gal-dem’s fave beauty Christmas products
Emma Blake Morsi, Mariel NO, Verity Nelson, Ally Wong and Aditi Shivaramakrishnan
16 Dec 2018
Image by Michelle Wong
As self care becomes increasingly important, developing a skin care routine as part of your me-time is something many of us do both consciously and subconsciously. Whether you’re looking for a present for someone special, or want to treat yourself with a new fave, we have compiled a quick round up of our favourite beauty, skin and hair products below. Get gifting!
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Lifestyle assistant editor Emma Blake Morsi’s fave: Ro’s Argan Body Conditioner (£16.95)
Image via LUSH
2018 has been my year of transitioning to more organic hair and beauty products. Hair conditioner? I’ll make it myself. Face mask? DIY, baby. But I didn’t realise what I was missing until I tried Ro’s Argan body conditioner by LUSH. It is richly packed with cocoa, shea and cupuacu butters as well as brazil nut, almond and argan oils. The interchanging humidity and heat from summer wasn’t kind to my combination skin, and this cleared up most of my issues in less than five uses: rinsing your skin with cold water first opens up your pores allowing the butters to nourish and hydrate your skin, then topped off with the deeply moisturising non-greasy oils for unreal softness. The lasting effect? This vanilla and rose-scented body conditioner has my skin rivalling any newborn baby, and has given mine and my boyfriend’s pores a new lease of life. Although best used fresh, it is self-preserving and can be used longer than DIY alternatives. If looking for a luxurious natural conditioner, you’ll get your money’s worth in your first use.
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Lifestyle contributor Verity Nelson’s fave: Crème of Nature Pure Honey Moisture Replenish & Strengthening Mask (£7.49)
Image via Beauty by Zara
You can use your favourite shampoo and conditioner for years but after a wash you can sometimes feel that something is missing and your hair still isn’t what it should be. Enter hair masks! My number one, can’t-live-without mask is Crème of Nature Pure Honey Hair Mask. Extremely thick, it moisturises your hair and gives it what can only be described as a deep drink of intense nourishment. You can leave it in overnight under a cap or use it between shampoo and conditioning, and when you wash it out you will probably be as amazed, as I was, over how soft your hair will feel. It is hands down the best mask I’ve ever used in my hair. Bye-bye, Eurocentric hair masks!
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Sub-editor Aditi Shivaramakrishnan’s fave: COSRX Advanced Snail 92 All in One Cream (£17.50)
Image via Beauty And Seoul
The year-round humid weather where I live makes daily moisturising a fine balancing act, especially if you have combination skin. Heavy creams can clog your pores, sit heavily on your skin, affect the layers of makeup on top, or, worst of all, seemingly roll off your face when you inevitably perspire.
Enter COSRX Advanced Snail 92 All in One Cream. By day, my sunscreen and makeup go smoothly on top of this popular Korean beauty product, while at night, it works well under a sleeping pack. While I can’t necessarily confirm that it has reduced pigmentation or wrinkles, I’d strongly recommend it as a lightweight cream that’s not strongly scented; it’s also reasonably priced and, apparently, snails are not harmed in the mucin extraction process.
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Lifestyle contributor Ally McCrow-Young’s fave: Multi-Molecular Hyaluronic Complex (image via ASOS).(£25.00)
Image via ASOS
My skincare routine has forever changed since Hyaluronic Acid came into my life. Although it sounds like a science experiment that should definitely not be smeared on your face, hyaluronic acid is my secret weapon against dry, winter skin. I’m always reluctant to buy into hyped products like these, stubbornly sticking to my non-perfumed, hypoallergenic moisturiser-only routine. But if you’re a fellow dry skin sufferer like me, you’ll want to add this gem to your routine ASAP. Our skin cells naturally produce Hyaluronic Acid, but the lovely process of ageing and environmental toxins mean that most of us are running at a deficit. I add a few drops of Hyaluronic Acid to my morning and night time routine – after cleansing and before moisturising – and it fixes uneven texture, dryness and dullness. The stuff isn’t the cheapest, but trust me, it’s a worthwhile splurge!
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gal-dem’s marketing & insights guru Mariel NO’s fave: Lush Sleepy Body Lotion £8.75 / Sleepy Shower Gel £5.95
Image via LUSH
Let me tell you about LUSH’s Sleepy products. The lavender Sleepy body Lotion and Sleepy shower gel – and the matching twilight bath bomb and body spray – smell insane. It is lavender, oat milk, ylang ylang, and tonka absolute, all those good things, rolled up in a lilac and silver package, ready to soothe your skin and gently sing you to sleep; I’m not even exaggerating. I’ve gone so hard on these I decided last pay day to bite the bullet and splurged on the big 440g tub to last me, hopefully, for the next year.
My current day job is very stressful and high-pressure that when I’m home, I need to turn off immediately. I create a sanctuary from the moment I step foot into my room, and covering myself head to toe in this supremely soft cream and scent is the perfect antidote to a day spent commuting and client-ing. I literally smell it and feel the stress drop off my shoulders in one fat load. If you need help relaxing, sleeping, or just smelling good, I highly recommend this product line.
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