The school year has started, the holidays are well and truly over and our hearts are already aching to get back to the beach.
So to try to cope with the corporate drudgery, we’ve gathered together a list of products to help recapture that holiday spirit and make you feel like, if you close your eyes really tight, you can still smell that sea air. Or that vineyard. Or really anywhere that isn’t an office cubicle.
These beauty products evoke that carefree feeling of having no responsibilities other than having to pop on a bit of lippie to sit by a pool. They take you away to another place and we’re already packing our bags.
Jo Malone Wood Sage and Sea Salt, from $116
Imagine sinking your toes into the sand and walking along a windswept shore, as the waves lap your feet with every step you take. The air is fresh and clean with the salty calmness and mineral scent that comes with being so close to the ocean as it abuts the cliffs.
When this perfume first landed on my desk I was immediately transported to a coastal holiday somewhere near a rainforest. (Metaphorically, of course because, well, that’s impossible). Now it’s my calm scent, whenever I need a little chill out.
Ellis Brooklyn Body Mist in Sea and Sand 100ml, $72 each
These body mists are about to be ALL OVER your TikTok. I honestly have never smelled anything that has given me such a wave (pun intended) of nostalgia for beach vacations gone by. They’re both available at Mecca (as with all the lovely Ellis Brooklyn fragrance range). The Sea fragrance is airy and aquatic with the slightest touch of florals. Sand is like “ sun-warmed bare skin” according to the marketing blurb. Together, they’re giving beach towels, sunscreen, reef oil (I KNOW I don’t use it anymore), saltwater hair, and after sun mist. Beachy heaven in little bottles.
Kayali Eau De Parfum in Eden Sparkling Lychee 100ml, $215 and Deja Vu White Flower 50ml, $169
If you need a little pick me up at the thought of having to step onto that public transport to head off to your 9 to 5 then Kayali’s Eden Sparkling Lychee 39 Eau de Parfum is it. Available at Sephora, t’s a radiant and cheerful fruity floral fragrance featuring a beautiful blend of luscious lychee, tart blackcurrant and sweet candied violet. They’re all mouthwatering fruity notes that instantly brighten your mood, with a flirty floral heart. It’s a scent of summer and vineyards and sunsets over picnic blankets.
Ok for the Deja Vu White Flower, think balmy tropical evenings with a seductive edge. I am a white floral girl and this one really tickled my senses and had me dreaming of wines on a terrace in the middle of country estate. Luxurious tuberose empowers the senses with a seductive yet impressively elegant scent, while Sri Lankan sandalwood adds sophistication, while juicy white nectarine and luscious gardenia add a layer of playfulness.
Glasshouse Fragrances Palm Springs Panache Candle, $59.95
Anyone for a pool party while the sun streams down and the cocktails flow freely? Because that’s what this new fragrance from Glasshouse is giving in candle form. Your whole HOUSE can smell like a tropical breeze of fruits, agave and coconut water. Palm Springs here we come! Even the colour of the glass is easy and breezy.
Australis Lip Blur and Lip Glaze, $16.95 each
Now LOOK I know this isn’t strictly a range of scents like the other products listed here but I feel like they’re so bold and playful, they scream holiday. Think a massive, wide brimmed hat, oversized sunglasses, swimwear and a flowing sun cover up kaftan, but all people can focus on is your BRIGHT, BOLD lip!
Australis has nailed it with the formulas for their Lip Glaze and Lip Blur products. With the glaze, it’s a nourishing lip oil that softens and conditions your lips, makes them look juicy and plump, AND has a fruity scent. Full of hydrating Hyaluronic Acid, Peptides to visibly plump and reduce the look of fine lines and Jojoba Oil to moisturise and soothe dry, chapped lips. The comfy oil/gloss hybrid texture never feels greasy. Colours include Glazed Donut, Juicy Peach, Red Velvet and more.
Then the Blur products create an iconic lip look with a hydrating matte finish. Formulated with the perfect blend of hyaluronic acid and nourishing jojoba oil, these Lip Blurs are here to revolutionize matte lips. Slick some on before cocktail hour in a luxe hotel… or just pop some on before work and feel like you’re jazzing up the office a bit.
Recreation Beauty Joyeux Eau De Parfum 50ml, $119
I’ve said it before and I will say it again: I am OBSESSED with a white floral scent and this one, made right here in Australia, is one of the loveliest I’ve encountered. You could be sitting in your cubicle at work, feeling the 3pm slump and jonesing for some caffeine, but spray some of Recreation Beauty’s Joyeaux on and all of a sudden you’re whisked off to a Mediterranean paradise.
This fragrance features peony, jasmine and tuberose, brightened with green pear and bergamot, illuminated with ylang ylang. It’s undeniably fresh yet unpredictably smooth. PLUS each 50ml bottle comes with a 2.5ml tester so you can try it first and return the 50ml bottle if you don’t like it.
In her spare time, she likes long walks down the makeup aisle and performing in Brisbane theatre. You can follow her adventures on Instagram and TikTok @thebeautypalate.
