As a teenager, I’d often come home from school on a Friday to find my favourite magazine or a new lip gloss on my bed. My mum called it a “gee-up” – a little treat to add cheer to the end of the week.
Fast-forward to 2023, and with the gloomy news cycle and a cost-of-living crisis, I’ve found myself buying my own mood boosters. A locally made peanut butter. An aesthetically pleasing mug. Soft cotton face cloths for taking makeup off like a pro. It turns out I’m not alone.
The lipstick effect, first coined by Estée Lauder’s Leonard Lauder, is the theory that during economic upheaval, people rein in big spending but are more likely to spend a modest amount on small indulgences. It proved true during the Great Depression of 1929, the bursting of the 90s dotcom bubble and the 2008 financial crisis. And now, with inflation having recently hit a 40-year peak, UK retailers are seeing it again.
“We’re predicting the ‘lipstick economy 2.0’, which sees us celebrate the small wins in life as much as the big ones,” says Heena Mohammed, beauty lead at John Lewis. Shoppers are buying Dior lip oils (£30), mini Diptyque candles (£33), and OPI nail polishes (£14.90) in their droves. Sales of £6 sheet face masks from DrJart are up 400% year on year. It’s a similar story at Boots, with fragrances and skincare rising year on year.
It’s not just beauty: everything from supermarket flowers to posh chocolates and coffee beans are booming. “These items cost relatively little but give huge returns emotionally,” says consumer behaviour expert Dr Amna Khan. “They give you a dopamine rush when buying and using them.”
Everyone is trying to elevate their everyday lives into something that feels a bit more special. One friend couldn’t justify a hotel mini-break, so she bought ribbon-trimmed Oxford pillowcases in the sale to channel the mood at home. Another was trying to quit their daily coffee shop visit. The solution? A nice cafetiere to use at home. Read on for 40 ideas guaranteed to give you a cheap thrill.
Pearl-effect earrings,£17.99
Wear on dull days for instant sparkle.
mango.com
Sage soap, £15
Chic and cleansing. Does not contain newts.
thenewtinsomerset.com
Muscle balm, £12
Features turmeric and lavender to ease bad cases of “tech neck”.
aroma-active.com
Pow tea, £7
Invigorate body and mind with lemon peel, ginger and yerba mate.
labtonica.co.uk
CBD bath salts, £19.50
The secret to a deep night’s sleep.
healingalternatives.co.uk
Hydrating hair mist, £18
Adds oomph in between washes.
By Pattern, from cultbeauty.co.uk
Nail polish, £8
A deep, rich hue is a timeless classic.
stories.com
Glitter hair claw, £7
How do you do, fellow kids? Get a nod of approval from gen Z with this retro clip.
monki.com
Treatment Lipstick, £14
Cute. Nourishing. Nice.
By Paul & Joe, from sephora.co.uk
Dinner candles, £8 for six
Instant mood lighting.
pooky.com
Box of matches, £10
An effective way to spark joy. Refill the lovely box with ordinary matches when they’re all gone.
By Polkra x Fee Greening Collective, from polkra.com
Shopping tote, £12
Run errands with a smile.
By Baggu, from keepandkind.com
Turin concrete cotton jar, £13.95
A chic way to stash cotton pads.
victorianplumbing.com
Velvet cushion cover, £17.99
Top tip: fill with a cushion insert that’s one size bigger for extra plumpness.
hm.com
Storage tins, £9.95 for set of two
Declare war on cluttered drawers by popping kitchen utensils and other bits and bobs in these colourful tins.
grahamandgreen.co.uk
Sheepskin insoles, £14
Add extra warmth to winter boots. Baa!
celticandco.com
Coffee, from £9.50
Mid-morning slump be gone, with this brew from the cult Cardiff roastery.
hard-lines.co.uk
Organic wine, £15
A creamy white blend from a collective that supports small-scale farmers in Austria.
By Kamptal Kollektiv, from newcomerwines.com
Hand balm, £14.90
Deeply hydrating, this banishes chapped hands and clapped out cuticles.
typology.com
Hot chocolate, £6.95
Comfort in a mug, in a fancy-pants wrapper.
harthchocolate.com
Towels, from £5.05
Bring a bolt of Scandi colour to a gloomy bathroom. Skål!
By Hay, from nordicnest.com
Pillow spray, £9.50
Drift off with a spritz of lavender and camomile.
voya.com
Sugar cubes, £2.05
Pretend you’re in a hotel lounge and swap loose sugar for cubes.
By La Perruche, from waitrose.com
Shell spoons, £13 for a set of four
Who needs a silver spoon when you’ve got these?
smallable.com
Candlestick holder, £16
A little bit retro, team with an equally colourful candle.
anthropologie.com
Dark chocolate, £5
Pep up your chocolate game with a bar from these famous Belgian chocolatiers.
meurisse.com
Citrus juicer, £9.95
Works just as well for making morning juice as it does mimosas.
procook.co.uk
Coffee cup, £12.50
Handmade in Valencia, dream of Spanish sunshine as you sip.
By Woven Rosa, from glassette.com
Edible flower seeds, £11 for a set of three packets
Pop in a window box and watch these edible flowers bloom.
twentytwentyone.com
Coffee scoop, £5.95
Dole out those beans like a pro barista.
peacewiththewild.co.uk
Sponge, £3
If you’ve got to wash up by hand you may as well do it with a smile.
By Scrub Daddy, from matalan.co.uk
Gold reusable straws, £7.50 for a set of four and a brush
Make a morning smoothie or evening cocktail feel a little more special.
oliverbonas.com
Notebook, £3.50
Plot and plan on the go.
dunelm.com
Cutlery Bistro butter knife, €14.40
Spreading butter on toast never felt quite so satisfying.
svenskttenn.com
Olive oil, £17.50
Sizzle, drizzle and dazzle with this small-batch oil from a single estate in Crete.
citizensofsoil.com
Silk eye mask, £19
A shut-eye essential.
aeyla.co.uk
Turkish bowl, £6.99
Give couch snacks a veneer of fanciness.
souschef.co.uk
Hot sauce, £7.50
For when you really want to feel something.
By Chimac, from superettestore.com
Crystallised ginger, £15
A fiery sweet treat for the 4pm slump.
charbonnel.co.uk
Beard oil, £13
Softens, smooths and smells good.
horace.co
