Each year brings a bigger and better selection of Christmas gifts for thirty-something women. Whether it's a skincare saviour, fabulous fragrance, or enchanting novel, you're guaranteed to find perfect pressies for your favourite women this year. However, for those short on time, I have rounded up my favourite picks to make things a little easier...
Vilshenko | Winter Candle
For the women who love home fragrance as much as they love home style, I recommend the Vilshenko Winter Candle (£120 vilshenko.com). This candle draws inspiration from traditional matryoshka dolls - wooden figures, carved from linden wood, that have long been seen as a symbol of folkloric culture. So in addition to smelling beautiful, this covetable candle also doubles as a gorgeous home accessory. As for its scent, the Winter Candle conjures up feelings of cold, snowy days that contrast sharply with the cosiness of long evenings spent around a crackling fire. It features top notes of clove and cinnamon, heart notes of rose and juniper berries, and base notes of cedar and incense. It also has great projection, filling even the largest of rooms with its stunning scent.
For the women who love home fragrance as much as they love home style, I recommend the Vilshenko Winter Candle (£120 vilshenko.com). This candle draws inspiration from traditional matryoshka dolls - wooden figures, carved from linden wood, that have long been seen as a symbol of folkloric culture. So in addition to smelling beautiful, this covetable candle also doubles as a gorgeous home accessory. As for its scent, the Winter Candle conjures up feelings of cold, snowy days that contrast sharply with the cosiness of long evenings spent around a crackling fire. It features top notes of clove and cinnamon, heart notes of rose and juniper berries, and base notes of cedar and incense. It also has great projection, filling even the largest of rooms with its stunning scent.
For the British Bake-Off fans, you can’t go wrong with BAKE My Best Ever Recipes for the Classics by Paul Hollywood (£26 Waterstones). In this drool-inducing recipe book, Paul shares his best recipes for classic bakes, which include cakes, biscuits, cookies, breads, flatbreads, pizza, doughnuts, pastries, pies, and show-stopping desserts. With more years as a professional baker than he'd care to remember, Paul has created, tested, and tasted a huge number of bakes and, in this book, he shares many tips and tricks he has learned throughout his career.
Bobbi Brown | Luxe Eye & Cheek Palette
For the makeup lovers, I recommend the Bobbi Brown Luxe Eye & Cheek Palette in Copper Glow (£58 lookfantastic.com). This limited-edition palette includes a collection of artist-curated shades that deliver rich matte and sparkle finishes. The Luxe Eye Shadows come in an array of radiant rose golds, vivid corals, glowing copper, and molten metallics for multidimensional colour. They blend beautifully, are highly pigmented, and have great lasting power. The Highlighting Powder illuminates lids and cheeks with an enchanting gleam in an innovative, long-wearing, easy-to-use formula. This gift-ready palette comes dressed in a limited-edition design to spark that holiday spirit.
For the makeup lovers, I recommend the Bobbi Brown Luxe Eye & Cheek Palette in Copper Glow (£58 lookfantastic.com). This limited-edition palette includes a collection of artist-curated shades that deliver rich matte and sparkle finishes. The Luxe Eye Shadows come in an array of radiant rose golds, vivid corals, glowing copper, and molten metallics for multidimensional colour. They blend beautifully, are highly pigmented, and have great lasting power. The Highlighting Powder illuminates lids and cheeks with an enchanting gleam in an innovative, long-wearing, easy-to-use formula. This gift-ready palette comes dressed in a limited-edition design to spark that holiday spirit.
Another great gift for makeup lovers is the Charlotte Tilbury Pillow Talk Beautifying Lip Kit (£39 feelunique.com). This gorgeous kit contains a selection of lip products in the brand's iconic nude-pink shade, Pillow Talk. This best-selling shade is universally loved for its ability to flatter all skin tones, so you won't need to worry if you're picking the right colour or not... she'll love it, trust me! Included in the gift set is a travel size Matte Revolution, Travel Size Lip Cheat, Travel Size Collagen Lip Bath, and full size Hyaluronic Happikiss.
Lancôme | Advanced Génifique Serum Holiday Skincare Gift Set
Thirty-something women love an established beauty routine, so a great skincare set is guaranteed to be well received this Christmas. I recommend the Lancôme Advanced Génifique Serum Holiday Skincare Gift Set (£62 lookfantastic.com) that features the brands bestselling Advanced Genifique Serum (30ml). Advanced Génifique is a multi-tasking serum that targets fine lines, pores, uneven skin tone, and dullness. In addition to hyaluronic acid and vitamin C, this much-loved serum is enriched with seven prebiotic and probiotic-derived extracts to strengthen the skin’s barrier and leave skin looking healthier and younger. Also included in the limited-edition set is the Advanced Genifique New Eye Cream (5ml) and Rénergie Multi-Lift Ultra Cream (15ml).
Darphin | Hydration Dive Gift Set
Another great skincare set to gift this year is the Darphin Hydration Dive (£49 lookfantastic.com), a potent trio of bestsellers that provide long-lasting hydration and help reduce eye area puffiness. Included in this gift set is the Intral Inner Youth Rescue Serum - to support skin health and reduce redness and irritation, the Hydraskin Light All-Day Skin-Hydrating Cream Gel - to strengthen skin’s moisture barrier and defend its moisture reservoir, and Intral De Puffing Anti-Oxidant Eye Cream - to hydrate the eye area and reduce the appearance of puffiness and dark circles.
Another great skincare set to gift this year is the Darphin Hydration Dive (£49 lookfantastic.com), a potent trio of bestsellers that provide long-lasting hydration and help reduce eye area puffiness. Included in this gift set is the Intral Inner Youth Rescue Serum - to support skin health and reduce redness and irritation, the Hydraskin Light All-Day Skin-Hydrating Cream Gel - to strengthen skin’s moisture barrier and defend its moisture reservoir, and Intral De Puffing Anti-Oxidant Eye Cream - to hydrate the eye area and reduce the appearance of puffiness and dark circles.
Alexandra Bell | The Winter Garden
For book lovers, I recommend gifting The Winter Garden (£8.99 WHSmith). Described as a ‘dark but enchanting historical fantasy’, The Winter Garden tells the story of an 8-year-old Beatrice who receives an invitation to the mysterious Winter Garden. A place of wonder and magic, that becomes Beatrice’s comfort every night for seven days. But when the garden disappears, and no one believes her story, Beatrice wonders if it were truly real. Eighteen years later, on the eve of her wedding to a man her late father approved of, but she does not love, Beatrice makes the decision to throw off the expectations of Victorian English society and search for the garden. But when both she and her closest friend, Rosa, receive invitations to compete to create spectacular pleasure gardens - with the prize being one wish from the last of the Winter Garden's magic - she realises she may be closer to finding it than she ever imagined.
Sundae Body | Whipped Shower Foam
If you have a more restricted budget or are looking for a fun stocking filler, look no further than the whipped shower foams from Sundae Body (£12.99 cultbeauty.co.uk). Contained in whipped cream-esque can, these washes sit pretty in any shower or bathroom cabinet. They are also super fun to use and feel (and are!) incredibly nourishing on the skin. Each Whipped Shower foam is formulated with vitamin C-rich kakadu plum, to brighten and smooth, alongside finger lime, a natural source of exfoliating AHAs. The whips come in a variety of gorgeous scents, including ‘Very Vanilla’, ‘Cherry On Top’, ‘Coconut Cream’, ‘Honey Honey’, and ‘Juicy Pear’.
For book lovers, I recommend gifting The Winter Garden (£8.99 WHSmith). Described as a ‘dark but enchanting historical fantasy’, The Winter Garden tells the story of an 8-year-old Beatrice who receives an invitation to the mysterious Winter Garden. A place of wonder and magic, that becomes Beatrice’s comfort every night for seven days. But when the garden disappears, and no one believes her story, Beatrice wonders if it were truly real. Eighteen years later, on the eve of her wedding to a man her late father approved of, but she does not love, Beatrice makes the decision to throw off the expectations of Victorian English society and search for the garden. But when both she and her closest friend, Rosa, receive invitations to compete to create spectacular pleasure gardens - with the prize being one wish from the last of the Winter Garden's magic - she realises she may be closer to finding it than she ever imagined.
Sundae Body | Whipped Shower Foam
If you have a more restricted budget or are looking for a fun stocking filler, look no further than the whipped shower foams from Sundae Body (£12.99 cultbeauty.co.uk). Contained in whipped cream-esque can, these washes sit pretty in any shower or bathroom cabinet. They are also super fun to use and feel (and are!) incredibly nourishing on the skin. Each Whipped Shower foam is formulated with vitamin C-rich kakadu plum, to brighten and smooth, alongside finger lime, a natural source of exfoliating AHAs. The whips come in a variety of gorgeous scents, including ‘Very Vanilla’, ‘Cherry On Top’, ‘Coconut Cream’, ‘Honey Honey’, and ‘Juicy Pear’.
Razzl Dazzl | Shampoo Brush
Another great stocking filler is the Razzl Dazzl Shampoo Brush (£10 razzldazzl.com), an ergonomic brush guaranteed to make the perfect addition to any haircare routine. Designed to boost circulation and stimulation, this bestselling shampoo brush supports a healthy scalp which, in turn, delivers healthier more gorgeous-looking hair. The hand-held hair tool features soft malleable silicone bristles that deeply clean, exfoliate, and relax the scalp. It's a shower necessity!
Another great stocking filler is the Razzl Dazzl Shampoo Brush (£10 razzldazzl.com), an ergonomic brush guaranteed to make the perfect addition to any haircare routine. Designed to boost circulation and stimulation, this bestselling shampoo brush supports a healthy scalp which, in turn, delivers healthier more gorgeous-looking hair. The hand-held hair tool features soft malleable silicone bristles that deeply clean, exfoliate, and relax the scalp. It's a shower necessity!
La Perla | Luminous Eau de Parfum Gift Set Duo
All women love to smell beautiful, so you’ll never go wrong gifting a fragrance during the festive season. One of the best fragrance sets available this year is the La Perla Luminous Eau de Parfum Gift Set Duo (£85 beautybylaperla.com) that features a 50ml Luminous Eau de Parfum and a 10ml Travel Spray of the same scent. Contained in a charming re-fillable bottle, Luminous is a floral woody musk that offers good longevity and great projection. With a top note of ambrette seed (musk mallow), a heart note of jasmine, and a base note of cedarwood, Luminous is a sensual yet elegant feminine fragrance that is ideal for year-round everyday wear.
All women love to smell beautiful, so you’ll never go wrong gifting a fragrance during the festive season. One of the best fragrance sets available this year is the La Perla Luminous Eau de Parfum Gift Set Duo (£85 beautybylaperla.com) that features a 50ml Luminous Eau de Parfum and a 10ml Travel Spray of the same scent. Contained in a charming re-fillable bottle, Luminous is a floral woody musk that offers good longevity and great projection. With a top note of ambrette seed (musk mallow), a heart note of jasmine, and a base note of cedarwood, Luminous is a sensual yet elegant feminine fragrance that is ideal for year-round everyday wear.
Guerlain | Aqua Allegoria Forte Rosa Rossa
Another great fragrance to gift this Christmas is the Guerlain Aqua Allegoria Forte Rosa Rossa (£95 lookfantastic.com), a gorgeous floral and fruity gourmand. Available in two sizes, 75ml and 125ml, Rosa Rossa Forte is housed in a screw-top, refillable, and recyclable bottle that looks beautiful on any dresser. It features top notes of rose water and blackcurrant accord, heart notes of rose essence, rose absolute, peach, and pear, and base notes of sandalwood, vanillin, patchouli, white musk, and benzoin. As with all fragrances in Guerlain's Aqua Allegoria Forte collection, Rosa Rossa pays tribute to nature’s beauty and sweeps wearers up in a discovery of exceptional raw ingredients and notes, beautifully enhanced by the brand's perfumer-explorers.