Mybeautywaxstash

Tag: gift ideas

  • Dirty Fresh Cosmetics Fairy Godmother Bath Bar

    I don’t think you need a special event or day to give a gift, whether that’s a gift to yourself or someone else. But there are certain times when people do want to mark a special occasion and give out thoughtful tokens and presents. With Valentine’s Day and Mother’s Day only around the corner, I wanted to make some suggestions of some products that would put a smile on someone’s face (or your own). So let’s focus a few minutes on on Dirty Fresh Cosmetics Fairy Godmother Bath Bar. I bought this last year and it costs £3.99 for a full bar, or £1.99 for half.

    Fairy Godmother Bath Bar
    Why did I buy this?

    For myself to indulge in a bath or ten of course! I made one order from Dirty Fresh Cosmetics last year which included various bath products. I love bath bars because they are a little different from a typical bath bomb. The look and description of this was very appealing and I just thought it sounded like something I would like.

    What does this look like?

    Rectangular in shape and takes up the whole length of my palm. So this is a really good sized bath bar. An eye catching mix of white, a purply/pink colour and a slightly paler shade of that. These three strands of colour make wavy stripe patterns going across this bar. It has a solid and chalky like texture to it.

    Fragrance

    My first thought when I gave this a sniff was how it reminded me of a bag of sweeties. Not just one type but literally a mix of them. Sugary and fruity but not too much and very pleasant. Not a pungent, in your face scent, but there.

    In the bath

    I popped this on top of a bath that was already filled with warm water, and wow did this bath bar enjoy the swim (and so did I!). It moved around, it bubbled and it fizzed. The colour coming from this was insane! Streams of purple and white foam came out of this, making the water so vibrant and eye popping, it was amazing!

    The fragrance was there. It didn’t make a massive impact by being strong, but it was there. Not too soft and identical to what I smelt before it went into the water. I enjoyed it. And yes, for me, it could have been stronger. Not every bath product should or need to be a fragrance power house but my nose can handle more. Would this have been stronger in scent if I had used this straight away when purchased? No idea. But the overall quality of this bath bar overall was very good.

    Getting out of the bath, mind, body and soul was totally relaxed. My skin has been a little temperamental of late, but this bath bar didn’t cause it any issues. Importantly, it didn’t dry my skin out.

    I’ve used quite a few bath products from Dirty Fresh Cosmetics and I’ve enjoyed each and every one of them. Price wise this isn’t expensive and priced quite well considering what it is and the size of it. And there’s a more affordable option of buying half a bar, which is still enough for one bath. It looks and smells great and creates a really enjoyable bathing experience, which is what anyone wants from this type of product. If you were to slip this into a hamper with other pampering goodies, or give it solo, for any bath lover they would love this the way I did I believe. So why would I NOT recommend this? Did I also mention what a pretty bath this created?

    If you love you bath art this is one for you and you can get it from their website here. If you’re looking for bath products, specifically Valentine’s Day themed, they do have a collection available as well.

    Interested in other products from Dirty Fresh Cosmetics but not too sure what to go for? Check out some past reviews I’ve done on their One Mill Bath Rocks, Bedtime Bath Bar and Pizza Me Bath Bomb. Happy browsing!x

  • My Budget Friendly Christmas Gifts For My Friends

    It’s Christmas Eve tomorrow. Seeing people shop till they drop even today doesn’t surprise me. It’s called working in retail, you see it all! Am I a last minute shopping kind of girl? Nope. When I was younger, occasionally, but not anymore. I like to plan, prepare and execute the act of gift giving well before the event. So, I try to pick up things months before when they are on special offer, pop them away and bring them out closer to a birthday or Christmas. And this is what I did for 2 out of the 3 gifts below.

    Candle & Salt Rock Tea Light Holder

    Both of these were purchased from Home Bargains and these will be given to my neighbour. I bought these because I know my neighbour is house proud, and loves to use things in her home to create fragrances e.g oils and wax melts. And I know she’s very particular when it comes to how things look so I thought the tea light holder would make this a killer gift combo! This was a purchase I made a week or so ago. Not planned, but I saw them and my neighbour just came to mind so I grabbed them. Candle £2.49, tea light holder £1.49. Total cost: £3.98.

    Twisted Peppermint Candle & Rock Salt Tea Light Holder
    Bath Fizzer, Mud Face Mask & Body Mist

    All of my friend’s are people who love a bit of pampering, nice scents and look forward to unwinding. I thought this would make a great and inexpensive pamper present. Mud Mask (Home Bargains) 49p, NSPA Body Mist (reduced to 79p from ASDA) and I Heart Revolution Bath Fizzer from Superdrug (was half price and on a 3 for 2) £1.16. Total: £2.44

    I Heart Revolution Cookie Bath Fizzer, Earth Kiss Mud Mask & NSPA Mango & Passion Fruit Body Mist
    Bath Fizzer, Under Eye Patches & Body Mist

    Another gift for a friend, and someone I work with. Trust me, I know she works hard! Early mornings, late nights, THAT’S why I popped in the under eye patches to help soothe and revitalise her eye area. The bath fizzer is fun and I think is a good addition to a bath time routine. And the body mist because I adore this one, it’s gorgeous in scent and I think she would appreciate and use it. Skin Republic Eye Patches (were half price) £2.99. I Heart Revolution Bath Fizzer from Superdrug (half price and 3 for 2) £1.16 and Superdrug’s Bloom Body Mist 99p. Total Cost: £5.15.

    Skin Republic Retinol Eye Patches, I Heart Revolution Cookie Fizzer & Superdrug’s Bloom Orange, Rose & Amber Body Mist

    So as you can see, these three different Christmas gifts are not the biggest and flashiest, and definitely not the most expensive. But it just shows that you don’t need to give a huge amount of ‘stuff’ to show some form of appreciation or thought for someone.

    For all of you who are super last minute when it comes to buying gifts e.g running down the aisles on Christmas Eve at 8am, I will not judge you but I will pray for you! Best of luck, and please don’t kill yourself or your credit score in the process.

  • Stocking Fillers On A Budget

    So you’ve bought your Christmas gifts. Braved the busy shops and temperamental weather. Felt zero shame being handed your 100th parcel from the Amazon driver or local postman/lady. Mum, dad, partner, kids, the shopping list is long right? Buying for your nearest and dearest can be expensive and time consuming. But what about the smaller purchases you need to make? Could be a teacher gift, a Secret Santa at work or you just want to give smaller gifts to friends but you want to make them affordable. Why? Because Christmas is making you BROKE! Today I thought I would share a few general ideas with all items mentioned being easy to pick up while out shopping, doing your groceries etc,so hopefully not going out of your way and wasting your precious time.

    Bath Salts

    Some people hate them, some people love them. Personally I adore them and anyone who likes to spend as much time as me in the bath are more likely to appreciate such a bath time treat. Gone are the days where bath salts were just plain, unscented, mineral based salts. Now you can get them in a variety of different fragrances with essential oils if you prefer a more fragrant bath time experience. Bath salts are said to have various effects on the body, such as easing muscles or helping those with skin issues. So think of your exercise loving friend, wannabe mermaid cousin or Nana who loves baths but hates bubbles! Prices start at £2.49 and upwards. If you are lucky sometimes cheaper! (see pic below).

    Dr Salts Lavender & Lemongrass Bath Salts. £1.49 for 1kg from Home Bargains.
    Foot Masks

    Can’t go wrong with these! Feet up on the sofa, watch TV and have these bad boys on for up to 20 minutes to give the a hit of moisture leaving feet hydrated and soft. I would, and have, given these in gift sets many times to teachers and friends. This is the time of year we forget we have these body parts as they are wrapped up like Egyptian mummies. Give them love, give them lotion! Prices start from 89p in discount stores.

    Face Masks (of the skincare variety)

    An ideal stocking filler for not only those that love skincare, but for those who like to have a bit of time out to pamper and unwind. I’ve noticed lots of parents buy these for their pre teen and teenage girls to put in stockings or Christmas Eve boxes, so great for a wide range of ages. You can spend as little or as much as you like on these type of things. Depends on your budget, what brand you want and possibly ingredients it contains. Skincare face masks can be as cheap as 69p so take your pick!

    Eye Patches/Masks

    If you know someone who loves a face mask, chances are they would love eye patches too! If you have a friend who moan about their eye area or how tired they feel or look, buy them these! They will be super grateful. Not expensive and regularly on offer. One eye mask I’ve really enjoyed and seems to be priced around the £2.00 mark constantly is Garnier’s SkinActive Moisture Bomb Night Time Eye Tissue Mask. A fabulous treat for the eyes.

    Garnier Eye Tissue Masks that are constantly £2.00 in Tesco stores.
    Hair Treatments

    This one never occurred to me! I got a few as part of a birthday gift and thought it’s such a good idea! If you get the sachets they can be super affordable and they always seem to be on some form of offer, such as Palmer’s Olive Oil Deep Conditioner. Usually £2.49, currently £1.66 at Superdrug (at time of writing this post).

    Palmer’s Coconut Oil Deep Conditioning Protein Pack & Olive Oil Deep Conditioner
    Reed Diffusers

    I had to mention these, not because I am slightly obsessed by them at the moment, but you can pick them up from anywhere especially your local supermarket. Plus they come in a variety of sizes, fragrances and prices. If you want one that is cheap and is part of a gift rather than one gift, I suggest go for a mini! Reed Diffusers can cost as little as 80p from Primark or a supermarket such as Tesco for £1.00. I’ve tried one from both and the Tesco version provided a good scent with a decent strength, ideal for small spaces or rooms.

    So, my advice to all you shoppers trying to get last minute bits is PLEASE DO NOT STRESS OUT! You don’t have to spend loads of money or waste lots of time running around buying stuff. Go to your local supermarket or discount store, buy your bread, milk and cereal and grab some of the above if needed.

  • 5 Teacher Gift Ideas For Under £5.00!

    It’s nearly the end of the school year, and this is when some parents/carers are thinking about teacher gifts. This isn’t something that people should feel they HAVE to do, but personally I think my daughter’s teacher’s are brilliant so I will. It’s my way of saying thank you for all their hard work, especially considering how difficult the last 18 months have been. So a small gift will be winging there way to them in less than 2 weeks. If you are doing the same, what are you going to purchase? Or are you stuck for something to buy? Here are 5 gift ideas to help you out. These ideas are super affordable, each under a fiver and can be picked up in a supermarket or high street store.

    Miss So…? Secret Crush Perfume Mist from Superdrug. A clean, fresh fragrance with powdery and delicate musk notes. A really good perfume mist because it’s one that the majority of people will like e.g it doesn’t belong to a particular fragrance family such as floral, smells heavily bakery based etc. Always seems to be on offer and currently half price at £2.98. Review here.

    Miss So…? Secret Crush Perfume Mist

    Treacle Moon’s Marshmallow Hearts Hand Cream from Tesco. A highly moisturising, sweetly scented hand cream housed in super cute packaging! A great practical product and ideal for those teachers who have a sweet tooth and love these types of scents. Only £1.75. Review here.

    Treacle Moon’s Marshmallow Hearts Hand Cream

    Treacle Moon’s Marshmallow Hearts Shower & Bath Gel from Tesco and ASDA. If you want to match the hand cream with the shower & bath gel, this product is perfect for a gift duo! Scented the same, 500ml in size, lovely packaging and only £1.95! Review here.

    Treacle Moon’s Marshmallow Hearts Shower & Bath Gel

    Superdrug’s Turmeric Face Mask. A great detoxing face mask that leaves the skin feeling fresher and smoother. Brilliantly priced at 99p AND on a 3 for 2 offer with other skincare masks! So great time to buy a few if you have more than one person to buy for. Review here.

    Superdrug’s Turmeric Mask

    The Body Shop’s Moringa Bath Bubble. A small but mighty part bath bomb part bath truffle. Fragrance, foam and honestly at £1.50 a bargain! Comes in 4 other fragrances including Pink Grapefruit, a few of these in one gift bag with a card would be welcomed by anybody. Hopefully they have a bath and not just a shower….Review here for Moringa Bath Bubble, and Pink Grapefruit.

    The Body Shop’s Moringa Bath Bubble

    All of these items for the bath and body are under £3.00 EACH! The great thing about the products above is you could be doing your usual food shop or grabbing hair removal cream, and stock permitting, get these gifts purchased at the same time! Happy teacher shopping!