It’s back.
Last year, the inaugural Glow Journal Beauty Gift Guide came to fruition based on what I believed to be a dire need for content of this nature. I wanted people to be able to identify their budget, then be able to quickly and easily select a gift from a list of brands that were being personally recommended to them by someone who may well be a trusted friend. A beauty-specific gift guide as informative as it was beautiful.
That content remains my most viewed of all time, so it seems I wasn’t alone in my wishes.
I wanted to see a gift guide composed of no stock imagery (because how can one even determine whether or not the writer has physically held the product, let alone used it, if the image has been pulled from the web), where the products were divided into price categories (when I start shopping, I know how much I want to spend and it’s painful finding a gift in a guide and then, once your heart is set on it, discovering it doesn’t suit your budget), actually tells you something about the product (rather than simply listing the name and price) and, in my mind most importantly, a guide that featured absolutely no sponsored product placement.
Not one product in this gift guide is here as a paid advertisement. Every product is one that I would be thrilled to receive and proud to give to a loved one. I personally reached out to every single brand and retailer included in these guides because I love their products, use their products, and wanted to share with you their Holiday offerings.
This year’s gift guide is shiny and new, but steeped in the same values that I work so hard to weave into every Glow Journal story- a curation of nothing but the very best in beauty, from brands that I personally and genuinely love.
Please enjoy Part 1 of the 2018 Glow Journal Beauty Gift Guide and stay tuned for Parts 2 and 3.
Frank Body’s original lip balm has been one of my “most frequently reached for” items since it initially launched (it has a base of lanolin, which is the best lip balm ingredient of all time and will come up again later in Part 1 of this gift guide). Late 2017 saw the release of two tinted Frank balms- Send Nudes, a peachy nude, and Cherry Bomb, a berry tint. The Cherry is my personal favourite from this kit and is the perfect hue to make you look “put together” with minimal effort. Colour is the only thing that differentiates these products, with the formula remaining consistently hydrating across the board. This trio is the perfect gift for that friend who has one lip balm in her handbag, one in her car, on her desk, beside her bed …
Shop here: Frank Body The Triplets Kit, $29.95
From another female-lead-peachy-packaged-Melbourne-born brand comes the Go-To Skincare Lil’ Cuties kit. This kit consists of one Transformazing Sheet Mask (truly one of the best sheet masks I have ever used- I rate this amongst the likes of La Mer and SKII despite a clear difference in price), Lips! lip balm (another of my favourite lip products, and another with a lanolin base), and a Nice! key ring (Go-To merchandise is worth its weight in gold). If it’s Zoe Foster Blake approved, you know it’s a winner (it’s also Gemma Watts approved, so, there’s that).
Shop here: Go-To Skincare Lil’ Cuties Set, $24
At risk of ostracising myself from every other company mentioned in this guide, Charlotte Tilbury may just be my favourite makeup brand. What I love about Charlotte Tilbury, product quality aside, is the brand epitomises everything I believed beauty to be when I was younger. There’s an Old Hollywood quality to it, and they’re the kind of products you want to display on your dressing table. This duo contains two Hollywood Liquid Lipsticks- one rose, one plum, both universally flattering. You can read my full review of this formula here.
Shop here: Charlotte Tilbury Mini Hollywood Liquid Lipstick Duo, $33
Nars’ Orgasm Blush has reached cult status for a reason (more on that here). This limited edition gift set contains a mini Orgasm Blush and mini Orgasm Lipstick in packaging almost impressive as the products themselves. The perfect gift for that friend who lives and breathes beauty- she’ll appreciate the gravitas of such a cult product, and the novelty of the limited edition, reusable tin.
Shop here: Nars Little Fetishes Orgasm Lip and Blush Set, $35
The Body Shop are a real gifting no brainer because they are so reliable. You know if you go into one of their stores at this time of year (and, come to think of it, any time of year) they will have a gift set of some description to cater to both your taste and budget. The efficacy of the range is consistently good, and I consider their body butters to be amongst their most iconic, high performing products. This trio includes travel size body butters in Mango, Coconut and Almond Milk and Honey.
Shop here: The Body Shop Enchanted Body Butter Trio, $25
As above, another predictably great yet slightly more “traditionally festive” gift set. This kit comprises a Shower Gel, Body Butter and loofah in the most festive of all scents- peppermint candy cane.
Shop here: The Body Shop House of Peppermint Candy Cane Delights, $15
The Body Shop’s Vanilla scent has always been one of my favourites- not just of the brand, but of all time. For the holidays, they have fused their classic vanilla with sweet, sweet marshmallow. On paper I had assumed this combination would be sickly, but there’s almost a tartness to it that I can’t get enough of. This Shower Gel, Body Scrub, Body Butter and Hand Cream set is housed within a reusable, festive canvas sack (not pictured).
Shop here: The Body Shop Festive Sack of Vanilla Marshmallow Delights, $30
The perfect gift for anyone who truly values “beauty sleep,” REN’s Dream Set contains a Rosa Centifolia Purity Balm to remove your makeup before bed, V-Cense Revitalising Night Cream to hydrate the skin overnight, and an & Now To Sleep Pillow Spray (I’ve written a review on this here). REN products are all clean (which no harsh chemicals and no animal testing), so this is also a great brand to pull from for any friends who favour natural, cruelty free skincare.
Shop here: REN Clean Skincare Dream Set, $36
Another option for the friend or family member who values their slumber, REN’s Now to Sleep Duo contains two miniature incarnations of the brand’s now iconic & Now To Sleep Pillow Spray. A great gift for the frequent traveller or anyone embarking on a long haul flight this holiday season.
Shop here: REN Clean Skincare Now To Sleep Duo, $23
Another icon of the “sleep spray” world (and another brand featured in the aforementioned review) is This Works. Their holiday Power Up Set is less about beauty sleep and more about the transformative powers of a well executed nap, containing a Sleep Power Nap Spray and a Sleep Power Recharge Mask.
Shop here: This Works Power Up Set, $35
While I don’t have a bath at home, I always have a few of these travel sized SALT soaks on hand and have been known to take them interstate with me if I know I’ll be staying somewhere with a bath- they’re THAT good. SALT are an Australian brand that I am consistently impressed by (their body oils, in particular, are really special), but I think this Bath Time Baby set will make the perfect Kris Kringle gift. It contains five test tubes of the brand’s best selling Bath Soaks, which also makes it perfect for anyone new to the brand wanting to try the brand’s “best of” catalogue.
Shop here: SALT By Hendrix Bath Time Baby, $29.95
I am yet to meet a Lanolips product that I do not love. Lanolips’ Original 101 Ointment is the foundation of the brand in every sense of the word, and I think of the many scents they have released beyond the OG, Coconutter is my favourite. This festive cracker includes two full size products- a tube of 101 Ointment in Coconutter, and a Lano Intensive Hand Cream also in Coconutter (I also keep a tube of this in my handbag at all times).
Shop here: Lanolips Kiss Me Cracker in Coconutter, $19.95
Innisfree is a brand I only became familiar with in the latter half of this year as they only became readily available in Australia in May. They are a Korean beauty powerhouse, and their overseas customers can only be described as fanatical- a phenomenon I am now watching take form over here, too. I was first introduced to the brand via their accessibly priced yet highly effective skincare (literally every beauty innovation comes out of Korea- the Western world is SO far behind), but their collection of home fragrances is similarly impressive. Their holiday offering includes this Dreaming of Santa scented candle, which smells of clean, soapy musk and is housed in what can only be described as a wooly candle sweater.
Shop here: Innisfree Dreaming of Santa Scented Candle, $32
As above, I love this brand. The Dreaming of Santa Perfumed Diffuser smells much the same as the aforementioned candle, but the diffuser rods are unlike anything I’ve ever seen- they are topped with Christmas pom poms.
Shop here: Innisfree Dreaming of Santa Perfumed Diffuser, $35
Another pom pom clad diffuser, the Dreaming of Rudolph fragrance also smells of musk but a warmer, almost smokier version.
Shop here: Innisfree Dreaming of Rudolph Perfumed Diffuser, $35
I talked in last year’s gift guide about how my beauty gift giving ethos stems from that of journalist Sali Hughes, who believes it is better to choose the smallest gift with whatever budget you have- that is to say a beautiful, luxury lipstick will be better received than a cheap, oversized, poor quality eyeshadow palette filled with colours that will never be touched. This Bare Minerals Lunar Light Lip Duo will be used beyond belief, whomsoever is on the receiving end. The Gen Nude Matte Liquid Lipstick is one of few matte liquid lipsticks that I don’t find to be drying on the lips, while the Gen Nude Radiant Lipstick is so comfortable you would think you were wearing a balm.
Shop here: Bare Minerals Lunar Light Lip Duo, $17
Stila make some of my favourite holiday gift sets year after year. I gifted several of my girlfriends Stila kits last Christmas, and they were amongst the most coveted at our annual Kris Kringle dinner. This Stila Nude Attitude Stay All Day Liquid Lipstick Set contains three deluxe travel sized liquid lipsticks, all riffing off “nude”- one matte rose, one shimmering rose and one shimmering caramel.
Shop here: Stila Nude Attitude Stay All Day Liquid Lipstick Set, $29
All of the Essano products I’ve tried have had a natural rosehip oil base, and this gift set follows suit. If you need to buy a gift for a colleague or in-law you don’t know too well, this is a great option as the ingredients list is safe enough not to flare up any irritations they may have that you are unaware of (you would hate to gift something heavily, synthetically fragranced only to find out they suffer from eczema). This set contains three full sized products (they’re huge! Such good value!)- a Rosehip Body Oil, Rosehip Hand Cream and Rosehip Body Wash.
Shop here: Essano Body Bliss Restoring Gift Set, $19.99
I’ve probably talked enough about Innisfree at this point, but this set includes six miniature hand creams in the most festive of packaging. I’d suggest buying a couple of these sets then dividing them up and leaving a little individual hand cream with a card on each of your colleagues desks as a Christmas gesture (or use them as party favours!).
Shop here: Innisfree Perfumed Hand Cream Miniature Set, $25
The Jojoba Company are another clean, toxin free beauty brand, so I love having gifts like this on hand as we all grow increasingly aware of what we apply topically to the skin. This is another full sized set, containing a Lemon and Coconut Hand Cream and Silken Melon Body Lotion. You know how people drop over during the holidays with a gift for you and you have to scramble to find something to present to them? Buy this, store it somewhere, have it ready. It’s a no brainer that anyone will enjoy.
Shop here: The Jojoba Company Indulgent Body Pack, $29.95
Sincere and special thanks to Mecca Brands, Go-To Skincare, Tailormaid PR, Innisfree Australia, Sarah Humphries Agency, Frank Body and One Daydream PR.
