MAKING THE CUT

We’ve scanned the zeitgeist for what to read, watch, wear and drink now.

Beauty

Celebrate Lunar New Year this month with gorgeously packaged beauty products designed to mark the occasion. Try Jurlique’s Exclusive Edition Rose Body Oil (right, $99 for 200ml; jurlique.com.au) created in collaboration with Brighton-based artist Tiffany Lynch. Or Guerlain’s Rouge G Red Orchid Collection, which includes a lipstick, blush and eyeshadow, inspired by the exotic flower.

Movie

Set in the 1920s, when the movie industry in Los Angeles was entering its golden era, Babylon swirls with hedonistic debauchery and filthy ambition and a mess of power – illusory and corporate. Directed by Damien Chazelle, who won an Oscar for 2016’s La La Land, this film could be seen as its prequel. Brad Pitt stars as a Clark Gable type at the top of his game and Margot Robbie as an actress new to Tinseltown. In cinemas 19 January.

Podcast

The creators of the Serial podcast, which was downloaded 300 million times, unveiled another, more personal pod in October, about a family torn apart by COVID conspiracies. We Were Three tells the story of Rachel McKibbens, who learnt of her father’s death from the virus via a text from her brother. Two weeks later, the brother died of COVID. Rachel had no idea either one was sick but began to piece together the horrible reality.

Book

The man formerly known as Prince Harry has penned his memoir, Spare, named in part for his mother, Diana, who tried to protect her sons from being labelled “an heir and a spare”, a term for royal children. And it’s Diana’s life and death that loom large in Harry’s explanation of what drove him and his wife, Meghan Markle, to step down as working royals and leave London for Los Angeles. In bookstores 11 January.

Style

Blame it on the rain that’s been drenching the eastern states but this summer, fashion has gone on vacation, with Australian designers rolling out bold prints, fruity flowers and tropical motifs. Take this Alémais shirtdress (above, $475; alemais.com) and

Palm Noosa’s Souvenir seashell dress ($320; palmnoosa.com.au).

Leo Lin has brought out a Roman Holiday line, with pieces in the Fiesta print real showstoppers (leolinofficial.com.au).

Drink

Planning to give up booze for the new year? Picking up a six-pack of Blue Circle Cold

Brew (bluecirclecoldbrew.com) might help. It’s small-batch cold brew coffee made using organic beans, which are brewed, cooled then canned without using nitrogen or additives such as sugar and preservatives.