Holiday 2024 Shopping Advice Thread: What’s in Your Basket?

[TeamBIC]

It's tiiiiiiiime: the holiday season is upon us! ✨ And here in the Beauty Insider Community, we believe it’s never too early to start building that basket. 😉 This thread can serve as your destination for getting – and giving! – unbiased shopping advice all season long, whether you’re grabbing gifts for others, or just looking to scoop up a few beauty steals for yourself! Either way, you’ve come to the right place to swap beauty recs with your fellow Community members, show off what you’ve added to your basket so far, and get help making those hard purchase decisions… and don’t forget to share all your beautiful unboxings, swatches, and more! 🎁❄

Don’t be shy! Hit the reply button below. What are you adding to your basket this holiday season? Be sure to tag any products you mention using the “#” sign!

[faeriegirl]

Beautiful blushes @iamlolacartier!

[CynthieLu]

Those blushes look so good @iamlolacartier 💯☺️

[itsfi]

@iamlolacartier, the color payoff of the shades in the Patrick Ta and One/Size are excellent! 😍

[CorgiMommy]

That Patrick Ta blush has been a favorite on BIC @iamlolacartier 

[itsfi]

Made my list, and have checked it twice. 😉 

Tried-and-True Must Haves:

• Dr. Jart+ Ceramidin™ Skin Barrier Moisturizing Cream 1.7 oz / 50 mL generally comes out in the winter but has, in the last year, been something I reach for nearly year round, except for the summer months. I finished a tube last week and ran to pick up a travel size to tie me over until the sale. One of my GOAT (Greatest Of All Times) moisturizer. 🐐
• EADEM Milk Marvel Dark Spot Serum with Niacinamide and Vitamin C 1 oz/ 30 mL is a go-to for helping to fade away dark spots. 
• Hanni Water Balm Instant Hydration Body Moisturizer Mist 6.76 oz / 200 mL - this'll be my third bottle - makes it easy and convenient out of the shower to add some much needed hydration 
• Gucci Brume de Beauté Beauty Mist 2.7 oz / 80 mL - I've stopped counting how many bottles I've purchased of this beauty
• Sephora Collection Masks - there are a few I want to pick up for myself and as gift to others/stocking stuffers - SEPHORA COLLECTION Nourishing & Repairing Hand Mask and SEPHORA COLLECTION Nourishing & Repairing Foot Mask 
• K18 Biomimetic Hairscience Leave-In Molecular Repair Hair Mask 1.7 oz/ 50 mL - a little of this stuff goes a long way. I can probably hold off until next year’s savings event but may pick up a back up now.
• Voluspa spa set - VOLUSPA 12 Day Candle Advent Calendar - this year's packaging (and votive scents) are different from previous years and includes some of their newer scents as well as their classic ones. Makes for a great gift for family, friends or yourself.

BIC Inspired:

• Ami Colé Hydrating Lip Treatment Oil - Midnight Kiss Duo Set - I already purchased this, @danielledanielle. Oops? No, that's a yessssss!!! While I have a few loved lip oils, Ami Cole's lip oils are my hands down favorite. 
• DIOR Dior Forever Couture Luminizer Highlighter Powder - this one I actually found while going through some things, @heartsmyface! Now, to see if I can get this to give me that lovely glow it gives you. 

SEPHORiA Inspired:

• SEPHORA COLLECTION Cream Lip Stain 10HR Liquid Lipstick - there are a couple shades I have my eye on, including one I was matched to during this year's SEPHORiA in Atlanta. I need to go in store to swatch some of the shades on my list.
• The 7 Virtues Candied Lychee Eau de Parfum Travel Spray 0.34 oz / 10ml eau de parfum spray - picked this one up recently as well. I'm not doing so good a job at holding off as I thought I would. 😅
• Valentino Born in Roma Rendez-Vous The Gold Donna Eau de Parfum 3.4 oz / 100 mL eau de parfum spray - it’ll be a good one for fall and winter, all year round, actually. 

New-To-Me: 

• 1-2 items from the Sarah Creal brand - I actually placed an order for a couple of lip products when the brand first launched at Sephora but they were sent back by the carrier because the package was damaged in transit 😟 Customer Service was very helpful and offered to send out replacements asap but I elected to just get a refund with the idea that I'd pick up the items later in the year, like during the sale. 
• ISDIN Eryfotona Ageless Ultralight Tinted Mineral Sunscreen SPF 50 1.7 oz / 50 ml - it's a new tinted sunblock and since I'm a fan of sunblock, I thought I'd give it a try.

Maybe (?): 

• TOM FORD Eye Color Quad Eyeshadow Palette Black Diamond even though another eyeshadow palette is not something I need. 😉 I'll try to hold off on this one, @blackkitty2014, but I can't make any promises.  
• MAKE UP FOR EVER Mini Artist To Go Eyeshadow Palettes 606 Wherever Walnut is one I really find myself interested in every time I pass the MUFE display in store. 🤔
• MAKEUP BY MARIO SurrealSkin™ Talc-Free Soft Blur Setting Powder - if @Mellmars1185 picks this up and gives it her thumbs up, I'll pick it up too.

This should be it ... for now. I have a feeling I'll be making adjustments to this list once the event kicks off next month @TeamBIC. And, by adjustments, it'll probably be additions to the list. 🤣 In fact, I'm sure there'll be several ... adjustments ... as I read through everyone's posts here. 

Happy shopping, BIC!

[faeriegirl]

Excellent list @itsfi ! I really liked the Makeup by Mario powder when they applied it on me at Sephoria. I will most likely get it when my givenchy runs out.

[itsfi]

@faeriegirl, thank you. Just a few more days until the 1st! 🛍️ 

[curlychiquita]

Fabulous list, @itsfi!

[itsfi]

@curlychiquita, thank you. Counting the days until Friday! 🛍️ 

[blackkitty2014]

Hahaha great list @itsfi . TF Black Diamond is very similar to the one from last year. So if you have the one from last year you can skip Black Diamond. 😘

[itsfi]

lol, @blackkitty2014. I have plenty to keep me busy and if I'm remembering right, there will be other releases coming out. 😲 My plan is to finalize my list of gifts for others and then I'll rethink some of the items I really don't need but continue to eye. 🤣 I inevitably have something on my gift list that I think I'll want for myself as well. 

[Samtian]

@itsfi welp adding some of those to my wishlist. Have you tried the VOLUSPA Japonica Foraged Wildberry Large Jar Candle 18 oz / 510 g 

[itsfi]

@Samtian, the Voluspa foraged wildberry smells good - I have a  mini from a gwp and the large jar. The cold throw is strong on it and the throw when lit is also really good, not as strong which I don't mind at all. Ooouh, what are you adding to your list?

[Samtian]

@itsfi That sounds amazing! I added the advent calendar and the Valentino spray. 

[itsfi]

Yaaaay! Those are both beauties @Samtian. I will be very interested to hear your thoughts on all the scents. 

D'oh, I reaized I didn't get into detail about the notes of Foraged Wilberries - I'm so sorry. To my nose, it's a blend of woodsy (not earthy or dirt-like) and berries. I can't pinpoint the actually berry scent - it's not a strawberry or a raspberry scent, not blueberry nor cranberry either. I think that leaves (as far as my fruit berry knowledge goes), blackberries, boysenberries, mulberries, gooseberries, goji berries, lingonberries and there are a host more I don't know. I have a carton of blackberries in the fridge and will try to compare that scent with the candle when I get home later tonight.  

[Samtian]

@itsfi That candle sounds amazing. Someday I'll try them haha. They just going on the general wislist, not shopping list. 

[CorgiMommy]

That Tom Ford quad looks like a winner @itsfi 

[itsfi]

@CorgiMommy, the quad is beautiful, isn’t it? If I pick it up, my wallet will not consider it a win, lol 💸💸💸 Though I suspect I can find a gift cart or reward points to help soften that blow. 

[Mellmars1185]

@itsfi Fantastic list. How are you liking the The 7 Virtues Candied Lychee Eau de Parfum Travel Spray 0.34 oz / 10ml eau de parfum spray ?

[itsfi]

@Mellmars1185, earlier in the year, Kayali introduced a lychee fragrance as did Nest. Lychee is one of my favorite fruits so I tested both and ended up going with the Nest rose and lychee scent. I like the 7 Virtues better. While to me personally it feels like a warm weather scent, I’ve been layering it with 7 Virtues Vanilla Woods and have been enjoying that mix. As I’m writing this, I’m thinking I should layer both the Nest & 7 Virtues scents. Hmmm … 🤔 

[Mellmars1185]

@itsfi That sounds like a great idea. Sometimes certain vanilla scents can give me a bit if a headache. I wonder if layering it with another scent will cut a bit of the vanilla? I will try this out if  l end up picking up the Lychee 7 Virtues during the sale.