It’s about damn time!
Welcome, one and all, to my 4th annual holiday gift guide. And yes, I’ll be the first to admit that I’m really cutting it close. Seeing as there is less than a week to go until the big day. Now, normally, I do two gift guides during the holiday season. A high end list and a more affordable list. But due to circumstances beyond my control, I’ll just be doing this one. Fortunately, this list is only the hits. I’ve spent the last year testing out some of these products. And I cannot recommend them enough as a gift option for the beauty lover in your life. Best of all, most if not all of these can be found in store. So, let’s get to the gifts!
We’ll start with the makeup. And as always, Nars had one of my favourite Holiday collections for the year. Everything was so exquisitely packaged and well thought out. My pick from the whole collection was the NARS INVITE ONLY MINI AFTERGLOW LIQUID BLUSH SET – $72.00. This stunning trio includes two cult favourite shades of the new Afterglow Liquid Blushes, Orgasm and Dolce Vita. And one exclusive shade Orgasm Rush. The Afterglow Liquid Blushes are a relatively new launch from Nars. So this is a great way to try them out.
If you prefer something a little more budget friendly, you truly cannot go wrong with Australis. They had a plethora of amazing launches this year. And they are so affordable. My top pick from them has to be the AUSTRALIS HAZY DAZE EYESHADOW PALETTE – $21.95*. This is such a fun neutral palette with some beautiful earthy tones. But if this isn’t your bag, there are five other palettes in the line with some amazing colour stories.
If your loved one is more of a lip product fan, the AUSTRALIS LIP GLAZE – $16.95* might be a better option. There are four shades in this range. And they add so much juiciness to the lips. There are also peptides and hyaluronic acid to keep you lips smooth and plump them out. I am so obsessed with these!
It wouldn’t be me if I didn’t include a sunscreen. And the most talked about sunscreens of the moment are the NAKED SUNDAYS CABANA GLOW SERUM DROPS SPF 50 – $45.00 (TGA Declaration – purchased myself). Though to say these are merely sunscreens would be inaccurate. Not only do these provide sun protection, they are a bronzer, highlighter, and primer all rolled into three magnificent products. The bronzer drops add a warm, summery glow to the skin. And the two illuminating drops add so much life and luminosity to the face. I have worn these pretty regularly since getting them and they wear so well under makeup. I also love the pearl drops just on their own. These will definitely sell out.
2023 was all about body care for me. I’ve tried so many body creams and butters this year. But out of all of them, the FENTY BUTTA DROP SHIMMERING WHIPPED OIL BODY CREAM – $69.00 is the one that I would love to see under my tree. Not only is this cream ridiculously moisturising and nourishing on the skin, it also contains a festive gold shimmer to add to the holiday fun. Best of all, this smells like cinnamon cookies! What’s not to love?
We’ll end this with something else that smells incredible. And that would be Kayali. I know that I sound like a broken record, but I truly love Kayali and their fragrances. I could be here all day talking about my faves (in fact, I did a whole post about it). But if I was buying a Kayali fragrance for anyone, the KAYALI VANILLA 28 EDP – $128.00 for 50ml would be my safest bet. It’s so warm, sugary, and inviting. I get compliments whenever I wear it.
And that is a wrap in my holiday gift guide! I hope I may have given y’all some ideas on what to get the beauty lover in your life. Happy shopping.
Cheers and love
Emily xo