Aussie icon Jessica Mauboy has finally revealed her newest project, and no, it’s not another catchy single. The singer, actress and entrepreneur has announced her new career move, joyfully stepping into the beauty industry with her new suncare brand Desert Rose.

As one of Australia’s most successful performers, Jessica Mauboy’s decision to dive face-first into an entirely new industry may seem a little left field to some. But to the Australian Idol alumnus, embracing her love for beauty and skincare has felt like a long-awaited dream come true. 

“I started at a very young age, as young as 11, being dragged here and there through music,” she recalls. “I think I've always truly and deeply been inspired by beauty and particularly the industry – how it's done, who's involved, how it all comes together.”

“It's been very close to me and something that I guess I've always been secretly loving and I guess been inspired by.”

Launching today and available for purchase on March 25th, Mauboy’s new suncare brand is set to change the face of Australian skincare. 

Inspired by her upbringing – born and raised in Darwin, Northern Territory – Mauboy has designed Desert Rose’s inaugural product, SPF 50+ Hydrating Face Serum, to protect and nourish all skin types against Australia’s harsh elements. 

“Since I started in the industry, it really became something vital to me to one day want to do something like this and give back and have someone feel the way that I do about this country and this land,” says the proud Kuku Yalanji woman.  

Desert Rose SPF 50+ Hydrating Face Serum, $48 from Desert Rose Australia

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Always read the label and follow the directions for use. Prolonged high-risk sun exposure should be avoided.

Harnessing a range of antioxidant-rich native Australian botanicals, the serum has been formulated with skin-loving ingredients such as kakadu plum, jojoba oil and niacinimide. Designed to perfectly accompany any skincare routine, SPF 50+ Hydrating Face Serum sits effortlessly under makeup or as a standalone product for those who prefer a more minimalist look.

Most importantly, the lightweight and non-greasy formula delivers broad-spectrum sun protection, something every Australian needs. 

“I wanted desert rose to feel fun and nourishing,” explains Mauboy. “We're so very pedantic about what we're consuming and how it's absorbing, and I wanted to get that right.”

While it’s been a joy to bring her vision to life, Mauboy says the process of delivering a high-quality, sun-safe and unique product to the Aussie market has been no easy feat. 

“I’ve spent three years umming and ah-ing, finding the right people, doing the sampling, figuring out ‘What's that smell?’ or ‘What makes me feel like home?’ or ‘What makes me feel like I'm glowing or I'm nourished or I'm feeling ready to walk out the door without feeling too made up?”

But after years in showbiz, working alongside and being inspired by the best in the business, Mauboy feels grateful to have learned so much about the industry she has now launched herself into, “It's been such a wonderful experience to see makeup artists and to hear how they started and how they apply something different to how I would usually at home. It's each to their own,” she says.

“I think for me, it's always kind of been a learning experience constantly and a very fun one because I get to know different products and trial different things.”

At the brand’s core, however, Mauboy hopes her products help to bridge the gap between sun-safety education and Aussies around the country. With so many Aussies still viewing sun safety as a chore or mistakenly believing their skin shade or lifestyle excludes them from the dangers of UV, educating people about the importance of protection year-round is one of the biggest challenges facing the industry – and one that Mauboy is passionate about addressing.

“Growing up in the Northern Territory, I was always outdoors, and the education behind SPF was never really a thing,” Mauboy explains.  “Back in 2000s I just remember ripping through the bush – Sunscreen wasn't the first thought.”

“There was a gap in the sense of beauty meets something that feels like it's a, ‘I have to’ kind of feel, like something hard to do – that’s what I wanted to reverse.” 

In order to educate Australians about sun safety and make practicing it as easy as possible, Mauboy wanted her brand to feel fun and accessible. 

I wanted it to feel like it was something that they could share with their brothers and sisters and cousins or their uncles or aunties,” she says. “I wanted it to feel like they were a part of something and to feel like they're growing with it or growing into it and feel safe and feeling protected.”