Beauty Insider: 2 Exciting Updates From Sans Ceuticals; This Skin Duo Works While You Slumber; Abel’s Zesty New Fragrance

By Ashleigh Cometti
Viva
Sans Ceuticals has supercharged its beloved Activator 7 Body + Hair + Face Oil with a vitamin-rich ingredient proven to support collagen synthesis.

Sans Ceuticals expands into Mecca’s bricks-and-mortar stores, and renovates one of its best-sellers; Local fragrance designer Abel welcomes new era with Laundry Day; Luxury skincare maker Raaie launches a duo that aims to support the skin’s circadian rhythm; Natio’s newest offering targets men with mature skin.

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Read on for every important beauty announcement worth knowing this week.

Sans Ceuticals to launch in-store at Mecca

Just when you thought Sans Ceuticals Activator 7 Oil couldn’t get any better, founder Lucy Vincent sought to supercharge one of the brand’s best-sellers by reformulating it to include a multivitamin-rich ingredient proven to boost collagen production in the skin.

A series of independent tests discovered that Lipo-Vitamin C improved collagen synthesis by 127 per cent, which was high praise enough for Lucy to want to include some of the good stuff in her go-to hair, body and face oil. Flanked by vitamins A and E, this reformulated option is as effective as it is gentle.

If that wasn’t exciting enough, then fans of the brand will be delighted to learn they can now get their favourite Sans Ceuticals products in-store from their local Mecca.

Sans originally launched on Meccabeauty.co.nz, Mecca’s e-commerce platform, in 2020 but from May 27 the brand will also be available to purchase from 44 Mecca store locations across Australia and New Zealand.

It’s a milestone worth celebrating, considering this is the first New Zealand-owned, multi-functional body and haircare brand to be recognised by the beauty giant as worthy of a spot on the shelf.

Recognised by Mecca for its pioneering spirit, facial-grade approach to body products and gold-standard active ingredients in a press release issued to media last week, representatives described the decision as: “a no-brainer to bring Sans into the hands of our beauty-obsessed community.”

Raaie reveals its new Lunar Repair Duo

It’s been a busy few years for Raaie skincare founder Katey Mandy, and the beauty entrepreneur continues to surprise us by levelling up her offering of eco-luxe skincare.

Now, the brand has partnered two of its best-sellers to comprise the Lunar Repair Duo, $270, which couples the Yellow Moonbeam Retinal Elixir with its Cocoon Ceramide Cream.

Designed to work synergistically with the body’s circadian rhythm, or the internal biological clock that governs our sleep-wake-eat cycle across a 24-hour period, the set supports the skin as it enters its nightly rejuvenation phase, where new skin cells are developed and skin damage is repaired.

Together, the pair offer skin hydration, nourishment and cellular renewal at precisely the right time — overnight.

The night-time skincare routine duo are designed to work synergistically with your skin’s circadian rhythm, providing a harmonious blend of hydration, nourishment and cellular renewal that your skin craves during its nightly regeneration phase, a time when it is most active.

According to Katey, the phrase “beauty sleep” isn’t just that; it indicates how the skin works diligently while we sleep to repair and rejuvenate itself.

“Overnight our skin’s cells renew, replenishing vital nutrients and repairing damage inflicted by UV and other daily environmental stressors. To make all this possible, your body increases blood flow to the skin at night-time, which has the added benefit of giving better absorption of skincare products,” she says.

“We designed our Lunar Repair Duo to take advantage of this moment of renewal. The products work with your skin to accelerate the repair process and help your skin to go beyond what it could do on its own. The Yellow Moonbeam Retinal Elixir is a treatment serum that increases the skin’s cellular turnover (a natural process which unfortunately slows down as we age) resulting in smoother, younger-looking skin. Our Cocoon Ceramide Cream boosts the skin barrier and counteracts overnight moisture loss, leaving the skin plumper and more radiant by morning.”

The new Raaie Lunar Repair Duo is available from selected independent stockists or online at Raaie.co.nz. Plus, by purchasing products together, you’ll save $34 off the combined RRP. Win-win.

Abel launches Laundry Day

A sure sign that brighter days are coming, the newest scent from 100 per cent natural fragrance maker Abel captures the essence of a crisp spring day. With its blend of verdant, sunny citrus, alongside zesty freshly mowed grass, biotech aldehyde, passionfruit, lime and vetiver, Laundry Day reflects the energy that comes with a change in season.

“There’s something deeply uplifting about springtime and the reawakening it signifies. We wanted to capture that feeling in a bottle so the energy and freshness of spring can be evoked year round — no matter what season you’re in,” says Abel founder, Frances Shoemack.

In line with the brand’s commitment to the environment and its ‘one in, one out’ policy, Laundry Day replaces White Vetiver, but master perfumer Isaac Sinclair says their similar scent profiles will mean lovers of the original will be drawn to Laundry Day, too.

Laundry Day is available from today (May 16) in both 15ml and 50ml eau de parfum, which are priced at $140 and $270 respectively. Abelfragrance.com

Natio expands its men’s offering with Men Plus

Australian beauty brand Natio has made a name for itself with its range of botanical-laden makeup and skincare, but now the brand is building on its success with the advent of Men Plus.

Designed to cater to the needs of men’s maturing or ageing skin, every formulation is brimming with a blend of botanical extracts and plant-based oils to target the visible signs of ageing.

Throughout its signature three-step routine, Natio Men Plus products highlights mountain pepper berry, a powerhouse ingredient that delivers a potent dose vitamins C and E to skin, while phytoactives to fend off free radical damage which can fast-track skin ageing. Flanked by vitamin C, this proprietary blend boosts skin elasticity, improves collagen production and soothes inflammation.

The seven-strong range includes a foaming cleanser, everyday toner, BHA-based exfoliant, SPF50+, daily moisturiser, eye cream and a beard and face oil, and is priced from $20. The new Natio Men Plus range is available exclusively from Farmers or online at Farmers.co.nz next month.

Ashleigh Cometti is an Auckland-based beauty journalist with more than 12 years’ experience in the industry. After joining the Viva team in 2018 and being appointed as beauty editor in 2020, Ash has fine-tuned her skills at sniffing out new fragrance launches, discovering the next generation of talented makeup artists, and writing about all things that feed her obsession as a skincare fanatic.

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