As your trusty purveyor of the very best in global beauty, we understand that as exciting as new beauty can be, sorting through a new arrivals page, differentiating between want and need, and tempting fate with the latest TikTok trend can be a delightfully dizzying process. To alleviate the decision making required to procure the perfect MECCA parcel, I’ve been assigned the weekly task of curating my top picks from our breaking beauty drops. With almost a decade of work in the beauty industry behind me, a lifetime of obsession and a willingness to try anything and everything on your behalf (wish me luck!), I’m confident I can lead you in the right direction. Without further ado, here are my picks of the best new beauty this week…
NEW: It’s here, and you need to know about it Boy Smells Hand Soap (TL;DR: a conversation-starting update for your bathroom and/or kitchen.) I like every element of my home to be a conversation starter. The green kitchen, the pink basin, the Food For Everyone prints and every candle (Flamingo Estate Roma Heirloom Tomato), diffuser (Diptyque Baies 2.0 Hourglass) and vessel is a ‘yes and…’ moment. Hand soap is an easy place to start! Boy Smells – you’ll know them for their cult-favourite Kush Candle – just dropped two hand soaps in a unique curved bottle. They’re bathroom (or kitchen) centrepieces and a welcome update to the classic ‘minimalist’ hand soap aesthetic. Plus, they’re loaded with gentle exfoliators and hydrators for extra soft, smooth hands. You can’t go wrong with either scent – Petalia permeates rose, cardamom, sandalwood and vetiver, while Fantome woos with amber, oakmoss, cade, gardenia and black pepper. Add it to the Pinterest board (and your MECCA bag) ASAP.
NOW: Add to bag immediately manucurist Green Flash Routine Set (TL;DR: the answer to salon-quality manicures at home.) manucurist might just be MECCA’s most life-changing launch of the year thus far, delivering on fast-drying, long-wearing, high-gloss manicures in the comfort of your own home. Being appointment-avoidant, fiscally conscious and unable to sit still through ‘All Too Well (10 Minute Version)’, manucurist’s at-home set tickles me pink! Their plant-based Green Flash range is cured under LED light (not UV – let’s avoid photo-ageing where we can!) and lasts for up to 10 days – but can be swiped off with regular acetone-free polish remover. None of this nail-weakening soaking or damaging electric filing! The Routine Set comes with the Green Flash LED Nail Base Coat and Top Coat, as well as the Green Flash LED Nail Polish in ‘Poppy Red’ or ‘Hortencia’, the Green Flash Remover, the 24W LED Lamp and five Removal Clips. And it’s much more affordable than a trio of trips to the nail salon. Very into this.
WOW: Unlike anything you already own Augustinus Bader The Cream Cleansing Gel (TL;DR: the most luxurious-feeling cleanser you’ll ever try.) I recently had my first MECCA Aesthetica experience (specifically the MECCA Essentials LED Repair + Renew treatment to help improve the perioral dermatitis I was experiencing, plus indulge in a lymphatic massage), which is where I was introduced to Augustinus Bader’s The Cream Cleansing Gel. Boy, it’s nice. And I really don’t have all that much to say about it other than that it’s unbelievably soft and silky-feeling and made me truly understand the difference between a stock-standard gel cleanser and one of luxury status. I’m sure it all boils down to the inclusion of the brand’s TFC8® Complex – as well as rose, cucumber and aloe-adjacent ingredients – but all I can think about is what an absolute treat it would be to wash away the day with this cushy, hydrating, non-stripping cleanser. Consider me wowed – by a cleanser. Who would have thought?
