I've been planning to put together several Christmas gift guides throughout the month of December, but as it seems to be a common theme here on my blog this year, I ran out of time. It's been a very busy month with a lot of failed plans, actually. Another one of them was getting my Christmas shopping done on time, before the frenzy began, yet here I am, still running around like a crazy person, looking for some last-minute bits and pieces. If you're the same as me, you might appreciate today's post! I gathered some of my favourite items I like to receive or give for Christmas, so fingers crossed I can help you get some ideas!

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1) FASHION
Unless you manage to find the absolute perfect outfit for someone and get the size right as well, cozy pajamas, loungewear, underwear and cute slippers are the way to go in my opinion! Primark and Victoria's Secret are my usual destinations for such items. Primark always carries adorable and fuzzy PJs which don't break the bank, while Victoria's Secret is on the pricier side, but their PINK panties and leggings are definitely worth the occasional splurge.

If you're looking for something more basic, but still of high quality, though, check out Boody. I was introduced to this brand earlier this year, and I'm sure their eco garments would be the perfect gift for any Earth conscious person in your life. They are made from organic bamboo, are super soft and have a whole bunch of other amazing properties you can read more about here. If you do end up making a purchase, don't forget to use the code PUZZLE15 to get 15% off!

On another note, jewellery could be an amazing present as well. My sister and I love wearing dainty necklaces and you can never have too many of those. They go well with casual as well as fancy outfits and are great for layering!

2) ENTERTAINMENT
Books, movies, music... you can never go wrong with that! You just have to know the person's taste and you're good. If you know any makeup addicts, consider getting them Lisa Eldridge's Facepaint. It's a highly sought after book about the history of makeup, and I'm pretty sure it's brilliant, even though I haven't started reading it yet. Lisa Eldridge is my biggest inspiration when it comes to makeup artistry, and I've been trying to get my hands on her book since its release in August! I'm glad I can finally call it mine, and I can't wait to read it from the first to the last page.

When it comes to movies and music, there's obviously more than plenty to choose from, but my personal recommendations would be Adele's 25 (no explanation needed) and Whiplash, by far the best film I've seen this year. Everything about it is brilliant.

3) FOOD
Everyone likes food. Need I say more? To make it a little more special, I always try to hunt down some items that are not available where a person lives (yes, buying presents for my family is a lot easier now that I live in England) or just something with a twist. One of the things I brought home last year was a set of differently flavoured hot chocolates, which I wouldn't mind receiving myself to be honest. I secretly hope my family didn't drink it all, because I would love to try the vanilla one. And the cinnamon one. And the hazelnut one. And the orange one. And the white one as well. Maybe I should just go buy my own set?!

4) STATIONERY & HOME ACCESSORIES
My school days are long gone now, but shopping for cute stationery is still something I do on a regular basis. Here in England we have a store called Paperchase that makes me feel like I'm in stationery heaven every time I step inside. They always have cute notebooks, list pads, desk accessories and yearly diaries, which can be super convenient gifts to receive right before the beginning of a new year.

They also carry lots of little home accessories, which is another category worth exploring when you're looking for gifts. Mugs, phone cases and candles are all great choices! If you're looking for delicious Christmassy scents, check out these. Not only do they smell amazing and last for ages, but they also look cute! Think glitters and mini crystal stones. Very festive.

5) BEAUTY
I know this category doesn't apply to every single person out there (hey, not everyone is crazy about makeup), but since this is a partially beauty blog, I thought you guys might appreciate my suggestions, especially if you're not a make-up adddict yourself and have no idea what to get one!

I personally am happy with any beauty item I get, because I love trying out anything and everything, but the products I think are especially appropriate to give as gifts are eyeshadow palettes, high end lipsticks, perfumes, nail polish and hand creams, the last two being safer and more affordable options. With plenty of shades and scents on offer, they're the perfect stocking stuffers!

However, if you're looking for the 'main gift', the first three options are better choices, as they're slightly more expensive and usually considered a treat. Some of the most popular eyeshadow palettes out there are Urban Decay's Naked Palettes, the Lorac Pro Palette and theBalm's Nude 'Tude Palette, each costing around €40. But don't worry if that's over your budget. Some companies offer high quality make-up for much lower prices. These Wet'n'Wild palettes are just as good as the high end ones! The packaging doesn't look as sleek, but it's what's on the inside that counts, right?

I don't have any super specific recommendations as far as lipsticks go. They're so many different formulas and shades out there, it's hard not to find the perfect match, but if I'd be treating myself to one this Christmas, I'd probably look into Charlotte Tilbury's Matte Revolution and YSL's Rouge Volupte lipsticks. The packaging of both is drop dead gorgeous, while the formulas couldn't be more different. Bold, matte look is what you'll get with Charlotte Tilburry, whereas the YSL ones are on the shinier, buttery side. Oh, and I have one more lip product recommendation - the famous OCC Lip Tar liquid lipsticks! Most suitable for my fellow make-up artist or vegans, they come in every shade imaginable and have the strongest pigmentation!

Last but not least... perfumes. I only have one advice when it comes to fragrances. If you know the exact scent/perfume a person wants to add to their collection, go for it. Otherwise, don't bother. I'm very picky when it comes to scents, so most of the ones that were given to me or bought with my own money just because the bottle looked cute unfortunately have a decorative purpose only now. I need to give them away, really. Free perfume, anyone? My actual collection of the perfumes I use on a daily basis is tiny, and so is my perfume wishlist. The only one I have on my to-buy list right now is Jo Malone's English Pear & Freesia. I've been wanting it for a year now, but I'm not allowing myself to buy it before I use up all the others! Or at least one of them... 

It's safe to say that Etude House Dear My Milky Gloss in MPK002 gets my award for the most worn spring lip gloss of 2015. I just can't get enough of it. I swear I've been searching for a shade like this for years. I kept seeing it on people's lips, but could never find quite the exact match myself. The majority of natural-looking lip glosses are either full on pink, peach or nude, while this one is the perfect combination of the first two. 

The consistency reminds me of NYX Butter Glosses (review here). It's thick and creamy, but the effect is more 'juicy'. It doesn't contain any glitters, making the finish milky and jelly-like. I love how natural it looks on my lips and the fact that I can build it up. One layer makes my lips look plump without much of an added colour, while an extra layer provides a full coverage. 

The formula applies evenly, feels very smooth and comfortable on my lips, and has a staying power of a few hours unless you're having a meal. Overall, an amazing addition to my makeup collection that also smells lovely and doesn't have a yucky taste. Definitely a keeper!
You can purchase one for yourself here on Destination Pretty. There's a promo code going on exclusively for my readers right now, so make sure you enter 'PUZZLE' at the checkout to get 10% off of your whole purchase when you spend over 25€. The code will be working until Wednesday midnight. Have you tried any Etude House products yet? 

My love affair with Wet n Wild eyeshadows started back in August, when I managed to get my hands on the Comfort Zone Palette (review here) while visiting California. I was astonished at the pigmentation and the overall quaility right away, so when Andrea sent me a few Wet n Wild eyeshadow trios as a part of my secret santa gift, I was over the moon. My heart was soon stolen by 'Walking on Eggshells', the perfect combination of everyday neutrals. It became my best travel buddy, and landed itself a place amongst my most used and adored makeup items. 

As with any other Wet n Wild eyeshadows, the pigmentation is superb, the shades are buttery, easy to blend and long lasting. They really are a dream to work with, and you don't even have to break the bank to get them! This gem will only cost you 4,53€ if you get it from Destination Pretty, my online store. Yes, you read that correctly! They are now available in Slovenia/Europe as well, along with other amazing products from various different American brands! You can check out all the new items we now carry here. Oh, and in case you want to see how this eyeshadow trio looks like on my eyes, you can check out this post. Who's in love already?

A few months ago, my sister started obsessing over while nail polish and soon enough the obsession reached me as well. The only problem I had is that all the white nail polishes I'd tried were crap. They were streaky and never seemed to dry, so my manicures always became one big mess. When a few weeks ago, I was standing before the nail polish rack in the drugstore with my 50% off Essie coupon in my hands, deciding which shades to take home with me, Essie's Blanc was the obvious choice. Being a huge Essie fan, I only hoped that their white nail polish will live up to my expectations. And luckily, it has! It is not streaky, dries fast and lasts for a very long time on my nails. You still have to be a little bit careful with the application, because if you put on layers that are too thick, it will get smudged and the application won't be perfectly even. I apply either three thin coats or one thin and one a little bit thicker coat to get it perfect. 

I've been wearing Blanc all the time for the past two weeks, but I wanted to make my nails look a little bit more festive this weekend, now that Christmas is almost here, so I picked up Catrice's Million Dollar Baby and applied it over the white nail polish. I think the manicure looks super cute! You really can't go wrong with glitters during this time of the year, right? I'm not sure if it's noticable in the photo, but Million Dollar Baby actually contains two types of glitters - very tiny gold ones and some bigger silver chunks. I find it very convenient, as the silver as well as gold jewellery go very nice with it. 

P.S. You can get the ring that I'm wearing here at Destination Pretty, my very own online store. It's currenty 10% off! :)

Back in the summer, I've been telling a relative of mine about the annoying problem I have with my feet. My skin is generally quite dry all over my body, and my feet are no exception. I scrubbed them all the time and put on tons of different lotions, but the problem remained and I refused to go to get a pedicure, because I hate my feet being touched or looked at, for that matter. Luckily, she had a solution for me. She recommended me to try out some slipper looking foot masks that make your skin baby soft. I have to admit, I was very sceptical towards them at first, but now, we are officially best friends.

So, how you use this Baby Foot Mask you ask? Well, you basically put on the slippers you get in the package on your clean feet and pour in the liquid solution. Then you have to sit still and wait for about an hour and a half for the liquid to absorb into skin, and then you can remove the whole thing and wash off the remaining solution. Your feet will be looking the same for about a week, and then the changes start happening. Basically, the skin on your feet starts peeling off and about two weeks later, your feet are dry skin free and super soft. Magic, right? (Un)fortunatelly, I don't have any photos to show you because I hate feet and probably a lot of you do too, so I don't want to make anyone sick, haha. But basically, your feet will be looking a bit gross during the peeling stage. Imagine how your skin starts peeling after you get a sun burn. It looks pretty much the same. That's why I think I'll only use this product during the colder months, when my feet are not out there in the open, but since you only have to use the sheets once every few months or not even that, I think that shouldn't be a problem. All in all, I'm really impressed with these and I'm glad that they were recommended to me, because I've never heard of such a cool thing before. After falling in love with them and seeing that a bunch of you were interested in them when I posted a photo on Instagram, I also decided to order some for my online store. In case you want to try them out for yourself, you can get them here.

Have any of you heard of these foot masks before or even tried them out? What do you think about them?