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Underneath the cover of perpetual smog, the Japanese city of Osaka is a warren of nocturnal alleys and grey façades begging to get lost in. (Though the buildings are nowhere near as towering as the archipelago’s capital, Tokyo). The metropolis commands intensity as an escape where picturesque strolls through garden scenery, like at the imperial 16th Century Osaka Castle or after-hours Team Labs Botanical Gardens, dissipate into vibrant neon and the songs of street vendors, like the riverside Dōtonbori district, come dusk.
Upon touchdown in the bay city, inhibitions melt away like matcha soft serve on a hot day. Where upholding sacred traditions makes way for livliness, it’s not difficult to feel a sense of ease while moving about. It’s these qualities that made Osaka the perfect destination for Mecca Max’s three-year anniversary celebration for their signature skincare line.
Invited to chill out, melt down and hit refresh—a much-appreciated summons after Australian Fashion Week—my spell in the eccentric city highlighted that a reinvigorating beauty sojourn is not only achievable on home soil, but requires a little intrepidness to uncover.
My understanding of Japan’s distinct beauty culture was entrenched by what I’d seen on screen—hair as bright as Scarlett Johanson’s bubblegum pink wig in Sofia Coppola’s Lost In Translation, rose blush stamped under eyes with a makeup cushion, 10-step skincare routines as comprehensive as the beauty shelves they’re stocked on.
From the outset, read: the cabin of Jetstar’s new direct Sydney to Osaka flight, I tried to adopt this mentality in an attempt to begin my cultural immersion early. (I’m not sure how suited this was given my first act in Osaka was finding the only boutique in the city to stock The Row—trust a GRAZIA writer to hunt down that gem!)
I diligently reapplied eye cream and rested on the nine-hour nonstop journey to ensure my complexion was as illuminated as the lights coating the central Tsutenkaku Tower. As ‘skinfluencer’, chemist and author Hannah English reminded me mid-flight, sailing through the sky at 31,000 feet doesn’t need to be an exercise in beauty maintenance, it can also be a chance to unwind by watching Jetstar’s selection of entertainment and feasting on their options.
After a late-night landing, my belief that a considered and methodical approach to beauty was reinforced the very moment I stepped into the W Osaka. A fragrant aroma of golden bamboo, amber and citrus wafted over every inch of the premises from the hotel’s signature (and custom-formulated) scented candles and guided me to a pedestal of Mecca Max products to use throughout my trip.
The pièce de résistance was the latest innovation: The Melt Down Cleansing Balm. Encouraged to take it all off—my makeup and skincare, that is—a simple squeeze of the tube prompted a thick, yet delicate, emulsive balm to glide out. For someone with sensitive skin, the milk-like, fragrant-free formula was a much-needed welcome after nearly a full day of travel. Packed with buttery soft and hydrating ingredients like jojoba oil and ceramides, the malleable texture provided the perfect amount of slip to break up the products on my face with a ten-cent-coin-sized amount. (Gen Z readers, we do hope you know what that measurement is!)
Editor’s Note: A cleansing balm (or oil) is ideal for face massages. With the perfect amount of glide to seamlessly knead skin for increased firmness and circulation, it acts as a primer to lift and sculpt your complexion from the very beginning of your routine.
For the four days I visited Osaka, the Melt Down Cleansing Balm bookended my days and became the hero of my skincare routine—though it really didn’t shine until the PM when I had a veneer of foundation, cream bronzer, powder eyeshadow, liquid eyeliner, mascara and lipstick to break apart. Evenings spent belting out karaoke and selecting freshly-cut sashimi from sushi train conveyor belts obviously demanded a bolder beauty look, but the balm tackled my coral eyeliner and contour-chiselled visage with aplomb.
For the four days I visited Osaka, the Melt Down Cleansing Balm bookended my days and became the hero of my skincare routine—though it really didn’t shine until the PM when I had a veneer of foundation, cream bronzer, powder eyeshadow, liquid eyeliner, mascara and lipstick to break apart. Evenings spent belting out karaoke and selecting freshly-cut sashimi from sushi train conveyor belts obviously demanded a bolder beauty look. Nonetheless, the balm tackled my coral eyeliner and contour-chiselled visage with aplomb.
Yet it was the mornings and daytime that really cemented how conscientious every act was performed, including the ritual of applying skincare. In a big city with a small town energy, I was delightfully taken aback by how methodical everything was. No measure was taken without consideration, be it a geico (mature geisha) brewing a cup of tea or the act of wearing designer clothing knowing they’ll eventually be consigned at a vintage store on Orange Street.
Where humid days melted into bright nights, I was more aware of my surroundings than ever. Yes, you can chalk this up to being in a foreign country, but with every item on our itinerary, I took stock of how the elements were being parlayed onto my skin—the sun belting down at Kyoto’s colourful Fujishima Shrine, the moisture as we rowed 16 kilometres through undisturbed wildlife along the Hozugawa River.
Moving around in a climate that prioritises antioxidant facial essences and pH-balancing lotions, it made me acutely cognizant of how routines can inform our lives for the better. Sure, partaking in a ten-step beauty regimen twice a day might not be conducive to your current lifestyle. That, however, is exactly where Mecca Max’s skincare line steps in.
Australia inherently suits a laid-back way of life, so completing salon-level treatments from home in the act of prevention and rejuvenation will never be feasible. But for on-the-go beauty aficionados, resorting to high-performing and affordable products that combine multiple products can truly be the key to doing it all—and resolutely, too.
Comprehending this wisdom might have taken almost ten hours in the air, a week on the ground and a skincare sojourn in between, but you can rest assured it was a journey worth taking to do so.
Curious to see what else a GRAZIA writer got up to in Osaka with Mecca Max and Jetstar? Ahead, a short and sweet diary from my travels.
Shop Mecca Max’s new Melt Down Cleansing Balm, below, and head here to learn more about Jetstar’s new direct Sydney to Osaka route.
