A great gift for any occasion? Fragrance.
Perfume says a lot about a person and is one of those staple gifts that never go out of season. You may not be able to afford that Gucci bag, but you may be able to afford the Gucci perfume.
Just like every other beauty item this season, fragrances have also come out with special-edition sets to pick up and gift, providing great value for the purchaser and great excitement for the giftee.
If you are looking into gifting something sweet this season, then here are some of my top picks.
Juicy Couture Oui Glow eau de parfum
A follow up to their popular Oui perfume that came out last year, Oui Glow is its citrus sister.
Oui Glow (C$119 for 100 ml), housed in the same Oui bottle (but this time in orange), is a more energetic and spirited fragrance that opens with Brazilian orange and raspberry notes. Other notes include jasmine sambac and a frangipani, pink pepper, vanilla bean, and musk to give it a high-energy take on the original Oui.
This one may not be the most wintery scent, but if you have someone going on vacation to a hot destination, this would be perfect to pack with. I’ve always been a fan of Juicy Couture’s fragrances and this one definitely carries the torch in terms of addictive perfumes. Plus, the eye-catching bottle will definitely look so pretty sitting on anyone’s dresser.
Avon Live Out Loud
Avon’s newest fragrance really surprised me.
Granted, I’ve never smelled any perfumes by the brand, but when I got this one in, I didn’t know what to expect. Thankfully, it’s actually really pretty and fruity, and at only C$40 (on sale right now for C$29.99!), it’s super affordable to pick up.
According to Avon, Live Out Loud celebrates the power of women to go fearlessly after their dreams and enjoy everything that life throws their way. The top notes are sweet wild strawberry, with middle notes of sparkling mimosa, and a base of comforting fluffy vanilla. Sounds delish, right? Well it totally is.
Live Out Loud is the ultimate girly perfume and one that is so easy to throw on and wear from day to night. It’s a fruity, floral scent that will have you just grabbing the bottle to smell it.
Now, if you’re in the mood to write some love notes, Avon has also created a Live Out Loud Fragrance Ink Pen (C$12.99). I’ve never seen anything like this before, but it’s a body ink pen (or a marker) which has the same Live Out Loud scent in the ink. The non-transfer ink removes easily with soap and water and is the perfect pen to pick up while writing your holiday cards this season.
YSL Libre Eau de Parfum
New from YSL Beauty this year, Libre Eau de Parfum is a floral fragrance that is very mature in scent and beautiful in bottle.
This fragrance is inspired by freedom and has notes of lavender essence, orange blossom, and musk accord. It’s a very mature scent and perfect for a nighttime affair or these colder months.
I really like this perfume and think it’s different than my usual sweet scents. I love the packaging on the bottle as the black and gold detailing really set it apart and that iconic YSL that is wrapped around really help to up the ante in terms of decadence.
You can find Libre at Sephora and department stores for C$125 for 50 ml.
Acqua di Parma Quercia and Sandalo eau de parfum
When it comes to men’s fragrance, I love the offerings through Acqua di Parma.
Although their range is quite extensive, there are two scents I really recommend this season.
Quercia eau de cologne (C$284 for 100 ml) is a fragrance that is very woody. It contains notes of oakmoss blended together with bergamot, petit grain, and geranium for a deep, sensual fragrance.
If you are looking for something more musky, then take a look at the brand’s Sandalo eau di parfum (C$284 for 100 ml). This scent blends together notes of sandalwood, bergamot, cardamom, and tonka bean; so a sensual fragrance that will have you cuddling into your man’s sweater all night long.
Although these scents are both more masculine fragrances, I would say they are unisex in case you like something muskier (I actually was wearing Sandalo quite a bit when it first came in).
If you want to bathe yourself in fragrance then take a look at the Colonia Deodorant Spray (C$56), which is housed in a non-aerosol bottle that will keep you smelling fresh all day long. The formula is delicate and suitable for even sensitive skin.
Lastly, pair the deodorant spray with their Colonia Body Cream, which contains avocado oil, aloe vera extract, and vitamin E to leave skin feeling soft and smooth.
Nest Fragrances Festive Votive Candle Trio
Now for a different type of fragrance, I think candles are pretty much great gifts to give for any occasion, and especially so for the holidays!
When it comes to holiday scents, Nest Fragrances definitely doesn’t disappoint, and in addition to their holiday favourites (Holiday, Birchwood Pine, Sparkling Cassis), they have just released Spiced Orange & Clove. Although this scent does come in their famous candles and diffusers, I am absolutely loving the Festive Votive Candle Trio.
Housed in a box, open it up to reveal three 6 oz. candles in the Spiced Orange & Clove, Holiday, and Birchwood Pine scents. These candles are very good quality and although they are votives, they will burn for 20 hours each, meaning this set will definitely go a long way in terms of filling a home with scent.
This set retails for C$59 and is already sold out on Sephora Canada’s site. Take a look to see if they have it in store, otherwise you can also get it from other retailers, like Nordstrom (order soon to get it by next week!).
You really can’t go wrong with a fragrance this season, whether it’s a perfume, candle, or body lotion. Scents also have the perfect ability to remind someone of a certain life moment, so when they spray it on after the holidays are over (or light a certain candle), I’m sure they will think of the person who gifted it to them.
Are fragrances on your list this season?
Please note, all items sent by PR. All opinions are my own.
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A fact we all know: the holidays are an expensive time of the year.
With so many people to buy for, it can be hard to keep to a budget, or to find an amazing gift that will brighten someone’s day. I know for me, as soon as I step into a mall or department store, the lights, music, and decorations typically have me pulling out my credit card to buy things that I probably am spending way too much money on.
Anyways, if you want to make an impression this season and not spend a fortune, there are so many options available in the beauty world that have great value and are coming from some amazing brands.
Here are three sets that are $30 and under; perfect for a stocking stuffer or as a full gift for someone to brighten their day.
Bare Minerals Set & Shine kit
When I saw the price of this set, I couldn’t believe my eyes.
The Bare Minerals Set & Shine kit comes with two full-sized products and only retails for C$13, valued at C$40! Now that’s a good deal!
This duo comes with a full-size of the Bare Minerals’ GEN NUDE Lip Lacquer in Girl Boss, a pinky nude, and a 30ml of their Dew Mist Shimmering Setting Spray. In case you haven’t tried both products, the line is a clean beauty brand and the lip lacquer contains a blend of jojoba oil, mineral copper extract, and algae that helps lips feel soft and smooth. The setting spray helps to set makeup and also give your skin a glow. Since it has a bit of shimmer in it, you can also use it all over your body as well.
Out of all three sets I’ll be chatting about today, this one is definitely the best in terms of value. Seriously, I can’t get over the fact that this set is only C$14!
Charlotte Tilbury Hot Lips 2 Mini Set
For the lip lover, gift Charlotte Tilbury’s Hot Lips 2 Mini Set (C$30).
Charlotte Tilbury’s makeup line is on the pricier side, so for only C$30 you get three minis of her bestselling Hot Lips 2 lipsticks. Now I want to note that when I say “mini”, I mean mini. These lipsticks, housed in a cute leopard packaging, are only 1.34 ml, so you don’t get a ton of product in here, but they allow you to try out the formula and a range of colours.
Included in the set are the shades JK Magic (a soft pink nude), Amazing Amal (a warm berry pink) and Viva la Vergara (a soft wine). These lipsticks are blended with tree extracts so they are soft and smooth on the lips.
I’m not one to typically gravitate towards reds and berries, but actually quite enjoyed all three colours in this set (JK Magic was a no brainer for me, I knew I would love it). Like I said, this set is small, but it has three bestselling shades from the line. Plus, it’s Charlotte Tilbury and I mean, who wouldn’t love a little holiday kit from the brand?
IT Cosmetics It’s Your Daily Beauty Routine travel set
IT Cosmetics will forever hold a special place in my heart since not only are their products absolutely amazing, but they are also the first brand that ever sent me PR items.
For the holidays, their It’s Your Daily Beauty Routine set is priced at an amazing value and comes with an assortment of great products.
Available in two options (light shade CC+ cream and medium shade CC+ cream), this set comes with deluxe and travel-sized items of their bestsellers. Included in the sparkly makeup bag (Option 1 comes with a pink bag that says Let It Shine!), is the following:
- Confidence in a Cream (7ml)
- CC+ Cream (12ml)
- Bye Bye Undereye (3.23ml)
- Superhero mascara (4.5ml)
- Brow Power (0.07g)
- Bye Bye Pores Pressed (2.4g)
This bag retails for only C$29 (valued at C$71) and is available exclusively on the IT Cosmetics site. I’ve tried all these products and love them (the CC cream and their concealer are some of my favourite items from them!). If you have someone on your list that you think would love IT Cosmetics, then this would be a perfect set to gift since it comes with so many amazing items and really lets them try out a variety of products from the brand.
Considering that all three brands I talked about in this post typically retails in the mid-to-expensive range, these sets are all amazing value and would surely put a smile on anyone’s face who they are gifted to. And hey, for $30 and under, that will leave you with enough money left over for all the other gifts you know you’re going to have to buy this season as well.
Do you have a lot of people on your gift list?
Please note, products provided by PR, all opinions are my own.
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I always say that the best time to pick up new skincare is the holiday season.
The thing about skincare is that you can’t just get one item. At base level, you need at least a cleanser and a moisturizer. My skincare routine is a little excessive, I do a makeup remover, cleanser, toner, eye cream, serum (sometimes two or three serums), moisturizer, neck cream, and sometimes a spray.
When it comes to skincare brands, although you can definitely mix and match items (I do), a lot of these lines were created to be used together. And, since skincare doesn’t typically come cheap, your routine can cost hundreds of dollars.
That’s where this post comes in.
Since the holidays are all about gift sets, pretty much every brand has come out with sets that allow you to try out multiple products for close to the same amount of one product alone. If you are looking into investing in a new skincare regimen or just want to stock up on some favourites, the time is now people.
Here are some of my top picks to get this season.
Fresh Black Tea Shop Gift Set
I absolutely love Fresh’s Black Tea Kombucha Antioxidant Essence and was totally bummed when I used it up. This stuff, which acts like a toner, is expensive AF, so when I saw that they released a gift set which comes with a pretty good sized bottle of it, I snatched it up.
The Fresh Black Tea Shop Gift Set (C$156, valued at C$228) combines four of their Black Tea items to provide firming hydration, antioxidant protection, and a youthful glow to the skin. Perfect for all skin tones, this set contains their Black Tea Kombucha Antioxidant Essence (50 ml), Black Tea Firming and De-Puffing Eye Cream (15 ml), Black Tea Firming Overnight Mask (5 ml), and the Black Tea Corset Cream Firming Moisturizer (30 ml).
The only thing missing in here is a cleanser (I highly recommend the Fresh Soy Face Cleanser), but other than that, you get an entire routine with this set. Start first with the Black Tea Kombucha Essence, which helps to increase the appearance of luminous skin, improves elasticity, smoothes the look of skin texture, supports healthier skin tone, and hydrates for up to 24 hours with hyaluronic acid. After, use the Black Tea Firming and De-Puffing Eye Cream, which will help firm up the eye area, giving you that wide-awake appearance, and then finally end your routine with their the Black Tea Firming Overnight Mask or the Black Tea Corset Cream Firming Moisturizer.
Fresh has a ton of great gift sets this season (they always do), but I really love this set since it has one of my favourite products in it (the Kombucha Essence). You get basically $80 off the set, which is a steal of a deal, so I would definitely recommend investing in this one.
Lano Jet Set Travel Essentials
For the frequent flyer, take a look at the Lano Jet Set Travel Essentials kit (C$36).
This set of three face products comes in TSA-friendly sizes and are great essentials for your daily face routine.
In case you’ve never heard of Lano before, they are new to Sephora Canada and it’s an Aussie brand that is known for their 101 Ointment, a safer, more effective and 100 per cent natural alternative to petroleum-based balms.
This set comes with the Face Base Vitamin E Day Cream (30 ml), Face Base Recovery Mask (30 ml), and the Face Base Day Cream (30 ml). Start first with the cleanser, which is a gel cream glycerin cleanser that won’t strip skin of moisture. Next, use the Face Base Vitamin E Day Cream, which will add moisture for tired skin, and finally, slather on the Aussie Flyer, a leave-on treatment mask for dry, dull, and jet-lagged skin. All three of these products are perfect for normal, dry, and sensitive skin tones, and they all contain their star ingredient, Lanolin, which helps to hydrate dry skin.
Drunk Elephant Shelf Control Night Kit
When it comes to skincare brands you should pick up during the holiday season, Drunk Elephant is definitely at the top of the list.
They have a ton of different holiday sets at amazing prices, but the one I’m totally digging this season is the Shelf Control Night Kit (C$128, valued at C$203). This set comes in a mini medicine cabinet that opens up to reveal a full-size product and a bunch of minis.
This set comes with a full size (30 ml) of their TLC Framboos Glycolic Night Serum, which is a night-time serum with AHA/BHA that helps to refine and resurface skin to reveal a smoother and more radiant complexion. This serum also helps to enhance the performance of other products by making them absorb better into the skin. The serum alone retails for C$90, so for $40 more you also get some deluxe travel sizes of some other star products to try out.
Start your routine first with the Beste No.9 Jelly Cleanser (30 ml) and then go in with the C-Tango Multivitamin Eye Cream (5 ml). Afterwards, use the TLC Framboos Glycolic Night Serum, or you can mix the night serum with the Virgin Marula Luxury Facial Oil and the Lala Retro Whipped Cream for a custom night-time skincare routine.
This set is ideal for those whose concerns include dark spots, fine lines and wrinkles, and dryness. All of Drunk Elephant’s products are vegan, cruelty-free, and gluten-free.
Caudalie Travel Set
Another great travel set to gift is one I’ve already chatted about once before on here.
The Caudalie Travel Set (C$49, valued at C$115) comes with five deluxe minis of some of the French brand’s most famous products. Included is the Micellar Cleansing Water (30 ml), Premier Cru The Eye Cream (5 ml), Beauty Elixir (30 ml), Vinoperfect Radiance Serum (10 ml), and Vinosource Moisturizing Sorbet (15 ml). I have tried out the full sizes of the Beauty Elixir and the Vinoperfect products and absolutely love them. This set is worth it for the Beauty Elixir alone, which is one of my all-time favourite beauty products, and is a cult-classic skincare spray that is inspired by the Queen of Hungary’s elixir of youth. This 100 per cent plant-based formula is a favourite among makeup artists and instantly brightens your mood (and face), plus it smells like you walked right into a spa.
All of these gift sets would make perfect gifts to give or receive, as well as just stock up on for yourself, especially if you travel often. Like I said, the best time to invest in some new skin items is definitely the holiday season. Each brand also has a ton of other sets available as well, so check out their sites or Sephora to find the set perfect for you (or whoever you’re giving it to).
Are you asking for skincare for the holidays?
Please note, products provided by PR. All opinions are my own.
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