Whether you’re looking for a special gift for a loved one or simply a treat for yourself, this holiday season sees all manner of beautiful options flooding local stores. Here is just a snippet of what’s available in the wider neighbourhood, all chosen with mindful gifting and the long, hot summer months ahead in mind.
For the beauty freak
MECCA’s holiday campaign packaging has become as iconic as the limited-edition gift releases adorning their shelves, many of which are flying out of the store now and instantly covetable. Each year, the beauty powerhouse – along with the National Gallery of Victoria (NGV) – chooses an artist of significance to collaborate with, who will create the artwork that adorns the iconic boxes and bags destined to be placed under Christmas trees across Australia and Aotearoa. This year, they’ve chosen a talented woman from Queensland for the honour: Brisbane-based multidisciplinary artist Natalya Hughes. Hughes was inspired by Russian-born artist and designer, Erté’s illustrations in ‘Ermyntrude and Esmeralda’ – a book gifted to her as a child – for the paintings that adorn MECCA’s beautiful packaging, which depicts dresses full of frills, pleats and bows.
The gift of protection
Whenever I’ve quizzed beauty experts – be they dermatologists, makeup artists or cosmetic surgeons – for their pick when it comes to skincare that stops premature ageing in its tracks, they all agree that the most important thing you can do to keep your skin looking good well into old age is wear a sunscreen. Daily. No arguments, no forgetting on a cloudy day. Add to that the fact that an estimated 90 per cent of all melanomas in Australasia are caused by direct sunlight, thus making daily sunscreen use an absolute no brainer. With that in mind, gifting suncare is always a good idea!
La Roche-Posay, the world’s #1 dermatologist-recommended skincare brand and #1 selling sunscreen brand in New Zealand pharmacies, has taken sun protection to the next level with the launch of Anthelios UVMUNE 400. The result of no less than 10 years of research, this innovative new sunscreen range introduces the iconic French brand’s most advanced UV filter technology to date, providing ultra-broad-spectrum protection against even the most insidious UVA and UVB rays. La Roche-Posay’s iconic best seller (and one of my long-time favourite sunscreens), Anthelios Invisible Fluid SPF50+ has been upgraded to Anthelios UVMune 400, incorporating enhanced protection without compromising its beloved sensorial experience. This formulation still provides the same ultra-light, non greasy, invisible finish that blends seamlessly into all skin tones, but now will provide even better protection against long, damaging UV rays.
Topical vitamin C is beloved by skincare enthusiasts for many reasons, one of which is the fact that it pairs beautifully with suncare products. Sunscreen and vitamin C are a dynamic duo that works brilliantly together to protect skin, as the latter can boost your SPF’s efficiency. Sunscreen helps prevent vitamin C from oxidising on the skin, in turn thereby improving its performance. Which brings me to local skincare brand RAAIE’s Morning Radiance Ritual Set, a limited edition holiday season wonder featuring their globally acclaimed Morning Dew Vitamin C Serum and Sun Milk Drops SPF50, beautifully packaged together in a RAAIE cosmetics bag.
Lastly, true heritage New Zealand skincare brand Antipodes recently released Supernatural SPF50+ Ceramide Silk Facial Sunscreen, which sold out in Europe within 12 days of launch earlier this year. A 100 per cent natural-origin mineral sunscreen with a glowy, luminous finish, it sits beautifully under makeup and comes with an SPF50+ and broad spectrum UVA + UVB protection. Loved by Vogue, Elle, Cosmopolitan, Harper’s Bazaar and Marie Claire, it is destined to be seen everywhere this summer.
The gift of choice
Who doesn’t love a regular massage or facial, but can’t always justify the spend? This is why the gift of a spa voucher is always well received and inevitably used within days of receiving it! Some spas even offer vouchers for customised experiences so a lucky giftee can go with whatever treatments they most feel like on the day, or if you really feel like splurging, a spa day is the ultimate self-care treat for a loved one at any time of year. Locally, Spring Spa and their sister spa, East Day Spa, have some beautiful vouchers on offer that will definitely be appreciated.
One for the lovers
Launched towards the end of November, Zoë & Morgan’s Modern Love offering is just beautiful. An all-inclusive collection that celebrates connection, Modern Love evolved from the brand’s signature Art Deco style and endless love of precious stones and metals.
The team consciously curates what materials they work with to ensure their impact on the planet aligns with their values and, while each style stands alone, they look just incredible when grouped together. Using recycled and fine quality metals, this collection is made locally and designed to last a lifetime.
Gifts for the fit friend
I think it’s safe to say that Lululemon is where most of the neighbourhood shops for activewear and loungewear, and everything else in between. I personally repeat buy so many of their signature styles, which last like no other and definitely perform when I need them to. The Ponsonby Lululemon store is also a great place to find gifts for your more active friends over the holiday season, with lots of cleverly crafted accessories and fits available in limited edition colourways and at all manner of price points.
This Christmas I predict the Restfeel Slides, Back to Life Sport Bottle and Everywhere Crossbody Bag will be welcome under any Christmas tree and destined to be well-used all summer long.
The gift of self care
A local brand that I fell in love with from the moment it first entered the chat, clean beauty innovator Sans [ceuticals] never disappoints when it comes to creating beautiful holiday kits with an extra layer of care. This year, the limited-edition ‘Moments of Care’ kits are designed to be your 'pause button', helping you navigate from the pre-holiday hustle to January’s peaceful moments. Perfect for personal rejuvenation or as a soothing gift to someone special, they include curated sets for skin, hair and body, all of which come beautifully encased in a washable canvas bag, thoughtfully designed by Sans [ceuticals] with a waterproof liner and available in three chic shades. (HELENE RAVLICH)