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Holiday Gift Guide – December 2021

WELCOME; to my annual Coco and Chino’s Christmas Holiday Gift Guide 2021! Here I will be going through in guide-form, my top holiday gift picks for this holiday season. This years’ picks are from Too Faced, Hourglass, Cerave and Lanolips, covering a wide variety of beauty categories. To take a look at what my selections are this year, just look below..

Products, Textures & Formula’s
– Limited Edition Too Faced Christmas Coffee Eye Shadow Palette 6.7g; with eight tasty shades that is sure to warm you up on a cool night, it will get you through the winter months and you can create a multitude of looks with this bite-sized eye shadow palette. With a mixture of mattes and shimmers, it gives you the perfect balance and all shades are nicely pigmented. From top-to-bottom and left-to-right, the shade names are titled: ‘Kool Whip‘ – a light warm cream matte, ‘Warm Me Up‘ – a soft caramel-brown matte, ‘Cinnamon Chai‘ – a deep red-brown terracotta, ‘Holly Sh*t‘ – sparkling forest-green shimmer, ‘Brew-tiful Day‘ – peach-pink matte, ‘Slow Roasted‘ – rustic copper metallic, ‘Candy Cane Latte‘ – cranberry-red metallic and ‘Christmas Coffee‘ – a rich deep brown matte. This size palette is also ideal for taking on trips and touching up on a night out, etc. Take a closer look below..

– Cerave Hydrating Cream-to-Foam Cleanser 236ml; perfect for normal-to-dry skin and people with sensitive skin, this cleanser is infused with hyaluronic acid for ultimate hydration, it has an amino acid based surfactant that lathers into a gentle foam and easily removes oil, makeup, dirt and any SPF residue from the skin. It also includes ceramides to maintain the skin’s barrier, and their own patented MVE technology that continually releases moisturising ingredients overtime for 24hrs. It can also be used on hands, body as well as the face. It’s quite easy to use, just massage gentle into lukewarm wet skin before rinsing well. It is soap-free, paraben-free, non-comedogenic, fragrance-free and pH balanced. To check out some photos of the cleanser and texture of the cream, take a look below..

– Limited Edition Hourglass Ambient Lighting Edit Universe Face Palette 5.4g; the new annual Ambient Lighting Edit face palette for 2021 is here! Featuring four brand new shades of blush, bronzer and highlighter are limited edition and create the most flattering light source for looks and photography. The powders create such a beautiful celestial glow, they’re all hand-made in Italy and are such universal shades that they would suit most skin tones. The photoluminescent technology allows the powders to capture, diffuse and soften surrounding light to help blur imperfections and refine the skin’s appearance. The two ambient strobe lighting blush shades are: ‘Vibrant Heat‘ – a very vibrant soft mid pink and ‘Luminous Rose‘ – a softened plum. The ambient lighting bronzer shade is titled ‘Glistening Bronze Light‘ – a golden bronze. The ambient strobe lighting powder is titled ‘Supernatural Strobe Light‘ – a soft champagne. And the larger pan powder is the ‘Ambient Lighting Infinity Powder‘ which is a combination of three acclaimed shades of ambient powders: ‘Diffused Light‘, ‘Dim Light‘ and ‘Hypnotic Strobe Light‘. To get a much closer look at the fantastic face palette, check out the packaging photos below..

– Limited Edition Too Faced Cinnamon Bun Longwear Melting Matte Lipstick 7ml; a brand new holiday shade in Too Faced’s melted matte lipstick formula, ‘Cinnamon Bun‘, which is a gorgeous universal shade described as a moderately-warm toned brown matte. It is infused with vitamin E, avocado oil with hyaluronic filling spheres that smooth the lip lines upon application. It coats the lips with a true pigment of colour that lasts for hours and is quite comfortable to wear. This particular shade is limited edition and a part of Too Faced’s 2021 holiday collection. To see up-close shots and lip wear swatches, take a look below..

– Limited Edition Too Faced ‘You’re So Hot’ Hot Cocoa Bronzer & Lipgloss Set 8.5g 5.2ml; a new smooth and silky bronzer in a limited edition shade ‘Hot Cocoa‘ with the most cutest packaging we may have ever seen, the embossed design on the surface of the bronzer in pan has a smiley face resembling hot froffing coffee with whipped cream nested on top and is also scented just like the decadent treat of hot cocoa, the perfect treat on a cold winter’s day. The tone of the bronzer is definitely on the lighter side, it would be ideal for fair or light skin tones. The lipgloss is in the lip injection power plumping formula and is in shade ‘Christmas Cocoa‘. It is scented just like chocolate cake or a chocolate candy bar, it is a very pleasing brown tone which is universally flattering on most skin tones. It delivers a gorgeous high shine upon wear and is quite glossy. The make up pouch that the set comes in is a cute light pink colour with little mugs of hot froffy coffee with whipped cream on top, there is also sparkly marshmallows on the front and back in pattern form and the iconic gold love heart handle zipper is on the top edge. I think the size is around 5×7 which is wonderful as it can fit quite a bit of product inside, which would be fantastic to take on trips. On the back it says ‘Too Faced’ and on the front it has ‘You’re So Hot’ emblazoned in font. Take a quick look at the close-up details and lip wear shade swatches of both via the pictures below..

– Limited Edition Lanolips x Messina 101 Ointment Multi-Balm Salted Coconut x Mango Gelato 10g; touted as the Australian summer dreams collaboration, is the iconic 101 ointment balm from Lanolips crossed over with another iconic Aussie fave, Messina’s sorbet salted coconut gelato flavour. Using coconut oil, mango fruit extract and vitamin E to create an all-around good vibes boost of hydration for your skin. It uses pure grade Australian Lanolin, which mimics the skin’s own oils and leaves it perfectly hydrated. It is not just for your lips either, it can also be used all over the body on your skin and that is why it’s multi-purpose. It tasted and smells absolutely delicious! If you’d like to see texture shots, up-close photos of the packaging just keep scrolling below..

Worldwide Prices & Availability
– LE Too Faced Christmas Coffee Eyeshadow Palette 6.7g;
Australia: $38 AUD
Available: online and in-store at Mecca.

USA: $27 USD
Available: online and in-store at Sephora, Too Faced, Nordstrom, Kohls, Macys, HSN and Ulta.

UK: £24 GBP
Available: online and in-store at Look Fantastic, ASOS, Selfridges, Boots and John Lewis.

– Cerave Hydrating Cream-to-Foam Cleanser 236ml;
Australia: $15.99 AUD
Available: online and in-store at Chemist Warehouse.

USA: $10.80 – 14.99 USD
Available: online and in-store at Ulta and Target.

UK: £9.37 GBP
Available: online and in-store at Boots and Superdrug.

– LE Hourglass Ambient Lighting Edit Universe Face Palette 5.4g;
Australia: $114 AUD
Available: online and in-store at Mecca and Net-a-Porter.

USA: $80 USD
Available: online and in-store at Hourglass, Beautylish, Net-a-Porter, Sephora and Ulta.

UK: £79 GBP
Available: online and in-store at Hourglass UK, Space NK, Cult Beauty, Feel Unique, Look Fantastic and John Lewis.

– LE Too Faced Cinnamon Bun Longwear Melted Matte Lipstick 7ml;
Australia: $32.50 AUD
Available: online at Selfridges and Cult Beauty.

USA: $22 USD
Available: online and in-store at Sephora, Too Faced, Macys and Ulta.

UK: £20 GBP
Available: online and in-store at Selfridges, John Lewis, Look Fantastic, ASOS and Boots.

– LE Too Faced ‘You’re So Hot’ Hot Cocoa Bronzer & Lipgloss Set 8.5g 5.2ml;
Australia: $49.93 AUD
Available: online at Amazon.

USA: $39 USD
Available: online and in-store at Sephora, Kohls and JC Penney.

UK: £37.42 GBP
Available: online at Amazon.

– LE Lanolips x Messina Salted Coconut & Mango Gelato 10g;
Australia: $19.95 AUD
Available: online and in-store at Mecca and Lanolips Australia.

USA: $13.50 USD
Available: online at Lanolips.

UK: £8.99 GBP
Available: online at Lanolips UK.

My Thoughts & First Impressions
– Limited Edition Too Faced Christmas Coffee Eyeshadow Palette 6.7g; what drew me to this palette was the gorgeous cranberry red and the forest green shimmer shades, they’re so Christmassy and after watching Youtube reviews with swatches from it, thats when I decided I wanted to get it. I always look forward to the Too Faced christmas holiday releases and usually there is always a palette I end up loving. Sometimes in some of the Too Faced holiday eyeshadow palette releases (like the ones in sets), the shades can be a bit chalky and hard to layer, however I find with their bite-sized palettes that the pigmentation is much better quality and that is why I tend to pick up those instead. And at $38 AUD, it’s a great pick to get 8 mixed formula shades and the packaging is so nice.

– Cerave Hydrating Cream-to-Foam Cleanser 236ml; I’m always on the hunt for cleansers and skincare products that are suited to dry skin and this is where Cerave come in, they have a nice range of products suited to all skin types and their formulas are always without any nasty ingredients. I had tried their hydrating cleanser for the last two years and absolutely love it, so when the cream-to-foam release came out, I hopped on the trial train straight away. During a sale at the Chemist Warehouse I picked up my bottle and I have loved it since first try. It is decently priced and suits my skin so well.

– Limited Edition Hourglass Ambient Lighting Edit Universe Face Palette 5.4g; this is the big winner for me this year. Amongst all of the other palette releases from all other brands, including MAC, this Hourglass interested me the most and the packaging is just simply divine. It is so stunning! I have owned a ambient lighting edit palette beforehand and it was the white marble packaged one from 2016 or so, and when I saw this one I fell in love right away. The fact it is limited edition also helped budge me to pick it up, as they can sell out pretty fast. I love how long these palettes last and the pans are such decent sizes too.

– Limited Edition Too Faced Cinnamon Bun Longwear Melted Matte Lipstick 7ml; I was drawn to this shade right away because it is a universally flattering nude that would suit most skin tones. It is a mid-brown matte with a cool mauve undertone and it smells just like freshly-baked cinnamon rolls. I love earth toned nudes and if it’s in the brown category, I always find the cool tones suit me as unfortunately warm tones never do, they look muddy on me and wash me out. I am a fan of the Too Faced’s melted matte lipstick formula, they’re usually very comfy upon wear and they last so long too. I’m waiting to receive mine that I purchased this year so I will further update when I have it and have worn it.

– Limited Edition Too Faced You’re So Hot Hot Cocoa Bronzer & Lipgloss Set 8.5g 5.2ml; what I loved about this bronzer set is that the bronzer shade looks perfect tone for my skin, I also enjoy the cute pouch and the lip injection gloss shade is another nice earth neutral nude tone, which would compliment most skin tones as well. The gloss is very sparkly and looks like it goes on very smoothly. And not only is the packaging so cute but the products are both scented like hot cocoa.

– Limited Edition Lanolips x Messina 101 Ointment Multi-Balm Salted Coconut & Mango Gelato 10g; this smells so delicious and is your iconic 101 ointment from the fave Lanolips. Infused with Messina’s popular salted coconut sorbet, this balm makes you want to eat it! It is so nourishing and it is such a fun collaboration between two Australian faves. Released at a perfect time right before the summer season in Australia. I don’t think you can go wrong with this pick up at all.

That wraps up my holiday gift guide for 2021! I hope you have enjoyed learning more about the featured products in my guided round up for Christmas gifting and have found the perfect selection, or even as a gift for yourself. I am embarking on starting my Christmas shopping and I hope to be finished early this year. I hope you have all been safe and well throughout this year, and I hope you all have a lovely Christmas season with your families and loved ones. I’m going pretty big with decorations this year so I’ll try to include some photo’s of that in my posts.

Disclaimer; all of the above featured products have been purchased with my own money and all thoughts & opinions published here are my own.

Fragrance

Holiday Gift Guide 2020 – Part Two

Holiday Gift Guide 2020 – Part Two

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.

Beauty

Holiday Gift Guide 2020 – Part One

WELCOME; to part one of my annual Coco and Chino’s Christmas Holiday Gift Guide 2020! This part one edition of the guide features latest holiday releases from brands Tatcha, Too Faced and Laneige, covering skincare and makeup for the beauty lovers in your life. I always get so excited for the Christmas releases, and I would love to share what is included in this first part of the guide.


Products, Textures and Formula
– LE Too Faced Salted Caramel Eyeshadow Palette; features eight shades in a mixture of mattes and shimmers. The shades range from warm tones to dark ones, the matte formula is nicely pigmented and the shimmers are a silky kind that are also decently pigmented. There is a nice light matte cream shade that can be used as a base. The shade names are, T-B & L-R: ‘Oooey Gooey’ – a vanilla cream slightly transparent, great for priming, ‘Golden Sugar’ – a warm shimmery copper brown, ‘Drizzle It’ – a vivid mid-tone matte orange, ‘Caramel Apple’ – a coral brown/red matte, ‘Butter Me Up’ – a shimmery golden medium brown, ‘Soft and Chewy’ – a mustard matte orange, ‘Toffee’ – a shimmery pink with silver shift and ‘Make Me Melt’ – a deep matte brown.

– LE Tatcha Pore-Perfecting and Protecting Set; features The Deep Cleanse 50ml, The Water Cream 10ml, The Liquid Silk Canvas 10g and The Kissu Lip Mask 5g. The Deep Cleanse is formulated with an oil-free gel cleanser with natural exfoliants and clarifying extracts from the Japanese Luffa fruit that gently lifts impurities, unclogs pores and the balances the skin moisture for a healthy-looking glow. The Water Cream is formulated with Japanese wild rose to smooth skin texture and works to visibly tighten pores. It also features Japanese leopard lily which reduces oil production, calms problematic skin and promotes turnover of the skin. The Liquid Silk Canvas is formulated with silk extract fibroin, the inner part of silk that nourishes skin into lustrous and healthy condition, and includes sericin; the outer part of silk which closely parallels the amino acid structure of human skin to hold in essential moisture and minimises flaking and dryness. The silk powder adds a pore-blurring element and helps makeup to apply smoothly and absorb excess oil. The Kissu Lip Mask contains peach extract to soften and smooth, squalane richly moisturises and improves the skin barrier function and it also includes camellia oil with vitamins, oleic acid and nourishing omegas 3, 6 & 9.

– Laneige Hydration-To-Go Kit For Normal to Dry Skin featuring 5 piece Gift Set; Moisturising Cream Cleanser 30ml, Water Bank Hydro Essence 10ml, Water Bank Moisture Cream 10ml, Water Sleeping Mask 15ml and the Lip Sleeping Mask 3g. The Moisturising Cream Cleanser is a cream formulated with plant-derived natural oils to hydrate the skin while it gentle cleanses. The Water Bank Hydro Essence uses a ‘water splash’ formula serum that pops moisture into the skin as soon as its applied. It uses the Green Mineral Water thats extracted via Laneige’s patented Ocean Brew Method, creating a dewy glow for skin. The Water Bank Moisture Cream is also formulated with the unique blend of Green Mineral Water, in addition to vegetable extracts from brussel sprouts, artichoke leaves and lima beans, forming a protective barrier and providing soothing hydration to leave the skin looking radiant and feeling hydrated. The Water Sleeping Mask is an overnight mask that is formulated with evening primrose and apricot extract, and contains the Sleep-Tox technology that purifies skin during sleep. Patented Moisture Wrap helps the skin to retain moisture throughout the night and the Sleepscent which is specially developed for the Water Sleeping Mask as an AmorePacific original, allowing skin to relax and rest during sleep, which boosts it to regenerate. The Lip Sleeping Mask is formulated with strawberry, raspberry, cranberry, arabica coffee bean, blueberry, quinoa seed extracts, shea butter, candelilla wax and carnauba wax.      

Worldwide Prices & Availability
– LE Too Faced Salted Caramel Eyeshadow Palette;
Australia: $39.95 AUD – $41.00 AUD
Available: online at MyQT, and only in-store and subject to stock as it’s LE, at Mecca.
USA: $20.00 USD – $27.00 USD
Available: online at Amazon, and only in-store subject to stock as it’s LE, at Sephora.
UK: £22.00 GBP
Available: only in-store and subject to limited stock as it’s LE, at Selfridges, John Lewis, Debenhams, Look Fantastic.

– LE Tatcha Pore Perfecting & Protecting Set;
Australia: $84.00 AUD
Available: in-store only and subject to limited stock as it’s LE, at Mecca.

USA: $68.00 USD
Available: only online at Yorkdale.

UK: Unfortunately it has sold out most places. Some items are available separately on London Loves Beauty and Amazon UK.

– Laneige Hydration-To-Go For Normal To Dry Skin Kit;
Australia: $36.00 AUD
Available: online and in-store at Sephora and Adore Beauty.

USA: $29.00 USD
Available: online and in-store at Laneige and Sephora.

UK: £18.50 GBP
Available: the exact kit isn’t available in the UK but there is a Hydration kit and it is available at Selfridges.


My Thoughts & Reviews
– LE Too Faced Salted Caramel Eyeshadow Palette; the powders in this palette blend quite nicely and have very little fall out which I really liked. Each shade is pigmented well and even the cream matte is decently pigmented, perfectly used as a primer underneath or to shape the brow bone. The scented powder really does smell just like salted caramel and is quite delicious, it isn’t too strong and it’s quite nice to smell as I apply the shades. I love the mini size tin case the palette is packaged in, it is very handy to take traveling, and I am enjoying the combination of the colours.

– LE Tatcha Pore Perfecting & Protecting Set; I feel like this is the perfect set to try out if you’re new to the brand and especially if you have dry skin. With your face, lips, under eyes and prep for makeup all taken care of in this kit, you can’t really go wrong. The Water Cream is an all-time fave of mine, it is so hydrating, soft, fast absorbing and never leaves the skin feeling oily or dried out. Highly recommend this set or ones like it from Tatcha.

– Laneige Hydration-To-Go For Normal to Dry Skin Kit; this k-beauty skincare brand is fast becoming my favourite skincare brand! The water-based formulas is a science my skin is absolutely loving. I really enjoy the water bank moisture cream, it is soft, buttery in texture and always soaks so easily into my skin, leaving it feeling hydrated and soft each application, the magic is that it lasts so long! If you follow my page on Instagram, you’ll know that I’m a huge fan of the multi deep cleanser, well this kit has a terrific moisturising cleanser as well and it always leaves my face feeling so supple. If you have normal-to-dry skin, I highly recommend this.


Thank you for reading and checking out my part one of the Coco and Chino’s Holiday Gift Guide 2020. Stay tuned for another part to the guide and a further post on these featured products for a more in-depth look.

Where to next?