Cheap Christmas gifts for her

Buying for the woman in your life but don't want to spend a fortune? Check out our guide to the top cheap Christmas gifts for women.

Beauty bargains

Under £5

Watch out for overpriced beauty gift sets, you shouldn’t pay more for Christmassy packaging! Buy individual items and put them in your own decorative bag with some tissue paper.

One of the biggest beauty crazes this year was Argan Oil and this has given some companies the perfect excuse to charge ridiculous sums. I’ve hunted down the cheaper options out there and number one on my list is Carino Miracle Oil 50ml which is exclusive to Aldi and a snip at £3.29. You can also buy various Argan Oil products at Holland & Barrett, all of which are included in a buy one, get one half-price offer.

Look out for Anovia Love the Tan range at Poundland too. You can buy the whole set of Exfoliating Primer, Self-Tan Moisturiser and Smooth on Instant Bronzer and still have change from a fiver!

Various Organic Surge products have a third off at Ocado, which means you can buy Lavender Meadow Foaming Bath 250ml for £3.60 (was £5.49) and Gentle Cleansing Lotion with Lemon & Rosemary Essential Oil 200ml or Tropical Bergamot Body Lotion with Bergamot & Sweet Orange 200ml for £3.99 each (was £5.99).

Under £10

I’ve heard nothing but good things about YSL Luxurious Mascara for the False Eyelash Effect but at £23.50 it would have to be some kind of miracle mascara for me to part with the cash. I’ve tried just about every ‘budget’ mascara out there, but I always come back to Maybelline Falsies Mascara which is only £7.99 at Boots and included in the current three for two promotion.

Under £25

Another money-saving swap is YSL Touche Éclat (£25) for No7 Instant Radiance Concealer which is £12.95 and if you are buying for a Benefit Cosmetics fan, there are some lovely sets and tins. If you buy one, split the products between several people to save even more, for example, get First Class Flirts for £24.50 (worth £51.83) and split the six makeup items between a few recipients.

Clothes and accessories

Under £5

Look out for discounted home and jewellery accessories as this Glass Butterfly Trinket Box for £4 (was £5) at Debenhams where both standard UK delivery (free for orders over £30) and Click & Collect are available until midnight tomorrow (Wednesday 18th December).  

Under £10

I also like this White Square Glass Reindeer Dish for £6.40 (was £8), this Ben de Lisi Designer Wooden Dice Storage Box for £8 (was £10) and this Sass and Belle Metal Storage Box for £9.60 (was £12).

Hot water bottles make a sweet gift too and you can find just about any pattern or colour you like. This Paws Print one at John Lewis caught my eye for £10 but this BHS Red Fluffy Hot Water Bottle is kinder to your wallet at £6.

Under £25

I spend an inordinate amount of time in my dressing gown – mine is a particularly fetching fluffy, polka dot number – and most (sane) people love being swaddled in something warm. This F&F Cream Ribbed Edge Dressing Gown has been reduced to £10 (was £16) at Tesco and you can order by 3pm Thursday 19th December for standard delivery in time for Christmas, or Click & Collect to a nearby store by 3pm Sunday 22nd December.

In store at M&S you can buy a Hooded Cosy Dressing Gown in four colours for £13.65 (was £19.50), or get a Pure Cotton Waffle Gown available in two colours for £11.20.

Or, find a Matalan where dressing gowns cost from £8 for this Star Print Blue Dressing Gown, rising to £16 for a Lurex Chenille Dressing Gown and £20 for this Honeycombe Dressing Gown. If you want to buy online, the last date for Christmas delivery is tomorrow but you can order online and collect in store for free until Thursday 19th October.  

The best of the rest

Under £5

Pop into Ryman where you can buy a Butterfly Flamingo Diary for her handbag, only £2.99, or this Hoot Owl iPhone hard case for £2.50 (was £4.99).

If you have a bit more time on your hands, homemade gifts are the perfect balance between cheap and thoughtful. Buy some big kitchen jars and fill them with homemade treats, sweets, or small soaps and other smellies, then simply decorate with ribbon and a label. You can find some more creative ideas on the Kilner site.

Under £10

Hive is a brilliant website where you benefit from buying books, DVDs and stationery with online discounts, but also get to support local independent bookstores – order online and then pick up at a store near you. One of the best deals I found was the Silver Linings Playbook film for £8.52 (RRP £19.99).

You can also collect in store for free when you buy books and films from Asda Direct. Top picks include Joanna Trollope’s contemporary reworking of Jane Austen’s Sense and Sensibility for £7 (RRP £18.99) in hardback.

Under £25

There are some really pretty sewing boxes and baskets reduced to clear at John Lewis including this Floral Basket and this Vintage by Hemingway Sofia Craft Bag for £17.50 each (was £25) with a matching Sofia Tin for buttons and ribbon for £4.90 (was £7). Find the online delivery details here or Click and Collect by 7pm to pick up the next day with last orders for Christmas on 22nd December.

Have a look at the buy one get one free decorative cushions at Matalan too. The most expensive is £16 but the Purple Pleat Cushion is reduced to £5 (was £10).

More on Christmas:

Top Christmas present voucher code and cashback deals this week

The 12 saves of Christmas

The best Secret Santa gifts

Twelve good, cheap Christmas gift ideas

Where to get the cheapest Christmas lunch

Why gift vouchers and cards make bad Christmas presents

The worst ways to pay for Christmas