AR Beauty Beat, July 2022: Best Beauty & Grooming Releases

This budget-friendly serum combines vitamin C, ferulic acid, vitamin E, and hyaluronic acid to brighten and even out skin tone, provide moisture and hydration, and support collagen production.

Co-founded by actress Elsa Pataky, skincare brand Purely Byron harnesses the power of the natural botanicals found in the Byron Bay region. The vegan brand includes serums, masks, all-purpose balm, moisturiser, and luxurious skincare accessories like a sculptural massage tool.

Sensorial skincare brand Fresh has undated an icon, with the reformulated Fresh Sugar Lip Treatment Balm boasting double the hydrating sugar (a natural humectant) as the original, as well as adding omega-rich cranberry seed oil into the mix. The range comprises 12 tints (new shades are peony, cocoa, and papaya), designed to cater to every skin tone. 

Following the launch of its innovative dissolvable makeup wipes, environmentally-minded skincare brand Conserving Beauty has released the world’s first dissolvable sheet mask. Formulated to brighten the skin, soothe inflammation, and provide a healthy glow, the mask contains moisturising jojoba oil, squalane, and sunflower seed oil, coupled with potent extracts of bakuchiol, reishi mushroom, algae oil, bisabolol, and cica. After use, the patented fabric simply dissolves in water!

A newly-launched Australian fragrance label, Better Brand takes a contemporary approach to scent. Eschewing gendered fragrance, Better Brand has released three core scents — Ocean Wild, Fresh Intent, and Smoky Notes — with each available in a solid fragrance, body elixir, and mist. Designed to be used in silo or layered together to create a holistic scent experience, each collection works to promote a sense of olfactory escapism.

More than a cult-favourite, Bioderma’s micellar waters are a universal favourite. Now, the French skincare brand has released the Bioderma Sensibio H2O Eye, designed to remove stubborn eye and lip makeup while caring for the thinner, more delicate skin in these areas. A biphasic cleanser, it contains both an oil and micellar water phase to effectively remove makeup and leave skin feeling cleansed and nourished.

A physical exfoliant that works without causing microtears, the blend of niacinamide, inulin, and fructose in the Q+A Skin Niacinamide Gentle Exfoliating Cleanser soothes and protects the skin from irritation, while jojoba esters provide gentle exfoliation.

Australian skincare and beauty powerhouse Mecca has (re)launched kit, a curated lineup of Melboure-made products designed for all skinkind. Vegan and gender-neutral, kit comprises both topical skincare, a duo of ingestible wellness products, and skincare tools, with the brand encouraging you to build your own ‘kit’. Highlights in the range include the oil-to-milk Compatibility Cleanser, adaptogen-infused Wellness Wash, a unique spray-on Mineral Water Cleanser, soothing Melatonin Night Balm, and the nourishing Skinkind Face Oil.

This rich cream harnesses the benefits of polypeptide-121, ceramides, tetrapeptides, and plant proteins to firm the skin, support the moisture barrier, and reduce signs of fine lines and wrinkles. Representing the first bio-designed vegan peptide chain, polypeptide-121 contains over 180 amino acids that correspond to a sequence in collage type 21 — which is naturally present in the skin but depletes with age and exposure to stressors — and has been shown to improve skin elasticity and reactivity.