By the time Christmas rolls around, most of us are ready to drop. There’s the parties, the runaround to get everything ready for the big day, and the toll that the cold weather takes on our health and wellness.
So, if you’re looking to treat your loved ones, a gift that will help them feel pampered is always a win, especially if you have a beauty junkie on your gift list. From affordable luxuries to truly indulgent gifts, these are my favourite self-care buys.
The best self-care gifts
The perfect hot chocolate
Knoops 43% milk chocolate flakes, £12.95
knoops.co.uk
amazon.co.uk
Knoops makes single-origin chocolate flakes that combine perfectly with milk to create a creamy and rich take on hot chocolate. The 43% variety has a hazelnut flavour close to Nutella that will delight those with a sweet tooth.
Stylish sleepwear
Brushed woven pyjama shorts, £45
stripeandstare.com
Lace cami, £30
stripeandstare.com
Stripe & Stare’s pyjama shorts are made from a semi-synthetic fabric derived from renewable wood pulp and its vests from a 95% biodegradable wood-based fabric. The brand has a selection of fun colours and styles, which you can mix and match, plus they’re good value for money and claim to be kind to the environment.
For more sleepwear options, see our guide to the best women’s pyjamas for winter
Cosy slippers
Yoko wool Siberian slippers, £26
elmshop.co.uk
There’s an abundance of slippers out there, but finding a stylish, comfortable pair is harder than you think. Made from warm yet breathable wool pile, these two-tone grey slippers deliver on all counts – and they’re cute and affordable to boot.
Festive essential oil
Nikura Christmas tree essential oil blend, £5.99 for 10ml
nikura.com
Nikura Christmas cosy night in oil set, £12.99 for five
amazon.co.uk
Nikura’s long-lasting essential oils can be used in an oil burner or diffuser, for massage, in the bath, and even to make soaps and candles. This festive edition blends cinnamon, orange and pine needle scents.
Ultra-luxurious pillowcase
Slip monogram pillowcase, £66.50
slipsilkpillowcase.co.uk
£95
selfridges.co.uk
Is there anything more luxe than a personalised pillowcase? A silk one, that’s what. Consumer tests by silk brand Slip suggested that sleeping on the fabric improves the appearance of skin texture and sleep lines, and it’s also been found to reduce hair frizz and bedhead.
Sleep-inducing drink
Ancient + Brave True Nightcap, £25.60
ancientandbrave.earth
£32
amazon.co.uk
This citrussy vegan night-time drink is genuinely sleep-inducing. It contains magnesium to send you off, choline which is said to help circadian rhythm function (our sleep-awake system) and essential nutrients to improve sleep quality. It’s like a bedtime hug. Each jar contains about 30 servings.
See our guide for more sleep-inducing ideas
Eye massager
Peep Club original heated eye wand, £65
peepclub.co.uk
victoriahealth.com
This nifty eye wand is perfect for the screen addict in your life. It has three settings that use a mix of light massage, warmth and LED red light to soothe, de-puff and improve comfort and hydration.
Roll-on aromatherapy oil
Ede burnout roll-on therapist, £16
nadinoo.com
At £26, this blend of oils, including geranium, petitgrain, lavender and clary sage, is considerably cheaper than a weekly session with a professional. Roll over pulse points when life gets a bit much.
Scent for your home
Evermore Smoke incense, £28
evermorelondon.com
burford.co.uk
As well as being beautifully minimalist, these calming incense sticks are made with a charcoal base, so they produce as little smoke as possible. I like the Smoke scent best, with notes of cardamom and cedar.
G-spot vibrator
Smile Makers the Tennis Pro vibrator, £49.95
cultbeauty.co.uk
beautybay.com
Smile Makers’ vibrators are named after sexual fantasies, such as the Poet and the French Lover. They’re also ergonomic, waterproof and vegan. They look cute, too.
after newsletter promotion
Rehydrating mask
Espa IsoTonic mask 55ml, £30
lookfantastic.com
£29.25
amazon.co.uk
My favourite self-care ritual is a 10-minute session on a Sunday with this cooling, super-hydrating treatment smoothed over my face and neck, in front of Netflix. It contains electrolytes and minerals to help revive and revitalise the complexion. If you’re feeling extra generous, get the brand’s Isotonic Hydra Gel eye masks, too.
Face massager
Gua-Shroom, £27
herbarofficial.com
£25
ssense.com
Few things are cuter than this little shroom, and it’ll fit nicely into most facial massage routines. Gua sha is a Chinese medicine practice that encourages lymphatic drainage. All you need is some lovely face oil and this tiny tool to help relieve tension and promote circulation.
Yoga strap
Yoga Design Lab Celestial yoga strap, £16
yogamatters.com
amazon.co.uk
If you know a yogi who wants to take their practice further, this eco-printed, recycled fabric strap will help them to achieve more challenging poses.
Relaxing pillow spray
This Works Deep Sleep pillow spray 75ml, £24
lookfantastic.com
£23.95
amazon.co.uk
This is a fail-safe and does what it says on the bottle. It’s calming, vegan and smells divine, with a lavender, chamomile and vetivert scent.
Acupressure mat
LevelWellbeing acupressure mat, pillow and carry bag, £45
sleepsmug.com
amazon.co.uk
A bed of nails might sound like a torture device, but it’s an affordable way to give someone the gift of acupressure at home. Stressed out or achy family members will thank you. This premium linen and coconut mat is best used for 20 minutes a day, so they’ll get plenty of use out of it.
Multi-use hair oil
Larry King Spoilt For Choice hair oil 30ml, £28
cultbeauty.co.uk
£23.75
beautybay.com
This soothing oil from cult hair salon Larry King will help revive dry, heat-damaged ends.
Boosting eye cream
The Inkey List caffeine eye cream, ££7.50
lookfantastic.com
£7.50
amazon.co.uk
Like a shot of espresso for tired eyes, this antioxidant-rich eye cream has a wonderfully light texture. It brightens and reduces pigmentation under the eyes with the help of peptides (repairing proteins) and caffeine.
Glow-up face balm
Pelegrims facial balm miniature, £14
pelegrims.com
Central heating and cold blasts aren’t anyone’s friend, so self-care fans will be thrilled with this rich, nutrient-filled, hydrating balm. The brand uses natural vineyard by-products – hence the pinot noir vintage written on the packaging.
Scalp stimulator
Aveda scalp massager, £21.60
johnlewis.com
£27
cultbeauty.co.uk
This ergonomic hair and scalp brush will help exfoliate while gently massaging.
Relaxing oil
De-stress essential oil blend, £7
boostology.co.uk
superdrug.com
A calming mix of basil, lemon and bergamot essential oils, this blend is made in the UK and contains 100% natural plant extracts. Add a few drops to a diffuser or warm bath, and inhale.
Hayley Spencer is a journalist and editor with 15 years’ experience writing on topics spanning style, beauty and wellness