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When I’m choosing my Christmas beauty treats for friends and family, I try to choose items that I would love to receive myself.
I write a list of who I’m buying for (it’s easy to get distracted when shopping) and I tick off names as I buy.
Also, I put a budget on my spending as we all know how easy it is to start splashing the cash without realising! There are a gazillion holiday beauty gifts on the market, so I thought I would give you a helping hand – not only to save a few euro, but to guide you to buy the perfect beauty gifts this Christmas.
Bath bombs and bubbles are always great stocking fillers and I love the L’Occitane range. The have a cute, festive little Christmas-tree-shaped tin filled with shower oil, bath lotion and hand cream and a huge section of bath treats. These are all under €20, and they always wrap your gifts free of charge.
Another nice idea is to purchase a pair of fun Christmas socks and fill them with bath treats – a two-in-one gift. The Body Shop has a pick-and-mix system, so you can choose the smells you like to fill your socks with – or they can give you a wee basket for €3 extra and wrap your gift for you. The Body Shop also has cute glitter nail files, tweezers and lip pots up at the counter, so keep an eye out for them.
Marks and Spencer has brought out the coolest new velvet alphabet make-up bags for €6.75. A really handy size to fit your handbag and an alphabet beauty gift set for €17 makes for a fun, personalised present and includes a 30ml eau de toilette, 50ml hand cream and 15ml lip balm – all scented with red berry and warm pomegranate notes.
Superdrug has some fabulous Christmas deals, and for every €40 you spend you get €5 worth of points on your loyalty card. You can ask for a loyalty card at the till – no need to fill in forms, which is really refreshing. Superdrug has created a Lynx “5 Days 5 Bodysprays Gift”; ideal at €15 and offer a Nivea Men’s Sensitive Total Works Skin Care Gift Set at €10. Or, you can get the men in your life a Bull Dog Original Grooming Set for €12 – all ideal stocking fillers for the boys.
Boots has created Star Gifts for Christmas. A perfect way to show someone you care. They have created luxury gift sets for the party season and – with premium brands such as Lancôme and Fenty Beauty – you’re guaranteed to delight friends and family with the perfect gift. Real Technique Total Face Brush Kits were €65 but are now €30 and they have an excellent selection of soft, durable makeup brushes which I use in my professional makeup kit.
Inglot “Light Up The Night” Makeup Set (€49) is a darling set with shadows, lashes, eyeliner, lip liner, shimmer highlighter and gloss, and it comes in a useful spangley bag. Calvin Klein CK One UNISEX Eau de Toilette 100ml was €50 and is now down to €25 – a really cool fresh and youthful fragrance; ideal for all the teens.
Dunnes Stores has a super selection of Christmas gift ideas. For the ultimate fake tan lover, you could buy Cocoa Brown Tan in a bright pink Christmas Cracker (€10) and their Cocoa Brown Tanning Kit, containing a tanning mitt, tanning oils and tanning creams, is a bargain €25. Kindness Comes Naturally lemongrass candles and diffuser has a beautiful smell that gorgeously lingers (€15) and Dunnes Green Angel luxury day and night cream gift set (€50) includes two beautiful pots of seaweed and collagen face cream – perfect for anti-aging and replenishing the face and neck.
Essence and Rimmel makeup both have “under a tenner” nail polishes in every colour of the rainbow as well as great long-lasting eye shadows and mascara. Why not pick a bright lipstick and add the matching lip pencil to the gift, or a black brown or blue eyeliner with a mascara. I usually buy a couple of nail varnishes and add the base and top coat. You can buy these beauty products in any Tesco, so that’s handy when you’re doing your weekly shop – they are perfect stocking fillers.
All the big cosmetic houses – the likes of Charlotte Tilbury, Mac, Elizabeth Arden, Clarins and Estée Lauder – have super Christmas deals on. Always ask the person at the counter when you are purchasing your item what Christmas deals they have on offer, as it’s not always clear when you are standing at the counter. Also, do ask if you can get your purchase gift wrapped – it takes a bit of pressure off you, and the ladies and chaps at the cosmetic counters are more than happy to help.
I do hope these gift ideas help you on your merry way and have got you in the Christmas present shopping frame of mind. Don’t forget your list of who you are actually buying for it really does help take the stress out of choosing the right gift. Happy shopping!
I want to wish all my lovely readers and their families the happiest of Christmases and a healthy and prosperous new year. Thank you for your continued support and if anyone has any makeup or beauty dilemmas/questions please do drop me an email and I will be delighted to help.
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