Christmas is nearly here…. Are you all shopped out yet? I’ve completed all my shopping which is unlike me as I am usually scrambling around at the last minute picking up gifts. Although, I still have to wrap everything so I am not out of the water just yet. If you’re still looking for some last minute bits I’ve got a roundup of some of my faves, discount codes and things to look out for in the January sales! Sorry, there are no actual images of the items, my camera seems to have given up and started its Christmas break already!
Beauty
Whether it’s a stocking filler or main gift these beauty items are things I have loved over the year or recently discovered. Sara Miller Beauty is a new find for me but I am loving their tropical prints, beautifully scented creams and pretty sets. I’m particularly loving on their Zebra print bags and the scents of the creams. The cosmetic bags are really something different and eye-catching
You can pick them up at the Sara Miller site, John Lewis or Amazon – the Cherry Blossom & Raspberry Lip Balm (£10.00*) is a must! Well, all of their lip-balms are actually
There are some great beauty sets around this festive season however, they can sometimes cost a fair few quid. Personally, I think it’s always better to get someone a few bits and make a hamper rather than buy a large gift set – sets can have items in that the person won’t use meaning they aren’t actually value for money. Sleek are always one of my faves when it comes to gift sets as they’d tend to stick to small and mid-sized ones, plus you can get them on 3 for 2 at Boots! The Lip Line Up sets are my faves this year – they contain a lip gloss and lip liner for £5.62 each, so you get the perfect shade matches all packaged up nicely. Another pick of the Christmas sets is the 7 Piece Brush Set for £12.99 – a beauty addict can never have too many brushes.
Budget eyeshadow palettes make great stocking fillers, and if you pick wisely they are great value for money too. The highstreet and budget brands have really upped their games when it comes to quality. My recent loves are the W7 On The Rocks (£4.90) palette – it’s a dupe for the ABH Subculture palette, just without all the issues! My absolute love at he moment is the MUR x Soph Extra Spice palette (£10.00) – yes I know I am late to the game with this one. I picked it up in the recent BeautyBay sale not really expecting much from it, but was so shocked at the pigment and quality – it would make the perfect stocking filler or gift for someone who is starting out with makeup. Another recent find is the brand Emani, they’re a vegan, cruelty and gluten-free brand with some great products. I’ve been obsessed with the Hydrating Lip Colour in Promiscuous (£19.00)* and lipsticks will always make a great gift. Last but not least is a little something for the car-obsessed guy in your life, the Bentley Momentum Unlimited fragrance (£30.95)*. The fragrance was launched earlier this year and is a woody scent that really captures the senses.
Alcohol
My second favourite thing in life: alcohol… I always love it when I get a nice bottle of something alcoholic for Christmas, especially when they are a little something different or special. The Personalised Bottle Labels gin was sent to me with my blog logo on and it’s seriously the cutest thing ever! The gin comes in a box with your designed label printed on, you can pick from various alcohols and brands including Edinburgh Gin (£31.99)*
Another great find for those into discovering new beverages is the Summerton Club, they curate and deliver some of the best spirits from around the world! You can buy a gift voucher for boxes as a gift, or sign someone up to receive a few boxes. They have details on previous boxes on their site so you can have a little look at what amazing bottles they’ve sent in the past.
Finally, every drink lover needs some little tricks to up their fancy drinks game… Chambord is pretty much always in my house as it adds a little something extra to my fave drinks (gin and prosecco of course). You can pick up so many different gift packs of them or the individual ones. A perfect way to get some Chambord in your life is a nice gin & tonic with frozen berries in and a dash of Chambord. Yum. Another gin addition is the gin infusion set from Sous Chef £17.50* (try saying that after a few too many gins). The kit contains all you need to make your own flavour infused gins, with things like cardomen, star anise and rose petals. Add them to your fave gin and leave for a few hours to steep to your desired flavour… It makes gin like a fun science experiment!
Ahhh skincare, my one true love. I love getting skincare as a Christmas pressie as I know many of my family do. Skincare is what my brother has asked for for the last 3 Christmases, and it has to be Bulldog skincare, last year I got him some fancy pants lotions and potions and he hated them, so this year he’s made sure I pick him up some more Bulldog products. Anyways, it’s not just giving the gift of skincare, it’s what it entails – relaxation, pampering and taking some time for yourself as the recipient of it. I thought I’d share three brands I’ve loved this year and for many years past as they make great gifts…
I’m sure everyone and their dog heard the hype regarding Antipodes a few years ago, and with good reason as their products are amazing. They look and feel fancy but without an eye watering price tag, and they really do work. The Manuka Face Mask (£24.99) is an actual dream – not only does it smell beautiful but it gives skin an instant moisture boost and softness. Other cult classics worth gifting are the Grapeseed Butter Cleanser (£24.99)* and the Divine Avocado Facial Oil (£22.99). If you do want to add some to your basket Lookfantastic currently have 20% off and free hand and body cream when you spend £30 – so you get a gift too… You deserve it.
Another cult classic and must have when it comes to skincare is Merumaya – their Melting Cleansing Balm is stunning. They have some great Christmas gift sets on at the moment, with the two standouts for me being the Great Skin Starts Now set (£29.50) which has the cult cleansing balm, exfoliating toner and youth moisturiser. The other set is the Double Cleanse for Problem Skin set (£66.00) which contains the cleansing balm, daily cleansing cloths, facial wash and facial cleansing brush.
Last but not least everyone needs a little fun at Christmas and the Masque Bar Animalz Masks (£3.99) are it. They’ll make great stocking fillers or to use on Christmas Eve when you’re chilling in your festive PJs watching films!
Ok so this first one is going to seem like a strange one for a beauty blog, but keep with me. The Nextbase 412GW Dashcam (£129.99 on offer over Xmas for £96.00). Yes, ok so it seems like a strange gift bit believe me it’s one many people will love, especially if they’re safety conscious or their car is like their baby! My mum is obsessed with her car – she’ll park miles away from where she needs to be just so her car can have space and won’t get dented, so for her a gift like this would be right up her street. The Nextbase 412GW has quad HD filming, a 140-degree lens, GPS, WiFi and records on 5-minute loops. The 5 minute loops is great as I remember when my dad bought my mum one for Christmas once but it only filmed on 1-minute loops, which is not good at all haha. The GPS sensor will record whereabouts on the road you were should you have an accident… Basically, it’s the perfect gift for a car or gadget lover.
Onto some beauty electricals now… If you’re looking for a heat styling tool that’s budget friendly then they Revlon One Step Heated Brush (£49.99) is the one. I have this bad boy and it’s perfect for lazy hair stylers like me – no shame. I tend to let my hair air dry but then it always looks a bit meh, so this helps to quickly give it a blown out look and add some waves quickly. It’s definitely something I reach for as a quick styling aid when I’m in a rush or feeling too lazy to curl my hair with my straighteners which takes like 40 mins. The StylPro Makeup Brush Cleaner and Dryer (£39.99) – I’ve had this for a few years now and it’s great when you have a lot of brushes to clean in bulk as it cuts washing and drying time by more than half. Finally on the lazy front the SmoothSkin Bare Ultrafast IPL System (£179.00) – for those who dread shaving their legs. This has nothing but good reviews from what I’ve read online and if you know someone who has been considering going to laser hair removal or wants to delve into IPL then this is for them.
Lifestyle
Is there a better gift than candles?! I think not. Although I do have my limits and preferences when it comes to them… Jo Malone is way too expensive for a candle yet Yankees just aren’t giftable enough or stylish enough – don’t kill me just yet. I like my candles to have a more grown up scent than a Yankee and also fit into the decor of my home, which is where Taylor Benfield candles come in – they’re stylish and fit nearly any decor style, plus they smell AMAZING. The grown up scents rival that of high end design candles, so much so that my Blackberry & Bay candle is barely used now. Priced at £30 for a 220g candle with a 40 hour burn time the price point is great for gifting, plus candles are always a good bet for those difficult to buy for people, you know the ones we all have them in our family!
Another gift for the hard to buy for is a Dining Out Card, as everyone loves a nice meal or a few drinks, right? The card can be used at so many places, including favourites like Browns, Stonehouse, Miller & Carter, All Bar One and Toby Carvery. My dad is impossible to buy for as he basically only ever wants socks, but this is something even he’d love as he can’t resist a good steak or Sunday roast! On the theme of for who can resist Thornton’s choccies, especially when they’re shaped like little elves or Santa. The Milk Chocolate Models are £7.00 each or 3 for 2 (you can gift two and have one for yourself), another yummy festive release from them are their Chocolate Slabs (£12.00) which include dark chocolate orange or white caramel flavours drools
I’ve featured Bluebeard’s Revenge a couple of times on my blog now as it is a popular choice for the guys in my life as they all rave about the products. They always have great gift sets for the festive season and this year’s stand out for me is the Classic Kit (£29.99) which contains their cult products like the Shave Balm, Shave Cream, Shave Brush and Deodorant. If you’re looking for a stocking filler gift then I have it on good authority that the shave brush is a must have!
And last but not least how about giving the gift of a peaceful nights sleep? I know I would appreciate that! I often struggle with sleeping and find it near on impossible to get to sleep – most nights I’m wide awake at 2am and beyond. Feather and Down offer some great little gifts and stocking fillers to help send you off to sleep – with bath and body covered plus home fragrances there’s something to send anyone off to sleep. FYI the pillow spray (£7.00) is my go to most nights.
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Are you all set for Christmas?
