I’m dreaming of an early 90s Christmas

[jacqattacq]

I’m a child of the 80s (born in 77) so am usually nostalgic for those days at christmas time, but for some reason I’m suddenly craving the christmases of my teens:

Shopping with my mates in the newly opened shopping centre and going for a Burger King (FANCY compared to McDonalds back then because it was a novelty), deliberating over which Body Shop gift basket to buy my mum - white musk, dewberry or go rogue and get ananya?

Will my BFF buy me Tribe perfume for Christmas or a Purple Ronnie mug? When is the One Foot in the Grave Christmas special on? Will my dad let me have some Babycham? (Still a thing in the 90s) Can I convince my mum to put up the tacky foil garland decorations instead of all the new Victorian themed stuff that she bought last year when she decided it was all too dated?

Will the sound of christmas morning be a Now album or the Smash Hits compilation? There’s bound to be one of those in my stocking. And will my festive makeup look be created with Miners eyeshadow or the lurid M&S palette that everyone had back then? (Heather Shimmer lipsticks was non negotiable).

I think the Bodyshop nowadays is a shadow of its 90s self. It's all gift sets and prettily packaged stuff - it's lost its unique quality.

I got a bubble bath pack from boots called something like elements. There were four bottles air, fire, earth, water. The earth one smelled like cut grass. Loved it. Still miss it.

Oh I miss being all excited about doing the trek around Body Shop and Boots, Next clearance, HMV (for videos ), Accessorize for really classy jewellery or purses for friends' presents, and maybe Thorntons for really posh champagne truffles for Mum then going home broke and smelling like we'd rolled in Woolies pick'n'mix.

I miss woolies so much. The adverts were amazing, I seem to remember they took up the whole ad break

And the toys r us advert was always so exciting to see!

Quality street came in a massive tin! It was so huge it would last months. We had a silver box that After Eights went into. And it was the only time of year we got cherryade and cream soda! I have tried to get both recently but can only find the sugar free versions which are rank.

Sorry to be a party pooper but 80s Christmases were tacky with their multicoloured lights, tinsel, novelty singles, cherry brandy, M&S Magnolia bubble bath and very dry Waitrose Christmas cake.

The range of Christmas food in supermarkets and the range of Christmas decorations available is exponentially better now.

Ah yes the early 90's! I used to live in the Body Shop. Me and all my friends used to buy each other the flavoured lip balms for Christmas.

I bought my boyfriend Jazz aftershave and he bought my LuLu. I felt so grown up.

Used to get the bus into work with my mates and go to Woolies and buy various selection boxes or chocolates for my family. And get that cheap wrapping paper for 10p a sheet from the man on the high street.

The school Christmas disco was the social highlight of the year. Me and my mates used to spend hours planning what to wear and who we were going to get off with. My all time ever favourite outfit was a pair of black velvet leggings and a crushed velvet, wine coloured top from Miss Selfridge. With my spiral perm and stick on nails, I looked the business!

I was born in 77 too. My 90's Christmases were shit as my df spent all his money on his new wife. I remember one year just getting two of those horrible fake plastic ring of flowers that went at the bottom of candles. Everything I had I bought myself. My 80's christmases when mum was alive were the best. Getting the lost boys on vhs was my highlight of 88 as I loved the two Corey's so much. She also had an impeccable instinct on what I would be into that next year. I try so hard with my dh to have memorable Christmases as I never know which one will be my last.

im with you op -born 75

dewberry wasmy favourite always replenished it before it ran out-good xmas telly because there was only 3 then 4 channels

advocaat anyone? also a small babycham i was so posh-good times

NancyDonahue I had completely forgotten about out annual pre-Christmas visit to Blackbush Market!! I never got one of those leather jackets...

That's exactly what I loved about them though. It was about colour and lights and garishness, bollocks to being tasteful. That's the Christmas spirit to me .

Although I agree with you on the food being better now - much more variety and foods from different countries. We don't feel obliged to have boring old turkey like we used to back then. Plus we now have mini stollen bites 😋

@NancyDonahue and @MrsSup Blackbush market! We must all live fairly near each other. That's where everyone went for leather jackets, and also those partiality fetching shell suits

Christmas TV was so much better too. Only Fools and Horses Christmas Special.

Early 90s Christmas’s were when I got my swatch pop watch, my bomber jacket, little miss naughty messenger bag and heeled loafers!!
Was finally old enough to be allowed to get the bus into the city and go late night shopping!! Was also the early 90s when topshop pjs were the musthave for sleepovers!!
Bath pearls from body shop featured heavily and a browse around HMV and then onto Woolworths for pick and mix was a must!!

I've just worn my black velvet dress with a short swing skirt from Clockhouse (pre runner to skater dress?) , Cherry dr Martins and my grandads old grey blazer to the school disco.

Managed to flirt with the boy I've had a crush on since Form 2. (In the days before key stages, our Y7 was called Form 1 and do on until
6th Form. Anyone else?).

Indeed, wearing Dewberry from body shop in come down fairly late on Christmas morning having spent Xmas Eve with my friends in the local pub trying to get served.
I'm so excited to get a CD Walkman for Xmas and some slipper socks with grips on the bottom.

After dinner I settle down to watch the Top of the Pops special and eat my Chocolate Orange.

Ahhh all in well in the world.

I’d forgotten about body suits! I had a crushed velvet one that I wore with black ski pants and towering platform shoes circa ‘94.

A little bit of Christmas died with the demise of Woolies. It was the place to do your last minute cheapo present buying. Sad that it’s been replaced with Poundland etc. Not half as good.

I love coloured lights and tinsel! Christmas hasn’t been poncified in the 80s & 90s.

The black crushed velvet and DMs were back for the late 2000s/early 2010s, I can confirm. Born in 94, could definitely still relate to the black crushed velvet dress & DMs with funky laces (I had pink and purple, so cool)

Also born in 77. One of my best Christmas gifts was Christmas '88, my aunt got me the Bros Christmas Box!!! A special festive collection of their' greatest hits' www.discogs.com/Bros-The-Bros-Christmas-Box/release/868734
Oh and my favourite Rimmel lip shade was Fudge Brownie!!

Christmas TV was so much better too.

It was dreadful! Blind Date Xmas special. Only 4 channels not a gazllion and any Christmas film you fancy at the touch a button.

Born '78, my best Christmas was my 13th. I got a benneton duffel bag, a walkman and salt'n'peppa's greatest hits cassette.

Great memories. I’m going to look through rose tinted glasses and reminisce about the C&A puffer jacket I managed to get one year and the crushed velvet dress with spaghetti straps I got a couple of years later to wear to the school Christmas party. Those little bottles of body shop oil with the plastic swab attached to the lid to make you smell of White Musk or Ananya (I didn’t like dewberry, that was for my friend), the little bath oil popper things that you squished between your fingers - too tempting not to, velvet hair scrunchies, forever friends gifts for my close circle of friends (early 90s). Selection boxes were so enquiring, especially if you got one in card rather than the plastic wrap and of course, that silver lame thread like stuff that we doused the tree in till you could barely see any green. TV was huge back then!

Yes the tv might have been dreadful but because there was nothing else, no internet, we had no sky, so just 4 channels, tv seemed much more important and if there was something even vaguely good on it was very exciting!

Just Seventeen magazine was always a highlight for me, I think there used to be an Annual out at Christmas as well? All very exciting.

With the exception of C&A, you could still do all these things now.

I saw popper bodysuits in m&s the other day and I was like WTF until I remembered what it was .

And there was an advert this morning for a Now Music Spotify style app.

Do Body Shop still do dewbury (or Dewsbury as we call it, after a local town) perfume?

Going through the radio times with a highlighter and negotiating a TV schedule with my brother and sister. I would have to look after them while my Mum tried to sleep after a night shift and it took all the skill of an air traffic controller and a hostage negotiator to stop a war erupting

Haha yes I remember everyone having a turn at circling what they want to watch on tv and then having to figure out how to man it all!