CHRISTMAS REVIEW RUN-DOWN: Beauty Gifts

Christmas is a time for cooking, family, and looking glam! So here is our round up of some of the best beauty buys for the lady in your life this Christmas....

Stargazer cosmetics have released a fresh bunch of must have affordable make up and nail polish in some rich, seasonal shades.

My personal faves are their Matte Lipstick, and Eyeshadow Pens.

The Matte Lipstick is a God Send. I hate at this time of year putting on gloss and having the wind and rain stick my hair to my lips like glue. I also find that gloss tends to stick to glasses more and can be quite gluey when left in your party bag all night. However, I usually find that the odd matte lipstick I find is chalky and dries my lips out, but the Stargazer in a rich red (shade 205) does the opposite. It colours without staining my lips, and the colour is amazing, its vibrant and eye. At £3.50 per lipstick, you can afford to buy several without breaking the bank, and if you like your colours a little bit more out there than classic reds and girly pinks, they have some in muted browns and a blue too!

The metallic eye shadow pens are named pens for a reason, they are chunky and easy to apply, just like a felt tip or chunky marker. The metallic trend is here to stay for a while yet with colours getting more and more space age as the trend progresses, and Stargazer have certainly tapped into that with these. I love the creamy texture of them, they are super blendable and long lasting, and make a smoky eyed look a breeze. Available again at £3.50 in a rainbow of shades, these are a must have for this party season.

For teens to fashion savvy make up lovers, Satrgazer is a little, low cost pick me up, with bundles of cut price but luxe items for sale at under a tenner, for instance their nail polish- which is right up there with colour popping well known, but higher priced brands such as Barry M or Ciate- starts at £2, and they have UV reacting polish on sale now as well as the fashionable crackle.

Next up is hair, and it was certainly the best time to try some hair items out on my poor locks! A course of dyeing at home, plus having every parent's nightmare of hadlice treatment being needed had left my hair dry and straw-like. Not great near Christmas.

I tried Macadamia Flawless, which is marketed as a Cleansing conditioner. Instead of using shampoo and then rinsing and using conditioner- leave in or otherwise- you pump a handful onto wet hair, and then brush through, rinsing as normal.

The smell of this I thought would be quite strong as it's a treatment, but it's lovely, and fresh. It's made from natural oils, including Omega 3,5 and 7 which mimic those found on the scalp, and rather than leaving my hair heavy and sticky, it washed out very easily and certainly helped my dry hair. It also didn't irritate my scalp, which is usual for most cleansing treatments I have used before, perhaps down to the natural ingredients.

It comes in pretty packaging too so wont look out of place on the shelf. I also tried the Control Working spray, which brushed out and didn't make my hair dry out. It kept my hair in place and limited fly away hair- something which those who wear hats in the winter can atone is no mean feat! It comes in a handy hand bag size too so can be reapplied in a sudden party emergency!

The Flawless Cleansing conditioner (£8.75 for 90ml) and Control Working Spray (£6.75 for 100ml handbag size) are available from their website

Another great buy for damaged by the weather (or dye) hair is Amazonia Preciosa Hair Mask. (£11.50). Its a simple at home treat for hair that is dried out by the cold and heating in the house, as well as all the products we will all no doubt blast our locks with over the holiday party season. You wash your hair as normal, then use the mask, it's simple to apply, non greasy and smells lovely too. You then wrap your hair in a warm towel, and sit back for 15 minutes- giving you time to paint your nails or plonk the nibbles in the oven! Lastly you wash it off and style as normal. 

My hair loved it! It certainly left it shiny and easier to manage, and hasn't upset my colour either. 

Its a low budget luxury, and they also have a shampoo and conditioner available as well for £14.95 each (from www.yourtonic.com)