Nothing compares to a festive fragrance filling the home at Christmas and this yearβs offerings from British fragrance brand Ormond Jayne are a delicious addition to any candle collection. Toile features warm, festive notes of mandarin, cardamom, cinnamon, bay, amber and tonka. Mystere is a woody, smoky scent of lapsing soughing tea and pine needles, while the cedar wood, sandalwood and mandarin of Nocturne will have you reaching for the chocolate orange. With 10% of sales from each Β£85 candle going to Great Ormond Street Hospital, you can rest assured that your festive purchase is doing a good deed. www.ormondjayne.com
From humble beginnings selling its coffee-based scrubs at the London Coffee Festival to a Dragonβs Den investment and now stocked at key retailers like Sephora and Holland & Barrett, Upcircle Beauty has gone from strength to strength since its launch eight years ago. The multi-award-winning Organic Face Oil with Coffee Extract is packed with jojoba, sea buckthorn and rosehip oils, rich in Vitamin C and antioxidant-rich coffee. It is a great partner for a daily gua sha session, as well as being a handy size for a Christmas stocking! Β£33.98 from www.upcirclebeauty.com
The LixirSkin Good Skin Trio is a must for a Christmas holy trinity of great skincare. The gift set contains the Electrogel Cleanser – an evening cleanser and detoxifying mask in one – the Universal Emulsion – a combined day moisturiser, night cream and serum – and the excellent Vitamin C Paste, a morning mask to protect and perfect. The latter has become a staple in the daily routine, a warming mask that leaves skin luminous. Β£78 from www.lixirskin.co.uk
Γthers is far from your usual perfume brand; this is a functional fragrance made with olfactive technology,Β designed to achieve a deeperΒ sense of relaxation. Mystic Zingaro has been created to evoke the rich soil and ancient trees that ground us in nature, an earthy, woody scent that encapsulates winter walks in a forest. Top notes include White Cedar, Green Canopy, Cut Grass and Green Tea, with a heart of Frankincense, Tree Bark, Wild Mushroom, Worn Leather, Cinnamon, Nutmeg, Toasted Woods, and Palmarosa. At the base lie Warm Resin, Hinoki Wood, Vetiver, Palo Santo, Smoked Amber, Earthen Patchouli, and Sandalwood to create a captivating, genderless scent. Β£90 for 50ml, www.others.co
Hand cream might be something of a Christmas gift clichΓ©, but when LβOccitaneβs are as iconic as they are, receiving these under the tree every year is the gift that keeps on giving. At home, I have one in every room, but the size of its Hand Cream Trio festive special is perfect for slipping in even the smallest handbag. With three 30ml creams in classic Shea along with limited edition Christmas scents of fruit Kumquat and citrus Combawa, itβs a must-have. Β£24.50 www.loccitane.com
As someone blessed with poker straight locks, finding a curling wand to create a lasting curl is something of a hair holy grail, not least one that doesnβt cost megabucks. Step forward Lily England, an affordable collection of hair and beauty tools including a 25mm barrel curling wand for just Β£29.99 that does the job perfectly, and in sleek rose gold no less. It stands up far stronger than plenty weβve tried that are twice or three times the price, proof that sometimes a beauty bargain does the job best. www.lilyengland.com
Lalique may be best known for its porcelain, but the brand has diversified in recent years and added a rather delicious home fragrance collection to its portfolio. With a range of candles inspired by global destinations, weβre a little bit in love with the Poplar Aspen United States candle, inspired by snowy fir forests and log fires. Filled with notes of cardamom, eucalyptus, cypress and cedarwood, itβs a winter evening wrapped up by a log fire. Β£69 from www.uk.lalique.com
A bathroom essential you never knew you needed, the STYLPRO Clear View Heated Anti-Fog Mirror will become your new beauty best friend. This clever little game changer from former Apprentice winner and inventor Tom Pellereau is rechargeable and heats up to avoid the dreaded mirror fog, as well as being illuminated for crystal clear views every time. itβs also a nifty size to slip into a holdall for a weekend away; win-win. Β£39.99 at www.lookfantastic.com
Spa Ceylon was founded in 2009 and backed by a family business with vast expertise spanning over five decades in the manufacture of Ayurveda health & beauty care, and now boasts an ever-growing presence in 29 countries in South Asia, the Far East and Europe. As well as creating products with the practices of Ayurveda intrinsically entwined, the brand is passionate about supporting community fair trade, sustainable harvesting of ingredients, wildlife conservation, prevention of cruelty towards animals, protection of human rights and protection of the environment.
The Sleep Home Spa Set (Β£40) includes Bath & Shower Gel, Body Milk, Hydrating Butter, Body & Pillow Mist, Luxury Soap and Calming Balm, all carefully formulated with Ceylonese-herbs and aromatic essential oils including ylang-ylang and lavender to de-stress, calm and relax the senses and embrace tranquillity this Christmas season. www.spaceylon.co.uk
Evolve Beauty uses the best ingredients nature has to offer in its range of beauty products, over 40 of which are certified as organic or natural. As such their range is packed with antioxidants, vitamins and minerals to ensure skin is left refreshed and revived with every use. The Hydrate and Renew Facial Ritual is a complete facial-in-a-box, comprising five skincare superstars that will have even the dullest winter skin glowing.
With a Gentle Cleansing Melt, Bio-Retinol Gold Mask, Hyaluronic Serum, Hyaluronic Eye Complex and Daily Renew Facial Cream, you might be tempted to keep this one for yourself. The sustainably sourced Bidens pilosa used in their Bio-Retinol Gold Mask is grown natively in Peru and China and is a safe and stable alternative to Retinol, so you can enjoy its perks without skin irritation. Β£6 at www.evolvebeauty.co.uk
Styling a home with fragrance shouldnβt be overlooked at this time of year. A different scent in each room creates a wonderful fragrance journey through the home that will inspire the senses. Our favourite for the bedroom is the richly sumptuous Cassis Noir candle (Β£48) by Atelier NoitΔ. Inspired by night-blooming flowers, AtelierΒ NoitΔβs vegan candles are hand-poured in the UK and infused with luxurious fragrance oils. Cassis Noir features warming notes of cassis, green leaf, fig, plum, and raspberry for a warming, uplifting fragrance that envelops. www.ateliernoite.com
