A Beauty-Full Christmas: Best Friends

I am aware that there are some people out there who find Christmas shopping a chore.
I am not one of them. For the uninitiated, I freaking LOVE Christmas.
I love the repetitive carols, the tacky decorations and I love the elbows, get out of my frickin' way Christmas shopping.
(Which is why I'll be nicking off to NYC to do mine... ahem)

So every Friday between now and Christmas, I will be doing my darndest to save you lovely people from the hell of standing in Boots on Christmas eve, tossing up between the battered bottle of Armiage or the ninth you've bought footspa in ten years.
Your mum deserves better.
Where possible I've added a retailer with online option if you really can't be arsed to leave your desk. Aren't I good to you?

Today we're starting with booty for your bessie - presumably you like your best friend and would like to put some thought, effort and credit card space into them, so I've got the goods below...

Benefit
Benefit always have some wicked gift sets at Christmas and this year, I really like the Justine Case. Far be it from me to suggest Benefit have come up with the world's cutest Walk of Shame Survival Kit but if you through in a mini toothbrush, a pair of pants and that mini nivea deodorant the smug tart on the advert is so keen on touting, your best friend need never roll into work in the same clothes twice in one day again.
Not that I'm saying she's a slag.
To try and dig myself right out of this one, I will now attempt to dazzle you with a pic...
Oooooh...


The kit contains Some Kinda Gorgeous for evening up her skin and covering minor imperfections (ahem) lovely, lovely Eyecon eyecream, California Kissin' the fab new smile brightening, breath freshening lipgloss and a mini vial of Benetint for a healthy glow.
It's TOTALLY a morning after kit...
£22.50 at Boots.com

Bobbi Brown
There's not a friend in the land who wouldn't love one of Bobbi's cool new Metallic eye palettes. For me, it's Midnight Metallics that get me all excited. A beautiful trio of stormy smoky shades.

Yum. For a more failsafe option, go for Burnt Sugar, three fab shimmery browns. For the more adventurous ladies, try the Velvet Plum or Forest Metallics.
Go to the website and observe these immediately. Then really try hard not to keep it when it arrives...
£32.00 bobbibrown.co.uk
Worth knowing BB sent me a lovely email reassuring me that any orders and deliveries would not be held up by the pesky postal strike. I know the posties are worried about their jobs but I'm worried about my swag! Give a girl a break!

Belle en Rykiel
If you've lucked out and got a fashionista for a friend, you could do a lot worse than this gorgeous gift box from Belle en Rykiel.


The latest fragrance from Sonia Rykiel, Belle en Rykiel is a sensual, oriental fragrance full of exciting floral and citrus top notes and then drying down to the most amazing amber. It's really one of a kind and the packaging is to DIE for.
£44 from johnlewis.com for 75ml edp, 100ml body lotion and a 7.5ml mini parfum

Lee Stafford
If your girlie already smells pretty and looks nice, how about upgrading her hair kit?
Lee Stafford has very kindly combined his fabu new irons and a super cool (and super light!) new hairdryer into a swanktastic kit. And even more swanktastic is the price - it's currently only £37.50 at Boots! That's half FREAKING price!

And there's a paddle brush for spanking if she gets out of hand.
Ahem.

Prescriptives
If you're buying for a friend that really knows what she likes and you're shatting yourself about getting it wrong (we've all got one, it's okay to admit it here), how about the Custom Blend service from Prescriptives?


This amazing looking kit includes a mixing bottle, a full sized custom blend foundation, a travel vial and custom blended concealer. Everything comes empty and your friend simply calls her nearest Prescriptives counter (presumably where you bought the box!) and makes an appointment to have her colours blended! It's the perfect gift for the girl who has - and wants - everything.
Having switched to this about a month ago, I can safely say, I'll never go back to off the rack foundation. There's just no comparison.
Hit your nearest Prescriptives counter or call 0870 034 2556 to find out more.

Phew - will that do you for now?
Lots more suggestions next Friday and lots more BeautyMecca every day!