How To Shop The Buzziest Beauty Brands Everyone Else Thinks Don’t Ship Here

If there's one feeling that Aussie beauty lovers are intimately familiar with, it's the crushing disappointment that comes with finding out that a hyped-up brand doesn't ship to Australia. We know that plenty of beauty brands do ship to Australia, so it stings when we discover that a big launch or much-loved product has omitted us from the list of countries it ships to.

For those who are hunting for their holy grail cream blush, dewy tinted moisturiser, or flake-free tubing mascara, turning to social media for real-world wear tests and testimonials is a logical first step. But in 2024, social media platforms like Instagram and TikTok indiscriminately feed us recommendations daily, without regard for whether said product is available to shop here.

That said, for many of the brands that don't strictly ship here, ordering from international sellers like Cult Beauty and even ASOS can often offer us the metaphorical side-gate access we're desperate for.

Ahead, we break down exactly how to get your hands on some of social media's cult brands that aren't available to shop irl in Australia.

One of the biggest puzzles in the beauty industry is that until six months ago, Glossier wasn't available to shop in Australia. Though many people have tried the brand, thanks to overseas trips and postal forwarding services, having access to the entire range is a luxury that, until recently, eluded us. As of October 2023, most of the Glossier range has been available to ship via the brand's website, but come July 16, it will be available to shop at Mecca — finally!

When Hailey Bieber announced the launch of her beauty brand, Rhode, in 2022, it immediately became one of the most anticipated beauty ranges in the industry. It launched with a tight edit of products that included lip balms, a serum, and a moisturiser — all of which immediately sold out with each drop. Most recently, she has launched the Pocket Blushes and they are just so cute.

At the time of writing, Rhode still doesn't ship to Australia, so you'll either have to rely on a friend to pick some up on their next trip overseas (it ships to the USA, Canada, UK, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy and Spain) or rely on a third-party postal forwarding service, which is probably the easiest method — we just suggest pooling resources with a few friends to save on shipping costs. (Prices below are in USD.)

Tower 28 is a bit of an IYKYK brand that you may have seen pop up on TikTok. Founded by Amy Liu in April 2019, Tower 28 was born from Liu's desire to create beautiful products for people with sensitive skin. Having navigated eczema for 15 years, she became increasingly frustrated with being limited to "serious" products, so she created a playful brand that includes calming skincare products and glow-giving makeup.

Tower 28 is available to shop in Australia via Revolve, and we particularly love the luminous tinted multi-purpose balm (it's essentially a dewy blush), convenient JuiceBalm tinted lip balm crayons, and SOS face mist.

We're big fans of Saie. Even though the brand launched in 2019, it's largely flown under the radar in Australia (likely because it hasn't always shipped here).

The biggest talking point you'll probably hear about Saie is that the Slip Tint concealer has the ability to replace foundation in your routine — and we can personally vouch for that claim. It's creamy and has a good amount of coverage, but the lightweight texture means it also blends easily across the face without needing to apply bucket-loads. We also rate the Dew Blush (it has a gorgeous glass skin-like finish) and the Glossybounce lip oil. You can shop the Saie Beauty range at Cult Beauty.

The Inkey List is a British-born brand that's known for releasing simple and affordable products that are efficacious and fuss-free. Refinery29’s Deputy Beauty Director Jacqueline Kilikita regularly extols the virtues of the brand's products, from a barrier-supporting moisturiser her beauty editor friends can't stop talking about to a pimple patch that actually works. We also love the oat cleansing balm's ability to melt all of our makeup off with little effort, and the fact it comes in a tube rather than a tub just makes it that bit easier to use at the end of a long day.

Most of The Inkey List's range is available to shop in-store and online at Sephora Australia, and we can usually find the stray products that are sold out (or yet to be launched) on ASOS and Beauty Bay.

Launched in 2020 by entrepreneur Jenna Meek and influencer Jess Hunt, Refy was one of the first influencer brands to really break through the mainstream. This early success can be largely credited to the brand's concrete-strength brow wax-gel hybrid that magically holds brows in place while still looking fluffy and defined.

In the years since it launched, its range has expanded to include a viral primer, as well as lip and face makeup products, and you can shop the lot directly via the Refy website.

You've probably seen the cute, multi-coloured, star-shaped pimple patches by Starface on your FYP at some point. Made with 100% hydrocolloid, these pimple patches claim to reduce a breakout's inflammation overnight, but we mainly love them for their ability to look cute while stopping us from picking our spots. You can shop Starface on Revolve.

All of my beauty editor friends agree that Naturium is one skincare brand that is worth your time. The brand is reasonably affordable and has a strong focus on using science-backed ingredients in its formulations, and by all accounts, you can't really go wrong with many of the products. A few of our favourites include the body washes, the niacinamide facial cleanser, and the ultra-glossy lip balms — all of which are available to shop in Australia, directly via the Naturium website.