From The MECCA Group Chat: The Best Beauty Pick-Me-Ups
August 5 | 3 minute read
Words by Christie Sinclair
For the first time in my adult life, I stepped out of the house in gold glittery eyeliner and face jewels. It’s a look I never would have had the courage to wear if it wasn’t for the hundreds of MECCA team mates also bejewelled and twinkling from the neck up. It was, of course, to honour the arrival of Half Magic and its Emmy-winning MUA and creator, Donni Davy, to MECCA.
The office buzzed with compliments and excitement, and it reminded me why we wear beauty in the first place – to feel something; a rush when you paint on a red lip, a sense of lightness when you wear your favourite fragrance. Beauty can be so joyful.
So, if you take anything from this week’s column, let it be: wear the glitter! (Specifically this one, if it’s your first rodeo, which Davy refers to as ‘gateway glitter’).
A scent escape
At a time when most people turn to their cosy winter scents, I’m making a case for bright, sparkly smells that transport you back to some place warm, if only in spirit. Whenever Le Labo’s Bergamote 22 – a fizzy concoction of citrus and musk – crosses my nostrils, I immediately picture spritzing this on my décolletage after a day spent lounging poolside with nothing to do. Meanwhile, Thé Matcha is green and powdery but also zingy and frothy and it always adds a little spark to my day every time I catch it on my collar, and Thé Noir has ‘sunset drinks at the hotel bar’ vibes. Also, isn’t it time we made showering a luxury? Le Labo’s Shower Gel Mandarin is just the thing.
Lips get layered
As we swath ourselves in as many items of clothing possible, we’re taking this trend to our lips, too. We’ve been playing with the endless collection of lip products rolling around in our handbags, layering multiple products, textures and finishes.
Team MECCA’s favourite combo right now? We’re prepping with MECCA COSMETICA Lip De-Luscious SPF20 Lip Protectant (always), lining and gently smudging ILIA’s new Lip Sketch Hydrating Crayon, filling with NARS Explicit Lipstick and finishing with a hefty swipe of Gisou Honey Infused Lip Oil or RMS Beauty’s Liplights Cream Lip Gloss. Choose your shades like you choose your #OOTD.
Also on everyone’s lips...
We've been waiting 10 years – a whole decade! – to shop Glossier’s Balm Dotcom IRL, and though we’ve tried to make do with others, nothing else quite did it for us. Now that it’s finally, finally here, we can confirm it’s everything we could possibly want on our lips, all at once. Incredible hydration in a rich, waxy formula that lasts for hours (or through multiple beverages), isn’t one bit slippy or sticky and smells like pure happiness. A dopamine hit in the cutest little tube!
Though the numbers point to ‘Strawberry’ and ‘Birthday’ as being favourites Down Under, I believe ‘Wild Fig’ is the underrated (and wildly addictive) winner, with the perfect cold-weather coral tint. Collect them all.
Hair goes high tech
This week, the algorithm reminded me what life was like as a pre-teen – pre-hair straighteners. We would literally drape ourselves atop a table and iron each other’s hair, hoping by some miracle we didn’t sear our ears in the process. I’m certain Millennials’ hair would be significantly more voluminous if we had access to tools like Dyson’s new AirstraitTM back then; it takes hair from wet to dead straight with blasts of air rather than hot plates (see it in action here). I know where my tax return is going this year.
The easiest instant glow-up
Since I’ve already given my age away, I’m approaching the 20-year anniversary of my first spray tan – and since that equates to approximately 1,040 ‘Tan Thursdays’ (give or take a few), I feel equipped to offer advice on the subject. I am dedicated to a faux glow and wholeheartedly believe it’s *the* easiest way to give yourself an instant glow-up.
Drops, mousse, spray, mist, gel, water, wipes – I’ve tried too many formulas to count and only a very select few have a permanent place on my top shelf, including Luna Bronze’s Solar Eclipse Clear Tanning Mousse which gives an immaculate bronze, an even fade (crucial) and won’t stain your sheets. Also Isle of Paradise’s Super Size Self-Tanning Drops which I like to add to my body moisturiser when I want to look more alive through winter.
