Again, I’m not doing a *huge* focus on sets this year but am including a few of my faves! I sometimes prefer a full-size product but get that sets can be really good value and a great way to try out products, particularly skincare before you make that big splurge.
Here are my top picks for the skincare junkie, from £3 stocking fillers to some more luxurious indulgences.
Stocking fillers (under £15) :
Ok it ain’t the prettiest packaging, but the O’ Keefe’s products (available from Boots and Superdrug) are really functional and they really do what they say on the tin (their foot cream is THE BEST!). I have been using their Overnight Lip Repair* for the last couple of weeks and it’s fab for just a £3.49. The iconic PIXI Glow Tonic* comes in a stocking and purse friendly 100ml size (£10) and if this formula isn’t quite right, they do it in all their tonics too. I also am loving their newer PIXI Retinol tonic.
Another perfect stocking filler for the skincare junkie is the Too For For School Egg Cream Mask* (1 for £6). This Korean skincare brand has swept the UK by storm over the last couple of years and their products are not only interesting and unique, but really functional and good too! I find fun things like this always great as a little add-on gift.
The Mario Badescu facial spray (£7-£11) has been such a hit with the makeup world recently, it’s a perfect prep and setting spray to use over or under makeup and is super gentle and calming. Infused with rosewater, aloe and herbs and great for all skin types.
Mid-range £15 – £40 :
The Alpha-H Rose Gold Kit* (£20) is a really cute set that contains the Liquid ‘Rose’ Gold liquid resurfacer and a hand cream. The liquid rose gold has all the benefits of the brightening and exfoliating original formula just with added aromatic botanicals. Such pretty packaging!
Perfect for the party season are the PIXI DetoxifEYE Depuffing Eye Patches* (£22). These are super cooling hydrogel patches (they feel like slipply slugs….in the best way possible?!) that you simply whack on under the eye area for 10 minutes and let them get to work. Caffeine, cucumber, aloe all help to soothe, de-puff and de-congest the delicate eye area.
A great cleanser that I think is just an easy go-to and great for travel and both AM/PM is the Oskia Renaissance Cleansing Gel (£33). This is a pink gel-to-oil cleanser that removes makeup, brightens and soothes the skin. I love it for travel as it’s that cleanser you can rely on to do it all as opposed to double cleansing and cloth action.
A mask is always a good idea for a present I think ; something pampering, active and will work for all skin types. The Antipodes Halo Skin Brightening Mask* (£26.99) is a really decent all-rounder and will really enliven and freshen up skin pre-party, after-party or…..like me…..no-party. It’s a mud/clay mask formula that also contains plant and flower extracts that offers an indulgence and pampering feel to this skin treat.
I think I include this is ANY skincare gift guide….because so many are intrigued by it but don’t want to indulge in the full (£169!) size. The Foreo Luna Play (£29) is a perfect little skincare gadget to enhance your cleanse, brighten the skin and get your regime to work more efficiently. This smaller one will also allow you to see if it’s right for you and if you want to indulge in the full size Luna! I love it.
More Spenny £40 +
Drunk Elephant is a brand that is still on everyone’s lips and i personally have really enjoyed what I have tried from this range. I think this GET EVEN set* (£84) is a perfect way to get a decent introduction from the range and allows you to try ALL the bestsellers in one swoop!
Revitalash* (£74) is one of those products I heard whisperings about in the beauty industry for SO many years. You could only get your hands on it in Harrod’s at the start and it was a bit of an beauty folk urban myth. Did it really work? HOW does it work? etc etc. Thankfully, we are all online now and access to this wonder lash conditioner / growth product has never been easier!
It’s pricey so maybe not something everyone will indulge in for themselves but a really lovely gift for that person who is always wearing lashes, getting extensions or talking about losing lashes etc. IT WORKS.
Now for my no.1 cleanser and a slightly more indulgent cleansing treat for the skin ; the Emma Hardie Moringa Cleansing Balm* (£47). This is simply the best. Removes ALL makeup. The heaviest of makeup. It’s so gentle and effective and her cloths are also the best. Worth every penny.
Two blow-out treats for ANY skin type and pretty much any skincare lover will be happy to receive : first up the Kate Somerville Exfolikate (£72). This is a skin brightening exfoliator that uses both physical and chemical exfoliants to get the ultimate healthy skin glow in minutes. It’s honestly one of the best I’ve ever used and I have had it in my stash since it first came to the UK around 10 years ago! (it came, it went and it came back again!). The Sunday Riley JUNO face oil (£54) is another product that I genuinely think will work for anyone and everyone. It’s the best all-round face oil and I have used it again, since it launched here many moons ago. I have pretty much all the SR oils and this one seems to be the one I reach for the most. A perfect treat for these colder months when our skin becomes a little tighter, thirsty and sensitive, this will always leave you glowing!
So a little round up of skin treats and gifts that I think would be well received by most. It’s basically a kind of run down of my favourite skincare products and brands ever! Can you spot anything that you have your eye on here? What are you hoping to get for Christmas this year beauty-wise?
*press samples
*contains affiliate links
