I love writing about beauty, but when it comes to Christmas gifting, it can sometimes feel like a chore. The market becomes overrun with familiar-looking gift sets that, while nice, don’t always offer that extra spark of excitement or something truly unique for the recipient.
That said, several brands get it right each year – and I’m here to tell you about them. Some do it with thoughtful, beautifully curated, unique gifts that are genuinely exciting to give and receive. Others simply present their stellar, well-loved products as the perfect present – not because they’re new, but because they’re worth the splurge and will provide lasting value to the recipient.
Everything in this list falls into one of those categories and best of all, they’re all from exceptional home-grown brands. Get ready to surprise and sleigh.
Ground Wellbeing Sleep Sound Gift Box
Give the gift of wellness this festive season with what might just be the most thoughtful present on this list: a good night’s sleep, courtesy of award-winning brand, Ground Wellbeing. I’ve tried several of their sleep products, and I can honestly say they work wonders. There’s something so meaningful about giving a gift that helps someone you love feel truly rested.
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The Sleep Sound Gift Box (€62 from groundwellbeing.com) includes two beautiful products: Night Body Oil and Night Bath Salts. They’re potent, calming and expertly handcrafted by Peigín Crowley, one of Ireland’s top wellness experts.
LanaiBlo Professional Hair Dryer
After over a decade in the beauty industry, I’ve tried countless hair dryers, but few have impressed me as much as the LanaiBLO (€109.99, or €124.99 with personalisation, from lanaiblo.com).
These powerful, salon-quality dryers not only look sleek and stylish, they also deliver an amazing blow dry every time. They come in a variety of colours, including some new shades for the season – Rose Gold, Emerald Green, and Purple Pastel, among others. Plus, each one can be personalised, making it feel even more special. A perfect gift for anyone who loves a good hair day.
Sculpted by Aimee The Gift of a Full Face
I’m a little concerned this gift set might sell out before this piece even goes to print, but here’s hoping! Sculpted by Aimee’s annual gift collection is always beautifully curated, with options to fit a range of budgets and tastes. One of the highlights this year is The Gift of a Full Face (€50 from sculptedbyaimee.com), which includes some of the brand’s bestselling make-up products (valued at over €100): Bare Basics Face Palette, MyMascara, HydraLip (a lipstick-balm hybrid) in the shade Rose, a pack of moisturising sheet masks, and two excellent face brushes. An impressive (and affordable) gift, and an ideal way to introduce a friend, family member or colleague to one of our most-loved beauty brands.
Cloon Keen Noble Fir Candle
I’ve chosen Noble Fir (€45 from cloonkeen.com) as the go-to candle gift from Galway perfumer and candle maker, Cloon Keen. Honestly, though, any of their gorgeous candles would be a joy to receive and would instantly set a cosy, inviting atmosphere. A luxurious gift, each Cloon Keen is hand poured at the brand’s atelier in the West and delivers a burn time of more than 60 hours.
Noble Fir is a personal favourite of mine as it captures everything I love about Christmas: warmth, togetherness and those cosy evenings by the fire.
Ella & Jo Masking Moments Gift Set
Skincare can be a bit tricky to gift, especially when you’re not sure about someone’s skin type or specific needs. A set that solves this issue beautifully is Ella & Jo’s Masking Moments Gift Set (€65 from ellaandjo.ie).
It includes two of their face masks: The Miracle Mask, which hydrates and soothes, and The Glow Up Enzyme Mask, which helps exfoliate and brighten the skin. In essence, it’s a complete mask set that will please just about everyone and deliver gorgeous, glowing skin along the way.
This week I’m loving ... Milk Makeup Odyssey Lip Oil Gloss
Seriously nourishing with impressive colour pay-off and a long-lasting high-shine finish, Milk Makeup Odyssey Lip Oil Gloss (€29.90 from Space NK) is my new favourite lip product. Potent enough to wear alone – delivering a full, colour-drenched pout – yet soothing and hydrating for those times when your lips need a little TLC. It is available in 12 appealing shades: you might find yourself, like me, trying one and then wanting them all.
