Perfect Christmas gifts from Virgin StartUp businesses
It’s finally December and one thing on everyone’s mind is Christmas presents. We’ve teamed up with Virgin StartUp to highlight some brilliant independent businesses where you can get some extra special gifts for all of your favourite people this year.
All of these businesses have been supported by Virgin StartUp, through their Start Up Loans and StepUp programmes. Take a look at what they have to offer...
The Glowcery
Give the gift of great skin this Christmas with The Glowcery’s Clean Greens superfood face serum. Made with 20 antioxidant-dense, fresh fruit and vegetable ingredients, it helps to soothe irritated skin, improve the appearance of dark marks and hyperpigmentation, brighten dull and tired-looking skin, and lock in moisture.
“The Glowcery is a vegan, cruelty-free and superfood skincare brand, all the products are made using fresh, sustainable fruit and vegetable ingredients,” founder Roshanne Dorsett said. “I love the idea that by using The Glowcery superfood products you can feed your skin the vital nutrients, vitamins and minerals it needs to look and feel balanced, healthy and glowing.”
Visit The Glowcery to check out their products and enjoy 10% off across the whole site with the code VIRGIN10 until 31 December.
Saint Fragrance
Saint Fragrance was founded by industry insiders Sam and Emma Pringle in 2020. It’s a London-born lifestyle brand offering a collection of creatively perfumed products, each design to seamlessly complement your world and enhance wellbeing.
“We recognised our fast-paced lives were making us feel fatigued and how some of the ingredients and fragrances we worked with daily had the ability to rapidly change our mood,” Sam and Emma said. “Experimenting with these began as a project of curiosity but grew organically into our first luxury collection.”
You can get a free candle when you shop this Christmas. Visit Saint Fragrance and add any three full-priced candles to your basket and enter the code VIRGIN3FOR2 until 31 December.
Members of Virgin Red (the newest Virgin company on the block) can also spend their Virgin Points on Saint Fragrance – so keep a lookout on the Virgin Red app.
Nought
Want to be more sustainable this Christmas? Look no further than Nought. Founded to help people find simple ways to cut plastic waste out of their lives, Nought has a host of reusable and sustainable alternatives that everyone will love.
“I set up the business with the belief that swapping everyday disposable plastics for reusable and sustainable alternatives is the best way we can all start to make a difference,” said Ollie Boesen, founder of Nought. “Our products are inspired by Scandinavian design and made from eco-friendly materials – and include a stainless steel water bottle, bamboo fibre coffee cup, bamboo lunchbox, bamboo toothbrush and organic cotton tote bag.”
Visit Nought to take a look at the sustainable gifts and enjoy 10% off with the code VIRGIN10. The code is live until 31 December.
Goodordering
Know someone who has taken up cycling during 2020? Then they need a Goodordering bag in their lives this Christmas. Started in 2012 in Hackney, east London, Goodordering aims to inspire people to rediscover the joy of cycling through its colourful, functional bags.
“I love cycling, but I don’t wear lycra and there have to be lots of other people out there like me,” Jacqui Ma, designer and founder of Goodordering, said. “If I can inspire even just 10 people a year to take up cycling, I have achieved my goal.”
Visit Goodordering to enjoy a 15% discount with the code VIRGr1d3 until 31 December.
Billy Tannery
Looking for luxury leather gifts this year? Billy Tannery was founded in 2016 to turn the thousands of British goat hides that were previously going to waste into exceptional leather goods that will last a lifetime.
“Our products are made in UK workshops from bark-tanned goat leather from our own small-batch tannery in the Midlands,” founder Jack Millington explained.
Billy Tannery will also be available for Virgin Red members to spend their Virgin Points on soon.
Visit Billy Tannery to take a look at their luxury leather goods. First-time customers can enjoy 10% off with the code VIRGIN10.
Holy Grail
Buying for someone who needs a quick fix when it comes to skincare? Holy Grail is doing away with 12-step skincare routines and welcoming multi-tasking solutions that work for everyone’s skin this Christmas. Their Holy Trio skincare gift set cleanses, treats and hydrates skin with a combination of seven active ingredients to deliver a healthy, glowing complexion in less than five minutes.
“The pursuit for the perfect complexion has always been my passion,” said Alicia Jackman, founder of Holy Grail. “For years I’ve obsessed and experimented with cutting edge formulas and natural ingredients, to create gentle yet effective formulations that work for all skin types. Holy Grail is exactly that. A harmonious marriage of nature and science.”
Visit Holy Grail to enjoy 15% off sitewide with the code VIRGIN15.
Valiant Lingerie
Valiant Lingerie specialises in beautiful lingerie for women who have experienced breast cancer or preventative surgeries. It was founded by Eleanor Howie after she was frustrated by the lack of stylish lingerie available after she had a mastectomy in her twenties.
“I felt like before my surgery I had a world of options when it came to choosing lingerie that made me feel confident and beautiful,” she said. “After surgery, it felt like all these options had been taken away from me and all that was left was beige, clinical and uninspiring.”
Visit Valiant Lingerie and treat someone special in your life with 10% off across the site with the code CHRISTMAS10.
BYBI
BYBI offers vegan-friendly skincare and beauty products created by beauty industry insiders.
“We created BYBI out of a genuine desire to affect change in the beauty industry,” founders Elsie Rutterford and Dominika Minarovic said. “We believe that great skincare should not come at the cost of the planet. BYBI looks to bridge this gap by offering climate-conscious skincare that works and doesn’t cost the earth.”
Visit BYBI to find out more.
ARROE
The ARROE smart charging system is the perfect gift for the tech geek in your life. It’s a smart charging system that will power your laptops, phones, tablets and more.
“Inspired by the millions of people who struggle with batteries not built to get them through the day we set out to create something new: a smart charging system for mobile workers,” ARROE co-founder Eoin Cooney said. “Our mission is to give you the freedom to work from anywhere, any time and the ability to use your devices however you want without battery limitations.”
Visit ARROE to find out more.
MASAJ
If you’re buying for someone who deserves some rest and relaxation then MASAJ should be top of your list. MASAJ is the modern massage brand designed to combat the negative effects of city living. During 2020, with their studios closed, they started selling their products online. These would make a lovely gift for anyone who needs to de-stress over the Christmas break.
MASAJ’s founders Alice Vaughan and Scarlet Crawley said: “Since we've had to close our bodywork Studios with each lockdown, we've been pouring more time and energy into our own range of natural, sustainable goods – and we're excited to share our gifting ideas this festive season!”
Take a look at the MASAJ Christmas page for some inspiration.
Adbra
Gratitude journalising has been proven to help reduce stress and after all that 2020 has brought us, you’re bound to know someone who could benefit from a little stress relief.
Adra has designed a special gratitude journal from scratch and it makes the perfect gift for the end of a busy year. Help the people you love to focus on the positives in 2021 with a gratitude journal.
Visit Adbra to find out more.
Potion London
Potion London is a luxury health brand with an accessible price tag. They sell natural, high-quality health and beauty supplements. Manufactured in the UK, the beauty supplements include The Collagen Boost and The Hyaluronic Complex for youthful, hydrated skin and The Beauty Formula for healthy hair, skin and nails. The health supplements include Eat Your Greens – a wholefood formula of organic super green veg, and The Multibiotic which is a high strength probiotic with prebiotics.
“I started Potion London because I couldn’t find any high quality, natural supplements at an affordable price,” Alexa Mullane, founder of Potion London, said. “I received a Start Up Loan from Virgin StartUp to help with the early stages of the business and the support I have received from Virgin has been invaluable.”
Potion London will be available for Virgin Red members to spend their Virgin Points on soon.
Products start from £25 for a two-month supply of supplements – that’s less than 42p a day! Visit Potion London to find out more.