REPEAT OFFENDERS

A pivotal experience in my childhood was watching a trio of young Aussie teens living double lives as mermaids. This heavily accented TV show filmed on the Gold Coast is a medley of friendship, love, and jaw-dropping underwater shots.

When the callout to review an Australian TV show came up, it seemed like a golden opportunity to rewatch this TV series. The overall plot for those who haven’t had the pleasure of belting out ‘Cos I’m no ordinary girl’ is as follows: three distinctive girls end up trapped on a boat which drifts to a mysterious island known as Mako Island. Trying to get reception, they search further inland before falling into an ominous cave. However, the ‘Moon Pool’ is the only entrance out and with the sun setting, tensions begin rising. Due to impressive timing (and a little early 2000s CGI), these teen girls are in the pool when the full moon’s unique planetary placement grants them mermaid tails and cool powers. As one can expect, this causes a headache for these teen girls navigating their adolescence and finding their identity (whilst trying to avoid interacting with water at all costs).

The Australianness of this show comes through in nostalgic waves. You’ve probably heard the iconic TikTok “Cleorrr the condensation” or “Naurrr”, which are inspired by the beautiful Aussie accents in H2O. One thing not to expect is stellar acting. With a young cast, there are certainly moments of second-hand cringe (Cleo’s script within the first five minutes, “So coool!”), but this show also presents itself as an iconic time capsule of early 2000s fashion: cargo pants, tank tops and funky headbands. Though this dated style ages with later seasons, the uniqueness of their costumes helps create multi-dimensional characters for the three main girls: Cleo, Rikki, and Emma.

Whilst there are some slightly questionable angles (Specifically the close-up of Zayn in S1:E2), we are swamped with beautiful coastlines of the Gold Coast that taunt us with a year-round summer glow. Even the JuiceNet Café (which is essentially a high-brand Boost) boosts the show’s colour palette of rich orange, yellow and deep blue tones that carry its cosy coastal life through four seasons.

Dubbed as one of my favourite comfort shows, H2O explores the beauty of teen girl friendships, first love dramas and the magic of growing up. The balance of tension and comedy explored in the show makes it a surprisingly enjoyable watch even as an adult. Whenever I watch re-runs of this series it allows me to escape my responsibilities of being an adult for a while and reminiscing on those important shopping trips with my friends and tests that seemed like absolute dealbreakers.

It’s almost a reminder of not taking life too seriously. In the bigger scheme of things, I worried so much growing up about fitting in and finding love but re-watching H2O: Just Add Water reminds me just to have fun with life. Even if it lacks the cool powers of spraying down annoying mates with a fire hydrant.

by Sophie Poredos

As a self-proclaimed beauty addict these are 10 iconic Australian products that, in my opinion, revolutionised the beauty industry.

Australis AC On Tour Powder Contouring & Highlighting Palette, RRP: $17.00 In 2016, everyone (including myself) was obsessed with doing the “Kardashian/ Jenner’’ three stripe contour and intense upside-down triangle under-eye highlight. How the times have changed. All the beauty influencers on YouTube created tutorials promoting the Anastasia Powder Contour Kit. The only problem for us Australians was that it was always sold out. When the Australian cosmetics brand Australis announced its version of a contour palette, us make-up obsessed individuals ran to Priceline and it ironically sold out.

Glasshouse Fragrances Candle: A Tahaa Affair 380g, RRP $54.95 This candle is intoxicating, delicious and captivating. I am sure I don’t need to express how amazing this candle smells if you’ve ever walked into a Peter Alexander store, because this is the smell. This gourmand creation smells like caramel, coconut, vanilla, and pineapple. I would describe the scent as a fresh caramel; as the fruity notes balances the composition from being sickly sweet. The 360g candle burns for up to 65 hours and is vegan and cruelty-free. I like to reuse the beautiful glass candle jars as cotton pad holders on my vanity table. It’s very chic.

Lucas Papaw Ointment 25g, RRP $6.99 You were either a Papaw or a Vaseline carrier; or if you were fancy then you toted Lanolips. Lucas’ Papaw Ointment heals chapped lips and feels like melted butter sliding down toast. The company still operates in Queensland where the ointment continues to be manufactured as proudly Australian-made. This multi-purpose ointment contains only 3 ingredients and claims to also heal boils, burns, chafing, sunburn, gravel rash, cuts, and minor open wounds. I love gifting this to my cousins overseas.

Impulse Body Spray, RRP $5.99 I was obsessed with Impulse Body Spray in high school. My personal favourite scent was “Paris Chic” though this was sadly discontinued. It was a hero during days when I had PE class on the scorching days of terms 1 and 4. Impulse body spray deserves to be an icon as it was an egalitarian steal at $5.99, and anyone can wear it. It made me feel expensive. Funny story, one of my teachers asked me if I was wearing Miss Dior and she was horrified when I told her it was Impulse Body Spray.

Alpha-H Liquid Gold 100mL, RRP $69.95 This Australian-made exfoliating treatment contains 5% Glycolic Acid and licorice extract, claiming to accelerate the skin’s renewal process. It promotes collagen production and reduces the signs of sun damage, ageing and pigmentation. I prefer chemical exfoliants like Liquid Gold over physical ones. Physical exfoliants tend to come as a face scrub, such as the St Ives Fresh Skin Scrub Apricot and Kylie Skin Walnut Scrub, are extremely harsh and can destroy the skin barrier. I like to use Liquid Gold during my night-time routine after double-cleansing on a cotton pad before a Vitamin-C serum.

Mecca Cosmetica To Save Face SPF30 Facial Sunscreen 100g, RRP $40.00 I can’t stress the importance of using SPF every day; the Cancer Council states that it can prevent UVA damage. UVA causes long-term damage like wrinkles, blotchiness, and potential skin cancer. This Mecca sunscreen I received as a sample in a Mecca Beauty Loop Box; is without a doubt the best feeling facial sunscreen I’ve used. It is matte, does not clog pores and works amazing under make-up. Mecca has recently released an SPF50 version of this iconic sunscreen for those who want higher protection. Which I am trialling now and so far, it’s promising.

Kevin Murphy Repair-me Wash and Rinse 200mL, RRP $48.95 (each) Kevin Murphy’s aesthetic was to encapsulate international style and mix it with the easy-going relaxed nature of Australian beauty. The Kevin Murphy Repair-Me shampoo and conditioner duo gently cleans hair without leaving it damaged or dry. It smells like the “clean girl aesthetic”. If you’ve stayed at a Meriton, this is the shampoo and conditioner that the hotel provides. I always ask the concierge for extras to take home. The full-sized bottles are designed so beautifully it won a D&AD (Design and Art Direction) Award for packaging design in 2015.

Aesop Resurrection Aromatique Hand Wash 500mL, RRP $43.00 Have you ever walked into an Aesop Store? You should, it’s an experience. Aesop’s hand washes and lotions are neatly lined up at the front of their store for you to sample. It’s visually appealing to the eye. Many people don’t know that Aesop was founded by Australian Dennis Paphitis who opened the first Aesop store in St Kilda, Melbourne. The brand is internationally recognised for its minimalist aesthetic with stores that match this vibe.

Frank Body Coffee Body Scrub 200g, RRP $20.00 Coffee as a body scrub? My first thoughts were what, how, and why? I was first exposed to this scrub on my Instagram feed. Yes, I bought into the hype, that’s the power of digital marketing for you. I was impressed that it performed amazingly, and the packaging was very “aesthetic” and environmentally conscious. I like to use it in the bathtub as it does tend to get messy, but you’re left with glistening smooth skin after. The creation of this product has an interesting backstory; Australian co-founder Jess Hatzis and her friends were drinking coffee in a café and had the idea to use the beans to exfoliate the skin. She then proceeded to ask the barista for leftover beans. Now the company is valued at $100M, that’s what makes this scrub iconic.

Mor Marshmallow Eau De Parfum 50mL, RRP $54.95 This perfume has been around for almost 20 years. This distinctive scent contains notes of rose petals, pink musk, marshmallow, and cotton candy. I would describe this fragrance as a grown-up and sophisticated version of Impulse Body Spray. Fun fact: there is an internet meme that various celebrities claim Rhianna smells ‘heavenly’. She reportedly uses Kilian Love Don’t Be Shy, which cost $360. But Mor Marshmallow smells almost identical; it has similar fragrance notes for a fraction of the cost.

The world is complicated. It is filled with pain, suffering and hatred, but also beauty and harmony. It’s beautiful because of the forests, the lands, and the greenery that enable the cycle of life and nature, and because of the emotions, connections and memories we make together. It’s also ugly because of the overwhelming damage we humans are responsible for. Not only does that hurt the environment, it also hurts humans because we can’t live without our world.

Hayao Miyazaki’s Princess Mononoke marked a turning point for Studio Ghibli. While retaining the colourfully rich animation, nuanced storytelling, and sense of hope their films have been known for, Princess Mononoke delves into the darkness of humanity through historical, mythological and fantasy elements to create something imaginative and deeply heartbreaking.

Set in the late Muromachi period of Japan, Ashitaka (Y ji Matsuda), the last Ainu prince of the Emishi tribe, defends his village from a demonically possessed boar god. He kills it, but in the process, becomes inflicted with a curse that gives him superhuman strength but also causes pain and threatens to kill him. To cure himself, he must travel to the western lands, though he can never return to his hometown. As he journeys, he encounters San (Yuriko Ishida), a human girl raised by the wolves and with a deep hatred of humans. She is hostile to Ashitaka and tells him to turn back. Later, he reaches Iron Town, an industrialised, progressive refuge for its citizens to create weaponry in its land mines, and meets its leader, Lady Eboshi (Y ko Tanaka), who intends to expand her town by destroying portions of the forest and strengthening her people. Learning of the conflict between San and Eboshi, Ashitaka hears stories about the Great Forest Spirit, a deer-like God and Night Walker that can cure him. It is the heart of the forests. San and her animal clans are fighting to protect the Great Forest Spirit. Eboshi wants to destroy it for political ambitions. Ashitaka, caught between both sides, must find a way to bring balance and peace to this conflict.

Princess Mononoke is not a simple tale of good and evil. There are no heroes or villains, just characters with opposing intentions that end up being part of the problem. San’s desire to protect nature is linked to her hatred for humanity, despite being human herself, and she is willing to kill, making her behaviour almost animalistic. Eboshi has empathy for her people, especially those without a voice like women and people with disabilities, and she is willing to destroy the environment if it means advancing her society and helping them. San reflects a violent, tribal individualism, while Eboshi is a leader of industrialised conformity. Both of their actions create a war that hurts both humanity and nature. There’s nothing to gain from it and all that’s left in its wake is pain, disease, and destruction.

Ashitaka is a character that comes close to resembling pure goodness and selflessness, and yet he struggles with that because of the curse inflicted on him. A curse that sets his fate and hero’s journey forward, brings him closer to death and almost to the breaking point of hatred, yet he fights back because of his good nature, focusing on bringing peace rather than joining anyone’s side He loves San but tries to change her views on humans while he denounces Eboshi’s actions yet demonstrates respect for her intentions.

The supporting characters are just as flawed. San’s adopted mother and wolf, Moro (Akihiro Miwa), attacks humans, even the innocent ones, and has a general distrust against them, yet it comes from witnessing her homeland being destroyed by the very people threatening her existence. Jik -bo is a selfish, opportunistic character working for Eboshi but doesn’t believe his intentions are of a malicious origin. The blind boar god, Okkoto (Hisaya Morishige), and his clan are dedicated to fighting against the humans, willing to sacrifice themselves if it means protecting the forest, even if the effort may be futile. And yet the motivations behind their actions are valid, driven by conflicting interests that tear their worlds apart, so they are not simply selfish.

As such, Princess Mononoke is more than just a message about taking care of the environment. It advocates for balance between humanity and nature through its confident, tonal blend of epic historical drama and Japanese mythology. It contrasts the evolving, human society of Iron Town against the gorgeous yet demanding order of the forests. The clash between technology and nature fuels Miyazaki’s juxtapositions against the worlds he creates, along with the harrowing, grim imagery that follows in portraying violence and conflict.

The forests are gorgeous, with Kodama to signify the liveliness, spirits and colour of the environment. Within its depths lie animal clans completely hostile to humans, and protective of their environments, and the Great Forest Spirit, the one that brings all life and heart to the forest. By day, it appears as a deer, where its every step blooms with flowers and greenery, even with the ability to walk on water. But whenever the sun finally sets, consuming the world with darkness, the Great Forest Spirit transforms into something so enormous, so majestic, and so magical that those able to see it would be lucky. A giant Night Walker, seemingly made of water and sky, and filled with stars. The form of a true god.

By contrast, the Iron Town has a heart made of the thrashing machinery and the diverse residents that build and run their technology. It is drab and drained of colour, yet advanced in function to make the way of living easier, ultimately signifying humanity’s strong, uncompromising nature. Both settings have their own politics and hierarchical structures, but it’s the war that brings them against each other, and when both sides fight, it’s followed by bloody, emotionally distressing imagery.

Princess Mononoke is bleak with how it lets its images take control of the story, but it has empathy for its character nuances. It has a romantic, sophisticated approach towards its genre elements, and it has an immaculate beauty to its seamless mixture of primary hand-drawn animation and 3D CGI rendering. Princess Mononoke is entirely composed with nearly all of its elements, save for its minor pacing issues in the middle. Other than that, it stands out as one of Studio Ghibli’s richer, more emotionally rewarding offerings.

by Nicholas Chang

“He was beyond saving, and still he chose to pray.” One sentence of ten short, modest words, perfectly encapsulates the essence of Australian poet Omar Sakr’s debut novel, Son of Sin.

Through this marvellous text, Sakr paints the life of Jamal Smith, the young child of a Lebanese immigrant family settled in Sydney’s west. A child who is burdened by the absence of a father he never knew, an abusive semi-present mother, a struggle with sexuality and the position of his faith amongst all these things.

As the child of immigrants settled in Western Sydney, I was apprehensive of reading this novel. I was afraid that every facet of this novel would hit too close to home, that it would all be too sobering for me to face. Spoiler alert: it was. But in a remarkably refreshing way. The novel which once sat on my shelf collecting dust for months was neatly devoured in two sittings. Go figure.

One major reason why this novel was so easy and enjoyable for me to read was the writing style. Sakr was a published poet prior to writing fiction and it shows quite plainly in his prose. He writes about some of the most painful experiences of immigrant children but successfully manages to lace them with all the beauty in the world.

However, his unique style of writing also has some setbacks. One thing I simply must mention is his purposeful avoidance of quotation marks… yes, that’s right. No quotation marks. Godspeed, my friends. Now, I personally don’t flinch at manipulated punctuation, and so, the lack of quotation marks made no real difference to me, but I know that it could be a massive red flag to many readers out there. Further, Sakr’s narrative employs a multitude of flashbacks, which aren’t very clearly marked out, so be patient and take your time with your reading, otherwise the entire narrative will slip between your fingers.

Moving onto thematic concepts in the novel, Sakr’s exploration of religious faith, as experienced by an immigrant family, was refreshingly blunt. As much as many love to bury their sins into the darkest depths of their minds, the various religious transgressions explored by the characters in Son of Sin provided a realistic reflection of the hypocrisies many cling to in our society. Having sex before marriage but not eating pork, smoking hash while demonising alcohol, having sex with fellow men while also being homophobic, the list could go on and on. Son of Sin lays it all out in the open.

I should clarify that Sakr doesn’t necessarily romanticise these transgressions but rather writes them in to offer readers a glimpse into the incredibly complex relationship many immigrant families have with their faith. Combined with the trauma and repression experienced in their mother countries, many immigrants experience their faith in a way which is entirely unique from any other individual, even though it may be hard for some of us to read without cringing, Sakr’s novel hinges on this premise.

Although I typically shy away from bleak representations of familial relationships, I found myself becoming more and more invested in Jamal’s relationship with his family as the novel progressed. There is the absentee Turkish father, his abusive and semi-absent mother, his pseudo-mother-aunty and his detached siblings. This cast of characters absolutely consumed me and left me utterly full of grief. The tone of this familial exploration is best explained in the following line narrated by Jamal: “But this was the story of his life, the slow making of family out of strangers, and so he was at least familiar with the tension of bodies catching up to the burden of their names.”

While many readers may perceive his family to be abhorrent and toxic (I don’t disagree), Sakr does such a beautiful job of showcasing the nuance to these relationships when you’re the child of an immigrant. It’s not representation that everyone can relate to, but to those who do resonate with Jamal Smith, I know it means the world. The older you grow, the deeper the fractures in your family become and Sakr plays upon this notion perfectly.

Covering the protagonist’s life from being a young teen to a grown adult, the novel naturally covers pivotal moments in Australian history, such as the infamous 2005 Cronulla riots. While many of us are only acquainted with these riots via what we’ve seen on the news and in media, Sakr offers us a heartbreaking glimpse into the perspective of young Lebanese individuals facing mobs of young Anglo-Australians. What I particularly enjoyed about Sakr’s representation of this experience is not only the visceral rage felt by the characters in the novel but also the inclusion of how these riots affected all Aussie POCs who did not look ‘white enough’.

You could say that the novel is actually an exploration of grief more than anything else. Jamal’s grief regarding his family is possibly the best example of this. He first experiences grief when he is removed from the aunty who raised him as her son, consequently also being removed from his cousins he considered brothers, and from then on he only experiences more loss and grief.

But what I loved most of all was the lack of happy, neat endings. There is no heartwarming reunion of his family, no mending of broken relationships, no dazzling boyfriend or dramatic coming out scenario. Just Jamal Smith having a painfully strange conversation with his erratic mother. A fitting ending to such a grief-packed text.

Overall, Son of Sin was a stunning debut novel. Although a bit bleak at times, I would recommend this novel a hundred times over, as I believe Sakr has crafted a narrative so diverse that every Aussie will find something in it to love.

by Nilab Siddiqi

You’re a happy little Vegemite aren’t you Aries? Just as long as you’re getting your way.

I hear we’re in for a wet summer, Cancer. It’s okay though. You can tell people, “that’s not tears on my face, it’s just rain.” La Niña’s got your back. A collection of Coles catalogs awaits you dear Taurus. So much value for money and so little time. But why don’t you share that family bag of twisties? Genuine question. Oh and don’t forget your receipt for the Liquorland docket deals.

Leo, more like Cleo. Avoid condensation, and Emma. What’s more embarrassing than one cockatoo laughing at you? A family of cockatoos laughing at you! Don’t worry Gemini, they’re not really laughing at you. They’re just letting you know it’s about to rain for the rest of your week.

Virgos are like Australia’s coffee culture. Aloof, overpriced and a little bitter.

I’m not saying you look like a bin chicken but you do smell like one.

Crocs and footy shorts in winter? Manspreading on the Sydney Metro? How many hate crimes can you commit Scorpio? With summer on the horizon be sure to wear sunscreen. Nobody wants to hear you complain about your sunburn you little lobster.

I hope you get stuck at the zebra crossing at school pick up time. Those kids don’t give a fuck about your schedule. Yeah nah… nah yeah…aw mmm yeah … nah. Your avoidant attachment style is really kicking up a gear.

Please stop inviting the seagulls to our beach side picnic. They’re eating all our hot chips and being quite rude.. You always had an interesting idea of good company.

EDITORIAL PRODUCTION

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF - Saliha Rehanaz Editor-in-Chief - Nikita Byrnes DEPUTY EDITOR - NIkita Byrnes Deputy Editor - Jackson Robb NEWS EDITOR - Olivia Chan News Section Editor - Olivia Chan REGULARS EDITOR - Eleanor Taylor Regulars Section Editor - Bruna Gomes CREATIVES/FEATURES EDITOR - Rayna Bland Features Section Editor - Anthea Wilson REPEAT OFFENDERS EDITOR - Harry Fraser Creatives Section Editor - Clara Kristanda Repeat Offenders Section Editor - Harry Fraser CREATIVE PRODUCTION

Liz To, Stephanie Sutton, Lorenzo Meli CREATIVE PRODUCTION Creative Director - Liz To EDITORIAL ASSISTANTS Lead Illustrator - Stephanie Sutton Jaime Hendrie, Bruna Gomes, Bodie Murphy, Clara Kristanda, Ashleigh Design Assistants - Giselle Fernandez, Farnoosh Rafiei, Muskaan Miglani, Ho, Lauren Knezevic, Jackson Robb, Isabella Trope, Anthea Wilson, Syed Haneef Jasmine Joyan, Sruthi Sajeev, Nam Do, Nicholas Chang

EDITORIAL ASSISTANTS

MARKETING & ADVERTISING Zoe van der Merwe, Lauren Knezevic, Mikaela Mariano, Nilab Siddiqi, Unnati Tayal, Tess Marsden, Nicola Stewart, Angelo Andrew Tiffany Fong, Priyanka Sangar, Kayleigh Greig, Jasmine Oke, Nicholas Chang, Sophie Poredos

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Polina Bilinsky Mycak, Georgina Binns, Racquel Soares, Tahlia White, MARKETING Rohini Banerjee, William Lawrence, Gypsy Bryant, Rebecca Ryan-Brown Marketing Director - Lauren Grzina Marketing Assistant - Ella Scott EDITORIAL REVIEW BOARD Marketing Assistant - Anjali Premkumar Allastassia Carter, Amanda O’Neill, Racquel Soares, Jarrod Currey, Recruitment Manager - Alexandra Tzavellas Anahera-Keita Chessum GRAPESHOT acknowledges the Wallumattagal clan, of the Darug nation as the traditional custodians of the land on which we work and meet. We acknowledge that sovereignty was never ceeded, no treaty was signed, and would like to pay our respects to Elders, past, present and emerging. We would like to extend those respects to all First Nations people reading. Always was, always will be, Aboriginal land.

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

PUBLISHER Mariella Herberstein

COORDINATOR Jasperine Phetchareun, Jessica Liana, Amy King, Bradley Cagauan, Melroy RodriguesJessica Mohandes-Barg

EDITORIAL REVIEW BOARD

Lauren Grzina, Jalaj Agarwal, Fiona Wylie PUBLISHER COORDINATOR

GRAPESHOT acknowledges the Wallumattagal clan, of the Darug nation as the traditional custodians of the land on which we work and meet. We acknowledge that sovereignty was never ceeded, no treaty was signed, and would like to pay our respects to Elders, past, present and emerging.

Mariella Herberstein Melroy Rodrigues