Ssh, if you listen super carefully, you can hear the sleigh bells ringing in the background.
And we are back with my sixth annual holiday gift guide. We all know the drill at this point. This is part one, where I’ll be sharing my more expensive holiday picks in time for Black Friday (which is next week!). I’ll share my part two in a few weeks time. Which will be my more affordable, last minute options.
So, what will I be featuring in part one? So, so much stuff. We have palettes, gift sets, candles, fragrances (so many fragrances!). And all of these are products that have been tested personally by yours truly. So you know they rock. Let’s get into it!
PART 1 – PALETTES
Let’s get the obvious one out of the way first. The DANESSA MYRICKS LIGHTWORK VOL. VII FREEDOM PALETTE – $220.00 (neuebeaute.com). I’ll be the first to admit that a lot of the holiday palettes this year left me feeling meh. As soon as this dropped, it was a guaranteed yes. Unless I’ve been filming with other things, this is the only palette I’ve been using since I got it. The mattes (which are a first for this series) are so soft and buttery and easy to blend. The array of shimmers and metallics need to be seen to be believed. I cannot put this palette down. And if you’re a makeup lover, this is a must own.
If, on the other hand, you are more of a neutral girly, I have to shout out the MAKEUP BY MARIO MASTER MATTES NEUTRALS PALETTE – $112.00 (sephora.com.au). This is a palette I have turned to often this year if I just want a simple, neutral eyeshadow look. The shades are extremely universal and so easy to use. This is one I would definitely wait for a sale for if you can.
I also wanted to shout out an awesome Australian brand, Glaminatrix Cosmetics (glaminatrix.com.au). Their palettes are phenomenal quality and the care and craft put into them is top tier. Regretfully, the palette I have from them, the Grounded Palette (AKA Tones Of Turd) is sold out at the time of writing. But they have a great range of palettes and single shadows available. They also sell bundles of the single shadows if that’s something you’re interested in.
Speaking of single shadows, who would I be if I didn’t recommend the HALF MAGIC SINGLE SHADOWS – $24.00 (mecca.com.au). Easily my favourite eyeshadow discovery of the year, these shadows are so sparkly and shiny. I adore them so much. My must have shades are Blushing Lizard, Electric Butterfly, and Swamp Goddess. And if you want to go the extra mile, Half Magic also has a magnetic palette (HALF MAGIC THE FOREVER PALETTE – $45.00) to add the singles into.
Finally for palettes, I had to shout out the MADE BY MITCHELL CURVE CASE PRESSED – $59.50 (beautybay.com). I did recommend the original Curve Case last year. But this is such a good option for those who aren’t confident with creams who want and one and done face palette. I also want to quickly shout out the MADE BY MITCHELL 16 PIECE BRUSH SET AND POUCH – $41.60 (beautybay.com) if you’re already shopping at Beauty Bay. His brushes are incredible quality and you get a ton for the price.
PART 2 – BEAUTY GIFT SETS
Unlike last year, the gift sets this year weren’t much to write home about. There were a few I wanted to shout out. Firstly, the SUMMER FRIDAYS THE HOLIDAY TRIO – $83.00 (mecca.com.au) was one of the first holiday purchases I made. You get two full size Lip Butters (Hot Chocolate and Marshmallow), and a travel size of the iconic Jet Lag Mask. Effectively, you’re getting the Jet Lag for free with this deal. And if you’re a fan of the Lip Butters’s, I think this is a very good one.
Another lip bundle that I couldn’t say no to is the KOSAS UNBUTTONED LIP TRIO ORNAMENT – $66.00 (mecca.com.au). This set comes with a full sized Hotliner in Unbuttoned, a full sized Wet Stick in Unbuttoned, and a mini Wet Lip Oil Gloss in, you guessed it, Unbuttoned. As a shade, Unbuttoned is a stunning neutral combo that would suit any makeup look. Unfortunately, at the time of writing, this is sold out online. But you might still find it instore at Mecca.
A set that is still available though is the HALF MAGIC DOPAMINE DIAMONDS BEST SELLERS SET – $52.00 (mecca.com.au). This is easily one of my favourite bundles of the year. You get a full size Glitterpuck in Dopamine Sparkle (which on it’s own is $51!), and a pack of their Face Gem’s to add some sparkle to your Christmas makeup look.
PART 3 – FRAGRANCES
Ok, this is where I went a little crazy with the picks. There have been so many incredible fragrance launches this year. And as much as I want to recommend all of them, I’m limiting myself to the one’s that would be the most universally appealing. Because let’s be real, picking fragrance is hard at the best of time. So, let’s start with my favourite deal of the year. The DEDCOOL TAUNT FRAGRANCE DUO – $166.00 (mecca.com.au). Taunt is a top 5 vanilla fragrance for me. And the 50ml runs for around $155. So, to get not only the 50ml, but a 10ml for an extra $11. That’s such a good deal. I snapped this up.
Swinging over to Sephora now, my two picks are the most obvious ones I could choose. The RARE BEAUTY RARE EAU DE PARFUM – $124.00 (sephora.com.au) is everything I wanted Burberry Goddess to be. Without that garish, harsh lavender note. And KAYALI YUM BOUJEE MARSHMALLOW 81 – $179.00 (sephora.com.au) is girly pop distilled into a fragrance. Sweet, sugary, fluffy goodness. I often get compliments when I pull this one out.
I also wanted to highlight two local fragrance houses that are doing some incredible work. SETSUNA IN LOVE SOMEDAY $120.00 (setsuna.com.au) is one of the more beast mode fragrances I’ve come across. Think a sweet floral iris to start, and then a soft vanilla marshmallow. So, so good if you’re a gourmand girly. Recreation Beauty was kind enough to send me over one of their newer launches. RECREATION BEAUTY LOST IN DUSK EDP – $124.00 – (recreationbeauty.com) (sent in PR) is a sultry, spicy, warm vanilla. With a slight fruitiness from the plum that makes it stand out.
PART 4 – HOME GOODS
Me? Recommending a Glasshouse Candle as a Christmas gift? Groundbreaking. Listen I know that I’ve recommended GLASSHOUSE FRAGRANCES MOVIE NIGHTS – $54.00 (glasshousefragrances.com) over and over again. And I’ll keep recommending it until I’m dead in the ground. It’s still my favourite candle of all time and puts me in a summery mood every time. Speaking of summer, another candle that I’ve recently picked up is GLASSHOUSE FRAGRANCES ICE CREAM, YOU SCREAM – $59.95 (glasshousefragrances.com). Think Neapolitan Ice Cream in candle form. I can’t wait to finally burn it. Because if the scent it gives off is anything to go by, this is going to be incredible!
And that is a wrap on part one! Phew, this ended up being a lot bigger than I expected. I hope I was able to share some holiday inspiration. And stay tuned for the 12th of December for part two!
Cheers and love
Emily xo