New Year, Same Us

Eve Bailey, Junior Fashion Editor

For most of 2024 I have spent trialling and testing all of beauty’s cult products and most hyped launches. Thus creating a revolving door effect, replacing product after product within my go to routine. It’s been exhausting, however I can confidently say these are some of my top products that have been borderline life changing. For me make-up primers have been a no-go, some being silicon based, others water based, having to research which of my existing products were compatible with which made it all too much. Rhode’s Glazing Milk provides a seamless base meaning no need for primers, offering a natural luminescence within my make-up while helping calm my rather red toned skin. My skin has always been a bit of a battle when it comes to hydrating products, I have combination to dry and have become very particular when it comes to moisturisers. RAAIE Cocoon Ceramide Cream offers intense hydration without the thickness or stickiness of so many I have trialled while looking very chic in your bathroom cabinet. To the end of the year I discovered NATURIUM products (admittedly via TikTok) which I’ve found to really help my keratosis pilaris particularly the combination of the Bio Lipid Body Lotion and the Multi Oil Hydrating Body Wash. Lastly, my best kept secret, discovered the best way through stealing from my sister's bathroom. Nizarolo shampoo. Marketed as an anti-dandruff shampoo, I thought it would overly hydrate my scalp to the point of it becoming greasy. However, this shampoo lets me go a further two days without needing to wash my hair and leaves my scalp feeling light and refreshed, trendy shampoos are officially out for 2025.

Olivia Barrett, Fashion Assistant 

I’ve never been a morning person. I would love to throw those curtains wide and luxuriate in indulgent sunrise rituals, however, the only routine thing about my mornings is oversleeping and panic-induced readying. So, this year I’m aiming to work smarter and not harder by prioritising a low-effort, high-impact beauty routine, meaning I can hit that snooze button at least twice and still make it to the office looking semi-fab. I’ve always struggled with my skin and much of my mornings were spent meticulously applying foundation to cover any and all blemishes. However, since using the Calendula foaming face wash by Kiehl's I’ve noticed my skin looks brighter and clearer, relinquishing my need for heavy handed base makeup. While my hair is usually laden with dry shampoo and shoved into a bird’s nest atop my head, the Olaplex No.7 Bonding Oil is the only product I’ve found that adds some vitality to my locks. While I try and keep makeup minimal, I will always have some sort of lip combo on to make my face look a bit more, well, alive. I’ve been loving my Isamaya Beauty, water balm in the shade Vanity. Yes it comes in penis packaging and yes it’s essentially a black lipbalm, but it adds the most gorgeous berry hue and paired with a nude lipliner creates a really nice shape and shade. Finally, Glossier You Doux is spritzed generously and chucked into whichever ridiculous bag I’m lugging around at any given time. Warm and woody with notes of violet, I could spray this while wearing a full tracksuit and still feel totally put together.

Matteo Pini, Editorial Assistant 

A whole hoard of health issues last year taught me the importance of self-care, not just as a buzzword but as an act of resistance. When I was struggling with a chronic illness, focusing on tiny actions that could improve my day became imperative. At that time, I did not have the wherewithal for endless 30-step skincare routines: no, I needed high-impact products that could bring both sensory pleasure and measurable results. Though I now have the energy to indulge in a serum or two, I’m bringing this less-is-more philosophy with me as I enter the new year. The Curl Conditioner from sustainability-forward brand Davines was introduced to me late last year, and its vitamin E-rich formula has given me happy and hydrated waves. I’ll follow with D.S. and Durga’s I Don’t Know What Body Lotion, rich with coconut oil and shea butter and whose light santal fragrance creates the ideal foundation for perfume layering. And layer I shall, with Loewe’s Esencia Elixir Eau de Parfum, one of my favourite fragrance discoveries of last year. More mysterious than the original Esencia, it screams “forest after dark”, an enveloping bouquet of patchouli and vetiver that friends and lovers can’t get enough of. As I have learned, health is wealth, and daily application of a broad-spectrum sunscreen is essential – even in Winter! Owing to the high UV radiation in Australia, I tend to trust the land down under with SPF formulations, and Ultra Violette doesn’t disappoint with a milky, lightweight formula that sinks into the skin like butter on a crumpet.