Hand Food and The Daily Smooth Miniatures by Soap and Glory, £2.35 each
http://www.soapandglory.com/products/travel/minis
These Soap and Glory miniatures cost £2.35 each and are part of a range of mini products, so there are plenty of options to mix and match for under £5. We chose Hand Food hand cream and The Daily Smooth body butter, and were impressed by them both. Hand Food absorbs quickly into the skin, leaving it smooth and soft, so it’s perfect if your hands are suffering from the cold winter weather. It also smells gorgeous thanks to a combination of shea butter, macadamia oil and marshmallow. The Daily Smooth also has a fantastic scent, which we’re putting down to the rosehip seed oil and cocoa butter in the ingredients. Like Hand Food, The Daily Smooth feels very rich and is easily absorbed, so it leaves your skin feeling nourished rather than sticky or greasy.
Model’s Own Nail Polish in Magenta Pearl, £5
http://www.modelsownit.com/nails/nail-polish/all-nail-polishes.html
Two coats of this shimmering combination of deep pink and purple is enough to create a beautifully shining colour for your nails. It has just the right amount of sparkle to give you a festive look for the holiday season, and the jewel colour is surprisingly versatile, helping to brighten up most winter outfits. Use a good base coat and top coat with this polish to make it extra long-lasting and glossy.
Spiced Vanilla Lip Balm by The Body Shop, £4
http://www.thebodyshop.co.uk/_en/_gb/catalog/product.aspx?ParentCatCode=C_Christmas&CatCode=C_Christmas_SpicedVanilla&prdcode=89315m
The wonderfully rich scent of this lip balm is reminiscent of Christmas markets and the festive season. It feels nourishing on the lips, so is great for use over the colder months and is a very handy staple to keep in your bag. Apply it as needed throughout the day to stop lips from becoming dry and to give them a subtle colourless sheen which also looks pretty when gently dabbed on over a matte lipstick.
Glam’Eyes Quad eye shadow in 19 Sun Safari by Rimmel, £4.99
http://www.boots.com/en/Rimmel-GlamEyes-Quad-eye-shadow_1189565/
Bring a bit of winter sun into your Christmas holidays with this sparkly eyeshadow palette. A steal at its current offer price of £4.99 at Boots, the Glam’Eyes range comes in a variety of colour combinations with recommendations based on eye colour. We think this is a really good idea – buying make-up as gifts can be hard since everyone has such different colourings, but now all you need to know is the colour of the recipient’s eyes and you’re set! We think that Sun Safari’s shiny golds and browns would suit anyone – it’s perfect for a pretty yet natural look for Christmas day.
The Jilted Elf Shower Jelly by Lush, £3.95
https://www.lush.co.uk/product/5697/Jilted-Elf–Shower-Gel-100g
What could be more festive than bright green shower jelly? Many things, perhaps, but for those uninitiated in the world of Lush this will make a fun and unusual present. A multipurpose gift (it can be used as a shampoo as well as a shower gel), its wibbly wobble makes showers a joy. The Jilted Elf’s scent isn’t for everyone and is hard to describe – it’s made up of cinnamon leaf oil, grapefruit oil, ginger oil and vodka! Give it a try: if you like what you smell this could be the ideal stocking filler. After all, what could be better than some alcohol-based indulgence without the hangover?
