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Christmas 2014: 14 best beauty gifts under £20
Beauty gifts don't have to be wildly expensive; take your pick from our favourites under £20
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Whoever you're buying for this Christmas, there are great value beauty gifts out there. We've tried and tested across all the high-street ranges and come up with our pick of the best.
1. The Sanctuary Spa Tin of Treasures: £14, sanctuary.com
The Sanctuary Spa have enlisted the help of an incredible illustrator this year to design their stunning Christmas gift selection - feminine florals and chinoiserie-style birds on re-usable boxes and tins. The whole range is beautiful. My pick of the best, Tin of Treasures, contains full size Body Wash, Body Lotion (both 250ml) and Body Scrub (200ml). A close second is Wash Away The Day – full size hand wash and lotion (both 250ml) in a pretty ceramic dish, for only £10.
2. Aromatherapy Associates The Star: £10, aromatherapyassociates.com
We all need a little inner strength at Christmas to deal with visiting relatives, Christmas traffic jams and over-excited, over-tired, sweetie-filled kids. Give the gift of calm with this pretty tree decoration stocking filler containing Inner Strength Bath & Shower Oil – clary sage, frankincense and cardamom will bring inner peace and calm. 10% of proceeds are donated to Defence Against Cancer. It also comes in an Instant Inner Strength Roller Ball handbag bottle (£15), for stress on the go!
3. Tangle Teezer Compact Styler Instant Detangling Hair Brush Metallic Gold Rush: £12.25, feelunique.com
The Tangle Teezer has been an absolute life-saver in our family. They should be given out with your child's pre-school booster when they all start school. No more tears and tantrums brushing morning 'pulled-through-a-hedge-backwards' hair until it resembles something school-worthy. However I digress. This little number is the perfect stocking filler handbag size brush, and in a festive metallic gold too.
4. Umberto Giannini The Beauty Traveller Hair Kit: £20, boots.com
Hair styling doesn't come any more gorgeous than this ultra high-gloss beautiful black bag, packed with Umberto's iconic hair heroes. Morning After Dry Shampoo, Catwalk Beauty Hairspray, Rehab Salon Smooth Damage Repair Protein Spray, Overnight Beauty Moisture Balm, Aromagloss Shine Spray and an oh-so-cute tin of bobby pins to boot. A comprehensive styling kit that covers all your hair needs.
5. Benefit Goodies a Go-Go: £19.50, benefitcosmetics.co.uk
A complete eye kit, packed with 6 Benefit eye treats, in a kitsch collectible tin. 4 long wear powder shadows, dual-action eye primer (that keeps concealer and eyeshadow in place all day), and their world famous lengthening mascara They're Real. A real treat for Benefit aficionados!
6. Kiko Luxurious Face Brush: £16, kikocosmetics.co.uk
This limited edition range of shimmering metallic products and packaging from Kiko features a cute-as-button tiny gold make-up kit to hold the ultra soft brush. The compact bristles makes blending face products a joy and creates a smooth, uniform finish
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7. Champney's Bubble Heaven: £16, boots.com
Bubbles aren't at the cutting edge of the beauty world, but you can't beat a long hot bubbly soak on a winter's evening. This one's a triple treat with 3 tubs of Oriental Opulence, Exotic Retreat and Distant Shores in one bubbly beauty package.
8. Topshop Lip and Cream Blush Set: £12, topshop.com
A lightweight cream to powder blusher in skin-brightening coral - Head Over Heels, for a radiant luminous blush. Combined with nourishing smoothing lips in Wicked – the perfect all-rounder burgundy. A great value little set.
9. Call The Midwife Cherry Stiff Upper Lipsalve: £3.50, marksandspencer.com
Fans of the TV series will love this retro tin of lip-nourishing, cherry-flavoured balm for dry winter lips. There's a whole range of Call the Midwife-inspired beauty in M&S this Christmas if you have a fan in the family.
10. Autograph Shimmer Bronzing Dust: £7, marksandspencer.com
I love the vintage 1950s atomiser on this bottle of bronzer. Lightly scented, just spritz and go for instantly bronzed décolletage and limbs.
11. Soap & Glory The Soapremes Gift Set: £20, boots.com
Stop in the name of scrub! Shower gel, body butter, body scrub, hand cream, foot cream, body polisher and a pair of cosy beauty socks. This set will have your winter tootsies buffed, polished and ready for their dancing shoes by New Year's Eve.
12. Liz Earle Christmas Star Beauty Treat: £7.50, lizearle.com
Get this season's must-have metallic gold nails with Liz Earle's tree decoration tin. The Strengthening Nail Colour in Golden Celebration helps prevent dry, split, wintry nails and is the perfect party shade.
13. Weleda Mini Body Oil Gift Set: £12.95, weleda.co.uk
Nourish dry winter skin with a body oil – and whatever your scent preference, there's one to suit. This set contains nourishing Wild Rose, relaxing Lavender, antioxidant Pomegranate and restoring Sea Buckthorn oils and a muscle soothing Arnica Massage Oil.
14. Downton Abbey Hand Cream Collection: £8, marksandspencer.com
Downton fans are a dedicated bunch, so this should go down a storm with them. Scented with freesia, mandarin and vanilla, these hand creams a real pleasure to use.
Verdict:
The Sanctuary Spa range of gifts this year is ridiculously gorgeous, phenomenal value for money and an absolute must buy this Christmas.
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