It’s New. In September. At MECCA
August 25 | 5 minute read
Words by Kerri Gordon
But alas, we must progress; because with all the newness landing this month, it’s apparent that beauty never sleeps. Read on for my top picks from the drop.
More Like Scentember
Let’s start with fragrance because it has taken every fibre of my being to not respond to social media comments asking – nay, begging – for the two brands that launch today. Like the TS12 announcement of weeks’ past, the cat’s out of the bag!
The first is PHLUR, best described as a digitally native, present tense fragrance brand with an ear to the ground when it comes to trending notes, formats and formulations. With O.G. blogger-entrepreneur Chriselle Lim at the helm as creative director, the brand is known for launching conceptual mists and EDPs on the cusp of cultural phenomenon. Take Vanilla Skin, a not-too-sweet gourmand nestled in pepper and cashmere, Missing Person, loaded with soft musks, orange blossom and transparent woods (perfect for the Glossier You/Le Labo AnOther 13/ D.S. & Durga I Don’t Know What lovers) and Father Figure, a fresh, sexy, fleshy fig that smells good on everyone.
Then, there’s BORNTOSTANDOUT, an irreverent and unconventional collection that refuses to follow societal norms, celebrating misfits and eccentricities instead. Seoul-based founder Jun Lim quit his stable job in banking – and sold his beloved art collection – to bring the brand to life. And I’m so glad he did because everything about BORNTOSTANDOUT is provocative, addictive and my greatest obsession. The scents are filthy, sticky and intoxicating; gourmand at its best. NUTS is an indulgent and hyper-realistic pistachio brittle, DGAF is a sage-forward power move designed to turn heads, INDECENT CHERRY has a surprising and refreshing tartness and SUGAR ADDICT starts sparkling and transparent, settling into a caramelised skin scent that layers deliciously.
Speaking of sweets... TSU LANGE YOR drops its newest juice today: the brand’s first gourmand and first intentionally femme scent. Affectionately monikered Sage’s Rose, after the founder-duo’s younger sister, it’s a perfect concoction of myrrh, sugar, poppy and damask rose. At face value, it smells like pink musk lollies and burnt sugar, with woody and resinous undercurrents that cut through the sweetness. It’s peak olfactory elegance. If you’re a Baccarat Rouge 540 fan looking to expand your scent wardrobe, this one’s for you.
Holy Hydration
When I started at MECCA six years ago, skincare was all about finding the highest dose of the most potent actives and slathering them onto your face in 12 longwinded steps. Oh, how the pendulum swings! This month, our favourite brands deliver heavy-hitting hydrators and skin barrier repairers in spades.
There’s the Glow Recipe Prickly Pear Peptide Mucin, a vegan (and higher-performing) alternative to the viral snail mucin serums known for their plumping, glass-ifying results, Drunk Elephant’s Amino Rain Glasswater Serum, formulated with 1% fermented polyamino acid, an ingredient said to rival (and even outperform!) hyaluronic acid on hydration, and Allies of Skin’s Beta Glucan And Resveratrol Advanced Hydrating Serum, a plumping, barrier-repairing, line-reducing serum perfect for sensitive skin types.
From the moisturiser category, I implore you to try the Skin Restore Plumping Face Cream from Mimétique, a new-to-MECCA French skincare brand formulated with ‘skin-identical’ ingredients. The idea is that each formula contains ingredients that your skin already has, so it knows how to recognise them and therefore, better absorb them – sparking natural dermatological mechanisms. It’s gentle, and genius.
Reformer Session
Spring cleaning is the go, as it seems. Our favourite makeup brands are cleaning up their famed formulations to deliver tighter ingredient lists and higher-performing coverage. When it comes to the products you love and wear day in and out, the word ‘reformulation’ can feel daunting – if it ain’t broke... but I swear it’s all up from here.
MECCA MAX Life Proof Satin Blur Foundation: a significantly more modern, lighter weight and more customisable formula, finessed with the feedback and advice of the MECCA community. Expect the budge-proof staying power you know and love in 40 perfected shades.
Charlotte Tilbury Airbrush Flawless Foundation: with a texture described as ‘stretchwear’, this high-coverage foundation has had a diabolically good upgrade with new technologies that make the base as comfy, perfecting and long-wearing as can be. As the queen herself tells us, “Because science is always advancing, I am always innovating... Working with the world’s best labs, we have bottled the latest technology to bring you the future of full coverage.”
Chantecaille Future Skin: now in more shades and with more skin benefits, so everyone can enjoy this cult-favourite water-based foundation with a famously refreshing feel – and reap the benefits of calmer, more hydrated skin, long after wear.
Too Faced Born This Way Foundation: boasts extended 24-hour wear (with zero oxidisation in the process), hydration that goes the distance and the ability to keep it together through sweat and humidity. Plus, the reformulation comes with a bunch of nons - non-poring, -caking, -creasing, -fading, -streaking, -drying or -settling.
NARS The Multiple: the category-defining icon and O.G. blush stick has been reimagined with a weightless, high-payoff cream-to-powder formula, perfect for eyes, lips and cheeks. It’s perfectly compact for touch-ups on the go, but with up to 16 hours of wear, you shouldn’t have to fret it.
Farm to Dyson
Fun fact: Dyson Farming, owned by the same Sir James Dyson that founded Dyson, makers of the world’s favourite hair tools and vacuum cleaners, is one of the largest producers of peas in the UK. They’re also in the process of revolutionising strawberry farming, with a groundbreaking circular system that will produce the best of berries all year round in a giant glasshouse powered by renewable energy. Why am I telling you this? For one more tidbit – they have the most beautiful, expansive sunflower fields, grown specifically for your benefit; to star in the brand’s first line of haircare, Omega. Delivered in oil and leave-in conditioner formats, the formulas boost shine, reduce frizz, protect from heat damage and nourish deeply. Like all things Dyson, they’re smart, effective and easy to use.
One can say the same about their newest tool, the Airwrap Co-Anda 2X – a faster-drying, better-curling iteration of the iconic Airwrap, with double the power and intelligent, adaptive Bluetooth capabilities. If you were considering investing in the tool, trust me when I tell you: this is the model to go for.
