Innholdsfortegnelse for Issue 6 i Cosmopolitan Australia

There’s a version of me travelling through another country. She has a one-bag wardrobe, always knows where her passport is, and never checks emails on holiday. I genuinely thought I’d be her this year. I had plans to fly to Europe, unplug, maybe eat my way through Italy – but between a decision to move, the rising cost of living and, well, life, those plans quietly disappeared. Still, the urge to escape hasn’t. And I don’t think it’s just me. So much of what we’ve put into this issue is about that feeling – not just running away, but finding a softer, more spacious way of being. Our cover star, Kita Alexander, gets it. When we met on set, she was barefoot in the makeup chair, mid-story, already shaping the…

Old Mervs They’re touring now The duo have hit the good ol’ Australia/New Zealand circuit in support of their debut album Old Mervs, which is out now and streaming everywhere. The self-titled release features standout tracks like What You’ve Lost, Parched, Forget It, See You Again, Everyone Will See It – plus a few more snazzy gems. They’ll wrap things up in July with a home-state show at Perth’s HPC, joined by The Vanns, Aleksiah and Fool Nelson. STAYC K-pop queens are coming in July Want a close-up of these K-pop icons? Better be quick – they won't be here long! STAYC (Star to a Young Culture) are a six-member K-pop girl group that quickly rose to fame following the release of their debut hit, SO BAD. Their powerful vocals,…

From barre to brunch, ballet sneakers are pirouetting into our daily wardrobes. Equal parts dainty and daring, they’re the perfect fusion of sporty edge and sugar-sweet charm. Ballet sneakers are taking centre stage Fur, suede, tassels and gold This year’s best winter accessories Winter’s moodboard is draped in rich textures and luxe layers - think fringe, faux fur, buttery suede and gleaming gold hardware.…

When I arrive on set for this cover shoot, Kita Alexander is barefoot and sitting in the makeup chair, mid-story, already shaping the room around her. The playlist is hers – moody, melodic, full of pop girls like Gracie Abrams and Olivia Dean, whose coos serve to narrate your inner monologue. "I always come back to a small town-I feel the best and the most creative. Mid-glam, she’s sunk into the chair, all limbs and angles, possessing a kind of supermodel quality you can’t quite pin down. It feels unstudied and cinematic. Later, as we shoot, she casually floats a suggestion: “Should we shoot without shoes?” Not for the aesthetic. For comfort – and to convey a truth. She performs barefoot, after all – gliding across stages, light…

THE YEAR OF THE SUIT If there was one major sartorial takeaway from the street style at Australian Fashion Week this year, it was that suits are well and truly in. From fashion editors to influencers and models off-duty, it seems every attendee donned a tie or tux (the baggier, the better) at some point across the five days of shows. The trend isn’t exclusive to the streets surrounding Sydney’s Carriageworks, either. Of course, there were suits aplenty at the recent Met Gala, where the dress code was Tailored for You, complementing The Met's Superfine: Tailoring Black Style exhibit. Before that, actor Ayo Edebiri led the charge in a suave Loewe look at the Golden Globes (channelling a Julia Roberts moment from the event in 1990). SOCK IT TO ME…

An act of defiance and a beauty movement that crawled from the underground, here’s what made the grunge beauty movement so special – and why we’re celebrating its return. The origins of grunge beauty Kohl-rimmed eyes, just-bitten lips and smudged mascara – gone were the meticulously teased tresses and perfectly painted pouts of the ’80s. This was the ’90s, and grunge beauty reigned supreme. A look that felt both effortless and deliberate, the grunge era was a celebration of imperfection rather than the pursuit of perfection. From Courtney Love’s just-woke-up hair, lived-in smoky eyes and deep dark lips, to Gwen Stefani’s pencil-fine brows, platinum blonde hair and angular eyeliner, ’90s grunge beauty was all about contrast. Whether you favoured Courtney’s rock royalty look or Gwen's more “glam” take on the…

When the Mercury drops, we all know we need to adapt our beauty regimen accordingly. But beyond subbing in a thicker moisturiser and a few more hydrating serums, the change in weather also negates a shift in the scents we should reach for. While summer calls for light, fresh and even fruity fragrances, in winter, more warming scents with spicy, woody, sensual and rich notes become go-tos. These are the scents keeping Cosmo editors cosy this season.…

For those who have never called Aotearoa/New Zealand home, it can be hard to fully grasp why Matariki holds such deep meaning for so many – Māori and non-Māori alike. Marked by the rising of the nine-star Matariki cluster during the mid-winter season, the Māori New Year is not only a time of celebration, but a meaningful reminder to pause, reflect, plan ahead and honour the journey. Often celebrated in the company of whānau (extended family) and friends, Matariki offers a dynamic and deeply personal way to connect with both ourselves and the season. How this ancient tradition resonates within each of us can vary widely, and how individuals choose to partake in the holiday is shaped by their experiences, values, beliefs and relationships. In today’s fast-paced world, the dynamic…

Bread alone Make a sheer evening gown a smidge less fussy with a clutch shaped like a baguette, just because. Club corporate TikTok’s “office siren” aesthetic is telling you to wear your shortest shorts as part of a suit on your next night out. What’s on your bag? Inside, it’s chaos. The outside, though, is curated perfection with sweet charms or coordinated accessories. Little red But no riding hood – a bra top for your next dinner with friends. So ladylike We’ve always said latex and pearls go together like tea service and the subway.…

In the heart of Sydney, where the city’s pulse often mimics the rhythm of mainstream fashion, a new beat emerged last month. WINGS Independent Fashion Festival, held in May at the revitalised George St Plaza Hotel, staged a divergence from the conventional catwalks of Australian Fashion Week. Founded by Alvi Chung of Sydney label Speed, along with her partner Daniel Neeson, WINGS was conceived as a sanctuary for independent designers, providing a platform for those whose voices often go unheard in the fashion industry’s commercial echo chamber. The festival’s ambience was a deliberate departure from the polished halls of traditional venues. Inside the Plaza Hotel, vintage televisions buzzed with static, the air was thick with the caw of live punk performances, and the atmosphere was charged with an electrifying sense…

Think you’ve got what it takes? Want your work published in Cosmo? What’s in it for you? If your story gets hearts racing, you’ll: • Have your masterpiece published in Cosmopolitan Australia (yes, FOUR glossy print pages dedicated to your work). • Gain the spotlight as your work is shared across our social and digital channels. • The top 13 authors will each win a prize package to sweeten the deal (because every winner deserves a little extra!) and have their work published online at cosmopolitan.com.au What our judges need • Creativity: Unique, engaging, and well-crafted erotic storytelling. • Originality: The story must be entirely original and previously unpublished. • Voice: Strong narrative voice with a clear, compelling perspective. • Tone: Sensual, tasteful and fitting with Cosmopolitan’s bold, playful and…

LOUIS PARTRIDGE AND OLIVIA RODRIGO GEMINI + PISCES Olivia’s and Louis’s birth charts are as different as the sides of the road they drive on. Yet their unique signs fit together in all the right ways: her sensitive Pisces Sun shares an emotional water element with his moody Cancer Moon, while his mischievous Gemini Sun helps her lively Libra Moon come out to play. Meaning, they bring out a deeper, more personal side of each other’s personalities that the public doesn’t see. “Both also have Venus, the planet of love and pleasure, in earth signs – and earthy Venus people create relationships that last,” adds astrologer Jake Register, who took a close look at all of these couples’ charts. Yet as always – because the universe is gonna universe –…

No matter how hard you try, it’s difficult to imagine that Rico Nasty might be a people pleaser. Since she burst on to the scene in 2014, when she began self-releasing music on SoundCloud, the American punk-rapper (born Maria-Cecilia Kelly) has existed in the public’s ear at full volume and garnered a reputation as rap’s pre-eminent punk-rock star. With song titles like Smack a Bitch and Rage, Rico’s signature sound is one of chaotic, trappy beats, punk basslines, crackling vocals and nightmare-ish ad-libs. But, in spite of the tough-girl persona she’s fronted, Rico has spent much of the past decade colouring her vision with the well-meaning (but perhaps not entirely helpful) advice of others. “I think all of us are [people pleasers], in some ways, until we learn how not…

1 Morocco UTC+1 For many, travel is a chance to reset both physically and mentally. You book a flight, bid a temporary adieu to life admin, and surrender to something slower – a detoxification, if you will. Enter, the Moroccan hammam. Steam wraps the space like a cocoon, a shallow bowl of inky black soap nearby, the lighting dim and golden. The Moroccan hammam is a sacred space, the birthplace of an ancient practice that encourages purification of not just the body, but the spirit. The ritual begins in a steam room, designed to open the pores and prepare the skin for deep cleansing. Next, a thick, olive-based black soap is applied to the body to soften the skin, left to dry for a few minutes, then rinsed with warm…

Is it fair to say that we’ve reached peak poly? Nearly half of dating-age Gen Zers are open to the idea of a non-monogamous setup, according to a recent Tinder survey. Plus, 62% say that they’ve actively fantasised about being in an open relationship, per a Feeld x Kinsey Institute poll. (The latter also found up to 80% of millennials, Gen Xers and boomers fantasising about the same.) And data aside, it honestly seems like everyone is suddenly talking about or curious to try polyamory. Of course, the practice of having multiple romantic partners at the same time isn’t exactly new, but the way it’s evolving, especially when it comes to its lexicon, is. Hence the importance of this handy cheat sheet for keeping you up to date. Unicorn quad…

Once upon a time, the second it hit 5pm, I’d close my laptop and head over to the dingy pub next to the office. I didn’t need to ask my colleagues – or, more specifically, my ”work wife”, Josie – if they’d be joining; it was a given. So close were Josie and I that, at one point, while tightly bonded in an attempt to make our entry-level salaries stretch, we even rotated bringing in home-cooked lunches for one another in order to curb our cafe spending habits. Commitment – I’m sure we can agree – to rival any real marriage. Now? While I certainly get on well with my colleagues – we’re supportive of one another, have a laugh and chat openly – it’s rare that we’ll all hang…

In need of a foolproof, prep-ahead and delicious dinner party dessert? Enter the matcha tiramisu. Yes, it’s not conventional by any means, but when you have a mouthwatering blend of sweet balsamic strawberries, bitter matcha and a thick cream, we’re prepared to let tradition go just this once. Matcha tiramisu SERVES 8-10 Ingredients 100g caster sugar4 eggs, separated500g mascarpone2tbsp amaretto120ml double cream, fridge-cold For the balsamic strawberries 300g strawberries, finely chopped2tsp caster sugar1tsp balsamic vinegar For the tea 500ml hot water25g premium-grade matcha powder2tsp vanilla bean paste To assemble Matcha powder, to dust 200g savoiardi biscuits (sponge fingers) Directions 1. For the balsamic strawberries, combine the strawberries with the sugar and balsamic vinegar, then set aside to macerate. 2. Separately, whisk together the hot water, matcha powder and vanilla bean…

Good Material by Dolly Alderton Penguin Books Australia Breakups, heartbreak and the desperate need for closure – Dolly Alderton captures it all with her signature wit and warmth. Good Material is a sharply observed, deeply human story about what happens when love ends but the yearning doesn’t. Expect to laugh, cringe … and maybe even recognise more of yourself in the story than you’d like. $22.99 Senne Skin Firm & Smooth Oil (30ml) Loved Tribe Skincare? Meet Senne Skin – new name, new look, same sensitive skin philosophy. This powerhouse oil packs a punch, working to reduce the visible signs of ageing and helping to deliver a radiant complexion. Key ingredients like lapagyl (an advanced botanical ingredient), bakuchiol and vitamin C will leave skin glowing. $65 Tomorrow and Tomorrow and…