Most of our energy here at THE FILE is spent chasing just-got-back-from-a-week-long-yoga-retreat skin. We’ve dabbled in AHAs, been ‘round the retinol block, drunk ourselves silly on beauty elixirs, trialled our way through a million cleansers to find our favourites, and picked the brains of dermatologists the world over—but that certainly doesn’t minimise our love for makeup. In fact, I’d go so far as to say we froth makeup just as much as the next beauty-obsessed gal, if not more—especially during this silly time of year.

When it comes to makeup, nothing compares to Chanel (to borrow a phrase from ultimate #kween, Sinéad O’Connor). I’ve already proved myself a Stage 5 clinger when it comes to its Le Vernis Nail Gloss (I can’t live, if living is without you—remember? Nor can I declare my love for a beauty product without ripping lyrics from iconic 90s songs, it seems). But my love for Chanel makeup doesn’t just stop there. Oh no, no, no.

The Rouge Allure No. 4 lipstick is the most perfect thing to exist. It makes my lips look fuller than your belly does after Christmas lunch, and the colour is a more vibrant red than the clothes on Santa’s back. The heavenly lipstick also makes me want to be the kind of woman whose love for lipstick is so all-consuming that it’s weaved into my DNA. “She even wore lipstick to the grocery store,” my obituary will read. I also love the Joues Contrastes blush in shade 380 So Close, with its dreamy orange overtones—so much so that it makes me blush myself. When it comes to my eyes, nothing makes them P-O-P more than a lick of Le Volume De Chanel mascara, as well as a few minutes alone with a mirror and the Trait De Caractere eye palette.

There’s a 100% guarantee that your best gal pals will love you way more than they already do if they wake up to a bevvy of Chanel makeup products on Christmas Day. We recommend pairing them with a CD from ya girls Whitney or Sinéad for maximum enjoyment, and to give them the words to describe how much they love their new face-enhancing tools.

Photography, Sarah Adamson.