Can you believe the holiday season is already here? This has been quite a long year for our world, and I’m excited to finally bring the joy of the holiday season into my home! As Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals are just around the corner – and some companies are even doing weeklong deals – I wanted to put out a holiday gift guide. I’ve always found these helpful, and I hope you find some of my recommendations handy when you go shopping for those special people in your life! Everyone could use a reminder of how loved they are after this very rough year, and this is the perfect time to cheer people up 🙂
For the Skincare Lover:
This is an essential and extremely practical purchase for any skincare lover! You can have the best skincare routine, but if your pillowcase retains a lot of bacteria, it ultimately won’t matter that much. I switched to acne-fighting pillowcases a while ago and have seen a significant improvement in my skin. This Silvon Pillowcase is “woven with silver to naturally eliminate acne-causing bacteria so you always have a clean surface to rest on.” It’s dermatologist-tested, hypoallergenic, incredibly soft, and very comfortable. Since dirt and skincare residue show up easier on lighter colors, I prefer to have white pillowcases because you have to wash them more often. This, in turn, results in having cleaner pillowcases, which will undoubtedly help your skin stay clear!
I’ve been a fan of Starface’s Hydro Stars for over a year now and was super excited to try this. Space Wash is a gentle, non-comedogenic, and dermatologist-approved foaming face wash. It’s formulated with plant-derived ingredients, cruelty-free, and free of oils, soaps, parabens, fragrances, and sulfates. As someone who’s been suffering from plenty of maskne and hormonal acne due to COVID-related stress the last few months, I was intrigued to see if this would work because it claims to “promote fast healing for damaged skin while digging deep to cleanse, remove makeup and dead skin cells, and fight acne-causing bacterias.” It has 2% white willow bark extract, which is a natural salicylic acid alternative that exfoliates to help prevent clogged pores. This is an ingredient that I’m familiar with that I know has worked well with my skin. I really like how gentle this feels, and it’s effective without stripping the skin of necessary oils.
Starface Moisture on Mars Hydrating Face Cream
Moisture on Mars is a hydrating face cream that’s also lightweight, non-comedogenic, and specifically designed for acne-prone skin. Formulated with antioxidants, it “helps mitigate excess oil (while maintaining your natural dewiness), inhibits pore-clogging bacteria, and works to reduce the appearance of acne scars over time.” I’ve tried plenty of moisturizers that have broken me out before because they were too heavy and thick, and I’ve also tried moisturizers that were lightweight but still left my skin dry. This moisturizer seems to be a great balance of lightweight while hydrating without clogging any pores.
For the Makeup Lover:
This mascara is an absolute game-changer. I’ve tried my fair share of mascaras, and many of them often compromise on how your lashes look in exchange for providing a clean formula. With this mascara, however, you get the best of both worlds – fluffy lashes and clean, natural ingredients! The mascara wand has an ergonomic curve to curl your lashes with every coat, flexible-yet-firm bristles to lift every lash, and an oversized twisted wire brush for full, fluffy looking lashes. The mascara is formulated with castor oil, provitamin B5, and biotinyl tripeptide-1 to nourish, revive, and support shinier, healthier, fuller lashes. This is definitely one of my favorite finds of 2020.
Weightless Lipstick in Stardust
Lastly, this is a must-have for anyone who wants just a hint of color to emphasize their natural lips. I’m someone who will always prefer a no-makeup makeup look to a full glam look, so I always look for products that naturally enhance my features. Stardust is a warm tone sheer neutral color that’s perfect for an everyday look. It’s formulated with mango seed butter, shea butter, cocoa seed butter, rosehip seed oil, and jojoba oil to smooth, soothe, soften, and repair your lips. It’s extremely comfortable and hydrating on the lips, and it truly does feel weightless.
For the Haircare Lover:
Olaplex No. 0 Intensive Bond Building Treatment
No. 0 is Olaplex’s newest addition to their professional collection to “prime hair to absorb nourishment for maximum repair.” I used to straighten my hair constantly without heat protection, and, needless to say, my hair did not respond kindly to this. Luckily, this was years ago, and my hair has since regained its health and nourishment, for the most part, but I still love giving it an extra lift with strengthening products every now and then. No. 0 is scientifically proven to provide 68% more repair and 3x stronger hair when used in conjunction with No. 3 in just one use. One of the best things about Olaplex’s products is that there’s virtually no wait time between when you use it and when you see the results.
Olaplex Hair Perfector No. 3 Repairing Treatment
I’ve had this for over a year now, and all I can say is: wow. If you have damaged hair due to excessive heat or color treatment, you need to try this. As I mentioned earlier, I don’t consider my hair to be that badly damaged, but my experience with Olaplex’s system has been excellent. No. 3 is a groundbreaking at-home treatment that repairs, protects, and strengthens damaged hair while improving its look and feel. You only need to use this once a week, and the brand recommends using it with No. 0 for best results.
Olaplex No. 4 Bond Maintenance Shampoo
Now that your healthy hair has been restored with No. 0 and No. 3, you want to keep it that way, right? No. 4 is “a highly moisturizing, reparative shampoo that leaves hair easy to manage, shiny, and healthier with each use.” As someone with naturally frizzy fair, I’ve been loving all of the benefits of this shampoo as it “repairs and maintains bonds within the hair, eliminates frizz and flyaways, and reduces breakage.” Using No. 4 is a great way to maintain your healthy, shiny hair.
Olaplex No. 5 Bond Maintenance Conditioner
The last step in your haircare routine should be No. 5, “a highly-moisturizing, reparative conditioner that protects and repairs damaged hair, split ends, and frizz by re-linking broken bonds.” I recommend using this directly after No. 4 and think that use both of these together really do make a difference. I’ve tried so many anti-frizz products, and I have yet to find a shampoo/conditioner duo that works as well as No. 4 and No. 5 do together!
Authentic Beauty Concept Hydrate Cleanser and Conditioner
Ok, first of all, I need to talk about the scent of these products. They seriously smell like summer in a bottle and are made with mango, basil, white flower notes, and powdery vanilla notes. Moving onto the products themselves, the hydrate cleanser and conditioner were made to hydrate and revitalize dry hair. While my hair isn’t dry year-round, it’s definitely impacted by the cold weather. I usually like to apply a conditioning hair mask every 2-3 weeks, and I wanted to give these products a try. They’re formulated with antioxidant-rich ingredients like mango and soothing, purifying ingredients like basil, and are free from sulfates, parabens, and silicones. One of my favorite aspects of these products is the fact that they include cationic guar instead of silicone, and this “improves the ease of combing and helps to leave the hair soft and shiny.” I’ve been shedding more hair than normal the past few months due to stress, so I love that these are very gentle on my hair.
Authentic Beauty Concept Deep Cleansing Shampoo
This is my favorite shampoo to use when my hair needs a reset! If you don’t do so already, you should make it a habit of deep cleaning your hair and scalp every couple of weeks to remove product build-up, grease, and impurities. The scent of this product is pure, fresh, and elegant with notes of white peony, luminous rose, freesia blossoms, cottony powdery violet, creamy musks, and soft woods. This shampoo gently and effectively removes all of the dirt from your hair and leaves you with a fresh, fully cleansed scalp.
For the Tech Lover:
Sonix AirPod Pro Case – Brown Tort
I take my AirPods with me whenever I leave my house, and I like to make sure they’re always protected. This antimicrobial Brown Tort Case from Sonix protects against bumps, scrapes, and bacteria while keeping your AirPods looking trendy and stylish. I’m always a fan of products that are both practical and aesthetically pleasing, and all of the Sonix products I own meet these two criteria perfectly. I love how this case has a detachable gold hook too, and it can be used as a key ring or I can attach it to my bag to make sure my AirPods never get lost. There are so many functional uses for this case! If you don’t have the AirPods Pro, this case is also available for the standard AirPods here.
FTC Disclaimer: Products were gifted, but all opinions are my own.