FESTIVE BEAUTY TO UNBOX
Fun treats to open now (or Christmas morning)
Year after year, beauty brands bring out dainty baubles and Christmas crackers containing miniature beauty products to treat a loved one (or yourself) come Christmas Day.
These merrymakers offer a more affordable option than luxury beauty advent calendars, and make for ideal stocking fillers or Secret Santa gifts.
Bon Bons
1. Ecoya Tea Light Gift Set $20. We’re bending the rules a little with this one, but the painterly tube was too impactful to not include. Ecoya’s Tea Light Gift Set comes in three festive fragrances — Fresh Pine, Sakura and Lagoon — inspired by Christmas traditions across Australasia.
While the iconic Fresh Pine scent is in its ninth year of production, it’s Lagoon that’s captured our attention ( and senses) for its Polynesian- inspired fragrance of sweet coconut palm, sea salt, frangipani, exotic green fruits and creamy vanilla.
2. Endota Hydration Heroes Bon Bon $35.
Give skin a much-needed drink with two of Endota’s best-selling hydrators — the Deep Hydration Face Moisturiser and the Intense Moisture Mask. The duo can be found inside Endota’s limited-edition bon bon, which features a blush, gold and navy design created by artist Deborah Yadda.
3. Jo Malone London Christmas Cracker $93.
This luxurious bon bon is filled with three minis in Jo Malone London’s mostloved scents. Enjoy a 9ml Peony & Blush Suede Cologne, Wood Sage & Sea Salt Body & Hand Wash and Wild Bluebell
Body Creme. Use each one on its own or layer them together for a truly sensual experience. Slip one of these into a loved one’s stocking for a sweet surprise come Christmas morning.
4. Mecca Cosmetica To Save Face SPF50+ Superscreen Oxybenzone Free Formula Cracker $24. Mecca Cosmetica’s signature sunscreen has garnered fans young and old (including members of the Viva team) and for good reason — it couples the skin-loving benefits of a luxury face cream with UV protection. Not only does it sit beautifully under makeup, but it helps combat UVA and UVB rays, free radicals
and dehydration. This year, the multitasker comes in a pretty orange and pink cracker that is sure to stand out when spotted under the Christmas tree.
5. Nars Instant Orgasm Mini Blush and Balm Cracker $42.
It’s the shade that’s become synonymous with Nars since its inception — in large part for its risque name, but also for its wearability. Discover two Nars products — a mini Blush and After Glow Lip Balm — in the iconic Orgasm shade in this gilded cracker. The silky textured powder blush offers a hint of peachy pink warmth to the apples of cheeks, and is easily buildable, while the hydrating lip balm delivers sheer colour and shine to lips.
6. Floral Street Electric Rhubarb Eau De Parfum Holiday Cracker $49. It may come as no surprise that the perfume contained within this cracker is a floral one. Packaging aside, Electric Rhubarb boasts a bouquet of white florals and powdery sandalwood, punctuated by notes of English rhubarb and fresh, salty sea air. The 10ml eau de parfum is an excellent way to trial a fragrance before you commit to a full-sized version.
7. Biologi Beauty Editor Favourite Bon Bon $47.
New for 2020 is Biologi’s four Christmasthemed bon bons, filled with minis from its range of single ingredient skincare. Viva loves the Beauty Editor Favourite Bon Bon, which contains two mini Bqk Serums, one for morning and the other for evening.
8. Linden Leaves Pink Grapefruit & Pepper Bon Bon $16.
Level up your Christmas table by placing one of these scented delights at each place setting instead of crackers of the traditional kind. Linden Leaves’ range of bon bons is available in three fragrances, including Pink Grapefruit & Pepper, an uplifting scent with a hint of warming sandalwood. Inside, you’ll discover a nourishing mini hand cream and In Love Again Body Oil.