Being a girl myself, it's not hard to think of gifts us ladies would love this Christmas. I've trawled the shops and the internet to find some of the best gifting options in beauty, books, gadgets, and everything in between...
Makeup always makes for a great gift and this year, Bobbi Brown has lots of gorgeous Christmas gifts on offer. I love the brand's Major Crush Liquid Lipstick Set (£32 John Lewis), featuring four full size lipsticks in new and bestselling shades. The four shades include Ginger Snap (peachy nude), Currant Affair (dark red), Smoothie Move (dark plum), and Mango Move (pink coral). The pigments are strong, the textures are smooth, and the formula keeps lips feeling nourished and comfortable. Another great Bobbi Brown option this year is the Soft Smolder Long-Wear Eye Kit (£36 John Lewis). It includes three Bobbi Brown classic, easy-to-use Long-Wear Cream Shadow Sticks (in matte and sparkle finishes), as well as a deluxe mini Smokey Eye Mascara!
A slightly more affordable makeup gift option is the Morphe 350S Nature Glow Artistry Palette (£24 prettylittlething.com). This 35 shadow palette is a shimmery version of Morphe's hero 35O palette. Filled with warm golden and bronze shades, fiery sunsets, and glowing highlight colors, this palette is perfect for the gals that love a gorgeous glow. In typical Morphe fashion, the pigments are strong and long lasting, and the textures super blendable.
For the girls who love to get pampered, I recommend gifting the Braun FaceSpa Pro (£169 Boots). It is a facial epilator and cleansing brush system that gets a girl groomed for the Gods. Keeping faces fuzz and dirt free, its sleek and compact design enables precise epilation, while its facial cleansing brush gently but deeply cleanses the skin with micro-oscillations. There is also a MicroVibration head that works alongside serums or creams for skin-toning effects. The FaceSpa Pro has been dermatologically tested and can be used on sensitive skin. Removing hair with the Face Spa can hurt a little, however it is no way near as painful as other epilators I've used in the past. Aside from its swift hair removal, what I love most about this beaut is the two other attachments that help promote a healthier and more radiant complexion!
Another great pampering present is the Lush Gingerbread House (£45 Lush) gift set. Presented in a cute, re-usable gingerbread house designed tin, the set includes seven sweet-inspired bath and body products that would get any girl going. There are two bath bombs - Marshmallow World and Pop Art (a popping candy bath bomb that smells just like freshly popped buttered popcorn) - and two bath bars - The Mini Comforter and Candy Cane (a bergamot and Sicilian lemon scented bath bar that can be re-used). There are also two shower gels - American Cream and Yog Nog (a toffee-scented shower gel that'll remind you of caramel and custard). Finally there is the most scrumptious Cookie Dough Lip Scrub (cue the drooling!), which contains sugar to exfoliate the lips and shea butter and organic jojoba to nourish them.
For the skincare nerds, I recommend the Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream 5 Piece Gift Set (£44 John Lewis). Packed in a luxe red cosmetics bag, the hero product in the set is the original Eight Hour Cream - a legendary cult classic that moisturises and protects the skin. The famous multi-tasker does everything from shaping brows and soothing dry hands, to treating cracked lips and chapped skin caused by minor skin damage. Also included in the set is the Eight Hour Cream Lip Protectant Stick SPF15 - which protects and nourishes the lips, the Eight Hour Cream Intensive Moisturizing Hand Treatment - that keeps hands moisturised for up to eight hours, and the Eight Hour Great Eight Daily Defense SPF35 - that protects skin and leaves it feeling soft, smooth and moisturised for up to 8 hours. The final product in this skin-protecting set is the Eight Hour Cream All-Over Miracle Oil - a nourishing multi-tasker that moisturises your face and body and gives hair a beautiful shine.
Another great skincare gift set is the Philosophy Purity Made Simple Set (£42 lookfantastic.com). Celebrating one of Philosophy's best loved collections, the Purity Made Simple Set contains a cleanser, moisturiser, and pore refining mask to help combat problematic skin. The Purity Cleanser boasts an award-winning formula that delivers multiple benefits to skin. It swiftly and completely eliminates dirt and impurities from deep within the pores, whilst also melting away stubborn makeup to leave skin cleansed, toned, and hydrated. The Purity Moisturizer is a fast-absorbing, non-greasy formula that leaves skin soft and dewy. It is formulated with cold-pressed Chia Seed Oil and antioxidant-rich Green Tea to deliver 24-hour hydration and protection to the skin, whilst also promoting a smooth, clear, and glowing complexion. The final product in the set is the Purity Pore Extractor Mask, a purifying clay mask that helps to draw out dirt and impurities from deep within pores, helping to remove and prevent blackheads and future breakouts. It is formulated with blemish-fighting white clay, salicylic acid, and natural exfoliants, to gently remove dead skin cells and smooth the skin's surface.
For the fragrance fans, I recommend gifting Lancome's new Idôle. This beautiful floral scent features top notes of bergamot and pear, heart notes of Indian jasmine, Turkish rose, and rose di mai, and base notes of white musk and vanilla. It is an uber feminine scent that would suit a number of different women. It has good projection but isn't too overpowering and has some great lasting power. The eau de parfum is currently available in three sizes - 25ml, 50ml, and 75ml, however if you want to upgrade your gift, you can also get Idôle in a gift set that includes a 10ml rollerball and gorgeous glitter case (£85 fragrancedirect.co.uk).
Another gorgeous fragrance option is the Jo Loves Green Orange & Coriander (£70 SpaceNK). This scent contains top notes of bitter green orange and black pepper, middle notes of coriander and coriander leaf and base notes of oakmoss and tonka bean. This fresh citrus scent is perfect for those who like to smell truly unique. It is a clean and fresh eau de parfum that has great projection and incredible lasting power.
For the haircare lovers out there, you can't go wrong with the Redken Extreme Gift Set (£36 Regis Salons). This nourishing set contains three products that have been developed and formulated for weak, damaged hair. There is the full size Redken Extreme Shampoo and full size Redken Extreme Conditioner, which both penetrate individual strands to deeply strengthen and nourish them to their previous form. The shampoo and conditioner smell gorgeous and both apply and rinse perfectly. They are also formulated with the new RCT Protein Complex, a smart, targeted delivery system that treats hair from the root to the core to the tip. The third product in this set is the new One United Leave-in Conditioner, a multi-beneficial treatment that works for every type of hair and treatment. There are 25 benefits in total, ranging from sealing hair cuticles and detangling, to controlling frizz and fly-aways, and preventing split ends. As for the hair obsessed girls that would prefer a gadget, I recommend the DAFNI Hair Straightening Ceramic Brush (£120 John Lewis). This heated hair brush uses innovative 3D ceramic surface design and incorporates the most advanced haircare technologies to style the hair whilst also ensuring it is protected (it maintains a temperature of 185°C and also uses springy bristles to protect the scalp). I absolutely love this product. It straightens and styles my hair in just five minutes and it couldn't be easier to use!
For the girls who love a polished mani and pedi, I recommend all things Essie. The nail lacquer giant has launched several gift sets this year and one of my favourites is the Essie Winter Wonderland Duo Kit (£13 amazon.co.uk). The duo kit features a coloured nail lacquer and the brand's hero Good To Go Top Coat. As it's winter season, I'm obsessed with the Winter Wonderland Duo Kit that features the Bordeaux Burgundy Nail Polish as its shade of choice. It's the perfect red wine colour to carry a girl through to the end of winter.
For the book worms who love a good thriller, I recommend The Family Upstairs (£8.99 Waterstones). Written by Lisa Jewell, the best selling author of Then She Was Gone, The Family Upstairs is about a house full of the darkest of secrets. The story focuses around a large house in London’s fashionable Chelsea, where a baby is found awake in her cot. She is well-fed and cared for, however in the kitchen lie three decomposing corpses with a hastily scrawled note next to them. They’ve been dead for several days. So, who has been looking after the baby? And where did they go? This book is one of the best thrillers I've read in decades and I can't recommend gifting it enough!
If the girl you're gifting is Instagram obsessed, the KiiPix Instant Photo Printer (£39.99 firebox.com) will make for the perfect present. It is a gadget that delivers retro-style printed versions of your smartphone photos. It is easy to use - you simply open the camera, place your smartphone on top with the photo you’d like to print displayed on screen, press the shutter button, rotate the dial and you’ve got a physical copy of your photo to keep forever! What's even better is that you don't need WiFi, apps, batteries or cables, just a smartphone and FUJIFILM Instax mini film!
For the book worms who love a good thriller, I recommend The Family Upstairs (£8.99 Waterstones). Written by Lisa Jewell, the best selling author of Then She Was Gone, The Family Upstairs is about a house full of the darkest of secrets. The story focuses around a large house in London’s fashionable Chelsea, where a baby is found awake in her cot. She is well-fed and cared for, however in the kitchen lie three decomposing corpses with a hastily scrawled note next to them. They’ve been dead for several days. So, who has been looking after the baby? And where did they go? This book is one of the best thrillers I've read in decades and I can't recommend gifting it enough!
If you're looking to gift an inspiring crafter this year, you can't go wrong with Marks & Spencer's Knit Your Own Hat kit (£9.50 M&S). This unique craft gift set contains grey acrylic wool, a faux fur pom pom, a pair of knitting needles, sowing needles, and an easy-to-understand guide - everything a girl needs to create a cute chunky knit for the cold months ahead. Not bad for £9.50, right?
If the girl you're gifting is Instagram obsessed, the KiiPix Instant Photo Printer (£39.99 firebox.com) will make for the perfect present. It is a gadget that delivers retro-style printed versions of your smartphone photos. It is easy to use - you simply open the camera, place your smartphone on top with the photo you’d like to print displayed on screen, press the shutter button, rotate the dial and you’ve got a physical copy of your photo to keep forever! What's even better is that you don't need WiFi, apps, batteries or cables, just a smartphone and FUJIFILM Instax mini film!
If you're looking to gift a gin queen this Christmas, I recommend a gin that tastes as beautiful as the bottle it's contained in... Mermaid Gin (£39.99 amazon.co.uk). Mermaid Gin is a hand-made, small-batch gin that is created using 10 botanicals that include locally foraged rock samphire and elderflower, fresh citrus zest from Sicilian lemons, Grains of Paradise, Boadicea hops grown in the local botanical gardens at Ventnor, English coriander from Sussex, orris root, angelica root, liquorish root, and juniper.
This dry gin, made using 100% natural ingredients and no additives, is slow distilled in the Isle of Wight, cut with Island chalk-fed spring water and then rested for seven days before being bottled in the most gorgeous mermaid-inspired glass bottle.
This dry gin, made using 100% natural ingredients and no additives, is slow distilled in the Isle of Wight, cut with Island chalk-fed spring water and then rested for seven days before being bottled in the most gorgeous mermaid-inspired glass bottle.