NOTE WORHTY
No holiday wardrobe is truly complete without a fragrance to match, and Dolce & Gabbana’s newest olfactory find is a perfect spritz to cozy up to this winter. With its sensually feminine bouquet of madonna lily, Italian bergamot, white peach, orange blossom, and vanilla, The One Eau de Toilette—a more powdery and fresh interpretation of the original 2006 eau de parfum—is a charismatic scent ideal for any festive occasion the season may bring. Dolce & Gabbana The One Eau de Toilette is available at sephora.ca.
CRIMSON TIDE
Hats off to Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel for popularizing the everyday red lipstick. Always keen on a classic crimson lip, the legendary Mademoiselle created her own bespoke shade when launching the luxury house’s first lipstick collection back in 1924, and even had a special compartment for her favourite lip colour inside her iconic 2.55 quilted flap bag. This season, Chanel’s global creative makeup and colour director, Lucia Pica, pays tribute to the trailblazing founder’s personal signature with a makeup offering centred around four tailor-made red lipsticks. “There isn’t a dramatic difference between the four lipsticks. It is the undertone which makes all the difference,” explains Pica, who purposely designed the lip quartet (consisting of two matte shades and two with a satin finish) to range from cool to warm in order to flatter a wider range of skin tones. Other components of the 14-piece collection include a 5-shade eyeshadow palette, waterproof eyeliner, powder blush, and three nail lacquers—all in supporting hues, from deep aubergine to intense emerald green, to complement the scarlet lip of your choice. The Chanel Collection Libre 2017: Numéros Rouges is available at chanel.ca.
CREATIVE COLLAB
Meet Clé De Peau Beauté Collection Nuit de Chine, an opulent assortment of three gift sets dressed in the eye-catching artwork of American artist Kathe Fraga. Known for romantic paintings that evoke the hand-painted, timeworn walls and murals of grand old mansions, Fraga’s works are adorned with motifs of birds, flowers, and vines done in a modern chinoiserie style. With packaging and colours inspired by the memorable 2015 “China Through the Looking Glass” art exhibition held at New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art, Clé De Peau’s holiday sets consist of five twist-up eye pencils and a trio of nail colours in rich, jewel-like hues, plus a luminizing skincare set filled with the brand’s cult classics. Whether you’re buying a gift for another or shamelessly self-indulging, every stunning tube and bottle is practically an accessory worth the splurge. The limited-edition Clé De Peau Beauté Collection Nuit de Chine is available at Holt Renfrew stores.
PRESS PLAY
The retro, pixelated graphics say it all. Pioneering Japanese beauty brand Shu Uemura has teamed up with beloved Super Mario Bros. for an extensive holiday collection. With colour- ful packaging featuring a cast of the 1985 video game’s iconic characters, from Super Mario to Princess Peach, the over 25-piece assortment of makeup, skincare, and haircare includes a plethora of playful colour products (think: a dual-ended, star-stamp eyeliner and cushion blushes), and fan favourites like the brand’s signature cleansing oils. Get ready—it’s time for the ultimate beauty adventure. The Shu Uemura x Super Mario Bros holiday collection is available at shuuemura.ca.
FOUNTAIN OF YOUTH
French line Biologique Recherche has dutifully carved its well-earned place in the world of luxury skincare with its ongoing, clinical-based approach to youthful skin and effective products. Now, through its latest innovation, La Grande Crème, the brand has figured out for the first time how to package and deliver EpigenActiv, a breakthrough peptide that acts on epidermal growth factor (EGF) receptors found in skin, which are essential for stimulating cell regeneration and collagen production. With its hero ingredient working in tandem with antiox- idant-rich peony extract, firming elderflower, and pigment-correcting white tea, among others, La Grande Crème’s powerful formula can be used both day and night to even skin tone, combat sagging facial skin and wrinkles, and strengthen skin’s protective barrier against environ- mental aggressors. Biologique Recherche La Grand Crème is available at one2oneonline.com as of January 2018.