Gifts of Beauty

The holidays are here! We’re decking the halls at New London Pharmacy and stocking our aisles with a sleigh full of goodies bound to brighten even the bleakest winter day. While presenting your dearly beloved with a beauty product may seem like an odd – even controversial - choice to some, I believe it’s one of the most personal, intimate gifts you can give. It’s not about telling the recipient they need to look better, it’s about inviting a loved one to feel better.

Our knowledgeable staff is on-hand everyday to help you sort through our extensive collection of international and hard-to-find beauty brands. And, to make your holiday shopping a little merrier, we also offer complimentary gift-wrapping on all in-store purchases. From all of us at New London, wishing you and yours a beautiful December.

-Abby

For the Dapper Dad
He raised you right, now help him razor right with a posh new shaving accessory that’ll keep dad – and mom – smiling from ear to ear.

SPLURGE: Ergonomically designed, entirely handmade and crafted from the finest whisker-lifting badger bristles, Acqua Di Parma Collezione’s Barbiere Shaving Brush ($349) is the barber shop gold standard.

SAVE: Infused with moisturizing almond and jojoba oils, protective beeswax, and nourishing shea butter, Musgo Real’s Pre-Shave Oil and After-Shave Balsam ($22 each) will keep dad soft, smooth, and looking oh-so-manly.

For Mother Dearest
She coddled and cosseted, pampered and pleased, isn’t it time you returned the favor?

SPLURGE: This year’s must-have youth elixirs, Rodin Olio Lusso Face and Body Oils ($90-$135) are blended with a superbly skin-softening complex of 11 botanical essential oils. With its supple texture and nuanced fragrance, each application is like a mini session with an all-star aesthetician.

SAVE: A nighttime salve for sapped skin, Aesop’s Fabulous Face Oil ($58) is fragrant and non-greasy, combining hydrating extracts like ylang ylang and jasmine petal for an invigorating, deeply restorative treatment.

For the College Freshman
A well-stocked shower caddy is a hot commodity in even the dirtiest dorm. Keep ‘em clean this Christmas with a stash of deluxe toiletries.

SPLURGE: Gentle enough for color-treated hair, Louise Galvin’s Natural Locks Pure Shine Shampoo and Conditioner ($22 each) imparts lackluster locks with a healthy-looking sheen. J&E Atkinson’s I Coloniali Aromatic Soap with Illipe Butter ($25) comes with its own nifty ceramic dish and refuels parched skin with a rich butter formulation. Perfect for those in-room study nights, the MoroccanOil Treatment ($44) deep conditions dry tresses with an ultra-light consistency that immediately absorbs into the hair shaft.

SAVE: Burt's Bees’ Grapefruit & Sugar Beet Shampoo and Conditioner ($8 each) are brewed with a veritable feast of fruity extracts, including grapefruit, coconut, sugar beet and tangerine, to boost radiance while strengthening the hair’s cuticle from the inside out. Burt's Bees’ Naturally Nourishing Milk & Shea Butter Body Bar ($8) comes in a pack of two and packs a one-two punch of moisturizing body butters for soft, smooth skin. Weleda’s Rosemary Hair Oil ($13) treats both the hair and scalp taming dry, frizzy locks and sealing split ends.

For the Well-Heeled Wife
With one of these fine fragrances, she’ll wear you close to her heart all day long.

SPLURGE: Multifaceted and ambiguously androgynous, Creed’s Millesime Imperial ($210) slowly reveals full-bodied mid-notes like Sicilian bergamot, mandarin, Florentine iris and musk. As the fragrance evolves, my husband seems to find me exponentially more irresistible…

SAVE: An aromatic homage to the legendary Italian who unwittingly became the Renaissance Queen of France, I Profumi Di Firenzi's Caterina de Medici ($99, in-store only) is a lush, exceedingly floral fragrance that blooms with sweet top notes and pure undertones of Damascus rose and lily. Adding to its intrigue, this elegant scent was originally formulated during Caterina’s reign in the 16th century.

For the Deserving Husband
Marriage may be the ride of a lifetime, but keep the journey smelling sweeter with a timeless scent that’s as unique as he is.

SPLURGE: Rugged, masculine and outrageously sexy, Creed’s Himalaya ($210) is like a breath of fresh mountain air. While the fragrance initially entices with the crisp scent of bergamot and grapefruit, that first whiff fades to reveal a warm base of sandalwood, cedar, amber, and musk.

SAVE: Molton Brown’s Re-charge Black Pepper Eau de Toilette ($60) is a spicy, earthy cologne that captivates the senses with exotic notes like Italian bergamot, Egyptian cumin, Nigerian ginger, Slovenian oakmoss and Indonesian patchouli.

For the Trusty BFF
All ears and always on your side, repay your best friend’s unwavering loyalty with a girl’s best friend: an updated collection of professional-grade makeup brushes.

SPLURGE: Becca Eye Color Brush #10 ($33); Bronzing Shimmering Fan #39 ($39); Medium Blush Powder Brush #15 ($51); and Portable Lip Brush #20 ($31).
Individually handcrafted, Becca’s wood-handled brushes are comprised of the softest natural and synthetic hair available - including raccoon and sable - for precise, flawless application.

SAVE: Jane Iredale Dome Brush ($35); White Fan Brush ($12); Eye Shader Brush ($9) and Sable Lip Brush ($15).
Functional, practical and cruelty-free, Jane Iredale’s hardy brushes are hand-tied using natural fibers like goat hair and boar’s bristle.

For the Harried Hostess
Put the “ho ho ho” back in holiday hosting with a spa-worthy stock of post-party products.

SPLURGE: Molton Brown’s Warming Eucalyptus Body Scrub and Eucalyptus Bath Gel ($28 each) unwind tense muscles and help clear up any lingering post-event congestion. The Heavenly Gingerlilly Body Cream ($28) will transport your hassled host to a calmer place with a blend of essential oils imported from Polynesia. We also carry a variety of pre-packaged Molton Brown Bath Gel gift sets in-store.

SAVE: Wrapped in ultra-gifty, ultra-girly packaging, Roger & Gallet’s Bamboo Moisturizing Shower Cream ($16) and Lifting Body Cream with Bamboo Sap ($18) are hydrating, bamboo-infused potions that will wash away those long days of preparation.

For the Mother-to-Be
She’s been bestowed with baby’s every last bottle, rattle and bassinet, so give your best mommy friend some much-needed TLC.

SPLURGE: Prepared using a non-irritating, 100% organic blend of lavender, chamomile, marigold and rosehip, The Organic Pharmacy’s Mother and Baby Massage Oil ($48) is a supremely hydrating concoction that effuses a relaxing fragrance to encourage a restful night’s sleep. The massage oil and the Apricot and Chamomile Baby Wash ($34) are both mild enough to use on baby, once she arrives.

SAVE: Formulated for the most sensitive skin, Jurlique’s Calming Bath Oil ($18) and Massage Oil ($25) boast comforting chamomile and lavender, which promise to make bedtime a breeze.

For the Discerning Boss
She signs your paycheck – do you need any more incentive to find the right gift?

SPLURGE: A new take on a holiday favorite, Antica Farmacista's Home Ambiance No. 11 ($62) is a limited edition reed diffuser that’s bottled in an antique apothecary flask and loaded with zesty notes of Sicilian mandarin, blood orange, cinnamon, clove, nutmeg and spruce.

SAVE: Ensconced in satin and lace, Avenue's Canton Road Candle ($44, in-store only) permeates the house with a fragrant mélange of white tea, lychee, grapefruit and apricot. My own “flavor” of choice, Canton Road is a clean-burning soy wax candle that lasts for up to 85 hours, so you’ll stay on her mind straight through bonus season.