Jess Mauboy – Beauty Idol

As one of Australia’s most loved singers, songwriters and actresses, Australian Idol alumnus Jessica Mauboy has now turned her creative hand to the world of beauty with the arrival of her skincare range, Desert Rose Australia.

It was a four-year-in-the-making effort behind the scenes for the Aussie icon in creating a range of SPF sunscreens infused with native ingredients. What’s more, it’s a chance to also give back to First Nations people too. Mauboy has partnered with the Indigenous Literacy Foundation to raise funds and provide books and support to Indigenous kids in remote communities. She brings a considered human touch to the work she does, even in the beauty sphere.

Mauboy, who was born and raised in Darwin and is a proud Kuku Yalanji woman, spent her childhood and teen years basking in the hot Australian sun; hanging in watering holes was a regular pastime with family and friends. Little thought went into sun protection back then, and even fewer conversations were had around the harsh rays they played under.

But now, the married mother of one is all about amplifying the conversation around the importance of sun protection, regardless of skin tone, as UV rays don’t discriminate.

“I was never really educated about the importance of taking care of my skin growing up. We spent our days in the sun without considering we’d get burnt, and while I don’t want to lecture about being sun smart, I am all about arming people with the right information when it comes to the decisions they make when they head out in the sun,” says Mauboy.

Desert Rose is where beauty and sun protection come together. For Mauboy, it’s practical everyday skincare which also empowers. “It’s about being kind to yourself too,” she says. “You only get one skin in a lifetime and we need to love it”.

Regardless of skin colour, Mauboy says the same sun-smart message applies. She wants to demystify the notion that black skin doesn’t burn. “It’s about showing my community that sun protection is just as important if you are black,” she says.

The hero product in the Desert Rose collection is the SPF 50+ hydrating face serum. “We have created a broad-spectrum, cruelty-free, but also a product that delivers a hydrating glow,” she says. “What you get is a product that gives you a glowy look that’s fuss-free to achieve,” she says.

“I also love the idea of bringing Australian ingredients into the range like Kakadu Plum. I’m grateful to have access to these ingredients in our own back yard. I also didn’t want to create a product that felt like sunscreen. My mission was to make a product that felt like a beauty perk and became part of your beauty ritual — an act of kindness to yourself,” says Mauboy.

The 36-year-old certainly doesn’t do anything by halves, giving birth to her daughter in January 2025, while also launching a beauty brand a few months later. She’s still touring, and writing music from home — all while dreaming about the brand’s evolution and new products coming to market this year.

Mauboy splits her time between Darwin and Sydney with her husband, Themeli Magripilis, and their daughter, and while she’s leaning into the thrill of being a new mum, she’s also as driven as ever to combine work and career.

“To get to the point I could launch Desert Rose has been a dream of mine for a long time,” says Mauboy. “But coming into motherhood has also been a big learning curve. I’ve been getting to know my child and watch her grow and learn a lot about myself too,” she says. “I’ve always had a very mothering side to me ever since I was a little girl, and with so much extended family around, I took on that role happily and now to be a mother myself is so fulfilling,” says Mauboy.

She’s the first to admit there are challenges with being a new mum, and while we Zoom chat, she’s got one graceful eye on her baby girl as she crawls around her feet. “There’s challenges and a lot of firsts where I get to learn with my child too,” she says.

“It’s really put in perspective just what my mother did for us girls and what my sisters did for their kids. But stepping into the beauty world has given me a new drive, a new passion, and I am excited to see where I can take it”.