WELCOME; to part two of my annual Coco and Chino’s Christmas Holiday Gift Guide 2020! This part two edition of the guide features latest holiday releases from brands NARS, MAC Cosmetics and Maison Margiela, covering eyeshadow and fragrances for the beauty lovers and scent lovers in your life. I always get so excited for the releases at MECCA during the holiday season! Take the Limited Edition Afterglow & Orgasm Lip Gold Pouch set for instance, it was curated specifically for the holiday set. It features 12 gorgeous warm neutral tones combined with some vibrant shades too, I hadn’t had anything like this colour story in my collection so I had to have this. Let’s take a closer look at it with swatches included..
Products, Textures & Formula’s
– NARS Afterglow LE Eye Shadow Palette & Lip Gloss + Pouch Kit; 12 stunning warm neutral toned shades that range from warm to frosty pinks, warm burnt oranges and browns. It contains a variety of mattes, satin and metallic shimmers. So many looks can be created with this one. The powder is so easy to blend and the colour payoff is lovely. Not only that, the gold shiny makeup pouch is gorgeous and so smooth with a zipper. The lip gloss that comes included in the kit is in the shade ‘Orgasm’, one of NARS signature colours. It is non-sticky and is mostly transparent with a hint of the shade, so you can get away with wearing this one for everyday wear if you wanted to. Take a closer look at the kit and gloss below..
– MAC Cosmetics Grand Spectacle LE Eye Shadow Palette 2.4g; featuring a massive 25 shades in many finishes! The variety of colours is extended in this palette, going from reds, to silvers, to golds, to smokey hues, to matte browns and blue. This palette really stood out to me because of the extensive shade option it possesses and anyone who has used MAC shadows before, know that their shimmers are to die for! I couldn’t help myself with this, I HAD to have it! Each shade has a name to match the releases ‘holiday’ theme. Take a closer look at it below with swatches included..
– Maison Margiela LE Replica Memory Box Set 10x2ml; with a lovely assortment of scents to choose from, this limited edition holiday set is amazing value! Featuring 10 of their most popular fragrances, Replica is a trip down memory lane with familiar scents and moments of varying locations and periods. Be transported from the fireplace straight to springtime in a floral garden, this set has something for everyone. It also contains the famous jazz club and sailing day scents the design house is known for. Take a closer look below..
Worldwide Prices & Availability
– NARS Afterglow Eye Shadow Palette, Lip Gloss + Pouch;
Australia: $45 (on sale) – $90 AUD
Available: online and in-store at Mecca.
USA: $59 USD
Available: online and in-store at NARS Cosmetics and Sephora.
UK: £39.20 GBP
Available: online and in-store at Look Fantastic and Selfridges.
– MAC Cosmetics Grand Spectacle Eye Palette 2.4g;
Australia: $179 AUD
Available: online and in-store at MAC Cosmetics Australia.
USA: $75 USD
Available: online and in-store at HSN and QVC.
– Maison Margiela LE Replica Memory Box Set 10x2ml;
Australia: $65 AUD
Available: online & in-store at Mecca.
USA: $35 USD
Available: online and in-store at Sephora and Refinery 29.
UK: £32 GBP
Available: online & in-store at Selfridges and Feel Unique.
My Thoughts & First Impressions
– NARS LE Afterglow Eye Shadow Palette, Orgasm Lip Gloss & Pouch; I think this great value for money, not only do you get a full size eye shadow palette, and a full size golden smooth makeup pouch with zipper, but you get a mini lip gloss in ‘Orgasm’ shade as well. It is a perfect little holiday kit and at a massively reduced fraction of the normal full price. The lip gloss is non-sticky, has a nice hint of colour and feels hydrating on the lips. I haven’t tested length of wear yet but I will follow up on that in another post. The eyeshadow powders are very pigmented and deliver a very decent colour payoff.. I think the warm undertones and neutral colours are so pretty with pops of vibrant colour too. The pouch is a sleek, silky smooth plastic zip-up one and is a lovely metallic gold colour.
– MAC Cosmetics LE Grand Spectacle Eye Palette 2.4g; I was initially drawn to this by the variety of sharp colours it features and the gorgeous shimmers! I have always wanted a palette that offers a bold red, blue and silver with a nice champagne gold and copper shade as well, and this is EXACTLY that! It is everything I want in a palette. I’m so glad I picked it up as it sold out very quickly, as was expected. MAC shadows, particularly shimmer shades, are very pigmented and deliver a nice intense cover. I can picture many looks I can create with this one and I look forward to posting further content on this beauty.
– Maison Margiela LE Memory Box Set 10x2ml; this is the first time I have ever tried the Maison Margiela fragrances and I thought this set was the perfect introduction. As soon as I saw it and the very generous pricing it had at MECCA, I was determined to pick it up in my holiday purchases. It encapsulates the very popular and familiar scents from their line and the 2ml size is perfect to try-out. I always love getting mini sizes of new-to-me ranges so I can determine whether I would end up eventually buying the full size if I love them as much to do so. Another reason I love holiday season, for all the mini sets and kits to try new brands. I think my faves so far from this set have to be the Springtime in the Park, Beach Walk, Under The Lemon Trees and of course, By The Fireplace. The entire selection is a lovely pickings and I’m very glad I managed to snap this up! Stay tuned for a in-depth review on some of my selected favourites from this set.
That is all for now in this part two of my holiday gift guide, I thank you for reading and I hope you picked up some handy recommendations for gifts to give others or to treat yourself. But I would be quick if you can, these limited edition releases don’t last long, especially online. Have you picked up any of the above products for yourself? Disclaimer; all of the products featured in this post were bought with my own money and all opinions & thoughts are my own.