lifestyle blog Archives - Curiously Carmen

Well, it’s that time of the year again… PRESENTS! But I love posts like this and coming up with gift ideas. I decided that this post will be gift ideas under $20 for friends.

1. Lush bath bombs, $5-$9: Lush bath bombs are quite popular presents to give and receive, and for a good reason too. They smell nice, they look pretty, and make you feel good! They also make good stocking stuffers. Bath bombs start at $5 and go up to $9 for the really fancy ones. I don’t think I would ever purchase a $9 for myself, but I wouldn’t mind buying that for someone.

On another note, you could check out other companies that make bath bombs as well. I picked up some on my recent weekend trip to Victoria, from a local company based in Saltspring Island named Saltpring Soapworks. Compared to Lush, the prices were cheaper there! Some other stores that sell bath bombs are the Rocky Mountain Soap Company, The Body Shop, and Amazon.

2. Macarons, $1-$20: Macarons are sweet, colourful, and so cute! They also act as great decor because they brighten up a room. How can you not love macarons? Depending on your budget, you could buy a couple, or a box of them. Some delicious places for macarons in Vancouver are Bon Macaron (read my review here), Theirry, Faubourg, Lauduree, and Soirette.

3. Tsum tsums, $5-$15: OMG, I am in love with tsum tsums. They are so adorable and I want them all! I normally HATE plushies because they just take up room and collect dust, but I am willing to make an exception for tsum tsums. There are so many different Disney tsum tsum characters to choose from. You’ll be sure to find one for someone!

4. Funko figurines, $10-$20: Funkos are another cool gift idea for that friend who loves fictional characters. Funko has so many different kinds of characters from so many different TV shows, games, and movies! If i had the space and money, I would definitely buy a collectors shelf and just collect them all!

5. Board games, $5-$20: If your friend is a fan of board games, consider buying them a new board game! Many of my board games are under $20 and are really fun. Take a look at your local board game store and check out the clearance section or the area near the cashier, that is usually where the cheaper games are. I recently bought a card game named Poo for $10 and it’s hilarious!

Check out my holiday gift idea posts from previous years as well!

Intangible Holiday Gift Ideas

Holiday Gift Ideas for the Boyfriend (Post 2)

Holiday Gift Ideas for Parents

Holiday Gift Ideas for the Boyfriend (Post 1)

Tried & Tested Gift Ideas Under $20 (For girls)

Christmas Gift Ideas for Friends, Under $15

Since my last beauty post, I have promised a drugstore product because I realize I haven’t done much of those. The elf studio eyebrow kit is my favourite eyebrow tool and brow makeup to use. I love how it is super easy to apply, how long lasting it is, and how natural the colour looks on me. I’ve been using this kit for the past eight months everyday, and just recently ran out.

Unfortunately, I live in Canada where we do not sell elf products in drugstores, so I usually stock up when I visit the US (US Targets or Wal-Marts sell them for cheap!) or ask my friend to kindly order them online for me!

Simple packaging of the product. The packaging is very sturdy, I’ve dropped it a few times on tile floor but it did not shatter. The left side is the pigmented wax, which kind of gives off a gel-like texture. The lighter shade on the right is the powder, which sets the eyebrow colour. For me personally, I never used the right side since it was too light on my skin. I only used the pigmented wax.
It comes with a small angle and eyeshadow brush, along with a mirror. For $5, this is a really good deal and you get a lot more than what you pay for. The angle brush helps you to colour in your eyebrows with more precision. I normally just use the angle brush from this kit. I know that some people are a bit nervous to use a brush and stick with eyebrow pencils, but to be honest, the application process is tremendously easy.
Yep… as I mentioned earlier, I just recently finished my first kit. Looks a bit gross, eh? Oh well. I am pretty surprised that it lasted me this long since I use this every single day.

Anyways, since I use this eyebrow kit daily, I’ll just attach a few random photos from the past few months when wearing this. I think that the shade is suitable for my skin and like that it’s not too harsh of a colour, what do you think?
Random picture #1: This picture taken from my Face Shop mini haul post!
Another random picture from last month…Yes I know my hair is a mess, it was very windy that day in my city and we were by the water 🙂 Also, say hi to Polka the cat again!
Taken in Disneyland back in January 🙂

I hope you enjoyed the post, thanks for reading! Comments make my day, and I would really appreciate your support! 🙂
-Carmen

Gift Ideas for Friends Under $20

E.L.F. Studio Eyebrow Kit