Marissa Carter
The tanning tycoon chats to Chloe Brennan about her favourite people, places and things
The loves of my LIFE
The person
In no particular order — my two kiddos, Isabelle and Charlie; and Ronan, my husband. They’re the people I’d let eat crisps in my bed.
The memory
I’ll never forget walking through the front door of our new house as a family. We had been renting for so long that it was fantastic to finally put roots down. Now I just need the energy to renovate.
The moment of the day
Lying in bed with my monkeys, reading them bedtime stories. Belle is all about
The Gruffalo’s Child, and Charlie is getting stuck into Harry Potter at the moment. I was a total bookworm growing up, so I hope I can pass on the love of books to my own two.
The song
Fast Car by Tracy Chapman.
The movie
I can’t remember the last time I watched a movie, but I’m obsessed with Fargo on Netflix.
The book
I have to mention two. Shoe Dog by Phil Knight tells the incredible story of how Nike became the mammoth it is today, through turbulence and tenacity. A bloody great read! Educated by Tara Westover is the story of how an isolated Mormon girl fought to educate herself, despite her disapproving and controlling father. Totally unputdownable. I had a fan-girl moment when the author replied to one of my tweets.
The hero
Paula Fitzsimons from Going For Growth has been my biggest supporter, mentor of sorts, and advocate in business. She doesn’t mince words, and she is the wisest, most generous woman I know.
The outfit
I don’t know if I’m all that stylish — most of my outfits are from the high street, but I have my eye on a Niamh O’Neill number that I’m going to pick up for the next event I attend. I love her stuff — it’s comfortable to wear, but oh-so elegant.
The accessory
Does my dog Cherry count? I’m rarely without her! She comes to work with me. She’s been known to make the odd Xpose appearance. She even follows me to the bathroom, god bless her!
The gadget
I recently upgraded my smartphone to the Samsung S9+ . The camera is unreal, and you can insert a memory card to ramp up your storage. It took me a few weeks to adjust from using an iPhone, but I don’t think I’d go back.
The pet hate
People who don’t indicate. This is a bit rich coming from me, I know, considering it took me four attempts to pass my driving test, but being Irish entitles me to a bit of hypocrisy, right?
The friend
I’m lucky to have four friends that have stuck around since I was four years old — Maud, Una, Sarah and Aoife. They know all my secrets. I have to keep them sweet and in a good supply of beauty products!
The beauty product
My views are, of course, biased, but I have to give a shout-out to my new make-up line, Carter Beauty, which will have it all, from foundations to false lashes, and lipstick to eyeshadow palettes. I can also honestly say I wear Cocoa Brown tan 52 weeks a year.
The holiday
We went to DisneyWorld in Florida last Christmas and stayed in a hotel outside the resort. It was perfect, because it meant we enjoyed the Disney experience during the day at the parks, but had respite from crowds at night. It was as magical as I hoped it would be for the kids.
The hotel
We’ve visited Castlemartyr Spa & Golf Resort in Cork every summer for the last eight years. Ronan and I are on a plane every other week, so we always do a staycation. Cherry is allowed to stay with us in the hotel room, their Italian restaurant, Franchini’s, serves relaxed grub, and the smallies adore the pony rides in the kids’ club.
The piece of advice
Focus on your own shit. You never know what’s going on with other people, so don’t compare yourself to others. Be grateful for what you have, and work hard to create your own opportunities. I don’t remember who said this, but it has always stuck with me.
The celebrity
Jo Malone has always inspired me. She came from a very normal background and built not one, but two global brands — Jo Malone and Jo Loves — and she beat breast cancer to boot.
“I don’t know if I’m all that stylish — most of my outfits are high street” “I’m rarely without my dog, Cherry. She comes to work with me. She’s been known to make the odd ‘Xpose’ appearance”