Christmas gift ideas and recommendations are flooding in to the team, with a host of great advent calendars from whisky to makeup. LEGO to tea.
Our shopping experts have been picking their favourites and scouring the internet for the best deals. One of their finds is the cute but practical Henry Highland Cow Draught Excluder, which is turning heads at Dunelm.
For shoppers looking to save even more, setting up a free TopCashback account here will give a further £15 sign-up bonus, which can effectively bring the overall price of a purchase down.
Check on TopCashback to see which retailers are covered. With this savvy saving, shoppers can effectively reduce the price of items, such as the LEGO Star Wars, Harry Potter, or Disney Frozen advent calendars from Zavvi to £8.90.
Let's take a look at what's on offer for Wednesday, and if you have something specific you are looking for, or have a great recommendation of your own, let us know in the comments or email tom.canning@reachplc.com
Wrapping up..
It's been a busy old Wednesday (so much so I mistakenly typed Thursday originally).
We've done a lot of Christmas gift ideas today, and that's going to continue tomorrow so do come along and hang out.
In terms of Festive ideas we've had a perfect Secret Santa present in the Le Creuset Yuletide-themed mug as well as e Cat Deeley's perfect party season dress.
But..
DEAL OF THE DAY: British cosmetics brand Charlotte Tilbury'sIconic Magic Mini Skin Set is available for £48, giving shoppers a chance to try three highly sought after products for £16 each.
The Wowcher deal that offers £40 of groceries for £3
A mixed box of groceries sounds, interesting. But actually, what better way to try something new and, as it turns out great value.
Deals site Wowcher is famous for it's brilliant deals on things like cinema tickets, trips and holidays, but one of the best deals on the site right now is a mystery box of groceries worth £40 or more, for £2.50 plus an estimated 50p admin fee.
From snacks to drinks, chocolates to cupboard staples, the box includes clearance and near-date products to reduce food waste and help families save money on their food shop.
Commenting under the mystery grocery box offer, one shopper said: "Surprisingly good. Much better than I was expecting with big brand items. Nothing I wouldn't use or try."
Beauty cracker round-up: Expect makeup, fragrance and pampering products for every kind of beauty lover
There's a few reviews of different advent calendars, stocking fillers and more around which offer great opportunities to try out premium products for a fraction of the price.
Beauty crackers are another one of those, and according to Melisha Kaur, in 2025 they are more fabulous than ever.
This round up from Melisha includes Charlotte Tilbury and Iconic London to Jo Malone, Next and Ariana Grande, there really is a festive cracker for every beauty enthusiast!
Read the full review and all the options here.
How to get a LEGO advent calendar for as little as £5
My colleague Narin Flanders posted some excellent advent calendar news over the weekend, with TopCashback, you can bag a LEGO advent calendar for as little as £5.
If you hadn't realised, advent calendars are no longer limited to little chocolates behind a door, you can get everything from beauty products to toys, tea to crafts and even socks.
And toy giant LEGO has been producing annual themed calendars for a few years now with Star Wars, Harry Potter and Disney's Frozen available this year alongside the more traditional LEGO Friends and LEGO City sets.
Full of bricks, the calendars are usually around £30, but this year thanks to a Zavvi discount AND TopCashback offering new members a £15 bonus on their first qualifying purchase, it brings the cost right down. Here's all you need to know:
How to get a LEGO advent calendar for as little as £5:
- Sign up for TopCashback as a new member by registering via this link.
- Look for Zavvi and select 'Get Cashback Now'.
- Browse for your preferred advent calendar and complete checkout as normal.
- Cashback will subsequently track and show in the member's TopCashback account within 7 working days of purchase. The Harry Potter, Star Wars and Disney calendars will work out at £8.90 after new member bonus and cashback are paid while the LEGO City and LEGO Friends versions will be £4.82.
Advent Calendars: 'This is the best way to try a new tipple,' says wine expert
There's going to be a lot of advent calendars to flag up over the next few weeks, that is for sure.
While wine isn't my go to beverage in alcohol terms, I don't mind a tipple every now and then and the Naked Wines advent calendar seems like a good entry point.
Now, our wine expert has called it the "best wine advent calendar on the market."
High praise indeed.
There aren't currently any online reviews for this 2025 edition, but our expert Jada Jones was full of praise.
This is the best wine advent calendar on the market. I've never been so impressed with a variety pack and the box is small enough that I could tuck the white and roses in the fridge without worrying about fridge space.
There's a full review and some links to alternatives you might like to try in Jada's piece for the Daily Record here.
Advent calendar: Boots Macmillan beauty advent calendar has 50% off for a limited time
Boots shoppers can save £45 off the Macmillan 24 Days of Joy Beauty Advent Calendar, snapping it up for half-price using the code MACMILLAN50.
The 24-day advent calendar would normally retail for £90, but getting in early means a 50% discount on the calendar which includes brands like No7, Liz Earle and Champneys.
Lucy Addicott writes: "A few of the star products are the Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish Hot Cloth Cleanser, the No7 Protect & Perfect Intense Avanced Serum and the Champneys Slumber Hand Cream. Better yet, £2 from every calendar sold goes to Macmillan Cancer Support. "
If you want to take advantage of this great offer, see the deal in full here - and don't forget the MACMILLAN50 code.
Secret Santa: An affordable Le Creuset idea
I absolutely love a good solid mug, but I love novelty mugs even more. So if I was to received a Le Creuset Yuletide-themed mug this year in the Secret Santa I would be pretty happy.
But how can a Le Creuset Yuletide-themed mug be at a price that would fit the average Secret Santa budget?
Enter the money-saving website Top Cashback, which has a £15 bonus for anyone registering as a new customer.
Each stoneware mug is made with a specialist clay and features an illustration on the front, including Noel Santa, Noel Rudolph, Noel Snowman and Noel Christmas Tree. Each one is sold separately and costs £23.
With Top Cashback, and all customers of John Lewis, a Le Creuset Christmas mug will cost £7.81 after cashback.
Perfect.
How to get the Le Creuset Christmas mug for £7.81
- To claim the cashback offer, new members of Top Cashback need to sign up here.
- Search for John Lewis and click 'Get Cashback Now.'
- Shop and checkout as usual.
- Cashback will then track and appear in your TopCashback account within seven working days of your purchase.
Party time: Cat Deeley's perfect party season dress
I shall not pretend to be at the forefront of fashion, but thankfully the Mirror's Bethan Shufflebotham is.
She writes:
This week, This Morning presenter Cat Deeley seemingly took a leaf out of Claudia Winkleman’s style book with a sheer knitted dressand updated it with her signature twist.
On Saturday’s episode of Strictly Come Dancing, Claudia channelled her Traitor’s wardrobe with a sheer black skirt and long sleeve top. On Tuesday’s episode of This Morning, Cat’s outfit bore a strikingly similar silhouette, with the 48-year-old opting for a bold cobalt blue frock.
Styled by Rachael Hughes, Cat wore the Woven Knit Mix Pleated Midi Dress from Karen Millen.Costing £129, the dress features a bandage mini lining that sculpts the silhouette, while sheer fabrics pleats from a round neck and long sleeves to a maxi skirt.
Read Bethan's full piece 'Cat Deeley stuns in perfect party season dress on This Morning - and it's still in stock' here.
Gift idea: Argos offering 'snappy' Samsung tablet for £99
The Samsung Galaxy Tab A9 is the South Korean tech company's budget tablet that packs a big punch for its price. For a limited time, Argos has a special offer for only £99. It's one of the cheapest prices we've seen on this tablet.
The A9 has a large, 8.7-inch displayfor an immersive entertainment experience, even in bright environments. It also has up to 4GB of RAM to minimise lag while multitasking - which is incredibly handy these days.
The Samsung Galaxy Tab A9 has a 4.7 star rating on the Argos website with one reviewer simply saying: "Very good tablet and a great price. Everything you need in a tablet."
Another reviewer posted a more comprehensive review: "I got this tablet as a low cost secondary device and have been pleasantly surprised at just how useful it is for the price. It’s genuinely snappy, allows me to play my games with no noticeable lag, and has a good battery life. I would definitely recommend this!"
As gift options go, the Galaxy Tab A9 is a really good, cost effective option.
Gift packs: Charlotte Tilbury offers a best skincare products in 'gorgeous set'
British cosmetics brand Charlotte Tilbury has shared an opportunity to try all of the brand's best skincare products for lower prices.
Known for its luxury makeup and skincare, the brand offers a range of high-quality serums and creams to keep skin glowing and hydrated.
Now the Iconic Magic Mini Skin Set is available for £48, giving shoppers a chance to try three highly sought after products for £16 each.
The three products in the set are Charlotte's Magic Cream moisturiser (15ml), Charlotte's Magic Serum Crystal Elixir (8ml) and there is a Magic Sculpting Gua Sha (an ancient massage technique used to scalp and lift the face which boosts circulation and eases tension).
As one reviewer states, this isn't just a great value pack from a renowned brand, it also looks great as a Christmas Gift set: "This is such a gorgeous set. The packaging is stunning, and the set would make a fantastic gift for any skin care lover. The style of the set oozes quality and the products match this. The serum absorbs quickly and the cream is so thick and luxurious."
Gift idea: Cheapest price ever on Google Pixel Watch 3
We've had 'stunning' watches over the last few days of the live blog, now we've got smartwatches - and this Google device is a great alternative to the Apple Watch Series.
"The Google Pixel Watch 3 is Google's previous generation of smartwatch," writes Christopher Harper for the Express. "It still offers great fitness tracking and a big, bright screen to track workouts for Brits. It comes with a big 45mm screen, which goes up to 2,000 nits of brightness, so it can be easily read while out and about. It also has a ton of Fitbit features and allows users to customise their workouts to build the ideal routine."
Compared to it's nearest rival, the Apple Watch Series 10, the Pixel is cheaper right now at £219.99 on Amazon and offers a longer battery life as well as being a good option for those of you with Android phones.
Our tech experts also reviewed the Google Pixel 3 - and gave it almost full stars due to its performance. Deputy tech editor Henry Burrell said: "Despite all its new features, the Pixel Watch 3 manages to feel simple and out of my way when I’m not using it, which isn’t something I feel when wearing a Galaxy Watch.
"Overall, the 45mm Pixel Watch 3 is an excellent Android smartwatch that doesn’t keep too many features away from buyers without a Pixel phone. It’s a better option over the latest Galaxy Watch, unless you have a Samsung phone.
Best beauty Christmas crackers of 2025 from Boots, Debenhams, Next and more
Melisha Kaur has taken a look at options from popular brands and retailers, and these are the ones she believes are the best. From Charlotte Tilbury and Iconic London to Jo Malone, Next and Ariana Grande, there's a festive cracker for every beauty lover in this roundup.
Prices start from as little as £12.50, so there's no need to break the bank, and Melisha's full review of the best crackers is right here on the Liverpool Echo.
Gift ideas: Bradley Wiggins, Andy Farrell and the best biographies yet to come in 2025
Over the last few days I've done a lot of Christmas gift ideas based around partners, husbands and wives. Less so about mums, dads and parents.
My first thought was to see which biographies are scheduled for release ahead of the Festive season - last year English cricket legend Jimmy Anderson was my choice.
So here's what's coming up in terms of biographies - it's a top five that is a little sports heavy, but there's somethign for everyone I hope!
- The Only Way I Know: The gripping autobiography from one of rugby’s most revered players and coaches (Andy Farrell)
- Paul O’Grady – Not The Same Without You
- Saturday Afternoon Fever: The Autobiography (Jeff Stelling)
- The Chain: Think you know Bradley Wiggins? Think again
- Truly: The Sunday Times bestselling memoir of legendary Lionel Richie
All available to pre-order. Just click the links.
Good morning..
Welcome to Wednesday on the Live Blog. I've got a raft of Christmas gift ideas and early Black Friday deals for you today.
I wanted to start quickly though on Sky's lowest ever TV and Broadband deal. The Essential TV and 300Mbps Full Fibre Broadband is available now at £35 per month, but only until 11:59pm tonight (Wednesday).
Now, gift ideas to follow.