Visions of Sugarplums dance in their heads | Gift Guide 2013

Happy Christmas Eve! There are just a few more hours left before the big day, Christmas and everyone is still busy sprucing up, grocery shopping and gift shopping. Fir those of you still at a lost for what you should gift, here’s a round up of my Gift Guide for 2013 along with some last minute suggestions.

For the guys in your life click here to see all the fabulous things you could get them.

If there are a couple ladies on your list, then I would definitely click here.

Then there are those gifts that might not have crossed your mind.

Finally for the crafty or those who try to be, here are 15 DIY gift ideas.

I don’t know if you had noticed but I completely omitted Makeup and beauty items from my ladies’ gift list this year. Truth is, I forgot, and then got just a tad too busy to post it. There were so many beautiful and interesting gift sets from the makeup world this year I can’t wait to see next year’s! I hope to get a head start on posting about them too! It would be a shame to post it know as so many of them are already sold out and since it’s Christmas Eve people are probably going bonkers to find them.

BUT, a great last minute gift idea is to get someone a gift card to one of their favourite stores. I’m sure I’ve mentioned gift cards before on my blog too. I think the least nonchalant way to give a gift card is to put it along with something else, like a stocking stuffer, a smaller gift or a very sincere greeting card. That way it doesn’t scream, “I didn’t know what to get you, so here…”

Also doing the smaller things like getting the person’s favourite movie on DVD, or perhaps buying the lip balm/ deodorant/ lotion they always use or lose or run out of, shows you appreciate the person for the little things. Just replacing batteries on one of their watches is a good way to show you are paying attention and care. Christmas shouldn’t be only about giving the “best gift”, but also about realising the persons who are vital in your life, just as God is. He sent His own son as our gift to be a bigger part of our lives than persons back then even understood. So in celebrating with all of the gifts, food, and parties, let’s not forget the greatest gift that has been given to us, Jesus Christ. I’m not a close to God as I should be, but if it’s one thing, I always remember at Christmas and Easter, there was some one who cared so greatly for us, that He sacrificed his one and only son for me (and you too).

I probably won’t have the time to post tomorrow with all the festivities going, but I want to wish you all a Happy, Safe and Blessed Christmas!

PS: Check back Thursday for another Healthline guest post on Preventing Shingles

7 Cadeaux pour Femme | Gift Guide 2013

Hey all! For us ladies, we think it’s so easy to get us a nice gift, but sometimes it really isn’t. Here are 7 gifts bound to help you find at least something for the ladies on your list.

Smell goods.

Bath products, body sprays, scented lotions, perfumes, you name it and most ladies love it. We all love hoarding lots of pretty smelling things to make ourselves or around us smell pretty. Let’s not even start on how much I love candles. It’s a good thing I’m in a place where the really nice ones are limited. But buy a girl some smell goods and she’ll be happy!

Skincare.

This gift would take some “stalking” or a really good, discrete friend telling you what favourite skincare item she’s been running out of. Us ladies love to make sure or faces and skin is on point. Especially if you’re a Caribbean lady, no ashy skin, be it elbows or knees. I think certain body lotions call under both skincare and Smell goods simply because of the great ingredients they may have in them.

Jewellery.

A fabulous lady once said, Diamonds are a girl’s best friend. Now I’m not saying to rob a bank for these gem, not every lady is into very expensive jewellery anyway, but something to remember you by in terms of jewellery, never hurt. Don’t over-expense yourself though. That’s a very important guideline. Stick to you budget and when things get better, then you can really splurge on a Tiffany’s bracelet or a diamond ring.

Books.

A very affordable option for ladies. I love my books, although I haven’t gotten around to reading as many as I have downloaded as yet. You can go the traditional route and buy her a paperback from one of her favourite authors, or maybe just something with an interesting title. Or you could see what’s on her wishlist for eBooks, because with Kindles, tablets, Nooks and all kinds of digital readers, sometimes it’s more convenient (and cheaper) than a trip to the book store.

Hair tools.

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Flat irons, curling irons and blow dryers do get worn out. There are also updates to them, similar to technology. I think a really great gift would be a hair tool (not drugstore) which has a very good quality and is supposed to last a long time. Also something with a lot of versatility, so your receiver can get the most out of it. A few brands that have a lot of hype around them are Nume, GHD, Chi, KQC and Babyliss. It’s really easy to find them online too, and some of the sites always have a coupon code available for a very sizeable discount.

Nail Polish.

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Although nail polish may seem like one of those cheaper gifts, some girls always feel more put together and glamorous when their nails are nicely manicured. You want to do you research before buying nail polish though, especially with what’s available here in Barbados. So you don’t end up getting her the same/similar colour she has, or getting her a dud of a polish which is streaky, sheer and a pain to use. For affordable options I suggest Ruby Kisses which has very improved their quality, as well as Revlon, Maybelline, O.P.I. and Essie. Or if you want to really treat her like a queen, you can pick up a MAC nail varnish, Estee Lauder, Lancome, Deborah Lippmann or one of the other high end brands.

Accessories.

Some gals just can’t have enough of bags, purses and shoes. Maybe her day-to-day handbag is showing some wear. You could definitely get her a good, sturdy replacement in a colour she’d love. Shoes are a bit more tricky, but it could also be said for all the accessories mentioned to take some advice from the lady in your life, or take her along with you to shop for these items. Then there’s no going wrong with getting her the perfect accessory.

5 Gifts for Her!

I had done one of these gift guides last year,and this year I actually wasn’t planning  to do another one, but I couldn’t help myself. So many great ideas came to my mind this year, this season really got to me early, haha.

Lately I was very interested in skincare and thought that this would make a good addition to any girl’s skincare regimen. The Sigma Beauty Cleansing & Polishing tool is similar to the coveted Clarisonic exfoliator but is far more affordable. For $43USD, you get the polishing tool, which I think is battery operated, and 3 different brush heads of various degrees of firmness. I know I would love to receive this as a gift, especially now the weather is changing and my skin is getting drier and beginning to peel.

I have been eyeing Vera Wang Princess (the original) for sometime, it just smells soooo good. I think this perfume or any light floral or fruity perfumes would be great for any lady in your life. I love to smell good, even if it’s just a scented hand cream or body wash, like those from Victoria Secret. Around this time, you can pick up gift sets for just about any fragrance (even the knock offs). If you want your fragrance to last longer you could layer the body wash, lotion and spray versions. I like to keep it simple, a few spritz of a perfume or body splash and I’m ready to go!

Besides new fragrances, I’ve really been coveting more storage for my makeup and other daily essentials. Something to help me to declutter my dresser, but is not a hassle to get in and out of on a late morning. A good place to get organisation materials in Barbados is Sort Your Stuff, Dwellings  or the kitchen aisle of most stores. You could buy specific items for organising bathrooms or makeup areas or, you can also multipurpose kitchen space-arrangers into neat counter organisers. I know another great place to find them is the Container Store, which stocks a plethora of organisation materials. I’m always getting carried away looking for ideas on their website and the items aren’t too expensive either.

Now you have everything organised, why not get a pretty mirror to look at your reflection? I’ve always wanted one of those magnifying light up mirrors, and saw some selling in Collins (Barbados) just a month ago. That would be perfect for any beauty-lover, as she can get really good detail when she’s doing her brows, eye make up or just admiring herself, haha. I know you can also find these mirrors at Dwellings Barbados, and overseas at Target, Bed Bath & Beyond and Wal-Mart.

Finally a new set of make up brushes would be the icing on the cake! Single brushes are usually quite expensive, especially high-quality ones. Luckily, Sigma Beauty has a variety or brushes and brush sets which are extremely affordable compared to other brands. High quality and durable, I’ve heard so many good things about Sigma’s products. There is one brush collection of theirs that I have been gaga over since the date of release, sadly I haven’t gotten it as yet but, this brush set would make the perfect gift for any make up enthusiast! The Make me Up collection comes on black, turquoise, red and purple, my favourite *hint hint*, and is a complete make over kit, with 12 brushes for your face and eyes. Not only is it a ton of great brushes, but they are full-sized and come with a travel case which could double as a brush holder for your vanity.  As a makeup lover, I know I would love this as a gift!

You can buy them from the Sigma Beauty website, send I have a code for 10% off any Sigma purchase. Not only that but when you spend over $30, you receive a free gift! How sweet is that? They also ship internationally!  So you could get your brush set and the polishing tool shipped straight to your home, or to the person you are gifting!

Sigma Coupon: DEC2012

Disclaimer: This gift guide was in no way sponsored. Sigma Beauty affiliate links are embedded in this post.