Ekin-Su: Crowds gather in Blanchardstown to see Love Island winner
Fresh off of her Late Late Show appearance on Friday night, the glamorous reality TV star joined other guests and brand ambassadors who were treated to breakfast canapes and bubbles as they arrived at the Dublin store.
Beauty experts and make-up artists including Holly Boon, Miss KDA -Katie Daley, Mrs Makeup – Michelle Regazzoli Stone and Voduz’s Denise Phillips all gathered on Center Level 2 as the winner of the most-watched show of the summer cut the silky ribbon and announced the official opening of the BPerfect Dublin store.
From Annalong in Co Down, founder Brendan McDowell appeared on RTE’s Dragons Den in 2017, when he turned down an €80,000 investment offer.
Her brand now enjoys cult status among celebrities, style influencers and beauty enthusiasts across the globe where it is featured in over 2,000 retailers.
Ekin-Su was a guest on The Late Late Show where she emotionally shared how she ate her lunch in the school bathroom to hide from bullies.
And she also revealed how she came to represent Ireland in an international beauty pageant despite having no Irish connection.
According to Ekin-Su, it was her manager’s whole idea to represent “Northern Ireland” in the Miss Asia Pacific World 2011 pageant, but it turned out that it was actually the whole Ireland.
At just 17, she found herself wearing a ‘Miss Ireland’ sash and had to answer questions about her Irish heritage despite never having set foot in the country.
“I was very young then,” Ekin admitted to Ryan.
“My manager at the time said to me, ‘Could you represent Northern Ireland?’ and I said ‘sure and it was a bit inland like the whole country’ and I was like ‘yes, why not?’
“I had to research Ireland itself and you know, the Baileys, Guinness.
“I was there for two weeks with all the other countries, Miss Russia, Miss England, Miss Scotland were there, and I was proud. I know I had never been to Ireland before but I was very proud”.
As the audience laughed, an incredulous Ryan asked: “So you ended up representing the Republic of Ireland, having never set foot on the island.
“I would love to hear the Q&A session there,” he added.
“But nonetheless, thank you for being here.”
