The Body Shop #ComeGiftWithMe

Last week I was invited on a fun VIP store visit to The Body Shop in Pacific Centre to learn all about their holiday offerings (thanks Heather!) and simply could not wait to share with you all.

This year's theme is all about playfulness with a portion of proceeds going towards the Peace Play Project in Lebanon, a fund that provides play and activities in a safe place for Syrian refugee children. All the seasonal gift packaging is interactive in some way; some gift boxes feature word searches and mazes while others like the Dial-A-Flavour Body Butter Trio ($15 CAD) have an arrow that you can spin to pick which one you're going to use.

For lip balm fans, you need to get your hands on the Kiss and Tell Born Lippy Wand ($18 CAD) or the House of Holland x The Body Shop Kiss Me Cube ($20 CAD). That's right -- The Body Shop has teamed up with House of Holland, the iconic British fashion line, on the colourful prints used on some of the limited edition holiday sets. I'm particularly obsessed with the House of Holland x The Body Shop Wonder Cube ($60 CAD), which is seriously fun to play with and features a different beauty surprise in each numbered compartment.

There are three limited edition holiday scents as well: Frosted Plum, Vanilla Chai, and Frosted Berries. I really like the hand creams, but you can find these scents in a range of products and gift sets. For something super special, the Festive Tin ($28 CAD) is modelled after a round ornament, while the Tin Of Delights ($45 CAD) is larger and shaped like a hatbox.

If you've got someone on your wishlist who loves a particular scent from The Body Shop's regular line (Satsuma, anyone?), a pre-packaged gift set is definitely the way to go. They come in a few sizes to fit your budget and are a great option if you aren't really sure what to buy someone on your list. The smaller sets make excellent stocking stuffers, Secret Santa gifts, or presents for your coworkers. Check out the Gift Cube ($10 CAD) and Gift Pouch ($15 CAD), which are apparently quite popular.

What I'm personally most excited about, however, is the Countdown to New Year! Advent Calendar ($69 CAD). Most of us are used to the typical advent calendars which count down from December 1 to Christmas (The Body Shop has some great ones), but this is the first advent calendar I've seen that counts down from Christmas Day to New Years Day.

Housed in a colourful star, each triangular box contains a product aimed at prepping you for any NYE parties you might be attending; for example, the Himalayan Charcoal Purifying Glow Face Mask and Gold and Pink Glitter Dust for sparkle.

Find all The Body Shop holiday items in-store or online.

Holiday Offerings from L'Occitane En Provence

Following up on my stocking stuffers for beauty lovers post, I've got a bunch more reviews coming up as part of this year's holiday gift guide series. Today, it's all about L'Occitane En Provence!

L'Occitane puts together some very thoughtfully curated gift sets including the Shea Butter Collection ($79 CAD), which I was kindly sent to try out. Packaged in a sleek round box with a gold lid, it includes a Shea Butter Hand Cream (75ml), Foot Cream (75ml), Ultra-Rich Body Cream (200ml), and Extra Gentle Milk Soap (100g). I've reviewed the Shea Butter Intensive Hand Balm before and I love how this set allows me to sample some of the company's other shea butter offerings. I was also pleased to find a coupon for $10 off any shea butter product from January 1-31, 2018 -- great bonus!

And, as if you needed another reason to splurge on this collection for yourself or someone else,  L’Occitane has partnered with UNICEF to help thousands of children around the world this holiday season. From October 25 to December 25, the company will donate $4 from each Shea Butter Collection and Shea Butter Deluxe Collection Gift Sets purchased to UNICEF, up to $120,000.

If shea butter isn't your thing, L'Occitane does have a range of other sets for those on your Christmas shopping list. Check them all out here here, but if you need a little guidance, I've rounded up a few of my picks for you too:

Terre de Lumière Collection ($89 CAD): Featuring L'Occitane's 2017 fragrance launch (reviewed here), this set includes a holiday limited edition Terre de Lumière Eau de Parfum (50ml), Gentle Shower Gel (50ml), Body Lotion (50ml), and Perfumed Soap (75g) wrapped in luxury silk gold tissue.

Advent Calendar ($69 CAD): You can't go wrong with a beauty advent calendar and this one is sure to please any crowd by revealing a surprise beauty essential on each of the 24 days leading up to Christmas.

Premium Advent Calendar ($134 CAD): New for 2017, this premium advent calendar includes 24 premium fragrance, body care, and face care products from many of L'Occitane's beloved lines, including Verbena, Shea Butter, Immortelle, Almond, Cherry Blossom, Rose, and more.

Crackers Collection ($34 CAD): A super fun alternative to your traditional holiday crackers, these contain cute L'Occitane minis. Now that's a cracker I want to pop open!

L’Homme Cédrat Collection ($84): For the men in your life, L’Homme Cédrat is the essence of escape, inspired by the sailors of Arles with a crisp freshness and aquatic notes. This set includes the signature L’Homme Cédrat Cologne Eau de Toilette (75ml), Shower Gel (250ml), After-Shave gel cream (30ml), and Cologne Soap (50g).

Stocking Stuffers for Beauty Lovers

Can you believe Christmas is in less than a month?! I've been working hard to get all my holiday shopping done early and thought I'd share some stocking stuffer ideas for any beauty lovers on your gift list this year.

Being by Sanctuary Spa is a new bath & body line from the UK catered towards millennials. Edgy messaging and unique scents are their M.O. with this Chilli Mango & Tonka Bean Body Mist being one of my faves. Find this in-store at Shoppers Drug Mart.

Next up, these Real Techniques Mini Miracle Complexion Sponges are super cute and perfect for travel or those on-the-go. Find this in-store at London Drugs.

Face masks also make great stocking stuffers and this 7th Heaven Charcoal Peel-Off Face Mask is a fun take on the traditional peel-off mask featuring pressed birch leaf, crushed witch hazel, and activated charcoal. Find this in-store at London Drugs.

If you're looking for some pre-made gift sets, Stila has released some really nice ones this season. The Play it Cool Stay All Day Liquid Lipstick Set comes with three deluxe sizes of their beloved matte liquid lipsticks: Baci (nude pink), Patina (dusty rose), and Bacca (raspberry).

For those who are more into defined eye looks, the Stila Big Shots Set comes with full-sizes of their Stay All Day Waterproof Liquid Eye Liner & HUGE Extreme Lash Mascara. I've been a devoted Kat Von D Ink Liner user for years but this summer I received a sample of Stila's liner from a Sephora order and I think I'm going to make the switch -- it's so good!

Lastly, while not quite a beauty product, everyone could use a Saje Peppermint Halo Headache Remedy rollerball. I keep one of these in my desk at work for when I feel a headache coming on.