Budget Stocking Fillers You’ll Love

Christmas is almost here and in order to avert a mad last-minute scramble to the shops come Christmas Eve, we have these brilliant, yet budget-friendly options to stick in the stockings. And the best bit? The items are all under €20. Hurrah!

Micellar Water

Christmas time means many nights out and plenty of craic with your nearest and dearest. If you’re out until all hours, we daresay you’ll be tempted to skip a step (or two) during your nightly beauty ritual and the one piece of advice we recommend you follow is concerning make-up wipes. In short: stay well away from them! You’re not really cleaning your skin, you’re stripping it of moisture, and while we’d never suggest you sleep with the war paint on, there is an alternative quick and easy removal route you can go down thanks to micellar water. It’s instantly refreshing; it’s super easy to use – no need for stretching and pulling at your face to get it clean – and it hydrates your skin. In particular, we love Bioderma Sensibio H20 for €5.50.

Beautiful Blusher

A blusher is a key staple in the winter months as we’re all a little paler thanks to a lack of vitamin D. Whether you decide to opt for a powder or cream blush, either will instantly revive you so never underestimate its power. The rose colours look especially beautiful on those blessed with Celtic skin, but ultimately they suit everyone. A?creamy alternative gives you a flushed, dewy glow for which?No7’s Pop & Glow Cream Blush Stick, €12.95 is ideal.

Luscious?Lipstick

Beauty fiends (and everyone else) love nothing more than receiving a shiny new lipstick in their stocking, and as it is Christmas, there are plenty of gorgeous options available. You’ll have many to choose from in the €20 bracket. We recommend these gems by L’Or?al, a classic red or the above Lipfinity?option from?Max Factor.

Gorgeous Gloves

Because you’ll know at least two people, who manage to lose a glove every year. We have a list of favourites over yonder, but love these Wool Cable Mittens, €14.90, from Uniqlo.

Cosy Socks

How would we survive the bitter winter months without or beloved fluffy socks? They help our circulation no end and boy, do they keep us warm. Penneys always have loads of these to choose from, and we also love these from NEXT at €7.50 per pair. Yes, you can get away with wearing these outside the house (you may soon need to wear them under snow boots if this bitter onslaught continues), but maybe don’t tell everyone your favourite socks have animals on them. Unless you have little nieces and nephews. Definitely tell them.

Penney’s PJs

Okay, so technically these will need to be placed strategically underneath the stocking, but surely you see why we couldn’t leave them out. They are a staple in practically every Irish household at this rate. Available in a variety of styles for under €20, the only thing you’ll have to worry about is planning Netflix binge-watch days so you can wear them for hours on end. We highly recommend this?Red Fairisle Bear Pyjama Gift Set for only €13.

Lovely Lip Balm

A lip balm is the one product that you’ll likely find in every woman’s beauty bag. They can remain forgotten during the summer and then become a must-have product during the winter months, when dry, chapped lips become the standout facial feature no one wants.Thankfully, balms have come a long way since simple Vaseline (it’s way classier nowadays), and for under €20, you can pick almost any option, from those with SPF or a berry stain. Maybelline’s Baby Lips Lip Balm, €3.99 is a firm favourite of ours.

Brilliant Body Butter

The cold, damp cover-up months should be used to keep skin hydrated and soft, and there’s no better way to achieve this than with a body cream. The now cult product that is The Body Shop’s Body Butter, €19 will do the job perfectly.

An Excellent Exfoliator

With it being the winter season, dry skin will more than likely rear its ugly head, which is where your favourite body scrub comes in. Much like exfoliating your face, it is important to cleanse and remove your dry skin on the rest of your body without overdoing it. Regarding a facial scrub, we love Una Brennan’s Rose Hydrate Brighten & Refine Facial Scrub, €11.99 and following this, Soap & Glory’s Flake Away Body Scrub, €10.49 will take care of the rest.

Marvellous Macaroons

I’m tagging this one at the end because each year I receive a box, and it makes my day. Available in Brown Thomas, Ladur?e macaroons are a luxurious treat – perfect for anyone with a sweet tooth. Yours to own?in a beautiful gift box if you wish, the delightful biscuits?come in a variety of different flavours and start at €1.40 per macaroon, or you can buy a set of eight (and above) starting at €16-?18. These are perfect for your guests to nibble while they anxiously await The Dinner on Christmas’day.