Every year I look back at the things I’ve purchased that I’ve really loved and have used throughout the year. That I’ve felt like it was worth the money and I’d want to recommend to others. This is my fifth Curl Maven Gift Guide, and features the best hair, beauty + wellness gifts for this holiday season. Or any time of the year to be honest! Many of the products featured in my previous four Gift Guides are still available and would make amazing gifts this year too.
Curl Maven Gift Guide 2024
The way I like to shop for myself, my home, friends and family is to buy quality pieces that are well made and timeless. I think now more ever is a great time to shop in a more mindful and considered way. I like the idea of writing a Gift Guide under different price points, but with a global audience shopping in so many currencies, it just doesn’t make sense. So like previous years, I’ve organized this Gift Guide under hair care, body care, beauty, wellness, fashion and home.
Hair Tools
Behairful Brush
Let’s start this year’s Gift Guide with an affordable gift that will suit any woman in your life. I finally got the Behairful Brush a couple of months ago and I’ve been using it almost every washday since. You can feel the quality when you hold it, and it has the most effortlessly smooth glide when you use it for styling. At £20 on Kiyo Beauty when you use my 10% discount code, CURLMAVEN. This would make a perfect gift for anyone with wavy or curly hair. Especially teens who are trying to create smooth, sleek definition who need something that’s light to hold and easy to use as they learn how to style their hair.
GHD Duet Blowdry
I got the GHD Duet Blowdry brush on LOOKFANTASTIC in the Black Friday sales and I’ve been really impressed with the results! The GHD Duet Blowdry creates a smooth, sleek, 90’s supermodel blowout. It really does give you that fresh-out-the-salon look, and those results last and hold for days! Designed for direct use on freshly washed, wet (damp) hair to minimise styling time and visible damage. If you have long, layered hair and are fed up of the beachy, boho wave then you’ll love the GHD Duet Blowdry brush.
Eternal Muse Heatless Curler
I’ve included a heatless curler set in my Gift Guide before. But the ones from Eternal Muse are the best, softest and most comfortable to sleep in. There’s so many sizes, styles and colours to choose from. The packaging is too gorgeous to wrap, just put a bow on the box and you’re done. This is an amazing small, female-founded business from the UK, who ship worldwide. The pioneers of heatless hair styling, they’re constantly innovating, listening to customer feedback and designing high quality products. The Arion, which is a new innovative design for side sleepers using the Unicorn method of heatless curls, just launched this week. Use code BACKFORMORE for 15% off.
Beauty + Body Care
NARS Afterglow Irresistible Eyeshadow Palette
Eyeshadow palettes are a great Christmas stocking filler, and it’s hard to go wrong with the NARS Afterglow Irresistible Eyeshadow Palette. A limited-edition eyeshadow palette with a range of pink and golden-toned eyeshadows. Including satin, matte and metallic finishes in an array of beautiful rosy hues and bronze tones. Complimenting so many skin tones and eye colours. Use code CURLMAVEN for 21% off at LOOKFANTASTIC.
Naturium Body Wash
Out of all the products featured in this Curl Maven Gift Guide, this is the easiest buy. It’s affordable and suits everyone, because who doesn’t love, need or use a body wash?! All of the Naturium body washes are amazing, but The Smoother Glycolic Acid Exfoliating Body Wash is my favourite. It uses an AHA blend of glycolic, lactic, pyruvic and tartaric acids to gently exfoliate uneven and bumpy texture to reveal softer, smoother skin. It has a gorgeous creamy texture and my skin has never felt softer! Gentle enough for daily use or as a facial cleanser. It’s also vegan, cruelty-free and formulated without fragrance, gluten or parabens. Another great stocking filler or Secret Santa gift at a great price point. If you’re in the UK or Ireland, there’s currently 20% off Naturium at SpaceNK using code 20OFF.
Wildling Gua Sha
I posted before + after pictures of my hair growth journey earlier this year, and the unexpected star of the show was my jawline! This is what I’ve been using, the Empress Stone from Wildling, expertly crafted by artisans using the highest grade Bian Stone. Their best-selling, multi award-winning, patented facial gua sha tool is designed to lift, sculpt and tone the skin. It also de-puffs, minimises wrinkles, clears and brightens the skin. I’ve also purchased the Aura Stone (for the body) and the Empress Wand (for muscle tension) and the Empress Barrier Repair Oil. I want to get the Lumin Cupping Set next. As you can see from the images below, the difference is huge! And these results are from just two months of daily gua sha.
Wellness
Magic Earth Ceremonial Cacao
Ethically sourced and single origin ceremonial cacao is so special because it’s so rare. I’ve been drinking ceremonial cacao from Magic Earth for a few years now, and it’s far superior to other cacao I’ve tried. On a physical level, cacao increases our blood flow up to 30%, expanding the heart and flooding our tissues and organs with healthy oxygen. Containing high amounts of theobromine, which is an active stimulant that’s much gentler on the nervous system than coffee.
With more than 700 known compounds good for our health, the main ones being magnesium for general well being and sleep, it would make such a lovely gift for so many reasons. You can read more about the benefits of cacao here. The biggest difference I’ve found from regularly drinking cacao, is the improvement in my mood and emotional well being. My anxiety and depression are much more manageable and I think it’s massively contributed to lowering my cortisol levels. Shop Magic Earth Cacao here, there’s two options to choose from. Single origin and ethically sourced from Peru and Guatamala, which is my favourite.
Fashion + Jewellery
Adoore Knit Dress
I fell in love with Swedish brand, Adoore last year and bought three dresses from them, which I wear all the time. The quality is so good and fit is very flattering. Especially on my petite, curvy body and they’re true to size. Founded in 2017 by Petra Tungården, with a long career as a stylist and editor-in-chief at fashion magazines. Adoore’s clothing focuses on and celebrate the female silhouette, in all shapes and sizes. I love how I feel when I wear their dresses, and get compliments every time. This Arona Dress is my favourite for the Holidays. Available in three colours, and the perfect full length for my 5ft 1″ petite frame.
Missoma Hoop Earrings
I’ve been looking for the perfect, every day hoop earring for years and finally found them! I was fed up of buying cheap ones that tarnished or broke after a few months. I wanted a high quality, full hoop earring with a hidden hinge. Not too big, too small, too heavy or chunky. Missoma’s Medium Hoop Earrings are perfect! Made from 18ct Recycled Gold Plated Vermeil on recycled Sterling Silver, also available in Sterling Silver. I got the medium and the large hoops, but wear the medium ones the most.
Home
Dutch Oven + Sourdough Starter
I love the idea of giving handmade gifts, any time of the year but especially during the Holidays when there’s already so much stuff! My daughter really got into making sourdough this year. There’s nothing like the smell of fresh baked bread in a home, and of course the satisfaction (not to mention flavour) of making your own sourdough. But all the work is in making (aka feeding) the sourdough starter. Before you can enjoy making of the bread itself, with all the decorative cuts and shapes.
So if you have the time (you’ll need six days), and to make a gift with a little more thought and a lot more love. Give a Dutch oven, with a sourdough starter that you’ve already made for them inside. You could print out a recipe or hand write it on beautiful paper, this recipe is the best and has loads of troubleshooting tips. Cast iron Dutch ovens can be outrageously pricey, but this one from Amazon is really good quality. Just the right size and comes in lots of beautiful colours, for less than £40.
I loved putting together my fifth Curl Maven Gift Guide. I hope you found some amazing new brands or products you’d like to try for yourself or gift to someone else this holiday season. But they’d all make great gifts for any occasion, at any time of the year. Let me know in the comments which gifts you like the most and if you get any for yourself or others.
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