It may well be Christmas shopping time, but it can't hurt to treat yourself to one or two little somethings...
As week two in lockdown comes to a close and Christmas creeps ever closer, we can't think of a better time to treat yourself. Whether it's to a seasonal new scent, a soothing bath bomb, a sculpting face tool or the gift of good hair, here's what to buy this week. You've been every so good this year, after all...
Kloris Restore 25mg CBD Bath Block, £15
Loved by: Melanie Macleod, digital writer
"If I could recommend one product to people struggling to sleep, this would be it. I had a bath with this at about 8:30pm and by 10pm I was fast asleep in bed. I first encountered Kloris when I tried their oral CBD drops (also fantastic) but this is their first bath product I’ve tried. It combines CBD with magnesium for a truly soothing soak and while it doesn’t smell as fragrant as many other bath bombs out there, it works better for relaxing that any other one I’ve tried. It comes in a cardboard box and is wrapped in biodegradable cellulose so zero waste too."
MORE GLOSS: The best CBD bath bombs and salts for your most chilled out bath ever
Chantecaille Rose De Mai Cleansing Balm, £84
Loved by: Catherine Fullwood, commercial projects manager
"A super light, silky and extremely gentle cleansing balm with that cult Rose de Mai scent is absolutely what my skin needs at the moment. I prefer using it for removal of light makeup rather than a full-on smokey eye, but who are we kidding, that's not happened in at least a year! It leaves skin feeling hydrated and super soft and not dry in the slightest. The metallic pink packaging is too pretty to hide in the cupboard, so display with pride but make sure others look and don’t touch."
MORE GLOSS: The best cleansing balms for every budget
Hello Kitty Hydro-Stars, £12 for 32
Loved by: Melanie Macleod, digital writer
"I didn’t think Hydro Star's spot stickers could get much cuter but they’ve just had a Hello Kitty makeover and are more appealing than ever. They work in the same way at the original hydrocolloid spot stickers (isolating the spot to stop you touching and drawing out pimple-forming fluids and puss) but look like everyone’s favourite kitsch cat. A perfect stocking filler if ever I did see one and almost enough to make me wish for a breakout so I could pop one on."
MORE GLOSS: Pimple patches to clear the most stubborn of spots
Monpure The Gift of Strong and Thick Hair, £160 (worth £261)
Loved by: Victoria Woodhall, editorial director
"If you suffer from any kind of hair fall or breakage (on the increase in the time of Covid, both as an after-effect of the virus and the stress of living in a pandemic) then this is a money-saving way to buy into a new luxury hair brand. Monpure is sustainable, vegan and totally focused on hair and scalp health and if you are plagued by thinning or you want to head it off at the pass, this is an investment worth making. This particular set saves you £100 and has three of my favourites from Monpure, all rich in ‘skingredients’: the Nourish and Stimulate Scalp Mask , the Clarifying Scalp Scrub , Follicle Boost Hair Density Serum plus you get a Heal and Energise Jade Comb, which is brilliant for scalp massage to boost blood flow to follicles. But perhaps the most notable thing about it is that it’s a real ‘pay it forward’ gift with 15 per cent of profits supporting the Little Princess Trust which gives wigs to children who’ve lost hair through cancer.
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Magnitone Highbrow - Eyebrow Shaping Precision Trimmer, £20
Loved by: Jemma Thompson, GTG social media and design
"Back in lockdown one I was clutching at straws in an attempt to DIY my brows. So, this time around I made sure I could squeeze in a much-needed visit to my brow technician pre-lockdown 2.0. Thankfully, I can now maintain my well-crafted defined shape with the HighBrow by Magnitone, my saviour from above! It’s an incredibly precise trimmer, completely pain-free - much to my surprise and a joy to use for at-home touch-ups. From the finest short hairs to thick course ones, this trimmer can nab both. The cherry on top of the cake is the super handy LED guide-light, you have no hand shadow plus no hair will go unnoticed! As much as I miss my brow lady and can’t wait to return I must say, this is most definitely second best."
Lee Stafford For The Love Of Curls Mask for Curls & Coils, £9.99 for 200ml
Loved by: Melanie Macleod, digital writer
"He of all things pink has just launched a new hair collection devoted to curly hair, no matter your curl type. It’s SLS and SLES-free and also has no drying alcohols, mineral oils or waxes in the formulations to keep curls their bouncy, healthy best. It has separate products for curls and waves and I’ve been using the For The Love of Curls Curl Mask for Curls and Coils. It has the trademark Lee Stafford smell (if you know, you know) and is made with shea butter and organic coconut oil and gives me the bounciest curls I’ve had in a while - almost as if I haven’t destroyed my curl pattern with years of heat damage."
MORE GLOSS: The best hair masks for dry, damaged and bleached hair
Owow At-Home Smoothing Treatment, £31.95 for 100ml
Loved by: Marie-Louise Pumfrey, GTG contributor
This is an innovative, chemical-free at-home alternative to the traditional Brazilian salon keratin hair treatment. It’s been developed by Georgiana Grudinschi, who spent two years devising a chemical-free, quick and easy alternative to the keratin treatments which use formaldehyde. This product uses amino acids drawn from natural Brazilian bioactive; these rich antioxidants penetrate the outer layer of hair, leaving it strong and smooth. It's very easy to use; you simply spray on dry clean hair and leave for an hour before rinsing and drying. It’s been four washes since I did the treatment and my hair remains shiny with loads more volume than usual. I don’t suffer from frizzy hair so can’t comment on how it works on taming frizz but it has 100 per cent transformed my lacklustre straight locks. It’s also vegan, 100 per cent cruelty free and comes with sulphate and paraben-free shampoo and condition."
Buy now
Ann Summers 12 Days of Self Love Calendar, £95
Loved by: Melanie Macleod, digital writer
" Beauty advent calendars are fun but do you know what’s more fun? Sexy advent calendars. Ann Summers' advent calendar has 12 self-love surprises hidden behind its doors, from vibrators and handcuffs to lingerie and bath petals. I’m almost hoping for lockdown to be extended so I can stay at home in December and enjoy each daily treat. For spoiler fans, the toy selection includes a discreet bullet, a pebble massager and the Ann Summers classic, a rampant rabbit. Next month is looking up all of a sudden."
Facegym Multisculpt, £45
Loved by: Catherine Fullwood, commercial projects manager
"As a massive Facegym advocate, I was beyond excited for their first tool release in almost a year. This shiny (literally!) new steel sculpting tool not only has six different edges for toning different areas, but also allows for engraving - the perfect gift for the beauty tool aficionado in your life. The cute pouch has a QR code inside which you can scan to run you through the full ten-step routine, talk about making it easy. My favourite was the zig-zag move (it’s a thing, promise) for laughter lines, but it also feels incredibly cooling and soothing on the under-eye area. Keep in the fridge (next to the fizz, obvs) so you can fully treat yourself!"
Britney Spear Festive Fantasy, £17.50 for 100ml
Loved by: Melanie Macleod, digital writer
"I’ve got a real soft spot for Britney Spears fragrances and this festive edition of her iconic Fantasy scent is no different. There have been 27 variations of the scent so far and this latest iteration celebrates all that is joyful with top notes of black cherries and damson plum, mid notes of white freesia and delicate jasmine and dry down notes of creamy sandalwood, sugar musk and vanilla beignet accord. It is sweet, but sensual too and will definitely be my December scent of choice. I only hope I’m not lining her dad’s pockets when buying this…"
Soap & Glory In The Glow How, £12
Loved by: Jemma Thompson, GTG social media and design
"My skin had been looking a little lacklustre and dull which could be down to the change in season or too many late nights from scrolling through TikTok but that’s no more as I’ve introduced this tonic into my skincare routine. I apply once a week after cleansing and it gently exfoliates dead skin cells and removes impurities thanks to 5 per cent AHA alpha-hydroxy acid. Glycolic acid in the mix is great for a glow boost because it helps kickstart collagen production and to reduce hyperpigmentation, I’m always left with super-smooth radiant skin after using this."