The Coolest Limited-Edition Beauty Collaborations To Buy This Christmas

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Dermalogica's latest collab sees the brand team up with street artist Kelsey Montague for it's limited-edition holiday collection. Photo / Supplied

TAKE IT TO THE STREETS
New for 2019, premium skincare label Dermalogica has teamed up with street artist Kelsey Montague for its limited-edition Holiday Collection. Every interactive mural Kelsey creates aims to inspire communities and invite them to become part of the picture by sharing their experiences on social media. With this in mind, the brand tapped Kelsey to design the artwork wrapping six of their holiday offerings.

From best-selling hero products to its latest skincare innovations, Dermalogica's holiday sets are priced from $31 to $159 and include a mixture of travel minis and full-sized products. The Dermalogica x Kelsey Montague will be available from authorised Dermalogica skin centres, department stores, Life Pharmacies and online at Dermalogica.co.nz until December 31 (or while stocks last).

L'Oreal Paris' collaboration with Karl Lagerfeld ensures his stylish legacy lives on in the form of chic palettes and French-inspired lipstick bullets. Photo / Supplied
L'Oreal Paris' collaboration with Karl Lagerfeld ensures his stylish legacy lives on in the form of chic palettes and French-inspired lipstick bullets. Photo / Supplied

AN OLDIE BUT A GOODIE 
Who hasn't heard of or used the trusty Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream? The multi-purpose skin salve that's been recommended for decades performs as well as ever, but now it's also looking better than ever thanks to a vibrant makeover. Internationally acclaimed illustrator Olimpia Zagnoli has turned her hand to designs for the cream and Eight Hour lip products, after previously having had her bold silhouettes seen in The New Yorker magazine and featured in past collaborations with the likes of Prada, Uniqlo and Italian food giant Barilla.

“This collaboration was an opportunity to reinterpret a classic,” she says. “For someone who works with symbols every day, it's like having the chance to transform the Eiffel Tower of beauty.” The Eight Hour x Olimpia Zagnoli Limited Edition will be available from December 19, just in time to pack in the beach bag. Find the skin protectant, $37, and the lip protectant SPF15 in 3 shades, $43 each, at Elizabeth Arden counters at Farmers and pharmacies.

Twinkle twinkle - Prepare to dazzle with Nars' new Studio 54-inspired collection. Photo / Supplied
Twinkle twinkle - Prepare to dazzle with Nars' new Studio 54-inspired collection. Photo / Supplied

ARTFUL INSPIRATION
A shared love of art, colour and beauty saw global beauty brand Kiehl's collaborate with Helsinki-based graphic artist Janine Rewell on its latest holiday offering. The limited-edition collection sees six of Kiehl's much-loved products, as well as a selection of gift boxes and tote bags, adorned with Janine's whimsical, colourful designs. This includes cult favourites Crème de Corps, from $59; Midnight Recovery Concentrate, $95; and Ultra Facial Cream, $54; to name but a few.

Janine is the latest artist to have teamed up with the brand for its holiday packaging, with previous talent including the likes of Jeff Koons, Mickey Mouse, KAWS, Kenny Scharf, Peter Max, Jeremyville, and Kate Moross. The Kiehl’s Holiday collection is available from selected Kiehl’s boutiques, Farmers and Smith & Caughey’s stores.

No one does kitsch bath products quite like Lush, and this year's Christmas-themed launches do not disappoint. Photo / Supplied
No one does kitsch bath products quite like Lush, and this year's Christmas-themed launches do not disappoint. Photo / Supplied

THAT'S A WRAP 
Mecca stores take Christmas to the next level with their large range of covetable beauty brands offering special holiday season items dressed to the nines. Case in point, the Nars Studio 54 collection which is disco dazzling in sequinned and sparkly packaging.

Other standouts include pretty as a picture illustrated palettes from Laura Mercier. From the selection of sets, worth noting is Chantecaille’s Wild Pairs: Cheek & Lip Duos. This shows some of the animals the American-French brand has supported over the years, with the latest philanthropic contribution going to support Monarch butterflies. Worth a mention also is the colourful packaging for Mecca’s own house brand collection, which for the fifth year has been done in collaboration with a female artist.

Australian Tammy Kanat, whose creativity includes jewellery design and weaving, is behind the colourful look of the 2019 packaging seen on Mecca Cosmetica’s Holiday ranges. Close-up imagery of her exuberant and organic work with fibres is also shown on cardboard gift boxes which you certainly won’t want to put in the recycle bin.

As part of its annual collaboration championing women artists Mecca contributes to the acquisition of a major work for the National Gallery of Victoria's permanent collection. Tammy's Circles of Life tapestry series, which features on the Christmas packaging, has been acquired by the Melbourne gallery and is on show there until the end of March, 2020. See Meccabeauty.co.nz 

Stars take centre stage for this year's M.A.C holiday offering, including this vibrant lipstick kit or the brand's star-shaped advent calendar. Photo / Supplied
Stars take centre stage for this year's M.A.C holiday offering, including this vibrant lipstick kit or the brand's star-shaped advent calendar. Photo / Supplied

ECO ANSWER
Lush is another brand making a special effort with its Christmas goodies, using organic banana fibre for some wrappers and trying glitter made from dehydrated seaweed flakes, because this is plastic-free and biodegrades. Natural glitter, from mica, can also be problematic depending on how it was sourced through mining which in some countries involves child labour. The wrap is sourced from workers in Zambia, helping provide them with an income stream and to alleviate poverty. Organic Cotton and recycled bottles are also being used to make Lush's Knot Wraps for gifts as another reusable alternative. Serious stuff aside, Lush is also putting fun into Christmas with its sparkly shower gels and seasonal bath bombs, bubble bars and soaps. See Nz.lush.com

Mecca's limited-edition holiday offering comes in painterly packaging designed by Australian artist Tammy Kanat. Photo / Supplied
Mecca's limited-edition holiday offering comes in painterly packaging designed by Australian artist Tammy Kanat. Photo / Supplied

THANK YOUR LUCKY STARS 
Glitter and shine feature in M.A.C's Christmas kits from cosmetic purses to embossed lipsticks carrying star patterns. We show the Stars Lipstick Kit in Vibrant, $60. Fans snap these sorts of sets up because they are good value, but the real news from the brand lately is that its everyday prices have been cut. This applies to a range of popular items, including standard lipsticks down from $40 to $35.

The price drop, effective from mid-November, is an effort to deliver competitive prices while dealing with fluctuating exchange rates and business costs, M.A.C says. "Your 'love mark' products that M·A·C lipstick that is your signature tone, your everyday mascara or your favourite daily eyeshadow are now heroes that you can purchase at locally competitive pricing," says senior artist Kiekie Stanners. See Maccosmetics.com

Kiehl's Creme de Corps is one of six products to get a holiday makeover, thanks to renowned graphic artist Janine Rewell. Photo / Supplied
Kiehl's Creme de Corps is one of six products to get a holiday makeover, thanks to renowned graphic artist Janine Rewell. Photo / Supplied

THE REIGN CONTINUES 
Nine months since uber designer Karl Lagerfeld died, the range he was working on with L'Oreal Paris finally came to fruition. With its smart black packaging its bound to appeal to those wanting a taste of affordable designer style for Christmas. The makeup collaboration with his namesake fashion house which he designed for as well as masterminding Chanel  is an affordable and evocative collection.

It’s also a reminder of how the pioneering Kaiser of fashion was never averse to working with mass market brands. He was early to twig to the power of collaborations building the worldwide awareness of prestige brands, prompting other designers to follow suit in working with the likes of H&M.  The Karl Lagerfeld x L’Oreal collection include palettes for face and eyes, colourful liners and lipsticks. The lipstick lids carry an embossed logo showing a profile of Lagerfeld, complete with his signature slicked back pony tail.

Maison Karl Lagerfeld’s head of image and communication Caroline Lebar said of the launch: “This line of makeup truly reflects the Karl Lagerfeld brand universe and what Karl loved in makeup he often used eyeshadows as colours in his sketches.” Find the collection, priced from $25 at Farmers and pharmacies.

Kiwi beauty YouTuber ShaaanXO has just launched a palette on XO Beauty Shop. Photo / Supplied
Kiwi beauty YouTuber ShaaanXO has just launched a palette on XO Beauty Shop. Photo / Supplied

SHAAANXO'S TRUE COLOURS
New Zealand's most successful  influencer, the beauty vlogger Shannon Harris  otherwise known as Shaaanxo  is extending her commercial reach with her first palette. The Heaps of Sweets eyeshadow selection is a candy store of colour and adds to her growing xobeauty line which began with brushes and lashes. As well as selling brands she rates, Shannon has been developing her lines for lips and now eyes. See Xobeautyshop.com

DIGI DESIGNS
Boutique Karangahape Rd salon Colleen is branching out into the world of e-commerce. Founder Lauren Gunn  one of New Zealand's top stylists with a track record in backstage fashion, television and editorial work is a proud localist, celebrating the creative corner of Auckland she works. But she wanted more New Zealanders to have access to the sort of independent brands she rates, hence the new venture.

"Colleen aims to bring you the best and coolest hair brands from around the corner, across the ditch and around the globe; and deliver the latest know-how and insights into your hair and its unique quirks," says Lauren. She's a firm believer in fuss-free style and hairdresser-created products that are big on performance and ingredient integrity. Lauren can also lay claim to being the woman responsible for cutting Westie TV character Cheryl West's shaggy mullet! Check out the new website and its savvy advice at Colleen.nz.

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