Last-Minute Gift Ideas That Will Rock Their World — As Seen On CBS Austin’s “We Are Austin”

Christmas is less than a week away which means there are only a few days to find truly magical gifts for everyone on your list. That said, there’s need to panic — the clock might be a-tickin’ but you don’t have to throw your hands up in surrender or resign yourself to buying some impersonal gift cards. To keep everyone stress-free and help y’all get through this final holiday shopping stretch,  I stopped by CBS Austin’s “We Are Austin” today to chat about last-minute gift ideas sure to make everyone smile. Make sure to watch the segment above (or click here to watch on CBSAustin.com) and read on for more details on every single item seen on air!

EMU AUSTRALIA MAYBERRY SLIPPERS

What would walking on a cloud feel like? Probably a bit like traipsing around in EMU Australia’s Mayberry slipper ($59.95 at EmuAustralia.com), which features wide crossover straps and a plush footbed — all made using 100% real Australian sheepskin. These irresistibly soft and fluffy slippers are the perfect footwear with which to unwind at home, but they also include a lightweight flexible outsole that provides all the traction necessary for outdoor wear. They come in neutral shades like Dove Grey, Natural, and Black, and in playful and perky hues like Teal, Bubblegum, and Fuchsia.

EMU AUSTRALIA PIONEER BOOTS

Talk about boots that were made for walking! Not only are they super chic with their Chelsea ankle boot design, but the EMU Australia Pioneer Boots ($189.95 at EMUaustralia.com) are the epitome of versatile, featuring a removable 100% Australian merino wool insole, a 100% merino wool lining to keep feet toasty during the cool winter months, and waterproof suede uppers that can withstand rain, snow, and sleet. Whatever the forecast brings, the Pioneer boots are ready for action!

EMU AUSTRALIA BRUMBY LO BOOTS

Parents will love slipping their kids’ feet into the EMU Australia Brumby Lo Boots ($99.95 at EMUaustralia.com), which feature a 100% Australian merino wool lining and which are fully waterproof so that tiny toes can stay dry and warm even when splashing in puddles and wading through snow.

The  EMU Australia Flutter Brumby Boots ($99.95 at EMUaustralia.com) are particularly whimsical, featuring a foil butterfly print atop bright pink waterproof suede uppers.

JOICO K-PAK TRIOS

Who doesn’t want hair that shines as bright as the star atop their holiday tree, that’s as soft as their favorite cashmere throw? To breathe new life into even the most damaged strands, there’s nothing like Joico’s K-Pak and K-Pak Color Therapy Trios ($54.97 each; available at Austin Beauty Store North, South and West). Each trio contains a shampoo and conditioner, as well as a mask: either the Deep-Penetrating Reconstructor or the Luster Lock Instant Shine & Repair Treatment for color-treated strands. What makes Joico’s K-Pak formulas so effective? Well, they’re powered by the brand’s revolutionary Bio-Advanced Peptide and Quadramine complexes, which work by going right to the damaged areas of the cuticle, replacing lost amino acids, restoring elasticity, and strengthening even the most compromised of strands.
JOICO BETTER THAN EVER DUOS

Another of Joico’s “mane” attractions this holiday season are its Better Than Ever duos ($38.97 to $42.97; available at Austin Beauty Store North, South and West). Each boxed set contains a shampoo and conditioner as well as a free 1.7 oz K-Pak Color Therapy Luster Lock Instant Shine & Repair Treatment to deeply nourish and hydrate strands. There’s a wealth of options available, so you’ll find something for every hair type and concern. The Moisture Recovery duo, for instance, features products designed to hydrate and soften parched strands, while the Body Luxe duo contains products designed take hair from flat to fab, thickening and plumping up fine and limp strands.

BIOSSANCE LOVE YOUR FACE KIT

Biossance is a clean beauty brand with a BioTech background, and their gift sets are all about pampering your skin from head to toe.

The Biossance Love Your Face Holiday Kit ($42 at Biossance.com and Sephora.com) covers every single step of your skincare. You have travel-sized versions of the Squalane + Antioxidant Cleansing Oil to gently remove dirt and makeup; the Squalane + Peptide Eye Gel to eliminate puffiness and dark circles; the Squalane + Phyto-Retinol Serum to minimize fine lines and firm skin (all with the power of Bakuchiol, a plant-based, non-irritating retinol alternative), and the Squalane + Vitamin C Rose Oil to brighten the complexion. It also comes with a satchel of the ultra-moisturizing Squalane + Omega Repair Cream, which helps to strengthens the skin’s barrier system so as to seal in nutrients and hydration.

BIOSSANCE LOVE YOUR BODY KIT

The Biossance Love Your Body Kit ($58 at Biossance.com and Sephora.com) is a three-step body care ritual that will make anyone’s showering routine feel absolutely indulgent. The set includes: a Travel Body Brush, which can be used to dry brush arms and legs, thereby exfoliating those dead and dull surface skin cells, removing any ashiness, and revealing more radiant and softer skin; a bottle of 100% Squalane Oil, which features a sugarcane-derived, sustainable form of squalane and which locks in moisture (for best results, apply this oil to damp skin after showering); and the aluminum-free Squalane + Bamboo Deodorant, which absorbs moisture and neutralizes odors in the underarm area without clogging up pores.

BIANCA DE LA GARZA IN GLO WE TRUST ILLUMINATING SERUM

We’ve all been wanting a “JLo glow” before the term was even coined! Sure, nowadays there are a ton of sparkly highlighters on the market, but what most of us truly covet isn’t a glittery cream or powder formula that will make our cheekbones or brow bones sparkle but, rather, we long for a complexion that’s effortlessly luminous. That’s what Bianca de la Garza’s In GLO We Trust Illuminating Serum ($58 at BDGbeauty.com) so successfully accomplishes: helping women achieve a believable, subtle, lit-from-within glow.

What I love about this serum is that it’s a skincare and makeup hybrid. On the skincare front, the formula contains a tri-peptide-3 technology that smooths fine lines and wrinkles, along with a stabilized form of vitamin C and grape seed extract to fade dark spots, brighten skin, and boost collagen production. On the makeup side, it contains ultra-fine, light-reflecting particles that blur imperfections and give the skin a major radiance boost.

Available in 3 shades —Pearl, Golden, and Copper — this illuminating serum can be applied to clean, bare, makeup-free skin, or it can be mixed with tinted moisturizer or foundation for an all-over radiance boost. And, since it comes in a handy, travel-friendly tube, you can use it to refresh and revive your skin while on the go or to play up your features by dabbing some product atop the high points of the face (cheekbones, brow bones, along the ridge of the nose, etc) to highlight those areas.

ARTISTRY BY AMWAY ARTISTRY SIGNATURE SELECT PERSONALIZED SERUM

Buying a skincare product for someone can be a tricky proposition. After all, you need to know their skin type as well as their primary concerns in order to buy something they’ll use regularly. But, with Artistry by Amway‘s new Artistry Signature Select Personalized Serum ($74 to $87 for Base Serum and Amplifier, and $34 to $47 for each additional amplifier; available at Amway.com), you simply can’t go wrong. Why? Because this powerhouse serum  can be customized to meet anyone’s individual needs, offering a truly personal skincare experience.

Think of it as the easiest DIY skincare project ever. You start with a base serum formulated with 100% phyto-infused water that blends antioxidant-rich botanicals like acerola cherry, black currant, green tea, and pomegranate. You then have 5 Amplifiers, each one addressing a specific issue: Hydration, Anti-Wrinkle, Firming, Anti-Spot, and Brightening. These Amplifiers work like boosters, super-charging the base serum so that, for instance, the Hydration Amplifier features a Hydo-Probiotic Technology that helps to repair the skin’s barrier function, thereby helping it seal in moisture, and the Anti-Spot Amplifier relies on a vitamin C technology that helps to break up stubborn melanin clusters, battling hyperpigmentation and yielding a more even skintone.

And since you can add up to three amplifiers to the base serum, you have the power to create a truly a bespoke skincare treatment that’s tailored to your wants and needs.

SCENTBIRD SUBSCRIPTION

Our choice of fragrance is often deeply personal — our choice of perfume can reflect our personality, boost our sense of confidence, reflect our culture and upbringing, and remind us of a special place or moment. Given the intimate nature of one’s fragrance inclinations, it’s hard to predict which perfume will entice someone else — after all, while one woman may be wooed by heady and romantic floral scents, another one might gravitate towards spicy or woody aromas.

Instead of splurging on a luxury perfume you think someone will like, then, make the wise choice and gift them a Scentbird subscription. That way, you’re giving them the gift of choice and allowing them to select a fragrance that truly excites them.

Scentbird is a monthly subscription service that enables members to constantly discover new fragrances. With a catalog of over 500 designer and niche fragrances from brands like Gucci, Dolce & Gabbana, Tom Ford, and Versace, the possibilities are endless. Every month, members can choose a scent that intrigues them, add it to their queue, and they’ll then receive a 30-day supply of that fragrance in a travel-friendly spray. Subscriptions start at $14.95/month at Scentbird.com

DECK OF SCARLET SUBSCRIPTION

Makeup lovers tend to covet the newest eyeshadow palettes, bronzers, and lip colors popping up on their Instagram feeds, but it’s not uncommon for them to find that, once they purchase that latest buzzed-about product, they’re not exactly sure how to use it. Looking at an eyeshadow palette, for instance, they may wonder which colors to apply to the crease and which to sweep over lower lids, or they may be baffled by the bolder, edgier shades in the mix, unsure about where to apply them to create a striking (but decidedly not circus-like) look. And sure, they may go on YouTube and look up some makeup tutorials related to that palette but, chances are, the women in the videos will wind up using 30 or so products in addition to the palette– be it loose eyeshadows or glitter liners, liquid eyeliners, eyebrow highlighters, and false lashes.

That’s what makes Deck of Scarlet particularly useful for those makeup-loving gals who want to stay on top of the latest trends. This makeup subscription service offers high-quality, richly-pigmented makeup palettes on a bi-monthly basis so that, every other month, subscribers receive a new full-face palette created in collaboration with a top YouTube personality such as SondraDeluxe or Melly Sanchez. Once members receive their palette, they can visit DeckofScarlet.com and check out video tutorials from the YouTuber who helped to curate that very palette, following a series of steps order to recreate the looks showcased. This comprehensive approach, then, makes makeup application all the more accessible to makeup novices and pros alike.

A subscription is just $29.95 every other month. Visit DeckofScarlet.com for details.

SHISEIDO MODERNMATTE POWDER LIPSTICKS

From playful smooches under the mistletoe to euphoric lip locks at the strike of midnight on New Year’s Eve, it’s the season for joyful kisses. So what better time than the present to gift someone a long-lasting, pout-enhancing lipstick?  That’s why the Shiseido ModernMatte Powder Lipstick ($26 at Shiseido.com) is a great addition to any holiday gift bag. Available in 24 shades inspired by Tokyo’s vibrant nightlife, this lipstick features a creamy, non-drying formula transforms into a weightless powder that, in turn, wraps lips in a veil of velvety matte color. The spherical pigments, then, seem to float over lips, blurring imperfections rather than seeping into fine lines.The weightless formula is breathable, blendable, and buildable, so your lip color can be as demure or bold as you’d like, Also, the lipstick bullet features a cleverly angled tip that allows users to carefully and precisely trace the contours of the mouth and access hard-to-reach areas.

If you’re looking for a pre-packaged set that will look stunning under the tree, consider picking up the Shiseido ModernMatte Powder Lipstick Expressive Deluxe Mini Set ($45 at Shiseido.com), pictured above. This gift set includes 5 mini ModernMatte Powder Lipstick shades: 506 Disrobed, 517 Rose Hip, 512 Sling Back, 516 Exotic Red, and 524 Dark Fantasy. With colors ranging from neutrals to bold berry tones, this set will have something for every occasion — both during this holiday season and well beyond it.