Gift Guide 2014: The Beauty Junkie
1. Bourjois Rouge Edition Velvet Lip Color via ASOS: $17
Two things before I talk about this lip color: 1) Remember when Bourjois was sold at Sephora? I do, because I have an insane memory for useless trivia, and also because I'm a veteran of the beauty game. Sadly, Bourjois is no longer sold stateside, BUT we can order a few Bourjois products from ASOS. 2) This was the year that I learned that ASOS is pronounced "a-sauce" and not "ace-ohs." (If you were pronouncing it the Americanized way as well, you can learn from my mistake and pretend you knew the correct British way all along. I won't narc on you.) But back to this lip color! I remember seeing multiple British beauty YouTubers rave about it, particularly Anna from ViivannaDoesMakeup, who is one of my Favorite Humans I've Never Actually Met. (Sidenote: This spring/summer I went through a big British beauty YouTuber phase, and eventually found reasons to dislike them all but Anna and Lily from LilyPebbles.) ANYWAY, while a few YouTubers mentioned these lip colors, Anna was really gung-ho about them, and she convinced me that I needed at least one or two. I still haven't bought a single one, but that's what the holidays are for! Spending!
2. Twlight Bath Bomb and Dreamtime Bath Melt via Lush: $6 each
I'm not a bath person, but Lush makes me want to be one. Particularly when they have such luxurious products that promote restful sleep. I'm an insomniac, and anything that promises to help me sleep is instantly alluring. The Lush website describes the Twilight Bath Bomb as "our gentle, reassuring hug for the bath to transform you from worn out to warm and fuzzy." Don't you want to hop in a bath with one right this second?! If you're looking for something a little different, but in the same vein, the Dreamtime Bath Melt is "a natural sleep remedy that makes your worries fade away with all of the most calming and relaxing essential oils we could think of - jasmine, lavender, chamomile and sandalwood." So, basically, SHUT UP LUSH JUST TAKE ALL MY MONEY.
3. Jao Gal Winter Rescue Pak via Jao Brand: $34
I've mentioned my love of Jao Refresher before. It's the most wonderful sanitizer, and I carry it with me always. This great little gift bag comes with a bottle of my beloved Jao Refresher, a tube of LipJao, which just sounds like a comfort to wintry chapped lips, and a small tin on Coifette, which is a balm for everything from your raggedy cuticles to your flyaway baby hairs. This is truly a perfect winter rescue kit, and while it does say it's for a "gal." I consider this a completely gender-free beauty gift.
4. Soap & Glory The Righteous Butter Gift Card Holder via Sephora: $6
So you have a beauty junkie on your gift giving list, but you have no idea what to get them. What's the difference between a blush and a cheek stain? Hell if you know! You'll just get them a gift card - then they can go nuts and you can stop worrying. But you can't just get them a gift card, you need to throw in a little something extra to make it special. This gift card holder from Soap & Glory is not just a great way to present a gift card (and gives your recipient something substantial to unwrap), it also includes a mini pot of their Righteous Butter Body Butter, which I've told you about before (it's amazing). If your gift card is being presented in it's own present, you'll put all those other gift card givers to shame.
5. Too Faced Natural Eyes Eyeshadow Palette via Sephora: $36
I recently bought this eyeshadow palette after having it languish on my makeup wishlist for almost a year. It's a fantastic palette for traveling, but is also just a great addition to any makeup collection. I've listed it here particularly because I think this is an excellent present for someone who's just getting into makeup, but likes a natural look. I'm thinking a teenager who doesn't have a ton of cash to drop on high-end beauty, but would LOVE some high-end beauty (Even as a teen, I squirreled away my money to save up for a Sephora trip. I still do this, actually.) It's a great value for the money, but won't break the bank, or leave your teen looking like a streetwalker. Win-Win!
6. Urban Decay Naked 3 Eyeshadow Palette via Sephora: $54
If #5 describes your gifting situation, but you've got a little more cash to spend, may I suggest a Naked Palette? My favorite is Naked 3, but they're all classics, and you can choose one based on the particular tastes of your giftee. One of the things I like about Naked 3 is that the colors are suited to someone very pale (i.e., yours truly) and they're subtle, so if you're still getting the hang of eyeshadow (again, talking about myself here) you can't overdo it and end up looking like a clown.
