Holiday Gift Guide

​So apparently 2017 is nearly over. When did that happen? Anywho, Christmas is literally a month away. The shopping season is here and I'll be honest, there are so many deals going on that it is hard to keep up. So I'm not going to bother with trying to tell you all the Black Friday sales because I like to have a plan and I am not the type to go out and be amongst the crowds on that day. I will say, check out the Sephora Sale section online and on the app, Ulta is having killer sales as well as Belk. Basically any place that sells makeup is having very impressive deals. More so than ever before I think.

What I'm going to do is give you some gift ideas for makeup and skincare in different price ranges. At the end for kicks I'll give you some items that aren't in those categories in case you want to switch it up.

​Alright starting with 20 & Under:
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Buxom Plump and Contour Lip Trio: I seen this on Ulta's website. It's a gloss, lipstick, and lip pencil. All in a neutral shades. It's $20 I think it would work really well for those who wear minimal or full glam when it comes to makeup.

First Aid Beauty: Ultra Repair Cream Minis Original and Pink Grapefruit Infusion. This set is also at Ulta for $20. I'm a HUGE fan of their creams and their skincare in general. It's a fantastic place to start when it comes to skincare, and also likely won't be anything that's too strong for someone. So it's a bit more universal than say "treatments" like acids, retinols, even heavy oils. 

Smashbox Photo Strip Eyeshadow Palette: This is on sale at Sephora right now for $15. You get 10 shades in matte and "soft shimmer" finishes. It's a nice color range from nude, to warm tones, mauves and smokey grey and black. So it really is capable of giving you different but wearable looks instead of always warm toned, always nude, cool toned, etc. (they also have a highlighting palette too)

Fresh Beauty Besties: This one is probably my favorite for this price range because it's two of my all time favorite products. It's the Fresh Soy Cleanser and a mini of the Fresh Vitamin Nectar Vibrancy Boosting Mask. The cleanser is 1.6 oz and the mask is .5 oz. It's $17 at Sephora.

Sephora Play Bags: Sephora actually has a cool idea here. You no longer have to have a subscription to get some of the Sephora Play bags that have deluxe sized minis or 5 or 6 products that have everything from hair to skin to makeup products. You can now go online and choose a bag for $10. I think this is actually genius. They also come with a card of extra beauty insider points for whoever you're giving it too. So on their next purchase they'll turn in the card (expires in a month I think) and get 50 extra points added to their point balance. 

Some honorable mentions: Some of the Urban Decay lipsticks are on sale for $8.50, Some of the Anastasia Lip Gloss is on sale for $8, if you're a fan of Philosophy shower gels they're always on sale for the Holiday season, and so is Soap and Glory.

$30 and under:

Smashbox ShapeMatters palette $27 on sale at Sephora right now. This has everything. Including contour, highlight, shadows and brow powders and wax and a brush. It's a big palette too so if you want something small it's not what you want but it's very nice.

Huda Beauty Obsessions: These on the other hand are very compact and very good quality shadows. They're $27 and you get 9 shadows in a small square palette. They have 4 different palettes depending on what you like. Everything from brights to bronze to warm and mauve tones. 

Amika Fan Faves Set: $25 This has my two favorite products in it. It has their Perk Up Dry Shampoo and Nourishing Mask. They're full sized as well. Which is fantastic. I would definitely get this. It's at Sephora. 

Laneige Slumber Party: Laneige is new to Sephora but they are lovely. I've tried several products from the range and I really love it and they aren't very highly priced. This is $28. It's 3 pieces and you get a full sized Water Sleeping Mask which feels AMAZING. You also get a small Water Bank Essence which is a spritz and a Water Bank Moisture Cream. I have the Hydrating Gel instead of the cream and I like the Moisture Cream better. The Sleeping Mask alone is $25 so I think this is a great set. 

Give Me Some Nude Lip Set: This is a set of both mini and full sized lip products from lipsticks, to gloss, to liquid lips, etc. It's $28. It has great brands in it and you can also get it in the Bold set as well. You get six different lip products.

Some honorable mentions for this price range would be some of the Fresh Skincare Sets, OUAI To Go hair kit, ABH Mini Lip Trio, Tarte Natural Artistry Faves Color Collection and the Drunk Elephant Duo's.

​$60 and under:

L'Occitane Almond Home and Away: This is $52 at Sephora is has a full size and travel size Almond Shower Oil which smells amazing and a full size and travel size Milk Concentrate body cream.

Erborian Hydration On The Go Kit: It's $49 at Sephora and  it has a full size of the Solid Cleansing Oil which I really love, then it has a pretty good sized Bamboo Waterlock Mask which is a gel type mask that you can sleep in if you want, it also comes with a small size of Bamboo Creme Frappee Skin Reviving Fresh Gel. I've not tried the last item but I'm definitely a fan of the first two and the Solid Cleansing Oil alone is $39. So I feel like this is a very good deal.

Sephora Favorites Glow For It Set: $40 this is a selection of highlighters of different formulas and different brands. For someone who is a hardcore highlight lover, or is super into strobing I would go this route.

Speaking of Glow For It, Tata Harper Kit: $60 at Sephora. This is a great for those who love Luxury Skincare but also really love "green beauty". Tata Harper is phenomenal at skin care and I'm super glad to see this set out for the holidays because typically their skincare is much more pricey. This has a full sized Resurfacing Mask which is a really great and gentle acid exfoliation product without the chemicals. It also comes with a travel sized Repairative Moisturizer, and a small Regenerating Cleanser. The cleanser is good but I imagine that it will be very tiny because it's in a pot and normally it's in a pump. So I have a feeling it's going to be super small but the travel size and full size products makes this set worth it in my opinion. It tends to sell out quick when they restock so I would sign up for notifications if it's something you want.

First Aid Beauty Tales of FAB Skin: This is $52 at Sephora and I think Ulta too. I know they have a nice FAB set even if it's not this one. I have this and it's great. It's a full size of the Radiance Pads which are my preferred method of using AHA peels, a full size Ultra Repair Cream which is DIVINE, a full size of the new Coconut Priming Moisturizer which I do like but I could do with a different smell it's not very "coconut" smelling to me. You get a pretty good size of the cleanser it might even be full sized I'm not sure. It's the Pure Face Cleanser and it's 2 oz. it's very gentle and fragrance free. You also get a .5 oz Ultra Repair Lip Therapy. This is a great set and for those who may have more sensitive skins the only thing that might remotely bother them could possibly be the Radiance Pads but they are very gentle as well in the realm of "acid toning/exfoliation". Even if you broke it up and did stocking stuffers with the pieces that would be cool.

For gifts that really have nothing to do with makeup or skincare. I threw together  a few that I really like. I'm a huge mug fan. I love the clear mugs lately. Etsy has the best selection. Anthropology has the next best selection of mugs they also have cute tumblers and I love their wine glasses. Kate Spade has the cutest tumbers and thermos. Of course Yeti tumblers are a solid choice. 

Next a heated blanket. You don't think about it till it's dead of winter and you're cold everywhere you go in your house. They even have them for your car if you travel a lot!

I also love gifting sunglasses to people. They're a really nice gift and unless that person just sucks with taking care or keeping up with sunglasses (aka: my husband) it's a very nice gift.

I really love planners. I specifically love the Happy Planner but many people love the Erin Condren planners. They are the size of a notebook and they are so cool to decorate and they encourage me to do better and be on a schedule. I keep up and remember what I've done actually that week or month. So for me it's helpful for deadlines and all my dr appts.

Perfume is a great gift if that person likes perfume and if you know which scent they like! I want to stress that! Clothes is a no go for me. Unless it's a nice scarf or socks from AE  or something. I'm a sucker for cute boot socks from American Eagle. A scarf is always nice though. Check out TJ Maxx for some really soft and beautiful scarves.

Unless told otherwise lol, don't buy home decor. Just don't. Unless they point it out or it's something I know for sure they'd like cause it's small or it's part of their decor pieces or something. I would literally only buy Jamie home decor. I could get her stuff she likes. I wouldn't be able to get my mom decor because we have different tastes.  If you're a dude, don't get your wife that unless she asks for it. Get her something personal. Something that she genuinely would like or would make her feel good. Whether that is a gift card for a massage or some type of activity she likes to do whether it's pedicures, nails, etc. etc. Maybe even get something she collects that you know she doesn't have. If she likes wine perhaps make her a gift basket of her favorites or something. The possibilities are endless.

Happy shopping and be safe if you're going out!