Emer O'Callaghan: 'I was worn down by my dear friends and joined them on a spring break'

Oh, February, you really would test a saint - with the grey skies every day and endless rain.

Even my most positive, optimistic clients are browned off with this wet and gloomy winter, and sure, to us Irish, the weather is always going to be a popular topic of conversation.

“Met Éireann would wanna up its game now,” one man said to me while I was out walking yesterday, and I laughed as we passed each other soaking wet.

I am a very proud Cork lady, but to be honest, I am really leaning into loving my breaks away and out of Cork now as I get older.

Recently, I took my first ever spring break, after all my friends and clients for years told me how it was such a good time to do it - it helps to break up the winter and the gap between Christmas and Easter.

So this year I got worn down by my close, dear friends and decided to join them on a girlie spring break.

Can I take this opportunity to tell my dear friends how much I truly value and love them? Friends are the family we choose for ourselves, and that is certainly the case with mine.

I feel very blessed to have the same friends since we started primary school together in Bishopstown, girls who have known me from the start. We have grown up together, and God didn’t give me any sisters so I value them so much.

They have gotten me through some of the toughest times of my life, and are there for me through thick and thin, as I am for them.

I don’t ever forget their love and loyalty, how they have my back and support and protect me so much.

SPRING BREAK

So, off we went for a few days away in the sunny south-east, except it was being lambasted by rain far worse then we were in Cork.

However, we did what any good woman would do - we brought our rain coats and ploughed on.

We stayed in the lovely Seafield Hotel on the Wexford coast, about 50 minutes out from Wexford town, near Gorey. A beautiful spot, with the beach just a 15-minute walk away through the beautiful woods.

It’s funny how times change, how once we would all be cramped in an apartment or a big bedroom on holidays, sharing beds and giggling all night. Fast forward 20 years and we were all looking forward to our beds and the lie-ins!

For my friends with young kids, it was the chance for an uninterrupted night’s sleep with no kids climbing in to join them.

As every woman knows, it’s such a treat to get any meal served up to you when usually we are the constant chefs, so we all loved that. Breakfast was lovely and went on till 11am every morning.

I loved not having to set my 6.30am alarm clock, but I must say, I really enjoyed coming out at 7am each day onto my balcony to listen to the birds’ dawn chorus and watch the day break. Oh, the peace and tranquillity.

I know I’m getting old when I see and feel the benefits of embracing mother nature. I did one of my popular beauty videos on this and you can watch it on the Emerald Beauty Clinic Facebook, Instagram and TikTok pages now.

PAMPER TIME

We booked two hours every day in the spa and thermal suite, and had saunas, steam rooms, monsoon showers, an outdoor jacuzzi and the swimming pool to enjoy, and we made the most of it all.

We all had a beauty treatment and my job was to organise them. I always love seeing other treatments rooms and how others do things.

HOPI EAR CANDLING

I had booked in for the Hopi Ear Candling treatment as I had never gotten that one done before, and it has been on my to-do list for a while.

This is a treatment that the native Americans invented to help unclog ears of wax, improve sinus pain, and clear the sinus cavity. A I suffer with my sinuses, I was eager to try it.

I really enjoyed it, and it’s such a rare treat for me to be the client up on any bed, as I’m so used to being the therapist.

It was a bit iffy seeing the big flame come out of the candle as it was stuck in my ear, and as I can be very giddy I had to close my eyes as we had been joking over our afternoon tea that if it went wrong all my hair could go up - suddenly, I’d have a Sinead O’Connors hair style! How would that look on my beauty page in The Echo.

I got a lovely face and head massage with the treatment and I almost fell fast asleep. By the time it was over, I was so relaxed, then Linda showed me the ear candles - I was afraid there would be loads of wax and the poor girl would be sickened, but thankfully I was wax free.

I was glad I tried the treatment and did feel it helped my sinuses. You do feel very tired after it alright and I retired early to my bed that night, but it was great to slow me down a bit.

GIRLS’ TIME

I met my friends back in the relaxation room after their pedicures and treatment and we joked how I still had my long mane of hair, thank God.

We were spoiled with Prosecco and little cakes post-treatment, we were saying we could roll back to Cork from all the food we got.

As everyone knows, I love the beach, so the fact this hotel is so near one was a huge draw for us. Sadly, the weather was shocking and we drove into Wexford town to have a look around.

VALUING TIME TOGETHER

We dressed up each evening for our dinner and relaxed afterwards in the bar. It’s funny how much you have to catch up on; while WhatsApp is great and we all have far more contact today than we ever did before, you still cannot compare it to a good old fashioned catch up face to face.

It’s just nice to get away and be able to let the hair down.

We stopped off in Dungarvan on our way home and spent a day there. I love the place, it’s like Kinsale 20 years ago before it got posh and retro!

We had an amazing lunch in The Moorings - my brother had recommended it - we truly do well the céad míle fáilte in Ireland still.

As we ventured back to the Rebel County and to more rain, we felt well rested and recharged, and with such lovely memories.

Life is so busy for us all and no-one today seems to have the time for anything - I’m guilty of that myself - but I was so glad I took the few days off work and made time for catching up with my friends for our spring break.

We said it will have to be an annual thing now, as we all headed back to our busy lives: the baskets of washing, the never-ending house work, all the emails.

It was a lovely break from our lives and I feel that is also what beauty treatments are all about, they are a bit of escapism for an hour or two out of your manic busy life, to stop, rest, relax and reset.

For those unable to take a break away from their busy life at this time of year, they can get in a nice facial or massage or treatment that will give them that temporary release and break.

I’m back to the grind again and busy, with confirmation season fast approaching now, and all the mums wanting to look their best for their child’s big day.

• Emer O’Callaghan is a Beauty Doctor and Skin Specialist who won Irish Beauty Therapist of the Year and works at Emerald Organic Beauty Products Ltd, trading as Emerald Beauty Clinic, 021 4365949. A multi award winning Gold Standard Clinic of Excellence, 2008- 2026, www.emeraldbeautyclinic.ie - follow us on Facebook/instagram/Tik Tok pages now.
• SPECIAL OFFER: For the month of February, try our award-winning Dermalogica Advanced Deep cleanse Facial, €125 (90 minutes), includes a full skin analysis, eyebrow shape, heated hand treatment, samples and treats, appointments necessary to book call Emerald Beauty Clinic 021 4365949. Free parking for clients.