Beauty Buzz Special | Holiday Beauty Gift Ideas featuring Pupa Milano
With massive sales and the Holidays creeping in on us ever faster, Beauty Buzz brings you this special with Holiday Beauty Gift Ideas featuring Pupa Milano and so much more.
Unlike many of my stories, this will be a speedier product review and a quick look at some of the offerings available this Holiday season, that I think are of great value, adorable or just too damn tempting and cute to resist.
Remember that there are massive Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals coming up and post-Christmas, most of the remaining, limited-edition gift-sets will be drastically reduced in price. Which can sometimes make people wait on items that unfortunately sell out, the gamble of cosmetic shopping.
All Part of the Holiday Madness and Rush
Gift-sets can be a fun way of trying several products from a particular brand without paying the heftier price tag for full sizes. Most sets regroup 1 or 2 full size items, with deluxe sample sizes.
You will find these types of gift-sets at your local pharmacy, in all major retailers and of course, at Sephora, both in-store and online. And sometimes the brands themselves have even better deals and exclusive gifts for you, always worth checking out the brand’s site in that case, when it’s close to Black Friday.
Pupa’s Adorable Animals
Every once in a while, I come across something so magnificently left-field, that I cannot help but find the whimsical nature of the product worthy of mention, such is the case with the Pupa Bird 1 and Pupa Bird 2.
This bird features a complete palette for the eyes and lips, I have not yet tried these, but the makeup collector in me, is slightly gagged by this, if I’m honest.
Now there are several models of these Pupa Birds available and they also carry Pupa Squirrels, which are just as unbelievably adorable. The lead image is Nude Pupa Squirrel opened, which is a thing of true joy and beauty.
These sets screams young person discovering makeup and it’s also perfect for a very playful person bringing an all-in-one set on vacation, or any die-hard makeup fan, such as myself.
Lit Cosmetics’ Glitters
Lit Cosmetics is an incredible brand based out of Calgary, Alberta, that specializes in glitters and face bling; they have one of the most amazing selections of glitters you will find anywhere on the world-wide web.
Beyond their single edition glitters that come with everything needed for successful application, glitter, glue and appropriate tools, making the Lit Glitter Kit an awesome gift or stocking stuffer. You can select the color of glitter, the type of glue, so it’s a customizable product, which gives it a more personalized feel.
I chose the shade Dolly as they had this amazing female icon series that I totally connected with. Dolly Parton has long been a woman and icon that I have admired, from her looks, to her art, there is always something to dazzle and entertain you with this woman; the glitter which bore her namesake, was wild, pretty, flashy with just the right amount of kitschy, just like Dolly.
The other product that I highly recommend is the Night Moves Pressed Glitter Palette, a palette of 10 multi-chromatic glitter shades that are pressed and spread amazingly well on the skin. The colors are incredible and the pictures I saw online where nowhere near as beautiful as the shades of glitter as I swatch-ed them in person. For any unicorn or mermaid lover this is a sure winner under the tree.
MAC’s Bubbles & Bows Collection
MAC Cosmetics always launches a beautiful collection during the Holidays and this year’s Bubbles & Bows Holiday Collection does not disappoint. Loaded with different options for every price point imaginable, I chose one to entice you, that I think will please many a lip-color lover!
The Velvet Teddy’s Party Crew Vault features all the versions of Velvet Teddy, an eternal favorite at MAC Cosmetics, in every lip product, allowing you to discover all the great lip textures and finishes that MAC Cosmetics currently makes in its lips category, of this iconic shade Velvet Teddy.
L’Oréal Paris and Their Winning Mascaras
Every year I wait patiently for the L’Oréal Paris Mascara Discovery Set, this set always features a great selection of L’Oréal Paris‘s winning mascara formulas, and this year does not disappoint, we still have a great set available.
This set is easy to find, online or at most local drugstores, making it a great, last-minute gift, should you be in a hurry and need a Holiday beauty gift idea, fast!
e.l.f. Glosses Yule Love
e.l.f. Cosmetics is another makeup powerhouse that has been making waves all over the place with their high quality, low cost makeup. I have featured many of the e.l.f. Cosmetics products in my stories and they even feature in my Best of Beauty 2022 story, which you can check out, here.
This year they have many different sets available, however I find myself very attracted to the Naughty & Ice Lip Gloss Vault, which features a wide variety of lipgloss shades for hours of lip shining fun.
Fenty Beauty’s Cheeky Offering
Fenty Beauty by Rihanna make some of the most luxurious and performing products I have tried in the past year, I love trying anything from this brand if I am honest.
However I am in love with the new Double Cheek’d Up Freestyle Cream Blush Duo, these beautiful shades are so universal and work well on so many skin tones, the colors can be used on the cheeks and the lips and the component is a beautiful, mirrored, fuchsia compact, the stuff that a makeup collector’s dreams are made of.
Limited edition, get it while it’s available.
MTHRSHP MEGA Deal!
The Pat McGrath Labs MTHRSHP MEGA: Celestial Nirvana is an excellent gift idea, it features a selection of 9 mattes and 9 shimmers in Pat McGrath Labs ‘ legendary, eyeshadow formulas; these palettes are a great way to introduce yourself to the textures without the hefty price tag of her Mothership Palettes. This one is currently on sale on the Pat McGrath Labs website, a great way to get a bargain on this beautiful makeup palette.
The mattes have tremendous pigment and layer and blend effortlessly, the shimmers provide high-impact shine that always delivers, whenever I wear Pat McGrath Labs, I get compliments on my eye looks.
Milk Makeup’s MVPs Set
Milk Makeup has an excellent set out for the Holidays, their Hydro Grip Primer & Setting Spray MVPs Set features 2 of their amazing products, 1 full size of the Hydro Grip Primer and 1 travel size of the Hydro Grip Set + Refresh Spray. Both products are excellent for extending the wear of your makeup on the skin.
The Hydro Grip Primer & Setting Spray MVPs Set features these 2 high-performance products in a modern-looking, mesh-overlay-ed pouch. A great gift for any one who enjoys wearing their makeup for extended periods of time.
Empower Yourself with Huda Beauty
Huda Beauty just released the Empowered Eyeshadow Palette and it is a stunning selection of neutrals, with a few plums and golds thrown in the mix. The mattes blend together like perfection and the palette features several unique textures, 2 gel liner colors, a gel-based shimmer shadow and special metallic foil shades that provide magnificent payoff!
The Huda Beauty Empowered Eyeshadow Palette is one of my favorite palettes released this season. This palette has a great mix for anyone looking to create soft and glamorous looks over the Holidays, a great gift for any makeup lover, you may even want one for yourself.
Precious Gems Blush Palette
Tarte is a brand I never really explored, I know that they are immensely popular at Sephora and online and many Influencers and Beauty Bloggers swear by their products. When I saw the Precious Gems Amazonian Clay Cheek Palette by Tarte, it was love at first site.
This palette contains 6 shades and the pigments are so blendable, the colors are so lovely to work with and the component is absolutely stunning. The Precious Gems Amazonian Clay Cheek Palette by Tarte is a winning gift for anyone who enjoys their blushes. One of my favorite blush palettes ever!
A Rouge Artist Lipstick Set Because Make Up’s For Ever
Make Up For Ever is a company that continually innovates and improves their existing range of products. The recently reformulated Rouge Artist Lipsticks are a prime example. These beautiful shades are very wearable and pigmented and comfortable for long-term use on the lips.
For the Holidays, Make Up For Ever just released its Supreme Nude Lips Rouge Artist Lipstick Duo.
The Supreme Nude Lips Rouge Artist Lipstick Duo is a beautiful set of their most complimentary nudes, that are beautiful and flattering on any skin tone. A great gift or stocking stuffer for any nude lip wearer.
The Retro Glam Experience in a Palette
Natasha Denona makes some of the most wonderful color stories for her eyeshadow palettes. Every year she graces us with various palettes and this year saw her release several that exceeded expectations.
The latest release from Natasha Denona, the Retro Glam Eyshadow Palette features a magnificently beautiful color story filled with sages, pinks and neutrals that look stunning on the eyes.
The Retro Glam Eye Shadow Palette by Natasha Denona is a very soft, pastel-type affair that might feel unusual for the Holiday season, however you only have to look at Marnie Grundman’s article on 7 Clothing Colours to Punch a Wow in Your Wardrobe This Fall/Winter, to see that pastel is having a fall-wintery revival at the moment. Making the Natasha Denona Retro Glam Eyeshadow Palette very à-propos for the season.
Drunk Elephant’s Trunk and Other Goodies
Drunk Elephant has released this year, their Trunk 6.0, this limited edition set for the Holidays, is the perfect Christmas gift for any skincare lover. Drunk Elephant has built a reputation for making products of incredibly high quality that yield impressive results on the skin.
The Trunk 6.0 by Drunk Elephant features 10 full sized products and 7 luxury samples, for a total of 17 products, stuffed in what could be, one of the cutest water coolers ever made. This is a gift that says you’re important in my life and I want you to know it! Please Santa, add it to my list, I’ve been a good person all year!
Another great option for the Holidays is the All Protinis Great and Small Moisturizer Duo, featuring both a full size and travel size of the iconic Protini Polypeptide Cream, which I have testing out over the last weeks and adoring on my skin.
The Protini Polypeptide Cream by Drunk Elephant is rich in peptides which help to stimulate the collagen production in your skin and also features Glycolic Acid, which helps to slough off dead skin cells, keeping the skin radiant and fresh; this moisturizer is both gentle and effective and creates a great occlusive layer to seal in the hydration of the skin.
Fenty Skin Essentials
Fenty Skin has quickly become a staple in my daily routine and I love using the products they make and the more products I try from them, the more I have incorporated their high-performance formulas into my daily routine.
The Glow Around 4-piece Travel Skincare Essentials Set features 2 of my most favorite Fenty Skin products, the Hydra Vizor Invisible Moisturizer Broad Spectrum SPF 30, you can read more about it, here. The other favorite is the Fat Water Pore-Refining Toner Serum, which does wonders for tightening the appearance of my pores.
The Glow Around 4-piece Travel Skincare Essentials Set by Fenty Skin is a wonderful introductory set, with everything needed to begin a routine, an excellent gift recommendation from an excellent brand.
Fey Cosmetics’ Eterna Anti-Aging Cream is Wonderful
The Eterna Anti-Aging Cream by Fey Cosmetics is a gel cream that is supremely easy to spread on the skin, the skin literally drinks it up in seconds and it leaves my skin with the loveliest, refreshed sensation.
The Eterna Anti Aging Cream comes in a glamorous component, with a great weight to it, it also comes with a golden spatula to sample the product without contaminating it with your fingers.The jar also clicks tight and you need to unseal your product, which helps to conserve the potency of the ingredients in the formulation.
The exquisite care that was put into this product is evident once you try it, I was completely impressed by the lightness and effortlessness of the texture of the cream on my skin, the Eterna Anti-Aging Cream by Fey Cosmetics helps to turn back the clock without layering on an unnecessary thickness, this is a lightweight, skincare superstar that packs an anti-oxidant punch to fight the signs of aging.
A Sinfully, Lovely Soap Duo
Local brand 7 Deadly Soaps has launched its newest Holiday bundle called Ascension, this duo of hand-crafted organic soaps, contains one of their most popular soaps Frigid, a Rosemary, Patchouli and Citrus based soap; along with Célestin, an intoxicating mixture of Sandalwood, Figs and Oliban Incense.
This lovely set is now being sold at Simons as well, you can find it, here. These soaps are truly unique fragrance experiences, as the fragrances are masterfully crafted, get ready for an olfactory, cleansing experience unlike any other. I have often offered the various products from 7 Deadly Soaps as gifts, they are always very well received and deeply loved.
A great Holiday gift that improves hygiene and keeps you smelling scrumptious.
A Recipe For Watermelon Fresh, Dewy Skin
Glow Recipe recently released a few adorable sets for the Holidays and I could not resist picking up the Hey You, You’re Glowing Watermelon Set during the recent Sephora Holiday Savings Event.
This lovely set features 2 full size products from the Watermelon Collection by Glow Recipe, I was wanting a new Watermelon Glow Niacinamide Dew Drops for a while, as it is one of my favorite glass-skin primers ever. I write more in depth about the product, here.
The second product I had heard amazing things about is the Watermelon Glow PHA + BHA Pore-Tight Toner, which also comes in a full size. This toner, does wonders for tightening the appearance of my pores
Such a great value set, I honestly cannot recommend this ensemble, enough!
Care For Your Soul
Key’s Soulcare has some wonderful products for unwinding and spending some much needed me-time. I have loved many of the products I was blessed to try this year and very impressed by the quality of the products themselves and the elegant and sleek packaging.
The Soulful Celebration Skincare Set with Rose Water and Niacinamide is a gorgeous gift-set with a trio of full sized skincare products you are going to love.
This set features the Golden Cleanser, read more about it, here. It also features the Let Me Glow Illuminating Primer, which I adored as well, a luminous primer that gives a radiant glow. And lastly features the Skin Transformation Cream that I hear incredibly great reviews about.
A classy, skincare gift that hits all the right notes!
A Skincare Duo Yule Love Daily
For any reader that has been following my articles, you will likely have noticed that I have favored several of the boscia products, and for good reason, every single product that I have tried, that they have sent me, is exquisite. From the formulation, to the colorful and elegant packaging, the products work well together, look pretty together, I cannot gush enough over their products. With Christmas just around the corner, naturally I was curious to see what bosica would suggest for the Holidays.
This amazing set, the Daily Duo, features the Purifying Cleansing Gel, a great cleanser that can be used both for a morning and evening cleanse and it features one of my latest, favorite moisturizers, the Cactus Water Moisturizer.
I will be honest though I have yet to try that specific cleanser, I am currently enjoying several boscia cleansers, I spoke earlier about another incredible boscia cleanser, here.
However I am loving the Cactus Water Moisturizer, its gel texture is incredibly fast-absorbing and it features one of my favorite anti-oxidants, Absorbic Acid, better known to most as Vitamin C; which helps to protect the skin against future sun damage and brightens the complexion and helps the skin to build collagen and retain a more youthful and vibrant appearance.
Skinfix Bliss Set
Skinfix creates some of my favorite moisturizers, last July I was happy to write for the first time about the superstar, Canadian skincare brand Skinfix and their amazing moisturizer, the Barrier+ Triple Lipid-Peptide Face Cream, read more about it, here.
This Holiday season, they have released one of the skincare world’s most popular releases, the Your Barrier Protectors Kit.
The Your Barrier Protector Kit features a full size, 50 ml, of their majestic Barrier+ Triple Lipid-Peptide Face Cream, you get a full size refill to use in the component once done. And they have included the Eczema+ Hand Repair Cream in a deluxe sample size as well.
This set is a steal and well worth the investment and this amazing cream does wonders for calming redness and irritation, protecting the skin’s moisture barrier and it is conclusively moisturizing, a winning product that does not disappoint, it truly delivers on its promise. A winter-skin must-have, a life savor for the skin.
Gifting More Permanent Beauty Fixes
It’s no secret that I am a huge fan of many plastic surgery techniques, I have so far quite enjoyed my various experiences with non-invasive procedures. This is not to say that I think this is for everyone, nor do I think we should impose it on others; nor do I condone ridiculous, impossible to attain beauty standards being shoved down mine and everybody else’s throats on the daily.
I truly believe my life journey has been one of self-acceptance and self-love and I have used the various tools in the cosmetic repertoire at my disposal to improve the quality of my skin, create my alter ego, explore different facets of myself and enjoy myself. Now I admit, my vanity allowed me to succumb to the the temptations of non-invasive plastic surgery procedures, however I went with trepidation at first.
For years prior I was curious, I remember reading all of these sciences as they were first approved, years later I was brave enough and took the plunge and I have been casually lounging in the fabulous waters of extended vibrancy ever since.
My favorite place to go for any face, fine-tuning, is Access Medica. Their experienced and knowledgeable staff will help you determine which types of laser treatments might be most beneficial for you, I speak about my experiences with such treatments, here, and here.
The laser treatments are usually best done in a succession of treatments, as it is the smartest way to work on the skin; this great Holiday discount makes for a wonderful gift, one I would be beyond thrilled to receive.
Access Medica has a selection of high-performance technologies that do wonders for the skin. This fall I tried the ProFractional Laser and so far the results have been amazing for diminishing the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles, dark spots, my pores are much tighter and my skin is smoother. My acne scarring is softer and more diffused and I have noticed an enormous difference in the quality of the grain of my skin.
Also, very exciting there is a 20% discount on all injectables, which is a great news for anyone interested in a little volume enhancement for the lips or cheeks or to redesign the jawline. Equally interesting are the neuromodulators which weaken the muscles of the forehead and magically smooth away years of worry.
What I love about my visits, is everything is done gradually, in the hopes that you will enjoy the experience and enhance your features to improve your appearance, not to alter it. This approach is so crucial and the main reason I have been faithfully going to Access Medica for years now.
As much as this can be the ultimate beauty gift for the right person, don’t neglect to indulge yourself too, you deserve to look and feel your best, no matter what!
Options Abound, Make Your Selection Wisely
I strongly suggest that you give with meaning and intention, gifts are great, and everyone loves to be spoiled and receive presents, however there is such a thing as overkill.
Though I used to be a very content with volume, as I continue to grow, I see the importance of quality and more importantly, the intention of the gift in question.
Even better are gifts or experiences that can be shared, gifts that create more memories themselves, that bring fond thoughts and recollections whenever we use them or see them.
And remember to love yourself a lot during this hectic time of the year, spoil yourself too, because in my experience, no one will ever know better what you truly want, than yourself.
Until next time dear readers, stay beautiful!
xoxo
Lead image courtesy of Pupa Milano.
