Lush Christmas Gift Guide // 2013

Christmas is my favourite time of year, with one company that will never fail to amaze me with their range of gifts and singular products. This year a lot of other brands disappointed me, while Lush continued to up their game to the next level on with new creations and old classics. You can see two of the affordable wonders here, in more detail. Every year I compile my little Lush gift guide as I see it as the perfect time of year to introduce loved ones to a brand they dismiss buying for themselves. I still remember my first Christmas with Lush, a candy cane adorned box sat waiting with the sweetest selection of goodies. Each item I've selected is perfect alone or paired together depending on who and the budget. 

I haven't had the heart to crush my replica of Lush's first store yet, modelled on 29 High Street, Poole and retailing for £5.75 Secret Santa would obviously make the perfect secret Santa gift AND makes a very cute decoration for any room in the house. When I ordered the bath bomb I didn't pay too much attention to the descriptions having always liked to figure out the notes and a possible dupe, little did I know that while I sat telling everyone 'It smells literally like the entire Lush store' it has actually been made to smell as if you've just walked past a Lush store on the high street. This weekend I'll be making myself smash the bath bomb....it's starting to look a little dull and shabby now, though I'm sure it'll end up with me purchasing a second to feel less guilty. This guy is so so pretty. Snow Fairy will be appearing in most bloggers wish lists I'm sure this year, but it's a great base to start introducing someone to Lush. This was my first Lush Christmas product I ever used and throughout the years I have actually gotten slightly sick of the sickly sweet smell but it's something I'll always come back to. This year I made sure to order myself a bottle at the start of the season, with my back up Ponche's still going. Any of the various Christmas shower gels make great gifts and stocking fillers, they're quite a bit more than a regular shower gel but it's only Christmas once a year... Rose Jam would be another pick however I just can't justify paying SO much for a shower gel as wonderful as the sample lathered up. Maybe there will be a bottle sat waiting for me come Christmas morning. Snow Fairy retails between £3.50-£10.95, making it the cheapest out of the three. Did any Twilight lovers catch the retro addition?

Two gift sets were previously featured on LW this week, soon becoming my favourite affordable gift sets of the year. Baby Frosty* and I Want Candy* are brilliant for those in larger friendship groups, with Baby Frosty coming in just under the £10 mark. You needn't worry about explaining how to use each product when each set comes with a booklet and tag detailing all.
Christmas Eve - £2.95 had never appealed to me until this year, maybe I'm getting old now, sigh. This is a product I've always made sure to include in my Mum's stocking each year - did it go missing one year? I'm sure Christmas Eve didn't come back and we were both heartbroken. If you're looking for a relaxing, step away from the sickly sweet Lush scents Christmas Eve sits in the mature category containing Jasmine Absolute and Ylang Ylang oil, providing deep, calming blue waters after a busy few weeks organising just one day!

Rudolph soon became a favourite of mine this year, I've wanted Lush to create a festive face mask for years. The cleansers were always something I'd look forward to buying each October before stocking up for the rest of the year which I've been doing recently with the mask. Exchanging 10 pots for my second and third pot of Rudolph I've sure started another addiction with plenty more to be grabbed before it's too late. With the busy season kicking off and long, cold winter nights this mask caters for all. Whether you need oils balanced, dry skin banished or redness defeated you can garnetee you'll only look like our favourite reindeer if you stick on the jelly nose included in each pot. At £5.50 a tub it doesn't break the bank and goes a LONG way, I had 7  applications out of my first.

Snow Fairy Sparkle rocked up into the collection this year retailing at £4.95, though the size disappointed me along with mine arriving with a large finger 'smush'. Despite this I adore this massage bar enough to want to send everyone I know a bar, despite being in the snow fairy family the bar itself isn't a strong nor sickly as the popular liquid candy floss gel. On application you'll notice yourself turning pink...before massaged in to add a subtle shimmer, sweet fragrance and nourished skin. This item would be perfect to include in your very own 'Snow Fairy' gift set since both box and cone don't actually include this sparkly, shimmering bar yet include Shimmy Shimmy!?

My last Snow Fairy feature came as a surprise, Lush announced they were to releases five limited edition fragrances in time for Christmas. Each of the five; Snow Fairy, Rose Jam, Snowcake, Ponche and Calacus all varied in price but come in 30ml bottles. Now sadly Snow Fairy has now sold out - it's not exactly surprising though this means my feature is now slightly pointless. However Rose Jam would be a great alternative along with festive Snowcake or even Ponche for a male! Leaving the sweet shop scents behind Orange Jelly Soap earned a place on my Christmas list this year. It's overall form is much softer than most Lush soaps I've used before and smells well...like orange jelly. Another skincare product for everyone would be Ocean Salt. I've owned countless pots of this scrub over the years, with a pot always appearing in my stocking thanks to Mumma Writes. It's blue and white mix can sometimes be too much for sensitive skin due to containing the occasional large chunk of salt however it's also a great body exfoliator too. Available all year round in two pot sizes to meet all budgets.

When Lush relaunched their makeup range as Emotional Brilliance I soon became just as much of a fan as  I am of their bath products. Previous base Jackie Oats is another favourite of mine due to seeing me through while the 'drugstores' forgot about us snow whites. All five shades would make brilliant gifts since they're labelled Light Pink, Light Yellow, Dark Pink, Dark Yellow and of course Jackie Oats. Used as a base, concealer or mixed with your favourite moisturiser they're a great multi base without getting the overall shade too wrong. Emotional Brilliance powder stood out the most...even over the brightly coloured liquid lips on offer, translucent with the silkiest finish for £12 again. Feeling Younger would make any beauty junkie happy come Christmas morning, as a cream highlighter or mixed with a foundation for a glowing complexion all day. And lastly A Million Kisses makes for the ultimate red Christmas lip though no longer with us, Santa Baby Lip Tint is a great alternative. Lucy xxx Disclaimer: press sample, for review consideration only, no payment received. see disclaimer page for more.