From the MECCA Group Chat: Your Best-Ever Brows and Beauty Sets (For Less!)
December 9 | 5 minute read
Words by Izzy Wight
Summer’s only just started and there’s holiday party skin prep to do, smoky eyes to smudge out, limited-edition gift sets to buy and festive candles to burn – all before 2025. Ahead, what’s on the MECCA HQ beauty schedule…
The brow whisperer
Since being haunted by a passport photo in which my eyebrow hairs are departing from different gates, I’ve been on a mission to tame my uncooperative, unruly brows. A recent MECCA brow lamination truly changed the game for me – my magical Brow Specialist helped my caterpillars stay fluffy, flat and sculpted (sans gel!) for well over a month. While I’m waiting for my next booking, a combination of ILIA In Full Micro-Tip Brow Pencil and MECCA MAX Brow Guru Clear Control Gel have been providing that full, lifted, laminated effect.
Anti-Grinch scents
Light one of Diptyque’s Holiday candles and tell me you don’t feel merry and bright! Even on the muggiest of Australian summer days, a whiff of Friandise (a spicy, sweet, grown-up gingerbread biscuit) or Sapin (smoky fire and mountain pine) gives that cosy, festive feeling. If you’re a sceptical Scrooge, try the Holiday Mini Candle Set and get back to me.
Get your beauty’s worth
The skincare starter pack
Skincare is a true essential (if they don’t have a routine, they really should), and this MECCA COSMETICA set takes it back to basics. It’s an effective, pared-back duo – a refreshing, nourishing cleanser for visibly brighter skin, and an ultra-rich, radiance-boosting moisturiser (for less, too)!
The makeup routine upgrade
Any MECCA Makeup Specialist worth their weight in NARS Sheer Glow will tell you good tools make all the difference. If your loved one’s brushes are beginning to look like Cynthia, of Rugrats fame, now is the time to replace them with this all-in-one MECCA MAX set: 10 ultra-fluffy vegan brushes, a bullet sponge for flawless blending and a colourful travel case, all for less than $100. And the best part? You’ll also receive a complimentary Smoke Signal Eyeshadow Quad – for a limited time. Run, don’t walk, etcetera.
The new socks-and-jocks
Just like the reality TV show they’re ‘not watching’ or the cavoodle puppy they ‘didn’t want’, you’d be surprised by how many dads secretly love a pamper (even if they pretend they don’t). Treat them with Clinique’s limited-edition Great Skin For Him set, featuring four fragrance-free, full-sized skincare favourites for smoother, stronger and more hydrated skin.
Smudge, on purpose
A little Brat, a little Venetia in Saltburn, a little Kate Moss at Glastonbury – smoky, smudgy, lived-in makeup is back. It may be masquerading under monikers like ‘indie sleaze’ or ‘night luxe’ but really, it’s the grown-up version of the messy black eyeliner every Millennial wore in high school. Next night out, glide Bobbi Brown’s Kohl Liner along your waterline, cover your lids in creamy, smudgy shadow and blend it out with sweep of MECCA MAX’s buttery Smoke Signal shades and spritz with Urban Decay All Nighter Long Lasting Makeup Setting Spray. It’s the ’90s-grunge eye look that stays put once set – imperfection and a good eye base (Urban Decay’s Primer Potion) are key.
Special-occasion skin
It’s no secret that makeup looks best sitting on a smooth, hydrated canvas – which is why in the thick of party season, we’re investing in skin prep that goes the distance. Dr.Jart+’s Dermask Vital Hydra Solution™ Pro Sheet Mask feels cooling on application, then instantly goes to work bolstering skin’s water levels for plump, glassy results. Eye masks are a must for tired faces, and Augustinus Bader’s are some of the best in the game. Boosted with Bader’s signature TFC8® Complex, they leave you with a taut, lifted base for your favourite concealer. Finally, a few liberal spritzes of face mist to lock in hydration – preferably Summer Fridays’ skin-quenching, radiance-enhancing Jet Lag™ Skin Soothing Hydration Mist.
Call me Martha
As the self-appointed hostess of our Friendsmas dinner this year (I watched the Martha documentary and felt inspired), I’ve been brainstorming a menu, guest list and – most importantly – the aesthetic of the evening. I’ll be upgrading from the usual paper crown and awful dad joke with the MECCA COSMETICA Lip De-Luscious SPF20 Lip Protectant Crackers and MECCA COSMETICA To Save Body SPF50+ Hydrating Sunscreen Crackers on the table. They look chic, offer either a lightweight, radiance-boosting SPF or a nourishing lip balm, and are currently available in bang-for-your-buck bundles of four. For $150, all seven guests will get a festive MECCA treat (with one left over for me, of course).
