Hello dearies :)
So it is December which officially means Christmas is fast approaching. Being a poor college student, I don't always have the money to splash out on the amount of presents I need to buy for Christmas. I get bigger presents for immediate family, but for my friends I can't necessarily to splash out on all of them, so I've been shopping around for some really nice gifts that I think my friends would appreciate. Most of these are for girls, but I've popped in some boys ones at the end, in case you want to use this guide as a stocking filler ideas list and are looking for something for a boyfriend, brother or hubby.
A super cheap brand option which has more in store than online is Floozie by Frost French at Debenhams. Click HERE to view the range. They have something for everyone from bath fizzers to eye shadows. The packaging is also really nice and festive, so I think it would be a lovely gift to give to a friend or pop into someone's stocking. The bath fizzers are especially great as they actually have quite a lot in there, so they'll get a lot of use out of them.
Another brand at Debenhams is Beauty Box. Click HERE to view the range. I think this is perfect for friends who are really into specific things. For example, I have a friend who doesn't really wear make-up but loves doing her nails, so I've got her Nail Barrel Gift Set - you get 7 for £5.95 and they are really good quality! The packaging isn't as festive, but still looks nice. They also have the large ranges of lip glosses and bigger make-up kits.
Personally, I think candles make a fantastic gift. I love burning candles and I have a lot of friends who do. My first candle recommendation is actually from Urban Outfitters and is the Fig and Pear candle, which is £6 and you can find HERE. It comes in a little tin and looks very cute. My second recommendation is the Muji candles (any scent, they are all amazing! My favourite, however, is Black Lily), which comes in a glass and you can find them HERE for £10.95. They both have lingering scents and burn quite a long time considering their size.
Paperchase is one of my year-round 'go-to' options for gifts, whether is be birthdays or Christmas. This year, they have a lot of great newer things which I think would make great gifts. First up is this Cashmere Hot Water Bottle, which is £15. This is super duper soft and looks very cute and anyone would adore it. As women, for some reason, we can never have enough mugs and Paperchase do really nice ones for £5, this Fluro Owl Mug is my personal favourite, but they do a lot of festive ones as well. A really thoughtful gift idea which I personally love doing for best friends is to get a really nice photo frame like this Rike Metal one and get a photo printed to put in it of the two of you. They can change the photo if they want, but it shows a lot of thought. Plus, this photo frame is super cute. The next one sounds a bit weird, but a lot of my friends are turning 18 and we do out quite a lot to parties and I started using a Paperchase hip flask last summer, and all my friends loved them so I'm going to be getting them some of them. My favourite is this Butterflies Hip Flask, which is £12. Paperchase also have lots of great things like stationery which are great for anyone, especially younger girls between the ages of 8-14, because for some reason, a stationary obsession just happens at that age, and the Paperchase stuff is all very reasonably priced. They also have great phone cases.
You wouldn't think Cath Kidston would appear on the under £15 gift list, but I found a great deal on a gift bag on Amazon which I will definitely be purchasing for a friend. It contains Shower Gel, Body Lotion, Soap and Bath Crystals in a gorgeous wash bag for £13.50. Click HERE to check this out. This would be a good gift for older friends or even your aunties. I really just think it looks so pretty and would make the most amazing gift.
Another fabulous brand find on Amazon is the Burt's Bees Christmas Edition Essentials. Burts Bees products are so good and work so well, any girl would be ecstatic to receive one of these, because they are great for all ages. The products last ages and this gift set covers the whole body. Great for people who maybe don't do 'beauty' and don't really explore brands.
Anything from the LUSH Christmas Collection won't go a miss with anyone. Even if they are allergic to bath bombs, they still have all sorts of creams and other lotions and potions which everyone would love. They all have really cute packaging and you could get 1-4 of the bath bombs/bubble bars per friend (depending on how much you have to spend, they are about £3-6 each), wrap it up using cellophane and a festive ribbon, or ask Lush to gift wrap them, and it makes a really nice present. You can get your friends all the different ones so you're not buying them all the exact same thing as well. LUSH also do fabulous pre-wrapped gift boxes valuing from £5 to £95, which are all great, you don't have to worry about wrapping them and they have a large variety of products and themes. If you have a friend allergic or not keen on bath stuff, I think LUSH face masks are the best out there, especially for younger skin. A lot of them have to be kept in the fridge, but this Catastrophe Cosmetic Face Mask is amazing, smells gorgeous, doesn't need to be kept in the fridge and is so calming and good for your skin and they are around £5.
Anything from the Body Shop is also a great idea that you can't really go wrong with. Click HERE for their £6 and under gifts, HERE for their £10 and under gifts and HERE for the £15 and under gifts. That sounds lazy of me, but I genuinely can't pick because it all looks so good! The packaging is so festive and gorgeous, the products are high quality and there's everything from bath to face to lip products. I would be so happy to get these from any of my friends or to find this in a stocking. Also, everyone likes different scents and colours, so it's probably up to you to decide which to go for. I personally think the Body Shop Fruity scents are the best, but their warmer ones are also incredible.
A great gift for relatives that are tricky to buy for or even a friend who lives on their own in a Reed Diffuser. You can get them in all sorts of price ranges, but I really really like the ones they sell in Next as the scent isn't too strong, but it is definitely noticeable and gently lifts the air. They do Christmas scents as well as normal ones. I have the Just Prink one and it makes my room smell truly gorgeous. Next also do a large range of really nice home decor items which range from funky pop art to vintage candle holders.
Finally, for the girls team, is Boots. There are too many great gift guides to grab a bargain on to even begin to mention, but I will mention a gift I received last year and loved it so much that when I'd finished the products in March, I went out and bought all of the products (and then some) in the regular rather than miniature size. It is the Ted Baker Hat Box Gift Set. Such good products - I love it to pieces and I will be buying this for a friend this year - it's such a bargain at £10. Another great gift set from Ted Baker is the Paint the Town Pretty Nail Varnish Set, the colours are so so pretty and the quality is fantastic. Plus, the packaging is to die for and you get 4 for £12. Other fab Nail Varnish Sets are the Seventeen Nail Stash, 12 for £12 and the Fearne Perfectly Polished Set which is 6 for £12. My final recommendation is the Soap & Glory Bright and Bubbly Original Pink Gift Set, which is £10. I haven't met anyone who doesn't like Soap & Glory, the products are so amazing, do wonders for your skin and the packaging/marketing behind it is genius. All Boots gifts are 3for2 and of such good value, I literally think it's ridiculous to not even go in there to look because there really is something for everyone.
Some girls are pyjama addicts, others don't care. I love pyjamas, especially festive ones. If you have a friend/relative like me, get her some of the Fleecy Pyjama bottoms from Primark which are £5. Primark's website doesn't show these but I assure you they are in store. They are so so comfy and easy to wear. You can also get plain long/short sleeve pyjama tops which are really nice to match for £5.
Now for boys. I'm not going to lie, as I am not male, I can't give the most expert advice. However, these are things I have got as extra mini presents or small presents for friends/boyfriends/relatives in the past couple of years.
Back to Boots, and first on the list is the Ted Baker Matter of Distinction Face Set, which has a moisturiser, post-shave balm and 3 Moustache shaped soaps. This is a really well presented gift set that is of a high quality and is £14. Another skincare product (as men don't think about skincare as much as women do, so getting them enough to last the year is actually appreciated as it means they don't have to think about all the different choice and faff with that), is the Bulldog Grooming Kit Washbag, which includes a camo green wash bag, a face scrub, a moisturiser and face wash. Bulldog isn't a very 'heard-of' product, but they are really good and I know a few lads who have used these products after receiving them at Christmas and went out to buy more because it works well on 99% of skin types. This is £15. A cheaper toiletry product is the Dove Men Essentials Trio, which includes a deodorant, a body wash and a moisturiser. It's a fantastic little set at £8 and even though it's not that greatly packaged, it's a cheaper (but still great quality) alternative to other products. From Debenhams is the Gilette Travel Washcare Set, especially for guys who you know commute a lot. I think this would be a really cute gift to give to a boyfriend who lives a bit further away so they don't have to lug their whole shaving gear over to your house, they can bring these miniatures themselves or leave them at your house. This is £8.10.
This one is for the boy with a sweet tooth, whether it be your boyfriend or brother. It is the Retro Sweet Gift Pack, which I found on Amazon at £14.75. There are so many sweets, so it will last them ages or they could *ahem* should, share it with you. It's also really good for those lads who are still young at heart because some of the sweets, like flying saucers, would be so amazing if he hadn't had them since he was a toddler.
Back to pyjamas, another thing men don't bother with on the whole (which befuddles me slightly, but that's another issue for another time), but I do know boys like wearing pyjama bottoms as lounge wear if not as actual pyjamas on cold winter nights. Again, Primark do great pyjama bottoms for men for £5. They also do onesies around the £10 mark and lets face it, onesies are so super comfy and actually look really cute on guys. Onesies can be bought pretty much anywhere nowadays at all sorts of prices, but Primark will get you comfort and either style or a novelty piece of clothing for a very good price. Primark also do slippers around the £5 (for both sexes), novelty or normal. Guys don't really go out of their way to buy pyjamas, so Christmas is the best opportunity to go and make sure they get some, because their ones from 12 months ago might not fit and might be fraying slightly.
I find with guys, it is very easy to please with a good boy toy. If they are a boyfriend or someone you live with, they get a good present and you get some peace and quiet whilst they spend time playing. My top boy toy, and amazing bargain, is the Table Top Air Hockey at Debenhams, at £15 (down from £25). This would be great for any guy to get out with his guy friends or play with you.
I also know a lot of guys who like the idea of Poker. Even if they can't play, they like to think they can because despite it being a pretty still game, it tests and shows off their wit and intelligence, which they like. This Poker Set from Debenhams is £12 (gone down from £20) and looks like a really good gift if you know 'that kind of guy'.
There we have it, my very first Gift Guide for Christmas 2013! I hope you enjoyed reading and got some helpful hints/tips on gifts and even if you don't get what I suggested, I hope it inspired you for ideas. I am not at all sponsored, these are my genuine opinions on what to get someone for under £15 this Christmas. I'll be doing a gift guides for him and her over the next week over £15, so please return and check those out!
Much love,
Rosie
-x-
'He who has no Christmas in his heart, will struggle to find it under the tree'
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