Product Placement

We’ve all had them. Those presents that make you incredibly grateful that someone came up with the idea of gift receipts. I should know. My other half once decided to enter into ‘clothing and footwear’ territory. (It’s OK, he won’t do it again.)

What happened? Well, he knows I have small feet. But what he didn’t fully understand is that they are small for my height, not for a human being. So, after venturing into The White Company and scaring the staff (who naturally assumed he was a vagrant and tried to hasten him to the exit with spritzes of room spray), he managed to purchase a pair of slippers. And not only were they white, as opposed to my desired Mushroom, they were a size two. Yes, TWO. (Bear in mind I’m about 5 feet 10.) They looked like babies booties. When I opened the box, I thought he had some News for me.

So, with Christmas fast approaching, I thought I would inspire you with some present ideas of a product nature to stop you making any errors like this one. And firstly, I’ll share with you my favourite gift brands. You know, the ones that pull out the stops for festive shoppers with a nice gift set/a few extras/lovely packaging. Because some companies don’t bother and I think they’re mean.

Clarins always do a lovely set – the Eau Dynamisante stuff is one of my Christmas staples. Liz Earle knows how to be seasonal, too, and excitingly she has a new perfume out which is definitely on my wish list. Origins are quite expensive but Christmas is a great time to buy for better value and the chance for your lucky recipient to test a few products in smaller sizes. And The Body Shop are still as good as ever – and are rerunning some of their original classics (‘Anita’s Favourites’) at the moment which make fabulous stocking fillers. Check out their cracking ‘Pass The Parcel’ offer here, too.

Next up – something for any teenagers in your family. My niece Emily has kindly been road-testing a brand called Amie for me, who do a great value ‘Radiant Beauty’ set (£19.95) that is perfect for a Christmas gift. The products come in a cute zip-up bag, and like all Amie stuff they contain a very high level of naturally-derived ingredients, are pH-balanced, dermatologically tested and made locally in the UK. Emily particularly liked the Spring Clean Cooling Clay Mask and the Morning Dew Matte Finish Moisturiser, although she felt the face wash wasn’t quite as good as the other items.

Skincare is a tricky one but unfortunately it’s not as common to see gift sets of haircare products. Well, if you’re dubious about buying facial products (perhaps your recipient has sensitive skin), then look no further than Kevin Murphy’s Angels Bearing Gifts of Hold (geddit?). All I can say is: loving their work. And I have (as you may know because I harp on about it all the time) particularly troublesome tresses. Unusual, just £19.95, bathroom-shelf-friendly packaging, gorgeous smell, effective formulations (a shampoo, conditioner and ‘session spray’)… I would be very happy if Santa pulled this one out of his sack.

Finally, another brand you might not have heard of, mainly because they’ve only just launched over here from the states. ME! Bath (which I try and avoid saying in a Yorkshire accent) specialises in unusual and I have to say rather luscious bath and body products. If I tell you a few of the names you’ll get my drift: Bath Ice Cream, Body Icing, Shower Sherbert… I would advise against using them when you’re hungry. I tried ME! Calyptus Bath Ice Cream (£10) and Papaya Nectar Body Icing (£19.50) and really nearly ate some. Thankfully they both made my skin soft enough for me to realise they are definitely skincare products. I may have small feet but I’m not daft.