A Beautiful Breakdown with James & Suzy

This week’s big beauty interview is with a true icon in every sense of the word — skincare expert, entrepreneur, Sunday Times bestselling author, and unapologetic force of nature: Caroline Hirons.We cover everything: why everyone should fear a Scouse-Irish psychopath nan, Kris Jenner’s frankly ridiculously good facelift, why Caroline would rather be accused of “serving c**t” than ever being called nice, and how she handled the men who tried (and failed) to shame her online.And of course, we get into why women adore Caroline — and why gay men are obsessed with her. It’s explicit, hilarious, empowering, and completely unhinged in the best way.

This week’s Beautiful Bonus comes from Alison, who loves the pod and has tried loads of our tips — but she’s battling one very annoying issue: leaky eyes that leave her with patchy makeup (and no, she’s not crying!). 👁️💧Suzy completely relates and shares what actually helps - from avoiding liner in the waterline, to keeping eyeshadow super light. James weighs in on how to work with watery eyes rather than fighting them (yes, cultivating the tears is a thing), plus a few unexpected tricks involving earbuds, and knowing when to properly remove and reset your eye makeup.Practical, comforting, and a lifesaver if your eyes have a mind of their own. ✨

This week we’re joined by make-up artist, model, entrepreneur, and one of Ireland’s original social media queens — Tara Anderson (aka Tara Makeup). 💄✨We chat about her past life as a pink bikini gal at the top of Grafton Street, share one of the loveliest, most emotional dad stories we’ve ever heard on the show, and then… Tara drops a revelation that genuinely stopped us in our tracks.James: “And how — and why — Tara outsourced her personal grooming to a family member.”Genuinely astonishing, Suzy. Let’s go. 💫

This week’s Beautiful Bonus comes from Orla, who had two great questions for us. First up: the origin story of Hildun (yes, it really is Hilton + Dunne 👀).Then we tackle the heartbreak we all know too well — what do you do when your favourite beauty product gets discontinued? We share our own war stories (RIP Suzy’s beloved in-styler hair wand and James’ Bourjois City Radiance foundation), how we eventually found replacements, and why asking your gal pals can be the secret weapon.We also get into TikTok dupes, chatting to the girls on makeup counters, and James’ cheeky tip for getting a pump of a new foundation to try at home.Comforting, practical, and very validating. 💄✨

This week we’re joined by Karen Byrne — two-time Dancing with the Stars Glitterball champion and now a judge on the show for her second year running — and she is exactly as brilliant as you’d hope. 💃✨We talk growing up in Ballyfermot, never chasing fame — just wanting to dance — and how DWTS genuinely changed her life. Karen opens up about the pressure of judging versus competing, her famously low-maintenance beauty routine, and ballroom tan disasters.Karen Byrne in full flight — and we were crying laughing. 💫

This week’s Beautiful Bonus comes from a listener who wants to know the eternal blush question: cream or powder first? 💗We break down exactly what works best (and why), how Patrick Ta completely changed the blush game, and Suzy shares her go-to favourite from Rare Beauty. We also tackle a very real issue - how to clean your blusher when that weird film forms on top - plus James reveals the sellotape trick you’ll wish you’d known sooner.And of course, we crown the ultimate blush queen: Zara Larsson, yellow blush and all.Blush lovers, this one’s for you. ✨

This week we’re joined by the brilliant Louise Cantillon - Today FM presenter and host of the How to Gael - and honestly, we covered some ground.We chat about standing proudly beside her All-Ireland-winning husband, her genuinely hilarious brush with salmon sperm (yes, really), and then take a deep dive into buns - hair buns, to be clear - donuts, double-donut inspo, the lot.Warm, witty, and wildly entertaining, Louise is an absolute joy — let’s go. 💫

This week’s Beautiful Bonus comes from Ann — a 45-year-old mam who wants to master contouring but feels completely lost. We've all been there doll. 💄Suzy breaks it down in the simplest way possible, drawing a very important line between where contour belongs… and where it absolutely does not. James shares his foolproof hack that means even if you mess it up, you can fix it in seconds.We also talk brushes, products, and how to contour in a way that actually works for real life, not ring lights.Plus, we’re shaking things up — we want your voice notes next time, and we’ll be answering them blind, with no peeking beforehand. God help us. 🎙️✨