Trinny, who was in Dublin this week, sells her brand on empathy

MOST of the past week I’ve been in Dublin, which is a city full of music. Buskers are on every street – almost all playing Van Morrison’s Brown Eyed Girl. It made me wonder why buskers always play old faithfuls – The Eagles, Leonard Cohen, The Beatles. Then I realised it’s only oldies who still carry change.

Trinny Woodall, right, was in Dublin at the same time to launch her Trinny London make-up brand.

When I visited Brown Thomas, the cosmetics department was gearing up for her appearance, with all the counter attendants decked out in her trademark glittering sequins.

Trinny is the newest cosmetic queen, following in the high heels of Charlotte Tilbury, the make-up artist turned billionaire.

But both women mirror the examples of earlier empresses of the face-cream industry: Elizabeth Arden, Estée Lauder and Helena Rubinstein. These

ground-breaking businesswomen succeeded by making a personal connection with their customers, turning up in person to apply make-up and offer skincare advice to women in department stores around America.

Trinny is similarly a great communicator. Although she has no background in cosmetics, she makes the thousands who follow her daily videos on Instagram feel that she understands them. Charlotte Tilbury sells her brand on stardom; Trinny sells on empathy. She knows what it’s like to wake up with dark circles under your eyes, or be struck with a random bad skin day. She sounds honest and engaging, and you believe in her, so you believe that her make-up prescriptions will work. I’m waiting for a delivery of her Miracle Blur as I write.