It’s New. In January. At MECCA
January 1 | 5 minute read
Words by Kerri Gordon
As we recover from coma-inducing feasts (and I rally between weddings and hen-do’s for the foreseeable future) a healthy dose of self-care is imperative - enjoying, but then slowly swapping panettone French toast for smoothies, long lunches for long strolls and gifts for others to gifts for you. After all, we all received a MECCA Gift Card sometime in December, no? Here’s what to spend it on (that you definitely don’t already have).
BODY-ODY-ODY
Having neglected any form of bodycare routine during the fully-clothed months, I had to fast-track my limbs into some sort of summery state. Thank goodness for Frank Body’s Glycolic Body Scrub and Nécessaire’s The Body Lotion.
Once again I’ll set a resolution to keep it up 3-6-5, however this year I feel I have a shot. Uni has landed at MECCA, a full-ritual body care brand that prioritises reef safety and looks impeccable in a shower niche. Skincare favourites Kiehl’s and Sunday Riley are extending their body collections with new moisturising creams - Riley, a thick and nourishing butter with vitamin C that by all accounts should help to fade dark spots while softening the skin, and Kiehl’s, a squalane-centric body cream that sinks in as quickly (and hydrates and phenomenally) as their cult-favourite Ultra Facial Cream.
SUNS OUT, BIG-GUNS OUT
I’m an SPF pest every day of the year, but in this sun ray economy with a daily UV rating of 13, I’m a certified tyrant. Drench me in your broadest spectrum! I’ve been secretly wearing Emma Lewisham’s new Sunceuticals SPF 50 Mineral Face Creme since September and as much as I would like to, I can’t express my feelings for it without violating TGA guidelines. So all I’ll say is that you should wear it daily, reapply it every two hours, pair it with cute sunnies and a hat, and even enjoy it in a nice shady spot (your skin will reap the benefits of glowy hydration, as well as protection).
It pairs well as a morning-after to Allies of Skin’s new Retinal 0.1% & Peptides Advanced Repair Night Cream. Most of our skin ageing happens in the summer, so a one-two punch of retinal (a less irritating yet more effective form of retinol) at night and SPF in the morning will keep you baby-faced.
IN THE (MAKEUP) BAG
2025 in: high-impact makeup formulas that do all the work. 2025 out: the foundation, blush and eyeshadow palette you’ve been scraping the dregs out of for the past five years. There’s a multi-generational family of bacteria making memories in there. Here’s what’s going ‘in’ to replace my ‘outs’.
Violette_FR Bisou Jelly: the original Bisou Balm was my favourite lip product of the year - chic, sheer, french-girl cool you can swipe on without a mirror. This jelly rendition adds the perfect dose of juicy shine. If you have extra-dry lips but want the soft-blurred lip, run.
Polite Society Polite Pops Powder Blush Stick: the ease of a cream blush stick (swipe, pat, go), with the coquette-ish, ‘directed by Sofia Coppola’ finish of a powder blush.
Glossier Black Cherry Cloud Paint, Balm Dot Com, Lip Liner and Eyeliner (launching January 7th): all of my favourite products in the perfect ‘I bit into a cherry and it left a perfectly nonchalant stain’ shade. Does it get more Aussie summer than that?
SUMMER SMELLS
Starting the new year with a new fragrance (wearing it from January through to December, then saving the final drops for a few years later to act as a time-travelling elixir) is one of my favourite ways to turn a scent into a memory capsule.
Frédéric Malle’s latest - Hope Assembled EDP, created by master perfumer Dominique Ropion - is an entirely unadulterated expression of pure, uncontrived oud. No detail (or penny) has been spared in creating a woody, smoky, amber-heavy fragrance that elevates the power of oud like I’ve never smelt before. It’s luxury perfumery at its best - and not for the faint of heart.
