Wealden Times | WT201 | November 2018 | Gift supplement inside

Beauty
ESPA Signature
Spa Collection,
£180
Santa, you beauty…
Josephine Fairley shares her beauty Christmas wish list
Back in July, when you were almost certainly sunning
yourself in the back garden, or on the beach, those of
us who toil in the world of beauty were being forcefed
mince pies and turkey vol au vents, while listening to
Christmas carols, having this year’s seasonal gifts revealed to
us at swanky (and this year, sweaty) locations across London.
It’s actually officially known in the beauty biz as ‘Christmas
in July’ (although one year, I did get my first mince pie in
June, which felt a bit previous even by my standards). But
despite the incongruity of encountering
elves, reindeer and Santas in summertime,
it really is a great way to compile a
list of the best festive gifts. And the
question I always ask myself, when
making that edit, is simply: ‘Would
I want to be given this myself?’
After 25 years as a beauty editor I set
the bar pretty high, but I’d be happy
to be on the receiving end of any of the gifts here – ergo, I
reckon that if they meet my exacting standards, you/your
daughter/mother/best friend should be pretty thrilled to
find them under the tree too. And if any of my friends are
reading this, I really, really wouldn’t mind any of this lot.
Nobody ever buys me beauty treats for coals-to-Newcastle
reasons, but I’d truly love anything on this list myself.
Aromatherapy
Associates Pearls of
Wisdom Bath Oil
Collection, £65
“After 25 years as a beauty
editor I set the bar pretty
high, but I’d be happy to
be on the receiving end of
any of the gifts here”
PS If a lot of these seem ‘spa-like’ and to feature
essential oils, that’s not an accident. In the stressedout
world we live in, these can be a life-raft.
This Works Seventh Heaven, £15. Seven mini pillow sprays
from This Works’ clinically-proven sleep-inducing range.
A few sniffs of the lavender, vetiver and frankincense blend
and my eyes start to close in a positively Pavlovian way.
Origins Mini Mask Musts, £15. One of the joys of a
face mask is the command on the back to ‘relax for 15
minutes’ or so. This features natural
wonders to transform skin and
mood, whether you want to detoxify,
purify, hydrate or energise.
NEOM Organics Time for Real
Luxury gift set, £35. With a scented
candle, a Nourish, Breathe and Calm
Hand Balm (which does exactly what
it says), and a Real
Luxury Bath & Shower Oil (scented
with lavender, jasmine and Brazilian
rosewood), this is one of many fantastic
gift sets that the British aromatherapy
brand has put together for Christmas.
(I’d frankly be overjoyed at being gifted
any one.) They’ve also launched their first
new smell in a while: an energising blend
of vetiver, black pepper and ginger, going
by the name of Precious Moment and
available as a single-wick candle, a threewick
and a home mist. Just the thing to
ground you amidst the Christmas frenzy.
Charlotte Tilbury Mini Hollywood
Lips, £20. Two of the make-up diva’s cult
classic liquid matte shades (warm rosy
137 wealdentimes.co.uk
REN Love
Gift Set, £38