The Ultimate Last Minute Christmas Gift Guide 2020

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Hello, hello! It’s been such a long time since I last posted. I am so sorry. It’s been a very hectic few weeks for me. For those who do not know, I recently started a new job and with any new role, there is a lot of new things to learn. My brain unfortunately just hasn’t had the capacity to write any blog posts as of late as when I come home from work, I am literally brain dead! However, as I am now settling in, you will see and hear from me much more often. It is so nice to be back writing on the blog though and we are well into the silly/festive season.

It’s a little scary to think that Christmas is not too far away (with just a little over a week to go!) and that 2020 will come to an end soon (is anyone else wondering where has 2020 gone?). Isn’t it crazy that we begin a new an exciting 2018 in a little over 2 weeks? Whilst we are well into the festive season, I know many of us are still Christmas shopping and looking for some beautiful gifts for our loved ones.

As a skincare lover, I adore sharing my passion with my friends and family and often find myself purchasing skincare related gifts for my family and friends. With that in mind, I thought I would share some gift ideas for those special people in our lives and of course, a little splurging for ourselves is always necessary. 

For Your Mother/Mother in Law

I find mothers extremely hard to buy for. My own mother is next to impossible to buy for, let alone my mother in law! I have always found that purchasing luxurious items that they would not necessarily buy for themselves as gifts a hit. Think luxurious textures, beautiful packaging and heavenly scents in items that they would use on a daily basis, such as hand creams and body lotions. It really makes that daily routine transform into more of a ritual and a pamper session – something everything mother needs!

Chanel La Crème Main

Image Source: Chanel Beauty

Image Source: Chanel Beauty

I always try to think of things that my own mother wouldn’t buy for herself and luxury hand creams is one of those items which I know she would never splurge on. Nothing exudes luxury like Chanel and with the release of their most recent hand cream – La Crème Main, it makes a perfect gift for the woman who has everything or wouldn’t necessarily splurge on themselves. What makes La Crème Main different from other hand creams? Well, to be honest, it really does come down to its sleek and beautiful packaging, an innovative tube design perfect for on the go application. However, the formula is also quite beautiful too – a lightweight, fast absorbing hand cream that feels velvety, luxurious and rich on application makes a welcome addition to a woman’s handbag. 

Chanel’s La Crème Main comes in a 50ml tube and can be found on Chanel online or most major department stores for USD$50.  

African Botanics Marula Botanical Body Cream

Image Source: African Botanics

Image Source: African Botanics

For me, African Botanics is one those brands that I want to introduce everyone too due to its beautiful, luxe formulas that work. If you have been following me for some time now you will know that I am a die hand African Botanics fan.

This Christmas, I will be introducing my own mother to African Botanics – I have actually purchased her the Marula Botanical Body Cream as a little introduction to one of my favourite brands and perhaps be a passion we can both share throughout 2018. My own mother loves a good body cream (unlike me, she religiously moisturises from top to toe every day) and I with a beautiful whipped texture like the African Botanics Marula Botanical Body Cream, I couldn’t resist in introducing this in her daily routine.

It’s luxurious, new (for her) and beautiful in feel and texture, this cream would be a real treat for any loved one. 

African Botanic’s luxurious Marula Botanical Body Cream can be purchased from African Botanics online for USD$85. 

For Your Best Friend or Sister

I love buying gifts for my besties – its always so much fun as my friends either have similar tastes as myself when it comes to beauty or is the type of person who is curious about skincare/beauty but would never think of buying it for themselves. My sister, on the other hand, is an early twenty-something (who makes me feel SO OLD!) who is just starting to discover beauty products and is in that fun phase of discovering not only her own sense of self and style but what works for her. When I buy presents for my friends or my sister, I love to pamper them with new beauty discoveries or beautiful products which I know they will love or appreciate. 

Clean Beauty Subscriptions

Beauty subscription boxes are such a cost-effective and brilliant way for the girl in your life who has always been there for you to discover and indulge in new beauty products. My personal favourites are clean beauty boxes like Boxwalla and The Art of Organics, which curate really unique, niche and of course ‘green’ indie beauty brands. Each box is loaded with so much value and is brilliantly curated with some fantastic products. 

The Boxwalla December Edit – A Brief History of Timeless Things.
Image Source: The Boxwalla

The Boxwalla Green Beauty Box is always brilliantly curated, with this month’s December box featuring beauty products from around the world. Your bestie or sister would be so thrilled with a super luxe oil from Australian brand, Lepaar Skin, an eye serum from Spanish skincare brand Dafna and of course a candle to soothe the soul by Rebel and Mercury. The Boxwalla boxes can be purchased as an ongoing subscription starting at USD$49.95 per month or as a one time box which will retail for USD$59. 

The Art of Organics Moonbeam Box (which has SOLD OUT). 
Image Source: The Art of Organics

Clean beauty mavens at The Art of Organics also create an amazing edit of clean beauty products and this month’s December edit was no exception. In the most recent edit, subscribers had the opportunity to experience a moisture mask by green beauty pioneers, Kahina Giving Beauty and a lash booster by Lunar Nectar. Each and every Art of Organics boxes blends so well the old with the new, constantly introducing new, niche green beauty brands as well as well-loved favourites. Its the perfect green beauty discovery box for the bestie or the sister in your life. The Art of Organic boxes offer several different options for subscriptions, starting at USD$39 per month, billed monthly to a full years subscription for USD$429. 

Hourglass Ambient Lighting Edit Volume 3 Palette

Image Source: @hourglasscosmetics

The annual Hourglass Palette is such a treat for the beauty lover or someone who just enjoys beautiful things. This year’s limited edition Ambient Lighting Edit Volume 3 is just as beautiful as ever, encased in luxurious looking rose gold. This year’s edit features the best of old and new, with three of their best selling powders and also an additional three exclusive new powders to help create a natural looking, flawless glow. I have religiously purchased every single palette that Hourglass has released for both myself and for family and friends due to the fact that these palettes are just so beautiful but also quite practical and travel-friendly. It’s basically a look in a palette with a finishing powder, blushes, bronzers and a highlighter all in one. Its a real treat for the sister who absolutely loves makeup or that friend who is often on the road and needs to look fresh and flawless always. 

The Hourglass Ambient Lighting Edit Volume 3 Palette can be purchased from Sephora or Hourglass online and retails for USD$80. 

Jordan Samuel Skin’s Oily Prone Favourites

Holiday Gifting – Jordan Samuel Skin’s Oily Prone Favourites
Image Source: Jordan Samuel Skin

If there is one brand which I have introduced a plethora of my friends to this year, its Jordan Samuel Skin. Why? His range is perfect for both beginners and seasoned skincare lovers alike due to his simple yet effective skincare products (we all know I am quite the fan). With the release of his limited edition gift sets, what better way and time to introduce your bestie or sister to a great range of affordable yet effective products?! 

Jordan Samuel Skin’s Oily Prone favourites is that perfect introduction as it features two fantastic products, his infamous Hydrate Serum (you can read about my love affair with this here) as well as Jordan’s relatively new, but oh so wonderful Performace Cream (I talked about this here too) which help to keep skin hydrated, plump and radiant. Friend has dry skin? Don’t fret, they can still use these products too – perhaps just suggest for them to use an additional drop of oil for extra oomph. This set is a wonderful way to get that special girl in your life into some fantastic skincare products as Jordan Samuel’s skin does rest of the convincing for you – yes its that good. 

Jordan Samuel Skin’s Oily Prone Favourites are exclusive to Jordan’s online store and retails for USD$60. 

For the Office Secret Santa

The office/workplace Secret Santa is often one of the toughest presents to get due to restricted budgets and seriously…what do you get that person in accounting/finance that you barely speak to? In instances like these, I always like to play it safe – stocking fillers are always something I look into and these are some that I would be happy to receive. 

Aesop Resurrection Balm

Image Source: Aesop

Aesop is a gold mine for gifts. This Australian brand (yay for the Aussies) is the perfect pit stop for all things gifting and a present for the secret Santa is an absolute breeze with Aesop’s infamous Resurrection Balm. This. Smells. AMAZING and works wonderfully as a luxe hand cream without smelling overtly feminine or masculine as Resurrection exudes a beautiful deep and complex citrus scent. Its a great little beauty product for gifting and both male or females will loves this, as it not only is so nourishing but also smells fantastic too. 

Aesop’s Resurrection Hand Balm can be purchased from Aesop for USD$27 for a 75ml tube. 

Byredo Cotton Poplin 70g Candle

Image Source: Byredo

This is my go-to candle when I am unsure as to what to get someone. I truly believe you cannot go wrong with a beautiful Byredo candle as it is so sleek, minimal and incredibly luxe. The small 70g candle is also a perfect addition to any room or office desk and Cotton Poplin is possibly one of the most inoffensive and universally pleasant scents available, reminiscent of fresh, clean laundry. Its light, extremely unisex and smells so very fresh. The smaller size is a perfect stocking filler whilst also feeling quite luxe. 

The Byredo Cotton Poplin 70g candle has approximately 14 hours burn time and can be purchased from Barney’s New York for USD$35.

For the Man in Your Life

Getting The Mr to use any sort of skincare is extremely difficult. However, I do find that his interest in skincare and what products to use has actually grown (we’ve stepped up from cleansing to moisturising!) and he is genuinely interested in what masks I am using. I am also finding that he sometimes enjoys a masking session himself, even if he doesn’t ever admit it.  If the man in your life isn’t afraid of a skincare routine, these are the products that I would be looking in to. 

Moroccan Neroli Shaving Duet

Image Source: Aesop

When it comes to beautifully packaged gift sets for men, Aesop does such a fantastic job with their minimal, apothecary-inspired bottles which house all sorts of skincare goodness.

Their Moroccan Neroli Shaving Duet is another prime example of where Aesop get things so right with their presentation – a gift that a gentleman would be happy to receive and their partner would be delighted to purchase. The Moroccan Neroli Shaving Duet doesn’t just look suave and luxurious, the Moroccan Neroli Shaving Serum and Moroccan Neroli Post-Shave Lotion that come in this duo also work a treat to soothe and calm down the skin during and after a shave. 

The Aesop Moroccan Neroli Shaving Duet features the Moroccan Neroli Shaving Serum and Moroccan Neroli Post-Shave Lotion, both in a 60ml size and can be purchased from Aesop for USD$80. 

Omorovicza Mix and Match Travel

Image Source: Omorovicza

Omorovicza is luxury skincare brand that creates some beautiful textures in their skincare products and is often highly regarded by skincare queen Caroline Hirons. I, myself, love their Deep Cleansing Mask and their cleanser due to the fact they give a deep clean without stripping the skin of essential oils. The other great thing about Omorovicza? Their products are unisex, meaning that the man in your life can also enjoy using these luxurious skincare products. 

One of the brilliant items that Omorovicza offer is their Mix and Match Travel kit, whereby you can pick 3 deluxe size travel products to create a personalised gift pack. Its a perfect idea for the gentleman who is constantly travelling or for someone who is a little unsure as to what they will enjoy from the Omorvicza range. If I were to make one up for The Mr, I would for sure include the Moor Cream Cleanser (Travel 30ml), Soothing Shave (Travel 30ml) and the Balancing Moisturiser (Travel 30ml) to give him a some sort of routine and a shaving cream because well, all men need a good one don’t they?

The Omorovicza Mix and Match Travel kit is a selection of deluxe sized samples hand-picked by yourself and can be purchased on the Omorovicza website for USD$75. 

For Yourself

We sometimes get quite stressed around the silly season due to well, Christmas shopping, wrapping up a work year and of course preparing our lives for the upcoming holidays. Its sometimes quite easy to forget to sit down, relax and just treat ourselves to a little something. Here are some suggestions of products that you might like to treat yourself to this season. 

Mintd Box The Ultimate Winter Skincare Guide

The lovely ladies at Mintd Box really have mastered the art of creating the ultimate luxury beauty box and their Ultimate Winter Skincare Guide is quite the masterpiece. This box features some amazing products that help the skin looked healthy, nourished and glowing from top to bottom and from the inside and out. This particular edit contains 5 products in total, with 4 of the 5 being full-size products to help you relax and be pampered.

Some beautiful products are featured in this edit – such as Rodial Skincare Dragon’s Blood Velvet Cream, African Botanics Marula Hand Cream and Tula’s Exfoliating Mask Treatment to help maintain that glow. This box is valued at a whopping £207 and it can be all yours for £85! What a fantastic way to force yourself to relax and treat yourself.

Mintd Box Limited Edition Ultimate Winter Skincare Guide can be purchased from Mintd Box for GBP £85. 

5YINA Divine Biocellulose Sheet Mask

Sometimes we don’t have the time to create an elaborate multi masking session or skincare ritual. Products such as sheet masks are a fantastic way to combat this, as a sheet mask is so easy, convenient and effective to use. One of my favourite sheet masks to pamper myself with are the brilliant 5YINA Divine Bio-Cellulose Sheet Masks, which give my skin the most amazing luminous glow. It really does go down as one of the best sheet masks I have ever owned or used as my skin loves the essence that these masks are drenched in.

My skin is always radiant and glowing after use and the best thing is – very little effort is required. You quite simply cleanse, apply the mask, remove the mask and apply a layer of moisturiser/oil over the top and a luminous complexion is revealed. It really is a quick, easy and oh so effective treat for the complexion and it is a great way to relax for a good 20 minutes of the day. The rest of the Christmas shopping can wait, right?

These beautiful 5YINA Divine Biocellulose Sheet Masks come in a set of 5 can be purchased directly from 5YINA for USD$85. 

Have you finished Christmas shopping? What was on our wishlist this year? I would love to hear what everyone is wishing for this Christmas!

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