Today’s Holiday Gift Guide features cute beauty stocking stuffers! I’m rounding up some cute beauty finds for makeup, skincare, hair care and more. Minis are my weakness in general. I usually buy hair care in a mini form first if I can find it, that way I can try before committing to the more expensive larger sizes.
Makeup Minis
Two of my most-used eyeshadow palettes this year are minis including the Natasha Denona Mini Nude Palette (swatched here) and the NARS Mini Wanted Palette (review here). I love the NARS full size Wanted option as well, it’s my favorite one to date. I’m contemplating a back up before it’s gone forever because I truly love the colors so much. I’m the biggest sucker for lip minis too and the Fenty Glossy Posse is the best lip gloss purchase I made this year (swatches here).
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Fragrance and Body
If you know your friends really well you can’t go wrong getting them minis of their favorite fragrance! If you know they love to try new perfumes but don’t know what scent to get them the holiday season offers the best sampler sets. If scent isn’t their thing body care is a great option. I love First Aid Beauty face creams for the body (they’re multi-taskers). Hand creams are also a great no-brainer. Love the options from L’Occitane, Laura Mercier and Kiehl’s this year.
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Lip Balms
Everyone needs lip balm! I love the sets this time of year. In particular Fresh has amazing gift options at multiple price points and size variations. I’m a huge fan of the NARS Afterglow formula. They made Mini Blush + Balm Sets in Orgasm, Torrid and Dolce Vita exclusive to Sephora. The colors are now available in Full Size in their Afterglow Collection which I’ll be reviewing soon.
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Skincare Sets
Some cute stocking stuffer sized sets I’ve found linked below.
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Hair Care & Accessories
Another great grab-and-go kind of gift is dry shampoo, hair texturizer, sampler sized sets and more. There are options at every price point. I really can’t emphasize enough how much I love the Slip Scrunchies. This has been a tough year for my hair with the color treatments and it’s never been more prone to breakage. The scrunchies are life savers for me!
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Have you finished your holiday shopping yet? Any good finds for yourself or others that you’re really excited about?
Continuing my Holiday Gift Guide series and rounding up some gift ideas for the home. If you have any favorites to add please let me know. I know everyone’s home decor style is different and unique but here are some gifts I think anyone would love to receive.
My absolute favorite things I’ve ever bought for our home are the Barefoot Dreams blankets. I’ve bought both the Classic Cozy Chic Throw and the Ribbed Option and both are amazing. They are hands down the softest and warmest throws we own. Even our fur babies love them. There is no better cozy feeling than to snuggle up in one on the couch at the end of the day and have some hot chocolate or ice cream while watching a good TV show. I’ve been tempted by one of their cardigans but haven’t tried one yet. Instead I bought two more blankets this season to give as gifts.
Candles are the easiest thing to gift during the holiday season for me. Nest makes the best affordable options and they have seriously strong throw (this trio set is $44). The Nest Holiday candle is lovely this time of year. My personal favorites of course are Diptyque Baies and Cire Trudon Ernesto. If I had to pick 2 scents to burn the rest of my life, those two would be it! Byredo Tree House would be a close third. The Cire Trudon Christmas launches come in the most beautiful holiday jars. They are quite the splurge but hands down THE best of the best.
If burning candles aren’t an option, room sprays or diffusers are good alternatives. I still think candles have more throw with the fragrance lingering longer, but I really like Aesop and Diptyque. Aesop has the cutest States of Being Set with three mini room sprays which I am absolutely obsessed with. We also love the Melodist Set for the home, I think it would make a great gift for anyone.
For mirrors I get so many questions about the Riki Skinny vs Simplehuman options. Even after reading my Favorite Makeup Mirror post, some of you are still undecided. I truly think they are both great brands. My recommendation depends on how important the magnification option is for you. If you find it essential go with the Simplehuman Round options. The magnification detail and clarity is truly phenomenal and extremely good. However this makes it hard to see your entire face at a glance. If you’re more like me and like to see the whole face while doing makeup, then opt for the Riki Skinny or splurge on the Simplehuman Sensor Wide Pro. The angled panels in the wide Simplehuman mirror make things so much easier like doing your brows or contouring the side of your face.
I think fuzzy slippers always make for the cutest gifts. I love the look of these ones from Madewell. Right now I’ve been living in my APL Slides (I own them in so many colors it’s a little embarrassing). They’re so comfortable and perfect for Florida weather but I’m looking for something that covers the whole foot. We’ve had some cold bursts here in the 50s so my toes need something more cozy! If you have any favorites please let me know!
Some more favorites linked below. I think there are so many nice cozy throw options especially this time of year, but the Barefoot Dreams is hands down the best.
A few more gift guides coming soon over the weekend as I know the shipping cutoff deadlines are approaching for Christmas! Will be rounding up some more for ideas and inspiration.
I cannot believe Christmas is almost here! Today I’m doing my first holiday gift guide of the year featuring the Best Beauty Sets $50 + Under. I’ve teamed up with Nordstrom to share some of my favorites in case you’re still doing some holiday shopping whether it’s for friends, family or to treat yourself. Nordstrom is truly the best one-stop shop for me. I can find something for everyone on my list. They make it really easy to navigate their Holiday Gift Shop by recipient or price point. I often use the filter Gifts Under $25, Gifts Under $50 and Gifts Under $100. There are tons of options to pick from.
Fresh Beauty Picks
Here are my top picks for any beauty lover. Options included even for the girls who have everything or the picky ones too! Up first are some finds from Fresh Beauty. They make my favorite shower gel and their lip balms are great options for anyone. No matter what age, skin type, skin tone – everyone can use a little extra care for their lips. Their tinted Sugar Lip Balms come in some super cute sets.
Top left is the Fresh Enchanted Essentials Travel Soy Face Cleanser and Sugar Lip Treatment Set ($19.50). I find this a unisex option (my brother loves the Soy Face Cleanser). Bottom left is the Charmed Lip Trio with the Fresh Sugar Caramel Lip Balm ($29) which smells amazing. I almost want to keep this one for myself. On the right is the cutest Sealed With Sugar Travel Size Set ($48). It has 6 minis and almost looks like an ornament! Quick note that some of the sets are marked down from the regular pricing.
MAC Makeup Sets + Holiday Collection
I’m so thrilled to find that MAC has tons of gift options under the $50 price point. I bought the Starlit Lip Bag Set in the neutral color option for myself as it has a full size liner in Dervish, lipstick in Aspiring Star and lipglass Among the Stars for a value price. There is a red option too which looks gorgeous! The Lucky Stars Lipstick Kit has 3 miniature sized lipsticks in a zipped pouch. The neutral kit (shown in the top corner) has A Star In Your Name, Once Upon the Stars and Jar of Stars (all new colors). The individual Holiday Collection items come packaged in a festive clear star packaging which makes for great stocking stuffers. They have limited-edition colors of Lipglass, Lipstick, Eyeliner and Opalescent Powder to name a few.
Fun Luxury Gifts
I’m a huge fan of Slip Silk Scrunchies ($39) and think they make for a cute simple kind of gift. I’m never without these – I keep some in my purse and in our car for whenever I need to reach for one to tie my hair up. They also make such beautiful Silk Sleeping Eye Masks ($50) I have a couple of these and love them.
Hand creams are another great universally great gift option. For the person who loves sweet scents the Laura Mercier Tres Riche Travel Hand and Body Cream ($38) is the ultimate treat. L’Occitane also makes a great Holiday Trio ($29) this season and if you have someone who needs something unscented, I highly recommend Kiehl’s. They have a cute Smooth Skin Delights Travel Trio ($35) with one unscented and two scented. You can split them up in stocking stuffers or keep one for yourself!
Hair Care Loves
When it comes to hair care I feel like for shampoo and conditioner it really depends on hair type to pick something as a gift. Styling products are easier to gift because virtually every single girl friend I have is obsessed with dry shampoo, volumizers or texturizers. Bumble and Bumble has some really affordable options including the Reign, Dear Duo ($20) and the More the Merrier Trio ($33). I have the full size thickening shampoo and conditioner on my wishlist to buy when I finish up some bottles. Oribe also makes some great options. I’ve gifted the Dry Texturizing Spray ($22 to $46) numerous times in the full size and travel size option.
NARS Holiday Makeup Sets
I usually feel like NARS is often at the higher luxury price points but am always thrilled when they launch value sets or minis to gift. The All Access Powermatte Lip Pigment Set ($45) has 3 full sized options with American Woman (one of my favorite rose long-wear lip colors), Fly Robin Fly and Funkytown in a bright red sequins zip pouch. For those who want to try minis before committing to full size products, the Past Curfew Travel Size Mascara and Eyeliner Set ($20) is a great stocking stuffer option to try for yourself. For lips/cheeks it doesn’t more classic than their Dolce Vita color and the Travel Size Dolce Vita Cracker Set ($24) is super cute. I’m a huge fan of the Afterglow Lip Balm and they still have the Afterglow Mini Lip Balm Duo ($22) available which I still use on a weekly basis because I bought backups!
That wraps up some of my favorite finds for Holiday Beauty Gifts $50 and Under! There are tons of options for men’s grooming, fragrance, skin care and more at Nordstrom. I hope this gave you some ideas if you’re looking for gift ideas!
Many thanks to Nordstrom for partnering to sponsor this post. As always all opinions are my own.
By Terry launched some beautiful pieces for the season with the Gem Glow Holiday Collection. There are a couple new individual products and a number of beauty sets to choose from. Today I have a look at their Gem Glow Trio Highlighter ($65 for 5.5 g/0.19 oz), Gem Glow Brightening CC Serum ($91 for 30 ml/1 fl oz), Mini Baume de Rose ($24 for 3 g). In addition I’ve added swatches of some eye makeup including the Eye Light Palette Terrybly Paris 2 ($49 for 9 g/0.31 oz) that launched earlier in the fall plus some swatches of the Ombre Blackstar Cream Shadows since they usually have a few shades in one of the holiday sets. My thoughts on each product below.
Up first is a look at the Gem Glow Trio Compact Highlighter. It’s a stunning mix of pink, pearl and soft peach shimmers. The little yellow spots are overspray but it’s very soft so what you see in the compact is pretty true to what you will find underneath. I swatched each portion individually and swirled.
By Terry makes some of the most beautiful complexion products but they’re all very expensive. I do really love their Compact Expert Dual Powders (I still do) even though they cost an arm and a leg. This holiday season I found myself truly overwhelmed with all the highlighter options and for the first time in many years I did not review or purchase the holiday ones from Chanel or Tom Ford. After trying the options from NARS, Hourglass and Marc Jacobs combined with the dozens launched this year alone I feel like they’re all starting to look the same. I probably would have not purchased this By Terry Gem Glow Highlighter as I’m really set for life with highlighters in general, but out of all the ones I’ve seen this year this one has the prettiest presentation. Like many of her other face products there is more than one color in the pan with a small divider in the compact. The small spacing makes it virtually impossible to get individual colors which I don’t mind. But you will most likely have to swirl or mix shades with a regular face brush.
The pigment and color payoff are excellent. On my skin this translates into a beautiful pearly glow. It performs well, applies smoothly, stays put and doesn’t emphasize my pores. I find it has enough sparkle to be perfect for holiday. The shimmer is truly stunning on the skin making this a beautiful option I think will suit a wide range of skin tones. I do really love this one but the color can probably be duped.
Next is a look at her Gem Glow Brightening CC Serum. It’s a pearly rose gold that is very sheer. I’ve purchased several of her CC Serums in the past and they are extremely expensive but beautiful. They are sheer enough to use all over the face for a very soft subtle glow. It’s rose scented and it does not irritate my skin.
I do like the way it gives the skin a lit from within glow without any greasy emollient finish. The dry down has a soft almost velvet feel which is nice because any added shine with a shimmer product can often translate into a greasy look. If you’re looking for a liquid highlighter this is not the product for you, it’s too sheer to be used as a highlight. If you want something more glowy or visible I’d recommend Armani Fluid Sheers or a stick cream highlighter like the Hourglass Vanish Flash Highlighter sticks.
As beautiful as this product is I think you can get a nearly identical effect with the Charlotte Tilbury Wonder Glow or Brightening Youth Glow Primer for a fraction of the price. I know ingredients aren’t the same so it might not be fair to compare them, but effect is similar. I do think the By Terry Brightening CC Serum is a beautiful product. I love that it comes with a pump and the bottles I owned in past years lasted for a long long time.
Swatched on the hand straight from the pump and then blended out you can see how it just adds a luminous sheen to the skin with barely any color.
For holiday she usually launches a Mini Baume de Rose packaged in a cute ornament form. It took me many years to bring myself to splurge on the full size but it’s 100% worth it. The minis are $24 each which is easier to justify as a splurge even though it’s tiny. I think it’s one of the best treats you can gift yourself. A look at the mini vs full size:
Next are some swatches of her Eye Light Palette Terrybly Paris 2. I haven’t tried any of her shadow palettes before as they’re usually out of my price range. This one retails for $49 and I’ll say up front it doesn’t swatch well on the arm or hand but on the eyes it’s MUCH much better. For those who are tired of the red, orange, pink or glitter palettes that seem to have taken over the beauty world today, you’ll find this one different for the neutral lover. It is very natural but has a nice range of colors for a polished muted classic eye. The colors are soft but they do give a beautiful wash of color you can layer or mix. I was pleasantly surprised by this one. I think it would look really nice especially on fair skin tones. They have varying degrees of sparkle but the overall feel is very soft, airy, lightweight and has a subtle sheen.
Last but not least she has some of her Ombre Blackstars in a Trio this year with Blond Opal (shimmery pale champagne gold), Misty Rock (metallic purple) and Bronze Moon (shimmering bronze taupe) for $95. They usually retail for $38 each so you do get a little price break. For some reason I remember these being more expensive individually, I’m not sure when the price changed. Most of her colors have an intense shimmer pearl. These are some of the prettiest cream shadows that stay put on my lids without any issue. I’ve included swatches of a few other colors that I still have.
Overall I think these are beautiful quality pieces that are well made. If you splurge I think you’ll be happy with any of these items although I do think there are more affordable alternatives just as good to pick with other brands. The highlighter is such a beautiful piece to look at especially with the design and I think it’s a really pretty color with excellent pigment. Photos cannot do the swatches justice – the sparkle is so gorgeous and mix of colors a sight to behold. I do think you can get a similar effect with other shades though.
Have you checked out any of the By Terry holiday items? What has been your favorite holiday launch this year? For those curious additional items featured in the opening image: Simplehuman Sensor Mirror Pro 8 Inch in Rose Gold, simplehuman Compact Mirror and a Cuyana Vanity Case that I just ordered and will review in the near future.
By Terry Gem Glow Highlighter, CC Serum, Baume de Rose and Eye Palette provided for review. Ombre Blackstars are from my own collection.
Every year around the holiday season, I always gift Molton Brown. For me it’s a no brainer because there is always something for everyone – even those that are hard to shop for!
I’m the biggest fan of their Bath & Shower Gels which have the most refreshing scents. Each year Molton Brown launches a limited-edition scent for the holiday season. This year they introduced the new Muddled Plum Collection which is perfect for those who want something different from the traditional spice or pine scent. I’m thrilled to partner with the brand to give you a peek!
Muddled Plum is a warm and cozy scent with a fruity feel that mixes rum, saffron and plum into one delicious fragrance. They describe it as “a celebratory aroma featuring rich notes of oak-aged rum, saffron and plum” which couldn’t be more perfect because I love anything with sandalwood during this time of year.
Top notes: orange, saffron and elemi. Heart notes: plum, davana and oak-aged rum. Base notes: sandalwood, benzoin and musk.
The Muddled Plum Collection is composed of 6 different products, all great for gifting. Everything is beautifully packaged that looks like a gift in itself. The collection includes Body Lotion ($44 for 10 fl oz) and Bath & Shower Gel ($35 for 10 fl oz). I prefer to use the shower gel as my bubble bath after a long day as it lathers nicely, has a strong scent and leaves my skin feeling soft. The Body Lotion is perfect to apply after a long bath and leaves your skin feeling deeply hydrated.
A perfect stocking stuffer is the Festive Body Wash Bauble ($15 each). This item is shaped like an ornament so you can also hang it from your tree!
The collection also includes an Eau de Toilette ($65 for 1.7 fl oz) which has really good lasting power on the skin. This one makes for a nice warm fall scent with the mix of sweet and a little bit of spice.
My ultimate fave product from the collection has to be the Scented Glitter ($45) which I’ve never seen before! This is such a cute idea – you can sprinkle it on your tree, gifts, your dinner table or letters you send. It’s purple and silver to match the festive plum color theme.
Lastly, from the collection we have the Single Wick Candle ($50). It burns beautifully and fills the entire room within minutes. It has a soft mellow burn so it’s not overpowering.
There are so many gift options for the holidays at multiple price points! The new Muddled Plum Collection is a great option if you’re shopping for the person who already has everything as there’s a good chance they haven’t tried it yet! I typically buy their Hand Creams or one of their Holiday Crackers to give away, but this year they also have an amazing Opulent Infusions Advent Calendar as well!
You can find the Molton Brown Holiday gift sets and Muddled Plum Collection at MoltonBrown.com. The collection is limited-edition for the season and can also be purchased with gorgeous gift box options.
Happy Monday! I have a roundup of gift ideas for the guys in your life including some of Andrew’s favorite things I’ve gifted him. We’re in the process of putting together our best of skincare posts which I hope to have up soon, but for now here are some things we both think would make great gifts for any of the guys in your life.
Jack Black makes some of the best skincare options and sets for guys. I think these are no-fail sets for anyone regardless of age. I even borrow some of the products from the line as well. Andrew thinks it’s best to buy individual items to pick and choose the best, but since everyone has different skin types I think the sampler sets are the nice way to start. His top picks are the Turbo Wash (only body wash he swears by), Deep Dive Glycolic Facial Cleanser (leave it on a few minutes and it doubles as a mask), Face Buff (is his go-to face scrub).
He’s been trying some other things in skincare and has been really impressed with the Drunk Elephant Polypeptide Cream and Baby Facial. He also uses the Kate Somerville Eradikate line almost as religiously as I do. We both think those are no-fail options for a wide range of skin types. I think everyone we know has to deal with breakouts every now and then, the Eradikate Cleanser is one of the best ones to help with preventing acne.
For body care, aside from almost exclusively using the Jack Black Turbo Wash, Andrew also swears by the Aesop Redemption Body Scrub and their hand washes. There are a number of Aesop Gift Sets that are great unisex gifts regardless of age and skin type. After trying my Aquis Hair Towels he looked more into the line and found some things on Amazon. He bought the Aquis Exfoliating Back Scrubber and says it’s one of the best ones he’s tried.
Fragrance is something I think can be tricky and very personal, but the best scent we’ve ever smelled for men is Creed Aventus. After going through several bottles very quickly I bought him one of the Flacons last year. It was such a splurge but buying it saved me so much money as it lasted him an entire year (it’s down to the last drop now). If you’re unsure of what scent to buy you can always opt for a refillable atomizer. I’ve gifted Andrew a couple and he uses them all the time. Other nice options include Chanel Bleu de Chanel or Dior Sauvage which are nice, fresh and modern.
For the sporty guy in your life you truly cannot go wrong with an Apple Watch, sport headphones or anything from Yeti. Andrew’s two “can’t live without” things are his Yeti Tumbler and his Jaybird True Wireless Headphones. The headphones are the one item he bought himself after doing a lot of research. They’re small enough that they fit inside the ear, they’re truly wireless and work best even through a sweaty run.
Since Andrew already owns everything here I’m putting together my gift list for him. Apple came out with a new version of the Nike Watch and we plan on trading his current one in for a newer one (love how they will give you some store credit for trade ins!). Louis Vuitton’s L’Immensite has been on my list for a few months after smelling it in store, but he would probably be happy with another bottle of Creed Aventus. He’s a big fan of Cole Haan shoes and Nike running shoes too so I’m browsing through the newer options this season. Since we’re more active with weight lifting and running he’s been more into active wear so Lululemon is also something on his wishlist.
Hope you found this men’s gift guide helpful! One of my girl friends was telling me her hubby seriously needed to up his grooming game and she couldn’t convince him to use better skincare. When it comes to the guys in my life I think the best way to have them try new things is to buy it for them and put it on their counter or send it in a cool looking package. So if the guys in your life need some help in the grooming or skin care department, I hope this gives you some ideas!
I’m wrapping up gift guides this week but in case you missed the previous ones:
I’m sharing something a little different today with a look at some of our home decor pieces for the holiday along with some fun gifting accessories. An overwhelming number you requested a home decor post in a recent poll and so I have a peek at a few things we’ve done to make our place a little more cozy. We have one holiday themed corner in our living room to get in the spirit and everything is fairly simple and minimalist. I do love the beautiful elaborate wreaths and garlands I see everywhere else and maybe when we find our forever home someday we will go all out. For now I’m really just happy to keep things simple with a few key accents. Fur babies are included below. Our two Jack Russells Jake and Lucy are 13 years old this year! Kitty turned 6 in August.
Our tree is a 7.5 foot Flocked Tree we bought at Home Depot. We considered getting a real tree but after some thought we opted for an artificial one and I love it! It’s pre-decorated so it already has lights and pine cones. The tips are flocked which give it a festive feel. I particularly love that we don’t have to water it and we can use it again in the future!
We did add some ornaments to it. Over the years we’ve found some pretty ones from Pottery Barn, Restoration Hardware and other places but when we moved a couple years ago we didn’t bring a lot of our little things (we gave a lot away). This year we stopped by Target to get some wrapping paper and I was so thrilled to find a wide range of beautiful affordable ornaments. They have a wide range of colors for the ornament balls. We also stopped by Michael’s which I find has even more affordable budget options, for the quality and price Target has better ones.
Left Silver, Clear, White, Blue set (42 pieces) from Target, middle silver ornaments from Michaels, right red and gold mini ornaments from Target. 20 mm silver bells from Michaels. String star twinkle lights are Philips Lights from Target. Throw from West Elm.
As much as I love beautiful wrapping paper for gifts I feel like it can often times be so wasteful as it always gets thrown out! Target had some really nice budget options from their Wondershop and their Sugar Paper line. Ribbons and string are also from Target and Michael’s. If you need a specific color of ribbon Michael’s literally has every thickness, material and color you can imagine. Most of them were on sale for the holiday too.
For the gifts we are putting together ourselves that require a box we found some nice sturdy simple options at Michael’s. They come in a wide range of colors including the basic brown tan which can be easily dressed up with a simple ribbon, gift topper or cute gift tag. Target Sugar Paper has some nicer pre-decorated options as well. I can’t find the cute North Pole gift tags online but I did find them in store at Target.
Other fun things include these Gold Jingle Bells from the Sugar Paper Line. I found some cute take-out boxes also at Target which you can fill with candies or use to send guest home with baked goods.
Perhaps the easiest and simplest way to add some holiday cheer to the home is with candles. My favorite holiday ones already rounded up in my Favorite Luxury Candles for the Holiday post. I was able to buy the full-size Diptyque Carousel when it restocked, but it sold out again. The small one is still available in the Carousel and Candle Set with Baies + Tubereuse.
I’ve really been loving Byredo as their scents are so unique and the candles have amazing throw. Chai is new this season, I don’t know if it’s limited-edition or not but it smells just like chai tea and it’s so cozy! I think Woods and Tree House are also amazing options for Christmas but versatile enough to burn year round as well.
I hope you enjoyed a peek into our holiday decor! If you’re still in the process of picking up things to decorate a quick tip is to always check online for items first, even if you’re going in store. So many places like Target and Michael’s have a store stock locator option which is so helpful! Sometimes you can reserve online to pick up in store. Other times if you just want to go in yourself but want to check to see if they have things in stock it will tell you which aisle items are located. It’s super handy so you don’t end up driving all over the place searching for things!
The Christmas countdown is on and my goal is to have everything wrapped by tomorrow. I do think the best and most efficient way to shop for gifts is to simply order online and have things shipped directly. But if you have gifts you’re giving in person I hope you found these ideas helpful!
Do you decorate your home for the holiday season? Any tips or tricks or traditions you want to share? Let me know in the comments! Two notes:
I’ve started up Instagram giveaways again are announced every Wednesday on stories. In case you missed the announcement last week this week’s giveaway is a Diptyque Miami + Vanille Candle. All you have to do is follow me @beautylookbook, comment on at least 2 posts during the week and like my posts! Super easy 🙂 I announce winners and contact via DM on Instagram.
I’ve also decided to start up my blog giveaways again. Every Sunday on the blog I’ll announce a new one. For the blog this week I’m giving away two Diptyque Candles to one reader! Simple enter through the widget below and one person will be selected on next Saturday to receive one Miami City Candle and one Tomas Maier WDR candle (both purchased by me). Open internationally but you must be 18 years or older to qualify. Not sponsored or affiliated.
