The Gift Every Teen Wants? It Comes In A MECCA Bag
December 3 | 3 minute read
Words by Kerri Gordon
Lip balms, pop stars, magazines, you name it! And that hasn’t changed – just look at me now: still obsessing over the latest lip oil/balm/gloss/stick, halloweening as Chappell Roan, and writing my little heart out.
As I reflect on one of the biggest beauty conversations of the year, the phenomenon that is the tween beauty craze, I have to wonder whether it’s all that new, or ‘phenomenal’ (and I’d urge you to read a recent Memo by bestselling author Elise Loehnen who answers that question).
The only gift teens want these holidays comes in a MECCA bag. It’s frank, but it’s true. So my advice is to lean in, listen to the next generation, and apply the beauty lessons we had to learn the hard way (that they have the luxury of receiving on a silver platter – or rather, rectangular device).
To save you from scrolling through all 1,365 beauty gifts we’ve curated for the holidays – or picking something that’s NQR - I wrangled my cousins Evie (12) and Maya (19), and LA-based founder of DedCool, Carina Chaz, for their tips and top picks.
Anything MECCA MAX is practically fail-proof
“MECCA MAX is also great for younger tweens or people just starting out with makeup; they don’t need the expensive stuff… yet!”
Before we digress, both sisters confess their love for the brand’s Glaze Phase Lip Oil. I love it too; It’s slippy, shiny, super hydrating and less than $20 (but feels like it should be more).
They're schooled on skincare
“I love the MECCA MAX Watercooler serum, the Thirst Impression Moisturiser, and the SPF,” says Evie, chiming in on the MECCA MAX love with her daily skincare routine (editor’s note: I may have had some influence here). “I love the sunscreen in the black bottle too,” she adds, referring to the iconic MECCA COSMETICA To Save Face SPF50+ Superscreen. “Oh, and anything from Glow Recipe or Drunk Elephant.”
Carina encourages gifters to “choose beauty items that feel fun and empower our tweens!”
“This is the perfect phase of exploration,” the founder adds. “Let's not take it overly seriously, and try to avoid ‘correcting’ beauty items.”
The best advice for someone a little older trying to find a skincare gift explains Evie, “is to look on Pinterest at what people my age are into, to ask someone younger what’s trending and what they would like, or to go to MECCA and ask the people that work in-store.”
“But just make sure that you ask for appropriate stuff,” she notes, “not like, retinol.” Can we have a round of snaps for Evie?
Fragrance is this year's big-ticket gift
I’ll be honest, I was impressed by the sister-duo’s price-conservative picks, but for special occasions that call for something a little extra, I wanted to know what beauty gifts would really make their heart go… PING! The answer, resoundingly, was fragrance.
“Glossier You!” squealed Evie, who I think would go wild for their new, more gourmand scent, Glossier You Rêve EDP.
“Baccarat Rouge is so nice,” fawns Maya over the cult-favourite luxury scent that smells like saffron-infused fairy floss. “I also love the Byredo fragrances,” she adds. Any MECCA team member would recommend Byredo’s Mojave Ghost or Bal D’Afrique for gifting; both scents cover a broad range of fragrance families, and are near impossible not to love. “But I really want,” Maya concludes, “the TOCCA fragrance called ‘Maya’! It’s literally got my name on it.”
Carina points to her collection of fun, low-fuss scents for every day. “There are so many fun things to gift from DedCool - whether it be our sample tin to help them find their own signature scent, or a Dedtergent ...” Convincing a tween to do the laundry? It’s a win-win.
Anything Sol de Janeiro reigns supreme
To no one’s surprise, anything Sol de Janeiro is still the gift du jour for teens and tweens alike. Their sets make it incredibly easy, too, so that even if you’ve never downloaded TikTok or listened to an Olivia Rodrigo song, you’ll still appear cool and in-the-know to your giftee.
Evie lists off her favourite Cheirosa mists like a bingo host: “76, 59, 48, 68… oh, and the big tub of Delicia Drench Body Butter.”
“I love the Bum Bum Body Firmeza Oil," adds eldest sister Maya. “It smells like summer.”
