Check Out These Great Holiday Gift Ideas — As Seen On CBS Austin’s “We Are Austin”
Thanksgiving is next week, which means it’s time to get a jump-start on that holiday shopping! And don’t feel overwhelmed: from festive scented candles to eco-friendly bags, luxury skincare offerings, and memorable experiential gifts, I have some fun suggestions for the whole family. Check out my latest segment on CBS Austin’s “We Are Austin” (or click here to watch on CBSAustin.com) and discover some sure-to-delight gift ideas from Spence Diamonds, Rahua, Dr. Hauschka and more.
Make sure to read on for the scoop on all the products seen on air!
NEST FRAGRANCES FESTIVE PETITE CANDLE TRIO & FESTIVE PETITE DIFFUSER TRIO
We all know the power of fragrance and how it can create a specific ambiance and help conjure up memories and emotions. The three scents in NEST Fragrances‘ new holiday gift sets effectively capture the magic and joy of the season. Both the Festive Petite Candle Trio ($64 at NESTfragraces.com) and the Festive Petite Diffuser Trio ($54 at NESTfragrances.com) feature an assortment of luxurious fragrances that will make anyone’s home feel all the more inviting. There’s Birchwood Pine, which combines pine, fir balsam, and birchwood notes over a base of amber and musk; Holiday, a spicy scent that blends pomegranate, Mandarin orange, clove, and cinnamon notes; and Sparkling Cassis, a new pink champagne scent infused with crème de cassis, frosted cranberry and white fig. New for Holiday 2018, the Sparkling Cassis scent was developed to mark NEST Fragrances’ 10-year celebration — and, once you experience the scent, you’ll want to break out some champagne IRL and toast to the brand’s success!
Both the candles and alcohol-free diffuser oils are packaged in stunning decorated glass vessels that will add an elegant touch to any room’s decor.
DR. HAUSCHKA MORNING GREETING FACE CARE SET & EYE CATCHING MAKEUP SET
Pioneering natural beauty brand Dr. Hauschka is offering several beautiful boxed gift sets this season. The Morning Greeting Face Care Set ($35 at DrHauschka.com), features everything you need to kick off the day with re-energized, refreshed, and healthy-looking skin. Perfect for those looking to establish a daily skin care regimen, the kit includes three of Dr. Hauschka’s hero products: the Cleansing Cream, a gentle face wash that features calendula, chamomile, and sweet almond seed meal; the Facial Toner, which contains witch hazel and anthyllis to reduce the appearance of pores and restore the skin’s pH; and the the Rose Day Cream, which contains rose petal extracts, shea butter, and avocado oil to hydrate, nourish, and protect skin.
To keep that pout looking mesmerizing and alluring all mistletoe season long, there’s the Dr. Hauschka Eye-Catching Makeup Set ($35 at DrHausckha.com). It features the limited edition Lipstick 19 in Burnet, a shimmering, warm red with brown undertones that hydrates and softens lips thanks to the botanical extracts in the formula, which include jojoba seed oil, sweet almond oil, and apricot kernel oil. It also includes the Lip Line Definer 00, a translucent lip pencil that’s meant to be applied outside the contours of the mouth to prevent lipstick from smudging or feathering. A clutch-ready compact mirror for quick lipstick checks and touch-ups completes the set.
NOT YOUR MOTHER’S NATURALS PASSION FRUIT KOMBUCHA & AWAPUHI GINGER YOUTH REVIVAL COLLECTION
Kombucha, which is a fermented black tea, is rich in antioxidants and probiotics, so it’s a trending ingredient in beauty right now — and since Not Your Mother’s is ahead of the curve, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that the brand developed an entire range of products that contains this prized ingredient.
The new Not Your Mother’s Naturals Passion Fruit Kombucha & Awapuhi Ginger Youth Revival Collection is designed to rejuvenate and revitalize hair. The products contain 98% naturally-derived ingredient — chief among these shine-enhancing passion fruit kombucha and awapuhi ginger, which moisturizes and strengthens strands.
The collection is comprised of a Shampoo and Conditioner, as well as a Leave-in Hair Tonic that detangles strands, adds shine, and offers heat protection up to 450 degrees. All the products are formulated without alcohols, sulfates, parabens, silicones, or harsh chemicals, and they retail for $9 each at ULTA Beauty.
O’O HAWAII SKINCARE PRODUCTS
Based in Haleiwa, Hawaii, luxury skincare brand O’o Hawaii was created by holistic health and nutrition coach Holly Harding, and it specializes in 100% vegetarian formulas featuring healing crystals and natural, nutrient-dense, non-GMO ingredients. O’o Hawaii formulas contain no fillers or non-active ingredients, so they’re highly concentrated and effective. Like a love letter to Hawaii, many of the brand’s ingredients hail from the Aloha state — among them red Alaea clay, sandalwood, kukui nut oil, noni fruit, and strawberry guava. Even the brand’s name is a testament to its undying commitment to preserving Hawaii’s beauty and rich culture. Named after the now-extinct Hawaiian o’o bird, which was renowned for its vibrant yellow plumes, the company hopes to maintain and protect natural resources and to preserve, protect, and improve the skin through its integrative approach to skincare. In fact, for every online sale O’o Hawaii donates $1 to the Keauhou Bird Conservation Center Discovery Forest Program to help protect Hawaiian’s avian population.
Any and every O’o Hawaii product would make a lovely holiday gift, but I’m particularly fond of three products. First, the Birdseed Detoxifying Face Scrub ($95 at Oohawaii.com), which features activated charcoal and Hawaiian red clay to draw out dirt and impurities from deep inside pores, as well as sapphire crystals to polish the skin, and pearl powder to stimulate collagen production and brighten the complexion. Not only does it provide a deep cleanse, but this scrub leaves skin brighter and softer while minimizing breakouts and reducing fine lines and wrinkles. Plus it smells like pineapple and coconut!
Another must-have is the Birds + Roses Rose Quartz Hydrating + Firming Mask ($130 at OoHawaii.com), which leaves skin feather-soft. It contains rose quartz crystals, which minimize fine lines while relieving tension and relaxing facial muscles. It also contains calming rose extract, moisturizing Manuka Honey (which, in addition to being a naturla humectant, also boasts antibacterial benefits), and Hawaiian kukui nut oil to keep skin looking radiant.
And since we all want glowing skin, there’s no resisting the Golden Nectar Brightening + Firming Ferulic Serum ($130 at OoHawaii.com), which contains ferulic acid and vitamin C to brighten the skin and fade sunspots while stimulating collagen production, plumping the skin and giving it a more taut appearance. The serum also contains pineapple enzymes that resurface the skin and promote cellular regeneration, rose quartz crystals that reduce fine lines, and a blend of anti-aging marine extracts (red algae, giant kelp, and phytoplankton).
SPENCE DIAMONDS CLASSIC STUD EARRINGS AND SOLITAIRE PENDANT NECKLACE (MADE WITH ARTISAN CREATED DIAMONDS)
Nowadays, conscientious consumers want assurance that they’re purchasing ethically and environmentally sound diamonds — and high-quality, lab-created diamonds can provide them with the peace of mind they need and the sparkle and shine they crave. Spence Diamonds’ Artisan Created Diamonds are made in a plasma chamber and involve replicating the environmental conditions in which a natural diamond grows, a process that takes 6 to 12 weeks as it would in nature. The final result is a stunning diamond that’s indistinguishable from an earth-mined diamond, but which was created without any destruction to the eco-system. And the kicker: Spence Diamonds’ Artisan Created Diamonds are always at least 25% larger and two clarity grades higher than similarly-priced mined diamonds.
So go ahead and treat the leading lady in your life to a timeless piece of jewelry with Artisan Created Diamonds such as the 14k White Gold Solitaire Pendant, which starts at $259 for 0.25 carats, or the Classic Stud Earrings, which start at $519 for 0.25 carats. These baubles are available online at SpenceDiamonds.com as well as at Spence Diamonds in The Domain here in Austin.
RAHUA VOLUMINOUS SHAMPOO, CONDITIONER AND HAIR REFRESHER SPRAY
I’ve long been fascinated by Rahua, a luxurious brand of earth-friendly, vegan, cruelty-free hair, bath, and body products made using organic, plant-derived Amazonian ingredients. The idea behind Rahua, which was launched in 2008 by husband-and-wife team Fabian Lliguin and Anna Ayers, began with a fortuitous trip to the Amazon Rainforest. As a passionate environmental activist and a staunch advocate for the rights of indigenous groups in the Amazon region, Lliguin embarked on a mission to protect and preserve the Amazon Rainforest. During this fateful trip, some women from the Quechua-Shuar tribe introduced him to Rahua oil, which is derived from the ungurahua nut, and credited it for giving them their long and lustrous locks. Soon enough, both Lliguin and Ayers witnessed first-hand how rahua oil could transform even the most dry, damaged, and unruly strands. Not only did they decide to create a line that would have this ingredient as its beating heart, but they chose to do so in a way that would further advance their advocacy and activism efforts so that, to this day, the rahua oil used in Rahua products is processed by hand using the same traditional methods and ceremonial practices that have been observed for centuries. Moreover, Rahua works directly with a number of families in the region and hence helps these communities develop a self-sustaining economy.
Since the holidays are all about glamour and va-va-va-voom hair, I suggest gifting that special someone the Rahua Voluminous Shampoo ($34), Voluminous Conditioner ($36), and Voluminous Spray Hair Refresher ($32). After all, you know what they say: the bigger the hair, the closer to God, right? The Voluminous Shampoo features antioxidant-rich green tea, as well as citrus juices and lemongrass to remove product build-up and keep the scalp balanced, while the Voluminous Conditioner contains omega-9 rich rahua oil and quinoa, a natural humectant. The alcohol-free Spray Hair Refresher, meanwhile, not only helps to revive hair in between shampoos, but it adds lift and gives strands a tousled, beach-y texture and a soft hold. As if that’s not enough to speak volumes — pun intended — the products feature eucalyptus and lavender oils that offer aromatherapy benefits, calming the spirit and uplifting one’s mood.
All three products are available at Rahua.com, Space NK, and Sephora.com
ECOBAGS STRING BAG
Over 8 million metric tons of plastic wind up in our oceans every year — and, according to a World Economic Forum report, if we continue using plastic bags, containers, and straws at the rate we have in the past, plastic pollution will outweigh fish pound for pound by 2050. Those are grim stats, right? Well, instead of sighing and throwing your hands up in resignation, you can choose to lead a greener lifestyle and banish plastic from your life as much as possible. And while you’re doing so, you can also encourage those around you to become equally proactive about saving the Earth. One great way to do so is by gifting a friend an ECOBAGS String Bag. This reusable and washable bag may seem small, but you’ll be blown away once you see how much it stretches! This small wonder expands to accommodate almost anything you place inside it, making it the perfect companion for your next trip to the supermarket or farmer’s market. You can use it to carry fresh produce, baguettes, and wine instead of relying on plastic bags. And since it’s so stylish and lightweight, you can have it do double-duty it as a gym bag (I can literally fit a change of clothes, sneakers, and a volleyball in there with room to spare!) or a beach bag. It comes in a wider variety of colors with prices starting at $11.99 at ECOBAGS.com.
LIQUID IV HYDRATION MULTIPLIER
An estimated 75% of Americans are chronically dehydrated. Strikingly, many of the symptoms of early dehydration — among them frequent headaches, muscle fatigue, dizziness, dry skin, a mental cloudiness, and an inability to concentrate — can be mistakenly attributed to other causes, worsening the problem. This holiday season, then, you can give the gift of wellness with the Liquid IV Hydration Multiplier ($24.99 for 16-pack at Liquid-IV.com). This refreshing and delicious-tasting electrolyte drink mix uses Cellular Transport Technology to deliver hydration to your bloodstream faster and more efficiently than water alone. When mixed with 16 ounces of water, each single-serve packet offers the same amount of hydration you’d get from drinking 3 bottles of H2O. And, in addition to deep hydration, Liquid IV contains vitamin C to boost the immune system and vitamins B3, B5, B6, and B12 to increase energy levels.
It’s available in Lemon Lime, Acai Berry and Passion Fruit and contains no preservatives, artificial sweeteners, artificial flavors or artificial colors.
SEAWORLD SAN ANTONIO TICKETS & PASSES
I love the idea of giving someone an experience, something they’ll find fulfilling and remember for years to come. This holiday season, you can gift someone a ticket to SeaWorld San Antonio so they can enjoy all the attractions the park has to offer: from adrenaline-pumping rides like the Steel Eel Rollercoaster, which features a vertical drop of 15 stories, to engaging shows like the One Ocean Orca Show and immersive experiences like swimming with dolphins.
It’s a gift you can feel great about since, with your ticket or pass purchase, you’ll be helping SeaWorld’s animal rescue efforts, which span over 50 years. Every visit to SeaWorld supports the rescue and return of sick, injured, or orphaned animals, with over 33,000 rescued animals to date. An experiential gift with a give-back element? Yes, please!
Through tomorrow, you can buy a one-day Twinkle Ticket for just $39 at SeaWorld.com/San-Antonio so your loved one can enjoy the park’s annual Christmas Celebration. Valid through December 31st, the ticket will allow them access to a stunning display of 9 million lights, mariachi bands performing holiday tunes, holiday-themed shows (such as a beluga whale performance choreographed to “The Nutcracker”), and much more. Plus, parents can take their little ones to plenty o meet Santa and Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer!
MIMEO PHOTOS CARDS, CALENDARS, AND PHOTOBOOKS
Karl Lagerfeld once said, “What I like about photos is that they capture a moment that’s gone forever, impossible to reproduce.” While you may never be able to completely relive a specific moment in time, you can certainly come close when looking at a photograph. So, for the holidays, why not let some images do the talking? With Mimeo Photos, you can take photos of special places and moments and turn them into thoughtful gifts. Mimeo Photos is a free app for macOS that allows users to create photo books, cards, and calendars using simple, easy-to-follow design tools and beautiful templates approved by the brand’s creative director, world-renowned photographer Nigel Barker.
Not only can you get an early start on sending out those family holiday cards, but you can create a beautiful glossy book filled with photos of the moments you’ve shared with a special someone.
And, if you’re a shutterbug, make sure to enter the Mimeo Photos’ MY CITY contest for the chance to win a paid trip for two to New York City, where you’ll experience a one-on-one master class and photo shoot with Nigel Barker himself. There’s no purchase necessary to enter the contest: to enter, you simply need to create a photo book filled with snaps that capture what you believe to be most special about your city and, once your series is complete, you can enter the code MYCITYMP at checkout. The winner will also receive 25 copies of their photobook with a foreword by Nigel.
