We know our money should be going on Christmas presents, but surely a few pounds spent on beauty and wellness can't hurt?
It's the season for giving, but if you've already got all of your Christmas shopping sorted (including the perfect secret Santa gift ), there's no harm in treating yourself to a little something.
Even if you're far from finishing buying gifts for your friends and family (guilty!), we wouldn't blame you if you snapped up one of these gorgeous goodies. They all landed in Get The Gloss HQ in the last few weeks and earned a placed in our hearts and makeup bags straight away.
Nini Organics Halo Cleansing Elixir, £50
Loved by: Melanie Macleod, digital writer
"I've always wanted to be someone who luxuriates in their evening skincare routine, rather than seeing it as yet another obstacle between my bed and I, and after being introduced to Nini Organics, I might finally be becoming that person. Founder Alex came in to see me at Get The Gloss HQ, and not only was his enthusiasm for his brand infectious but his products really blew me away. I'm using a few at the moment, including Natura Detox Oil and Siempre Viva Body Elixir, but it's the Halo Cleansing Elixir that really stands out. A few pipettes massaged onto my face removes every trace of makeup, and leaves my skin feeling so nourished and soothed, plus it smells heavenly thanks to a combination of blue tansy, lavender and passionfruit."
Huda Beauty Mercury Retrograde Eyeshadow Palette, £58
Loved by: Hattie Sloggett, beauty and wellness awards manager
"The incredible Huda Kattan of Huda Beauty has created and gifted the world the most beautifully whimsical eyeshadow palette I have ever had the joy of playing with. With a luxurious mix of matte colours for the perfect base and metallic shimmers for your cut creases and highlights, this palette delivers all that it promises. Inspired by the galactic, out-of-this-world experiences that makeup brings to all of us beauty lovers, Huda has curated an exceptional selection that is friendly to all skin types and colours. If you want to play up your jeans and t-shirt (although, probs not in this weather), or add shimmer and shine to most festive LSD (little sparkly dress), there is something for everyone. I was lucky enough to meet the global beauty princess herself at her Mercury Retrograde pop-up in Covent Garden last week and I can personally assure every one of you that you will fall in love with this palette just as quickly as I did. I mean who can say no to powder charged with glass pearls and silver sparkles swept across your peepers. - No-one, that’s who!"
Squish Beauty Cheeky Cherry Eye and Cheek Mask, £15 for 3
Loved by: Hayley Barnes, beauty assistant
"Have you ever looked at the juiciness of a bright red cherry and thought to yourself ‘I want to stick that on my face?’, well I haven’t either until I saw Squish Beauty’s Eye & Cheek Masks. Founded by body-positive activist Charli Howard, Squish Beauty aims to make products that actually provide moisture, instead of absorbing it, and to celebrate real, authentic beauty, and the mask certainly did that. Not only were these delicate cherries thicker than other eye patches, which means one, they don’t rip when applying, and two, they can be put back into the packaging to use again up three times, but also the elongated cherries, which dangle onto your cheeks so cutely, provide the same de-puffing and hydrating results for the cheeks as the for under-eyes. For maximum results, apply the Eye & Cheek Masks after keeping them in the fridge and follow with plenty of moisturiser and a good old massage with a gua sha tool."
Omorovicza Glam Glow Self Tanner, £25.90
Loved by: Victoria Woodhall, editorial director
"Who else relies on fake tan to get them through this time of year when we’re at our most pasty and tired? This has been my staple over the past couple of weeks, when I had events on and didn’t want to give the game away as to how little I had slept. This gradual tan for the face from Hungarian thermal water skincare brand Omorovicza is perfect for winter because it’s a great skin barrier protecting moisturiser in its own right, with apple pectin for hydration and oils such as apricot kernel and jojoba as well as squalane, a natural ingredient which gives creams that silky but not oily feel. And as a bonus, it makes you look rested and holidayed. I’ve been applying it most mornings which is just enough to give you a natural-looking tan and keep it there. It has no discernible smell, just a pleasant hint of citrus."
MZ Skin Hydra Lift Golden Facial Treatment Mask, £85 for five
Loved by: Ophelia Froud, associate editor
"Skin partied out? Need a Christmas quick fix? I tried this after a long 24 hours of Christmas parties. My skin was tired, dehydrated and in desperate need of some TLC. The gold deeply hydrating mask is saturated with gold nanoparticles for added luxury and super-charged with Vitamin C and Collagen to stimulate cell renewal and reduce to appearance of hyper-pigmentation. It’s quite slippery but I managed to get both halves on. My top tip is to lie flat or it can slip off your face. I woke up the next day with skin looking almost as good as new. It’s become my go-to Christmas party recovery mask."
BeYou Menstrual Cup, £14.99
Loved by: Hattie Sloggett, beauty and wellness awards manager
"Okay, so bear with me on this one ladies, we are women of the modern age after all and we are NOT afraid to talk about periods. My life has been utterly revolutionised by the BeYou Menstrual Cup. I have spent many months trying out all sorts of alternative methods for when Betty (yes, I named my period) comes to visit. Now, I did pay attention at school, at least enough to know that everybody is different and therefore, no two women will be the same when it comes to shape, fit, absorbency needs, comfort, or flow, so I am aware that cups may not be everyone's best friend but for me, this little velvet-bagged, super comfy, pink cup has risen dramatically to the top of my friend list. Because BeYou has created the cup with a slightly thinner wall than other cups on the market, it has created a more flexible product allowing for a much easier job of getting it in the right place reducing the likelihood of leakage. This softer edging also lends itself to an invisible feeling, which can feel a tad daunting at first, but very quickly becomes bloody (no pun intended) delightful, there is no bruising, no uncomfortable feeling of being ‘full’, no overly sweaty adult-nappy-style situation going on, in fact, I would go so far as to say that I genuinely enjoyed my period this month. I’ll be the first to admit that I never thought that was possible, but what with feeling clean, light, and not bloated it was actually rather empowering."
Kevyn Aucoin Jewel Pop Face and Eye Palette, £35
Loved by: Hayley Barnes, beauty assistant
"We all know that Kevyn Aucoin was the master of 90s glamour, and I've spent many an hour poring over vintage looks he created on Naomi Campbell, Chrissy Turlington and Cindy Crawford, only to fail miserably recreating them. But fear not, even after his untimely death, his eponymous brand still continues his vision of a signature softy sexy look. The Jewel Pop Face and Eye Palette is the perfect solution for those after-work Christmas drinks we’ve all been invited to and definitely not prepped for. It includes the cult Sculpting Powder in Medium, alongside a duo-blush and a series of glamorous shimmers, and bejewelled mattes, which can be dialled down or amped up depending on where you’re heading. I personally recommend applying the Sculpting Powder through the brow-bone crease, and along the bottom lash, and finish with a mixture of Citrine and Topaz all over the moveable lid using fingers for a timeless festive look."
Aromatherapy Associates Deep Relax Sleep Mist, £28
Loved by: Melanie Macleod, digital writer
"I'm a sucker for a pillow mist; if I had to take one product to a desert island, a sleepy spray would be it - it'd at least make my hammock more comfortable. So, you can imagine my excitement when I learned Aromatherapy Associates had made a sleep mist in the scent of cult blend Deep Relax. I'm already an avid user of the Bath and Shower Oil so the sleep mist is an excellent addition to my bedtime routine. I spritz it liberally over my pillows and duvet before bedding down for the best night of slumber ever - I've only had it for a week and already can't imagine my nighttimes without it."