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Easy, Cheap Last-Minute Gift Ideas

bellasugar — Mon, 24 Dec 2007 08:00:58 -0800

It's the last day before Christmas, and if you've finished shopping, congratulations—you're one of those enviably organized people that everyone else secretly resents just a tiny bit. Kidding, kidding. But if you still have a few folks left on your list, don't panic—I've got a few last-minute gift ideas that don't cost a fortune. Better yet, you won't need to deal with crowds to pull it all together.

It almost goes without saying, but a spa or salon gift certificate is an easy choice. Local spas and salons can whip up a certificate for you on the spot, and some can even e-mail a certificate. Check out my shopping guide so you avoid any faux pas in giving such a gift.

For four quick and simple suggestions that cost less than $20,

BellaSugar's Gift Guide: Last-Minute Gifts For Guys

bellasugar — Wed, 19 Dec 2007 12:00:02 -0800

It's the eleventh hour and you've totally forgotten about a gift for your cousin's new boyfriend whose name you picked out of the family grab bag. Since you're racing the clock to find something thoughtful and masculine that isn't overly expensive, I've got some ideas for you. A great starting point is to peruse some of my other gift guides, but if nothing strikes your fancy, here are a few more great drugstore beauty buys for guys. Good luck!

BellaSugar's Gift Guide: Great Gifts For Any Gal

bellasugar — Mon, 17 Dec 2007 13:00:57 -0800

Below are a list of gifts that I've been eyeing for a few weeks now. If you are anything like me, you've got 101 presents to purchase and sometimes you don't even know the recipient all that personally. Whether you have to get a little something for a co-worker, a secret Santa, or a distant cousin, here are a few one-size-fits-all gifts from $9.99 to $60. They all fall under the pamper-yourself category, so you can't really go wrong with indulgence gifts like these.

BellaSugar's Gift Guide: The Love of Your Life

bellasugar — Mon, 10 Dec 2007 13:00:36 -0800

When that once-in-a-lifetime man comes around, you want to do all kinds of things to treat him right. Here are a bunch of different beauty — I mean grooming — products that your guy will love. Shopping for men is always a little bit of a challenge, so if you have any interesting finds of your own, please share them in a comment!

BellaSugar's Gift Guide: Your Friend, The Romantic

bellasugar — Fri, 07 Dec 2007 10:00:24 -0800

Do you know someone whose guilty-pleasure film is The Notebook? Or who's still dreaming of a world in which Buffy and Angel are together forever? If so, you've got a romantic on your hands. Since she's so sweet and dreamy, she'd probably appreciate light and fruity fragrances, sheer and shimmery makeup and softly scented body products. Here are a few great gift ideas for your friend who loves everything about love, especially during the holidays.

BellaSugar's Gift Guide: The Bad-Girl Beauty

bellasugar — Thu, 06 Dec 2007 17:07:18 -0800

Bad girls get a bad rap. Half of the time, they're not doing anything that's really bad at all—they're just living their lives without worrying about what others think. In honor of these women, I put together a few gift ideas. Take a look and let me know what you think!

BellaSugar's Gift Guide: Your Friend, the Flirt

bellasugar — Wed, 05 Dec 2007 10:00:10 -0800

Every group of girls has at least one flirt! This collection of beauty gifts is for the friend who loves fruity and sweetly scented bath and body products, bright cosmetics, and sexy stocking stuffers to lure in the man of her dreams. So be a pal and get your gal something fun and flirty. Also, be sure to check out all of the other gift guides that each of your favorite Sugar sites has been putting together throughout the past month. Enjoy!

BellaSugar's Gift Guide: Nature Girl

bellasugar — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 16:09:44 -0800

This week, all of the gift guides are for your best girlfriends. Yesterday's ideas were for the glamour girl, and today's is totally different—it's the nature girl. You know the type: The girl who always composts her leftovers, uses animal-friendly cosmetics, and who thinks about how her choices affect Mother Earth. For my gift suggestions, just browse this widget:

Beauty Mark It Results! Stocking Stuffers Under $10

bellasugar — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 14:00:01 -0800

Last week, I asked all of you to share your favorite stocking-stuffer ideas — as long as they were $10 or less. And boy, did you. This might be my favorite Beauty Mark It challenge ever, simply because there are so many cool gifts you can find for under a tenner.

For instance, Gildthatlily found this leopard-print bath set, and it's only $7. And Steen unearthed some adorable pocket mirrors ($6.50 each). But feel free to browse through the dozens of suggestions. I think you'll be surprised by what $10 can buy these days. Thanks to all who shared their favorites — and happy shopping!

BellaSugar's Gift Guide: Your Glamorous Girlfriend

bellasugar — Mon, 03 Dec 2007 11:00:22 -0800

This week's holiday gift guides are dedicated to your fabulous girlfriends! To make shopping easier for you, I have selected five different beauty styles and will choose products for your BFFs according to their type. Today's girlfriend is the glamor girl—you know, the one who follows Hollywood hair and makeup ideas as well as red-carpet trends. I'm sure you have some great ideas of your own, so be sure and leave a comment so that you can share them with the rest of us.

BellaSugar's Gift Guide: Your Favorite Female Relative

bellasugar — Fri, 30 Nov 2007 13:04:46 -0800

While some people believe that you should love all your flesh and blood equally, that's just not realistic. So when it comes to beauty and the holidays, why not indulge your number-one relative with gifts that will spoil her rotten?

Below are some of my all-time favorite beauty gift ideas. Ranking in first place is this delicate hand mirror, brush and comb set ($24.95). Do you have any creative gift ideas of your own to share? If so, please leave a comment below.

BellaSugar's Gift Guide: Your Cousin, The Dude

bellasugar — Thu, 29 Nov 2007 08:00:12 -0800

Yesterday's gift guide focused on female cousins, so today's gift ideas are all for male cousins. I know that some people have cousins who are like brothers to them, while other cousins are just those random people you see only at the holidays. Either way, I hope there's something in here that gives you some shopping ideas. I even tossed in a luxurious dream item—not that I'd ever spend that kind of money on a razor, but it's fun to have a gander.

BellaSugar's Gift Guide: Your Cousin

bellasugar — Wed, 28 Nov 2007 09:57:07 -0800

Welcome back to another edition of beauty-related family holiday gift guides! Today's subjects are your female cousins. What I like about buying gifts for my cousins is that I can get a little bit more creative with them. In the past, I've given out gift certificates and they've gone over famously (hint, hint). Here are a couple of cute and kitschy ideas for your shopping list.

BellaSugar's Gift Guide: Bro Down

bellasugar — Tue, 27 Nov 2007 15:05:40 -0800

The good thing about holiday shopping for your brother is that you can give him the sort of grooming goodies that he might not buy on his own. For instance, while he might pick up Whitestrips at Target, you could treat him to a luxurious GoSmile whitening kit. Or if he's the furthest thing from a metrosexual, you could ease him into it with a beer-infused shampoo. Have a look through my brotherly-love picks, and don't miss my other holiday shopping suggestions, either!

BellaSugar's Gift Guide: Your Sassy Sister

bellasugar — Mon, 26 Nov 2007 11:00:08 -0800

Whether you and your sister like the same things or are polar opposites, isn't it fun shopping for someone in your family that you can closely relate to? My older sister isn't even in the same generation as me, but she's pretty savvy when it comes to beauty products. So my challenge this year is to find her something new and exciting that she hasn't already grown tired of. Here are a few fabulous beauty items that you can use to surprise your sister.

BellaSugar's Gift Guide: Your Awesome Aunt

bellasugar — Fri, 23 Nov 2007 12:00:24 -0800

This is your chance to wow your aunt. Hopefully this holiday gift guide gives you a few different beauty-related gift ideas ranging from a neutral-colored set of hydrating Laura Mercier Mini-Lipsticks ($40) to a more lavish Marc Jacobs home fragrance ($65). Whatever you choose, make this holiday extra special for Auntie and let her know that you care enough to give the very best. Wait a minute, I'm starting to sound like Hallmark!

BellaSugar's Gift Guide: Good Ol' Gramps

bellasugar — Thu, 22 Nov 2007 12:08:38 -0800

If you're lucky enough to have your grandfather around, give him a lot of love. At the risk of sounding maudlin, grandparents won't be around forever — so I think it's always good to remember them with little treats. I've found a few items to suit a variety of budgets, and my favorite of all is the least expensive. I mean, come on — it already has his name on it!

BellaSugar's Gift Guide: Your Gorgeous Grandma

bellasugar — Wed, 21 Nov 2007 14:01:34 -0800

Today's BellaSugar Holiday 2007 Gift Guide is all about your grandmother. When shopping for a mature woman, keep in mind that a timeless, classic, and thoughtful present is always a safe bet. Here are a few suggestions that I think any grandma would be lucky to receive this holiday season. My favorite is the adorable Benefit Bathina Shower Cap ($16). It's sturdy, pretty, and it will protect her delicate 'do from getting ruined in the bath or shower!

BellaSugar's Gift Guide: Dear Old Dad

bellasugar — Tue, 20 Nov 2007 16:00:51 -0800

Dads often seem like they're difficult to shop for, but I beg to differ. Because so many men are used to getting by with a little Colgate shaving cream and a disposable Bic razor, they'll love being spoiled with some more pampering grooming options. And the good thing is, you don't have to spend a lot of money to treat Daddy-o right. I've found some inexpensive stocking stuffers, along with a few splurgey options, too. Browse them all, and let me know if you have any tried-and-true gift ideas for your dad. (For more shopping options, check out my other gift guides and come back—I'll have more every weekday!)

BellaSugar's Gift Guide: Your Magnificent Mom

bellasugar — Mon, 19 Nov 2007 14:00:32 -0800

This week's 2007 Holiday Gift Guides are all about your immediate family — and who better to kick off the week with than the head of the household, your Queen Mum? Here are a few beauty-related gifts that range from run-of-the-mill to lavish and luxe.

Keep in mind that your mother probably has aging skin. This means that her cells aren't producing collagen at the same rate as yours. This affects the suppleness and elasticity of her face, neck, and hands —so skincare products make a wonderful gift. If you are looking for more ideas, here are a few palettes, makeup bags, bath and body products, candles, and fragrances. So no matter what your mama fancies, you'll surely be able to find something special here to warm her heart this holiday season.

BellaSugar's Gift Guide: The 'Too Cool For School' Teenage Boy

bellasugar — Fri, 16 Nov 2007 10:00:22 -0800

Remember what your body went through as a teenage girl? Try factoring in that you can't really wear makeup to hide your pimples, nor can you blame your period for your hormonal surges. Take it from a gal who knows boys — these beauty years are definitely not as breezy as their attitudes let on.

Below are some suggestions for beauty gifts for young men. Things like sensitive skin care products, aftershave, a light cologne, spot treatments for pesky pimples, and scar cream for bruises and/or dark acne-inflicted areas are a few things that a shy young guy will surely appreciate!

BellaSugar's Gift Guide: The Teenage Girl

bellasugar — Thu, 15 Nov 2007 13:00:34 -0800

Another day, another gift guide! Today's treats are all for teenage girls. Shopping for teenagers can be tricky, because yesterday's girly girl might be today's goth—or vice versa. But when you find the right gift, you automatically become the coolest aunt/sister/mom/lady in the world. I've compiled some ideas for you along with a little advice: If you're not sure whether the teenager in question is wearing makeup (or is allowed to), check with her mom or dad first.

BellaSugar's Gift Guide: The Bouncing Baby Boy

bellasugar — Wed, 14 Nov 2007 13:00:04 -0800

Welcome back to another post in my 2007 holiday gift guide. Judging from your comments, you like what you see so far, but I can't encourage you enough to make some suggestions of your own so everyone who tunes in can read about your faves, too! Today's guide is all about gifts for a baby boy.

If you are like me and don't have children of your own, it can be challenging to find cute and practical presents for babies. Here are a few of my beauty-related, baby-boy gift suggestions in different price ranges. Let it be said that I've already ordered a few of these Shaving in the Tub Kits for my family — isn't it to die for?

BellaSugar's Gift Guide: Beautiful Baby Girl

bellasugar — Tue, 13 Nov 2007 15:00:59 -0800

For day two of my holiday gift guide, let's focus on little girls. I always love looking at old pictures of my parents tossing me in the kitchen sink (and later, the big-girl bathtub) for bath time — it's clear that it was a fun time for all of us.

With that in mind, I thought it would be fun to look at some sweet bath-and-body gifts for baby girls and their parents. Take a look through this widget to see some shopping ideas. Whether you're on a tight budget or you're dropping cash like crazy, you should find something fun!

BellaSugar's Gift Guide: The Mommy-To-Be

bellasugar — Mon, 12 Nov 2007 14:00:25 -0800

Welcome to the first post of my 2007 Holiday Gift Guide! Every weekday, I'll share a new set of ideas for gifts for your mom, dad, sib, boss, pals, special guy in your life and just about anyone else gift-worthy this season.

To kick off the guide, and to support our dear friend LilSugar, let's celebrate the mommies-to-be. Here are three great ideas for pregnant women who are carrying around those little ones. Since two of my best friends are about to become mommies, this was a lot of fun to put together!

My favorite item of the group is this Wonder-Full Balm from Mama Mio ($25). It's great for itchy and flaky belly skin, and it works quickly to relieve dryness and discomfort. If that's not something you think she'd like, there's also this Mustela Stretch Marks Double Action Cream ($34.49), which will help strengthen skin's elasticity around the belly, breasts abdomen, hips, and thighs to help reduce stretch marks during pregnancy.

Lastly, I love this Henna Vegetable Hair Dye ($1.99) for ladies who prefer to err on the side of caution and steer clear of chemical substances during their first trimester. While hair dying chemicals aren't highly toxic, vegetable dyes are all-natural, safe alternatives. Put it in a basket with some hair accessories, and you've got a great gift.

Got a few great ideas of your own? If so, I encourage you to please share them in a comment below!