Home for Christmas? Me too. And other than the presents (pyjamas) and free booze, I've been enjoying my care package from my Mum and Dad. I am 31 and I still get one. Parking vouchers from my Dad and a Boots bag full of goods for me. She goes crazy during those double-points days in the lead up to Christmas. Is your mum the same? You might want to wave this shopping list under her nose. This is the absolute best of Boots.
Indeed Labs Hydraluron Moisture Jelly £24.99. THIS. This is The One for winter skin, packed with hyaluronic acid, the very best for skin hydration. If you have excessively dry skin you can prime with a serum, but otherwise this should be a real tonic to the majority of skin types. It earned cult status within months of launching.
Wah London – the cool kids of nails have launched a collection into Boots so we can all have a slice of their nail art kudos without having to trek to East London. Special priority has to go to the Press-On Nails £9 – no faffing, no fiddling, just sexy nails.
This cannot be overstated – regular exfoliation is vital. And Sanctuary Spa Treatments Relax Warming Body Polish £8is surprisingly relaxing, like a blast of warmth with every rub.
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Benefit Creaseless Cream Shadow £15.50 in No Pressure and My Two Cents will suit EVERYONE and they have that metallic edge which means you don’t need a makeup artist’s skill, precision or tools – just blend with your fingertips. I wear them nearly everyday and let me tell you – these little creams really last.
Another winter-skin winner, Eau Thermale Avene Antirougeurs Calm Soothing Repair Mask £15 is technically a mask for a quick fix, but I apply it to areas of inflammation and irritation at any hour and leave it there as an intensive treatment for dry, flaky patches. Equally, on a hangover, this feels like a big ol’ drink of water for your skin. And gives you an excuse for an extra few minutes of shut-eye.
You know when you wake up with a beast of a spot, one that’s got its own postcode and social circle? Origins Super Spot Remover Blemish Treatment Gel £15 is all you need – dab it directly onto the spot and BABOOM! It’s gone. Or at least it’s a lot smaller and won’t last as long.
Getting married next year? Get this. Going through a break-up? Buy it. Leaving the house ever? You’ll want this, too. Chanel Le Volume de Chanel Waterproof Mascara £25 is a brilliant smudge-proof, thickening mascara with a skinny brush that reaches each and every little lash. Chanello!
The Tangle Teezer £12.49 is THE hairbrush. It has all most mystical powers, smoothing out the tangliest, thickest hair in one stroke and without damage. It can’t be beaten.
Cheap and cheerful – I have to admit to thinking I’d outgrown Barry M as I hit double figures. But I was SO wrong. Their Supersoft Eye Crayons £3.99 are everything I – a total klutz despite years of practice – need in an eye pencil. Jumbo-sized, highly pigmented and easy to blend, they work as well on the lid as they do along the waterline, or if you really sharpen the point, for feline flicks alond the lashline. The price tag is misleading – these are for keeps.
I am generally a bit of a tan-a-phobe – I find it tricky to say the least. But St Tropez Self Tan Express Bronze Mousse £33 has yet to streak up on me. Pale girls like me might want to prime with an oil-free moisturiser about an hour before applying, but if you put it on with a mitt and work quickly across the skin, it dries quickly without sliding around on your skin. Slightly more manageable as self tans go.
Just had a tattoo or planning one for 2015? Bepanthen £3.35, a classic nappy rash cream, is a brilliant cream to apply to keep the design moisturised and clean – both key to healing the skin without losing any pigment. Dispatch with the cling film and bandages – THIS is the dog’s. Here’s a tip though: get the 30ml version. Unless you’re planning on a head-to-toe depiction of a rose garden, a small tube should easily suffice.
It wasn’t so long ago that the fashion pack routinely took an extra bag on trips to the US to bring back as many Emergen-C sachets as possible. But now - thank Coco and Karl - it’s in little old Boots. Not only is it a seasoned MUST for combatting fashion flu, it’ll get you through the beastliest of hangovers, the lurgiest of cold snaps and one too many late nights.
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Illustration: Marina Esmeraldo
This article originally appeared on The Debrief.