Shopping for a beauty addict just got a whole lot easier. See our guide to the best festive makeup and skincare presents. You can thank us later.
Oh, Christmas. The merriest time of the year also happens to be the most stressful. Planning Christmas meals and party outfits aside, the biggest conundrum is gift shopping. Got the tech, fashion and decor presents sorted? Next comes the perfect present for a beauty enthusiast. It’s no easy feat – I should know, seeing as I’m one myself. Need a little guidance? We’ve picked 10 makeup and skin care products guaranteed to set the hearts of beauty junkies aflutter.
Tarte Blush Bazaar
Blush doesn’t quite get enough love, so we thank our lucky stars for a palette that has all the shades we need for a rosy glow. This limited edition palette features 10 blush and highlight shades in warm and cool tones as well as matte and micro-shimmer. Best of all, it’s made with Tarte’s signature Amazonian clay for long wear and excellent colour payoff.
$65, available from Sephora
Kat Von D Beauty Saint + Sinner Eyeshadow Palette
So it’s a tad dark for a Christmas gift, but any beauty junkie worth her salt knows this makes an amazing gift. A limited edition holiday launch, it’s shaped like a Gothic cathedral arch, with doors that open up to reveal 24 eyeshadows – half are for the Saint, with everyday neutrals, while the other ‘Sinner’ ones feature rich, bold shades like bright orange. If you’re a hardcore fan, you’ll love that it even features lettering and scrollwork hand-drawn by Kat Von D herself.
$90, available from Sephora
SK-II Change Destiny Christmas box
For a beauty lover, few things are more exciting than receiving than a holy grail product like the SK-II Facial Treatment Essence. Famed for its transformational properties, its festive makeover celebrates women who make their own destinies. Each bottle comes with a unique, inspirational mantra, and are available in Christmas boxes. Pictured is the Radiant Aura Set ($468), which features a 230ml bottle, 100ml Cellumination Mask-in Lotion and more. Shop these boxes from SK-II counters, or head to the pop-up outside Mandarin Gallery (which features ArtScience Museum-worthy art and light installations!).
$110 to $1,024, from SK-II counters
Aesop “The Enigmatic Mind” Christmas gift set
Look to Aesop for a Christmas gift set with a difference. Titled “The Enigmatic Mind”, the festive collection features six kits themed after social psychology experiments in the ‘50s, ‘60s and ‘70s. Pictured is Perception ($170): a bodycare set meant to calm your state your mind, which includes the limited edition Redemption Body Balm.
$115 to $230, from Aesop stores. Multiple locations including ION Orchard and Raffles City
Tiffany fragrance
For a collectible scent to display on your vanity, you’ll love the Tiffany fragrance. It pays homage to the Tiffany Diamond with its faceted base, and geometric lines which looks like the Lucida-cut diamond engagement ring. The scent is a winner too. At first whiff, you’ll smell a fresh mandarin, which gradually fades to reveal iris at its heart, and base notes of patchouli and musk. Want to experience the scent for yourself? Head to the Tiffany & Co. pop-up along Orchard Road (outside Takashimaya and open from 10am to 9pm) from now until 31 December to pick up a gift set and surprise your loved one with a greeting card, done by an on-site calligrapher.
$165 (50ml) and $205 (75ml with a complimentary three-piece gift set), available from Tiffany & Co. fragrance pop-up store
Soap and Glory Special Edition Super Heroes
Know someone who loves nothing more than hot showers? Give the gift of a top-to-toe treat with bathtime legend Soap & Glory’s compilation of its bestsellers in mini size. These include the Clean on Me Shower gel, The Scrub of your Life Body Butter and Hand Food hand cream. Perfect for a spot of pampering after gym day.
Available from Sephora
Sephora Collection Winter Wonderland
If your office is throwing its annual Secret Santa on a budget, you’ll find your fill of adorable stocking stuffers at Sephora. Take your pick from fizzing bath salts and hand mask sets to pocket-friendly Wonderland eyeshadow and face palettes.
Available from Sephora
Becca Cosmetics Apres Ski Eye Lights palette
Love the iconic Becca Cosmetics Shimmering Skin Perfector highlighters? Mirror that enviable glow on your eyes with the Eye Lights palette. Five of the highlighters’ famed shades – in Pearl, Rose Quartz, Moonstone, Opal, and Topaz – are included along with two holiday exclusives of Toasted Marshmallow and Hot Cocoa.
$68, available from Sephora
Crabtree and Evelyn Christmas gift sets
We’re giving Crabtree and Evelyn points for its festive packaging – the gift sets come in traditional Christmas colours and encompass everything from bath and body, to hand care and fine food. Suggestion? Get the bath and body gift set (Lavender and Espresso body duo, $55), and a collectible shortbread tin (there’s even a musical tin ($38) to hit you with all the Christmas feels).
Available from Crabtree and Evelyn stores, including Plaza Singapura and Paragon
Chanel Christmas gifts
Men, if you’re looking for a present to wow your partners, Chanel’s the answer. Shop the limited edition collection; get her a classic red Rouge Allure Velvet lippie in sumptuous matte or the Trait de De Caractere eyeshadow palette, with Christmas colours of green, brown and beige. For an ultra luxurious treat, she’ll need the N°5 gold fragments. It’s a shimmering body gel in the signature scent, with tiny flecks of golden glitter.
Available from Chanel beauty boutiques in Marina Bay Sands and ION Orchard.