It’s the eve of Christmas Eve and if you’re like many of us, you’re hustling to get those final Christmas presents purchased, wrapped and under the tree. No wonder today, December 23, is one of 2016’s top 3 shopping days of the year. Before you run out to the store without a clue, click here to get some quick shopping inspiration. This year I’ve tried so many different beauty, health and wellness items and I’m here to tell you, not everything is worth it. Here are some tried and true suggestions and some cool ideas and brands just to inspire the perfect gift for your special someone (and/or yourself)!
Subscription to a beauty/wellness box. Subscription boxes remain a popular gift item, either as a one-off box for holiday or as the actual beginning of a subscription. Some of my favorites are more unusual, and are intended to enhance your life beyond physical means. Merkaela is a handmade health and wellness box that includes body products, teas, cleansing sticks and smudges, and sometimes crystals. The HOLbox is a monthly subscription intended to inspire holistic living, so it includes whole and natural products and supplements, and comes wrapped in a cloth headwrap intended for reuse. The Geenie Box is curated by an inspiring woman of color every month and includes beauty and hair products or books – whatever the curator decides! In terms of beauty boxes for women of color, I really like Cocotique for luxe makeup and We Are Onyx for beauty, nails, and sometimes hair items. Glossybox includes great brands and sometimes full size beauty samples.
A selection of essential oils, an aromatherapy lamp or oil diffuser – When I was a kid, I wanted to grow up to be an aromatherapist. For real. I have always been fascinated with the power of scents and essential oils for healing and health. If you’re new to the world of essential oils, you may want to check out the introductory kit by DoTerra. In terms of oil blends for specific purposes, I love the essential oil blends by Gurunanda – Relaxation, Focus, Breathe Easy, intended to remedy your aromatherapy needs. You can use your oils at home in an oil burner or diffuser, or you can take your essential oils to go via your jewelry, in a necklace like this. EO Products makes a beautiful pure essential oils kit with a flower diffuser, a lovely way to distribute your fragrance of choice.
Candles! Everyone loves candles. – There’s bound to be beautiful candles at great prices at places like Ross, TJ Maxx and Marshalls – I do a substantial amount of damage in their candle aisle. But you can find some really great indie candle brands. We just got a great candle by WoodWick – it literally has a wood wick and has a lovely crackle when burning. Another great indie candle brand is Lit, based in Brooklyn – great packaging and incredible fragrance. On the pricier end, Pour L’air is a recently launched luxury candle line that’s designed to tell stories with scents in unique and funky blends like Hayloft, Nap Lovers, Studio Secrets, and Forest Bathing.
A salt lamp or salt tea light holders. – Much has been written about Himalayan pink salt, its benefits and curative properties. Plus, its beauty. You can use a salt plank for cooking or serving food, or you can use pink salt to enhance your home and your beauty product stash. I’ve got some beautiful pink salt tea light holders, but after seeing this viral video, I think I need to get Max a salt lamp for Christmas!
A selection of sheet masks, or pure clay to DIY their mask game. 2016 was the year that masks exploded, and now sheet masks and mixing your own mask concoctions has gone mainstream. You still have time to Amazon Prime a pack of Leaders or Tonymoly sheet masks, they’d make great stocking stuffers! For more advanced mask fans, consider a selection of top rated ingredients, like Aztec Healing Clay, activated charcoal or green seaweed. Add a mask brush, a little bowl and the e.l.f pore refining mask tool, and you’ve got an easy, thoughtful gift that would make most skincare fanatics happy.
I’m wishing you a beautiful Christmas, bellas! Hope you get everything you’re hoping for!
I WANT THEM ALL! 🙂
Santa, hope they come!
To Afrobella & her all of her readership family I send you Christmas Greetings and wish you all the very best for 2017!
Awesome article, thank for share. I will share it on my social and talk to my friends about the article.
Great suggestions. Perfect for other occasions, too! 🙂