A Christmas Gift Guide: For the Parents & In-Laws

I always say that my boyfriend is the hardest person to buy for. But I think that parents and in-laws are actually impossible to buy for at Christmas. I seem to buy them the usual same gift every year. My parents never need or want anything and neither do my in-laws. So, I've searched the web for different and affordable bits and pieces for this Christmas.

For Him

Heated Slippers - So, slippers are usually on the top of my 'to buy' list for my dad every single year. But, I've found these heated slippers! Yes, heated! They have a little switch on the side of them so you can turn them off and on whenever. And for £20, I think it's an absolute bargain! Buy here.

Aftershave - Again, another popular present to buy men every year for Christmas. I always struggle with what scent to go for. How do I know if they'll like it or not? I usually raid the bathroom cupboard and search what they already use and see what notes the fragrance has in it and find another one similar. It seems to have worked and its not the same aftershave bottle every year.

 For Her

Ted Baker Floral Dressing Gown - Let's not argue that women are so much easier to buy for than men. Although, I find it difficult to think of gift ideas for my mother in-law. I found this gorgeous dressing gown for sale at Debenhams. Oh, and it's Ted Baker. Ted Baker is always a winner for the ladies. Buy here.

Perfume - Like mens aftershave, perfume is a popular and easy gift to give at Christmas. One of my faves is the Viktor & Rolf Flowerbomb. 

For Both

Matching Luggage - It's amazing how affordable it is for a set of suitcases. I had never thought of this gift idea before and it's different to the usual 'same gift every year' gift.

Canvas Print - I love this gift idea, it's always appreciated. Who doesn't like photos? And you can get a personalised canvas print pretty much anywhere nowadays and compare prices.

Bosch Tassimo - I weren't going to include this as its original price is £100 and that's waaaay out of my budget for my parents and in-laws. However, this is currently on sale at only £40 in Debenhams. Yes forty quid! I love a good bargain. Buy here.

Personalised Gift Box - Putting together some favourite items for the person you're buying for in a gift box is such a cool and unique idea. It could be some sort of alcohol, socks, a candle, a scarf etc. It could be anything and it'll work nicely.

Photobook / Digital Photo Frame - A bit more of a fun idea than a picture in a frame or a canvas on the wall. A photobook to flick through or a digital photo frame with a slideshow of pictures on is great for a Christmas gift. You can roundup memories of 2018 or maybe there was a wedding or a newborn. Or you could even put together old memories to look back on.

Couples Spa Break - This is an obvious one. Who doesn't like a spa break? Wowcher has all sorts of deals on spa breaks in and around areas in the UK. It's perfect for couples to spend quality time together - especially if they have kids. 

Amazon Echo Dot - If your parents and in-laws like technology, or even if they don't, this is a new fun little gadget to add to the household. It can also be great fun for the family on Christmas Day! Buy here.

Four Products I've Used Up & Wouldn't Repurchase

I love trying out new makeup, hair and skincare products but it also means that I either may or may not get on with them. I have bought and tried out quite a few products throughout this year, and there are four that I wouldn't buy again.

Got2b Dry Shampoo

I usually stick to using Batiste dry shampoos as I like the way they work on my hair. However, I had run out of my usual fave Batiste spray, so I headed to a local shop and picked this up in desperate needs. I swear by Got2be's hairspray, so I thought this would be pretty amazing too. It's not great and it was also pretty cheap compared to Batiste. 

When I spray it in my hair, it seems like nothing comes out and it takes a lot of the product to hide my greasy hair. On the other hand, I spray Batistes around 3-4 times and I'm ready for the day. Fair enough, Got2b's dry shampoo does stay put throughout the day but I've used this up pretty damn quick. 

L'Oréal Magic Retouch

I had been wanting to try this product out for ages, so when I finally got my hands on it, I was very disappointed. You spray this on your roots when they come through to match the rest of your hair. It did absolutely nothing for me. To be honest, it was a waste of nine quid and the can is bloody tiny for the price!!! I have heard that the darker retouches are better than the lighter ones, so maybe that's something L'Oréal can work on? I'm also going to add that I didn't even use this up. I tried it out twice and gave up. 

Urban Decay All Nighter Foundation

Some of you may be surprised about this one because a lot of bloggers have given it the thumbs up. I have been using all sorts of drugstore foundations for years and last year, I decided to give in and buy a high end foundation - the Urban Decay All Nighter. I absolutely love Urban Decay and probably forever will, but this foundation just didn't work with my skin. A little goes a really long way with this foundation and it lasted me ages!

 It applied and blended really easily and it looked nice on my skin and matched my skin colour perfectly. However, it didn't control my oily skin for very long and  it ended up going patchy throughout the day. Even when I fixed the patchiness by going over it with a beauty blender, an hour later, it's patchy again. I love the way this foundation looks, feels and applies. But it just doesn't last long enough for me and it doesn't do the job for my oily skin.

Max Factor Brow Shaper Pencil

I use an eyebrow pomade to fill in my brows but I like having a pencil as well. The pencil was a lovely colour and matched perfectly with my brow pomade. It was great for neat and precise lines and it also brushes out easily without taking much of the colour out. The downfall to this is that the pencil is super thin and fragile, if you pressed too hard, it would break. If you dropped it, it would break. But, if you didn't apply a bit of pressure, the colour of the pencil weren't very vibrant on the brows. It just constantly broke and there weren't much of the pencil there to begin with anyway. 

Do you agree with me about any of these products? What products wouldn't you repurchase?