Friday, March 04, 2016

The Last Minute Mother's Day Gift Guide for Every Budget



Mother's Day may be fast approaching and pay day may be long gone but no matter your budget, I got you (and your mammy/baby momma/wife). The temptation to pop in an eye wateringly large bottle of gin was almost too much to resist but know this, when all else fails, gin works. Corrina has already shared the top 5 experiences for under €50 to share with do mháthair HERE so I'm rounding that off with some pretty products should you prefer. 


My only rule of thumb when compiling Gift Guides (and all beauty recommendations for that matter) is to include products that I've not only used and loved but ones that I'd buy myself and, more importantly, my own Mam. Ready? 




There's nothing nicer than buying my mammy something she'd never dream of buying herself. If you thought for an instant I was a fiend for polish then you've yet to meet the Elder Cherry herself. She's had naturally long talons for as long as I can remember with some of my earliest memories being of people trying to bend them in shops, questioning their authenticity (WHO DOES THAT?). 

In my mind there is no nicer high end polish to treat her with than YSL; not only are the colours stunning but the application is invariably a dream to work with and it LASTS. 



I've been gifting Molton Brown for as long as I've known about Molton Brown, though truthfully it's usually my Pops on the receiving end. The scents used in each collection are complex yet always inoffensive so I've yet to find one I wouldn't lather myself up in, nor give as a gift to a latherer either. This year's newest release is a perfect fit for Mother's Day; though sounding like a more traditional scent, it's brighter and greener than any Lily of the Valley iterations I've sniffed before. 

We're talking top note: magnolia, heart note: lily of the valley, base note: ylang-ylang and extract: star anise, though I don't get Star Anise from this at all. Having met with the brand for this release, I was gifted with a scented notebook (Isn't that genius?!) it currently resides on my office desk and if ever I'm in need of a pick me up, I fan the pages & I'm transported to somewhere far away from Excel spreadsheets. I LOVE this scent, your Momma will too. 




My lovely Momma has been trialling the Nuxuriance line for the past six weeks and is BEYOND impressed. So much so she's called me to come over and feel her face on more than one occasion. I'm not joking. That's how luxurious this line is. 

The star of the show is the rejuvenating and hydrating roll on plumping mask. Using some of the coolest packaging I've seen to date, this squeezy tube delivers just the right amount of product to the skin using the cooling metal ball. The science bit? Saffron and Bougainvillea Extracts stimulate the production of new skin cells, while Hyaluronic Acid hydrates deeply, so skin appears plumper and more rested and wrinkles appear reduced. According to the Mother - it works. 




When it comes to skin care there is one cream that I will recommend ad infinitum. L'Occitane's Divine Immortelle is not cheap at €88 but over the past 3 years I have repurchased it twice and will again.  I have genuinely never used a face cream that made such a dramatic difference to the appearance and feel of my visage in such a short space of time, the tiniest amount goes a very long way; I have used and will continue to use it sparingly but lovingly. I don't often recommend high end spends but you will not regret one cent of this purchase, moreover your Mammy won't either. 



You might remember I lost my pretty little head at the release of Jo Malone's Mimosa & Cardamom release last summer. You can read all about that HERE. Well I've since bought & quite literally inhaled the 30ml of the cologne TWICE. 

Of course I could recommend you treat your Mam to the cologne but there's something so decadent about the candles that you just couldn't find a more apt way to spoil her. There is a school of thought that candles in this price bracket are extortionately priced but that's only when you haven't experienced them compared to the likes of Yankee (called Mankee in our house) versions. There's not many Mamas will fork out fifty eurobux for an extravagance like a candle, making this the ideal surprise that will be appreciated for months.


I often talk about products that outperform others at ten times their price - Ultimate Blends is just such a release. Designed with practical pampering in mind all four lines boast the most caring, naturally sourced ingredients to meet the specific needs of normal, dry, very dry and even sensitive skin. 

The ideal addition to any Gift Guide and the most purse friendly of the lot, if you're unsure of your Mam's skin type, simply let your nose be your guide. My pick of the bunch has to be the Hydrating collection; with lemon, bergamot & apricot, the soft unctuous cream uses camelia, white lily, cereal accords & cherry blossoms to naturally hydrate the skin. Scented with heliotope, patchouli, musk, rosewood and rice powder, you can imagine how luxurious this feels. All of that AND you could buy an entire line for under €20, pop it in a gift bag with some colourful tissue paper and you may as well have spent a forch. It's only when your Mam will want to replace them that you may have to let the cat out of the affordable bag. 

No matter the mammy, no matter the skin tone, you will never go wrong with a Clarins shadow palette. Updated seasonally, I've yet to be left wanting with the releases from the French skincare & makeup maestros. This Natural Glow edit is no different; encased in cool copper coloured packaging, the iridescent shades are basically fool proof for flattering shadow looks. Truly, if I were picking up a palette for my one and only this would be the one. 



So tell us, have you already bought something special for Sunday? Anything here take your fancy? 

Because you know, if your Mama isn't around, for whatever reason, it's pretty much law that you have to treat yourself to a little something nice. 
Thems the rules.




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