Christmas Gift Guide 2015
Christmas is upon us with only 21 days left to go, don't leave your gift shopping to Christmas Eve!
Here are a range of 5 affordable and 5 luxury gifts for Him & Her and some stocking fillers.
(Some of the mens gift ideas are opinions from my partner, so you know what a guy would really want!)
Affordable
Maybe you are buying a small gift for a friend or family member, or maybe you need to keep within the budget, these gifts will be both appreciated and great value for money!
HER
1 - Perfume
Perfume can be both affordable and luxury, so here are some scents that are really nice and won't bust the budget.
(Fragrances can be found on various sites, all links below are direct from Fragrance Direct as they have the best prices!)
Tommy Hilfiger - 'Tommy Girl' 100ml £17.99
Ghost 50ml £19.95
Britney Spears - 'Believe' 100ml £14.95
(For more expensive ones I would recommend something like Dior 'Pure Poision', Thierry Mugler 'Alien' or Gucci 'Guilty').
2 - Make Up Palettes
All makeup brands below have various palettes, however I chose ones that would suit anyone
(You don't have to be a makeup enthusiast to own a good make up palette!)
Sleek i-Divine Neutrals Eyeshadow Palette £7.99
NYX Eyeshadow Palette - 'Dream Catcher' £13.00
NYX Highlight and Contour Pro Palette £18.00
Sleek Blush by 3 - 'Pink Lemonade' £9.99
3 - Phone/Tablet/Laptop Cases
Now these can really range in price and you can pick up all sorts of cases. Make sure you know what phone the person has!
I find the cheapest cases on Amazon or eBay, however beware from where you are buying from as if you buy ones from China/Japan, you will not receive them in time for Christmas. So always check the shipping estimates or refine your search to UK sellers only.
Other good brands for nice cases are Skinny Dip, which can be found online or in River Island or in most shopping centres, there are usually stands/stalls that will be filled with various cases.
4 - Candles
There are so many places where you can buy scented candles from and you can also pick up really pretty non-scented ones. Ones that are in really pretty jars make great gifts as you can re-use the jars. I think this make a really lovely winter gift, especially if someone has their own home. A luxury candle isn't something someone may pick up for themselves, but it is something they would love to have in their home.
Yankee Candle Large Jars £15-£20
Marks and Spencers Candles £5 - £25
TK Maxx Candles £7.99 upwards
5 - Personalised Photo Gifts
Why not make your Christmas gift just that little bit more special by personalising it. There are many ways in which you can get gifts personalised and I think with photos is a really unique way. There are many places where you can get photo printing done, however I chose to link Boots below as they offer a great selection of gift ideas at very affordable prices and you can guarantee the quality of the item and should you have any problems there is always someone in store to help you.
(Just make sure the photo you pick is one they like! Maybe a family photo, one of their pet or a photo of you two)
Boot Photo Gifts £3.99 - £20
HIM
1 - Wallet
A mens wallet will be thrown around and shoved in pockets and sat on every day. The wear on a mans wallet will be a lot higher than a womens purse, so it is likely that they will need a new wallet more frequently. Maybe the guy you are buying for doesn't own a nice wallet yet, when you carry around money in your pockets your much more likely to loose it, so why not keep it all safe and accessible! (designer brands will be more of a luxury gift and the more basic the cheaper the wallet will be)
River Island Faux Leather £17.00
Next Signature Extra Capacity £25.00
Skopes Small Leather Wallet £24.95
2 - Aftershave
Same as the Ladies, aftershave can be both affordable and luxury, so here are some scents that are really nice and won't bust the budget.
(Fragrances can be found on various sites, all links below are direct from Fragrance Direct as they have the best prices!)
Tommy Hilfiger 'Tommy' 50ml £12.95
Joop 'Homme' 125ml £22.95
Calvin Klein 'In2U Him' 150ml £18.95
Lacoste 'Live Male' 40ml £23.99
(More luxury I would recommend Paco Rabanne 'Invictus', Dior 'Sauvage' or Paco Rabanne 'One Million')
3 - Lounge Wear
It is always nice to come home from a long day at work and put on some comfortable clothes, wether that be pyjamas or a tracksuit. Especially in the winter months you want something to keep you cozy and warm.
Red Herring Cuffed Bottoms £17.60
M&S Fleece Thermal Set £25
Next Black Woven Set £24
4 - Portable Speaker
Everyone loves their music and a portable speaker doesn't have to be expensive! You can get some really good quality speakers for cheap prices, they are great to have around the house and to travel with. Great for parties too!
Venstar Portable Stereo £29.99
EasyAcc Mini Bluetooth Speaker £13.95
KitSound BoomBar £20
5 - Drinks Hamper
Many drinks will be consumed over the festive period, so why not help them save some pennies and buy some of their favourite drinks for them! Alcohol isn't always cheap and we tend to stick to what we know we will definitely like, so why not buy a mix hamper of drinks that they may not have tried. You could buy a mixed Beer hamper or a Mixed Cider hamper. You may help find him a new favourite drink!
Depending on what drinks you buy and how many these can be as affordable or luxury as you wish.
Luxury
So depending on who you are buying for and how far your budget will stretch, here are some really lovely luxury items that will be truly appreciated and worth every penny!
HER
1 - Watch
What with their being so many beautiful and elegant styles out there, a watch would be a perfect gift for any girl/woman. There is something for everyone and it is a really special item to receive. TIP (outlet shops, such as WatchStation in Portsmouth Gun Wharf have many designer watches as really affordable discounted prices. I picked up a Michael Kors £250.00 watch for just £49)!
Armani Exchange £99- £195
Emporio Armani £99 - £389
Michael Kors £109 - £309
Marc Jacobs £79 - £279
2 - Handbag
Every woman needs a handbag and you can never have enough as you may want different colours and sizes. Bags are great as you can pick up so many different styles and brands at a great range of prices. What with these being luxury bags, they are what every girl wants, but may not buy herself.
Michael Kors Bags/Purses £65 - £370
River Island Bags/Purses £25 - £150
Ted Baker Bags £29 - £299
Spinal Of London £65 - £950
3 - Skin Care
You can buy some super affordable skin care, however the reason I have put it in Luxury is I find the more you spend on your skin care products the better it is likely to be, it will have more natural ingredients and have more rejuvenating ingredients for your skin. There are many super affordable brands of skin care that I use that I think work perfectly and I swear by them, however for yourself, splurging on skin care isn't something you are likely to do so I think it makes the perfect gift. (alternatively to buying products you could always book them a spa/facial treatment)
Elemis Gift Boxes £25 - £225
Elizabeth Arden Best Sellers £18 - £165
Clarins Best Sellers £19.50 - £69
4 - Make Up
Most makeup is really quite affordable and to the everyday girl, I would recommend buying stuff from your local drugstore/highstreet. However for make up lovers and beauty enthusiasts there are some really luxury make up pieces that everyone wants in their collection and make the perfect gift for someone special.
Charlotte Tilbury 'Filmstar Killer Cheekbones' (Contour and Highlight) £82
Kevin Aucoin 'Sensual Skin Fluid Foundation' £48.75
Too Faced 'Chocolate Bar Eyeshadow' £35
Too Faced 'Melted Liquid Lipsticks' £19
Anastasia Beverly Hills Contour Kit £39
5 - Hair Tools
We all dream of having thick and full, beautiful hair, so why not arm the girl/woman you are buying for the right tools! From hair dryers to curling wands, below are some great gift ideas for beautifully styled hair.
GHD 'Platinum White Styling gift set' £165
Remington 'Silk Hair Dryer' £36.66 (I have this and I have extremely, long and thick hair, I have never used a more powerful and affective hair dryer!)
NuMe's Lustrum Curling Iron Set $249.00 = £164.69 (This is an american brand, however they do ship to the UK, make sure you check shipping times will arrive for xmas!)
Trevor Sorbie 'Keratin Argan Multi-Wand' £49.99
HIM
1 - Games Console/Games
So there are many different types of games consoles out there and lots of different games. All guys no matter how old always enjoy playing video games, so why not treat them to the latest graphics and gaming. A great way to have some personal time or to wind down after work (and ladies, it keeps them in and home from the pub!) ;)
What with it being Christmas there are some great sales on at the moment too!
PlayStation 4 Bundles £270 - £330
Xbox One Bundles £230 - £340
Call Of Duty: Black Ops III £40 - £50
Fifa 16 £30 - £60
2 - Sports Event Tickets
Treat them to see their favourite football team or maybe they enjoy boxing? There are many different sports to chose from, it makes a great treat and day/night out. It is an experience to remember and you can either share the day with them or ask a friend to go along, either way they will never forget it!
Prices can vary depending on location and event. Be sure to shop around for the best prices and always use legitimate ticket sites such as Ticketmaster or StubHub.
3 - Electric Shaver
Just the same as girls take pride in their appearance and may spend a few pennies on hair tools, a guy likes to keep his facial hair looking fresh. Wet shaving with cheap razors can become tedious, time consuming and rough on the skin, so why not treat them to a simple, easy to use electric shaver? You can pick all various types up for lots of different prices.
Phillips Shaver Series 5000 £79.99
4 - Watch
Men don't wear a lot of jewellery so a watch is a perfect way to accessorise an outfit, it can really pull a look together and smarten any look up. So wether they will be wearing it everyday to work or it is a special gift for occasion wear a watch is the perfect way to show someone how special they are.
Calvin Klein £135 - £250
Emporio Armani £125 - £499
Hugo Boss £99 - £429
Rotary £100 - £575
5 - Tool Kit
Tool Kits can be so handy, especially for a guy who loves DIY or working on cars etc. Every guy needs a good tool kit and you never know when you will need it, so if it is one to keep in the car or a big luxury one to have a home, you know this gift will always be useful!
Her:
Nail Polish
Fake Nails/Eyelashes
Make Up Brush
Lip Balms
Diary
Sweets
Charms/Keyrings
PJs Fluffy Socks
Cute Accessories
Compact Mirror
Hairbrush/Hairbands
Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponge
Travel Bag
Body Sprays
His:
Socks
Boxers
Cufflinks/Tie
Washbag Sets
Novelty gifts
Car Freshener
Slippers
Lighter (smokers)
DVDs
Mug
Gear Knob
Sauce Collection
*No Links are sponsored or affiliated in anyway, all opinions are my own and pictures were used from Google*