Temptalia's Holiday Gift Guide 2007 -- The Minimalist Mom

Mom’s can be difficult to shop for, because so many of us have darling mothers who spend little time fussing about their looks and adore their minimalist beauty regimens. Of course, some of us also have mothers who are bigger beauty addicts than ourselves (sigh, don’t I wish!). Today’s guide, however, is dedicated to finding the perfect beauty products for the mom who doesn’t mind looking amazing, as long as it is easy, quick, and painless.

THE MINIMALIST MOM | Surprise her by providing her with a basket of beauty goodies that improve her regimen without adding hours to it. Everybody loves their skin to look their best, so we think this is one aspect to concentrate on for moms with less beauty product love and more natural beauty love.

Find the best gifts to give.

Anti-aging

• Clinique’s Superdefense Triple Action SPF25 moisturizer ($39.50) comes in flavors for dry to oily to normal skin, and it has properties that are designed to reduce the signs of aging.
• Bliss’ The Youth (As We Know It) moisturizer ($79.00) includes ten of the most effective anti-aging ingredients; “this facial moisturizer is a one-stop shop for wrinkle renovation, exfoliation, oxygenation, binding hydration, surface line relaxation, cellular respiration and collagen and elastin regeneration.”
• Bliss’ Thinny Thin Chin is a dual-action complex to help tone and comabt signs of aging in the chin to cleavage area. Help your mom reduce the appearance of necklines by giving her this firming and hydrating anti-aging product.

Cleansing

• Clinique’s Take The Day Off Cleansing Milk ($24.00) is a gentle, milky makeup remover for face makeup and sunscreens. It doesn’t give too much of a “tight” skin feeling, either. Clinique products are great to give for those with sensitive or unruly skin.
• Estee Lauder’s Take It Away Towelettes ($17.50) make cleansing quick, easy, and entirely painless. These moistened towelettes remove makeup and renew skin without water. Of course, there are less expensive alternatives – check your local drugstore for several versions (we just love how hydrating these ones are, though).
• Philosophy’s Purity Made Simple ($20.00) is a “liquid crystal cleansing emulsion that removes makeup, dirt, oil and debris in one step.” What’s the best part? Because your mom wants something quick and easy, this is a great cleanser because it does not need to be used with a makeup remover or a toner.

Moisturizing

• Bliss’ An Ounce of Prevention PM moisturizer ($48.00) is a wrinkle-relaxing, moisturizing complex used in the evening so you wake up looking and feeling rested.
• Estee Lauder’s DayWear Plus Creme SPF 15 ($38.00) creme is a preventive moisturizer against aging, but it is also one of the most luxe creams I’ve had the pleasure to try. My skin might be a tad too young to be lovin’ this EL cream, but it’s ultra moisturizing and feels so lightweight on the skin.
• Philosophy’s Hope in a Jar ($38.00) is a rich moisturizer that contains beta glucan (powerful antioxidant) and lactic acid (gentle exfoliator). Your mom may even find that with this product her skin will look amazing naturally.

Preventing

• Bliss’ All-Around Eye Cream ($28.00) reduces under-eye puffiness and dark circles through ceramide technology.
• Kiehl’s Lip Balm #1 ($5.50) is an easy way to give your mom soft, dreamy lips. Encourage her to apply before she goes out into the winter’s harsh weather or before bed to wake up with lovely lips.
• Shiseido Ultimate Sun Protection Lotion for Face & Body ($37.00) has SPF55, which is pretty much the highest on the market right now. Even though you can get away with less SPF (the increase in protection is 1-2% between SPF25 to SPF55), why not give your mom the best for Christmas? I love the Face & Body product because it’s a multi-tasker, which allows you to place it on any part of you exposed to the sun (ahem, the neck).

Make-Up

• Maybelline Full ‘n Soft mascara($7.00) is an inexpensive way to give your mom the ability to get luscious lashes. It is one of my favorite drugstore mascaras because of its effectiveness in delivering longer, thicker lashes with little fuss.
• MAC’s Royal Assets in Warm Eyes ($36.00) is a gorgeous palette suited for the minimalist mom. There are so many classic combinations that can be made with the six shadows found in this golden palette, which means your mom has less to think about in the morning. She gets a good grasp of fun colors, subdued colors, and it’s all her choice as to what she wants to do. It even comes with a miniature brush for good measure.
• NARS Lip Gloss/Lip Stain Gloss Duo ($28.00) come in several shades, but ultimately they are a dual-ended tube with a gloss on one side and a long-wearing liquid lipstick on the other. Depending on how bold your mom is, you may find Turkish Delight/Sayonara a good subdued color. If she loves red lips, we like Moon Fleet/Indian Red.

Fabulous Gift Sets

• Philosophy All-Stars Travel Set ($35.00) is a great way to give your mom a chance to try out a great skincare brand in trave-sizes. You get a host of their bestsellers, including: Amazing Grace shampoo, Hope in a Jar, Hope in a Tube, Purity Made Simple, Shear Splendor shampoo and conditioner, and Kiss Me Red lip balm. Like this? Check out their Time Traveler Set, too (also $35.00), or some of their full-size gift sets ($55 and higher).
• Kiehl’s Delights ($34.00) is a set of fun Kiehl products like Creme de Corps for the body, Amino Acid Shampoo, Lip Balm #1, and Ultimate Strength Hand Salve.
• Bliss’ Best of Bliss Set ($45.00) comes with deluxe try-on sizes of Lemon + Sage Soap, Lemon + Sage Body Butter, Vanilla + Bergamot Shower Gel, Vanilla + Bergamot Body Buff, Foot Patrol, and High Intensity Hand Cream.

Find all these gift ideas and many more at Nordstrom.com.

Stay tuned for more of Temptalia’s Gift Giving Guides for this holiday season…