From pillow sprays to night creams, eye masks to sleep turbans, a beauty editor's bedside table is a treasure trove of the best in skincare and wellness. We raided the bedrooms of our Beauty Collective to find out their essential night-time products, from £6.
Melanie Macleod, HELLO! Wellness Editor
Melanie Macleod, HELLO! Wellness Editor
I’d love to say I have a minimalist approach to my bedside table, but one look at my bedroom set-up and you’ll see that’s not true. Do I really need four different pillow sprays, I hear you ask. Why yes, I do. Read on for my justification
JS Health Lavender and Chamomile PM +
JS Health PM+
I’ve taken many sleep supplements in my time, from purse-friendly Kalms, to Vitl’s Sweet Sleep, but JS Health are my pills of choice right now, and they’re working like a dream.
Be warned, they are a hard pill to swallow (literally) so I sometimes feel like it’s lodged in my throat, but the benefits are more than worth it. They are strongly lavender-scented and designed to promote deeper sleep, soothe nerves and help you relax.
Ingredients include magnesium, chamomile, passionflower and lavender oil and every night I've taken them I've dropped off super quickly. If you're struggling with sleep, I can't recommend these highly enough.
Arran Naturals Calm Lavender & Chamomile Hand & Body Lotion
Arran Naturals Calm Hand and Body Lotion
My family hails from Scotland, so I’m a sucker for anything made up there. This scent is ultra-comforting and makes me feel cocooned in a cosy, super-soft blanket. It’s silky to apply and sinks in quickly, so I can hop into bed as soon as I’ve applied, which gives it a big tick from me!
The first of my pillow mists, I like this one because the scent is powerful and sticks around. Unlike other night time sprays which seem to fade almost as soon as the mist has settled, you can smell this for a long time afterwards. I’ve emptied at lease three bottles and will definitely buy another one when this is empty.
I have the body wash version of this too, and I love the scent, but the fragrance disappears almost immediately after you spray it so this isn’t one I’d recommend. That said, I did use this nightly for months, so it does last well if you’re after a subtle scent.
This Works Deep Sleep Pillow Spray and This Works Deep Sleep Plus
This Works Deep Sleep Pillow Spray
When I first got my hands on Deep Sleep Plus, I wondered why anyone would plump for the original when there was a supercharged version of this iconic pillow spray available.
A chat with Anna Persaud, This Works’ CEO, explained it to me - the original helps you get to sleep, while Plus helps you stay asleep, slowly releasing throughout the night as you move about your pillow. Dreamy!
I find bedtime to be the ideal time to apply hand cream, as I don’t need to use my hands for eight hours, giving the formula time to sink in and soften my dry skin. This is subtly scented and I always wake up with silky hands.
This is fairly strongly scented with lavender essential oil, so if you prefer fragrance-free skincare, give this a miss. That said, I find the fragrance soothing and this draws me into a lovely restful sleep. The ingredients combine to boost the radiance of the skin, making it feel comforted and soft.
I swear by CBD when my sleep is disrupted, and while my favourite will always be Dreem Distillery, this comes a close second.
These peppermint-flavoured drops blend CBD with lavender and butterfly pea flower which is also designed to calm, as well as field mint and spearmint flavouring for that pleasant minty taste. OTO says you should see a difference in the quality of your sleep after three days of usage, but I slept better from the very first night and always turn to this when I’m feeling anxious.
I always keep a moisturiser by my bed, as once the rest of my nighttime routine is done it’s something I can easily forget. This is one of the more expensive creams I’ve tried but after meeting with the brand and hearing all about the benefits of the antioxidant-rich Hebridean seaweed extracts, I had to give it a go. It’s doing a lovely job of hydrating my winter-ravaged skin, and the smell transports me straight to the spa.
A sleep spray makes my bedtime routine feel so much more luxurious and this one is a new addition to my bedside table. It has notes of clary sage and chamomile, as well as lavender, which helps keep it from being too overpowering. One spritz on each side of the bed is plenty.
You’ll find these scattered all over my flat as I never like to be too far from one! They’re 100% silk and gentle on hair which helps to prevent damage and breakage.
I’ll never stop going on about how this Drowsy sleep mask transformed my restless nights. I’m such a light sleeper but with this on I can sleep anywhere. It completely blocks out all light and feels so soft and cushioning around your head since it doesn’t have any tight elastic.
When I first got this fragrance I was unsure about the vanilla note as I don’t like any scents that are too sweet, especially when I’m sleeping. This one has a lovely subtle warmth that stops it from being too sickly. I love the idea of massaging a little fragrance oil into my skin before I settle down for the night as the ultimate pamper.
Every bedside table should have a candle and this one is great for the colder months. I’m not usually a fan of heady ouds but this candle is really calming thanks to the addition of lavender and patchouli. Give it a sniff next time you pass Selfridges and you’ll see what I mean!
I’m a lip balm addict and so I had to try this one as soon as I saw it going viral on TikTok. It’s definitely more expensive than my usual brands, but the texture is really lovely and rich so it really helps to treat even the driest lips.
Dr. Harris Silk Anti-Wrinkle Sleep Mask by CurrentBody
Dr. Harris Sleeping Mask
I have a deeper, less interrupted sleep when I wear a sleep mask to bed, and this one not only boosts the quality of my sleep but the small, raised silicone dots that line the inside also help to stimulate pressure points which help boost relaxation in the face to improve skin texture too.
I am never more than a few feet away from one of these hair ties, and often wear them around my wrist. I keep a few in my bedside drawer as I hate wearing my hair down while I sleep. It only makes my night sweats worse!
Bloom & Blossom All Night Long Calming Sleep Spray
Bloom and Blossom All Night Long Pillow Spray
I became addicted to sleep sprays during the pandemic when my anxiety levels were up and my sleeping hours were down. I spray this lavender and frankincense blend onto my pillow on the nights that I know I am going to struggle to switch off.
This room spray makes my bedroom smell like a posh hotel suite and it makes my bedside table look sophisticated too. It’s a lovely warm and cosy scent. I often spray it after my morning shower because it’s a quality blend, so it scents the room for the rest of the day.
For as long as I can remember, my nightstand has always been a source of mess, bur these days, living in a typically storage-scarce New York City apartment, it holds a mix of stored-away items I haven't reached for in years and a small drawer I rarely dare to open, but also an unchanging, concise list of items that have never lost their prime real estate at the top of the table and that I do reach for nightly.
The Sleeptie
Sleepy Tie
While a relative newcomer to the nightstand, it's one that's never leaving. I can't handle sleeping with my hair untied and have tried countless methods to preserve my weekly at-home blowout, from pinning it in ribbons to stuffing it all in a fuzzy sock. While I'll always have a special place in my heart for my Crown Affair silk scrunchie – and I still use it almost daily – the Sleepy Tie is the easiest, simplest, most comfortable and convenient way to tuck your hair away and not wake up with a single stray ringlet or crimped strand.
I've always had mixed feelings about sleeping with eye masks; I can't fall asleep if my head and face aren't partially covered by my comforter, but also – admittedly as a scaredy-cat – fully covering my eyes freaks me out. I don't recall exactly when or why my mindset changed, but I do know this sleeping mask is a game changer and it feels like an automatic off button, putting me right to sleep.
This one is technically not in my nightstand but rather in my kitchen with the rest of my vitamins and supplements, but nonetheless, one that I never go to sleep without taking.
While these three products are far from the only ones on my nightstand, they're the only ones I can say in all honesty that aren't just there out of habit (and not having anywhere else to put them) as opposed to frequent use. Honourable mentions go out to the Weleda Ultra-Rich Cream, Aquaphor, of course, and a random assortment of soft, vanilla-esque candles I'll light once in a blue moon, such as the Boys Smells Cashmere Kush and the Cool Girl Candles This Smells Like Harry Styles scent.
Kate Lockett, HELLO! Health and Beauty Editor
Only Curls Sleep Turban
Only Curls Satin Sleep Turban
Right, let’s just say it now, this is not the sexiest of bedtime accessories, however wearing a silk or satin bonnet at night is *essential* for keeping my curls bouncy and the frizz at bay. I cannot stress it enough. This chic number keeps all of my curls in place and minimises the amount of redoing the next day. I like to make sure I am covered from all angles and double up on protection with a silk pillowcase, too.
I love the texture of this hydrating gel mask. I pop it on to wear overnight when my skin needs an extra dose of hydration as it contains hyaluronic acid and squalane. The mango butter also leaves me feeling moisturised and the smell is incredible. I wake up in the morning and my skin feels so soft and looks like I’ve had a decent night of sleep, even if I haven’t.
I don’t like night creams that are too thick and heavy, so this is the perfect antidote. A lightweight, gel-cream texture that feels so comforting when I apply it. plus it includes a cocktail of active ingredients such as vitamin C which means that my face looks bright and well-rested when I wake up.
Moisturising my body can fall by the wayside in the winter months when it’s cold and all you want to do is jump into bed, but I make sure to always cream my hands at the very least. This moisturiser makes it less of a chore and more of a pleasure as it doesn’t leave your hands feeling greasy and instantly makes my hands look and feel hydrated and supple.
I love candles, who doesn’t? After I eked out the last of my beloved Neom Perfect Night’s Sleep one, it was a no-brainer to follow up with something iconic, such as the Jo Malone London English Pear & Freesia candle. Not only does it fill the room with a gorgeous, fruity fresh countryside scent, it looks so pretty by my bedside.
As temperatures plummet, my lips always seem to be the first to dry out and feel like sandpaper. I carry one in my bag and always have one here on my bedside table so that before falling asleep, I make sure I put on this staple balm to stop my lips from feeling dry and cracked.
HELLO!'s Beauty Collective is a team of beauty and wellness experts, of different ages, skin tones and hair types, who have joined forces to bring you the best in skincare, makeup and haircare - with honest, trustworthy reviews of the latest launches and cult products.
Meet the Beauty Collective...
Donna Francis is one of HELLO!'s Contributing Editors, with a seriously impressive background as a beauty editor. You can find her talking all things menopause skincare on her Instagram @thebeautyed
Melanie Macleod is HELLO!'s Wellness Editor. When she's not testing the latest weird and wonderful wellbeing treatments, she dabbles in all things beauty, following five years as a beauty editor.
Beatriz Colon is our stateside beauty expert. Based in New York, we rely on her to uncover all the latest launches over the pond - and let us know what's worth the shipping fees!
Kate Lockett is HELLO!'s Assistant Beauty and Lifestyle Editor. Away from writing about the latest health trends, she enjoys getting the lowdown from celebrities about their beauty regimes and wellbeing must-haves.
Lydia Mormen is HELLO!'s Junior Beauty Writer. As well as being a self-confessed lipstick hoarder, she’s also partial to a spa day (or two!). Her favourite things include overpriced coffee, mascaras that won’t budge and discovering new wellbeing trends.
