KEY POINTS:
You could spend days, even weeks, being the dutiful daughter/sister/friend trying to find the right present to show them how much you care about them. Or you could head to the nearest beauty counter where all the hard work's been done for you. Difficult to put a foot wrong, really.
1. Clarins Face and Body Gems
$130 for the set
There's a real treasure chest inside this substantial bag which is big enough for even the most skincare-obsessed holidaymaker. There's a 200ml Moisture-Rich Body Lotion, a 100ml Hand and Nail Treatment Cream (brilliant stuff), a 100ml Relax Bath & Shower Concentrate, a 15ml Moisture Quenching Hydra-Care Cream, a 75ml One-Step Gentle Exfoliating Cleanser and 15ml of the legendary Beauty Flash Balm. One way to be popular this Christmas.
* From selected department stores, pharmacies and beauty therapists.
2. Narciso Rodriguez for her
$189 for 100ml eau de toilette
From the Christmas collection, this knockout fragrance comes in a limited edition white bottle that has been painted from the inside. Combines musk, amber, floral and woody notes in a sophisticated, discreet way. All class.
* From Smith & Caughey's.
3. DKNY Red Delicious Men
$92 for 50ml eau de toilette
Something for the men. Be cunning and choose something you too can benefit from. The cute silver-and-red glass apple is so obviously about temptation, especially with ingredients such as cognac, rum, cardamom, bergamot, apple juice liqueur, vanilla vodka, sandalwood, moss and patchouli. Got a lot going for it.
* From selected department stores and pharmacies.
4. Laura Mercier Creme Brulee Honey Bath
$95 for 340g
I'd like to spend my entire holiday soaking in baths with this in them. The body and bath collection gourmande was inspired by French patisseries. No prizes for guessing this smells exactly like creme brulee and honey. It's also moisturising and has lot of good things in it that are beneficial to skin, but that's almost incidental. Total luxury.
* From Smith & Caughey's Queen St.
5. M.A.C Sheer Mystery Powder
$115
From the M.A.Couture story, this one-season-only collection comes in fabulous packaging - gunmetal encrusted with black stones. The compact may weigh more than everything else in your handbag but it will be worth it when you whip it out to retouch. It gives a velvet matt finish with a hint of luminosity, absorbs oil and minimises imperfections.
* From M.A.C Chancery.
