Christmas asks a little more of a beauty routine: an evening out, a table full of guests, cold air between one door and the next. Our Christmas Edit keeps it simple. A red lip and a touch of shimmer for the parties, a warmer fragrance for the evenings, a quiet scent for the house, and steady care for hands and lips in the cold. Each section holds a short selection we have already chosen, and at the end you will find our Christmas gift guides.
A Festive Lip and a Little Shimmer
A red lipstick is the simplest way to dress up for the season. MAC Matte Lipstick is a richly pigmented matte in a dark red, in a silver metallic tube with a black matte base. L'Oréal Paris Classic Red Lipstick has a satin finish and a creamy texture with argan oil, and sweeps on evenly. For something lighter, Glam of Sweden Golden Shimmering Lip Gloss holds gold flakes in a sheer, lightweight gloss; wear it alone or over a lipstick. Then a little light on the face: Dior Forever Glow Star Filter is a liquid highlighter in a sleek glass bottle. Apply a small amount to the high points of the face, such as the tops of the cheekbones, and blend with fingers, a sponge or a brush.
For shimmer that looks festive rather than heavy, choose one place for it, the lips or the cheekbones, and keep the rest of the face soft.
- Matte Lipstick
- Classic Red Lipstick
- Golden Shimmering Lip Gloss
- Forever Glow Star Filter Highlighter
A Warmer Fragrance for Winter Evenings
Cold weather suits the richer end of perfume: amber, vanilla, woods and spice, notes that sit close to the skin and carry into the evening. Alyssa Ashley Ambre Rouge is an eau de parfum with a bright berry opening over a warm amber base. Mon Guerlain is an ambery, woody composition of vanilla, patchouli, lavender and sandalwood, in the house's quadrilobé crystal bottle with gold detailing. Moncler Les Roches Noires centres on a woody amber accord, with Indonesian patchouli, labdanum and black pepper. Givenchy Dahlia Divin is the most floral of the four: mirabelle plum and jasmine sambac over a warm sandalwood base.
A warmer scent needs only one or two sprays on the pulse points, at the wrists and the neck, from a short distance. If amber is already your note, Choosing a Soft Oriental: Jil Sander Sensations and Its Family looks at the gentler side of the same family.
- Ambre Rouge Eau de Parfum
- Mon Guerlain Eau de Parfum
- Les Roches Noires Eau de Parfum
- Dahlia Divin Eau de Parfum
The Scent of the Home at Christmas
When the house fills with guests, a room scent does quiet work in a hallway or on a shelf by the door. The La Casa de los Aromas Rose Reed Diffuser brings a soft rose note in a sculptural teardrop form with a glossy rose-gold metal finish, decorative enough to sit on a console. Eco Happy La Vita È Bella is a herbaceous scent in a 95 ml clear glass vessel with rattan sticks. The Eco Happy Parisian Garden Reed Diffuser is a 95 ml square glass bottle of bright blue liquid with wooden reeds.
A diffuser needs no flame, which makes it an easy choice for a full house; if you light candles over the season, never leave a lit candle unattended. Reed Diffusers: How to Scent a Room Without a Flame has more on where to place one.
Hands and Lips in the Cold
Cold air outside and heating indoors both leave skin feeling dry, and hands and lips tend to show it first. Sisley Crème Réparatrice is a hand and nail cream with shea butter and chestnut extract, a light, non-greasy texture in a tube with a screw cap that fits a handbag. La Prairie Cellular Hand Cream is a light, fast-absorbing cream with algae and oceanic minerals, in a minimalist tube with a silver cap. For lips, the Chanel Rouge Coco Lip Balm is a twist-up stick with a sheer, natural shine, and Guerlain Super Lips, the house's Lip Hero balm, has a melting texture of oils and waxes that softens dry, chapped lips.
Apply hand cream after washing and again before you go out, and keep a balm in your coat pocket. If lips are cracked or sore and do not settle, ask your pharmacist.
- Crème Réparatrice Restorative Hand Cream
- Cellular Hand Cream
- Rouge Coco Lip Balm
- Super Lips Le Héros Des Lèvres Lip Hero Lip Balm
Our Christmas Gift Guides
For the presents themselves, our gift guides do the choosing by person and by kind of gift. Christmas Gifts for Her: Fragrance, Jewellery, Body Care and Home Scent and Christmas Gifts for Mum: Fragrance, Rituals and Keepsakes begin with the people closest to you. Christmas Gifts for Children: A First Fragrance, a First Watch and More is written for the parent who is choosing. For smaller gifts, there are Stocking Fillers for Her: Small Gifts That Feel Personal and Secret Santa Gifts: Small, Thoughtful Ideas for Anyone. For a larger gesture, Perfume Gift Sets: What Is Inside and How to Choose and A Watch as a Gift: How to Choose One for Her.
Our suggestion: choose one thing for yourself from this edit as the season begins, then turn to the guides for everyone else.
