Christmas 2014: 17 best beauty gifts under £50
From Clarins crackers to Bobbi Brown palettes, give a luxurious beauty gift this Christmas with our pick of the best
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Give someone a pressie that will make them feel pampered. All of these come in under £50.
1. Ole Henriksen Magnificent 7 Holiday Collection: £26.10, johnlewis.com
This is a great gift for skincare fans as it packs in 7 of Ole's bestselling multi-tasking products for day and night. Banish fine lines, large pores, uneven skin tone, dullness, dryness and rough skin with this box of skin-boosting beauty treats for all skin types.
2. Jo Malone Christmas Cracker: £32, jomalone.co.uk
Put this at the place-setting of a loved one on Christmas Day for a some seriously glamorous festive cheer. Inside you'll find a trio of Jo Malone's bestsellers – Lime Basil & Mandarin Cologne, Blackberry & Bay Body & Hand Wash and Nectarine Blossom & Honey Body Creme.
3. Kevyn Aucoin The Look Book Essential Glamour: £34, love-makeup.co.uk
I love a palette, but quite often the array of colours can be daunting. This one includes a clear step-by-step guide to application and blending to create a natural or dramatic beauty look. A great gift for the make-up novice.
4. Aveda A Moment of Peace is a Gift: £34, aveda.co.uk
Shampure is one of Aveda's most loved ranges and this gift set contains a full-size Shampure shampoo and conditioner and a travel-size Shampure Hand Relief. It comes beautifully wrapped in festive handcrafted paper made in Nepal. 1,800,000 sheets of paper have been made over the course of the Aveda partnership, which translates into income for 2,475 families who can buy food, clothing and repair their homes, while 6,100 children can attend school; giving with a conscience.
5. Nuxe Coffret Prodigieux: £21, marksandspencer.com
Nuxe fans will love this gift set packed with their iconic Prodigieuse range: the classic multi-purpose Dry Oil for face, body and hair and the gold shimmer version, anti-oxidant Anti-Fatigue Moisturising Cream and a Huile Prodigieuse scented candle.
6. Caudalie Instant Radiance Set: £45, feelunique.com
Give the gift of flawless skin with this double whammy of beauty treats. Vinoperfect Serum evens out the skin tone, boosts radiance and reduces dark spots, acne marks and scars, while the potent plant-based Beauty Elixir smooths away fine lines, tightens pores and helps set make-up for the perfect finish.
7. Bobbi Brown Eye Palette: £37.50, bobbibrown.co.uk
With six complimentary silky matte, metallic and sparkly eyeshadows, you can blend and create every eye look imaginable, from simple neutral day, to dark and sultry night-time smokey. Carefully selected shades means they all blend and complement each other beautifully. Choose the warm palette if her skin has olive or yellow undertones, while the cool palette (pictured) suits rosy, paler complexions.
8. Andrea Garland Sleeping Beauty Collection: £39, andreagarland.co.uk
A delightfully-illustrated pocket book of beauty sleep treasures. The perfect beauty gift for the insomniac, it includes Chamomile and Oak Sleeping Beauty Cream, Calendula Lip Balm in a mirrored pill box, Chamomile and Bergamot Pillow Mist, Winking Eye Shades and ear plugs.
9. Green & Spring Indulging Hand Care Gift Set: £35, greenandspring.com
Natural skincare handmade in the British countryside. Green & Spring's Christmas gift sets contain a large 300ml hand wash and hand cream in beautiful porcelain soap dishes. Available in 3 ranges, our favourite, 'Indulging' (pictured), is inspired by the English countryside and contains rose, jasmine, clover and elderflower.
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10. Cowshed Winter Candle: £36, cowshed.com
You can't beat a luxury candle as a house gift for your Christmas hosts. This one is the perfect festive, wintry blend of zesty mandarin, orange and clementine, with warming nutmeg and cinnamon.
11. Bliss Be 'Spa'-velous: £40, blissworld.co.uk
Give the gift of a spa trip – without the cost – with this ultimate at home spa kit. The luxurious head to toe treatments include Hot Salt Scrub, Heaven Body Balm, Foot Patrol and 3 anti-ageing face mask sachets.
12. Elemis Frangipani Body Indulgence Gift Set: £36, timetospa.co.uk
Exotic Tahitian monoi and frangipani flowers blend together to leave skin ultra-nourished and spa-scented. A great value gift set, it includes 100ml bottles of Frangipani Monoi Body Oil, Body Cream and Shower Cream.
13. REN Rose Duo: £36, renskincare.com
Multi-award-winning and best-selling Moroccan Rose Otto Body Wash is joined by hydrating and replenishing Moroccan Rose Otto Body Lotion in this beautiful Chinese-inspired pink tin.
14. ESPA Bergamot and Jasmine Hand Collection: £28, espaskincare.com
Add a touch of spa-like, Zen calm to the bathroom with this sensual jasmine and zesty bergamot hand wash and hand lotion.
15. Clarins Luxury Crackers: £39, selfridges.com
If you're spending Christmas as a guest, these beauty crackers are the perfect house gift for the hosts. They include Wonder Perfect Mascara, Gentle Refiner, Beauty Flash Balm, Hand & Nail Treatment Cream, Eau de Jardins and one of my favourite lippies around at the moment, Rouge Eclat.
16. Aromatherapy Associates Bath Jewels: £28, aromatherapyassociates.co.uk
A trio of their most beautiful bath and shower oils make up this pretty gift set from Aromatherapy Associates – and they're just the ones you need to get through the festive season. 'De-Stress Mind' for those peculiarly stressful Christmas moments we all have, 'Deep Relax' when the in-laws are just starting to outstay their welcome and 'Revive Morning', for those mornings when you have to get up, but last night's mulled wine is telling you to stay in bed.
17. Laura Mercier La Petite Patisserie Soufflé Body Creme Collection: £45, spacenk.com
For instant hydration and nourishment these ultra-rich gourmet body creams should do the trick. The scents are beautiful too: Vanilla, Almond Coconut Milk, Fresh Fig, Pistachio, Lemon and, my favourite, Creme Brulee.
Verdict:
For the gift of great skin you can't beat Ole Henrikssen's Magnificent 7 – seven award-winning, best-selling age-defying glow-enhancers – while the Look Book make-up palette from Kevyn Aucoin includes a brilliant step by step guide to applying and blending the shades; perfect for a beauty newbie.