Welcome to a last minute Christmas shopping edition of Nice Packaging. I’m Julie Fredrickson, former cosmetics CEO and current venture capitalist, and here to help demystify buying cosmetics.
I myself do not come from a family that celebrates Christmas with gifts. This is not to say we did not celebrate, just not in the traditionally consumerist ways that have made it a holiday from Hollywood to Hong Kong.
The whole world celebrates the birth of a carpenter with decorations, food, and presents. Lots and lots of presents. Hopefully you managed to get through Secret Santa and co-worker gifts unscathed, but if you need gifts, today is your last full shopping day, so procrastinators please consider this your warning. I’ve only included gifts you can get in store and through accessible places like Sephora and Nordstrom.
For The Effortless Made-Up But Never Overdone Woman
Contouring started out as a technique used in the drag ballroom scene and became a full blown sensation as Kardashians and other always-camera-ready “influencers” sculpted their faces into angles fit for the screen. Then came the cosmetic surgery trends to get “snatched”, from chin tucks to bucal fat removal. It’s now all become a little too much and the pendulum has swung back. A full beat is no longer in vogue, unless you are vogue-ing.
So what does a well made up woman who wants to slim a nose, firm a jawline, or bring attention to their cheek bones? Well now we “underpaint” and we do it with m.ph by Mary Phillips Underpainting Face Highlight & Contour Palette ($64).
It is available in all Sephora stores, hugely popular on “fancy bitch” social media, and only has three shades so is a relatively stress free purchase. If she is pale get Light, if a more Southern Mediterranean in skintone, get Medium, and if she is black get Deep. I myself own it in Light and travel with it, or its flashier cousin, MAKE UP FOR EVER Skin Blush & Glow Longwear Cream Face Palette ($89). Which you should acquire if you want to travel lighter, or if you want your wife to travel lighter.
I find it a little silly to call light contours by a new euphemism, like underpainting, but the colors are easy to use for anyone who wears makeup. And this particular one is in a truly gorgeous piece of packaging that impressed even me, and it feels like a gift. Just brave Sephora with a picture of the product and you will be fine.
For Tweens Who Need Chill On Growing Up Too Fast
I’m officially middle aged as a proper geriatric millenial, but I truly do not recall being quite so fascinated as today’s “Sephora Kids” seem to be. So if you are picking up the palette for your wife or sister and have a kid growing up too fast, introduce them to something that takes care of their skin now. K-Beauty favorite Biodance has a 4 pack sampler of its best selling face masks which you wear for hours. Consider combining it with classic sleepover movies (Princess Bride maybe), a microwave popcorn set, and you will make the kids, their friends, and their parents happy. If you want to extend their fun, Sephora’s own house branded masks are cost effective too.
For Tasteful Mothers Who Deserve A Better Gift Than Usual
If you are already in a mall, be it pedestrian or old-school, maybe look for something for your mother. It is a real challenge to buy makeup or skincare for someone other than yourself, so let me make it easier.
The best selling lip color in the world, as rational minds might deduce, is the most flattering shade for the most women. It is a pinky rose that I once duped exactly for my own line, though the color exists across every brand in some flavor. At British celebrity makeup artist line Charlotte Tillbury, her Pillow Talk Mini Set ($25) gets you a lip-liner and lipstick. Easily acquired at Sephora and department stores, and a cute small stocking stuffer.
Now if you really want to go all out, without messing up colors or formulations, try makeup brushes. It is too late for my favorite Beauty Pie set, the Luxe Travel Brush Set ($55 for members), but there luxury options to consider for mom.
All women who wear makeup can use a nice set and no one has brushes as nice as they might like. Gucci Westman, who was once the creative director of Lancome (mom favorite) has her own luxury color cosmetics line.
She has a holiday set of travel brushes that wow (made by hand in Japan) and also might take your breath away when I tell you the price. The Gucci Westman Holiday Petite Brush Collection is $450, but you can find it Sephora, Nordstrom, Violet Grey, Credo, Cos Beauty and her own stores, so rush on my friends. Maybe pick up her mini cheek and lip trio set while you are at it so she has some options to play with. I own the cheek colors myself for travel and they are marked down to $45.
If you want to be sure she has a full set of cosmetics to use all year, and some very popular skincare, walk over to Nordstrom and pick up their truly spectacular “gift” with purchase set. I say “gift” as big brands offer big attractions at the holidays so buy Estée Lauder’s Advanced Night Renewal Serum ($85) and bring home this bonanza worth $625 for only $90. My apologies for making you talk to the counter girl at Nordstrom, but you did wait a long time to get purchasing.
For Aunts and “Uncs” Who Need Skincare
Its winter, everyone is over-indulging, and probably did some traveling to make that happen. Maybe you don’t have time to think through all of their preferences, but you can help them look refreshed with a brand I’ve trusted for years: Laneige. You can get it while you pick things up for everyone else at Sephora, and though it is sold outline, you can find it the Laneige Mini Hydration Set to Go ($32) in many most stores. If body care is an easier sell, I like Malin + Goetz for its unisex friendly vibes. Malin + Goetz Make It A Double ($42) can serve to improve even the least couth in your family tree.
For Hosts and Anyone With A Kitchen
If you need one last host or hostess gift, the only candles I buy is Lafco (ok I’ll also buy the occasional Beauty Pie attempt). There are tons of luxury candles from Creed, Le Labo, Diptyque, and Truden, but Lafco is my choice. If you are in Nordstrom, get their classic and peace out for $50. Yes, it is a very nice gift and feels like it too. If you find it in stock their Cilantro Orange Candle gets rid of cooking smells in moments. A true miracle of a candle and often sold out for this reason.