5 Most Effective Gift Ideas For Ladies - Carmelatte Fashion & Travel

December is here and so is my gift guide. I came up with a few nice ideas, each of which of a different price point but equally… practical.

I am always trying to make December very special and dedicate a lot of time to my friends and family, which is why the shopping madness is not something that would hunt me. I plan ahead.

I actually ‘prepare’ the list in my head Months in advance, sometimes randomly. I always take some photos, notes and I usually know what I want to give to my loved ones from our conversations.

I usually follow my 2 rules – practical and good quality. Some presents wait to be given since July, some of them were ordered yesterday and some still need to be bought. I never really go crazy and would never let myself become a victim of the Christmas traps.

Today’s post is dedicated to Ladies but I am sure some ideas would be applicable to your male friends as well.

Niche Perfume

I have observed this tendency for over the past years – people like unique scents. Despite the fact Chanel No 5 is still on the top, my friends and family often go for niche brands when it comes to scents. Let me introduce you to Oud Delight by Anima Vinci 🎄 The perfume is quite strong, elegant but also balancing. It is a blend of rose, Cambodian oud and saffron but I can also smell the hint of lemon and bergamot. To me, it is a chic combo for festive nights out, NYE and Christmas The brand is quite pricey in comparison to the commercial brands but it is worth it – the scent lasts for long and I am getting loads of compliments in it.

Beauty Salon Voucher

I am not the biggest fan when it comes to voucher-gifts but beauty salon vouchers… are a completely different story! What you are giving is a ME time, pamper and …the choice! At AZALEA Hair and Beauty in the North of London, there are a lot of choices when it comes to skin, hair and laser treatments.

I wasn’t sure what I wanted to treat myself with so I asked Ewelina, the owner, for a recommendation. She looked at me and immediately suggested no-needle mesotherapy (which is what I did before my wedding) but this time we went for a collagen therapy, which was exactly what I needed. The treatment is a dose of hydration and ensures flawless, elastic and smooth skin… straight after! We combined it with an exfoliating peeling and an AMAZING Gold Mask from Souvre (which I also took home). I saw a lot of improvement straight after!No-needle treatments start from 90 GBP.

At AZALEA Hair& Beauty you could also make your hair look fab. Sarah Lucy, their head stylist, is well-experienced in not only colouring but also cutting and styling. What we treated my hair with was a bit of colour and a fabulous blow-dry. Sarah works on the Moroccan Oil brand, the leading brand and the first to use the hair-transforming Argan oil in the original Moroccanoil treatment. My hair felt super soft and the colour is delicately changed, which is what I wanted. The price depends on the length of your hair.

At AZALEA Hair& Beauty you could either order a voucher or buy in-store. The vouchers are valid for 6 Months which gives you or the person you are gifting quite a lot of time to book yourself a pamper day.

Experience Gift

I am a great fan of ‘experience’ gifts, especially the unique ones! I recently discovered Brigit’s Bakery and their ICONIC afternoon tea experience – the bus tour. I took my sister for a festive afternoon tea last week, and we were both impressed. We were served vegetarian and pescatarian dishes alongside B Bakery specialities ( they have an amazing store in Covent Garden and are well-known for the cupcakes!) followed by a glass of Prosecco and delicious teas.

You will get to see the heart of the city and its culture, landmarks and history whilst sipping on a lovely cup of tea and enjoying delicious treats!
The bus will take you round Big Ben, The Houses of Parliament, Westminster Abbey, St James’s Park, Hyde Park, The Royal Albert Hall, Marble Arch, Nelson’s Column, Downing Street and more. The London sightseeing tour lasts approximately 1 hour and 30 minutes but it is depending on traffic and closures. We got the tour around Hyde Park and saw the whole Kensington, Notting Hill and Knightsbridge which was also amazing – so festive! The price is around 46 GBP.

Cashmere Pieces

As always – you can never have enough of cashmere! I think a cashmere jumper of a scarf would make a great gift for years. I recently discovered Repeat Cashmere – their pieces start at around $100 but I would also recommend London Cashmere Company or Moldovian Cashmere. It would be a WOW-factor gift for sure. The cable knit turtleneck sweater I am wearing is a cost of €359.95.

Click HERE to buy it.

Vitamins 🙂

Festive time is a joyful Month, full of meetings, events, amazing food, wine and let’s face it – not the healthiest time of the year either. This winter I decided to snack with… vitamins! Literally – my vitamins are jellies and taste amazing. 2 Goli Gummies = 1 ACV Shot. They are also made with real apples, 100% organic, vegan-friendly, gluten-free and contain no preservatives, chemicals nor artificial ingredients.

Goli is a solution to :

help your body detoxify
enhances energy
manages weight
restores complexion
supports healthy digestion

I started the pack at the end of November and… I am running low(you can enjoy up to 12 a day). It would be a perfect snack that keeps your loved ones healthy and gives energy for all the next year – especially needed in January!

I think it would be a great idea to gift your loved ones with 3-Months supply for Christmas. The supply would cover the whole winter, January-March which is when they need their energy the most! 3 Month supply is the cost of $57. Click here to get them.

You can get an extra 5% discount with my code ‘Carmelatte‘.