Scent from Santa

By Lisa Haynes

From the sweet, spicy aromas of mulled wine and brandy-coated puddings, to the fresh pine of Christmas trees, fragrances form a big part of the festive season.

And an evocative scent is an instant way to lift your seasonal spirits, whether it's lighting a fragranced candle or lathering up in the tub with a warming cinnamon body wash.

When creating a special edition scent recently, fans of Treacle Moon deluged the bathing brand with requests for 'the smell of winter' - either cinnamon or stewed apple - demonstrating the appeal of seasonal scents.

Deck out your bathroom with these Christmas-inspired goodies.

Noel nuance

The Christmas tree pine leaves and waft of mulled wine may already be running through the house, but why not exaggerate the festive atmosphere with a luxurious fragranced candle?

Aveda's Holiday Soy Wax Candle features a warm and spicy aroma of ginger, ginger lily and clove to awaken your seasonal senses, £20 (0870 034 2380).

Bring some festive warmth and light into your life with Espa's Winter Spice Candle. The rich aroma is evocative of waiting up for Santa's whisky and Rudolph's carrots to disappear, £45 (www.espaonline.com).

A gold Christmas tree adorns the front of Annick Goutal's Noel Scented Candle and aptly the spicy scent is reminiscent of Siberian pine, £41 (www.escentual.com).

Festive froth

You may not decorate your bathroom but it can still smell like the contents of a Christmas stocking - a festive mix of satsumas, walnuts and chocolate coins.

Lush's Father Christmas Bath Bomb delivers with the sparkle and smell of Christmas featuring mandarin oil and orange flower absolute, £3.25 (www.lush.co.uk).

Warning: you may not want to leave the bath tub when accompanied by Treacle Moon's Warm Cinnamon Nights. The winter edition bath and shower gel is based on cosy accords of warming cinnamon, spicy clove, syrupy ginger, vanilla and a drizzle of sweet honey, topped with zesty orange and comforting stewed apple, £2.99 (Tesco).

Feel festively fruity as you lather up with Baylis & Harding's Plum Pudding soap, with notes of citrus orange, spicy clove, sweet plum and mixed berry, £3 (www.baylisandharding.com).

Seasonal skin

Your signature fragrance may not hit the right notes during the holiday season. Leave a mouth-watering aroma in your wake by layering on seasonal skincare and scent.

You're sure to smell like a scrumptious gingerbread man with Origins' Ginger Ways gift set, including Ginger Essence Sensuous skin scent, Ginger Burst Savory Body Wash, Ginger Souffle Whipped Body Cream and body puff, £34 (0800 731 4039).

OK, the gold and frankincense may be missing but Darphin has provided the third Three Kings gift with the Myrrh Aromatic Care precious essence oil. Perfect for nourishing cold-ravaged dry skin, £42 (0870 034 2566).

For a fragrance with figgy pudding connotations, spritz on Jo Malone's Wild Fig & Cassis Cologne, from £38 (0870 034 2411/www.jomalone.co.uk).

Mistletoe lips

It would be criminal to neglect your pout at Christmas. Keep all those mistletoe moments in mind and prep with Alice & Eliza's Winter Berry Lip Balm, £2.50 (Marks & Spencer), to add a rosy tint to chapped winter lips.

At last, a festive pudding that won't add extra inches to the waistline! The Lip Gloss Company's Mince Pie Lip Gloss looks and smells good enough to eat, £2.99 (www.madbeauty.com).

Get into New Year celebratory mode with Philosophy's Congratulations duo. The Pomegranate Bubbly Lip Shine is the perfect accessory for seeing in 2013, £24 (www.qvcuk.com).

Tried & Tested

Ensure your eyeshadow has staying power over the party season. Our testers trial three primers:

:: Soap & Glory It's About Prime Eyeshadow Underbase, £8 (www.boots.com)

This primer comes in two shades, Bright Light for under everyday eyeshadow, or Silver Lining for smoky eyes. The creamy formula gave my lids a smooth finish and my eyeshadow was virtually crease-free.

3/5

:: Revlon PhotoReady Eye Primer + Brightener, £9.99 (www.boots.com)

The brush applicator makes blending over eyes a cinch. The pinky tone brightened my eyes as well as priming them for eyeshadow, which looked smooth and intense over the top.

4/5

:: Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion, £14.50 (Debenhams)

A little of this primer goes a long way. I had to blend the thick, creamy texture onto my eyelids with a fingertip but my eyeshadow looked flawless all night.

4/5

Buy it now

Heaven sent in time for Christmas, Richard Ward's new Tangle Angel detangling brush should soothe sore heads. Available in Pearl White, Gorgeous Pink or Metallic Black, £14.99, from www.tangleangel.com

Beauty bulletin

:: Guardian Angels

A man on a Christmas mission in a beauty shop can be risky business... Space NK reports returns to store in January are double that of any other time of year. To combat confusion, the brand has launched a Christmas Angels shopping advisory service for CHAPs - that's Clueless Husbands And Partners! Nicky Kinnaird, founder of Space NK, says: "Our number of male shoppers quadruples at this time of year. By asking the right questions we can present them with an edited selection of products across skincare, fragrance and cosmetics that their partner will love." The Christmas Angels service is complimentary and available nationwide. Call your local Space NK store to book a shopping appointment (www.spacenk.co.uk).

Recessionista alert

Still got stockings to fill? Make a dash to Marks & Spencer for the buy-one-get-one-half-price on beauty and grooming gifts. The offer is available on selected pampering pressies until December 24. Tick, tock, shop! (0845 302 1234/www.marksandspencer.com).