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Donna Maria's Handmade Beauty Connection
November 21, 2002

Donna Maria's 2002 Handmade Holiday Gift Guide!

2002 Holiday Gift Guide Sponsor

While it's great to make holiday gifts on my own using ingredients provided by suppliers like today's sponsor, Making-Soap.com, I also am a mom, wife and businesswoman so I just can't make everything. I know the lives of HBC readers are as filled with activity as mine, so I thought I'd help out by scouring the Handmade Beauty Connection Archives to compile a list of some of my best loved HBN member products, each of which can be ordered online using the Buy It! links below.

So, without further ado, here is my First Annual Handmade Holiday Gift Guide -- some of the coolest handmade beauty goodies on the planet!! Happy Shopping!!

Perfect Gifts For $10.00 Or Less
For The Diva In You (Or In Your Friends!)
Perfect For New Moms & Moms To Be
SkinCare For Girls & Boys

Perfect Gifts For $10.00 Or Less

5th Element's Gold Goo, 1 oz., $6.00
(reviewed May 28, 2000)
Buy It!
If you want a product containing herbs that can really heal the skin, this is one to choose. You can actually smell the Calendula, Goldenseal, Chickweed, Plantain, Burdock, Comfrey, and Rosemary! I used Gold Goo for the first time to soothe an area of skin that had become reddened, chaffed and irritated (but not broken) after a particularly hot, humid day. I applied Gold Goo before going to bed, and the next day, the irritation had subsided and the area was no longer painful to the touch. A few days later, I burned myself slightly with hot curlers ... the Gold Goo soothed the area. A little goes a long way so this is the perfect stocking stuffer for your herbal skincare loving friends!

Mama Coco's Coconut Lip Cream, 1/4 oz, $4.50
(reviewed June 10, 2002)
Buy It!
Pucker up under the mistletoe for this fabulous lip balm! It smells just like the coconut meat I ate when I cracked a fresh coconut several years ago in Ocho Rios, Jamaica. So after I put it on my lips, I just had to lick my lips and taste it. Ahhh! Delicious! Does anyone like cream soda? Well, it tastes sort of like that, only more delicate. Mama Coco's contains other lip loving ingredients (many of them certified organic): cocoa butter, beeswax, honey and several herbs like calendula and sea buckthorn.

Fairies Kiss' Rice Soap, 5 oz., $4.50
(reviewed November 12, 2001)
Buy It!
I love a soap made with bitter almond oil. The aroma is so warm and inviting and a soap with just the right amount makes it tempting to take a bite. Another reason this soap won me over is because it looks like a bar of creamy fudge with visible flecks of jasmine rice throughout. According to Kathy the soapmaker, the addition of the jasmine rice to the mix lends a perfume-y aroma, along with some protein and anti-inflammatory skin conditioning benefits similar to those provided by oatmeal. Rice Soap also contains a generous portion of vanilla bourbon absolute, one of the most exquisite aromatics you can find, which tops off a sweet aroma that is rich and full of depth. 

For The Diva In You (Or In Your Friends!)

Kathleen Lewis' Honey Dream Cream, 4 oz., $22.00
(reviewed September 10, 2000)
Buy It!
Honey Dream Cream is the perfect complement for any Diva's dry skin. It's thick and rich the way I prefer body creams, especially now that we are moving into the crisp, cool fall season. This cream colored product smells lightly of honey and contains just enough lanolin to soothe and protect, but not enough to cause it to feel sticky and uncomfortable. I enjoy massaging it into my skin after a warm bath. The aroma is fabulous and those with year-round dry skin will love using this product season to season. It's also available in a rose scent.

SunRose Aromatics' Gossamer Cream, 1 oz., $19.99
(reviewed September 24, 2000)
Buy It!
Gossamer Cream is a simply elegant blend of shea butter, one of the most skin nourishing things on earth, and several essential oils, along with evening primrose oil (so great for maturing skin like mine) and skin soothing calendula. I have tried Gossamer Cream on my heels, elbows, a dry patch around my mouth, hang nails and my hair. It never fails to please and the aroma of pure aromatic oils is luxurious and empowering. It's got geranium, frankincense (so great for dry skin!), patchouli, lavender, clary sage and more to leave my skin feeling radiant, pampered and Diva smooth.

Acqua Vita's Five Roses Facial Oil, 1 oz., $34.00
(reviewed February 4, 2001)
Buy It!
The Five Roses Facial Oil is one of the simplest, yet most effective, facial oils this handmade beauty Diva has ever used. It's a heavenly combination of 4 different essential oils, including palmarosa and rose geranium, and a generous amount of rose hips. Five Roses drenches my skin with ingredients that are smooth going on, and which absorb quickly to nourish and moisturize my face and neck. In combination with other essential oils, pure high quality rose otto makes this product smell really special.

Anastasias Ideas' Rhassoul Super Body Polish, 5 oz., $10.00
(reviewed July 23, 2001)
Buy It!
If there were an official Diva Soap, Rhassoul Super Summer Body Polish might be it. It contains a combination of pure Bulgarian lavender, along with organic pink grapefruit, juniper and green lemon essential oils, plus Rhassoul clay, which helps reduce dryness, flakiness and encourages a smooth skin texture. The base also contains virgin coconut oil, shea butter, aloe butter and olive oil, all of which combine with the essential oils and chunks of Rhassoul clay to produce a really nice aroma and an unmatched creamy lather. So if you like pure, high quality, exotic essential oils in your soap (or your Diva Girlfriend does!), this is definitely the bar for the two of you!

Blue Moon Herbals' Hana Aloha, 2 oz., $14.99
(reviewed December 10, 2001)
Buy It!
This wonderfully fragrant and skin soothing body moisture oil is named for the Hawaiian words for "love work." I loved the scent and the way it felt on my body so much that I used it all up before I knew it! Hana Aloha contains virgin coconut cream, apricot kernel oil and flower essences. Pikake oil (extracted from the flower using the enfleurage method), complements the natural scent of the virgin coconut oil to create a soft and soothing blend reminiscent of a tropical island ... every Diva needs a little sunshine in the dead of winter!

Perfect For New Moms & Moms To Be

Greenridge Herbals' Baby Bum Moisturizing Cream, 4 oz., $10.00
(reviewed December 3, 2001)
Buy It!
Baby Bum Creme is a smooth cream to help prevent itchy, dry skin on baby's bottom. The thick richness is no doubt due in large part to a generous amount of shea butter, as well as the herbal infusions of chamomile, comfrey. The scent is especially nice ... a combination of lavender and chamomile essential oils ... I knew what they were immediately and they are perfectly light for application to a baby's skin. The product label is appropriately pink and blue with pretty flowers, and the sides of the label are cut with a nice design. This is a nice moisturizer for mom and baby so it's a great gift that acts as a "2-fer."

SunRose Aromatics' BaBy Belly Balm Cream, 2 oz., $17.00
(reviewed September 23, 2002)
Buy It!
BaBy Belly Balm Cream smells divine - mostly citrus with just a tinge of the sweet, balsamic aroma of frankincense. Neroli rounds out the middle and the result is perfect for a pregnant woman whose nose may be a bit sensitive. The short simple list of ingredients guarantee gentleness: shea butter, Babassu oil, rosehips, calendula and essential oils of tangerine, neroli and frankincense. I have used BaBy Belly Balm Cream everywhere! Just a little at a time keeps skin soft and supple. I especially like to put it on my feet at night! It makes such a difference when I sleep in socks to allow the moisture-rich oils to penetrate and keep otherwise rough skin under control.

Blue Bath & Body's "Use This" Body Butter, 8 oz, $23
(reviewed September 16, 2002)
Buy It!
"Use This" sat around my house for a few weeks before I delved into the jar, and when I did, I scolded myself for waiting so long! The rich and creamy texture of this unscented product (except for the quick whiff of cocoa butter) is really tops! It's a blend of really simple ingredients: shea and cocoa butters, sweet almond oil and beeswax, with Vitamin E. It's a perfect balance creating a rich, thick, smooth butter that is a pleasure to spread across my skin. I also use it on my little baby's bottom to protect her skin from the treats she leaves me in her diapers. Had I discovered this product while pregnant, I would have loved to have a ton of it for my tummy. I highly recommend "Use This" for anyone who is a mom to be, a new mom, or a mom with a few months under her belt like me ... who still has a toddler in diapers! Order soon for the holidays!!! This goody must be shipped all the way from Switzerland!!

SkinCare For Girls & Boys

Essential Restoratives' After Shave Toning Spray, 4 oz., $11.95
(reviewed January 16, 2000)
Buy It!
Looking for a handmade body care treat for a favorite man in your life? Try Essential Restoratives' After Shave Toning Spray. It's a light mist that balances and tones freshly shaved skin. With skin loving ingredients like aloe, chamomile, lavender and sage, and 100% pure essential oils of lavender and sandalwood .. I tried it as a facial toner for myself and loved it (which means that even if you buy it for him, you can love it too!). The essential oil blend is light and soothing. The spray mister is a bit fine for my taste, so I prefer to apply it with a cotton pad for more direct application. Comes in a pretty cobalt bottle with white mister top and clear lid.

Cowgirl Skincare's Cowgirl Cream, 2 oz., $25.00
(reviewed September 3, 2001)
Buy It!

I first tried Cowgirl Cream back in 1995 and I've been hooked since. It is truly natural, a "cream" with no emulsifier except for my elbow grease! My skin saps up Cowgirl Cream! It soothes itchiness and dryness and makes my skin look radiant and beautiful. As an added bonus, the smell is fantastic! The scent is unisex so despite it's name, the product is great for boys and girls alike, especially those with dry skin. Cowgirl Cream contains lavender, geranium tangerine, ylang ylang and spruce essential oils, along with several herbal extracts, including horsetail, St. John's wort, and calendula. The base oils of jojoba, sunflower and vitamin E provide a wonderful carrier environment for the essential oils and herbs.

sunny brae body works' Neem Nail Oil, 1 oz., $9.99
(reviewed October 21, 2002)
Buy It!

When I began enjoying regular applications of sunny brae body works' Neem Nail Oil with lavender and tea tree essential oils, the combination began to strengthen my nails slowly but surely. For the first time in weeks, I was not having to cut off hang nails or pull off split nails. Instead, when I applied Neem Nail Oil in small quantities to each nail at least twice a day for a week, especially before going to bed, my nails became stronger and more resilient. I sometimes apply it (if it's handy) about 10 minutes before putting my hands into water if I am not going to be wearing gloves. In addition to neem oil, Neem Nail Oil also contains Vitamin E, peanut oil (I don't have an allergy) and jojoba oils. The lavender and tea tree essential oils add some scent but I can still smell the neem just a little. It smells very earthy, making it a comfortable gift choice for boys and girls alike.

Terra Soleil's Lemon Ylang Body Balm, 2 oz., $12.50
(reviewed November 18, 2002)
Buy It!
Made with shea butter and oils of jojoba, almond, hemp and virgin coconut, along with just enough beeswax to keep it from being runny, this product is a moisture-rich salve for the entire body. For the driest holiday skin, this treatment gives a super emollient feeling. And although the balm is very oily, it does not make me feel like my pores are being strangled. I like to use a lot of it at a time, especially after warm bath before bedtime when my skin can absorb all of the nutrients overnight. The scent is exotic with a touch of citrus, and neither feminine nor masculine, so it's the perfect gift for anyone on your list.