This post contains press samples sent free of charge to consider for inclusion in my gift guide.
For the last few years I’ve done a gift guide just for grown ups. I don’t think it’s right to try and separate gifts into different genders, so here are my suggestions for affordable festive gifts of the grown ups in your life!
Hopefully you might find some inspiration from some of the great products featured in my gift guide this year.
Leading skin care specialist skinChemists have launched a new range of products that are kinder to the skin and kinder to the planet. The Youth Series is a new range with plant-based values at the forefront.
The Green Caviar range made to an old Japanese beauty ritual. Originally found in South Asia, the amazing beauty secret of Caviar is made from sea grapes, an exquisite type of seaweed, which helps deliver hydration and give the skin much-needed Vitamin A and Vitamin C, to boost collagen production and help beat wrinkles.
The eye serum contains high amino acid content to improve skin elasticity while Matrikine Peptide 6 helps to reduce the appearance of wrinkles. It’s not heavy or sticky like some eye serums and absorbs really well. The moisturiser contains a cocktail of antioxidants, amino acids and vitamins which all help to deeply moisturise, protect, and nourish your skin. It’s a super light weight moisturiser which I really like. It absorbs quickly and makes a smooth and comfortable base for make up. As a set or on their own, both skin care products would make a great Christmas gift for anyone who loves to pamper their skin.
I’m sure a lot of people would appreciate a bottle of fizz at Christmas. The Ca’ di Rajo “Rosé Brut” Prosecco Treviso DOC Millesimato 2019 is a light and fruity prosecco that is perfect for sharing. Not only is it a pretty pink shade, it has notes of freshly picked strawberries, rose petals and a balancing tang of pomegranate. It’s a delicious Prosecco and I thoroughly enjoyed every drop!
For a sweet treat, the Haribo Megastars variety box is brilliant. Jam packed with 800g of my favourite jelly sweets including Tangfastics, Starmix, Supermix and Giant Strawbs. It’s the perfect sharing box but equally as fun to stash away and eat all by yourself!
Gruum products are inspired by Scandinavian ideals and they create products that serve a real purpose. They’re not about gimmicks and fancy labels, just good products at reasonable prices. They have some lovely gift sets on sale this year, some of them would be perfect for a Secret Santa gift.
If you’re buying for a wildlife lover this Christmas, you can’t go wrong with something from Henry Bell Wild Bird Care. Established in 1825, they’re the leading producer of quality small bird, wild bird, and animal feeds – and have a lovely range of products suitable to gift this year.
The Sterling Tree Feeding Station makes the perfect decorative base for hanging all your bird treats. It’s a sturdy metal tree shaped stand with detailed metal leaves.
The Henry Bell Sterling Fat Ball Feeder is made from aluminium and is 32cm tall. It’s very easy to fill and clean with it’s easy to open lid and a removable base. It can be hung on the Sterling Tree Feeding Station alongside the Sterling Seed Feeder. The seed feeder is very well made and like the fat ball feed, very easy to open, close and clean.
Don’t forget to include some bird feed too!
The Superior Seed Mix makes a lovely treat for the wild birds in your garden. It is packed with energy and nutrition which will help see them through the colder weather. It can be used in seed feeders, ground feeders or on bird tables and the birds will love it. The fat balls fit into the fat ball feeder perfectly and will definitely be a hit with the birds in your garden. They’re made using a combination of Cereals, oils and fats, seeds and minerals and will keep your feathered friends filled this Winter. I think my favourites are the Ready To Feed Half Suet Coconuts though, they are so easy to use. You can unwrap them and then simply hang from either a branch or the feeding station and watch them be enjoyed by a range of birds.
I love cheap stocking fillers like shampoo and conditioner. It might not be a super expensive gift but it’s always well received. The Loreal Elvive Colour Protect shampoo and conditioner is enriched with UVA + UVB Filters which helps protect hair from external aggressions and leaves colour shimmering.
It’s not Christmas without Panettone! Sous Chef have a great range of gifts for foodies including this Milano Panettone.
This one is hand-wrapped in red and green paper which is inspired by the gothic architecture of Milan – the original home of panettone. It looks absolutely beautiful and I didn’t want to unwrap the gorgeous paper. The Panettone is the epitome of Christmas. It smells like Christmas and tastes like Christmas. I like to warm it for a couple of seconds and add a scraping of salted Lurpak. Bliss.
There’s something very nostalgic about Lynx Africa. The Lynx Africa Retro can set will make a unique gift this Christmas. The gift set contains an extra large Lynx Africa body spray and a pair of Lynx Africa inside a metal can with the iconic Lynx Africa design. It’s a brilliant gift that won’t break the bank.
For something a little more unique, this stylish 3D train sign is fab. You can have it personalised with any family name or words of your choice. They’re great quality, hand painted and very reasonably priced.
Pen Heaven are brilliant for a more professional looking gift. Established back in 2008, they offer a comprehensive range of writing instruments and leather goods with in-house engraving and embossing.
I absolutely love the Moleskin lined note book. The notebook can be ordered as it is or embossed for an extra cost. This one is embossed with my initials in the right hand corner and is such a classy and thoughtful gift. The black hardcover offers protection for the sheets inside and the elastic closure band keeps it safe and wrinkle free in a bag or briefcase.
This stunning Parker pen set is such high quality. The set consists of a rollerball and ball point pen in an elegant black and chrome finish. It comes in its own branded gift box with an additional leather pen case and a 2 years manufacturer warranty.
You can also pay a little extra to have this set engraved with your desired name or initials. The set would look amazing on any desk this Christmas.
Christmas is the best time to top up a reading pile. Luckenbooth is a fiction book written by Jenny Fagan. In short it’s a story about a curse placed on the owner of a tenement building in Edinburgh in 1910. As the year’s progress, the residents of the property change, but the atmosphere of the building never changes and issues of those that live there, intensify. It’s a relatively graphic read so not necessarily something for the faint hearted.
Aroma Works sell a great range of diffusers and other fragrance products. The ‘Relax’ diffuser is perfect for the bedroom. With it’s blend of Vetivert and Petitgrain it helps relax the senses after a busy day, helping to bring well-deserved sleep.
We’ve used Tile products for a number of years now. They’re a brilliant way to track important things that you want to keep an eye on. Tile trackers work alongside the free Tile app which works on both Android® and Apple® devices. If you lose something when you’re out and about, Tile can let you view it’s most recent location on a map. It’ll show you the last time it was with you or the last time your Tile app was able to locate it. They’re also handy for things that can be lost regularly at home, such as your keys or the TV remote!
The starter pack contains two Tile products – the Mate and the Slim.
The Tile products make a great gift for tech lovers or those of us who tend to lose things regularly!
Who doesn’t love The Body Shop? They have a gorgeous range of festive gifts as well as their staple products that are available all year round. From stocking fillers to large gift boxes, there is something for all budgets.
The Drops of Youth range helps give you a fresh faced, healthy looking glow. The Drops of Youth concentrate is a lightweight serum that feels amazing on your skin. It absorbs quickly and leaves you skin feel smooth and refreshed.
I would recommend Red Letter Days gift boxes if you have someone difficult to buy for. They’re ideal for someone a little bit fussy as they’re fully flexible with over 4,460 amazing experiences that they can be used on.
This Christmas Magic one has a value of £99.99 which your recipient could use on an overnight stay, aBF109K flight simulator experience or even a Zombie Infection experience!
You can search different parts of the UK on the Red Letter Days interactive map on their website. It allows you to see what kinds of experiences are available in different areas.
Sanctuary Spa gifts sets always feel indulgent without the hefty price tag. They make lovely gifts for anyone who needs a little self care.
Arran Sense of Scotland have the most amazing gifts which are perfect for someone you’d like to treat.
The Hot Toddy candle smells amazing. It has spicy notes of nutmeg and patchouli, layered on top of the aromatic warmth and richness of vanilla and frankincense. It smells just like Christmas should. It has a burn time of around 35 hours and once lit the smell is divine.
Buying for a cider drinker?
Cranes Ciders are crafted by co-founders and twin brothers Ben & Dan Ritsema in Cambridge who produce a range of refreshingly natural ciders. Cranes ciders contain 30% less calories and over 40% less sugar compared to other leading brands. Cranes ciders are also gluten-free and suitable for vegans. Cranes ciders are light and refreshing and I love their fruity flavours : – Premium Apple, Lemons & Kumquats, Raspberries & Pomegranates, Blueberries & Apples and my favourite, Cranberries & Limes. They have a range of gift sets available or you can choose your own bottles to create a bundle.
I hope some of the lovely gifts in this post have given you some ideas, if you’re still shopping for Christmas.
