From icy eyeshadows to serious LED devices, shop last-minute gift ideas for beauty and wellness lovers
Seasonal Sparkles
Winter brings a renewed sense of joie de vivre for makeup. Brands like Victoria Beckham Beauty release much-loved formulas in new, shimmery iterations. For fans of their Cocoa Satin Kajal Liner (so, everyone), gift the new Cocoa Pavé shade — a rich, cool brown peppered with silver sparkles. For the uninitiated, this eyeliner has a cult-like following for its deliciously creamy, vivid, smudge-free performance. The gold and forest green shades will come in handy at this time of year.
There’s nothing quite like peeling back the layers of perfectly designed Byredo packaging at Christmas. While their scents and candles are welcomed at all times, their limited-edition Ocean Haze eyeshadow palette (housed in a dimpled metal spaceship designed by Ben Gorham) is particularly festive. The compact features five versatile party shades – pink, gold, coral, blue and marine – in a mixture of metallic, matte and satin finishes. It’s party season after all.
Chanel’s festive formulas take a more subtle approach. The limited-edition Illuminating Powder Blush, for example, doesn’t impart vivid colour. Rather, the velveteen powder adds a delicate, peachy frosted finish to cheeks, giving a fresh-off-the-alps, wind-whipped glow. A must-have for Après-ski.
If the target of your affections prefers cream-based formulas, look to the Jones Road Mini Miracle Balm Trio, which features a cool mauve, soft plum and sheer, shimmery pink. They’re easy to apply with fingers (just dab onto cheeks and lips as you please), and bring life to dry or mature skin types.
Dries Van Noten turns refillable lipsticks into objets d’art. Personalise your gift accordingly by picking a case you think they’ll love (they all feature smart, gold edging and bright, clashing prints inspired by DVN fashion collections). Then choose between a sheer, satin, matte or balm bullet in their favourite shade. This is not a case of style over substance: the formula is long-lasting and comfortable, packed with nourishing, vegan ingredients like rosehip oil and shea butter.
Hi-Tech Treatments
Any serious skincare obsessive has an LED mask on their Christmas wishlist. This Shark edition stands out for its cooling under-eye pads, which feel pleasingly chilling on sore, tired eyes. With multiple different modes, it promises to reduce the look of fine lines, ease blemishes and brighten tone.
Ziip’s Halo is just the tonic for tired, puffy skin, using personalised electrical currents to painlessly zap your skin back to life. Like the Shark mask, it reduces the look of fine lines and acne while improving skin tone, but its real selling point is its instant lifting and firming effect. It’s also much smaller than an LED mask, making it a convenient gift for skincare obsessives who travel a lot.
Alternative Ingredients
For those who prefer their skincare in liquid form, you can’t go wrong with Dr. Barbara Sturm. Their Winter Kit is like a survival pack for withering winter skin, and features a sextet of replenishing, cocooning formulas rich in lipids and antioxidants. Each no-nonsense formula feels like a hydrating hug.
For limbs, Joonbyrd marries nostalgic, caramel scents with hard-working ingredients (beta-carotene, niacinamide and ashwagandha) to simultaneously spark joy and support the skin barrier. The formulas are rich and creamy — never sticky.
Fragrant Favourites
The Loewe Palo Santo Candle is like two gifts in one, because you have the actual candle (soft and woody with hints of citrus) as well as the beautiful, ridged vessel that’s become synonymous with beautiful interiors. The scent is inspired by the Bursera Graveolens incense tree, which is burnt to clear negative energy and usher in good luck.
For those cheffing up a feast, lay off the wooden spoons and fancy knives (they have enough) and gift something they’ll use and appreciate every single day: Too Many Cooks In The Kitchen from Aesop. The set stars a verdant handwash with finely milled pumice, a nourishing moisturiser for over-washed hands, and a bar of soap that transforms into a rich lather. Together, they’re a real sensorial treat (and about the only remedy to garlic’s brawny grip).
