Hopefully, as you are seeing this post you are well underway with your Christmas shopping. I'm currently 60% done with mine, although I'm aware  'Christmas week' is now upon us and I know that familiar rise in panic to not only finish everything off but to all get all the last bits of shopping done and dusted - not stressful in the least, right? 

So in light of this, I thought I'd proactively write a rare Christmas beauty gift type post! I use to go all out with my Christmas guides but after 8 years or so of writing them, they started to feel a bit samey and less authentic than I would have liked. Instead, I feel a more realistic approach would be to share a few gifts I've already purchased for my nearest and dearest, along with a few gifts I've received over the years that still stand out to me. 

Behold a more authentic mini Christmas gift guide... I hope you find a few gems, if not to only bookmark in anticipation of the Boxing Day sales. 

Eyeshadow Palettes 

Okay, I may be starting off on a strange note here, but hear me out. Outside of the beauty world on the internet, I find generally people aren't really 'that' into makeup. A lot of people wear it for work, which means it's generally rushed and the same every day and come the weekend it's generally worn only on nights out. I think if we were to delve into the nations makeup bags we would find a lot of 5-year-old unsharpened eyeliner pencils, concealers that have seen better days and generally a single lone eyeshadow quad.

This is why I personally don't impose large and expensive makeup sets on anyone anymore unless I know they really love makeup! Instead, I find that one makeup product can be much more appreciated and has a higher chance of being used. For me, this is an eyeshadow palette, often paired with an inexpensive eye brush set (Real Techniques or none branded ones from Amazon or eBay). 

For a lot of people, a small highstreet eyeshadow quad seems to do them just fine or one picked up from Revolution is the new go-to. So I like to pick up something a bit more luxurious or bigger, generally with a good mix of neutral tones that works for all occasions. 

In the past 12 months, one of my own favourite palettes that I actually received as a present has been the Too Faced Born The Natural Nudes Eyeshadow Palette which consists of 18 stunning matte and shimmer shades. This is a pretty fool-proof eyeshadow palette to buy as a gift I think as a lot of the shades are very wearable even for someone that only likes to apply 1 or 2 shades to their eyes. The palette is also laid out in a way that there's a corresponding shimmer for every matte eyeshadow which I think makes it more appealing to use. 

However, if you are buying for someone that loves makeup and you want to get them something that they will literally 'ooo' over when they open it, I don't think you can go wrong with Huda Beauty eyeshadow palettes. There's endless choice, I should know I own quite a few, and both the palettes themselves and the eyeshadows are aesthetically pleasing to look at. My latest palette is the Huda Beauty Mercury Retrograde Eyeshadow Palette which really is simply stunning to look at! The full-on shimmer/glitters are without a doubt more suited to someone that loves eye makeup but there's a good mix of neutral tones in there as well. If I didn't already own this I know it would be on my Christmas wish list as something like this really can only be received at Christmas as it's a true makeup treat! 

Skincare Sets (with a little research beforehand!) 

I also think skincare gifts, especially in the form of gift sets are nice to give. Well as long as you are aware of the person's skin type, along with any sensitivities they may have and you are realistic in what they already enjoy using; I know my 65-year-old mum is never going to be convinced to use an AHA liquid exfoliant over a physical scrub... thankfully she ditched the St Ives face scouring scrub a few decades ago! 

For this I like to go practical but pretty - this is my motto. Skincare brands that spring to mind are No7, Origins, Liz Earle, Elemis and while I'm not a huge fan, Clinique, simply because it is known and loved. Unless your gift recipient is well versed in the world of skincare I wouldn't go all out with brands such as Sunday Riley or Emma Hardie, as while they are amazing they won't be aware of such brands thus making the gift a bit lost of them... it's not about the cost but you won't want them wondering if it's a new skincare brand in Superdrug. 

This Christmas I headed online to Origins for a few gifts as I have picked up a few gift sets from the brand for myself over the years (it generally works out more affordable than buying a simple product) and always loved everything I have tried from them. I find the attention to detail with the packaging and scents are really nice - I don't know anyone that doesn't love the fresh orange juice scent of the GinZing range. This year I have picked up the Merry Marvels gift set which contains an impressive seven products worth £90 for only £32. The size of the set is much larger than I expected which I think is always nice at Christmas, to give a larger sized wrapped present and it really does feel good value for money as it contains everything for a full skincare routine, give or take. It also contains bestselling Origins Ginzing Moisturiser and Super Spot Remover, both products I've raved about over the years and combined would cost more than the gift set. 

Haircare

Onto haircare now, which I think is a very safe but good gift category - you really can't go wrong and it will always be gladly received as long as you aren't gifting them your general supermarket-bought shampoo and conditioner. 

Again, I often find people don’t think to spend a little more for hair salon-quality products when not only do they last longer as less product is generally required but they really can make a noticeable difference to the look and feel of the hair.  

Much like skincare, we should be buying for our hair type which is another reason I like to introduce people to more luxurious hair products, especially when it’s someone that visits the hairdressers often but skips on thinking about the aftercare and maintenance. 

One of my own favourite products to use on my hair has always been Philip Kingsley Elasticizer, a pre-shampoo deep hair treatment that truly adds moisture to the cuticles of the hair, leaving it shiny and healthy. This is why I’m loving the two gift sets shown, which not only include everything for a full hair care routine but include the Elasticizer deep treatment, which I’m certain everyone will love! 

Both The Recipe for Hydration & Shine and The Recipe for Body & Volume (with a 41% saving right now!) include full-size shampoo and conditioner, along with 75ml Elasticizer and for the hydration set a handy 60ml heat protection spray and for the volume set a root boosting spray which I’m personally excited to try out. If you are after a substantial gift to give someone that is already into their hair but is yet to try anything with a luxurious salon feel then this is the ideal set. I also can’t get over the cute house-style cardboard packaging! 

Wellness Gifts 

Lastly, let's talk wellness gifts… because let's face it, most of us are mentally and physically frazzled and we still have the depth of Winter to get through. 

I’d like to think wellness products are my forte as I’ve pretty much tried everything in terms of reducing stress, inducing sleep and reducing pain over the years. 

My first wellness gift recommendation is a weighted blanket. I’d personally go for 6kg (not the heaviest but still surprisingly heavy & enough to make a difference) and a single size as I can imagine a double being simply unnecessary for one person and hard to move. I also wouldn't recommend buying this as a gift for anyone elderly as it surprisingly takes a good level of strength to position it over you. There are quite a few benefits to a weighted blanket - reducing joint pain, helping sleep, restless legs and it can even help to reduce stress and anxiety. I also find it keeps the heat in when placed over a duvet in winter. This really could be the gift that helps someone. 

Along the same lines of sleep and relaxation, I also love Spacemasks which are simply self-heating disposable eye masks that feel oh so relaxing. In fact, I don’t think I’ve used one and not fallen to sleep. These come in sets of 5 or can be bought individually. 

As for more elderly relatives or for anyone with a chronic illness/pain I highly recommend an Electric Heat Pad. Yes, it isn’t the most glamorous of gifts but it’s one that’s thoughtful and will be 100% appreciated. I like to think of them as portable heated blankets that can be placed over any area of the body and used both when sitting in a chair or in bed. Again, this is an item I personally couldn’t live without and has eased many aches and pains over the past year or two. A product I had to mention as they don’t seem to be that known about but I know it could benefit so many people. 

I thoroughly hope you have enjoyed my last-minute, more realistic Christmas gift guide and I hope you all have a safe and happy Christmas & New Year. 

Fee xo.  

This is paid for advertisement with Very.co.uk

With Autumn soon upon us now feels the right time to reassess my skincare routine; switching up products for new ones to better suit my skin needs as the weather turns colder.

Much like a change of wardrobe to suit a new season I truly believe our skin requires the same attention to detail. I personally find my own skin, which is on the oily side during summer, becomes dehydrated without a solid skincare routine in place. Below you will find exactly how I’ve been tailoring my skincare routine for the upcoming weather with the help of some wonderful season-appropriate skincare products from Very,  along with some practical tips on how you can keep skin changes due to the colder weather at bay. 

So when Glossier launched their new Solar Paint bronzer creme I surprised myself by ordering it within a day of spotting it online. This is because I’ve simply never seen a bronzer with such a precise applicator before (I’m sure they exist somewhere) and I’m currently missing a lightweight liquid bronzer in my everyday routine.  

I’m also a fan of any beauty brand that caters to fair skin and when I saw the lightest shade ‘flare’ I knew it was for me. 

Since discovering how incredible cheaper makeup alternatives can be I've enjoyed perfume dupes just as much as premium scents as well. It came with the realisation that premium fragrances are ever-increasing in value and spending £60, if not more, on a single scent isn't just confined to Chanel No.5 these days but most other scents

In this time I've discovered countless perfume dupes that have most importantly saved me money but also you never know where your next new fragrance is going to be found. 

From the beauty counter to your local supermarkets the fragrance industry has evolved and if you have been wanting to dive into the world of cheap perfume alternatives this is your sign to do so, with an amazing dupe for the summer favourite that is Estee Lauder Bronze Goddess.