The Beauty Gifts We’re Buying (Ourselves)
October 14 | 4 minute read
Words by Izzy Wight
From eyeshadow palette nostalgia and the new Dyson Airwrap™ colourway to the Holiday sets we’re gifting (ourselves) early, here are the beauty things we’ve been preoccupied with this week.
It’s ‘little treat’ time
An oat latte from your favourite café, a date-night upgrade to the Gold Class screening, a limited-edition pink Dyson Airwrap™… I’ve never been one to deny myself of life’s pleasures. Today marks the first drop of hotly anticipated Holiday beauty at MECCA, which means a chance to get ahead on gifting and – most importantly – treating yourself.
In the (paraphrased) words of RuPaul: “If you can’t gift yourself, how in the hell are you gonna gift somebody else?!”
Granted, some treats are more indulgent than others. But if you’ve been thinking about making a big beauty purchase or restocking on essentials, this pre-holidays grace period might just be the best time to do it.
I (and a good portion of MECCA HQ) am dying to get my hands on the brand-new Dyson Airwrap i.d.™ in the limited-edition Strawberry Bronze/Blush Pink colourway. This new arrival is not just pink, but even smarter than the original. As the Elle Woods of hair tools, its Bluetooth-enabled technology connects to an app where you can create a personalised hair profile, meaning effortlessly great styles every time. What? Like it’s hard?
Set it up
Speaking of aesthetically pleasing beauty, Holiday sets are rolling into MECCA and I’m unseasonably (I’m aware it’s October! Let me live!) excited. I’m a sucker for mini products of all kinds – a hotel bathroom hates to see me coming – but a notoriously last-minute gifter. Historically, I’ve been that person scrambling at the shopping centre on 24 December. This year, that’s changing.
Hot tip: if you have a long list of gifts to buy and don’t particularly feel like checking it twice, appease your younger sister (you know, the one who’s already asking what you’re getting her) by picking up the Glow Recipe Dewy Skin Dazzlers gift set early. Treat yourself to the Tatcha Dewy Skin & Lip Kit while you’re there, simply because there’s a free Kissu Lip Mask involved and you’ve almost made it to the end of the year. Treat yourself, etcetera.
Are eyeshadow palettes back?
Nature is healing! False eyelashes, matte lips and full-coverage foundation… If my TikTok For You Page is anything to go by, full glam is experiencing something of a renaissance. Even better, the inimitable Urban Decay Naked Palette is back at MECCA in all its neutral glory. I don’t know about you, but I can’t wait to blend ‘Buff’ into my crease with a fluffy brush once more.
After dabbling in single shadows for a while, it’s nice to have a wardrobe of shades in one place. If you’re not ready to make the jump to a full-sized eye palette, NARS’ Pure Luxury Light Reflecting™ Cheek & Eye Palette is a Holiday-edition release offering ultra-wearable shades of pink, coral and bronze that you can use to highlight, sculpt and blush all over. Pack in your beauty bag for easy all-in-one looks.
Scent layering 101
When you work in an office of dutiful fragrance lovers, new perfume is often the conversation topic of choice. Recently, MECCA HQ has been buzzing about the scents from haircare brand ARKIVE. The collection of four genderless EDPs, ranging from zesty and fresh to spicy and warm, are designed to be spritzed on hair and skin.
If you’re on the hunt for something entirely unique, try layering two or three scents from the ARKIVE Discovery Set. All have floral heart notes – just start with the heaviest fragrance and layer the lighter blends on top.
Our Glossier obsession continues
After waiting a cool 10 years to reach our shores, NYC’s iconic beauty brand Glossier is celebrating its first MECCA Holiday. To kick off the celebrations (which, if I’m being honest, haven’t really stopped since the brand landed in July), they’ve released three limited-edition sets.
My pick of the trio is obvious, because I’m both predictable and a lip product addict. The limited-edition Balm Dotcom Duo includes two new café-inspired shades – ‘Biscotti’ and ‘Espresso’. The set is a steal, the formula is magnifique and I plan to wear the latter chocolate brown shade over one of the 45 chestnut lip liners I own. The promise of a ’90s-esque lip makes everything justifiable.
