Christmas at mine this year.

The Mum...

When it comes to mothers at Christmas, the best way to go is skincare. Whether you know what she likes and uses or you want to treat her to a new line, I think a revamp of her routine is the best way to go.
The sets I've gone for are two lines I love and trust, first one being Eve Lom and secondly Liz Earle, both amazing brands that specialise in great quality products. Eve Lom 'The Perfector's Set', £90, comes with the world famous full-sized Cleanser & Cloth, Moisturiser and Radiance Primer. This set has a £170 value and it also comes in a beautiful presentation box.
The Liz Earle Botanical Skin Saviours set, £26, includes a full-sized Cleanse & Polish with two cloths, then some miniatures of her Skin Tonic, Soothing Eye Lotion and Skin Repair Moisturiser. Amazing value set and, again, comes with the beautiful presentation box. Personally you can't go wrong with the Liz Earle, but if you can afford to splurge, you have the more expensive option.


The Special Guy..

You can't go wrong with a little bit of Chanel for your favourite guy at Christmas. Not only will he love it, but it's a bonus for you too. Bleu de Chanel, £43 for 50ml, is one of the best selling men's fragrances world-wide and rightly so. It's definitely a light and modern scent, zesty with a slight musky note. Aftershaves might be personal, but this is one I completely recommend you give a go. And if fragrance isn't the one for you, why not try a bit of Clinique? It's a good skincare line that's effective and has a huge range for you to choose from, but I think the little trial kits they have, especially the ones they have at Christmas time, are a great starter pack. The one I've picked is £40 and you get a shaving foam, post shaving balm, face scrub and moisturizer, all in a little travel bag. What more could he want?
 


The Person That Likes To Pamper Themselves.. 

We all have that one friend who would rather go home on a Friday night after work for a bit of a pamper and a nice glass of wine instead of coming for a few drinks at the local. So for that person I can recommend a face mask. My favourite mask of all time is the Glam Glow Youthmud Exfoliate Mask. When you apply it it's cool and tingling but once it dries you can actually see it working, extracting all the toxins from the skin. Super cool to watch and so effective. Comes in two sizes, £25 for 15mls and £50 for 50mls.
Another pamper product for hair is the Living Proof Restore Mask, an amazing brand made by Jennifer Aniston..I mean who wouldn't want her hair? The Restore mask is £35 and it softens, adds shine and strength.



The Neighbours, Teachers & Childminders.. 

Little gifts to give to the people you mightn't know very well but are important in your life. I've picked two thing that I think are lovely to give to the likes of your child's teacher, but also are lovely stocking fillers. The Ren Go & Glow Kit, £14 comes with a 20ml 1 Minute Facial and a 20ml renewal mask. The second present is the Kiehl's Hand Cream set, £17.50. This is limited edition for Christmas and has the artwork of Peter Max on each tube. Comes with three different scents -Grapefruit, Lavender & Coriander.


The In-laws..

If you're not buying individually for the In-laws, the Aromatherapy Associates Ultimate Bath Jewels Set, £58 is an amazing gift to give to anyone this Christmas, but I've picked this for the In-Laws because it's not aimed at a specific gender so it'll kill two birds with one stone and is beautiful to have in any bathroom. It comes in a fabulous box with ten 9ml bottles of the brand's best oils, including Support, De-Stress, Relax and Inner Strength. Aromatherapy Associates is a brand that's all about using pure and natural ingredients to help balance emotions by adding a drop of the specific oil to one's bath. Staying with bath products, a range with the same concept but at a slightly cheaper price point is the Cowshed Shower Gel Collection, £27. It comes with a mixture of seven mini shower gels, all with different scents and purposes, including Moody Cow, Grumpy Cow and Lazy Cow, each one is 30ml.
  
The Perfume Queen.. 

For me to recommend a perfume is quite difficult since I've worn mostly unisex cologne all my life so I've had a little help from three of my family members.
First up is a perfume my teenage cousin loves and that's the exotic Thierry Mugler Alien, a scent that includes Orange Blossom, Amber & Vanilla. You can currently get this in a gift set for £50, which includes a 50ml bottle, shower gel & body cream.
Who doesn't have a favourite Chanel perfume? Coco Mademoiselle £68/£96 suits almost everyone but is loved by younger women for its sophisticated scent. Chanel describe this is as 'Oriental-fresh' with a 'Floral Jasmine-Rose Accord' and is 'as light as a petal' - my sister's top pick.
Finally, a strong scent for strong women... Bottega Veneta Eau de Perfum £52/£84. This is my mum's favourite and I think it's absolutely beautiful. Notes include Bergamot, Pink Peppercorns, Jasmine and Patchouli.




The Candle Lover..

Let's guess what candle brand I'll go for... anytime I've to buy a gift for someone or if I need a pick-me-up, I head straight to the Diptique section of Space NK. Diptique are the best for candles and at £20/£40 they are quite pricey but so worth it. With a range of almost 40 scents it's quite hard to pick a favourite but you can't go wrong with Baies and Figuier.
If you really want to treat someone special in your life the Oskia De Mai Skin Smoothing Massage Candle, £34, is the ultimate gift. It's a candle that not only smells amazing and turns any room into a spa, but once melted down the wax then becomes a body cream. Genius!! Made with rich oils and waxes, it's the ultimate way to have a pamper night.


The One Who Has Everything.. 

We all have that teenage daughter, sister or cousin that's difficult to buy for, especially when they have everything already. The one thing a girl can ever have enough of is makeup brushes and my favourite brand available on the high street is Real Techniques. They are amazing good quality brushes but also at a good price point. They currently have a brush set out exclusive to Superdrug at £20 with five incredible brushes and a nice metallic silver clutch. Another thoughtful gift to give is a palette that's easy to travel with and has a range of eyeshadows or lipglosses. My top pick is from Laura Mercier at £35. This cute little compact comes with four eyeshadows, a blush, a bronzer and a lipgloss. Perfect for any age, with universal colours and shades.
 

So, whatever the budget this year, always remember that the thoughtful gifts are the most important. Also note that I got all my pictures from Google, I do not own them. I'm familiar with most of the products in my gift guide because I work at Space NK, where most of the items I've mentioned are available.
Also a big thank you to the girls at Clinique, Clarins and Liz Earle PR for helping me out with some ideas and products.

Happy Christmas, Jack x