As I get older it seems like occasions for getting dolled up and heading out on the town are less frequent. With Christmas parties to head to, gatherings to attend and all the sparkly occasions throughout December the holiday season is the exception to that rule. Dressing up is always fun and to help you get started with your festive celebration I’ve put together a list of the best beauty gifts for you to gift this Christmas. Whether you are sopping for your best fashionista friend, your sister or even yourself, these beauty gifts will help put some sparkle under the tree this year.
Styling Tools from Cricket
If you are anything like me, most likely the hair brushes living on your bathroom counter have witnessed at least one prom, several sorority formals and attended more than one wedding in the handbag of a bridesmaid. A new high quality hair brush that will take you through the next decade or more is a must for your holiday wish list (and a great way to treat the beauty lovers in your life).
Used by Lady Gaga’s professional stylist, a brush or comb from Cricket Co. will make you feel glamorous every day of the week. Built to last each item from Cricket is designed with a specific purpose, allowing you to care for your hair in the same way your stylist would if you could visit them weekly.
The Centrix Heat Boss Thermal Brush is ideal for using as part of your morning blow dry routine. The bristles are coated with ceramic, tourmaline and ionic to handle extreme head and help your hair dry more quickly and without frizz. Adjust the heat force dial to the setting best for your hair type and quickly dry and style with volume in minutes.
On days in between washes, the Copper Clean Brush Collection will help hair look healthier and shinier. Copper coated bristles help remove the natural build up that occurs in hair between washing and massages the scalp.
Here in Colorado, dry air makes static a constant battle. The static free fast flow is the perfect solution for tossing into a purse and using throughout the day as static builds up. Non-snag bristles help eliminate fly aways and keeps your do looking picture perfect all day long.
Find Cricket Products Online
Centrix Heat Boss Thermal Brush | Copper Clean Paddle Brush | Copper Clean Comb | Static Free Fast Flow
Gift Sets from NaturaBrasil
The winter months are the hardest on your skin. Giving a high quality hand cream as a gift is just the ticket for helping the beauty lover in your life get through these brutally chilly and dry months.
The hand cream trio from NaturaBrasil features their three best-loved hand creams in the perfect size for tossing into a handbag or desk drawer. Each cream is formulated slightly differently but each provides a lightweight experience that quickly absorbs into the skin leaving hands feeling soft and smooth.
NaturalBrasil is a brand that has been around for nearly fifty years, dedicated to creating high quality beauty solutions for every women. Using ingredients naturally found in nature, NaturaBrasil works with local community throughout the Amazon region to produce sustainable business that also protects the forest where those ingredients originated. A certified B corporation, NaturaBrasil is dedicated to taking care of the world while providing the best products on the market.
Find NaturaBrasile Products Online
Styling Tools from Revlon
A new high quality hair dryer is a Christmas gift that is guaranteed to delight any woman in your life. The new Revlon Perfect Heat dryer is just the ticket for treating your favorite beauty lover to a daily indulgence. A new hair dryer can feel like an splurge, especially if you already have one that ‘works’. That is part of what makes gifting a nice dryer such an amazing treat.
Imagine having a salon quality blow out everyday. With the Perfect Heat Smooth Brilliance you can experience just that! High-powered air creates a fast heat transfer and ceramic coating provides even distribution. Combined this allows your hair to dry faster while protecting it from the damaging effects of over styling.
Find Revlon Products Online
Perfect Heat Smooth Brilliance AC Motor Styler
Holiday Makeup from Stila
Holiday parties are the perfect occasion for trying out a new lipstick or blush. When surrounded by sparkling lights and deep red colored decor there is no shade too glamorous for celebrating the season. I love Stila’s holiday gift sets as the perfect beauty ‘advent calendar’ for trying out new looks all month long.
Designed to stay bright and colorful all day long, Stila has two gift sets featuring favorite colors and new shades released just this year. The Kiss Me Stila All Day Liquid Lipstick set features two deep red shades and a nude in a variety of matte, shimmer and satin finishes. Your gift recipient (or you) can select the perfect shade to match that days attire.
For those in need of more everyday colors, the Flying Colors Lipstick set is the perfect treat. With six matte shades you can toss the entire set into a stocking and know that there will always been the perfect color at hand!
For an extra touch of sparkle, Stila’s Heaven’s Hue Highlighters are just the ticket. Applied with your favorite blush brush these highlighters have light diffusing particles that give the appearance of a warm natural glow. A wide variety of colors makes this gift perfect for any lady on your holiday shopping list.
Find Stila Products Online
Kiss Me Stay All Day Liquid Lip Set | With Flying Colors Liquid Lip Set| Heaven’s Hue Highlighter
Non-toxic Nail Polish from EA Polish
Your holiday look wouldn’t be complete without perfectly manicured nails. When you are on the go, finding time to keep those nails polished can be a challenge. During the busy holiday season a good nail polish you can rely on through shopping excursions, decorating sessions and cooking bonanzas is a gift any woman can appreciate.
A women owned business, EA Polish is non-toxic and cruelty free, allowing you to wear vibrant colors without worrying about which chemicals are seeping through your skin. Each bottle features inspiring messages making your gift resonate both utility and meaning.
Find EA Polish Online
Interested in other Holiday posts and shopping recommendations? Check out gift ideas for men!
Disclaimer: I received product samples as inspiration for this post. I was not compensated and all opinions and writing are my own. Some links are affiliate and will support the creation of this publication should you choose to make a purchase.
If your husband’s amazon wish list looks anything like mine, I can commiserate with you about how difficult they are to shop for! Finding a great gift idea for men is challenging so I put together a quick list of a few favorite items in our house this holiday season!
Nalgene
Drinking enough water throughout the day is difficult for even the most dedicated hydrator. Keeping a good water bottle on hand helps combat the dry Colorado climate and helps build good healthy habits just in time for the new year.
I’ve been a huge fan of Nalgene bottles since college. Originally designed as lab equipment scientists started taking their water tight bottles out of the lab and into adventures, building a new staple for outdoors enthusiasts around the world. At CSU we were each issued a special logo’ed Nalgene bottle as part of the dorm meal plan. Ultimately with everyone on campus having the same water bottle it became difficult to keep track of the original bottle so a new more colorful alternative would be obtained.
Now over a decade out of college a Nalgene bottle is still my go-to for keeping water on hand. I love that each bottle is completely BPA free and dishwasher safe so when one goes missing under a car seat for a few months it’s easy to quickly clean and get back into rotation. As a gift I like to combine two bottle sizes so it’s easy to always have one running through the washer and one in use.
Large print measurement markers make it easy to keep track of how much water you are drinking throughout the day and water tight tops mean bottles can slosh around in a bag without causing any trouble. This year, Nalgene launched a new line of colors inspired by nature, available in both the 32 or 16 oz. I’m loving the subtle grey and pop of color on the 32 oz bottle pictured here, making it easy to avoid mixing up your water bottle with anyone else nearby.
Find Nalgene
Civilized Coffee
If the man you are shopping for this holiday season is a coffee lover you definitely need to look into the Cold Brew Gift Set by Civilized Coffee. Each set contains a full 12 oz bag of small batch roasted coffee beans from Kenya and brew bags ready for mixing up high quality cold brew at home.
Simply add four scoops of coffee to the brew bag before leaving to steep in 12 oz of water overnight. Specifically ground for cold brew the coarse grind allows flavors to naturally seep into the water. Enjoy over ice or a favorite creamer to top of the cold brew experience. Before you know it that daily trip to the coffee house will become a thing of the past.
Find Civilized Coffee
BottleKeeper
When the man in your life enjoys ice cold beer you can’t go wrong with a BottleKeeper. A koozie on steroids, the BottleKeeper built specifically for glass bottles. Fully insulated, his favorite beer fits inside the keeper and a tight lid keeps drinks carbonated.
The powder coated shell makes beers completely drop proof, ensuring no party fouls of broken glass while tailgating or camping. No one likes broken glass and the BottleKeeper not only keeps beer cold, but also prevents condensation from making an appearance at your gathering.
With seventeen colors to chose from and the ability to fit hundreds of his favorite beverages, pick up a couple for the ultimate gift or snag one for your own use at the next cookout! This fun product was just featured on SharkTank a few days ago where they even secured investments from Mark Cuban and Lori Greiner. Picking this gift for Christmas 2018 shows your recipient that you think they are trendy and want to be a part of the next big thing!
Find BottleKeeper
Tani
As a child getting underwear as a Christmas gift was a real letdown. As a grownup, underwear is the best gift of the year! Of course you can’t just get anyone underwear for the holidays but for the people you CAN buy underwear for the best brand is Tani.
Free of gimmicks, Tani designs classic and comfortable undergarments that will blow other options out of the water. The fabric is both soft and form fitting so no matter what the day’s agenda looks like, Tani’s products will quickly become the go to options in the drawer. For the gifts for men, the Move Performance Boxer Brief is a must buy. Free cut edge means there’s no hems to become unraveled over multiple washes and the Italian Microfibre material provides a comfortable fit all day long.
Find Tani
Aftershokz
Good headphones for workouts are hard to find. Most headphones either fit over the ear or inside the ear canal, making a hard workout a sweaty mess. Aftershokz headphones provide high quality sound and are innovating the way athletes experience music while working out.
Fitting over the ear and resting on the cheekbone, Aftershokz headphones ensure your gift recipients safety as they can enjoy music while continuing to hear the world around them. For runners or bicyclists this is key to their safety. A bluetooth connection means no wires to get tangled in and simple touch commands allow the wearer to browse through their favorite workout jams with ease.
Find Aftershokz
Interested in other Holiday posts and shopping recommendations? Check out gift ideas for foodies!
Disclaimer: I received product samples to help facilitate the creation of this guide. All thoughts, opinions and writing are my own.
Despite the best of intentions we all have days where meal planning takes a backseat to everything else going on. Before I added an Instant Pot to my kitchen those nights would mean fast food picked up on the way home. Cooking in an Instant Pot means its easy to go from even frozen food to a hot dinner in less than an hour.
I was honestly a bit worried about the Instant Pot before I started using one. Traditional stove top pressure cookers are a bit finicky to use and slightly terrifying to hear the pressure valve ticking from across the room. Now that I have one, I use it at least once a week. From perfectly hard boiled eggs to flavorful shredded beef it’s become one of the most versatile tools in my kitchen. Some of the best prices on Instant Pots are going on right now for the holidays! I use a 6 quart cooker and it fits most anything I need but they go up to a 9 quart size if you are regularly serving a crowd.
One of my favorite Instant Pot meals is Roast Chicken. Toss a whole chicken in and dinner (as well as fixings for salads and soup is ready in just 30 minutes. The simplicity of this recipe is part of why I love it. The flavor from the seasonings are subtle enough to enjoy as a stand alone meal, or compliment working the shredded meat into a separate dish later.
Instant Pot Roast Chicken
Ingredients
1.) Prep the chicken by removing the giblets and neck.
2.) Generously coat the outside of the chicken with Salt, Pepper & Oregano.
3.) Cut the onion and lemon into quarters. Place two sprigs of rosemary and two sprigs of thyme into the body cavity. Stuff the Onion and Lemon into the chicken after the seasonings.
4.) Place steamer rack into the bottom of the cooker and add the chicken on top. Add 1/4 cup of water or chicken broth to the bottom of the pressure cooker and seal the Instant Pot.
5.) Set the timer on the instant pot to 30 minutes on high pressure. It will take several minutes for the pot to come to pressure making the total cooking time closer to 40 minutes. When the timer indicates that the cooking is done, leave the pressure sealed to slow release for 5 minutes and a rapid release until the pot comes back to normal pressure.
6.) If you prefer a crispy skin, toss the chicken under the broiler for 5 minutes, otherwise it is ready to serve immediately!
For people who love to cook the holiday season is the ideal time to give a gift that shows your appreciation for the amazing meals they cook throughout the year. From seasonings to cook books, to must have kitchen tools, the possibilities are endless. I’ve put together a few of my picks for top gifts any foodie on your list will love.
GelPro Elite
After a long day at work, standing in the kitchen for hours while cooking and cleaning up dinner is just another chore. You can bring joy back to the kitchen with the addition of a GelPro Elite comfort mat. This ergonomic floor mat is gel-filled and 3/4″ thick, ensuring that even when you’ve spent all day on your feet, cooking dinner doesn’t add any additional strain.
In my job, I spend most of the day sitting even with a standing desk. It’s a terrible habit that I really need to break. For Drew, it’s the complete opposite. His day is spent on his feet, with several pounds of heavy gear on his waist. Adding a GelPro mat to our kitchen allows us to spend more time together cooking and chatting as we work together on dinner.
No matter what your job is, you can appreciate the luxurious cushion making standing at the stove or sink that much easier on your back. GelPro mat’s come in thousands of colors and patterns so finding one that matches your decor is easy! I chose the Quincy in black and the 20″ x 36″ size fits perfectly in front of our kitchen sink. For First Responders, GelPro has an amazing 25% off discount all year round and there are amazing sales happening right now for the holidays when you shop directly on their website.
Shop Gel Pro
Hamptons Salt Company
Good seasonings are one of my favorite gifts to give during the holiday season and for someone who loves to cook, high end sea salt is something they will love. Hamptons Salt Company was founded to create safe and delicious seasoning alternatives without all the chemicals found in lesser quality seasonings. Without additives like anti-caking agents each ingredient in your salt kit will lend to the full flavor profile of the meals you choose to create.
There are seven unique gift boxes to choose from, each with carefully curated salts selected to match the gift set style. I chose the Flavor Seeker gift set to experience a wide variety of the seasonings Hamptons has to offer. Five different types of salt make this the perfect well rounded gift for anyone one your holiday shopping list.
While all of the flavors were delicious, the Ghost Pepper and Smoked Hickory were my favorite. I love a little spice in most meals and the Ghost Pepper salt hits the nail right on the head. Add just a pinch to guacamole and you have the perfect amount of heat.
Smoked Hickory is my new go to for instant pot meals. I added a teaspoon to a rub for roast beef and it made the dish taste like it had cooked for half the day in a smoker, not just a quick dinner in the Instant Pot! These salts are seriously full of flavor and a little bit goes a long way.
Find Hamptons Salt Company
Flavor Seeker Gift Set | Smoked Hickory| Ghost Pepper
Sweet Rolling Pins
For most of us, the holiday season is the time of the year when the oven is on and baking is plentiful. Everyone has memories of the first time they learned how to roll out sugar cookie dough, covered in flour and using mom or grandma’s rolling pin. It’s amazing how each year the simple act of rolling out dough can evoke so many memories.
When picking a gift for a foodie who loves to bake you can’t go wrong with a laser etched rolling pin from Sweet Rolling Pins. With dozens of patterns you are bound to find a design that you know they will love! Built to become a family heirloom, each pin is high quality and intended to be used over and over again on pies, sugar cookies and more.
As much fun as it is to decorate cookies, the Christmas tree pattern can save you an extra step in your cookie making process. Just roll out the dough and use a glass to cut circles out of your favorite sugar cookie recipe. Your coworkers will be so impressed!
For holiday pies I am loving the forest scenery pin. With trees, deer, bears and moose the entire forest will find a home on your holiday display!
Find Sweet Rolling Pins
Pocono Modern
For lovers of vintage decor or pyrex collectors, Pocono Modern is the perfect addition to a mid century modern kitchen. Classic pyrex patterns are such a fun way to add some history to a contemporary kitchen and every foodie needs new tea towels come Christmas season!
With family favorite designs, most people will recognize a pattern or two from their childhood. Butterfly gold, the second pattern from the bottom is one of my favorites because it is a bit easier to locate at thrift stores. Pocono Modern has an entire line of art prints and even a calendar with vintage pyrex patterns, perfect for the collector in your life.
Outside of Pyrex, Pocono Modern is the go to for modern takes on Mid Century Modern decor and style. Art prints, t-shirts and even playing cards harken back to a time when Frank Sinatra was on the radio. Just close your eyes and you might even be transported back in time to a Christmas of years past.
Find Pocono Modern
Tea Towels | Art Prints| Playing Cards
Southern Living Cookbooks
If you are stumped about what to gift a foodie you truly can not go wrong with a new cookbook. Cookbooks offer new inspiration and foster creativity in the kitchen and the makers of Southern Living Magazine have amazing new options for 2018. Southern Living’s cookbooks are full of vibrant color and photography that really helps me to imagine how the food is going to come out.
What Can I Bring is a collection of favorite recipes for potlucks or other gatherings. During the holiday season there are plenty of occasions where a new recipe is just the ticket for getting outside the box and making sure that there aren’t six kinds of potatoes at the company holiday potluck. Ranging from brunch favorites to appetizers, you are bound to find the perfect dish for your next event in this cookbook.
Written by Atlanta chef Todd Richards, Soul is an homage to southern cooking with heart. Richards combines his chef training with favorite home recipes to create new dishes that will quickly become family favorites.
Find Southern Living
Ancient Foods
Amazing olive oil is the perfect indulgence to gift to a food lover this holiday season. A newly launched company, Ancient Foods is a direct to consumer line of food products, bringing the highest quality and best tasting ingredients from where they have been crafted with care to a kitchen near you.
Kero’s extra virgin olive oil is harvested from olives grown on the trees outside of Sparta. Full flavored, this silky accompaniment to a meal is perfect with bread as an appetizer before the main course. The rich buttery flavor is perfect for salad dressings or adding a bit of zing to your favorite recipes.
Find Ancient Foods
Interested in other Holiday posts? Check out my picks for best gifts for police wives!
Disclaimer: I received product samples to help facilitate the creation of this guide. All thoughts, opinions and writing are my own.
Welcome to My Bliss
