Feature
| Karin Bylund

The Sybarite’s Christmas Gift Guide – Part II

This is the second part of The Sybarite’s Christmas Gift Guide (click here to read the first part), written not from a press release, but by someone looking for the same thing that you are – Christmas gifts for that special someone.

Acqua di Parma
Scents: Magnolia Nobile Special Edition and Acqua di Parma Colonia

We don’t know about you, but when we first encountered Acqua di Parma’s special edition titled Magnolia Nobile, we were captivated in an instant. In fact, we didn’t even know it was an Acqua di Parma scent until we asked a stranger who told us her friend had bought it for her. Sometimes it is one of those moments, carried by word of mouth.

This is one of those scents that embody sweetness, innocence, elegance and understated luxury. In fact, it has become the signature scent of one of our team members, and The Sybarite can see why. There is no hidden message with this scent – it’s a garden full of aromas, including rose, jasmine and tuberose over base notes of vanilla, sandalwood, patchouli and vetiver, leaving you with a scent that is sweet and citrusy. The result is mesmerizing.

The limited edition is dedicated to the Magnolia Nobile, ‘a flower of luminous beauty and elegant fragrance’.

We also tried Acqua di Parma’s Colonia, their signature fragrance and arguably their most popular. It evokes a scent that is citrusy, fresh and woody, as if you had just come out of the shower. We recommend it as the perfect starter fragrance for someone looking to try out Acqua di Parma; however, we just can’t get over Magnolia Nobile.

Charlotte Tilbury

Charlotte Tilbury
Products: Colour Chameleon (black), Magic Foundation, The Sophisticate Eye kit, Brow Lift Brooke S

Perfect for New Year’s Eve is the wonderful Charlotte Tilbury selection that we have handpicked for a ‘smoking’ night out. With a plethora of makeup brands to choose from, we found Charlotte Tilbury’s line to be among the most raved about – especially the brow pencils, which are highly recommended by customers.

For our selection, we have chosen the Magic Foundation, the Colour Chameleon eye pencil in black, the Sophisticate Eye Kit and the Brow Lift Brooke S. These items complement one another perfectly, creating a sultry-yet-elegant look. All that’s missing is your favourite red lipstick.

This Christmas, Charlotte Tilbury has also created The Tilbury Treasure Chest which Tilbury put together especially for gifting purposes: ‘Makeup can be a very hard gift to get right. So this Holiday Season, Charlotte wants to empower everyone to be able to confidently gift makeup magic to the people they treasure the most.’

The Christmas gift range comes in three tiers, with Tier 1 featuring Tilbury Trinkets, such as: ‘[Charlotte’s] solution to quick, easy cat eyes for every eye colour and skin tone. By popular demand from her YouTube followers, Charlotte has created four brand new eye shadow and eye liner duos of a Nocturnal Cat Eye Shadow and mini Rock n Kohl pencil to make your eyes come alive at night.’

Tier 2 includes a range of carefully selected lip liners and lipsticks for an expert finish, while Tier 3 is all about the whole look, provided in a range of complete makeup kits that can achieve Tilbury’s secret looks.

True Nature Botanicals

True Nature Botanicals
Products: Pacific Balancing Oil and Pacific Face Serum

What we admire about True Nature Botanicals – besides their products – is their core values: ‘Serious luxury. Superior results. No toxins. Not ever.’ Their skincare line refuses to give the customer any less than their skin deserves. They use ‘ingredients that are biomimetic, in other words they mimic what’s naturally going on in the skin’.

We tried out their signature Pacific Balancing Oil, which contains a wholesome amount of potent oils and absolutely no water or pore-clogging toxins. Extracting oils is no easy feat, but True Nature Botanicals has made it their mission to include ingredients that provide the face with beneficial vitamins and fatty acids. Think of it as nourishing your skin beyond the outer layers – essentially, your body feeds off it.

Although the Pacific Balancing Oil is formulated for blemish-prone skin, we used it together with the Pacific Face Serum, and the combination couldn’t have worked better. So what is in it?

The Pacific Balancing Oil includes antibacterial and anti-inflammatory ingredients such as helichrysum and black cumin seed oils, which aid in soothing and calming skin. The marine essential fatty acids feature a strong concentration of Omega-3, which helps the face replenish nutrients and retain moisture.

The Pacific Face Serum suits all skin types and contains Pacific Marine Bioactive Peptides™ from algaes and seaweeds to nourish the skin, while lacto-ceramides keep moisture locked in and toxins out. Applied together with the Pacific Face Oil, we found that the skin became refreshed and soothed, resulting in a brighter complexion during this cold season.

With more research on True Nature Botanicals, we found that it wasn’t just any skincare line. It’s more personal than that. Founder Hillary Peterson is a thyroid cancer and melanoma survivor who is raising the bar in how science and high-impact ingredients combine to create serious, quality blends. It’s no wonder that the likes of Vogue and Forbes have also raved about the brand.

These are not just any Christmas skincare gifts – these are gifts that are derived from pure nature that have been clinically tested to ensure they work. As skin type varies from individual to individual, True Nature Botanicals have a vial to suit every skin condition. The best bit? You get 30 days to try it and if you’re not satisfied, you can get a refund.

Just Pure

Just Pure
Product: Ayurveda Chai gift box – Detox Salt Bath, Honey Milk Bath, Spice Tea

If you’re looking for a nourishing body-care product that is perfect for Christmas, look no further than Just Pure’s spa products, which come from their day spa in Munich, Germany.

When we think of Just Pure, we are brought back to spices, herbs, barnyards and country chic. We tried their Amyris Vanille Body Conditioner (complemented by the cleansing milk) and the Ayurveda Chai gift box. Needless to say, we felt as if we had just come out of their spa.

These lotions and sets are just perfect during the winter, especially since they are made with amyris oil. The oil is a remedy for chafing and decubitus and is supposed to bolster the immune system.

We absolutely loved the warm vanilla scents of the Ayurveda Chai gift box and the way the products left our skin smooth and moisturized. In terms of packaging, this couldn’t be more festive: Opening a simple white box, you are met with the smell of spiced dried oranges and lemons and you realize that it is the potpourri nestled at the bottom of the box. The Ayurveda Chai box includes a Detox Salt Bath, a Honey Milk Bath and, to top it off, a pack of Spice Tea. The experience is wellbeing made easy, a delightful Christmas treat that will no doubt bring a smile to anyone’s face.

Photography: Kashif H

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