Thursday, December 17, 2009

Gift Guide #5: Under $25

I promised I'd round up a few more affordable presents, and I didn't forget guys, I swear! When you have to buy presents for a lot of friends and family, $25 is a pretty reasonable amount set down each present (or even less if you're super thrifty), but just because it's cheap doesn't mean it can't still be luxurious. Here are 12 lovely, under $25 gifts (and yes, they're mostly beauty related, I'll admit that right now).

Korres Rose Collection, $19.50 at sephora.com, Korres Lip Butter, $9 at sephora.com, Philosophy The Gingerbread Man Foaming Bubble Bath and Shower Gel, $16 sephora.com: This Korres Rose Collection has a Rose Body Butter, Rose Showergel, and Wild Rose Lip Butter, which is a pretty good deal for $19.50, especially considering that the lip butter is $9 on its own. I love Korres because it's eco friendly but still effective, has adorable packaging, and products that smell amazing. Although the combo set would make a great present, the lip butter on its own is a fab gift. I like this lip butter even more than MAC's lip conditioner. It has a lovely flush of color (and comes in a wide range of tints), is long lasting, and actually moisturizes. These Philosophy shower gel/shampoo combinations are a really good deal. They're 16 oz., which is huge, and come in a really wide variety of smells/flavors. My personal favorite, Pumpkin Spice Muffin, seems to have disappeared, but Gingerbread Man is another holiday option, and there's also Red Velvet Cake, Cherry on Top, Caramel Apple, and a ton more.


Rescue Beauty Lounge Nail Polish in Black Russian, $18 at rescuebeauty.com, OPI Nail Polish in Russian Navy, $5.45 at amazon.com, Stila Smudge Pot, $20 at sephora.com: Nail polish makes an amazing stocking stuffer, especially in fun, on-trend colors. OPI and Essie will run you about $8 a bottle, so you could afford to get 3 bottles for less th an $25, and Rescue Beauty Lounge is a bit more expensive, but the healthy formula and interesting range of shades is well worth the price. I love Rescue Beauty Lounge's Black Russian (pictured), which is a black base with a ton of red glitter, Scrangie, purple with iridescent green and blue shimmer, and Locavore, which is a clear base with gold, silver, green, and blue glitter. OPI has an entire rainbow of shades, and right now I'm loving Russian Navy (pictured), which is a deep navy faint reddish shimmer, and Cajun Shrimp, which is a warm, poppy orange-red. As much as I love Bobbi Brown's gel eyeliners, Stila's Smudge Pots are a little bigger for a little less money. I'm assuming that the gift recipient already has a suitable eyeliner brush (although if they're mad-skilled enough to use gel eyeliner they probably would). I like the black for a good old cat-eye, the bronze for a warm, summer look, the cobalt for a flattering flash of color, and kitten as an eyeshadow base.


Burt's Bees Head to Toe Starter Kit, $15 at burtsbees.com, Shu Uemura 24k Gold Eyelash Curler, $24 at sephora.com, Madewell Chandelier Drop Earrings, $25 at shopbop.com: These Burt's Bees starter kits are so, so adorable and really handy. This one has mini versions of the pomegranate lip balm, peppermint foot lotion, milk & honey lotion, deep cleansing cream, grapefruit & sugar beet shampoo and conditioner, lemon butter cuticle cream, hand salve, radiance creme, and the naturally nourishing body wash. Which is a pretty darn good idea for $25. This would be a great gift for someone who loves Burt's Bees but doesn't know that much about their products and wants to be able to try literally everything. Plus, Burt's Bees is so eco friendly and uses mostly natural ingredients, so their products work for even the most sensitive of skin. This Shu Uemura eyelash curler is so perfect. Not only is it basically the king (or queen) of eyelash curlers, but it's gold, which is so glam and holiday festive, and it comes in that super cute little box. Any beauty aficionado would be thrilled to find this in their stocking. I LOVE these earrings. They look like they cost a heck of a lot more than $25 (anyone would be fooled), and their combination of the classic chandelier shape with the modern faux gem and chains is very on-trend chic. The way the sheen of the polished stone would peek out from your hair or twinkle next to an updo is a bit of unexpected glam from the industrial materials.


J. Crew Tissue Boyfriend V-Neck Tee, $24.50 at jcrew.com, Victoria's Secret Boyfriend Pant, $25 at victoriassecret.com, Anthropologie Monogrammed Mugs, $6 at anthropologie.com: I know these tees look a little boring and basic, but they are literally my favorite v-necks of all time. I'm collecting them. The fit is the perfect mix of slightly oversized and boyish and coquettish with the deep v-neck. They come in a whole range of shades (I particularly love the buff pink, which is the perfect warm, off-white shade). They're on sale, so snatch them up while you can. Victoria's Secret sweats don't exactly scream glam, but a cute pair of sweats is an essential in any girl's wardrobe. I'm not saying you have to wear them in public, but who wants to curl up and watch a movie at home in jeans and heels? Not me. But at the same time, you don't need to sacrifice a little bit of style for comfort. These sweats come in a lot colors with cute patterns, are seriously affordable, and I love the 'I stole these from my boyfriend' fit. These cups are the perfect thing to get for all your friends. The cups themselves have an adorable, oversized teacup feel, and the swirly monograms on the front give them a little something special. I have one, I've given a couple to friends (Holly!) and these are always a big hit.


Image Sources:
Korres rose collection: sephora.com, Korres lip butter: sephora.com, Philosophy shower gel: sephora.com, Rescue Beauty Lounge polish: rescuebeauty.com, OPI Nail Polish: amazon.com, Stila liner: sephora.com, Burts Bees starter kit: burtsbees.com, Shu Uemura eyelash curler: sephora.com, Madewell earrings: shopbop.com, J. Crew tee: jcrew.com, Victoria's Secret sweats: victoriassecret.com, Anthropologie cups: anthropologie.com.

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