This post has been written in collaboration with THG
If the cold winter months have left your skin and hair looking and feeling dry and dull, we’ve handpicked our fave beauty products to refresh your look and have you looking bright and healthy in no time.
This list includes some of our favourite haircare lines, body products, makeup, skincare, and even homeware from our go-to brands. These brands err on the side of pricey but we believe you well and truly get what you pay for, and it’s nice to experience a bit of luxury every once in a while…
You can buy the products individually, or take inspiration from the full list to put together your own pamper hamper and really pull out all the stops.
Feel free to browse the full list, or you can jump to each section using the links below:
The changing of the seasons can do a number on your skin too. As can your period, menopause, too much stress, too little water, and myriad other issues…
While it’s possible to get a whole host of great cheap makeup alternatives, you do often need to pay a little more to get truly transformational skincare. And that’s what you get with the brands and products we’ve selected below.
ESPA is giving away a free Relaxation Rituals Collection (worth £70) when you spend £100. Meanwhile, Perricone MD is offering 20% off with the code WELCOME20 on selected products, which includes the moisturiser listed below.
£27 | Buy now
ESPA This cleansing milk from ESPA is perfect all year round.
It’s gentle enough for sensitive and dry skin and doesn’t strip the skin of natural oils.
Nor is it too harsh that it damages your skin’s protective barrier.
What’s more, it contains our absolute fave, and often underrated skincare ingredient, chamomile.
As it’s a cream cleanser, it doesn’t lather a great deal and this can make you think it’s not working as well, however, this cleanser does a superb job of removing makeup, dirt, and general impurities.
All while soothing and hydrating the skin.
It contains soya bean oils and sweet almond oil to add nourishment, while marshmallow and chamomile soothe and calm the skin, leaving it soft and smooth.
FURTHER READING: Best cleanser: Discover which face cleanser best suits your skin from oily to dry and acne-prone
Buy now from ESPA
£55 | Buy now
ESPA We’ll never know why this Optimal Pro Serum isn’t rated as highly as the likes of the Estée Lauder Double Serum. It’s highly nourishing and hydrating and strengthens the skin’s natural moisture barrier which in turn makes it look plump and youthful.
It contains sunflower concentrate which works to protect the skin’s lipid barrier.
Meanwhile, a blend of balloon vine (nah, we hadn’t heard of this either!), blackcurrant seed oil and sea fennel helps to soothe and nourish the complexion.
Finally, turmeric helps improve and balance your skin tone.
The bottle seems small but a little of this serum goes a really, really long way and it smells just like a spa!
For the best results with this serum (and any serum for that matter), make sure you warm the serum in your hands before smoothing over your face.
FURTHER READING: The science of serums: What is serum and what does serum do?
Buy now from ESPA
£40 | Buy now
ESPA This was another belter we got in one of this year’s beauty advent calendars and does an amazing job at detoxing the skin.
A little too much in that we experienced a skin purge straight after using it!
That’s not a criticism, it’s fantastic that it helped clear our skin so effectively, we just had to live with some small pimples for a few days for the privilege.
After they’d gone, our skin looked incredible; the best it has in years.
Its detoxing power comes from its Kaolin clay formula, but instead of just drawing out all the bad stuff, the mask then replaces the gunk with goodness.
It contains ESPA’s Vital Nutrients Omega and Essential Vitamin Complex, which consists of broccoli seed oil, spirulina, and extracts of kale and spinach.
Just as these foods are full of vitamins and minerals, they provide the same benefits when applied to your skin.
It helps bring balance to your skin and we’ve noticed that other products now work more effectively than they did. If you only buy one thing from this list, make it this face mask!
FURTHER READING: Best face mask 2022: The best face masques for acne, oily skin, dry patches and wrinkles
Buy now from ESPA
£59 | Buy now
Perricone MD Perricone MD is named after its founder, Dr Nicholas Perricone.
Dr Perricone is a leading ageing expert and dermatologist and has written a number of bestselling skincare books including The Wrinkle Cure, The Perricone Prescription, The Perricone Promise, and Forever Young.
He has done tonnes of research on how to prevent and reverse the signs of ageing and he puts all of this research, knowledge and experience into his products.
This moisturiser is one of his most popular. It contains Vitamin E, Dimethylethanolamine (DMAE), which balances skin tone, and kukui nut seed oil to combat dryness.
Meanwhile, its antioxidants and nutrients help minimise the appearance of wrinkles.
FURTHER READING: The science of moisturiser: Which ingredients actually work and which are marketing BS?
Buy now from Perricone MD
£13.60 (was £16) | Buy now
mamabella | mamabella This lip treatment is perfect for keeping your pout super soft and smooth, even in cold weather.
It contains ceramide‐like amino acids, oat lipids and the same LaH6 Skin Hydration Complex found in the Ameliorate body lotion listed above.
These combine to improve hydration levels, enhance the skin’s natural moisture barrier and reduce redness.
What’s more, keeping your lips and the skin around them well-nourished can help prevent, or reduce the appearance of lip lines.
Apply before a lipstick, wait for it to be absorbed and the lipstick will glide on and stay put.
Especially if you opt for the Illamasqua lipsticks listed below.
FURTHER READING: Best lip balm UK: From EOS to Fruu, Burt’s Bees and more – which is the best lip balm for cracked lips?
Buy now from Ameliorate
£50 | Buy now
Perricone MD Skincare and beauty supplements rarely taste good. It’s why we add them to juices or our breakfast to mask the odd flavour. Thankfully, with the Perricone MD Super Berry powder, we may have finally found one that tastes great on its own.
This is because it contains what the brand calls its Super Berry Blend. It’s made up of acai plus 10 fruits, including grape, raspberry, cranberry, cherry, blackberry, bilberry, blueberry, elderberry, pomegranate, and lycium berry, and this blend provides powerful antioxidant benefits.
As a result, drinking this powder every day – which is easy because it comes in single servings – will boost your energy levels and immune system.
This is largely down to acai being packed full of essential amino and fatty acids.
If you’re not sure about the science about beauty supplements, check out our guide: The truth about beauty supplements: Do they work and which ones should you take? and our guide to the best collagen supplements.
Buy now from Perricone MD
The winter weather coupled with being stuck indoors for months can leave hair feeling dry and dull. Revive it with these essentials from Christophe Robin and Grow Gorgeous. Start with the serum, move onto the shampoo, finish with the conditioner and, once a week, give your hair a special treat with the mask!
If you’ve not shopped with Christophe Robin or Grow Gorgeous before, you can currently get 15% off at Grow Gorgeous with the code GGNEW, plus get a free mini when you spend £40 (or two when you spend £50. Alternatively, get 15% off at Christophe Robin with the code WELCOME. This is for a limited time and was correct at the time of writing.
Grow Gorgeous £30 | Buy now
If you’re anything like us, as we’ve gotten older our hair has become noticeably thinner and doesn’t grow anywhere near as quickly as it used to. This has left us feeling a little disheartened. Thankfully, the Grow Gorgeous Hair Growth Serum is on hand to lift our spirits!
It contains ingredients including caffeine, hyaluronic acid, organic pea sprout extract, and soy. In the same way caffeine wakes up your brain, following your morning coffee, when applied to your skin, it creates a similar stimulant effect. Specifically, when applied to the scalp, the caffeine in this serum wakes up the roots.
The addition of hyaluronic acid adds moisture to the hair, to make it feel smoother, while the organic pea sprout extract, alongside the soy and wheat sprouts and Chinese Scullcap all improve the condition and vitality of your hair to give it more volume.
RRP: £30
Where to buy: Grow Gorgeous
Buy now from Grow Gorgeous
MAC £42 | Buy now
The Christophe Robin Cleansing Purifying Salt Scrub does exactly as its name suggests – it uses a purifying salt scrub to cleanse you scalp. You can think of it as being like an exfoliator and it leaves your hair feeling fresh.
Considering it’s a shampoo, it doesn’t lather as much as you might think but don’t be fooled into thinking that this means it’s not working. It does a great job.
You also need such a small amount that this pot, while expensive, will last a long time. We love how it smells too. So much so it features in our best shampoo guide.
RRP: £42
Where to buy: Christophe Robin
Buy now from Christophe Robin
Grow Gorgeous £18 | Buy now
If you’re looking to maximise the results of the Grow Gorgeous Hair Growth Serum, we highly recommend following it up with the Grow Gorgeous Intense range.
We’ve listed just the conditioner in this round-up as we use it after our Christophe Robin scrub, but you can buy a matching Grow Gorgeous shampoo (£16) to boost the impact further. If you buy the two as a bundle, you’ll also save yourself a fiver.
RRP: £18
Where to buy: Grow Gorgeous
Buy now from Grow Gorgeous
Christophe Robin £50 | Buy now
This Regenerating Mask from Christophe Robin does as it promises – it helps to rejuvenate dry, damaged and chemically treated hair. After just one use, hair looks and feels healthy and full thanks to the use of prickly pear oil. This hair mask can also help seal split ends and improve their appearance, to prevent them ripping up through the hair.
RRP: £50
Where to buy: Christophe Robin
Buy now from Christophe Robin
From bath soaks to body scrubs and lotions, these goodies will leave your body feeling brand new – or at least a little less old! We’ve also highlighted a brand that will be perfect if your loved one or someone you know is pregnant or a new Mum and are in need of some pampering.
At the time of writing, Mio Skincare and Mama Mio are offering £5 off for new customers with the code NEW5. You can also get a free gift when you spend £25.
Meanwhile Ameliorate has knocked 15% off everything in its range and the prices are automatically applied on the product pages.
£26 | Buy now
Mio Skincare The first step in our bodycare pamper package is this Liquid Yoga Relaxing Bath Soak from Mio Skincare.
If you’ve not heard of Mio Skincare before, it specialises in sustainable, vegan, and cruelty-free skincare with natural fragrances.
We’re big fans after receiving a little pot of its Clay Away Body Cleanser in a beauty advent calendar.
Chances are, if you’re in the same situation we’re in, you rarely get time for a bath so when you do, make sure you make the most of it with this bath soak.
It contains a mix of essential oils that combine to smell incredible, including calming Cannabis Seed Oil.
It’s also full of herbs and mineral salts with the scents of Peppermint, Lavender, and Eucalyptus.
These smells have all been shown to help the mind and body relax.
What’s more, adding this to your bath water will leave your skin soft and moisturised.
Buy now from Mio Skincare
£23 | Buy now
Mio Skincare If you’ve not used a body scrub before, you’re missing out! We’re borderline obsessed with how clean and refreshed they leave our skin.
They’re also great for getting rid of dry skin patches – we have them on our knees and ankles and this scrub does wonders – and we use them before fake tanning.
A truly multi-benefit product.
This Solar Illuminating Body Scrub uses caster sugar to gently buff the skin.
It then contains a blend of Indian fig extract and Monk’s Pepper berry alongside a blend of myrtle and olive oil which combine to bring antioxidant benefits to the skin while leaving it hydrated.
Andiroba oil is then used to make the skin feel moisturised. All with a lush orange scent.
Use this in the bath along with the Liquid Yoga Relaxing Bath Soak and your skin will feel baby soft!
Buy now from Mio Skincare
£35 | Buy now
Mama Mio This Megamama Shower Milk contains all of the goodness of the Tummy Rub Butter but in a milky body wash that you can take into the shower or bath, to give other parts of your body the same pampering.
In particular, it contains the Omega Rich Skin Stretch Complex, which is a blend of avocado oil, inchi oil, and argan oil – the last of which is rich in Omega 3, 5, and 6. It also has sweet almond oil and Vitamin E, all with the fragrance of orange, bergamot, mandarin, and lime.
Buy now from Mama Mio
£34 (was £40) | Buy now
Ameliorate So you’ve soaked in a bath full of relaxing aromas, scrubbed away the day, and treated your stretch marks.Now it’s time to hydrate the rest of your body with this bumper bottle of lotion from Ameliorate.
It’s a lightweight, everyday body lotion that was originally formulated to treat a condition called Keratosis Pilaris (KP).
Sometimes referred to as “chicken skin,” the condition occurs when keratin builds up in the hair follicles across the body.
Keratin is the protein that forms skin, hair and nails and when it builds up, the hair follicles become blocked causing bumps under the skin.
The lotion works to treat KP thanks to active ingredients including Alpha Hydroxy Therapy, sweet almond oil, and the brand’s LaH6 Skin Hydration Complex.
In particular, Lactic Acid, which is a naturally occurring Alpha Hydroxy Acid, helps exfoliate and renew skin cells whilst drawing moisture into the skin.
Sweet almond oil softens and protects the skin and works to enhance its natural moisture barrier. The moisturisation lasts for hours, too. The brand claims it lasts 24 hours and we’d say this was accurate.
Don’t be put off though. This lotion doesn’t just help people manage KP, it also exfoliates and moisturises to remove bumps under the skin caused by many reasons, including blemishes or clogged pores. It’s especially good for dry skin and is safe for use on your face.
FURTHER READING: The best body firming creams, lotions and oils that *actually* work
Buy now from Ameliorate
We’ve handpicked the best products from two of our favourite makeup brands to help you, or a loved one, create a full look.
Illamasqua features in our foundation samples list, as well as a number of our Best Buys and the Eyeko mascara is another bestseller we first discovered in a beauty box.
In honour of National Lash Day in the States, Eyeko is giving you 15% off all mascaras, while Illamasqua is offering a free pair of lashes when you spend £30.
£33 | Buy now
Illamasqua This foundation is perfect for all skin types, but is particularly great for those of us with ageing, or more mature skin. This is because the Illamasqua Skin Base foundation is super lightweight so doesn’t feel cakey or heavy on the skin, and it blends like a dream. All while softening and conditioning.
We love that it gives a matte look with a subtle sheen – it’s not dewy, but it does make you subtly glow. We also love that it’s buildable. We put on a natural-looking layer for work and then dial up the coverage if we ever go out after work (it’s rare these days but it happens…!)
There are 26 shades to choose from and if you’re not sure which one is best for you, either try the Illamasqua AI-powered Shade Finder, or shop its foundation samples.
Buy now from Illamasqua
£34 | Buy now
Illamasqua Few highlighters are as buildable or as versatile as the Illamasqua Beyond Powder.
Due to the fact it’s baked, using finely milled powders and shimmer, you can dust a little over your cheeks, nose and neckline to create a subtle glow, or pack it on where the sun hits your face for a strobed look
It’s lightweight, so goes on easily, and won’t detract from your perfect base. Its shade range will also suit the majority of skin tones and makeup styles.
We’ve linked to the OMG shade, which is in the middle of the range and is a light gold highlighter.
However, you can buy Beyond Powders towards the darker, peachy end of the colour spectrum, or the lighter, pink end of the spectrum.
We use this highlighter on the cheeks, tip of our nose and in the inner corners of our eyes.
Buy now from Illamasqua
£17 | Buy now
Illamasqua If you love how matte lipstick looks, but hate how much it can dry out your lips, then we highly recommend the Antimatter Lipstick range from Illamasqua.
The finish is semi-matte, but the formula is nourishing and softening.
This not only makes your lips look great, but it also helps the colour last because it never settles in the cracks.
There are 20 shades to choose from (which we’ve listed below) and because the lipsticks have a cream formula, they can also double up as a blusher. Especially the shade Nebula, if you’re blonde like us.
The Illamasqua Antimatter Lipstick shade list:
If you’re not sure which of these shades will suit you best, you can read our What colour lipstick suits me? guide, with expert advice, or read our best red lipstick list.
Buy now from Illamasqua
£25 | Buy now
Smooth, blendable and pigmented eyeshadows that will suit almost all skin tones and barely crease? Yes, please! This eyeshadow palette from Eyeko is full of warm nudes that can make blue and green eyes pop, and which are perfect for creating smokey eyeshadow looks.
What’s even better is that this compact eyeshadow palette easily fits in a handbag and comes with a mirror for on-the-go application.
The shades are called, and described as follows:
Use the Stark colour for the base, add the Oath colour in the crease and sweep the Peach colour across the lid for an easy, yet impactful look. You can then add a touch of Moxie in the centre of the lid to take your look from day to night.
Buy now from Eeyko
£16 | Buy now
As its name suggests, the Eyeko Limitless Longwear Eyeliner has been designed to be both highly rich in pigment, while lasting for hours. It’s waterproof and is available in five shades – Destiny, Higher Self, Law of Attraction, Magnetism and Manifest.
Its cream formula works on the lash line or water line and we like to use the Magnetism shade as an eyeliner before blending it out to create a smokey effect.
The Eyeko Eyeliner shades are as follows:
Buy now from Eeyko
And finally, no pamper session would be complete without some relaxing home essentials and for this section, we’re returning to our fave ESPA for inspiration.
ESPA If you’re looking to get that warm, fuzzy Christmas feeling all year round, you can’t go wrong with this Winter Spice candle from ESPA. It contains essential oils and has the scent of orange, clove, cinnamon and ginger.
RRP: £37
Saving: £25.90
Where to buy: ESPA
ESPA These cable knit socks from ESPA – which refers to the knitting pattern in which it looks like cables are running through the design – are perfect for chilling in front of the TV or when you’re working from home in your comfies. It might seem a lot to pay for socks, but the cashmere both feels amazing and prevents your feet from drying out as much as they may do with cotton
RRP: £55
Where to buy: ESPA
ESPA Who knew you could buy tea from ESPA?! We had no idea the brand sold this cute tea caddy until recently and it makes perfect sense. A cup of hot fruit tea is one of our go-to chill-out drinks in the winter, and this tea blend comes with a host of antioxidant benefits, too. The flavours include honeybush and rooibos which make companions for rose petals, liquorice, elderberry and ashwagandha, an adaptogen historically used for its relaxing qualities.
RRP: £15
Saving: £25.90
Where to buy: ESPA
Victoria is founder and editor-in-chief of mamabella, freelance journalist and Mum. She has a passion for empowering people to feel beautiful whatever their age, size, skin type and budget
