Nipping up north for a sneaky -- and potentially unpatriotic -- trip to the shops?

With the euro worth about 90 pence right now, it's as good a time as any, and while the days are gone when us southerners used to venture to Belfast to ooh and ahh over exotic delights such as Boots, the north of the island can still steal a march on us in beauty terms.

So, once you've bagged your Billy bookcases in IKEA or filled a shopping trolley full of cheap vodka, check out some of the pampering and beauty bits on offer in the region's supermarkets and swanky shops.

Making waves in Britain at the moment is the new <id brand. While we'll have to wait until the autumn for it to arrive on counter at House of Fraser in Dundrum, it's already available in their Victoria Square location in Belfast city centre.

The brand's newest launch is i-blossom, (£16.50), a fool-proof cheek stamp that takes seconds to apply. Great for blush novices, make-up mavens will like the gadgety aspect of it too.

Beauty junkies the nation over sigh longingly when the "Kiehl's" word is mentioned. Particularly good for body and skincare products, they also do a mean line for men. As the brand disappeared out of Nue Blue Eriu some time ago, Dublin-based aficionados have had to either do without, or beg, borrow and steal to get pals to bring lust-have products home from the States.

RELIABLE

Happily, Space NK up north is a reliable source of Kiehl's goodies, and while word on the street is that the brand is on the way back to southern Ireland, there's no launch date on offer as of yet.

So for the time being, head to Space NK's branches on Belfast's Lisburn Road and on Donegal Square. My pick is the Olive Fruit Oil Deeply Repairative Hair Pak (£23). Dry, stressed tresses will adore this.

Into gorgeous eco-formulas and hard-to-find beauty brands? Organic Apoteke ticks both boxes. This high-performance naturals brand is scarce on Irish soil, but can be found in House of Fraser, Belfast. Check out the skin-kind Rasayana Facial Serum (£48.89), a first-step product designed to reduce the signs of ageing.

Supermarkets come up trumps too. While you're snapping up food and booze bargains in Sainsbury's, take a wander down the health and beauty aisles.

Well worth picking up is the Ginger and Lemongrass Body Polish (£2.99) from their Active Naturals line. A good dupe for Origins' far pricier Incredible Spreadable Scrub, this is affordable enough to use in the shower daily. And if you feel like spoiling yourself a little more, check out the shower and hand creams in the 16-strong range, where nothing is over £3.99.

Also at Sainsbury's are products from Champney's, one of the UK's best-respected spa chains. Yesterday saw the launch of their new Calming Skincare range, designed for the blemish-prone.

Prices start at £6 and the line aims to battle the skin issues brought about by stress and hormonal changes. Five products will be on offer, including a face wash, day and night hydrators, plus a refining face masque and a targeted blemish gel.

With filmwork like Quentin Tarantino's Grindhouse and the Sex and The City movie on her CV, UK hairdresser Tara Smith recently added to her accolades with the launch of her eponymous haircare line.

So far, nothing unusual there. But this range stands out because not only is it affordable and available at Northern Irish Tesco stores, the products are sulphate- and silicone-free, plus all packaging is recyclable, helping save the planet as well as your cash. That's unheard of in supermarket-land, so if you've got an eco-conscience, this'll do it for you. The range starts at £2.25 and nothing exceeds £4.99. Bargain!

MOISTURISER

That's not the end of the tale by any means -- while you're up there you can also nab Tesco's best-selling face cream. A mere £1.79, last year Q10 Derma intensive+ anti-wrinkle Day Cream out-sold top brands like Nivea, Olay, and Garnier, and became the number one best selling facial moisturiser at the supermarket.

And don't forget to try and bag some of ASDA's £1 health and beauty deals if you can -- right now, hundreds of everyday bits and bobs like shower gel, toothpaste and shampoo from leading brands are slashed in price. Buy in bulk and really feel the savings.

- Kirstie McDermott