It’s no secret that I love to feature luxury beauty products, but I thought I would select some more budget-friendly options that are going to make lovely gifts. Whether you are on a tight budget or you are just not willing to spend extra money, you can still give green beauty gifts for under $ 25 and you can find appropriate gifts for anyone, from your young cousins to your skeptical co-worker that will not stop wearing obnoxious synthetic perfumes…
Weleda Body Oil Essentials Kit: This is an inexpensive kit comes with six mini body oils, which are all very lovely. It is a great way to introduce a friend or family member to beauty oils and hopefully to finally convince them that they can smell great without using conventional lotions that are scented with synthetic fragrances and do not provide long-lasting skin benefits. About $ 14 at Target.
S.W.Basics Organic Lip Balm Flights: I only tried these lip balms recently after I wrote my post about my favorite lip balms, otherwise they would have been in that post as well. This lip balm set comes in a cute metal box and contains four lip balms in four different scents: Peppermint, Citrus, Cinnamon, and Unscented (Cocoa Butter). They are cocoa butter-based and work great! I love the packaging, the lip balms, and the great price. $15 at Abe’s Market (free shipping)
Ilia Beauty Lipstick: While a gift set looks pretty exciting, a single product can make a wonderful gift as well, and I think that lipsticks are great options for this purpose. Brief story: I bought my mom a new red lipstick every single Christmas for many years, because it was all I could afford as a student with small jobs. It is the perfect gift for makeup lovers, but if you wanted to give it to someone who does not usually wear much makeup, you could opt for a tinted lip conditioner. Lip conditioners are similar to lipstick, but are more sheer and function like a lip balm. I actually kept the last hot-red Dior Rouge lipstick I bought for my mom as a Christmas gift, but there is a long (touchy) story behind it, that I may share here on another occasion. ;) You can find Ilia Beauty lipsticks and tinted lip conditioners at Spirit Beauty Lounge and they retail for $ 24.
EcoTools 5-Piece Mineral Brush Set: Makeup lovers can never have too many brushes (don’t you agree?) and people who are just starting with makeup need a small set of brushes to learn. EcoTools makes a pretty brush set that comes in a reusable makeup bag, and contains a powder brush, concealer brush, an eye shading brush, and a baby kabuki . They are eco-friendly and cruelty free (vegan-friendly too). They work very well with liquid products such as foundation, concealer, cream blush, and cream bronzer. Great value for the money, in my humble opinion. It’s about $14 at Ulta (currently having this deal: buy 1 get 1 50% off!)
Eyelash Curler: This is my all time favorite beauty tool, and the only one I never go without. It is the gift that every woman should receive, except for those ladies blessed with naturally voluminous, long, and curly lashes. Every other woman can really benefit from that 10 second beauty job that makes a world of difference. I have tried almost all of those on the market (except for Chanel and Kevyn Aucoin) and I have settled for Shu Uemura and Shiseido. Shu gives me the most natural curl, while Shiseido gives me dramatic length. The classic Shu retails for $20 (at Shu Uemura’s website) while Shiseido for $19 (at Nordstrom). You can even find cheaper alternatives, but I have not had a great experience with any other one (I will write more about lash curlers in the near future).
I plan on searching for more options and try to find more inexpensive, beautiful gifts. In the meanwhile, I hope you have a fun time shopping for your loved ones and come back Monday for a very special Thanksgiving Week surprise ;)
