The best beauty gifts are rarely the biggest beauty gifts.
They are the thoughtful little somethings, mind-over-materialism options; stocking fillers that aren’t merely filler.
What we want at Christmas is to ‘feel seen’, as the young people put it. Below are my favourite ways of doing this.
Concoct a cosmetic
The best beauty present I gave myself in 2024 was to take my favourite discontinued lipstick along to British beauty stalwarts Cosmetics à la Carte and ask them to replicate it.
Or maybe you or your friend have never found ‘The One’. One of C à la C’s make-up artists can help you discover it.
The brand also offers bespoke concealer, foundation, palettes and application lessons.
An e-voucher for The Bespoke Lipstick Blending Experience costs £80 (cosmeticsalacarte.com, last orders noon on the 24th), including the finished product, refills £70. The joy factor? Priceless.
Beauty expert Hannah Betts says the best beauty gifts are rarely the biggest beauty gifts (stock image)
Proffer a Beauty Pie subscription
For £59 you can give a loved one a Beauty Pie membership that will allow them brilliant deals all year, on bestsellers such as its YouthBomb 360° Radiance Concentrate (members £44, non-members, £185, beautypie.com), or Brazilian Lime, Fig Leaves & Tea Eau De Parfum (members £28, non-members £60, beautypie.com).
Small, but perfectly-formed objects
Andrea Garland has just released a fresh array of her glorious Vintage Lip Balms (from £18, andreagarland.co.uk).
I am no less passionate about the Gallic brand Officine Universelle Buly.
Alas, its Selfridge’s counter is all out of its exquisite engravable lip-balms (£43, Selfridges, Oxford Street), however, combs can still be personalised (from £27, both at buly1803.com).
Or console yourself with the Alabaster kit in the woody Sumi Hinoki scent (£70), a porcelain box, stone and flacon of perfume essence.
The loveliest beauty bibelot this Christmas is the Chanel Eau de Parfum Refillable Purse Spray (£165), a sleek atomiser on a chain to be sported as a bracelet or bag charm
The jet version boasts No 5 (still available at flannels.com); the white No 5 L’Eau (chanel.com). In my fantasies all my womenfolk will receive one.
Bijou beauty treats
Chanel and Dior produce the most thrilling lip and nail fillips. Present me with a Chanel Nail Colour in Storyteller (£29, chanel.com) a magnificent, deep purple, and a Dior Addict Lip Glow in Pink Lilac (£33, Boots.com) on the 25th and I’d be an extremely happy woman.
I gifted myself a By Terry Ombre Blackstar Travel Stick in Bronze Moon (£17, sephora.co.uk) last December, and this suits-everyone eye crayon is an absolute winner.
Women rightly go mad for Victoria Beckham Satin Kajal Liners (£32, victoriabeckhambeauty.com), while no one has ever been disappointed by a Lancôme mascara (from £14, Boots.com).
Hannah (pictured) believes what everyone wants at Christmas is to ‘feel seen’
Beautiful body gifts
I’m praying some kind soul presents me with a 250ml-size Olverum Bath Oil (£78, ukolverum.com), enough for 50 soaks, plus the Aromatherapy Associates Rebalancing Heroes Collection (£100, aromatherapyassociates.com), jam-packed with tranquillity restorers.
Oh, and a This Works Sleep Plus Massage Relief Roll-on (currently reduced from £38 to £15.20, thisworkscbd.com) to grind into my neck.
Gift sets that keep giving
The gift sets I most desire are ones that feel more considered, more unique. Escentric Molecules M+ Discovery Set (£55, for eight 8.5ml sprays, escentric.com) is the perfect introduction to this brilliant and beautiful perfume label.
A box from the Michael Van Clarke Luxury LifeSaver Cracker Collection (now £75 for eight, vanclarke.com) plus a mini No 1 Brush(£28.50), could turn someone’s hair around. Nails Inc gift sets are sensational (from £8, nailsinc.com): its Thermochromic Colour-changing Nail Polish Set (now £20) will delight children of all ages.
While Diptyque’s jewel-coloured Sapin, Friandise & Étoile (Pine, Sweet Treat & Star) set of holiday candles (£120, diptyqueparis.com) is an utter, swooning delight.
RACE YOU TO IT
TYPEBEA G1 Overnight Boosting Peptide Serum (£43, sephora.co.uk) has sold out at Boots following vast virtual excitement.
Powered by clinically-proven Baicapil, this non-greasy formula harnesses peptides to address hormonal hair loss, rejuvenating locks from the roots while you sleep. Improvements should be witnessed within weeks.
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SHEER BERRY LIP TINTS
A viral brownish berry, #BlackHoney driving over one billion views on TikTok.
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A flush of colour also for cheeks in an orange-pink for warm-toned wearers.
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The shiny finish of a gloss with the comfort of an oil in the perfect purple berry.
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Lady Gaga’s award-winning cushiony, non-sticky shine in a gorgeous sheer violet.
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Cheap, cheerful, brilliant – a purplish, peptide-packed berry with a plumping tingle.
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ICON OF THE WEEK
Emily Mortimer
Paddington star Emily Mortimer, 53
The Paddington star, 53, had her skin prepped for the premiere via the Kichi Beauty Youth Bomb Method (£450, kitchi.studio), claiming to restore three years’ worth of collagen.
Her essentials are Batiste Original Dry Shampoo (£4.99, Boots.com).
She also loves Pond’s Cold Cream (from £9.98, amazon.co.uk) as a cleanser, and L’Orèal mascara (from £5).
COSMETIC CRAVING
Garnier Anti-Fatigue Hyaluronic Acid Cryo Jelly Eye Patches (now £3.32, superdrug.com)
I’m not a great mask fan. I prefer to get bang for my buck using stuff that stays on my face.
However, Garnier Anti-Fatigue Hyaluronic Acid Cryo Jelly Eye Patches are the exception.
These biodegradable de-parchers and de-puffers are always in my fridge, not least at this challenging time of year.
This morning, for no particular reason – lack of sleep, sugar, dehydration? – my face looked grey, sad and shrivelled.
I popped on my patches, going over them with a cheap metal eye roller (£4.99, Amazon.co.uk), then massaged the excess into my face and neck. Cured! Slip some into everyone’s stocking – and lay a few down for New Year.
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