Feel-good festive gifts for beauty queens
THESE PAMPERING PREZZIES WILL DELIGHT ON CHRISTMAS DAY, SAYS KATIE WRIGHT
AT THE end of what has been a tough year for everyone, it’s all about the feel-good factor when selecting presents this Christmas. And when it comes to beauty gifts, that means supporting sustainable and black-owned brands, choosing charitable products or encouraging some much-needed ‘me time’ for your loved ones.
From stocking fillers to luxurious sets, here’s our pick of the best beauty gifts for all ages...
SUSTAINABLE SURPRISES
■ BBC Earth Travel Cleansing Bar Set, £10, Boots FOR a friend or family member who’s committed to cutting down on single-use plastic, this set of four vegan cleansing bars (soap, shampoo, body scrub and body wash) is a step in the right direction, saving the equivalent of more than eight plastic bottles.
■ Upcircle The Merry Choc-mas Bundle, £19.99 (was £25.47), upcirclebeauty.com INNOVATIVE eco brand Upcircle repurposes ingredients that would otherwise be thrown away. This set includes a body scrub with coffee grounds from cafes, and soap with residual chai spices, as well as a tube squeezer – so nothing goes to waste – and a bar of tasty vegan dark chocolate.
■ KIND2 The Gift Set, £37.45, kind2.me A GREAT starter kit for an eco-conscious pal, this plastic-free trio of hair cleansing bars comes with an enamel tray and drawstring storage bag.
BLACK-OWNED BRANDS
■ As I Am Born Curly Avocado Shea Co-wash, £6.49; As I Am Born Curly Argan Curl Defining Jelly, £7.99, afrodrops.com THE rise of the Black Lives Matter movement has highlighted the importance of supporting blackowned beauty companies.
Launched by Luke Carthy after his five-year-old son said he hated how his hair grew compared to his classmates, Afrodrops’ website stocks 13 black hair brands, offering 137 specialist products for natural afro and curly hair types.
■ UOMA Black Magic Colour Palette in Poise, £43, Selfridges
MEANING ‘beautiful’ in Igbo, Uoma was founded by Nigerian former beauty executive Sharon Chuter. The 10-colour Poise eyeshadow palette brings together matte and shimmer shades in a range of highly-pigmented warm tones, with a couple of brights for creating ultra eyecatching looks.
■ Pat Mcgrath Labs Mattetrance Lipstick in Celestial Divinity Pave Elson, £45, patmcgrath.com
BACKSTAGE beauty legend Pat Mcgrath’s matte lipsticks are nothing short of legendary. For the festive season, bag a bling-encrusted Mattetrance lippie in the velvety blue-toned red Elson shade.
BATHING BEAUTIES
■ Marks and Spencer Festive Penguin Bath Fizzer Gift Set, £15, M&S INSIDE this angelic penguin’s round belly, you’ll find six bath fizzers, ready to transform your tub with a delightful coconut and vanilla aroma.
■ Beauty Pie Gingerbread, Almond & Orange Blossom Candle, £20.93 for members/£50 for non members, beautypie.com NO bath time is complete without a sumptuous scented candle to set the mood. New from Beauty Pie, this rose gold edition is festively fragranced with ginger, cinnamon, almond and orange blossom.
■ Diptyque Holiday Pocket Set, £38, Space NK HOUSED in a beautiful blue gift pouch, this travel-sized trio contains everything you need for a long, luxurious soak: rose-scented soap and shower oil, plus a dinky version of Diptyque’s best-selling Baies candle.