Make it merry with must have make-up and fragrances. This time of year there are so many beautiful gift sets available that it can be slightly intimidating to choose what to buy. I have selected a few of my favourite holiday-themed products from some of my favourite luxury brands. Included are also some timeless recommendations which I think are wonderful gift ideas.
My Top Make-Up Picks:
Starting off with NARS, their holiday packaging is a dream and deliciously luxurious in sleek gold and scarlet tones. For the festive season they have some really fun holiday sets.
NARS Instant Orgasm Mini Blush and Balm Cracker
Iconic, cult-favourite Orgasm in a mini blush, paired with a matching mini Afterglow lip balm for the finishing touch. Packaged in a limited-edition festive cracker gift box. This is a wonderful gift for those who tend to go for a lighter make up look, the lip balm adds a hint of colour to the lips. The blush is not just exceptionally cute in this size, it is perfect for when you might be travelling or on an evening out.
NARS Mini Orgasm Double Duo, Highlighting Blush Powder Bauble Set
Featuring cult-favourite shade Orgasm in a mini highlighting blush powder for a sultry sheen and mini Orgasm blush. Featured in exclusive ornamental packaging which you can hang on your tree. Having a blush and highlighter in one product is really useful and great to pop into your clutch for evening events.
NARS Lips Uncensored Lipstick Set (Tolède, Pour Toujours, Orgasm)
Dress up lips with this exclusive trio featuring three full size lipsticks in iconic satin peachy pink with shimmer Orgasm, satin pink rose Tolède, and matte warm pink Pour Toujours. Includes a glamourous limited-edition gold cosmetic bag.
I particularly like the pink/nude colours Tolède and Pour Toujours, they would suit many skin tones as they are universally flattering shades. The shimmer Orgasm shade is more peachy and in my opinion would most likely work best with those with lighter skin tones.
NARS Audacious Lipstick (Audrey and Mona)
NARS Audacious Lipstick is a wonderfully satin texture which gives coverage in one stroke. These lipsticks make wonderful stocking fillers. The lipstick glides on like satin across skin with single-stroke coverage in a spectrum of shades. The bold, ultra-saturated colour feels hydrating and stays put. I absolutely love the packaging which is unadulterated luxury, the NARS logo is even embossed on the lipstick bullet. An Allure ‘Best of Beauty’ winner, it is a wonderful gift especially for the woman who has everything.
Perfect for the festive season; Audrey is a red current shade and Mona is a luscious mahogany.
Extreme Effects Effects Eyeshadow Palette
This incredible eyeshadow palette features twelve high-impact eyeshadows in one on-the-go palette featuring a variety of finishes. This limited edition eyeshadow palette is one of the most innovative eyeshadow palettes on the market with a mixture of supermatte, shimmer and latex-like finishes.
Charlotte Tilbury has some wonderful gifting options, as always they have tempting bundles of products with some new options for the holiday season.
Charlotte Tilbury Pillow Talk Make-up Secrets
A wonderful set, the magical Pillow Talk Makeup Secrets set contains everything you need for dreamy Pillow Talk eyes, glowing cheeks and lips. With this set you are able to pick different dimensions of this much loved hue, from the iconic, original nude-pink shade to the new deeper hues of Pillow Talk Medium & Intense, for a look to suit all skin tones. Its a really indulgent gift idea especially for the Pillow Talk obsessive!
Charlotte Tilbury Walk of No Shame Lip and Eye Kit
This is a new set available for the holiday season. Charlotte’s Walk of No Shame Eye & Lip Kit contains everything you need for a dramatic look. These shades are a universal, wearable look that enhances your natural beauty, a modern take on a classic red lip and a sultry eye. This kit includes a luxury palette in Walk of No Shame, a russet berry Walk of No Shame Lipstick and Lip Pencil.
Estée Lauder has lovely make-up, fragrance and skincare gift sets, there is something for everyone.
Estée Lauder Mini New Year Reds
This indulgent collection comes in an exclusive gift box with 5 of the hottest red shades. There are five Pure Color Envy Sculpting Lipsticks in the shades Impassioned, Defiant Coral, Boldface, Immortal and L.A. Noir. The lipsticks have full coverage and are deluxe travel size. I really like the packaging and how easy these lipsticks are for including in your daily bag. This lipstick set also comes in a Mini Winter Nude set for those who prefer those shades to red.
My Top Fragrance Picks:
Whether its fragrance or scented candles, this is a top gifting choice for the holiday season. Below are some of my favourites for this season.
Roja Parfum The Essence of Christmas Candle
Oriental: Rich & Soft - Sweet, Spicy, Warm, & Gourmond
There are a few festive candles I recommend and The Essence of Christmas by Roja Parfum’s is one of them. This candle is a rich mix of pine needles and cedar woods mingled with the gourmand delights of gingerbread, cinnamon, fenugreek, cocoa and toffee shot through with delicate and precious Frankincense. It also has a smoky effect of a roaring fire.
Roja Parfum London Candle
Oriental: Rich & Soft - Warm, Leathery, & Very Sensual
One of my favourite candles and top recommendations is the London candle by Roja Parfum. A sensual candle, it is a rich bouquet of rose, jasmine, orange blossom with a blend of vetiver, cedar, warmed by amber and myrrh and freshened by citrus bergamot and lavender. All of the Roja fragrances are luxurious and long lasting and make really wonderful gifts.
Creed Aventus Cologne
Launched in 2010, Aventus has become the House of Creed’s most acclaimed men’s fragrance to date. Last year, saw the release of Olivier Creed’s latest addition, Aventus Cologne, a much fresher urban take on the original legendary scent. Aventus is one of my all-time favourite men’s fragrances however I am still enamoured by the new fragrance in this collection. The new Aventus Cologne is a much fresher counterpart to Aventus yet shares some of Aventus’ addictive ingredients such as birch, patchouli and musk. I would highly recommend this fragrance if you are looking for something to gift a man - especially if he is an Aventus fan.
Creed Aventus for Her
Launched in 2015, Aventus for Her is an irresistible counterpart to the legendary Men’s fragrance Aventus. Olivier Creed, master perfumer at Creed worked tirelessly to create a fragrance that emulates women who are visionaries in their everyday lives, a point which makes me love this fragrance even more! House of Creed was inspired by history’s most powerful women, from royalty and visionaries to artists and writers. This fragrance is a strong, bold perfume with heart notes of rose, sandalwood and musk and base notes of amber and ylang ylang. It is a stunning scent and the perfect choice for a woman who is picky with her fragrances, I personally love to wear it for business meetings or when I want a fresh fragrance that is not overly sweet or floral.
Creed Aventus for Her Body Lotion
Aventus for Her combines crisp fruity notes of green apple, bergamot, blackcurrant and peach, with floral notes of lilac, ylang ylang and rose, leaving a lasting and irresistible scent of musk, sandalwood and amber. One of The House of Creed’s most popular fragrances, the body lotion and shower gel are a wonderful set to gift women who love this iconic scent.
Both products are new and work in concert with the perfume create a wonderful impact.
Creed Aventus for Her Shower Gel
Scented to match the iconic women’s perfume, Aventus For Her, this new shower gel from The House of Creed will transform your shower experience, introducing a burst of fruity floral aromas. The refreshing, low-sulfate formula gently cleanses the skin to leave it feeling clean and lightly fragranced.
Acqua di Parma Magnolia Nobile
All of the Nobile perfumes by Acqua di Parma are beautiful feminine fragrances, Rosa Nobile, Magnolia Nobile and Peonia Nobile. Whilst I would recommend all three as gifting options - these days I am particularly enamoured by Magnolia Nobile. A celebration of sophisticated femininity it has heart notes of magnolia, Bulgarian rose, tuberose absolute and jasmine with citrus top notes of bergamot and Sicilian lemon. For the festive season, Acqua di Parma also has a wonderful Magnolia Nobile gift set which includes a shower gel and body cream along with the fragrance.
Aqua di Parma Notte di Stelle Holiday Candle
A special edition candle by Acqua di Parma to scent your home with a festive fragrance. This is a warm and bright fragrance where balsamic notes of pine trees and aromatic notes of wood are made vibrant by tingling and spicy accents. It has the sensual signature style of Acqua di Parma and I especially love to light it during the evenings to add some warmth.
Jo Malone English Pear & Freesia Cologne
Jo Malone have some new special fragrances for the season. Whilst the stunning Midnight Musk and Amber is a beautiful winter fragrance, one of my top gifting recommendation has to be Jo Malone’s English Pear and Freesia cologne; I am a such a fan of this fragrance, it is universally popular and has broad appeal so I would highly rate it for your gift lists. The fragrance is the essence of autumn. The sensuous freshness of just-ripe pears is wrapped in a bouquet of white freesias, and mellowed by amber, patchouli and woods. For the festive season they are also currently offering the limited edition bottle.
Jo by Jo Loves Candle
One of her signature fragrances, Jo Malone is quoted as saying that “over the last 25 years I have created fragrances for all kinds of reasons, but this one I created for myself”. This fragrance fresh and full-bodied scent encapsulates sparkling notes of grapefruit, bitter orange, lime with notes of cedarwood, vetiver and black pepper. As a candle it is bright and cheerful, I like to use it during the day. Jo by Jo Loves is rather an unusual choice for me, I typically go for floral fragrances or oud based/woody fragrances, however this is such a unique and uplifting fragrance I would highly recommend it for anyone who is looking for a less conventional option.
Jo Loves Miniature Candle Set
For the festive season I love to gift sample sets, especially to my friends who may not know of a particular brand - rather than risk buying a full size product which they might not like. The Jo Loves Miniature Candle Set is a wonderful indulgent introduction to Jo Loves and includes 70g candles in their best-selling White Rose & Lemon Leaves scent, Rose Petal 25 and limited-edition Fig Trees. All of the fragrances are beautiful and a lovely way to add fragrance to smaller areas of your home.
Last but not least… A few spectacular pieces from Laurence Coste
As a bonus I have included two stunning pieces for the holidays from Laurence Coste which I think are beautiful gifting options.
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Note: All products were gifted