What's On My Christmas Wishlist

by Sara - 18:30

I have to say, right after my birthday, Christmas is one of my favourites times of the year. There's just something about cold weather, scarves and seeing everything decorated in fairy lights that really warms my heart (along with a cup of hot cocoa). Of course, Christmas, much like my birthday, means I get to splurge a little bit more on myself than I usually would (and the holiday kits don't exactly help in curbing my enthusiasm either!).

However, if you're anything like me, you don't usually go for impulse buys, so wishlists play a major role in making sure you spend those extra bucks on something worthwhile that won't have you pinning for something else a week later. That's why I'm sharing my Christmas wishlist (and also because I'm pretty sure my mom isn't going to remember any of the makeup I've been pointing out whenever we're at the mall and maybe this way she'll know what to get me without me tagging along with her and ruin my own surprise!)

Zara Grey Marl Soft Coat (29,95€) - I remember trying this coat in store a couple of months ago and I instantly fell in love with it (despite it running very small, I need a XXL and I usually go for an L). The name says it all, it's a ridiculously soft material that is surprisingly warm and not as stiff in structure as some of these type of coats tend to be. Plus, all of my fall/winter coats are in either black or other dark clothes, so a light colour like this one will be a perfect addition to my wardrobe for the cold months ahead!

H&M Light Grey Marl Knitted Polo-Neck Jumper (29,99€) - After getting my over the knee boots, I realised I was seriously lacking more fall/winter dresses in my wardrobe to go with my current aesthetic. For someone as tall as I am, finding dresses that are long enough to cover my bum and not go past my knees is a real quest, but I finally found one in store at H&M! Despite the website claiming it's a jumper, you can clearly see it's a dress in the pictures and I'm seriously considering buying both the grey and the beige versions!

Pull&Bear Ripped Denim Pinafore Dress (22,99€) - This isn't really very high in my list of priorities, but I decided to add it anyways, because I love combining these sort of dresses with knitted jumpers with puffy sleeves? Also, this is the kind of item that is good all year round, no matter what the weather is like, so it's always a good investment if you find the right shape to fit you nicely!

Kiehl's Ultra Facial Toner 75ml (9,90€) - I always steered away from Kiehl's due to the price, I just never felt like it was something in my reach. Then I discovered their website and found out they sold smaller, more affordable versions of their products and I began swooning over their Ultra Facial Toner that I hear so many people with dry skin rave about. If I get the chance, I'm definitely picking it up this Christmas!

MQBeauty Nexa Lite (15,95€) - I've been lusting over the Nexa Lite for more than a year now, but I never got around to purchase it, especially ever since I got into my makeup ban, so I had no reason to order anything from Maquillalia. However, lately my skin is acting up again due to the colder weather, so I feel like I really need something that will give me an extra hand, so I'm definitely getting this a try before the year ends!

The Ordinary Glycolic Acid 7% Toning Solution (8,70€) - I originally wanted the Pixi toner everybody raves about, but due to the price and limited shipping options, I decided to try The Ordinary's version instead (if I ever find it in stock online, that is!). If not, I'll probably give Freedom's version a try instead, since it's in the same price range and has pretty good reviews (plus it's actually available online, unlike The Ordinary's).

L'oréal Paraside Extatic Mascara (aka Lash Paradise, 9,99€) - I've had my ups and downs with Too Faced's Better Than Sex mascara in the past. I've always adored what it does for my lashes, it makes them so wispy and perfect, it's hard to not love it. My only issue with it is the way it transfers to my under eye halfway through my day, ruining my makeup look altogether. After hearing everybody and their dog rave about the L'Oréal dupe (and especially after hearing Tati on Youtube raving about the longevity), I figured I should give this a shot and see if I get luckier than I did with Too Faced.

Jefree Star Velour Liquid Lipstick in Baby Daddy (19€) - This is a tricky one. I've been having a hard time convincing myself into trying out Jefree Star's makeup, mostly because I really don't like him as a person. I don't support him and I don't want to in the future, which is why I never bought any of his liquid lipsticks, despite hearing everybody I follow on social media rave about them. I've managed to talk myself out of buying them so far, finding dupes for the colours I wanted in less problematic brands. Then he launched Baby Daddy and I fell in love with the light tan shade that is straight out of the 90's. It's exactly the kind of brown nude I've been wanting to try and never find anywhere, so I might give in and give this one a go unless I'm able to find a good colour dupe!

Kat Von D Everlasting Liquid Lipstick Mini Set (45€) - Out of all of the holiday value sets that came out at Sephora (the Portuguese one, mind you, where the selection is more limited), Kat Von D's was the only one that caught my attention. I think the value/price ratio is pretty amazing on this one, you're getting 8 shades for 45€ (at the french website, it's around 46,95€ in Portugal). Each mini is pretty decent sized too, they all have around 3ml of product, while the full size has 6,6ml. I've done the math and the kit's value is around 72€, so you're getting a 25€ discount and the opportunity to try out eight shades all at once. What's there not to like? Probably the fact neither Lolita nor Bow n Arrow made the cut, but I can manage. (and if my mom is reading this, don't forget to use my Sephora card to gimme some extra points if you buy this!)

Essence Blending Brush (1,89€) - I'm always lacking eye brushes, for some reason. I swear they just disappear into thin air. Essence brushes tend to be pretty good for the price point, so I'll probably pick up a few more to join the ones in my collection. The blending brush is very good for blending those edges, but it's not dense enough to properly pack product into your crease, so keep that in mind. But it's not like we can ever have too many blending brushes, right?

Makeup Revolution Flawless 3 (10,99€) - The hardest time I had making this wishlist was probably when it came to picking out only one eyeshadow palette. I've been wanting a warm tone palette for ages, but I never seem to find the perfect one. It's either too pricey, too matte, too shimmery, too all over the place, etc etc. Although I was first considering getting Zoeva's Caramel Melange, I felt like I'd still be lacking shades, so instead I decided to go with MUR's Flawless 3. I already own Beyond Flawless, it's still a favourite of mine even after two years of use, so I figured the formula will be the same in both palettes, so I know what I'll be working with. I love the colour selection to bits, it's exactly what I've been searching for (maybe I've just been searching for ABH Modern Renaissance?). My only gripe with it is the fact there aren't enough shimmery lid shades, for my taste at least, but again, I can manage.

Maybelline Colour Tattoo in On and On Bronze and Metallic Pomegranate (5,95€) - These have been on my wishlist ever since I first stumbled upon makeup in general. There's no good reason why I haven't given them a try, really. Just a mix of lack of stock and opportunity, I suppose? Anyways, I figured these two shades would go beautifully with MUR's Flawless 3, shade wise, and they'd add some much needed shimmer to my lids, so I'm definitely buying all of those together!

Now, obviously, I'm not buying everything that's in this wishlist. This is just a quick guide for me and my family for the holidays, plus it's a good way for you guys to get some inspiration to get you in the mood for some Christmas shopping! Let me know if you're adding any of these to your wishlist and if there's something I should add to mine in the comments below.