The Twelve Wishlists of Christmas: Beauty Must Haves!
- Naomi Tatchell
- Dec 5, 2015
- 6 min read
And in part four of Twelve Wishlists of Christmas we have my beauty must-haves that are suitable for all. All are chosen with the idea that you won’t need to have too much prior knowledge of the gift receivers skin type and colouring (believe it or not “she’s quite fair” isn’t enough help to pick a foundation shade!) Keep an eye out for beauty buys under £30 over the next few days too!
1. Babyliss Big Hair. This guy has basically changed my life. As someone who is utterly cack handed, there’s no way I can blow-dry my own hair in any kind of wearable way. What would usually happen was I’d blow dry it into oblivion and then have to straighten the frizz ball that I had ended up with. The heat from the straighteners that I used almost daily would make my hair even frizzier, so the cycle continued. Enter Big Hair. It’s essentially a rotating hot brush that allows you to dry your hair whilst smoothing out any frizz at the touch of a button. It takes a little bit of practice, the first few times it can be a bit alarming but once you’ve got the resistance level right you’re away to go. Great for anyone who likes to wear their hair with soft waves or even just sleek without the straightened look, which makes my hair look waif like thin. A God send for holidays too.
2. A Clarisonic. Anyone who’s concerned with blocked pores, flakiness, dullness or just generally tired looking skin, the Clarisonic is for you. The vibrating brush head helps to clean out pores whilst taking away that build up dead skin cells that don’t reflect the light and make the skin look dull. This is a pricey piece of kit, so if you don’t have a basic skin care routine down, save your money and invest in that first. It’s recommended to take make-up off with it and to use it every day; however, I like to use it after cleansing and a maximum of 3-4 times a week. You can also get brush heads for the body which I find are handy for getting the last bits of self-tan off and are great at smoothing any lumpy areas of skin.
3. All About Lips by Clinique. This is my desert island product and I honestly think there’s nothing else on the market like it. All About Lips exfoliates and moisturises the lips without leaving them sticky. Having super dry lips myself, it’s the only thing that gets rid of the flakiness allowing me to wear lipsticks without my lips looking like they’re peeling off. I also can’t stand the feeling of anything on my lips, which is why I avoid lipgloss like the plague, but also regular lip balms which leave that heavy film over the lips after. A favourite colleague of mine has a patented way of applying which is with your index and middle finger in huge circular motions to really get the benefit from the exfoliation. One of the few generic gifts that will actually benefit everyone and your recipient will be forever grateful you introduced them to this gem.
4. Bobbi Brown Full Coverage Brush. The love I have for this brush is off the scale! Its chubby head means blending foundation is so much quicker in the morning and building up coverage in areas where needed (usually the chin and nose) is easy without the finish looking heavy. Designed for use with foundation sticks and thicker texture fluids, it’s great for anyone with redness or acne that wants the coverage but doesn’t want to look too made up, foundation should still look like skin after all!
5. At least one Audacious Lipstick by Nars. If I could have one of every shade I would! Long wearing, perfect colour payoff with an incredible range of shades, definitely my favourite lipstick range. Take a risk and pick a colour for someone and they’ll be sure to thank you for it.
6. Whilst we’re talking about Nars, everyone needs Velvet Matte Train Bleu in their life! If someone asks for a deep, bold colour, this is the boy to get them! Most dark colours make my lips disappear and anything matte saps the moisture leaving me with flaky, thin chapped lips. The velvet matte range are hydrating but at the same time you can’t actually feel them on your lips and I only ever need to top up once throughout the night. The colour is about as deep as you can go without being black, so it’s a huge jump for anyone that doesn’t really wear colour but if like me they are on a journey to perfect their Morticia look, this is a must have!
7. My dehydrated skin couldn’t go more than four days without Clarins Blue Orchid Face Oil as it pumps much needed hydration into my skin without overloading it. Even though I'm oily, it doesn’t leave my skin feeling greasy at all and smells bloody delicious. The range comes in three types, one for dry, one for combination and one for dehydrated skin (the one for dehydrated skin is a safe bet if you don’t know much about the receivers skin) and are made from 100% plant extracts. You only need a tiny bit a few times a week so a bottle will go a very long way.
8. As much as I wouldn’t be seen on a night out without false lashes, applied badly they can look terrible and require some upkeep throughout the night. I got to the end of my birthday night this year sat in a restaurant with one lash on my cheek and the other hanging on by a hope and a prayer and by this point was in no fit state to rectify the situation. If you’ve witnessed this many a time on a night out, treat your loved one to an LVL Lash Treatment for some serious brownie points. Lift, Volume and Length, this treatment works with your own lashes by permanently straightening them to really open the eyes. No false lashes are applied so it looks totally natural. Excellent for mums with little ones who get bugger all sleep for making them look more awake without any effort in the morning. If I gifted this, I’d probably insist on going along and getting the treatment myself too!
9. Bobbi Brown Hydrating Eye Cream, the only eye cream that doesn’t give me milia (small white bumps under the skin) and works with my make-up, not against it. Most eye creams tend to leave too much slick meaning under eye concealer can’t grab properly, however all of Bobbi’s face and eye creams have primers built in so they smooth the skin out and grab on to the make-up without you having to use an extra product. Probably only buy for someone who asks for eye cream, lest they be offended!
10. Age doesn’t come alone let me tell you. The last year has seen my brows getting sparser and sparser and me having to take longer each morning filling them in. If thickening brows is the aim, FEG Eyebrow Growth Enhancer is the answer! In just a few weeks of using it I’ve sorted one brow out and the other only has a tiny gap, which is easy to fill in with a bit of powder. Great for anyone who over plucked as a youth and has spent every day regretting it since.
11. If you’re looking for eye shadow and are worried about picking colour for someone, look no further than the Smashbox Full Exposure palette. It comes with seven matte shades and seven corresponding shimmer shades that are all super wearable and suitable for pretty much everyone. You also get a handy double-ended eye shadow brush and a mini Full Exposure mascara, which is actually a brilliant little dark horse! What I love most about this is that there is absolutely no fallout from the shadows, meaning you don’t get a face full of dropped eye shadow which then smudges into your face, ruining the whole look. If I'm travelling it’s the only eye shadow I pack as it has everything you need to take you from day to night. Brilliant value and great for someone who is starting to build their collection up.
12. If you’re feeling generous, a set of make-up brushes will always, always be well received. I see it time and again that people are happy to spend out on make-up, but like skincare, are then reluctant to spend on the tools that put the make-up on. If you spend wisely and really take care of your brushes, they should last a long time. Bobbi Brown do an excellent range of sets for Christmas for all budgets which all come in handy cases which mean not only are the brushes protected, but they are all in one place and are easy for travelling. As it’s something most people feel guilty about spending out on for themselves it’s an excellent gift option without having to worry about picking colours and formulations.
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