MY BEAUTY CHRISTMAS GIFT EDIT

 

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Black Friday and Cyber Monday are here, which means it’s a good time to get any Christmas shopping done at discount prices… today I’m sharing an edited selection of my favourite beauty buys this year!

First up, I wanted to highlight that Space NK have a new bath and body care line; my mum really recommends the Nordic Wilds line (I tried the body wash whilst I was staying recently and can concur that it’s lovely), and all the products are really reasonably-priced. I recently got the Tuscan Vines Candle | £35 | and it is divine! I really wasn’t sure what to expect from an own brand range, to be completely transparent, but I was pleasantly surprised at the quality and throw with this candle. It’s obviously not an autumn / winter scent, it’s more one to transport you to somewhere you’d rather be than in the cold and rain! It combines fig and tomato leaf aromas with notes of cedar wood for a gorgeously complex, fresh fragrance.

Next, we have some Sol de Janeiro, a Brazilian body care brand that always goes down a treat when it comes to gifting. I think the Bom Dia Jet Set | £28 | is a great little introduction to the brand, as well as being great value for money. This set contains well-sized minis of the AHA BHA Clarifying Body Wash, which is non-stripping and helps to improve the texture and feel of dry skin and KP. The Bom Dia Bright Cream is a gorgeously nourishing body butter also formulated with chemical exfoliant for soft, smooth skin. Plus you get a mini of the Cheriosa 48 hair and body fragrance, which is perfect for throwing in your handbag (I’ve also never managed to finish one of the big bottles of this anyway!) which is scented like the other two products (which is about as close to a winter scent as this brand gets); black plum, creme de cassis, vanilla and Brazilian orchid. Delicious!

Slip do some of my favourite silk products; they're great quality and reduce hair damage in comparison to more abrasive hair ties. Their Scrunchie Ornament in Chelsea | £25 | is a great little stocking-filler with four everyday slim silk scrunchies in various tones, patterns and variations with a pink theme. They're excellent quality and will last for years.

I recently picked up the Saie Glowy Supergel Duo | £18 | which is perfect for glowing makeup lovers. I had used the original version of this gel before and really liked it, though honestly; it was really hard to use up! These smaller bottles are travel-friendly, can be used up before they expire and you get two options here. These dewy highlighting gels can be used as primers, mixed in with your foundation or tinted moisturiser or applied over your complexion makeup like a creamy highlight. I think it's beautiful and subtle but really amps up the skin's glow. The set contains the original Starglow (champagne-toned) and Warmglow (more of a peachy gold).

Next is one for someone who wants to get into skincare but is very conscious of the environmental impact, because REN is thoughtful both when it comes to sourcing both their ingredients and their packaging. The REN Clean Skincare Radiance Gentle Glow Heroes Set* | £36 | is a great little introduction to the brand and its contents are actually worth £53. You get a mini of the Dark Spot Sleeping Cream with squalane, glycerin, jojoba and plenty of replenishing fatty goodness, there's a decent-sized little bottle of the beloved Ready Steady Glow chemical exfoliant (reviewed here) and a jar of a personal favourite of mine: the Gylcolactic Radiance Renewal Mask, which works amazingly as a quick acid peel (reviewed here). It's a great little starter kit for glowing skin without the irritation.

One of my favourite discoveries of the year has been Naturium's body care line (reviewed in full here) so I was really pleased to see they'd launched the Glowing Body Kit | £12 | featuring my two hero products. The set contains two really decent-sized minis of the Glow Getter Multi-Oil Body Wash and the Bio-Lipid Restoring Body Lotion. This body wash foams but it's packed with hydrating glycerin and fatty plant oils to nourish the skin whilst it's gently cleansed. The Body Lotion is packed full of plant butters and oils to lock in hydration and soften the skin after you've showered. It's lightweight and fast absorbing but still works really well for my dry skin. Almost anyone would appreciate this duo in their life!

Jo Loves is a staple during the festive season, for me! And a great all-rounder is the Christmas Layered Candle* | £80. Obviously, it's a luxury purchase, but I think fans of the brand will really appreciate this scent, which combines 3 of Jo's beloved fragrances: Christmas Trees (fresh and piney), Plum Pudding (sweet, rich and decadent) and Log Fires (warm, smoky and woody). It has amazing throw (filling my entire living space despite being a one-wick candle), it lasts for ages and I love the complexity of the three festive scents working together. It's such a treat every time I burn this candle!

The next gift set I have to talk about is the Fenty Skin Cherry Dub Retexturising Face & Body Scrub Duo* | £26. This set contains two small (as opposed to mini) tubes of lightly cherry-scented products from the brand; the Cherry Dub Face Scrub and the Cherry Dub Triple Action AHA Body Scrub. Fair enough if you like face scrubs, but I'm not a fan, however since this was a sugar scrub, I actually liked using it for my feet - it leaves them so smooth! Then we have the AHA body scrub, which is more of a microfoliant with physical and chemical exfoliants to help break down dead skin cells. It's really helped smooth out my KP and keep the itch at bay. It's a great option as a modest gift for fans of the brand.

Finally, we have a few bits from the Bath and Body Works (available via Next here in the UK); their products went down a treat with my mum when I got her a few things last year, and they're still an affordable crowd-pleaser. My top picks for 2023 are their Sugared Snickerdoodle Candle* | £22 for 1 wick, £29.50 for 3 wick | and their Vanilla Bean Noel Body Wash* | £16 | and matching Body Lotion* | £17. The Sugared Snickerdoodle candle makes my entire flat smell like a delicious, festive bakery! It's warm and spicy with notes of vanilla, dough and icing. The Vanilla Bean Noel scent is also gorgeous with notes of vanilla bean, cream, cookies and caramel. The body lotion is hydrating with ingredients like aloe and glycerin and the body lotion is fast-absorbing but highly effective with shea butter, Vitamin E and coconut oil. Plus the scent lasts on my skin all day long!

What's on your Christmas wish list this year when it comes to beauty?

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Read more posts from this series here!