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From mascara and lipstick to fake tan and body mouse, crack open one of these gifts at the table this year
Crackers have a bad reputation for tacky, plastic trinkets that seem to disappear into the void the moment you’ve cleared Christmas dinner.
For something with a little more substance, thankfully the beauty industry has put its own spin on the festive tradition.
Like a smaller version of a beauty advent calendar, a beauty Christmas cracker tends to hide miniature versions of some of our favourite cosmetic products. Much better than another pack of cards.
For those purchasing their first beauty crackers, finding the perfect one can be tricky. Although considerably cheaper than a beauty advent calendar, they hold the same appeal.
Travel-size products are the perfect way to discover new items you may otherwise never have tried. However, there’s still the same risk of ending up with mini products you’ll never use. To prevent that, we tried the most exciting crackers on sale this Christmas to find those worth the money.
While we wanted something aesthetically pleasing for the dinner table, we also wanted it to just as effectively double up as a stocking filler or Secret Santa gift. We held every product inside to the same standard as anything else in our beauty routine.
Minus points for anything gimmicky or unnecessary – each item needed to be something we would realistically purchase again in the future.
You can trust our independent reviews. We may earn commission from some of the retailers, but we never allow this to influence selections, which are formed from real-world testing and expert advice. This revenue helps to fund journalism across The Independent.
For a drop of luxury after Christmas dinner, Oskia’s restoration oil is one of the best on the market. A unique blend of nutrient-rich floral oils, extracts and natural actives, a small amount tapped into clean skin morning and night helps lock in moisture without clogging your pores. Our tester’s skin felt soothed and replenished, even after several days of walking in freezing cold, dry weather.
A “fresh-off-vacation" golden glow seems like a tall order in 2020, but Isle of Paradise has got you covered. This cracker contains a 100ml version of the tanning brand’s famous self-tanning water in the shade medium. Even the worst self-tanners can’t mess this up – simply mist the product all over your face and body, blend with a mitt and you’re good to go. It’s colour-correcting and doesn’t use a guide colour which, for the fake tan illiterate, means no risk of blocked pores or orange marks on your duvet. Just one use left our tester glowier than she’d been since the distant days of 2019. Travel ban who? The brand also made it to our round-up of the best fake tans, so you’ll be in good hands with this one.
You can always count on Clarins for good quality classics. Thankfully it packaged two of its best into this year’s cracker – the wonder perfect 4D mascara and Joli rouge lipstick in the shade soft berry. Both are travel-size but pack as much punch as the full-size editions. The mascara has a very thick consistency, which means you need to layer it quickly to avoid clumping, but gave our tester fluttery, thick lashes. We’ve always loved the Joli lipsticks and soft berry is one of its prettiest shades – a dusky, neutral pink that suits just about everyone. Everything you need for a simple seasonal look.
It only contains one product, but this cracker is a doozy. Its wild vanilla orchid perfume is a completely irresistible blend of vanilla bean, cashmeran and ambroxan, which combine to create a sweet yet musky scent. Although it is a 10ml travel-size edition, we loved how easy it was to freshen up on the go when using it. An added bonus: all the packaging is 100 per cent recyclable.
Months of hand sanitiser use and cold weather have taken their toll and our hands are in deep need of some TLC. Each of the six crackers in this multi-pack contains one of Body Shop’s 30ml scented hand creams, which sink quickly into the skin to provide extreme hydration. We love every single scent, but our favourite is almond milk and honey – we couldn’t stop sniffing our hands afterwards.
We love everything from L’Occitane but especially its hand creams, so we were pleased to discover that each of these four crackers contains a variation of its signature line. Every cracker also contains a second gift from a choice of cherry blossom, almond or “aromachologie” shower gel, or the shea butter shower oil. As you can imagine, everything smells incredible. However, the cherry blossom shower gel and hand cream have one of the most addictive scents ever, while the shea butter oil leaves your skin baby smooth. Unlike some crackers, these are also a very cost-effective pick. This set is currently out of stock, but you can sign up for email notifications.
There are four scents to choose from for this year’s Jo Loves cracker – fig, tuberose, grapefruit and vetiver. The latter is our top choice. Blending vetiver, cardamom and juniper, it’s a warm and welcoming scent that most closely aligns with the festive season. Packaged simply with red bows, this cracker contains a “fragrance graffiti" body spray version of the perfume. The notes lasted just as long and attracted plenty of compliments. We especially liked the added touch of the ball bearing, which mimics the sound of a graffiti aerosol can as you spray. You can sign up to be notified when it’s back in stock.
With a moisture infusion lip gloss and sheer light illuminator, this contains everything you need to glow up on Christmas morning. The latter is a very sheer formula, reflecting light to give a luminescent sheen on the high points of your face. We were most impressed by the lip gloss – shiny without being sticky, it comes in the flattering, deep-nude shade, dusk. Both items are travel-size.
We were excited to open this cracker, mainly because the mini products inside have such exciting names. First up, the crackling body mousse – scented with white lily and peach, it has a unique crackling and cooling effect on your skin. While this isn’t ideal in the winter, we can imagine it being a godsend in the hotter months. The second gift is the playable shower foam. Much fruitier thanks to the combo of flamingo flower and grapefruit, this does what it says on the tin – it has a malleable consistency, which you can sculpt in the shower. We were unashamedly very entertained by this. This is probably the most unique offering on this list.
The perfect solution to winter dryness, Caudalie has treated us to a combo of its “vinosource” SOS thirst-quenching serum, moisturising sorbet and lip conditioner. While all three play their part in boosting hydration, nothing beats the serum. A little goes a long way, infusing skin with a dose of hyaluronic acid, antioxidants and soothing grape water to leave it plump and fresh. Our tester’s dry patches transformed overnight. Aesthetically, this is probably also the most festive of the bunch.
Our favourite was the Oskia cracker, which provides skincare buffs with the most practical and luxurious gift at a relatively low price. If you’re looking for make-up, we also recommend the Nude By Nature twinkle cracker, while the Rituals playful small treat is great for anyone wanting something a bit different.
If you’re still present hunting, we’ve found the best gifts for coffee lovers and gift ideas for the bookworm in your life
