There are currently 5 days to Christmas and I'm sure you can probably get some decent offers but is it worth all of that stress? Surely not. I've seen the anxious expression of other shoppers wandering around the shopping centres. None the less I've decided to compile a Last Minute Present Ideas post for all of you nutters who have left it until now to start thinking about Christmas. I used to work retail and I worked for what was essentially a gift giving brand and I have to say from my experience, it was usually men who left it until last minute to buy gifts. There would always be the mass herd of men stood outside the store on Christmas Eve and they would end up spending more than perhaps they wanted to purely because they were desperate to get anything. To be honest I can't imagine I have a massive male readership so I don't know how helpful this post will be. Also I am writing this at the end of November so I am relying on the fact that the gift sets I have mentioned are still in stock. I have tried to keep everything at a relatively low price as let's face it you have probably already spent enough this Christmas.
The New Fashion Rules - In The Frow
Books seem to be quite an archaic concept these days but I am still a fan of a book, in the same way that I still buy DVDs and CDs but I can appreciate they aren't for everyone. However I feel like the pictures in this book would come across better in print opposed to on the screen of a Kindle. If there is someone in your life who even has a mild interest in fashion or the business of fashion The New Fashion Rules by In The Frow would make a great gift. It provides a history of fashion and details some of the big moments that have changed its course, such as the influence of technology. Not only is it packed full of fashion info but it is also beautiful. The cover is basic but effective and you most certainly do not even need to know who In The Frow is to enjoy the book.
Even though I love a book it is quite rare for me to receive one as a gift. I tend to receive books from my cousins who do not know me very well. If you have a cousin or a friend (who isn't someone you would spend lots of money on,) and they have an interest in Fashion, this is a good pick. This is £16.99 at RRP but if you were to buy it from Amazon (using Prime) it would arrive on time and you could probably get it a little bit cheaper. If you are looking to spend around £20, this book and an item from the range I am going to talk about next would make a lovely gift.
The Body Shop - Vanilla Marshmallow
In my November Favourites, I included both the In The Frow book and the Vanilla Marshmallow Hand Cream from The Body Shop and I think that combo would make a good £20 gift. However I didn't just want to focus on the hand cream, really it is the whole scent range. The Vanilla Marshmallow scent is very sweet but they do have two other Christmas scents as well. I just think Vanilla is quite a generic scent that most people seem to like. Can you go wrong with a gift set from The Body Shop?
When you are giving someone the gift of bath/shower products you are giving someone the elements of a good pamper, all the recipient needs to do is find the time to give themselves a pamper. The Body Shop do a massive range of gift sets which are all at a different price point meaning there is something for everyone and their budget. As well as the Vanilla Marshmallow scent, I can also highly recommend the Almond Milk Scent, it is very gentle and it is good for sensitive skin. Plus if you know someone who will only use cruelty free products, you know The Body Shop is safe.
Nars - Little Fetishes Set
I feel like it would be an actual miracle if there are any of these sets left at this point but you never know you might luck out. The Little Fetishes set sums up Nars as a brand: it has a bit of a risque name and the packaging is edgy, much like their advent calendar this year. There is something quite punk about the packaging. The Little Fetishes set is something I would have loved to have received when I was first getting into beauty but I did actually treat myself to this set anyway. I thought it was too cute to miss and I managed to get it during Black Friday so it was £17. I have to say this is a tiny gift for £20 but anyone who is familiar with Nars will know it is expensive.
Inside this set you have a highlight in the shade Fort de France and the classic Laguna Bronzer. Both products work to make you look like you've just got back from a holiday abroad and they are both in a handy travel size compact. The Nars packaging despite being very simple is iconic and would mean something to anyone who has lusted over the brand. Nars used to be quite hard to track down but now it is more widely available so hopefully they will have quite a large stock of these. I have to say I've never been thrilled by the Nars Christmas Collections as a whole. I used to love the cheek palettes they created but the hype seems to have died down around these. This set is definitely my top pick from the brand.
Glamglow - All Set to Glow Set
I picked up this gift set, for myself, when it was a Star Gift from Boots so it was £29. This set must have specifically been made to be a Star Gift as I haven't seem it available anywhere else. Despite this, the All Set to Glow set gives the recipient a great entry into Glamglow as there is a little bit of everything. Within this set there is a complete skincare routine so there is a lot for you to play with. It contains 3 of their most iconic masks: The Glitter Mask (a variation of the Gravitymud,) Supermud and Thirstymud, all of these masks tackle different skin concerns so if you want to you can multi-mask. The other products are 3 I have not tried, the Bubblesheet mask, the Volcasmic Moisturiser and the Galacticleanse Jelly Bath Cleanser. I can't speak for any of these products but I love all of the masks which are included in this set. This is a great set for someone who is skincare conscious but wants to be a bit experimental with some of the textures.
Jammies
When I am really stuck for present ideas I will just buy someone a tacky pair of Christmas jammies. Some of my top picks come from The White Company and Victoria's Secret. There is nothing tacky about The White Company and they create some lovely jammies. This year they have some star patterned brushed cotton jammies which are beautiful. The good thing with The White Company is that they basically always have 15% off all the time, if you are part of their mailing list. I was lucky enough to receive a £10 voucher this Christmas and I spent it on one of the furry hot water bottles which would also make a great gift.
When I was talking about tacky jammies, I was most certainly talking about Victoria's Secret jammie range. Their jammies are really comfy and just as expensive as the ones from The White Company but they have more festive patterns. Victoria's Secret always have a large amount of stock so even this close to Christmas you should be able to get some. Even if someone doesn't wear jammies to bed, they will probably wear them on comfy days so they always come in handy.
Candles
If all else fails and you have a little bit more of budget then you cannot go wrong with a candle. They are quite generic and you can get something that is Christmas themed. Depending on your budget I have two top recommendations: either Winter from The White Company or Pomegranate Noir from Jo Malone London. I did a whole post dedicated to Top Candle Scents earlier in Blogmas so if you want more candle recommendations have a look at that. Winter is the cheaper option of two at £20 and it is a festive spiced fruit scent. This is a limited edition but The White Company produce so many products in this scent that there will most certainly be something to purchase even this close to Christmas.
Pomegranate Noir is part of the permanent line up for Jo Malone London but it is basically a Christmas candle. It is actually quite similar to Winter from The White Company but it is slightly more luxury feeling. I much prefer the packaging for Jo Malone London but The White Company have improved the packaging for Winter by adding a star motif to the outer cardboard box. This is a great generic gift for when you are desperate or for when you don't really know the person. It's the thought that counts, right?!
Aspinal of London Bag - Lottie Bag
I've deiced to include one luxury item, just in case you are that desperate and you are willing to spend a little bit more money and when I say a little, I mean if you have a large budget. This is certainly a luxury item but I feel like anyone would be happy with receiving the Aspinal of London Lottie Bag. I have absolutely loved this bag this year and it is such a good size. I know quite a few people in my life who have been eyeing up this bag because of it's size. The Lottie Bag is part of the Aspinal of London standard range so they should have stock of it. They do stock this in a couple of colours but black would probably be your best bet if you are buying this for someone unexpectedly.
I have tried to include items that are part of permanent ranges so that stock levels remain sort of constant and hopefully most of my recommendations should be available. As I said at the start, I'm not sure how helpful this post is going to be but I hope this has inspired someone. If you are heading out to get presents, good luck! You are way braver than I am.
You might also like:
The New Fashion Rules - In The Frow
Books seem to be quite an archaic concept these days but I am still a fan of a book, in the same way that I still buy DVDs and CDs but I can appreciate they aren't for everyone. However I feel like the pictures in this book would come across better in print opposed to on the screen of a Kindle. If there is someone in your life who even has a mild interest in fashion or the business of fashion The New Fashion Rules by In The Frow would make a great gift. It provides a history of fashion and details some of the big moments that have changed its course, such as the influence of technology. Not only is it packed full of fashion info but it is also beautiful. The cover is basic but effective and you most certainly do not even need to know who In The Frow is to enjoy the book.
Even though I love a book it is quite rare for me to receive one as a gift. I tend to receive books from my cousins who do not know me very well. If you have a cousin or a friend (who isn't someone you would spend lots of money on,) and they have an interest in Fashion, this is a good pick. This is £16.99 at RRP but if you were to buy it from Amazon (using Prime) it would arrive on time and you could probably get it a little bit cheaper. If you are looking to spend around £20, this book and an item from the range I am going to talk about next would make a lovely gift.
The Body Shop - Vanilla Marshmallow
In my November Favourites, I included both the In The Frow book and the Vanilla Marshmallow Hand Cream from The Body Shop and I think that combo would make a good £20 gift. However I didn't just want to focus on the hand cream, really it is the whole scent range. The Vanilla Marshmallow scent is very sweet but they do have two other Christmas scents as well. I just think Vanilla is quite a generic scent that most people seem to like. Can you go wrong with a gift set from The Body Shop?
When you are giving someone the gift of bath/shower products you are giving someone the elements of a good pamper, all the recipient needs to do is find the time to give themselves a pamper. The Body Shop do a massive range of gift sets which are all at a different price point meaning there is something for everyone and their budget. As well as the Vanilla Marshmallow scent, I can also highly recommend the Almond Milk Scent, it is very gentle and it is good for sensitive skin. Plus if you know someone who will only use cruelty free products, you know The Body Shop is safe.
Nars - Little Fetishes Set
I feel like it would be an actual miracle if there are any of these sets left at this point but you never know you might luck out. The Little Fetishes set sums up Nars as a brand: it has a bit of a risque name and the packaging is edgy, much like their advent calendar this year. There is something quite punk about the packaging. The Little Fetishes set is something I would have loved to have received when I was first getting into beauty but I did actually treat myself to this set anyway. I thought it was too cute to miss and I managed to get it during Black Friday so it was £17. I have to say this is a tiny gift for £20 but anyone who is familiar with Nars will know it is expensive.
Inside this set you have a highlight in the shade Fort de France and the classic Laguna Bronzer. Both products work to make you look like you've just got back from a holiday abroad and they are both in a handy travel size compact. The Nars packaging despite being very simple is iconic and would mean something to anyone who has lusted over the brand. Nars used to be quite hard to track down but now it is more widely available so hopefully they will have quite a large stock of these. I have to say I've never been thrilled by the Nars Christmas Collections as a whole. I used to love the cheek palettes they created but the hype seems to have died down around these. This set is definitely my top pick from the brand.
Glamglow - All Set to Glow Set
I picked up this gift set, for myself, when it was a Star Gift from Boots so it was £29. This set must have specifically been made to be a Star Gift as I haven't seem it available anywhere else. Despite this, the All Set to Glow set gives the recipient a great entry into Glamglow as there is a little bit of everything. Within this set there is a complete skincare routine so there is a lot for you to play with. It contains 3 of their most iconic masks: The Glitter Mask (a variation of the Gravitymud,) Supermud and Thirstymud, all of these masks tackle different skin concerns so if you want to you can multi-mask. The other products are 3 I have not tried, the Bubblesheet mask, the Volcasmic Moisturiser and the Galacticleanse Jelly Bath Cleanser. I can't speak for any of these products but I love all of the masks which are included in this set. This is a great set for someone who is skincare conscious but wants to be a bit experimental with some of the textures.
Jammies
When I am really stuck for present ideas I will just buy someone a tacky pair of Christmas jammies. Some of my top picks come from The White Company and Victoria's Secret. There is nothing tacky about The White Company and they create some lovely jammies. This year they have some star patterned brushed cotton jammies which are beautiful. The good thing with The White Company is that they basically always have 15% off all the time, if you are part of their mailing list. I was lucky enough to receive a £10 voucher this Christmas and I spent it on one of the furry hot water bottles which would also make a great gift.
When I was talking about tacky jammies, I was most certainly talking about Victoria's Secret jammie range. Their jammies are really comfy and just as expensive as the ones from The White Company but they have more festive patterns. Victoria's Secret always have a large amount of stock so even this close to Christmas you should be able to get some. Even if someone doesn't wear jammies to bed, they will probably wear them on comfy days so they always come in handy.
Candles
If all else fails and you have a little bit more of budget then you cannot go wrong with a candle. They are quite generic and you can get something that is Christmas themed. Depending on your budget I have two top recommendations: either Winter from The White Company or Pomegranate Noir from Jo Malone London. I did a whole post dedicated to Top Candle Scents earlier in Blogmas so if you want more candle recommendations have a look at that. Winter is the cheaper option of two at £20 and it is a festive spiced fruit scent. This is a limited edition but The White Company produce so many products in this scent that there will most certainly be something to purchase even this close to Christmas.
Pomegranate Noir is part of the permanent line up for Jo Malone London but it is basically a Christmas candle. It is actually quite similar to Winter from The White Company but it is slightly more luxury feeling. I much prefer the packaging for Jo Malone London but The White Company have improved the packaging for Winter by adding a star motif to the outer cardboard box. This is a great generic gift for when you are desperate or for when you don't really know the person. It's the thought that counts, right?!
Aspinal of London Bag - Lottie Bag
I've deiced to include one luxury item, just in case you are that desperate and you are willing to spend a little bit more money and when I say a little, I mean if you have a large budget. This is certainly a luxury item but I feel like anyone would be happy with receiving the Aspinal of London Lottie Bag. I have absolutely loved this bag this year and it is such a good size. I know quite a few people in my life who have been eyeing up this bag because of it's size. The Lottie Bag is part of the Aspinal of London standard range so they should have stock of it. They do stock this in a couple of colours but black would probably be your best bet if you are buying this for someone unexpectedly.
I have tried to include items that are part of permanent ranges so that stock levels remain sort of constant and hopefully most of my recommendations should be available. As I said at the start, I'm not sure how helpful this post is going to be but I hope this has inspired someone. If you are heading out to get presents, good luck! You are way braver than I am.
You might also like:
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