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Thank You
Mum
I don’t know
about you, but there’s not much that I don’t owe my Mum. She did all the
obvious things – such as birth me and raise me, which is really enough for
anyone – but even though I’ve long since reached adulthood the parenting hasn’t
stopped; she’s sat beside me in hospital beds, fed my cat and emptied his
litter tray when I’ve been ill or on holiday, she offers constant moral support
and is always a reliable shoulder to cry on. So, with all those points in mind,
Mother’s Day is always something I do my best to observe with style. Of course,
saying ‘thank you, Mum’ needn’t be about finding the most expensive gift on the
high street, it’s the giving of gifts that show that some effort and thought
has gone into the procurement that is really the point. So whether your budget
stretches to £20 or £200, make sure that this Mother’s Day is one that she’ll
not forget.
Lindt Lindor Collection £9.99 (285g) – Chocolate can seem
like a little bit of a cop-out when it comes to gifts for mums, but if you’re
on a budget and you get your selection right, it can be perfect. This year Lindt
have released a new Lindor Collection,
which allows the original Milk Chocolate, White Chocolate and Extra Dark
Chocolate truffles to mingle with the decadent Stracciatella, sumptuous
Hazelnut and scrumptious Irish Cream truffles and sweet little Chocolate
Hearts. All coated with the smoothest of chocolate, each centre is a little
delight that is sure to make mum’s day. Lindt has been producing the very
finest chocolates since 1845 and this wealth of experience has allowed them to
develop a business over which they have complete control, from planting to
packaging. In recent years the company has also made a firm commitment to
reduce CO2 emissions,waste, energy and water consumption, producing
a chocolate that makes you feel good all round.
Fortnum & Mason Bath Soap £8.00 – Created exclusively for
F&M by those masters of all things soapy – husband and wife team Heyland
and Whittle – this can only be described as a little piece of art in a box. Strikingly
presented in a mini hatbox, stunningly scented with the finest herbs, spices
and essential oils and decorated with beautiful dried roses, I defy any woman
not to love this soap. Free from parabens and sulphates, the soap is handmade
in England in true traditional style, using natural ingredients, including
deeply hydrating Olive, Coconut, Palm and Castor oils, as well as Goats Milk,
which is known to be excellent for sensitive skin having a near identical PH
level to human epidermis. All the technical stuff aside, this is simply a
really pretty little gift which smells almost good enough to eat.
Blinc Heated Lash Curler £18.50 – There’s probably not a
woman in the western world who hasn’t, at some point in her early, life managed
to chop off a set of eyelashes with one of the old vaguely obstetric-looking
curling devices. And I must admit, that since my big sister did just that to a
ten year old me I’ve been too scared to even try using them myself, so when I
read the Blinc press release it was a with a feeling of intrigued joy.
Extremely simple to use and apparently risk-free, the Blinc Heated Lash Curler works without clamping and is in fact not
unlike applying mascara, merely turn the device on and gently brush your
lashes. The result isn’t a pronounced curl, but lashes lift and fan creating a
lovely effect, perfect for enhancing with your mascara of choice. This is
perhaps more of a gift for the younger mum, or at least the mum who’s young at
heart, but it’s certainly worth keeping in mind for anyone who takes pride in
their appearance.
Essential Care Rose Gift Set £25.00 – If your mum is interested
in more of a natural approach to skin- and body-care and prefers to try to
avoid products containing unpleasant synthetic chemicals and ingredients, such
as parabens, Sodium Lauryl Sulphate, petrochemicals and artificial colours and
fragrances you should pay a visit to www.essential-care.co.uk. Formed in 2003, Essential Care is a small family-run
business based in the UK, hand producing a wealth of natural organic cosmetics
and toiletries. If you’re new to the range, or unsure what your mum would most
like, the Citrus or Rose Gift Set is
the perfect place to begin. Offering a travel-sized selection of luxury organic
products including a gorgeous Coconut Cleanser (30ml), Organic Rose Petal Tonic (30ml), Organic Rose Moisturiser (15g), Organic Avocado Replenishing
Cream (15g) and Organic Cotton Cleansing Pads,
this set is a perfect introduction to a fabulous range. And as an added bonus,
all items are suitable for vegans, so this could make a super-thoughtful gift
for any ethically-minded mothers out there.
Repechage Sea Spa Mineral Bath Salts £27.50 (500g) – There is nothing in
this world more relaxing than a good long soak in a nice hot bath, but what you
put in it can make or break the experience. Repechage’s beautifully scented Mandarin Triple Mint Sea Spa Mineral Bath
Salts (which remind me of a curious mix of Opal Fruits – ah, those were the
days! – and Wriggley’s Spearmint gum) could just be the things to fashion a
personal pool of tranquillity for your mum. Created by imbuing vitamin, mineral
and anti-oxidant rich sea salt with a glorious combination of essential oils,
including calming lavender, stimulating Peppermint & Spearmint, soothing
Cucumber with its anti-inflammatory properties and Grapefruit, which widely is
known to trigger fat metabolism, the Repechage Bath Salts create a spa-like
experience in the comfort of your own home, relaxing the mind, soothing tired
muscles and leaving skin feeling wonderfully soft.
GADI 21 Mineral Nail Kit £30 – A decent set of nails can be
difficult of even the most idle amongst us to maintain, but for a busy mum it
can be nigh on impossible and as for a regular manicure, well, the chance would
be a fine thing. And that’s where GADI comes in. Created from the 21 purest
minerals taken from the Dead Sea, the Mineral
Nail Kit is designed to ‘stimulate the natural skin repair process and create
healthy nail growth’, leaving hands silky soft and nails feeling super strong
and looking beautiful, with a professional shine that lasts for weeks... and
all for five minutes of effort. The kit contains a rich and hydrating Hand and Nail Lotion (250ml),
multi-vitamin and mineral packed Cuticle
Oil (10ml), a Professional Nail
Buffer and a Nail File. All Gadi
21 Minerals products are paraben and Propylene Glycol free and suitable for all
skin types.
The GADI 21 Mineral Nail Kit is available in
three scents and can be purchased from House of Fraser nationwide, as well as
standalone GADI stores. For more information visit www.gadi21.com.
Planet Skincare Wrinkle Defence £65 (50ml) – If you have a mother
with metaphorically thick skin, who’s not likely to take offence at the implied
inference, Planet Skincare’s Wrinkle
Defence could make a superb gift this Mothering Sunday. Containing Planet
Skincare’s much lauded Syn-ake® formula,
which is designed to ‘inhibit the pathways of neurotransmitters which cause
facial muscle tension (fine lines & wrinkles)’ and rejuvenates collagen in
the skin, Wrinkle Defence is
staggeringly effective, working almost instantly to reduce the signs of ageing,
with cumulative effect so that within 28 days users experience 52% wrinkle reduction and an 82% smoothing
effect. Now, I don’t claim to fully understand the technology that can put an
improvement in skin tone into percentages, but having used it myself, I am
beginning to suspect that witchcraft is involved! I am lucky enough to only
show signs of laughter lines so far, but even after a few days of use they
appeared noticeably less... well... noticeable! And if you don’t want to take
my word for it, take the word of Gwyneth Paltrow, the Minogue sisters and
Cheryl Cole, all of whom are said to be big fans of the stuff. Most impressive
of all for me though, is that these results are achieved using largely natural
ingredients, so Wrinkle Defence
is completely paraben-free and has not been tested on animals.
Planet Skincare Platinum Creme
Excellence £125 (50ml)
– Finally, if you have the cash to splash, why not get mum something really
special, in the form of Planet Skincare’s very latest release, Platinum Creme Excellence. This daily
moisturiser takes all the goodness of Wrinkle Defence, then soups it up a
couple of notches further with the introduction or Platinum Colloid®. Working
in much the same way as Silver Soap, nano sized particles of platinum enter the
skin, directly repairing and rejuvenating tired and damaged cells without
stripping or impairing natural essential oils. Alongside Syn-ake®, the platinum actively
stimulates the production of fresh Collagen I and III, increases natural skin
hydration levels by 33%, improves skin elasticity up to 47%, dramatically
reduces fine lines and wrinkles by up to 61% and prevents further DNA damage by
improving the skin cells natural electrical balance . On top of all that, the
skin is left feeling super smooth and silky and looks absolutely incredible and
will give your mum a flush of youthful radiance. As with other Planet Skincare
products, Platinum Creme Excellence
is paraben- and artificial fragrance- free and has not been tested on animals,
so it gets a nice big ethical thumbs up too!
© Purple Peccadilloes
