belfastcocktailweek.co.uk) which runs from October 16 – 22, Bronagh said: “We’ve noticed a growing demand for more and more sophisticated cocktails, as people, particularly our female customer base, broaden their horizons and express a desire for new and innovative drinks.

“It’s this demand that inspired the creation of Belfast Cocktail Week – a week-long calendar of cocktail events that will showcase the great mixology talent we have here in Belfast, as well as welcoming some fantastic international talent to the city. The wide range of events taking place during the festival will appeal to everyone and we hope it encourages people to try something new.

“We are looking forward to bringing this week-long event to Belfast’s Cathedral Quarter and hope it will be the first of many.”

Treat yourself to a delightful spa experience at the Culloden Estate & Spa or the Slieve Donard Resort & Spa this autumn, the ideal way to recharge the batteries and give yourself that much needed boost before Christmas. The Restore & Repair Autumn Spa Experience is available from only £105 per person and has been carefully tailored to help rejuvenate and comfort your body and soul, leaving you feeling ready to face the Autumn months.

Included in this wonderful package is a Healing Apricot Kernel and Aloe Vera Back Exfoliation; Restorative ESPA Back, Neck and Shoulder Massage, Boutique ESPA Facial with Regenerating Pumpkin Enzymes and Oriental Scalp Massage and Warming Food and Hand Cocoon. In addition, guests can avail of full use of the spa facilities, use of robes and delicious light lunch in the Juice Bar. The Spa at Slieve Donard is a world-leading ESPA Spa and is an exquisite haven of escapism for all its guests. This magnificent Spa with stunning views over the Mournes, includes luxurious therapy and relaxation suites, swimming pool and a range of thermal heat experiences giving all guests the opportunity to enjoy an extensive choice of treatments to rejuvenate the body, mind and soul.

The Spa at Culloden is Northern Ireland’s premier sanctuary for both body and mind. Situated within the palatial 5 star Culloden Estate, it has luxurious treatment suites, relaxation rooms, a swimming pool, a range of heat experiences and a selection of therapies. The Spa at Culloden is the perfect haven for pampering within Belfast.

For further information about The Spa at Culloden or The Spa at Slieve Donard go to www.hastingshotels.com/spa or call 028 9047 1066.

What Women Want | 11

13 October 2017 | Belfast Telegraph

For great girls’ getaways

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Getting away for a girls’ weekend is all about freedom, lots of laughs and quality time together and with the halloween holiday coming up, there’s no better time. Throw in some new activities, great food and a sumptuous bed to collapse into and you have all the necessary ingredients.

All that’s left to decide is where to go...

Take a Delicious Dublin Tour Delicious Dublin Tour, a great introduction to Dublin’s modern food scene and current trends. Or step back in time with Vintage Tea Tours with Afternoon Tea and fabulous 1950s jazz.

REFUEL ON A SHOPPING PITSTOP Fuel up and recharge your shopping battery at some hip and trendy cafes. Tamp and Stitch on Essex Street West in Temple Bar is a wonderful mesh of clothes, coffee and conversation! While the barista is preparing a lovely latte browse beautifully curated jewellery and clothing. For a literary infusion head to The Winding Stair on Ormond Quay, an atmospheric cafe-bookshop with wonderful views out over the River Liffey.

BELFAST STILL BUZZING Go home transformed after a girly break in the city. Book in for a skin treatment or get a make-over at Paddy McGurgan’s make up shop; shop for the new season at Victoria Square and have Afternoon Tea in one of the city’s stylish hotels. Speaking of style, West Coast Cooler FashionWeek runs from October 26–30 with the main shows at St Anne’s STYLE ICONS Cathedral. Catch some music Head for Kildare in the in one of the many bars heart of Ireland’s Ancient in the Cathedral Quarter East and stop at Newor Queen’s Quarter then bridge Silverware Visitor dance the night away at Centre. Shop for beauthe Gypsy Lounge on the tifully crafted jewellery, Dublin Road or Ollies at giftware and homewares the Merchant Hotel (best and browse the Museum of for 20 somethings). For a Go sea kayaking Style Icons. The Museum housnight out with a difference, at Donegal Bay head for AM:PM and the Cabaret es the largest known collection of Audrey Hepburn garments in the world as Supper Club or the new rum bar and Cuwell as garments worn by Marilyn Monroe, ban restaurant in Arthur Street, RevoluPrincess Diana, Grace Kelly, Elizabeth ción de Cuba.

Taylor, Tippi Hedren, The Beatles, Michael Jackson, Kim Kardashian and more.

R&R BY THE ROE Escape the crowds and have a thoroughly DESIGNER GRANDEUR relaxing break at the Roe Park Resort, in Powerscourt Estate in Co Wicklow has the beautiful Roe Valley Country Park, Limavady. Book in for two hours of pure bliss been painstakingly restored after being gutted by fire in the 1970s and turned into with a Traditional Swedish full body masa deluxe designer outlet. Take a guided sage followed by an Elemis Skin Solutions tour of its magnificent grounds and garfacial, catch up on the latest with your friends in the sauna or over a round of golf dens - named by National Geographic as the third best garden in the world. on the 18 hole course. Beginners can book a lesson at the award winning resort’s golf academy. Take a stroll around the beautiful GEN UP ON GIN Listoke Gin school, Drogheda, is Ireland’s forests and parkland or drive the short first interactive gin experience. Tour the distance to the coast for and stretch those distillery and distil your own 700ml bottle legs on the stunning strand at Benone. to take home. While waiting, you’ll be treated to local food and ginformation.

WINING & DINING, DUBLIN STYLE Dublin is well and truly on the global ELECTRIC ESCAPES restaurant map with an abundance of fine dining options, including the ever-popular Experience the Wild Atlantic Way with a three-day electric bike tour from the Forest Avenue in Dublin 4, and Heron buzzing town of Westport in Mayo through and Grey, the Michelin-starred restaurant the Sheefry hills to Killary Fjord. From in Blackrock. A more informal option is there, you’ll catch the ferry to Clare Island Charlotte Quay - located in the heart of in Clew Bay. Overnight in a lighthouse and ‘Silicon Docks’: a post-meal drink on the hear about Pirate Queen Grace O’Malley. roof terrace of the nearby Marker Hotel is Day three sees a return to Westport via a sure to round off a perfect evening. scenic route known only to your guides!

FOOD TRAILS SERENITY ON THE SEA There’s no better way to see the city and A wonderful watersports location, Creevy seek some culinary inspiration than by Pier at Ballyshannon, is the perfect spot hitting one of Dublin’s many guided food trails. You’re taken to some of the best spe- for sea kayaking. This easy float in the ‘heavenly cove’ of Donegal Bay can be a cialist epicurean outlets in the city, get to meet some of those involved in the vibrant fully guided tour or rent your own kayak at the pier and set off in solitude. Suitable for food scene and, of course, are free to sambeginners as well as pros. ple some mouthwatering produce. Try the

12 | What Women Want

Home thoughts for Autumn 

Belfast Telegraph | 13 October 2017

A classic Chesterfield sofa full of regal style, Ellie is covered in indulgent velvet for old world elegance combined with modern day comfort. Ellie 3-Seater Sofa, £699, Harvey Norman

With the nights drawing in, temHalf Circle Velvet peratures dropping and leaves Cushion Green, changing colours, now is £32, Oliver Bonas the time many home owners start thinking about updating their interiors to reflect the coming seasons.

Real Mongolian At this time of year pink cushion, £45, it’s all about comfort Harvey Norman are also on-trend. It’s all and cosiness with a dash of about finding balance in decadence and luxury thrown an era when so many people into the mix. have fast-paced lives in a world of technology. Staying in the bedNATURAL BEAUTY room, bed linen is moving away from Nature-inspired shades are big news this the minimalist look. Ditch the crisp, season. Neutral hues of white and cream white duvet sets for full-on colour and are teamed with one of Autumn/Winter’s prints, the bolder the better. key colours – green. For those who like a bold look, rich emerald green is particuHUGE HUES larly striking, while softer, more subtle If green’s not your thing, opt for midnight shades help create a peaceful, serene blue, blush pink or grey – in all its fifty space. Dark, woodland green is an ideal shades. Grey has been a huge colour trend wall shade for larger rooms, teamed with over the past few years and continues its pared-back natural accessories. reign into Autumn/Winter 2017. Walls, floors, furniture and accessories are all SANCTUARY given the grey treatment, from soft grey to This trend for evoking a calm environment slate. It’s time to move away from millencarries through to the inner sanctum of the nial pink and embrace blush, a pretty hue bedroom, where canopies and plush linen which adds warmth and style to any home.

Sheepskin rug in almond and cream £45 each, Sea grass oval basket £25, Charcoal knitted throw £49, Harris vase £20, Ange Vase £20, Wave detail 4” x 6” frame £15, Linea Sincerity check cushion £15, House of Fraser

What Women Want | 13

13 October 2017 | Belfast Telegraph Twelve piece Studio dinner set, £30, Next

Kas Carerra bedding, £90–£140, John Lewis

The Gringo multi-pendant light’s honeycomb grid design has brass swivel heads, allowing you to produce the perfect ambient light, £299, www.cuckooland.com Make a statement with a large lightbox, £30, Debenhams

RICH PICKINGS As Autumn gives way to Winter, trends tend to become more opulent, with furs, rich velvet and sumptuous floral wallpaper making a welcome return. Velvet gives all colours a vibrant feel and if you don’t want to invest in a velvet sofa or chair, opt instead for some cushions or throws as the perfect way to add texture.

AND THE REST...

Other homeware trends to look out for this season include warm vintage brass which is set to replace copper; quirky, statement lighting; artisan-crafted furniture and fresh from the catwalk, colour blocking.

Team turquoise with pink and emerald green with yellow for an up-to-date feel.

Synchrony velvet cushion, £125, Liberty London Nest of two round tables, £240, Julien MacDonald at Debenhams

Brass display cabinet, £59.95, www.dotcomgiftshop.com

13 October 2017 | Belfast Telegraph

Navy slim fit cord jacket, £150, Next

Tan five pocket cord trousers, £38, Next

What Men Want | 15

Jacket, £29.99, New Look

Cord blimey!



Bet you never thought you’d be holding up your dad or your old Geography teacher as style icons but be prepared to go where they nerdily trod before! Corduroy is the comeback king of the ‘70s revival. The good news is, you can get it in a tailored style, but sooner or later you’re going to be wooed by the sheer comfort of this soft, warm fabric and will be lumbering about in all sorts of relaxed fit cords in the next couple of years. It’s not just for trousers - look out for natty cord jackets. Cord trousers work well with all sorts of fabrics so team yours with a leather biker jacket for an edgier look or wool for a suave statement.

Colourwise, take a leaf out of the season’s mood board - there’s lots of greens, burnt orange, dark burgundy and shades of brown - especially the lighter shades through to tan/ camel/cream.

Tops range from straightforward rollnecks to jumpers with slogans and patterns – the more off the wall the better.

For coats, anything goes, from the ubiquitous puffa jacket to your favourite Parka, a military style blazer, outsized overcoat, shearling, peacoat or woollen top coat. While colour is now ‘a thing’ for suits, if you’re spending a fortune on a good coat, go for something that will last and work with the rest of your wardrobe.

M&S Collection Shirt £27.50, Jumper £35, Limited Edition Coat £129, all M&S

Jacket £150, Howick, top £90 Farah, Chinos £35, hat £12 both Howick, House of Fraser Leather touchscreen gloves, £20, Topman

Green zip up jacket, £55, Topman

Gingham bomber jacket with shearling collar £145 Original Penguin at House of Fraser

Mao umbrella, £34.99, www.umbrellaheaven.com

Dark grey striped trim knitted beanie hat, £18, Mantaray, Debenhams

Red and grey check scarf, £20, Linea at House of Fraser

Cream chunky knit top, £32, River Island

Tan holdall bag, £45, River Island

Camel longline overcoat, £825, Vivienne Westwood at House of Fraser

Charcoal floral print slim fit shirt, £28, Next

Premium black backpack, £80, Topman

14 | What Men Want

Here come the groomed

Belfast Telegraph | 13 October 2017

Iron Duke is a tribute to Arthur Wellesley, Duke of Wellington (17691852). A powerful fragrance with animalistic depths. The fragrance features leather, tobacco, rum and gunpowder.

Available from selected retailers and beaufortlondon.com Iron Duke EDP, 50ml, £95

BY DAVINA GORDON

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It’s not just ladies that like to look perfectly pristine, looking good is important for the male of the species too.

However, if your idea of looking after yourself is using your other half ’s bodywash for shampoo and nicking her expensive moisturiser, it’s time to man up.

If you’re long overdue a trip to the toiletry section, then follow these tips when stocking up your bathroom cabinet. Avoid products containing alcohol, it’s well known that alcohol can cause Exfoliating dehydration and the same is Cleanser, true if it’s applied to skin. £21, Clarins If you’re a beard wearer, it’s important to massage it, this stimulates blood flow and promotes healthy growth. You can also use conditioning oil to keep it looking good.

Exfoliation is important in winter as the temperature changes can disrupt the skin’s

taking is Omega-3, delicate which keeps skin balance and hydrated and less cells don’t prone to infection. generate fast They’re often enough, making neglected but the skin look dull. lips suffer in cold Get rid of dead Samurai Moisturize, weather. Keep them Butterstick skin with Clarins £24.50, Rituals soft with Butterstick Lip Treatment, Exfoliating Cleanser.

Lip Treatment by Look out for products £19.50, Kiehl’s Kiehl’s and keep containing glycolic acid which cold sores, often the result of a help refine and retexturise the weakened immune system, at bay surface. If the temperatures with Zovirax. Don’t forget your dip below freezing, it’s wise to crowning glory. Wash your hair use a waterless moisturiser like every other day to avoid stripping Dermalogica’s Barrier Repair. For out natural oils. Finally, look out problem dry skin, S.O.S Survival for winter-friendly scents with Cream by Elemis is warm and long-lasting base notes a must-have. With of amber, musk and vetiver. For the sunlight scarce in ultimate metrosexual male, a Holy winter, you should Smoke Candle from Rituals could consider taking be the perfect accompaniment a vitamin D SOS Hydra to an evening of study, supper supplement which Refreshing helps cells function Hydration Mask, with friends or, an evening with the lady in your life. Plus, normally and hence £30, Clarins on a pragmatic level, candles keep skin healthy are excellent for looking. Another neutralising bad odours. supplement worth

Luxurious, richly fragranced scented candle based on Rosewood.

Burn in the living room, bedroom or bathroom to create a special atmosphere.

Holy Smoke Candle, £29.50, Rituals

Argan Shaving Oil, £12.95, Fair Squared

Men’s Facial Fuel Eye Alert, £23, Kiehl’s Men’s Facial Fuel Cleanser, £19, Kiehl’s

Smooth Shave, Super Moisture £16, Clarins Balm, £30, Clarins

Samurai Scrub, £10.50, Rituals

Coffee Body Lotion, £12.95, Fair Squared

Coffee Shower Gel, £8.95, Fair Squared

Roi d’Orient with its elegant character is a powerful and sophisticated fragrance that fuses smoky Amber and opulent rich Musk with an edge of White Pepper.

Roi d’Orient EDP, 50ml, £39, Rituals Rituals.com

13 October 2017 | Belfast Telegraph

Everyone is always looking for that new perspective and angle ofbelfast - a feed which includes some of the best photos of the city, taken by some of its best photographers, often with an intriguing story accompanying it.

Despite growing up without any real affinity for Belfast, a spell abroad allowed Matthew to realise the grass isn’t necessarily always greener on the other side, and after returning to the city, a delivery job with a well-known bicycle-based food delivery company opened his eyes to parts of Belfast he’d never seen before, and gave him ample opportunity to hear a whole range of tales from a variety of colourful characters between jobs.

It was these chats, a real passion for storytelling and inspiration from Brandon Stanton’s Humans of New York which helped bring Best of Belfast to life, and while it may not feature the snapshots of humanity that Stanton’s work has grown so popular for all of the time, it does showcase photography of the very highest standard. “Everyone is always looking for that new perspective and angle” Thomp-

Meet Up Photo taken by Lisa Mulholland - @aspirephotography1 son says. “The page is really cool as it’s pushed people to strive for bigger and better things and come up with new ideas.

Belfast is a small city, so there are a limited amount photos you can take... but this just means that people have to get creative and capture things from a fresh perspective.”

PERFECT PLACE If hearing new stories and seeing how people can get inventive with their camera is the aim, then the meet ups are the perfect place to be. “The first one (in August) was really just to break the ice and see if there was any interest for it,” he says, “and the idea is then to just have one every month.”

The events have already grown a huge amount, going from 20 people at that

ice-breaker, which was just designed for people to get together and take a few photos, to more than double that at the second – a tour of some of the city’s finest street art, with one of its finest street artists, Dean Kane, aka Visual Waste.

The second meet was a lighthearted, fun event filled with like minded people, all keen to know more about the art on show, and there’s no reason why they won’t continue to go from strength to strength.

All future events are also set to feature a theme to capture the imagination of amateur snappers and those just keen to meet people, or put names and faces to the usernames that they’re already familiar with. Specialist cameras aren’t a pre-requisite, a phone or just a desire to have a chat

What Men Want | 13

will do. The social media scene in Belfast is absolutely thriving and growing at an incredible rate – and this group only looks set to get even bigger as word continues to spread.

HEARING THE STORIES Running alongside the Best of Belfast Instagram page is a newly launched accompanying podcast, as well as a website containing transcripts of the interviews featured in the audio, with links and pictures. “I wanted to go deeper than just that one paragraph. I love meeting people, hearing their stories and finding out about them. A podcast is the ideal way for them to get that story across. In a written blog I’m telling someone else’s story, but in a podcast, I get to sit back and let them tell their own. Hopefully, the pod is like you just sitting in on me meeting up with someone for a coffee, and I’d just let the conversation go where it goes.”

Guests so far include Lyn, who took the first photo featured on the page, as well as Gareth, the man behind the Belfast Coffee Map, St George’s Market trader Danielle Morgan and the aforementioned Visual Waste. “I’m looking to create a collection of stories that might not have otherwise been told. I definitely want to promote people, and want to promote Belfast, by hearing from people who love the city that we live in.”

To keep up to date with Matthew, and to find out about future meet-ups, he’s @ bestofbelfast on Instagram, or @bestbelfast on Twitter, while the podcast and blog are available at bestofbelfast.org.

12 | What Men Want

Belfast Telegraph | 13 October 2017

Insta meet ups an instant success

By Dan Williams

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While the world loses its mind over Twitter doubling its character count, and people continue to grow tired of Facebook’s intrusions and Candy Crush invites, Instagram watches on from the sidelines, slowly but surely assuming its role as the king of social media.

However, even though the app has branched out with instastories, a ‘Snapchat-like’ feature that allows people to share snippets of their day, favourite images or pretty much anything else with their followers for a limited period of 24 hours, it remains the case, as in any social media, that our profiles are just numbers in a big computer database. Even the most welcoming profile is just that, a profile. A picture of a smily face with nice words to accompany it, but still just a load of 1s and 0s in a computer system at the end of the day.

How refreshing it is then that, in a world dominated by bad news in which technology is regularly used to dupe innocent people or commit crime, that a group with a shared interest can encounter each other

Samuel Lemon (backflip) Matthew Thompson (sitting) Claudia Clare (Graphic Design Student) Photo taken by Alaistair Ashe @alli.ashe also a student online, arrange to meet up and then go hang out together.

While it’s everything that parents up and

Taken by Daniel Smyth @Danielsmythni down the country have been telling their kids not to do for years – chat to a stranger online then go to actually meet them – it’s what a number of Instagram lovers in the city have started to do.

BEST OF BELFAST At the heart of the meet-ups is Queen’s student Matthew Thompson (22), a young man with a passion for storytelling, and the brains behind Instagram page @best-

13 October 2017 | Belfast Telegraph

What Men Want | 11

Horse racing at The Curragh Europe’s finest Edwardian gardens.

KING OF THE VIKINGS This dynamic virtual reality experience brings you up close and personal with the Viking warlords who founded Waterford, Ireland’s oldest city! The experience is set in a replica Viking house within the atmospheric ruins of a medieval monastery in the heart of the Viking city. You will be met by a Viking comb-maker and don a special ‘helmet’ (3D Oculus Rift headsets) that will transport you back 1100 years. Nearby is Reginald’s tower where the extraordinary Treasures of Viking Age Waterford and a full-size replica Viking long ship are on display.

GET YOUR MOTOR RUNNING Hit the open road for a unique touring experience with True North Bike Tours.

Enjoy the personal touch on a guided tour, or simply revel in the freedom of a self-guided ride, knowledgeably designed by motorcyclists, for motorcyclists. You’ll follow lesser-known routes through glens and mountain passes and along coastlines, cliffs and beaches for an unspoilt, one-ofa-kind adventure. All bookings provide B&B accommodation, a daily itinerary with route maps and local insights, a True North Bike Tour souvenir t-shirt, and 24-hour phone assistance so you can focus on simply enjoying this remarkable way to take on the Wild Atlantic Way.

BE A HIGH ALTI-DUDE! The sky is the limit for some high flying paragliding adventure, an exciting and eco-friendly way of seeing the country from above. Eireventure Paragliding School in Bantry in spectacular West Cork will teach you to paraglide in just one day.

COASTAL CLOSE-UP For the thrill seekers among you, coasteering will get your heart pounding.

Combining the art of rock-scrambling, cliff-jumping and adventure swimming, it’s an outdoor activity suitable for those accustomed to swimming in the sea and with a head for heights. Even complete beginners are welcome to give it a go. It’s an exhilarating way to experience the wild Atlantic coastline along Clare Island in Mayo, and one you won’t forget in a hurry.

LIVE THE ADVENTURE How does crossing a rope suspension bridge and then free falling 40 feet through the air sound to you? Will your nerve hold and will your stomach stay strong? At Killary Adventure Company in Leenane, Co Galway, there are over 20 activities to choose from, from hill walking to high ropes challenges and the unique Turf Warrior challenge to kayaking on the fjord. Accommodation is available, along with a fully serviced kitchen on site, that can cater for groups of between 4 and 200.

GONE FISHING Cast your line into the waters off West Cork to find a fisherman’s paradise. From a charter boat in Courtmacsherry, you’ll be hunting conger eels around the area’s inshore wrecks, or looking for a tasty catch further out at the famous reefs off the Old Head of Kinsale. If you’re feeling brave, you can try to catch a 200lb skate or even a blue shark. Regale anyone who’ll listen with tales of your fishing prowess later that evening when you gather for dinner at an 18th-century farmhouse, located on the dramatic Seven Heads Coastal Walk.

FAT-BIKING Loop Head affords some of the most spectacular views of the Wild Atlantic Way, and one of the more unusual ways to negotiate the area is by fat-bike, the allterrain bicycles that can be rented locally.

It’s a novel - but brilliant - way to connect with nature and your friends.

For many more ideas, see www. discovernorthernireland.com and www. discoverireland.ie

10 | What Men Want

Tee time!

■ Whether you’re a member of a golf society or simply enjoy a round with friends, the mild autumn days are perfect for a getaway.

There’s a huge range of links and parkland courses all over the country, most of them a short putt from excellent accommodation.

The annual FG Wilson Golf Society Captain’s Weekend is a highlight of its members’ golfing year with about 20 employees getting away to some of the country’s top courses.

“I only play once a month so I enjoy the opportunity to play over two days although the second day can be a bit of a challenge,” says longstanding member Ciaran McCarney.

“Our normal outings are just for the day and we stay in Northern Ireland. The Captain’s Weekend is once a year and we’ve gone to some great spots like Druid’s Glen and the K Club. There tends to be nice scenery and a few drinks and there’s a prize-giving where everyone wins something. It’s getting away wth friends you normally wouldn’t get away with and you get to know some people who you normally only see to say hello to, better.”

For a great golfing weekend in Northern Ireland, you can’t go wrong with the Roe Park Resort, named Belfast Golf Resort in Ulster in the Golfer’s Guide to Ireland Awards 2016.

It’s in demand, both for the quality of its own 18-hole parkland course with a dramatic backdrop of Lough Foyle and the Inishowen Peninsula and for its proximity to the world-renowned Royal Portrush course and

some of the world’s greatest links courses.

For breath-taking views, challenging courses and a warm welcome, try a golf break on the Wild Atlantic Way. Stay at the Villa Rose or Jackson’s Hotel in Ballybofey and play the Ballybofey and Stranorlar course, half way between and complementing the world renowned links courses of Co. Sligo Golf Club at Rosses Point and Ballyliffin GC, selected to host the 2018 Irish Open.

Rory McElroy is a huge fan of the course: “Ballyliffin has two great courses there. Nick Faldo has redesigned it and it’s very tricky and a very good test.”

Or further south-west, the Abbey Hotel in Donegal town is a great base from which to play Donegal Golf Club, a fabulous links course, described by member Darren Clarke as “one of my favourite courses in the world”.

For a golf break in the Dublin area, the Carlton Hotel, Blanchardstown, is a popular choice for people wishing to play Hollystown, one of the most popular golf clubs in the Dublin region with up 27 holes to play, or St. Margaret’s Golf & Country Club, a fantastic 18 hole course has played host to the Ladies Irish Open, Irish Seniors Open and Irish PGA in the past.

Belfast Telegraph | 13 October 2017

Take a break

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Looking for ideas for a getaway over halloween or into winter? Our round-up should tick some of the boxes....

GET CRAFTY Ireland is going through something of a craft beer revolution and Dublin has no shortage of great bars where you can sample the best. L Mulligan Grocer in Stoneybatter is great for unusual beer and food – and they’ve an exceptional whiskey list too. And, speaking of whiskey, the newly opened Pearse Lyons Distillery – in a converted church in the Liberties – is a must-visit for spirits lovers, while Teeling’s Distillery in the historic Newmarket Square, offers engaging tours. The recently reopened Jameson Distillery visitor Coasteering on the Wild Atlantic Way experience on Bow Street has also been earning great reviews. Alternatively, head the differences between Scotch, Amerifor Ballyraine, Letterkenny, Co Donegal can and Irish whiskey. After the tasting, and follow the craft brewery trail guests are rewarded with a much along the Wild Atlantic Way. coveted Irish Whiskey Taster Good sport on It includes breweries like Certificate, as well as a Etihad Skyline Tour Kinnegar Brewery which complimentary glass of maintains an age-old Jameson with a mixer tradition paired with of their choice. a contemporary sense of adventure to produce clean, crisp, full-flavoured farmhouse beers.

GOOD SPORT Croke Park and the Aviva Stadium are adored by sport fans and while the former is winding down for the year after a packed hurling and Gaelic football championship, its Etihad Skyline Tour is popular at any time of year for the best views of the city – and of Croke Park’s hallowed turf itself. On the south side of the Liffey, the Aviva’s stadium tours are popular and big sporting events in the coming months include the Guinness Series 2017 which sees Ireland play South Africa, Fiji and Argentina over the three Saturdays from November 11–25.

HORSE-RACING In a sport-loving nation, horse-racing enjoys an elevated status and that can be seen at every meet at the Curragh or Gowran Park, or indeed Laytown Strand, in Co Meath, where they come from near and far to see the thrill of racing on the beach, at water’s edge. Ireland’s Ancient East is also the location of the Irish National Stud – the world-renowned Thoroughbred breeding centre in Co Kildare. It’s here that you will find the Japanese Gardens, one of

ADVENTURE Dublin also offers plenty to suit the thrill-seeker, whether it’s rock-climbing in Dalkey, zip-lining in Tibradden Wood high up in the Dublin mountains or putting your mountain bike through its paces in Ticknock Park. Head for the coastal villages if sailing is your thing, Dun Laoghaire has a number of options to suit all levels.

JAMESON EXPERIENCE To visit the Jameson Experience in Midleton, East Cork is to take a leap through history. Step through the doors and you’ll step back in time — carts are piled high with sacks of grain and you can smell the malted barley drying in closed kilns. Thousands of casks housing ageing whiskey are on show, as well as original kilns and the largest pot still in the world. Selected volunteers are offered the chance to take part in a whiskey tasting that will demonstrate

Get crafty at Teelings Distillery

8 | What Men Want

✸SNES CLASSIC MINI, £70

This year’s retro console re-release from Nintendo comes in the form of the SNES Classic Mini, a downsized version of the 1990 home console. After last year’s NES Classic, which was plagued by production issues, it is clear that Nintendo can offer an excellent retro package. The question that remains however, is whether they’ll be able to make enough of them to meet customer demand. The SNES mini will come will 21 games including classics such as Super Mario Land, Super Mario Kart and the Legend of Zelda. Releasing September 29, the SNES Mini Classic is sure to appeal to those who played the originals and first-timers alike.

Best tech gadgets for winter 2017 Bailey Kavanagh looks at the new products set to make Christmas lists everywhere this year...

Belfast Telegraph | 13 October 2017

✸NINTENDO SWITCH, £279

When first revealed, the Nintendo Switch was taken as a bit of a joke. It made no sense; was it a console or a handheld?

What was up with the controllers? Most assumed it would flop, leaving Nintendo in serious trouble. Turns out, Nintendo can’t make enough of them (this is a bit of a recurring theme). Once people got their hands on the Switch, they found that despite its strangeness, it was a lot of fun to play. It was helped by a strong line-up of exclusive games including Zelda, Mario Kart, and Splatoon 2. A cross between a handheld and a plug-in console, the Nintendo Switch is completely unique, useable on your sofa or on an airplane. It’s a true underdog, but the Nintendo Switch is clearly not out of the race.

✸ANKER POWER BANK, £30

There’s nothing as annoying as being out and about when your phone dies while for some people, having to go almost an entire hour without checking Snapchat sends them into social anxiety overdrive.

With an Anker Power Bank, you’ll never find yourself out of charge. A single charge in the Anker can fill up an iPhone 7 up to six times. It’s sleek and compact, fitting easily into your jeans pockets when you’re on the go. With a range of sizes and capacities available, finding a power bank that suits your social media addiction should be a breeze.

looks like Xbox is going to be the place to be this year.

✸POWERBEATS 3, £150 ✸TILE SLIM BLUETOOTH TRACKER, £30

✸APPLE TV 4TH GENERATION, £139-£179

Whether for watching Netflix, listening to music or playing games, the Apple TV has it all. The newest version comes with Apple’s voice-controlled assistant built-in.

Want to rewind five seconds? Just ask the TV. Want to listen to an album? Go ahead and tell it. Siri adds a new dimension to your browsing entertainment, even carrying out mundane actions like adjusting the volume. Available with two different amounts of storage, the Apple TV can meet all your viewing needs with a single box.

This is a small tracker that, thanks to a simple phone app, can be used to locate anything the tracker can attach to. Small and light enough to clip onto a key-ring, sit in a wallet or rest in a rucksack, the Tile Tracker acts as a sort of insurance policy for when you inevitably lose your smartphone, tablet etc. You can use it to ring your phone, even when it’s on silent, and if you have lost an item, select ‘Notify When Found’ in the app and when anyone with a Tile is near your missing item, you’ll automatically be notified of its most recent location. The Tile Slim boasts a surprising year of battery life, making for a stress free way of keeping your valuables safe.

✸XBOX ONE X, £450

Due for release on November 7, Microsoft’s newest gaming offering is set to be by far the most powerful console ever built.

Supposedly able to run at 4k resolution, the Xbox One X will be the prettiest place to play your games, if you have a TV to support its absurd resolution. While a bit pricey at £450, the Xbox One X comes with an Ultra-High Definition Blu-Ray player built in and a 1TB hard-drive and is meant to appeal to more hard-core gamers. If you want the best looking movies and games, it

Dr. Dre’s Beats headphones have already become a cultural icon. The same isn’t the case for the Powerbeats range, but that does not make them any less effective. Perhaps the best midrange workout headphones on the market, the Powerbeats 3 boasts impressive sound, a 12 hour battery life and water resistance. Be it rain, snow or sun, the Powerbeats 3 just keep going, with great durability and useful tabs that wrap around your ear to make sure they stay in. One of the most frequent issues with wireless headphones is that you regularly find yourself without charge when you need them; the Powerbeats 3 earphones all-but eliminate this problem: a new charging system allows for an hour of playing after only five minutes of charging. The Powerbeats 3 aren’t the best looking earphones, and they’re not cheap either, but when you need them to play, they’ll play, and they’ll sound great while doing it.

✸MOOV NOW, £50

A change from the typical fitness tracker, the Moov Now places a singular focus on simplicity and efficiency. Unlike most trackers, the Moov Now forgoes any form of screen or other output, using your phone as the reference point. It is composed of a funky strap that houses a regular cylinder, the actual circuitry. What it lacks in screen it makes up for with extremely accurate measurements. Whether counting aerobic reps and swimming laps or measuring distances run or cycled, the Moov Now is always near perfect. Perhaps impressive, however, is its whopping six month battery life. At £50, the Moov Now combines simplicity, extreme accuracy and a battery that only needs to be changed twice a year, making it a great health tracker for the average user.

13 October 2017 | Belfast Telegraph

Ironman completed!

Over the last few years, Conor has slowly transitioned to a plant-based diet. “We don’t have meat or dairy. Instead, we have smoothies, fruit, rice, pasta. There is loads of stuff to eat, we’re always eating and we’ll even have chocolate from time to time.”

On his website conordevine.com he quotes Hippocrates, ‘Let food be thy medicine, and medicine be thy food.’

“Last April I stopped conventional medication as I felt my body was strong enough and repaired enough to go on to my new plan 100%. In the last 15 months I have run marathons, triathlons and also competed in a couple of Ironman races so I must be doing something right.”

Conor, who describes himself as “incredibly driven” wants to use his experience to help others on their MS journey. “I meet

hundreds of people every year through my business so I know what challenges people are going through. My genuine passion is helping people, giving them hope, pushing them on.”

Conor is a huge advocate of lifestyle medicine, and follows experts in the field of plant-based diets on Twitter, such as Michael Greger, who he describes as a “rockstar”. He is also draws inspiration from Dr Terry Wahls, an American author and physician who was diagnosed with relapsing remitting MS in 2000. Her approach to nutrition has seen her transition from using a tilt-recline wheelchair to being an avid cyclist and MS survivor.

Conor believes that too. He keeps his positive mindset by employing meditative techniques such as visualisation. “I try and block out all the negative things in my heads and focus on what is positive in my life.

“My goal in life is to ultimately reach contentment. I have two beautiful children, a business I am passionate about, and I get to meet and talk to people I know I can help point in the right direction.”

He is grateful for the support he has received from his family and adds: “My dad always told me to believe that I would get better and that with time, things would start to improve. He was right. They are great people and I owe them everything.”

He hopes more people will begin start to take care of their health. “You don’t need to make radical changes. Adopt meat-free Mondays and eat more fruit. Most importantly, keep an open mind. I do believe that your mindset plays a huge part in your ability to recover or bounce back from any kind of adversity.” www.conordevine.com

What Men Want | 7

Life in the slow lane...

by Matt McCreary

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Spare a thought for us ‘non-blokey’ blokes. It really isn’t easy sitting in a crowd of mates at the pub when the conversation - inevitably - turns to football, cricket, rugby or whichever sport is taking up the big screen TV in the corner of the room.

Add in the utter confusion of discussing the bets that have been laid. I’m a once-a-year, Grand National gambler, and even then I pick my runners based on whether I like the name or have vaguely heard of the jockey ... Talk of ‘spreads’, ‘accumulators’, ‘doubles’, ‘trebles’, and the like serve only to confuse and confound.

Not for me the ins and outs of fast cars either.

When it comes to considering the finer points of a fuel-injected 4WD Gti turbo, I’m firmly in the ‘slow and sedate’ camp rather than a part of the fast and furious tribe. For this 6ft3ins 40something chap, leg room, boot-space and a comfy driving seat are what really matters.

Even the merits of hard drinking and hard liquor pass me by – the mere smell of a ‘manly’ bourbon makes me gag, and my tastes in beer stretch only to the odd bottle at the end of a long week (usually whatever’s on offer in Tesco ...).

Don’t get me wrong, when it’s World Cup season I’ll happily join the office sweepstake, crack open a beer for a big clash and tune in to the final for the sheer energy and sense of occasion.

Likewise, I love a good war movie, and I’m

never happier that when I’m sitting with a boxset of Band of Brothers or classic WWII movies on a rainy Saturday afternoon (it’s a guy thing in our house, at least).

Perhaps my issue is more a kind of frustrated anger at who actually gets to determine what is or isn’t acceptable for a guy to like. I’m often the butt of good-natured jokes for listening to classical music on the office radio, rather than the latest chart hits. Likewise, I’ve long since been left off the guestlist for golfing weekends away with the lads in favour of a nice country hotel with a decent spa and restaurant, a good selection of dessert wines and even a pot of herbal tea by the fire.

I have a suspicion that many of those beer-swilling, engine-revving guys I know might actually feel just the same as me ... but sadly are not allowed to express it.

So, say what you like, and think what you like about what it takes to be ‘a bloke’. It’s a label that just won’t wash with this modern man ...

6 | What Men Want

Belfast Telegraph | 13 October 2017

How Ironman Conor Devine fought back to health

By Davina Gordon

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A dream holiday on the sundrenched island of Mauritius will be memorable for all the wrong reasons for Conor Devine, a 40-year-old chartered surveyor, MS campaigner, Ironman and father of two who lives in Belfast.

One day in August 2006, he was tucking into breakfast while enjoying the incredible views of the azure Indian ocean when he started feeling strange sensations. Paradise turned into a living hell. “I got pins and needles in my right arm. This travelled right through my body over the next 24 hours.”

Conor was told by a doctor that it was likely that he had been struck down with some form of viral infection and he’d have to spend the next few days under his supervision. “When I returned from holiday, I was put on a course of steroids to control the inflammation that was exacerbating my symptoms.”

It took another agonising 12 months before Conor was formally diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis (MS) and was immediately prescribed the drug Copaxone.

He experienced a torrent of emotions following his diagnosis. “Hopelessness, anxiety, despair,” he remembers. The whirlwind in his brain was only superseded by the

nerve pain running through his entire body.

“It was like a constant burning sensation. It was pretty nasty.”

A talented endurance athlete, Connor feared that one day, he might not be able to walk. Having played Gaelic football as well as playing for Glenavon and Cliftonville, the prospect of being wheelchair bound was unbearable.

About MS

MS can cause motor or sensory nerve damage. In Conor’s case, it was mainly sensory although some people can have both. Its debilitating and distressing symptoms include breathing difficulties, vertigo, incontinence and depression to name but a few.

“Nobody knows what causes MS although there’s a strong link with people who have suffered bouts of glandular fever in their youth. Others say it can be triggered by a virus. There’s also evidence to suggest that people who are lacking in vitamin D are more likely to go on to develop the condition. Most scientists believe that 75% of an illness is caused by environmental factors including diet, attitude, our interactions and even how we move.”

Conor, who proudly calls himself a personal development junkie, believes that much needs to be done to educate MS

sufferers on how to heal themselves through nutrition. “A major issue in the MS world is the negative stigma attached to having MS and that 25% of people end up in a wheelchair. People are conditioned to believe that because it is a progressive disease, it will only get worse.”

He recalls reading about an MS sufferer who was advised not to go to the gym. “I was annoyed because exercise can be very beneficial. It was clear that this person was speaking to the wrong people.

“The medical world as we know it right now is changing, and in my view it has to change. Conventional medicine has cracked pain relief for example and in terms of operational procedures, a conventional approach to this is quite successful. However, there is not enough done in regards to managing and coming up with solutions for diseases and serious illnesses. The simple truth is that most doctors are good at treating acute illnesses but bad at preventing chronic disease.

“I was injecting for 10 years with no idea that the drug I was putting into my body was not actually designed to improve my body’s physiology and make me better. The job of Copaxone is to prevent relapses by up to one third, it is not a cure.

“Science tells us is that we can also

facilitate the healing process in our body if we give it the right environment to repair – namely through good nutrition.

Attitude makes a difference

While Conor acknowledges that conventional medication has a role to play for MS patients, he believes lifestyle changes should also be considered, saying he was “shocked to find that 5% of medical students’ curriculum is focused on nutrition.”

He has written two books, Attitude is Everything and more recently, Ironmind, Against All Odds. “Attitude,” he says, “is a small thing which makes a big difference.”

In 2013, Conor appeared on RTE’s The Late Late Show to talk about MS. “I wanted to get a positive message out there and eradicate the negative condition associated with the illness.” In the days that followed, there was an outpouring of messages of support, and he discovered a new passion in life – helping people.

13 October 2017 | Belfast Telegraph

“I want to do YouTube videos, but I don’t want to do a daily vlog, I don’t have the time with a full-time job and two kids. So I looked at it and thought, ‘What can I do that fits in with my life organically’ and Instastories is just something I tried one day at work. I use it as a platform to create content daily to keep my users engaged, but also as a platform to advertise my YouTube videos, which are where the real work goes in.”

However, documenting your life in this way throws up a few questions along the way, especially when it comes to including children in online videos. “I’ve been toying with it a lot recently. My kids are five and three, and while they may give their consent, it’s not really consent is it, so I have been thinking this over with my wife. I bring the children and my wife into it when they feel comfortable, but I just try not to use too many details and keep it as vague as I can, while still bringing out as much character as I can. It’s hard though, it’s super hard.”

While the set-up shots help set Dillon’s videos apart from the vast amount out there, they too have issues attached when it comes to family life, and especially the time involved. Does it ever cause problems at home?

“Everyday. Every. Single. Day. She (Dillon’s wife Pamela) sometimes tracks me through my stories, so she’ll text me saying ‘Stop messing about, I can see where you are, you’re supposed to be home’. I get a lot of grief for time wasting. When we are just about to leave the house, a 20-second doorto-car journey takes us 10 minutes as I’m setting the camera up, making them film it

twice to get a bit more energy into it…”

And are there many retakes involved?

“Anything where you see me talking to the camera is natural, but I will retake a lot of the set-up ones. When you’ve kids at home – you wouldn’t believe the amount of times I’m filming a video and they’ll just shout ‘Poo’. I like to keep everything as natural as possible though. In every 20 videos I’ll maybe retake one, if I make a real mistake or say the wrong word or get a fact wrong, but almost always it’s just me messing.”

PEOPLE OF INFLUENCE There have been a lot of opportunities recently for Belfast’s social media influencers. Watchmakers Tag Heuer invited a number of people down to the launch of their new range – and to see the Kingsman sequel at the cinema – while Victoria Square ran a tech panel featuring bloggers and YouTubers for the public to go along and watch, and Absolut NI recently hosted a secret party which made its way into a huge amount of social media feeds.

“They call the people who get the invites social influencers. It’s huge as you can get people who are relevant to your brand to come down and, while giving them something they represent the brand in a way.

It’s user-generated content, but it is very tricky. When I get asked to go to things, there are loads of people there doing what the brand has asked them to do, but I know that’s not why people follow me. They don’t want to see me advertising a brand, so I do go down and do what I do naturally, which is often just laughing at people.”

While the explosion of Instagram, and the popularity of the stories is undoubtedly

Dillon Osborne

a global phenomenon, it really does feel like Belfast has a beating heart of its own in the grand scheme of things.

“I follow loads of people in Belfast because I can see someone doing something, and I can try to go there and be involved.

That hunt is a lot of fun and I enjoy that.

Maybe I haven’t explored enough international stuff, though I’m not sure there are enough people who are doing it right, but it feels very local because of the relevance.”

Dillon’s catchphrase is ‘having a nibble’ – taking pictures – used in the introduction to his frequent ‘help videos’ on Instastories, when he moves away from what’s going on in everyday life to offer tips and hints on taking better photos.

It came to him when he worked in the cycling industry and laughingly realised he was one of many enthusiasts taking photos

What Men Want | 5

of ‘real boring stuff like a bike chain’.

“Nibbling is putting effort and enthusiasm into things that most of us just don’t care about. If you find yourself photographing the corner of your fresh cup of coffee so the picture includes a little bit of steam, that’s nibbling. If you see someone out and about and they drop to the ground to take a picture, and everyone else is staring at them wondering what they’re doing – that’s nibbling.”

He explains the move into offering tips and advice. “I’m a natural pessimist, and can find bad in things very quickly, but there’s enough people already doing that.

Instead I want to find cool stuff, and my favourite thing is taking photographs, so I thought I’d make a blog about it.

“I went out and took a picture and explained to someone how I did it, and they were very receptive, but I thought it was so simple. So the idea of putting out videos about taking pictures came to light. If you share 10 things, and one person takes one thing from them, and they apply it to what they do and create their own style, then it was a success. I just wanted to create something that was positive, productive and helpful to other people, and I’ve been taking photos for so long that it made sense to try share that knowledge.”

Whether it be the quick-and-easy daily stories on Instagram or the beautifully-shot, challenging YouTube videos, Dillon is an essential follow on social media.

To keep up to date with his photography and stories, follow @diltakesphotos on Instagram, and he can be found by searching Dillon Osborne on YouTube.

4 | What Men Want

How Dillon Osborne is bringing ‘nibbling’ to the masses

Dan Williams meets the YouTuber taking Instastories to new heights...

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The revolution, it turns out, wasn’t televised after all. Instead, the ever-evolving digital world strolled in and took over.

And at the forefront of social media at the moment is Instagram.

Belfast enjoys a thriving Instagram community, with photographers, vloggers and more coming together to showcase the city in an incredible way, and while it can be difficult to stand out from the crowd in such a saturated environment, there are ways to embrace the technology, or to showcase real creativity, offering a little foot-up when it comes to making a mark.

Step forward Dillon Osborne.

The Capetown-born, cap-wearing, photo-taking, vlog-making, bike-riding,

Dillon Osborn gets ready to go for a nibble, photos by Jess Lowe wave-surfing Bangor dweller has taken the scene by storm, creating an Instagram feed of terrific photography, supplemented by daily stories that, like any good soap opera, have become essential viewing for his 4,000+ followers. Branching out into YouTube, he has created a range of stunning videos documenting everything from going to Dublin for beers and donuts with his wife to pushing the boundaries of what can be done with a Translink all-day travel card (a real must-watch).

BLOWING UP While it has been more than a year since Instagram launched its stories, in which users can add photos or videos of up to 15

seconds which can be viewed for 24 hours, it’s only recently exploded in popularity.

“It’s completely blowing up. Instastories has been around for just over a year now, and I think its follower base is actually exceeding Snapchat. People are learning more and more each day about how to use it, that’s what’s so cool about it. It’s such a new platform, and people need to understand how to create on it, and they’re learning new tricks to beat the system all of the time, especially in Northern Ireland.”

Dillon is skilled at setting up his phone in different scenarios and locations (in the fridge, behind items in the supermarket and on busy trains) and talking to the camera in a way that seems natural, despite

Belfast Telegraph | 13 October 2017

the reality of the situation. Encompassing everything from family life with two kids, assignments as a full-time art director, travel, umbrella woe and much more in-between, his lighthearted 15-second snippets offer not only an insight into the man behind the camera, but also tips and advice on photography, and snapshots of what it’s like to be what the professionals call a ‘social influencer’.

“I do get people stopping me in the street to tell me they watch my Instastories. It can be hard not to be rude if someone looks at you and they register who you are, but the same doesn’t apply both ways. It is strange and uncomfortable for that first 20 seconds, but once I work it out, things quickly get better.”

PERFECT FOR RANTS In a world in which more than two billion people are members of Facebook, what is it about Instagram that is so appealing?

“For me, it’s images first, over everything else. It’s straightforward. Upload a photo, post a photo. Upload a video, post a video.

Update a story… etc. Facebook is bulky and there’s too much happening, while Twitter is very quick and it’s too hard to get your point across quickly – I’m not a man of few words – whereas Instagram is perfect for when I want to go on a rant.

“My favourite part of it all though is the direct engagement I get back from people.

I can put a video up, and people will video a response back to me, or DM me questions. I love that I can say something and anyone who sees it can message me straight back. It’s so quick and instant, that’s what makes it so excellent.

2 | What Men Want

Belfast Telegraph | 13 October 2017

Contents 4-5

YouTuber Dillon Osborne is getting used to life as an ‘influencer’

6

How Ironman Conor Devine fought his way back from an MS diagnosis to full health

7

Matt McCreary defends life in the slow lane

6 11

8

Our pick of the gear and gadgets out this year....

10

Fancy a round? Golf breaks offer a great getaway

Good weekend breaks for guys

14

12-13

New Instagram meet ups celebrating the Best of Belfast!

14

Here come the groomed. Put your best face forward this winter

15

Cord blimey!

Permission to dress like your dad ... and other style developments

10-11

PUBLISHED BY Belfast Telegraph, Belfast Telegraph House, Clarendon Dock, 33 Clarendon Road, Belfast, BT1 38G ADVERTISING Jackie Reid – Senior Advertising Manager Tel: 028 9055 4685 j.reid@belfasttelegraph.co.uk

Games,sets andmatches

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It’s just over two months until Christmas and time to start dropping hints about flights to Russia next June. Whichever of the home countries ends up in the mix, it would be an experience of a lifetime to see the World Cup, Soviet style.

In the meantime, there’s the small matter of Carl Frampton’s forthcoming encounter with Horacio Garcia at the SSE on November 18 to look forward to.

Even un-blokey types like our Matt McCreary can get excited about the big fixtures on the national and international scene. For the majority of the time, however, Matt feels as if he’s in a minority of herbal tea drinking, classical music devotees... or is he?

While Matt may want a cultured life, for others, taking on physical challenges is the main game. When it comes to pushing oneself to the limits, there are few to rival Conor Devine. The Belfast dad of two has had an incredible fight back from an MS diagnosis and is now revealing the secret

CONTRIBUTORS Dan Williams, Matt McCreary, Davina Gordon, Bailey Kavanagh DESIGN Susan McClean INM Design Studio, Belfast PRINTING INM, Newry

EDITOR Fiona Rutherford Realtime Editing & Design NI Ltd f.rutherford@redni.co.uk

to his remarkable recovery, motivating others to adopt his healthy lifestyle. He talks to Davina Gordon about his strict diet and exercise regime.

There’s more relaxed vibe about YouTuber Dillon Osborne. He’s in the frame as one of the leading social media influencers coming through the ranks in Northern Ireland and has inspired many fellow ‘nibblers’. One of Dillon’s key theatres of operation is Instagram. He’s had an impact on a brand new phenomenon locally – an Instagram group set up by Queen’s student Matthew Thompson which has morphed from celebrating the best of Belfast online to mass monthly meet ups for locals with an emphasis on photos and stories.

It’s a chance to make new connections in a completely new way. Not that there’s anything wrong with old school meet ups.

Getting away with a group of mates for a golf weekend or a football game is one of the highlights of the social calendar. Which reminds us... any chance of those tickets for Russia next summer?

Person of influence: Meet YouTuber Dillon Osborne Ironman Conor Devine’s fightback from MS New Best of Belfast meet ups an Insta hit

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