And The Most Christmassy Beauty Gift Set Is...
Watch as the beauty brands try to outshine, outglitz and out-Christmas each other this festive season.
Ah, Christmas beauty gift set coffrets... a fail-safe gift, packaged into beautiful shiny boxes, usually containing items of higher value than if you buy them separately, designed to put a smile on the face of the beauty junkies on your Nice List. Here are 16 brands which have come up with special limited edition Christmas packaging or gift sets — we rate them according to how Christmassy they are.
Etude House Be My Universe Collection
The easiest way to achieve that out-of-this-world festive glow is to pile on the glitter make-up, and Etude House's gorgeous Christmas collection has all the glitter and glitz in the galaxy. From the multi palettes ($25.90 each) to sparkly lipstick shades to the Glow On make-up base ($29.90), it's all solar systems glow.
Christmas-y rating: 7/10
The Body Shop 25 Days of Game Changing Advent-ure Ultimate advent calendar, $229
There are few things more Christmas-y than an advent calendar. Open one (or two, or more) in the days leading up to Dec 25 for The Body Shop goodies and surprises, such as a Japanese Matcha Tea Pollution Clearing Mask, lippies, hand creams, shower gels and Vitamin E Day and Night Creams. Mad value for money.
Christmas-y rating: 8/10
Astalift White Shield Set Holiday Edition, $11.90
A pretty little snow-white box containing three bottles of Astalift's White Shield Drink, which promotes skin brightening from within with 4mg of Nano Astaxanthin and 1200mg of Vitamin C. Peach and lemon flavour, yum!
Christmas-y rating: 5/10
Limited edition Christmas packaging from Kiehl's
Your fave Kiehl's products wrapped in festive packaging courtesy of UK graphic artist Kate Moross. Buy pre-packaged gift sets or customise your own products.
Christmas-y rating: 6/10
Urban Decay Heavy Metals holiday collection
More crazy glitter and sparkle, this time courtesy of Urban Decay, where when they say the eyeshadow sparkles, it really sparkles. For instant festive rock 'n' rock glam, get the Heavy Metal Glitter Eyeliner ($30 each) and the pièce de résistance, the Heavy Metals Metallic Eyeshadow Palette ($88).
Christmas-y rating: 7/10
Crabtree & Evelyn Once Upon A Christmas collection
Love love love C&E's festive offerings this year, inspired by books and fairy tales. Think gift boxes that look like vintage book covers, tins that resemble book spines and all matter of Christmas-shaped things.
La Source Body Duo, $55; Star Shaped Shortbread Biscuits, $18; and Terra Duo hand therapy Ornament Tin, $23
Christmas-y rating: 8/10
Man Ray for NARS Holiday Collection
Okay, so it's not the most traditionally festive collection ever, but defo one of the coolest. Modern master Man Ray's surreal art and photography make an appearance on palettes and pouches, with lip and eye colours inspired by his work.
Check out: Love Game eyeshadow palette, $85; The Kiss Velvet Matte Lip Pencil Set, $90; Overexposed Glow Highlighter, $65 and NARS Love Triangle in Orgasm, $36
Christmas-y rating: 5/10
SK-II Radiant Aura Set, $468
Featuring SK-II's latest Facial Treatment Essence limited edition "Change Destiny " bottle, this set wants to make you as bright-skinned and fair as freshly-fallen snow. Contains SK-II Facial Treatment Essence 230ml, SK-II GenOptics Aura Essence 30ml, SK-II Cellumination Mask-in Lotion 100ml, SK-II Cellumination Deep Surge Ex 15gm, and 1 piece of SK-II Whitening Source Derm-Revival Mask.
Christmas-y rating: 6/10
Fenty Beauty The Galaxy Collection
Hot on the heels of the most hyped new make-up brand launch in the universe is Rihanna's second collection, with galaxy-themed products designed to impart an other-worldly glow. Think glitzed-out lipsticks, twinkling glosses, and an eyeshadow palette of mega-reflective shades. You glow, girl.
Starlit Hyper-Glitz lipstick ($28) and Galaxy eyeshadow palette ($82)
Christmas-y rating: 7/10
Make Up Store Rose Gold Christmas Gift Set
Rose-gold glamour. Perfect gift. 'Nuff said. Make Up Store Tri Glam Set, $89.
Christmas-y rating: 6/10
Caudalie Holiday Set
The French brand's natural grape-inspired products get the festive treatment with cute mistletoe boxes.
Caudalie Eau Des Vignes Fresh Fragrance Set, $44
Christmas-y rating: 6/10
Tarte Mermaid Kisses Lipstick Set, $37
Anything with the word "mermaid" in it is special and magical and gift-worthy, right? This ocean-themed beaut with Rainforest of the Sea complex (which has algae & marine flower extracts to reduce fine lines & wrinkles) is just one of many Tarte products — from palettes and lip sets to eyeliner sets — given a festive twist with cute packaging.
Christmas-y rating: 6/10
Kat Von D Beauty Saint + Sinner Eyeshadow Palette, $90
The wow-inducing centerpiece of Kat’s holiday collection. This gothic stained glass-inspired palette isn't festive in that warm and fuzzy, snow and mistletoe way, but it more than sleighs Christmas with its own brand of KVD cool. And the saint and sinner and church thing is kinda what kicked off Christmas in the first place, right?
Christmas-y rating: 4/10
Shu Uemura X Super Mario Bros collection
A holiday collection inspired by a retro video game, decked out in festive pink and gold? We likey.
Christmas-y rating: 7/10
Laneige ‘Delights, Pop!’ Holiday Collection
Hey look, there's confetti on your BB cushion! Kudos to Laneige for popping cute festive trimmings on their packaging, and not just on the boxes either, but on actual cushion and lippie cases, and with a special confetti-inspired eyeshadow quad.
Holiday Two Tone Tint Lip Bar ($32), Holiday Cushion Blusher – Roly Pink Pop ($32), Holiday Ideal Shadow Quad – Flash Gold Pop ($42)
Christmas-y rating: 8/10
YSL Beauty Dazzling Lights Holiday Collection
And the most Christmas-y collection goes to YSL Beauty, for this explosion of glitz and glamour. As always, YSL doesn't come up with mere gift boxes which contain just the regular versions of their best-sellers. They go one up and design new products altogether. The centrepiece is the Holiday Multi-use Palette ($129), a collector's item stamped with 3D textured glitter fireworks. The gilded gold cases of their famed Touche Eclat ($62) and Rouge Pur Couture lipsticks ($51) have also been given the iridescent firework treatment. The best thing? There are fireworks stamped on the lippies. Not sure we can bring ourselves to use these, so we'll just stare lovingly at them till next Christmas.
Christmas-y rating: 9/10
Watch Now
Shopping
