The New Beauty Products To Shop This Month, According To Our Beauty Editor

A new year of beauty is here, and things are already taking a quirky turn.

2026 kicks off with sherbet as face masks, a surprising amount of macaron-themed creations and seriously good cosmetics in a stick from our favourite beauty houses.

We're also seeing nostalgic beauty takes takes—then a splash of futurism for balance.

Here's the best in Aotearoa New Zealand's new beauty launches. 

God Speed

GHD Speed | $645

Image credit: GHD | Supplied

A literal life-saver for the impatient person with long hair. Or any kinda hair. Basically, hair that needs drying, lickedy-split.

GHD has released their fastest hair dryer yet: GHD Speed. 

More than giving you the chance to snap-dry your hair in-between ad breaks, it’s a total hair and lifestyle pick-me-up.

Frizz is reduced by 54%, the motor is 91% smaller, there’s four temperature settings, it remembers the last setting you used each time you turn the dryer on, aaaaand the airflow has been designed so can get close to the root without frying your scalp and tresses. 

For the beauty tech geeks here: this was all possible through their very own “ghd haloTM dual-airflow technology.” It blasts a ring of cool air around the heated airflow, which keeps the temp nice and easy on your scalp and making sure the dryer is cool-to-touch.  

Less arm cramps, less thrown-together damp buns, less fly-aways. More getting to work on time. GHD is the tech for the ‘future us’ we always dreamed of being.

Let’s Get Plumping

Dr. Dennis Gross Derminfusions™ Lip Tints | $63.00

Image credit: MECCA | Supplied

Is it lipstick? Is it a potion? Is it a medi-spa gadget? Well, Dr. Dennis Gross Derminfusions™ Lip Tints are kind of all of the above. 

Alongside a glossy pigment, these lip tints deliver both fuller lips with a stronger barrier.  

Four whole molecular weights of Hyaluronic Acid (AKA, the moisture-retaining superstar) allows moisture to stay locked in in all layers of your skin.

Throwing Shade

Westman Atelier Contour Stick | $94 

Image credit: Westman Atelier | Website

Right, so, we’ve already established that anything Westman Atelier whips up and puts into a stick form is a winner. So surprise surprise, the five new shades joining the Face Trace Contour Stick are killer. 

They’re one of the few contour ranges that actually cater to a full spectrum of skin-tones—not just a handful of middle-ground, bronzer-like tones. For starters, Kola is a cool-toned, rich espresso colour for deep skin tones. On the other end, Au Lait gives ultra-fair-toned folk definition, without a terracotta tinge. 

We’ve Got The Gloss 

Jacques Janine J18 Hair Mist | $34.99

Image credit: Jacques Janine | Website

We’ll never shut up about Brazilian hair products. Okay? And when our latest obsession, Jacques Janine J18 Hair Mist, has its way with your hair, you’ll understand. 

It’s a finishing spray that’s designed to glossify hair—even our beauty Ed’s mousey, notoriously-hard-to-make-shiny, bronde tresses. The formulation’s holographic shine microparticles take this one step further, leaving a subtle glimmer on your already sleek strands. 

Sweep Me A-Ouai

Ibiza Fragrance Mist Eau De Toilette | $57

Image Credit: Sephora | Website

Niche, but if you played MyScene growing up, this one’s for you. 

Jason Brookes, AKA the illustrator behind the glamorously sharp, club-meets-fashion illustrations of the 2000s, has collaborated with OUAI to bring the fierce OUAI-cation Eau De Toilette campaign to life. 

Ibiza and Santorini, naturally, join the jet-set inspired fragrance set with their very own glossy divas illustration. Without so much as smelling the syrupy spray, Ibiza has instantly nostalgic for the 2000’s, all while yearning for a sequin-studded Euro summer trip.     

A fragrance for the future we were promised. Merci, Ouai.

I C A New Obsession 

Nüwa Beauty | Various Prices 

Image credit: NüWa | Website

Here’s a new saved tab for you: NüWa. They’re an Aotearoa-based, online trove of C-Beauty. Their focus is on make-up, and trust us, their curation is equal parts practical and whimsical. 

Case-in-point, the world’s finest eyeliner: the Precisely Depicted Slim Liquid Eyeliner.

There’s even black blush, jelly glitter sticks, an apple-green blush, and pocket-sized palettes that take care of your whole face (or as they call them, comprehensive face-palettes.) So comprehensive, that one of their pans even features a primer balm. Genius.

Sticky Situation

Mecca Max Off Duty Blush Stick | $25

Image credit: Mecca Max | Instagram

The five new Off Duty Blush Stick colours aren’t mucking about, okay. Cool-toned fuschia “Crush” and near-firetruck red “Popsicle” lead the pigmented pack. They’re straight off 80s supermodel cheekones—but, being buildable, they’ll give you a subtle, dainty colour flush if you so wish. 

“Mellow,” “Sunswept” and “Cosy,” on the other hand, take things in a warmer direction, and would probably save you a contouring swipe. Speaking of, Mecca Max’s Off Duty Contour Sticks also have newcomers: an apt “Light” and “Tan.”

A Lush Bouquet

Lush Valentine’s Collection | From $9

Image credit: LUSH | Supplied

For a season marked by peachy tones and love-hearts, LUSH’s Valentines Day release is—quite literally—a fresh take.    

There’s an absinthe green toned (and flavoured) lip-scrub, alongside a macaroon-like Bananas For You Bubbleroon bubble bar, with a scent that’ll have banana milkshakes fiends frothing.   

And let’s not forget the Love Burger, an ultimate 3-in-1. The buns are a cherry-scented bath bomb, the veggies lather up as soap, and the patty is a crumbly little lemony bubble bar. 

But for you Valentine’s Day purists out-there, rest assured that the ruby-red Passion Body Wash (the one that’s made with 15,000 rose petals per batch) is back, alongside a new kitschy swan soap. 

Soothe Operator 

Isamaya | Microbial Gel 50mL | $72

Image credit: MECCA | Supplied

Isamaya has turned their whimsical lens to a rather functional Microbial Gel. Soothing, protecting, barrier-strengthening, and prebiotic-infusing.

Oh, and it also serves as an ultra-grippy makeup primer. Just make sure you let it set in properly, okay? 

Our overloaded, overwhelmed skin says thank you.

Melting Moment 

Tarte Macaron Blush & Glow™ Duo | $68 

Image Credit: Tarte | Supplied

Baked and buttered blushes, you say? Tarte, you’ve got our attention and our tummy rumbling.

There’s both a powder and a cream blush—in the exact same shade, mind you—in the dinky little new Macaron Blush & Glow™ Duo shell. And if that isn’t genius, we don’t know what is. 

Sure, the two textures will help you build up colour perfectly. But we also see this new beauty launch as an ultimate beauty travel companion: powder for balmy days, creamy for when you need a little dew.

It’s Teddy Time

MAC Velvet Teddy Updates | Multiple

Image Credit: MAC | Website

If 2016 is back in, then we’ve gotta bring Velvet Teddy back in full force. You know, the nude, matte, MAC shade on everyone’s lips while we were chokered-up, wearing Thrasher t-shirts. 

Lucky for us, MAC has cottoned on, creating new takes on the beauty fave. There’s the Powder Kiss Hazy Matte Lipstick in Teddy 2.0. And in true 2016 style, there’s also a liquid-to-powder version of the exact Velvet Teddy shade.

Hold The Line 

VIOLETTE_FR Lune Liner | $60 

Image credit: MECCA | Website

Patron saint of pigments that we didn’t know we needed, Violette_FR, has launched three Lune liquid liner shades. 

They’re both futuristic and nostalgic—think scarab meets frutiger aero aesthetics—with the next-level performance to boot. 16-hours of wear, multi-chrome colours, and a freshly-foiled looking finish. Plus, have you seen how fine that brush is? 

Making Scents 

O Te Ra fragrances | Price TBC 

Image credit: O Te Ra | Instagram

What’s this? A new Aotearoa-grown fragrance label? We like what we see so far, O Te Ra.

We can’t tell you what the perfume smells like—literally, we’re waiting for their first glimpse to land in our inbox—but we can tell you a bit about O Te Ra’s ethos. They bind Aotearoa with France, and their scents are designed with the creative mind, in, well, mind.  

This could be the start of a new signature scent. For now, O Te Ra is firmly in our saved tabs. 

Go With The Flo 

From Nina Fragrances | From $98.90

Image credit: From Nina | Website

Remember how we gushed about From Nina’s new fragrances? Buckle up for some more. 

Their Blanc and Pearl fragrance range has landed at Flo and Frankie, in both 10ml sticks and 30ml bottles. You’ll be finding us spritzing here for the foreseeable future.

A Skincare Smoothie 

SOME BY MI PDRN Spirulina Soothing Sherbert Mask | $47

Image credit: Hikoco | Website

We never thought we’d see “spirulina,” “sherbert,” and “mask” in one sentence—let alone in skincare creation. But here we are, fawning over Hicoko’s newest import. 

It’s a cooling mask that strikes a (rare) balance of being both gentle, and a little bit of gentle exfoliation (thank you well-chosen ingredients). Oh, and it’s even designed to soothe your barrier while it’s at it.

Draw A Line

Aleph Multi Liners | $42

Image Credit: Aleph | Supplied

Colour cosmetics can be tricky to make multi-purpose. But can you believe it, our very own Aleph cracked it. Aleph’s Multi Liners are—famously—not eyeliners. They’re not brow liners. Not lip liners either. They’re not even simply eyeshadows or contour-ers. 

They’re ultra-pigmented and matte pencils that are yours to use to define and pigment any which way you choose. 

Struggling to choose one? Go for Fig. A deep plummy shade, that works as an eyeliner, lip liner, and if you’re bold: a cheekbone definer.  

Getting Lippy

The Ordinary | PHA 5% Exfoliating Lip Serum | $17

Image Credit: Deciem | Supplied

Hands down, one of the most innovative lip products to come out of this decade—maybe century—is here: The Ordinary’s PHA 5% Exfoliating Lip Serum.You’ll be quick to spot this pretty pink ampoule at the Deciem counter. And for good reason: it’s the best, quickest and most gentle route to a smooth pout. 

You know that impossibly smooth and clean feeling you get in the days following a facial? This baby does just that—only from the comfort of your own space. Forget itchy lip scrubs, forget vigorous facecloth scrubs to the corners of your mouth, the Exfoliating Lip Serum takes care of all your exfoliating needs (plus some) with a gentle yet swift approach.

The PHA works in the background to dissolve away the structures holding dead skin cells—the gunk—in your skin, increasing cellular turnover. All the while, glycerin (a hydrating and soothing fave) works to drive moisture deep into the skin. Oh, and retain it. 

It’s gentle enough to not cause irritation, but punchy enough to see results on first use. And even is safe for sensitive skinned folk to use it (a rarity in the world of exfoliants). We’re obsessed.

Lit For A Princess

Flamingo Estate | Princesstartå Candle | $127 

Image Credit: Flamingo Estate | Website

Flamingo Estate and Mecca, the purveyors of aspirational, well, everythings, have done it again. Together, they’ve brought the sold-out Princesstartå candle (a Beauty News favourite that we gave covergirl position to earlier this year) out of hiding.

It’s now exclusively available at Mecca’s Bourke Street Flagship store—or online (phew,)for us New Zealanders. 

Rest assured, the scent’s the same: jasmine petals, toasted cinnamon incense, almond, neroli leaves. Or, as our noses experienced: marzipan, whipped florals, a touch of your boyfriend’s aftershave, and someone walking by with a box of cannoli

Lurking In The Shadows

Shadow by Taylor Boutique | $197 

Image Credit: Taylor | Website

The doyenne of dark shades and bold shapes—Vicki Taylor of Taylor Boutique—is at it again. She’s created her first ever fragrance, and get this; Riesling is one of the key notes.

Alongside the notes of our favourite tipple, “Shadow” weaves together palmarosa, the korean berry Omija, soap and musk. Or as Vicki puts it, it embodies “balance, texture and restraint.” 

Gosh, and we thought it was already hard enough leaving their boutiques empty-handed. 

BC, Why Not? 

39BC | Body Oil Cleansers | From $60

Image Credit: 39BC | Instagram

Shower owners rejoice, we finally get a slice of those gorgeous oils usually reserved for the tub. 39BC has officially launched, and its maiden collection—the Vol. 1 Alexandria—has four delicious body oil cleansers. You’ll find Fig Milk, Denarii, Sage Water and Silk Veil (a jasminey, tuberose blend inspired by Cleopatra VII herself).  

Delayed gratification is the name of the game here. Pre-order now, then get your UK-living pals to lug it over to Aotearoa on the mass migration home for Christmas

Main image credit: Prime Skin | supplied

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