Call it vanity, but the beauty business in Ireland is booming. These days, Irish women spend more money on looking glamorous than ever before.

And it shows in the sleek hairstyles wafting down Grafton Street, the milling crowds of hungry female shoppers that descend on high-street fashion departments on a Thursday evening and the photos of ordinary people dressed up to the nines at dos around the country.

Shelly Corkery, head of fashion direction at Brown Thomas agrees. "Lifestyles have changed hugely over the last 10 years. These days, people are excited about fashion and strongly influenced by extensive travelling, celebrity style icons, editorial and advertising. In general, they take more care of themselves, spend more and invest more time in their appearance.It's a good moment for Irish fashion."

She says designer brands are more in demand than ever.

"For example, five of the Yves Saint Laurent oversized Muse bags, retailing at 995 each, went on sale last week and sold out within an hour. There is now a waiting list to re-order the bag.

"Women are definitely spending more money on looking good than they used to, " agrees Celia Holman Lee, who runs her own modelling agency in Limerick. "I think Irish women have always been glamorous but these days fashion and beauty is more accessible. We all read the magazines, the newspapers and watch television; we know what the latest hair-cut is and what piece of clothing you simply can't do without this season. And it's no longer limited to Dublin . . .

there are top-end designer boutiques, beauty salons and hairdressers all around the country."

As the business booms, those at the top their game are reaping the rewards. But who exactly do you turn to when need to look beautiful? These are the men who make Irish women look beautiful.

Dylan Bradshaw - hairdresser Who do celebrities turn to on a bad hair day? Victoria Beckham, Annie Lennox, Geri Hall, Helena Christensen, the Corrs and even U2 have all used Dylan Bradshaw's expertise. Bradshaw is one of the best-known hairdressers in Ireland. He owns in his own salon on South William Street in Dublin and regularly travels abroad to give hair-dressing seminars in Europe, the US and the UK. He's at the top of his game and he's only 32 years old.

"I started working part-time in Peter Mark when I was still at school, " he explains. "It started as a way of making pocket money and I never dreamed I'd make a career of it.

I wasn't academic, however, and I wanted to do something creative so I decided to go into hairdressing full-time.

When I was 21 I went to New York for two years and there I worked in Bumble and Bumble in the East Village. Later I returned to Ireland and started working on fashion shoots and doing a lot of editorial work."

At 115 a go, Bradshaw's hair-cuts don't come cheap, but he claims they're worth every penny. "We don't usher people in and get them out as fast as possible like some hair dressers do, " he explains. "Every customer is made to feel special in my salon and each session takes an average of two hours, which includes a shiatsu head and neck massage.

"I absolutely love what I do for a living. No two days are ever the same and I'm constantly learning so it's never boring."

Barry McCall - photographer One of the best- known photographers in Ireland, Barry McCall has taken pictures of the Corrs, Samantha Mumba, Christina Noble, Adi Roche and U2. And it's easy to see why he's in demand.

McCall has an eye like no other and knows how to make people look beautiful. The 38-year-old has been working as a photographer for the last 20 years and shares a studio on Bond Street in Dublin 8 with his brother Mark, who is also a photographer. So does he consider Irish women beautiful? "Irish women are beautiful, there's no doubt about it, " he says. "They have a sparkle in their eye and a unique style . . . most of them are a pleasure to photograph."

But how exactly does McCall work his magic? "I try to bring out that elusive quality, " he explains. "Any model can look beautiful but boring so I try to find something special about them, something that defines them as people. I usually chat for a while with my subject before I take the picture . . . that way I get to know them and they feel more relaxed."

McCall says that a lot of work goes into each photograph. "First I have to assemble a good crew; a hairdresser, a make-up artist etc. . . Then the lighting and atmosphere have to be just right and sometimes it can take a whole day to get the photographs I want. Of course, if we're shooting outside, the weather has to be right so there can be a lot of waiting around. Then afterwards the editing process begins."

McCall says that a good photographer never loses his cool.

"I have to appear confident no matter what the situation.

If the subject sees that I'm not relaxed then they won't be either."

Despite the insecurity of working as a freelance, McCall says he loves the variety of his job which also allows him to travel. "I've worked in New York, London and Paris and I've met some great people. Some days, I might be tearing my hair out but most of the time it's a great job."

Derrick Carberry - make-up artist Many of Ireland's wealthiest and most glamorous women have Derrick Carberry's number on speed dial. He's the man they turn to when they need their make-up done for a glamorous event. He has a way of transforming the most ordinary of faces, by applying just the right amount of make-up to suit the occasion.

And despite the fact that he has only been in the beauty business for seven years, he's fast making a name for himself as one of Ireland's best make-up artists. "Until seven years ago I worked for IT company Intel in Kildare, " he explains. "But I really wasn't very happy in my job and I wanted to find something more fulfilling."

A chance meeting with well-known make-up artist Paula Callan O'Keefe changed his life. "Paula realised that I had a flare for make-up. She took me under her wing and encouraged me to apply for a job in Mac at Brown Thomas, where I spent six years learning the trade and basically shadowing her."

These days, Carberry works at Brown Sugar hairdressing and beauty salon on South William Street, Dublin, which is owned by Paula and her husband Mark. He's worked at London Fashion Week, the opening ceremony of the Olympics in Athens, and on fashion shoots in South Africa. What's more, he's made up some of the most beautiful faces in the world. "I think the most famous person I ever worked on was Elle MacPherson . . . she was stunning and very personable. She was staying in the Merrion Hotel at the time and she actually came down to the lobby to greet me when I arrived.

"I've also done Gemma Kidd's make-up in London. Yvonne Keating is someone I work with regularly and then there are all the top models like Glenda Gilsen, Aoife Coogan and Andrea Roche. I do the make-up for Caroline Morahan and Pamela Flood of Off the Rails and The Afternoon Show girls. Of course, I also do everyday people and I'm often booked for weddings."

He says that part of his job is to make the person relax in his company. "People often think applying make-up is a superficial job, " says Carberry. "But there's more to it than meets the eye. For example, if I'm doing a bride I try to make her feel beautiful on her big day. I want her to relax and enjoy herself and I'll talk to her as I'm applying the make-up. It's a very rewarding job, " he adds. "And I feel very privileged to have found something I enjoy doing so much."

Synan O'Mahony - dress designer Synan O'Mahoney knows to make a woman look beautiful.

The designer of choice for a host of TV personalities, actresses, models and ladies who lunch, he's dresses Vivienne Connolly, Glenda Gilsen and Andrea Roche. Amanda Byram, Carrie Crowley, Claire Byrne, Sally Lindsey of Coronation Street and all four members of Celtic Woman have worn O'Mahoney creations. Georgina Ahern returns to him time and time again.

He's just finished dressing Ahern for the Brit music awards when we meet and he's more than happy to enthuse about her outfit. "Normally, she wears a corset-style dress but this time she wore a really cutesy little number in purple chiffon, very fitted to just below the hip. She's got a perfect model figure and I've dressed her so much now that I don't even need to see her before I suggest a design."

So close is he to Ahern that he was invited to her wedding in France when he designed her wedding dress some years ago. "I've gone to a number of celebrity weddings of people I've dressed and it's a great feeling to see one of my dresses, which started out as an idea, walk up the aisle."

O'Mahoney is enthusiastic when describing his work. "I love the drama of dressing someone for an occasion from start to finish. I just don't get as excited by ordinary everyday clothes, " says the Limerick man. After school, he did night classes at Limerick College of Art and was apprenticed to designer Brid Nihil before deciding to go it alone some 15 years ago.

These days, he works mainly out of the Design Centre in Powerscourt Townhouse Centre and is inundated with requests for wedding dresses and 'occasion wear'. His gowns start at 2,500 and go upwards depending on the design, the fabric and, of course, the amount of work that goes into making them. He defends his prices. "People will pay in the region of 17,000 for a Vera Wang wedding dress . . . it's just unreal. That's straight off the rail and anything we design in the design centre is usually a one-off dress . . .

there's not going to be whole rail of them."

So does he think Irish women have style? "Irish women, and indeed men, are very stylish these days, " he smiles. "I often stop as I'm walking along Grafton Street and think wow, 'he or she looks great'."

BRADSHAW'S TIPS Condition hair "Irish women don't condition their hair as regularly as they should. They should buy a good product from a salon.

I recommend Forcintense by Kerastase especially for high-lighted hair."

Avoid full heads of highlights "There are too many people in Ireland getting full heads of highlights when a half-head would suffice. High-lighting makes the hair dry and frizzy."

Go with the curly "Avoid straightening the hair this season. Learn to love your curls."

Avoid supermarket products "Not many people realise it but when you buy products in a shop they are diluted. The ones they sell in salons are a lot more concentrated and a lot better for your hair."

Listen to your hairdresser "There's nothing worse than telling a woman she needs two inches off her hair and she won't let you cut it. If a dentist tells you you've a rotten tooth you don't tell him to leave it be."

MCCALL'S TIPS

Turn to the side "In a posed shot, avoid looking full-frontal and head-on at the camera. Turn your shoulders to the side and look back at the camera instead; it's more flattering."

Lower Chin "Dip your chin to draw attention to the eyes, but don't overdo it."

Smile at the last moment "Every photographer is different but I'd recommend counting to three and then smiling so you're mouth doesn't become stiff."

Relax in between shots "Models often make 'O' shapes with their mouth or stretch it in between shots. It leads to a relaxed smile afterwards."

CARBERRY'S TIPS

Big lashes "Eye lashes are very long and curled this season. Always curl with an eyelash curler before applying mascara."

Don't over-do foundation "I see Irish women with the wrong colour of foundation all the time. There's nothing worse than a fair-skinned person wearing orange make-up that stops at the neck. I'd advise women to get professional advice about what colour suits them. Then use it sparingly, especially during the day and always apply with a brush."

New trends "I think Irish women often get stuck in a rut; they're afraid to try new trends each season. Don't be afraid to try something new.

For example, this season the nautical look, stripes and the colour red are all big features. Why not try a bright red lipstick to match your red shoes?"

O'MAHONY'S TIPS

Know your figure "Emphasise your good parts and aim to hide the not-sogood parts.

Be aware of skin tone "It's important the colour of your fabric suits your skin tone. Try holding up a piece of it against your face."

Don't match make-up with the dress "I think it's always better to use what works on your face as usual rather than trying to match make-up with clothes. Just because you're wearing purple doesn't mean you have to wear purple eye shadow."