Surrey Homes | SH37 | November 2017 | Gift supplement inside

Perfume Society VIP Subscription, £25 p.a. You’ll be able
to buy this in person at Wealden Times Midwinter Fair,
where The Perfume Society – which I co-founded three
years ago – has a stand. Along with a VIP Subscriber
card and a joining box that brings the different fragrance
families alive through samples and accompanying
‘smelling notes’, the recipient will enjoy event invites
and access to our award-winning online magazines: six
issues a year, ensuring that any perfume-lover’s finger
is firmly on the pulse-point of all things fragrant.
Rituals Travel Set Skincare Men, £29.50. Not been
inside a Rituals store lately? Truly you don’t know
what you’re missing – there are some world-class
home fragrances, all the packaging’s been stylishly
zhooshed, and their Christmas gift sets are fab. Most
of the gift boxes (which are colourful and unbranded)
can be reused – with the exception of this men’s set
(because men just don’t do that, do they…?). A great
skincare set for any guy, though, featuring the Samurai
range as a Magic Shave, Cleanse, Energize Face Balm
and Shave Repair. Sure beats socks and pants.
Annick Goutal Trio Candle Coffret, £39. There are
of course a million scented candles out there – and
lots of splendid seasonal limited editions – but I’m
very taken with this, showcasing three 70g votive
sizes of their celebrated Eau d’Hadrien, Ambre
and the deliciously wintry Jardin d’Hiver.
Charlotte Tilbury Magic Mini Brush Set, £49. Some
time ago I literally switched all my make-up brushes
for a set of Charlotte’s. Not for nothing are they known
as ‘Charlotte’s magic hands’ – because they’re such a
key element of this make-up dynamo’s ability to create
showstopping red carpet and backstage looks. (I could
never do a decent smoky eye until I got one of Charlotte’s
smudging brushes.) This chic wine-coloured faux
snakeskin clutch features defining, blending, contouring
and smudging brushes with usefully shorter handles.
NB This is the beauty gift I plan on giving myself.
YOU Beauty Advent Calendar, £60 + £3.95 p&p
(worth £230). OK, so I can personally attest to how well
this annual advent extravaganza goes down – because I
most certainly do give these every year, to my very, very
‘besties’ (and at this price they’re under no illusion that I
get them as freebies!). The advantage, for me: by handing
these out before the end of November in time for advent,
I’ve done-and-dusted several names on the Christmas
list. This year’s calendar seems even more stonkingly
rammed with product than usual – and would my nearest
and dearest look away now, lest it spoil the surprise
of upcoming daily offerings from REN, ESPA, Ciaté,
bareMinerals, Moroccanoil – and so on, for 24 windows.
Aromatherapy Associates Time to Sleep, £68
(aromatherapy associates.com). I make absolutely
no apologies for featuring two AA products in this
guide – they’ve long been a go-to brand for me, both
personally and when gift-shopping. This features a
full size 55ml Deep Relax Bath & Shower Oil – one
capful’s like knockout drops at the end of the day –
along with a Relax Body Oil and a stress-soothing,
sleep-beckoning rollerball. Again, the box – with its
starry London skyline – is a keeper. Slightly more
affordably – though I’d say, what price a good night’s
sleep? – delight any zzz-challenged friend with This
Works Deep Sleep Pillow Spray Supersize, £35 for
250ml (three times the size of their regular, clinically
proven Deep Sleep spray). It’s a limited edition so just
don’t snooze when it comes to shopping for this.
Jean-Paul Gaultier Snowglobes, £80.50 for Classique
Eau de Toilette, £64.50 for Le Male 125ml. Just the
cutest! Iconic fragrances presented inside clear domes –
and when you turn them upside-down, the torso bottles
appear through the snowflakes. True collectables.
Jo Fairley is co-author of The Beauty Bible series of
books – and for more beauty and fragrance updates
from her, visit beautybible.com and perfumesociety.org.
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