It’s New. In March. At MECCA.
February 24 | 3 minute read
Words by Christie Sinclair
To save you from doom scrolling the ‘New’ tab, here’s a summary of all the new beauty we’ve been road-testing behind the scenes here at HQ. And as you can see by the image above, our March drop is looking rather impossible to resist.
HOT OFF THE PRESS
A hit of warmth in the form of the limited NARS ‘Hot Escape’ collection – Mr. NARS’ love letter to the South of France – was just the thing to distract us from the reality of summer (and daylight savings) ending. And good thing you're here – we have the global exclusive to launch it first! If you made me pick a favourite, it’s the Hot Escape Cheek Palettes which hide four sunkissed shimmer and matte shades (including the beloved Laguna Bronzing Powder) and whose sunny striped packaging (reminiscent of the umbrellas along Biarritz) tapped into my weakness for aesthetic packaging.
Tower 28’s new GetSet Pressed Powder is tailor-made for those prone to sensitivities, because it sets makeup without any alcohol or irritating ingredients. It blurs imperfections and reduces shine but replaces it with a lovely matte glow, making it a great option for those with dry skin.
A colleague washes her makeup brushes in the shower, which is perhaps the most genius makeup hack I have ever heard, ever. Morphe’s reimagined brush collection uses silver ion-infused bristles with antibacterial benefits, which should appeal to anyone who’s not great at routinely cleaning their tools. Guilty!
NEW SCENTS
Everyone wants to smell good but an innocent perusal through MECCA’s Perfumeria has become a real guilty pleasure of mine, a kind of therapy if you will. And no matter what I’ve popped in for, I always leave two hours later with a handful of paper strips and a new fragrance. If you happen to find yourself at a loose end at Perfumeria this month, I suggest you steer your nose in the direction of the following new smells.
Maison Margiela’s Afternoon Delight, is just that. It’s a sweet gourmand centred around the mouth-watering scent of madeleines baking, but with bitter almond, sandalwood and amber accords, it’s perfectly light and caramely. I’m deep into a gym challenge (!) and so the closest I’m getting to a morning pastry is a sniff of my collar, and this is almost as satisfying. Our favourite Aussie pop star Troye Sivan dropped his Grammy-night scent and it’s another Tsu Lange Yor heartstopper. It’s spicy, smoky, intimate and somehow familiar, softening beautifully on the skin and best enjoyed up close (aka your lover’s neck). Fun fact: it’s the work of master perfumer Frank Voelkl, the nose behind Le Labo’s beloved Santal 33. Dries Van Noten has ventured into vanilla territory with Chamomile Satin. Expect a rich, enveloping herby scent that dries down to a sexy, creamy vanilla. It really does it for me.
ALL OVER GLOW
It’s a good news day if you’re into glowing skin. Glow Recipe has released two new serum flushes – and they’re not blushes. Powered by 100% skincare they’re too good for your skin to fall into the makeup category. Interestingly, the lack of pigment is what I love most; the serum texture creates a sheer, dewy effect that fits exactly into my no-makeup makeup modus operandi. Also in that category, as a Strobe Cream devout (it’s been around 20 years since I first used it), I’m sure I manifested M.A.C’s new launch, a contour, blush and highlighter combined with the same kind of liquid pearl for a glossy, gentle hit of colour and moisture.
It's about that time of year when the signs of summer start showing on our hair. Mine’s certainly dry, crispy and just a bit… blergh. Had I been using Naked Sundays UV Hair Protectant Mist all season, I may not be in this predicament. It lightly protects hair and scalp from UV damage (although it doesn’t replace a hat!), nourishes (and feels) like a lightweight leave-in conditioner and smells like one of those buzzy tropical body mists. Speaking of which, hold on to your Bum Bums, the internet’s favourite body care brand has gifted us with not one but two bronzing oils. Sol de Janeiro’s Copacabana Bronze & Rio Sunset Glow Oils, a travel duo in two shades, delivers a hydrated, golden glow (and yes, a scent you’ll want to marinate in) in spades.
GOOD SKIN BASICS
My skin has had to put up with some pretty evil things over the years – at-home peel experiments, bottom of the shelf exfoliators and other acts that I truly cannot speak of. These days, thanks in part to life experience and the fact I have access to the brightest minds in skincare, I know much better. Despite that, I find it always pays to have an army of reliable basics at the ready to undo my skincare sins or revive my complexion when it’s feeling off kilter.
Let’s start in the shower, where I do my best cleansing. Tower 28 has finally released a cleanser. Hit add to cart immediately on the SOS Daily Balancing Gel Cleanser for an expert wash that won’t stir up skin drama. Dr. Jart has added a cleanser to their internet-famous Cicapair collection. I’ve not seen a cleansing formula this creamy, which must be why it leaves skin feeling so thoroughly moisturised. REN Clean Skincare has our grumpy skin front of mind with a new milky facial mist, which I’ve been using when my skin’s feeling irritated or as a little refresher on hot days.
Excitingly, J-beauty brand Shiseido has upgraded their beloved Ultimune Power Infusing Serum, and it now packs more gravity defying, youth-boosting (gimme!) power without any barrier-destroying ingredients. In other words, good skin with none of the hangups. Adding to Susanne Kaufmann's brilliant line of skincare for those who can't make it to her Austrian spa, her Ectoin Repair Serum features the buzzy skincare ingredient ectoin, a powerhouse amino acid that does more than I can list but, in short, works skin miracles.
