As a beauty writer, I am very lucky to have a bathroom cabinet stacked with products I've been sent - must be nice, right?
I won't lie, it is.
But it also means I put my skin through the absolute ringer trying a million different potions and lotions, and my daily routine is giving more 'hot mess' than 'helpful'.
This all recently came to a head (pimple pun not intended), when a combination of too many harsh products and some overseas travel left my skin dry - yet still somehow oily - covered in painful spots and dull.
Panicking, I hit the breakouts hard with chemical exfoliators and spot treatments, but ended up destroying my skin barrier in the process, making everything look and feel much worse.
Enter a perfectly timed shipment of Mecca Max's own skincare range, which boasts both hydrating and blemish-busting properties - AKA, exactly what I needed.
Their latest addition to the line-up is the Melt Down Make Up Removing Cleansing Balm ($31), which I paired with their Foam-O Gentle Gel Cleanser ($20) for a deep double cleanse.
I was packing on makeup to cover up my skin at work, so I really needed to get it totally clean so it could start to heal during the nights. The balm and gel combo felt like it took everything off without stripping my already raw skin, so we were off to a good start.
Next, while my skin was still damp, it was time to bring in the Watercooler Calming Hydration Serum ($29) - already a cult fave of many skincare lovers.
How they manage to make the actual bottle and liquid cool to the touch, I don't know, but that's not the only thing about it that seems magic. It's so light it feels like nothing on the skin, and it's packed with fermented birch juice, which has probiotic properties - "like kombucha for your face", as they say. It's also got vitamin b5 and green algae for hydration and protection.
Then it was time for the Thirst Impression Priming Hydrating Moisturiser ($27), which somehow manages to be light and fluffy as well as rich and creamy at the same time. I absolutely rate some of the heavier night creams for serious TLC - shout out to Emma Lewisham's Supernatural Sleeping Mask, for example - but when my pores were super clogged, Thirst Impression felt ideal.
Finally, and potentially the star of the show, is the Night Duty Hydrating Overnight Jelly Mask ($28). This is what you want to slather all over yourself like a little slug just before bed and let your skin drink up all the goodness. It's not thick, sticky or greasy and it's formulated with aloe vera so it's super anti-inflammatory on angry skin.
I couldn't believe how much better my skin looked the next day, and it just kept healing and clearing from there. I legit have put all other products on hold while I stick to this routine, and keeping it simple has worked WONDERS.
Of course, everyone has different skin concerns, so you've just gotta find what products work for you, and avoid the temptation of going too crazy with a billion different serums.
As a 30-something millennial, I really appreciate that the range focuses on hydrating and nourishing skin rather than bombarding you with a bunch of anti-ageing messaging and chat about erasing fine lines.
My biggest skincare nerd pal Sez - who counselled me throughout my breakout - told me your skin already knows what to do, you just have to keep it healthy enough to do it. It makes sooo much sense to me that calming, restoring moisture and protecting the skin barrier is actually what allows your breakouts to heal and your collagen levels to stay juicy - a lot of the other stuff is just stressing your skin.
I used just 5 products from the Mecca Max skin range, and the whole lot costs under $110, which is honestly mind-blowing given the current cossie livs crisis.
I'm not abandoning all my other products - a gal has simply got to have options, after all. But knowing I have a gentle, 'back to basics' routine to go to when my skin freaks out is a total game-changer.
