If you’re struggling with what to get your beauty-loving friends and family this Christmas, my guide to my favourite makeup, skincare and pampering gifts should give you the inspiration you need. There really is something for everyone in here, and something for all budgets too.
MAKEUP
Bare Minerals The Wish List Eyeshadow Palette*, £39, Bare Minerals
With a value of over £87, this 12-shade palette that has a mixture of matte and shimmer neutrals, will allow you to effortlessly go from day to night. The copper shade is just incredible and perfect for the festive season.
Urban Decay Naked Ultimate Basics Eyeshadow Palette*, £38.50, Debenhams
This 12-shade all-matte palette has the ultimate selection of warm and cool-toned neutral shades for you to create a simple office look or a vampy late-night smokey eye.
FACE by Pixiwoo*, £9.99, Amazon
If you are in any way interested in makeup, you need this book. It’s crammed full of tips, advice and stunning imagery from YouTubers and professional makeup artists Pixiwoo.
Tanya Burr Pretty Unstoppable Palette*, £10, Feel Unique
The affordable makeup range from YouTuber Tanya Burr is amazing quality. This palette contains four smokey matte and shimmer brown-toned eyeshadow shades, a muted pink-coral blusher, a shimmering champagne powder highlighter and a delicate pink lip gloss. These are shades that will suit everyone all year round.
Soap & Glory Extrava-glam-za*, £50, Soap & Glory
If you haven’t tried Soap & Glory makeup yet, this is the set to introduce you. All makeup wearers would love to get this for Christmas. It contains (in rather incredible packaging) a decent powder and eyeshadow brush, six matte and shimmer purple and taupe-toned eyeshadow shades, their Thick & Fast Mascara, Supercat Liquid Eyeliner, Archery Brow Pencil in Brownie Points, two Sexy Mother Pucker Lip Glosses in Candy Queen and Plumsup and their Glow All Out Luminising Face Powder.
Emma Lomax Clear Makeup Bag Set*, £22, Fabled
Marie Claire’s beauty shopping site Fabled has just launched and Emma Lomax is one of the brands they stock. This cute clear plastic large and small makeup pouch duo are emblazoned with a very girly set of eyelashes and a red pout.
SKINCARE & HAIRCARE
Caudalie Hydrating & Soothing Stars Set*, £29, Fabled
This pretty pink facial skincare set from French brand Caudalie contains a travel-size of their Micellar Cleansing Water, Vinosource SOS Thirst Quenching Serum and Vinosource Moisturising Sorbet. This three-step lightweight skincare regime is suitable for sensitive skin and will keep your skin hydrated in the cold winter months.
AA Skincare Detox & Restore Face Mask Collection*, £23.50, AA Skincare
This set contains three deep cleansing and hydrating face masks from independent aromatherapy skincare brand AA Skincare. All three of the Mint & Dead Sea Salt Deep Cleansing Clay Mask, Frankincense & Rose Deep Cleansing Clay Mask and Vanilla & Honey Skin Polisher Clay Mask are simply divine and smell amazing.
label.m House of Holland Honey & Oat Trio Set*, £32.20, label.m
To me, these smell deliciously of pumpkin pie. The full-size shampoo, conditioner and mask are luxurious, rich and a real treat for your hair – both both men and women – and they add moisture to and strenghten dry and damaged hair.
BeeInspired Skincare Lavender Silky Hand Cream*, £8 + Gift Wrapping, BeeInspired
Get this nourishing, fragranced, natural hand cream gift wrapped in a stunning Liberty fabric gift bag for an ideal stocking filler. The bag can be kept and used to store trinkets and the cream will keep hands soft with its honey and beeswax blend.
CANDLES & FRAGRANCE
Liz Earle Botanical Essence No.9*, £49, Liz Earle
This feminine fragrance mixes floral scents with those of dark forest fruits. It has top notes of blackcurrant bud, crisp bergamot
and vibrant red ginger; a heart of velvety rich osmanthus, exotic Damask rose and smooth patchouli; and a base of woody oakmoss and Haitian vetiverand warm vanilla.
Zoella Beauty Gingerbread & Vanilla Fragrance Set*, £12, Feel Unique
Both the Ginger Cream whipped body cream and the Bake My Day fragrance in this gift set have that utterly American Christmas baking scent. If you love sweet vanilla, ginger and cinnamon smells, this is for you.
La Montana Comforting Candle Trio*, £35, MyShowcase
If you have a man in your life who loves candles, or just someone who loves darker, more masculine scents, this is the gift for them. The three candles in this set are perfect for winter – there’s the haunting Sacred Roses (a rose a musky cloisters scent, reminiscent of a French church), Alfredo’s Cafe (a smoky tobacco, brandy and coffee scent) and Winter Oranges (a spicy citrus, cinnamon and clove scent).
Shearer Candles Smoked Diamonds and Glowing Embers Candles*, from £10, Shearer Candles
These two limited edition festive scents are stunning. Both have a smoky log fire scent to them, but Glowing Embers has a darker burnt wood scent, where as Smoked Diamonds has a more feminine floral and cocoa scent to it too. For anyone who loves cosy nights in, these are truly heavenly. Get them in striking large (£15) or small (£10) studded metallic votives.
RELAXATION & PAMPERING
This Works Bedtime Story Set*, £30, Boots
This sleep-enducing duo contains the famous This Works Deep Sleep blend of aromatherapy oils. The Lavender and Vetivert scent of this pillow spray and bath soak will help you drift off into a peaceful slumber.
Soap & Glory Pink Pamper Gift Set*, £13.50, Boots
In a cute pink triangular wash bag, you get a selection of six travel-size Soap & Glory bath and body products as well as a pink body polisher. It’s great value for money and a great way to sample some of Soap & Glory’s most famous products. There’s a Face, Soap & Clarity Vitamin C Face Wash, a Scrub of Your Life body scrub, their Hand Food Hand Cream, The Righteous Butter body butter, Clean on Me shower gel and their Heel Genius foot cream.
ESPA The Sleep Therapy Collection*, £58, ESPA
This set has the distinctive relaxing spa scent of ESPA products and it’s designed to both relax the mind and nourish the body. It contains their Soulful Candle, which will basically make your house smell like a luxury day spa, their Soothing Body Oil, their Soothing Bath Oil and their facial moisturiser Overnight Hydration Therapy. Complete relaxation!
Aromatherapy Associate Star Jewels*, £34, MyShowcase
The packaging on this trio of bath oils is so chic – the perfect luxury gift. In each vial there is enough oil for three baths, so that’s a total of nine blissful soaks. There’s the Revive Morning Bath & Shower Oil, the De-Stress Min Bath & Shower Oil and the Deep Relax Bath & Shower Oil – options to both wake you up and send you to sleep.
HoMedics Luxury Foldaway Foot Spa*, £39.99, Boots
Finally, this foldaway foot spa is just genius. It takes up hardly any room, but pops up into a full and sturdy basin when you need to use it. There are foot massaging nodules on the bottom of it that vibrate when switched on, and it has a temperature regulator to help your water stay warm.
This post contains press samples, but all opinions are my own.
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