M.A.C's Shiny Pretty Things Christmas collection has the makings of great gifting

Our makeup bag goes through phases, especially during the holiday season. Out goes a couple of stale lippies and cracked pans to make room (albeit temporarily) for fresh festive beauty launches from the brands that win us over solely based on looks. There, we said it. Can you blame us, when brands have gotten so nifty with packaging — designed to be Instagrammed to death, no doubt — it's become the foremost attribute we look out for in a Christmas collection? Let's take the liberty here to blame biology: first impressions are everything, and it's the reason why our eyes did a little dance when M.A.C's Shiny Pretty Things hit our inbox.

Rendering (additional) wrapping irrelevant, the Shiny Pretty packaging echoes the bright lights and wild ornaments you're sure to be bombarded with over the next month or so. We're talking mirrored effects. We're talking the most Christmas-y of Christmas greens and reds. We're talking metallic pouches and gold PVC zip lock bags and iridescent boxes. So shocking, so extra, your haphazard last-minute gifting for the names you swore was on your VIP list would go over their heads.

A closer look would reveal that this one's got the looks and the goods. Offering one of the biggest Christmas line-ups this year, the Shiny Pretty Things smorgasbord live up to its name with 32 products and sets. There's an array of new lip colours and eye palettes hosting shimmery shades, as well as some cult classic red lipsticks from the iconic brand. (We see you, Russian Red.) There's even a highlighter, embossed with those cheap ribbon pull bows we scowl at, yet the design element works on this dimension.

Below, our five top picks — to give or to keep, in no particular order.

Shiny Pretty Things Lip Trio Kit
The kit is packed with some of M.A.C’s most iconic lip shades (Russian Red, Kinda Sexy, and Flat Out Fabulous) in full size, not sad little mini lipsticks we're used to getting from Christmas sets. Though the colours aren’t new, you get three bullet tubes for the price of two, perfect for fans looking to stock up. 

Shiny Pretty Things Eye Party in Rose
The shiny packaging may draw you in, but the shimmery shades should be the reason you add this to your cart. In the curated collection of nine eyeshadows — they range from a matte red-brown shade called Cordial, to a metallic warm rose called Lark Angel, the palette is said to give you all the holiday feels. We'll bite.

Shiny Pretty Things Eye Fix + Party Pack
Solving a major beauty conundrum, minis such as these can help you to streamline the essentials when you're on the road. This comes with three scented travel-sized fixing sprays (rose, lavender and coconut) to prolong your masterpiece. Whether you're attending a blurring number of Christmas parties abroad, or helping a friend narrow down her makeup stash, this trio might just be your saving grace.  

Extra Dimension Skinfinish in Oh Darling
If the word "subtle" isn't part of your highlighter vocabulary, maybe it's time to turn to M.A.C's Extra Dimension Skinfinish. According to the brand, the highlighter is designed to leave a luminous, well-defined finish, and the liquid-powder formula combines both creamy and metallic pigments, which is said to last up to ten hours. Add to cart.

Shiny Pretty Things Goody Bag
These sets serve as all-corners-covered lip kits, suggesting the three-tiered approach for your desired pout. Available in nude and red, each kit is complete with a lip pencil, lipstick and lip gloss for that midnight pucker.