by Senior Reviewer Maytal Wichman
Whether you’re looking for beauty-related gift ideas to give this holiday season, or want to update your look (and spoil yourself a little) here at The Mama Maven we’ve got the ultimate holiday beauty roundup. Here are our top picks for products for hair, eyes, lips, body and even teeth!
I have hair that’s sometimes straight, sometimes wavy and sometimes curly. But all of the time it’s frizzy. So I have to put products in it often. The problem is that a lot of products that keep hair curly make your hair look wet and glossy. Ouidad, the #1 expert on curls has a gel called the Curl Quencher that can define your curls but without the wet look. I put it on in the morning and my curls were more defined, but my hair didn’t look wet, and even my frizz calmed down a bit. By lunchtime the curls loosened a little for more romantic look (which I love). You can get the gel together with the Curl Quencher shampoo and conditioner in the “Eat, Drink & Be Curly” gift set. It is available here for a special marked down price of $40. Also, from 11/27-12/3 Ouidad.com has a special deal of 20% off on all orders (at checkout) and 25% off for all orders over $60.
No one likes what the winter weather does to the fine lines around the eyes. But using an antioxidant-rich serum, such as HTY Gold’s Intensive Eye serum can help reduce fine lines, dark circles and puffiness around the eyes. Some of the ingredients in the Intensive Eye Serum are: Grapeseed oil, Rosehip Seed oil and Organic Carrot Seed oil. The serum comes in a 0.5 oz. bottle but you only need one drop under each eye. The luxurious oil absorbs right under the skin of your eye and keeps the undereye area moist for hours. The serum has no animal bi-products and is not tested on animals. You can buy the Intensive eye Serum here for $60.
Wintertime is when I slather on body lotion like it’s my job because my skin seems to be getting dryer and drier with each winter season. I get dry skin on my legs, itchy skin on the back of my hands and flaky skin on my lips. Pacifica has a gift set with incredible-smelling products that are just the right size for your purse. The aptly-named “Take Me There” set, in the Indian Coconut Nectar scent has products that smell like heavenly coconut. There’s a luxurious body butter that’s perfect for body & hands; a lip tint with a little bit of a color that moisturizes lips and even smells yummy; and a perfume roll-on and that can be used alone, or to enhance the scent of the body lotion. All of the products are 100% vegan and cruelty-free. They do not contain parabens, phthalates, SLS, sulfates and other potentially harmful ingredients. You can buy the set here for $18.
While taking care of your skin don’t forget to keep your hair soft and manageable. Super Keratin Spray from Sally Hershberger can revitalize and nourish dry hair. The super Keratin nourishes and conditions hair, thus preventing frizz. The Silk Extracts seal split ends, repair damage and protect the hair. I tried a few sprays on damp hair. The weightless spray felt like a spritz of water and when my hair was dry it felt softer. You can buy it here for $12.99.
One thing I don’t like about wintertime is how I keep moving from being outside in the cold and into overheated apartments where I start sweating. Outside I like to keep my hair down but once I’m indoors I put it in a ponytail to cool off. So I always have some sort of scrunchy on my wrist. I recently discovered American Jewel Hair Ties which are gorgeous rubber bands that you can put in your hair, but that also look good on your wrist or ankle. They come in various colors (for both adults and kids) and make perfect stocking stuffers. You can buy them here for $12-$14.
Last but not least, don’t forget your teeth (and your breath!) One of my favorite natural-product companies, Desert Essence has a line of natural toothpastes and I tried the “Ultra Care Toothpaste” in Mega Mint. I was surprised to find that it was airy, liked whipped cream. It tasted delicious and kept my mouth fresh and clean all day. It has all-natural ingredients like Australian Tea Tree Oil, baking soda, camomile, sage and calendula. It’s free of fluoride, animal ingredients, SLS and gluten. It may not be a very good gift to give someone but you can certainly treat yourself, especially at an affordable price of $6.99. You can buy it here.
I was not compensated for this post. I received samples.
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Senior Reviewer Maytal Wichman is the owner of Mama’s Bites and has also written for The Huffington Post. She has been living in New York City for thirteen years and holds a Bachelor’s Degree in English Literature as well as a Law Degree, but blogging is her true passion. Maytal is a stay-at-home mom to three kids (ages 6, 4 and 1) and loves finding great products that make her family’s life easier.
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