THE BEAUTY CHRISTMAS GIFT GUIDE

 

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Today - in time for the Black Friday sales - it's time to walk through a curated selection of beauty Christmas gifts! We're doing stocking-fillers through to the full-blown luxury picks on the market, if you're lucky enough to have the budget, and plenty in-between...

Diving into the purse-friendly gifts and Secret Santa options, let's start with the Philosophy Pure and Refined Cleanse and Exfoliate Set* | £14.25. Philosophy is a Christmas staple for me and this little set is great value for fans of their widely-beloved Purity Made Simple One-Step Cleanser. This cleanser has a great, non-stripping formula that can actually clean the skin and remove makeup and sunscreen in one step when you need it to. You also get the Microdelivery Exfoliating Facial Wash in here which is a mild skin-smoothing cleanser for when you're in a rush but want something a little more active. They're both really handy skincare basics for busy people.

Next we have some hair picks by Invisibobble. If you're not familiar with the brand: these are damage-free, kinkless secure hair ties with a cult following. For Christmas they've released some really pretty designs. The Time to Shine You're Golden Gift Set* | £10 | comes with an original spiral Invisibobble in a pretty peachy-gold tone, then two of their Sprunchies (Invisibobbles covered in a silky scrunchie material) in bronze and black. The Sprunchie Duo Bring on the Night Time To Shine Set* | £10 | contains two of these Sprunchies: one in a pleated gold design and one that's cream with this beautiful gold star and moon design. Or the latter is available as its own gift in The Sparkle is Real Time to Shine* | £6.

I really recommend Sunday London for their range of well-priced rapeseed wax candles; they're chic enough to feel like a treat and are available in a range of complex fragrance blends but come in at under £30. Here I have VI. Céleste* | £26 | which is a dreamy blend of patchouli, jasmine, cedarwood, amber and more. Their candle Beyond the Pines is also wonderful for something fresher and more uplifting. I'm a huge fan of both the quality (in terms of the wax and the scent throw) and also the fragrance options available; they're very underrated and are at a good price-point so you're not breaking the bank.

I'm sure I buy one of the This Works mini sets for someone in my life every year! For 2022 I have two options and you really can't go wrong with either if you're looking for aromatherapy that works for so many people. The Soothing & Sleep Cracker* | £9 | contains a mini of the legendary Deep Sleep Pillow Spray which I've used before bed for years to create a relaxing atmosphere with scents of lavender and chamomile. Then there's a little Stress Check Mood Manager which can have a calming effect during moments of stress with fragrances of neroli, ylang ylang and patchouli. Or, if you're buying for an existing fan of the brand: try the Sleep on it Bauble* | £13 | which contains the two products already mentioned, plus a rollerball of the Stress Check to use whilst you're on the go.

For a festive home fragrance option (great for those who don't do candles due to the potential mess or safety concerns) that won't break the bank: try the Parks Cedarwood & Orange Spice Diffuser* | £25. This is woody and spicy with notes of orange, cedar and cinnamon and the fragrance really fills up the room, plus the liquid is lasting me really well so far. It look luxurious and the scent is perfect for this time of year, plus it's far more affordable than other similar products in this category.

Moving on to some more mid-range gifts, we have some amazing savings in the FAB at the Disco Gift Set* | £55. If you don't know: First Aid Beauty is an amazing brand for dry skin and all of their products contain oat extracts to calm and moisturise the skin. This set covers off skincare from head to toe with the classic Ultra Repair Cream for face and body (perfect for winter skin), the Coconut Water Cream (a lightweight, melting water-based gel-cream that's great for oily skin), the KP Bump Eraser Scrub (with both manual and chemical exfoliation to smooth out bumpy, dry skin on the body) and their Retinol Eye Cream (delivering gentle, well-ageing benefits to the eye area). I love all of the products in this set and they're full sizes, making this a half price saving!

For the person looking for great skincare without the confusion and complexity, I recommend Pestle & Mortar's the Daily Routine* | £52. This is great value with generous 'minis' of three products and one full-sized bottle. It contains a basic routine for hydrated skin. The Renew Gel Cleanser is a moisturising gel-jelly to oil that can be used in the morning or can even remove makeup and sunscreen. Then you would use your Balance Facial Spritz which is hydrating and rich in minerals and antioxidants. After that you can apply the full-sized product: the Pure Hyaluronic Serum, which is still one of the most hydrating, skin-plumping HA formulas I've ever used. Lastly, finish off the routine with the Hydrate Lightweight Moisturiser which is a creamy lotion that's still lovely and softening and should work for most skin types. They're skincare basics executed incredibly well!

A new addition to my fragrance collection that I just had to share as a beautiful choice for a Christmas gift is the Kayali Vanilla Royale Eau de Parfum Intense* | £23 (10ml) or £79 (50ml). I've just popped this in the middle because if you're not looking to make fragrance someone's main present: you can buy the smaller version, or if you know the person you're buying for is a fan of the brand already (particularly if they love the original Vanilla EDP) you can splurge on the big bottle. This is a more heady, rich take on the traditional vanilla scent; whilst it still has that sweetness to it, it's balanced with leather, rum, orchid, oud and more. The intense EDP formula also means it stays on the skin all day long. 

We couldn't have a gift guide without something that's on everyone's wish list who doesn't already own it! The Dyson Supersonic Hairdryer* | £329.99 | is the Rolls Royce of hairdryers and I reviewed my original model here, though it's since been upgraded with some design improvements, the latest technology and a selection of new attachments. It's amazing for reducing drying time, locking in hydration and also minimising heat damage. It's easy to use and I feel like if it's within your budget: it will be a total game-changer for the lucky recipient!

It's not Christmas without Jo Loves and the classic scents are all back! If you know someone's already a fan: the Christmas Layered Candle* | £80 | is festive perfection, blending together the brand's beloved scents for Christmas. Honestly, you could take the lid off this and just have it in the room and still get a delicious hit of the scent; that's how powerful Jo's candle fragrances are! The Christmas candle features a trio of scent blends with notes of pine thanks to Christmas Trees, smokiness thanks to Log Fires and dessert-y sweetness thanks to Plum Pudding. If you want to go all out, there's the At Home Pamper Collection* | £140 | which I feel so lucky to have in my life because it's a real treat and the perfect splurge for a luxury fragrance lover (like me). In here you get the Christmas Trees diffuser and a mini Log Fires candle but also some of the classic scents that will take you through the entire year. There's a mini candle and a mini bath cologne in the Jo Loves scent, which is a citrus, fruity scent with notes including grapefruit, cedarwood and black pepper. There's a generous mini of the Tuberose body mist (with, of course, tuberose, plus ylang ylang and jasmine) which I honestly find just as fragrant as an eau de toilette. Finally, you get a little Pomelo body creme, to use after your bath with citric notes of vetiver, grapefruit and patchouli. This set is an absolute treat if you can stretch to it!

A great option for people who prefer not to use candles is the Neom Wellbeing Pod* | £95. You simply fill the pod with water, add a couple of drops of you favourite essential oils (Neom do plenty of amazing scents and you can actually buy the pod with three of their oils from QVC for £155) and billows of scent will pour through your room for hours! I use this all the time and although it's a larger upfront cost, I get hours more out of this than I do a candle and there's no worrying about dirty walls or ventilation. Plus these little essential oils take up far less space! Knowing how much I enjoy mine, I'd absolutely love to introduce other people to the wonders of essential oil diffusers.

Lastly, we have Omorovicza, of course! This is one of my favourite luxury skincare brands that combines the experiential with products that actually work. For the fancy person in your life who loves Omorovicza, I recommend checking out the Morning Glow Set* | £130. In this travel case, you get three large minis and a full-sized product worth £102 on its own. All of their products are infused with Hungarian thermal water for added minerals and this set comes with a little exfoliating gelee, their hydrating toner / essence, a little tub of their day cream (which is lightweight but still so softening, like a hug for your face) and the full-sized Daily Vitamin C, packed with hyaluronic acid and a gentle Vitamin C derivative to brighten the skin and also protect it against environmental aggressors. Running through this routine will set whoever's using it up for the day, feeling thoroughly refreshed and pampered!

I hope this gave you some Christmas shopping inspiration! What's on your wishlist?

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