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).

Jubilee child here.

My favourite, favourite, favourite perfume was the old Monsoon one, it looked like a blue walnut whip, I'd love to smell that again but that was for special occasions, for every day stuff it was Exclamation!.

I've just been practising the moves and lyrics to Ice Ice Baby for a party and dressing like Betty Boo.

Christmas was so much more exciting then...

Noel’s Christmas Presents! Whoever mentioned that has reminded me that it existed. Loved it. Always cried.

Christmas was not complete without getting a box of Yardley bath cubes from a relative, always in a headache inducing floral scent (usually lavender). I’d really unlucky you’d get the lavender talc to go with them when what you really wanted was anything from the amazing Cosmetics to Go Christmas catalogue.

Totally agree with everyone who said that Christmas TV was better then. There was more good stuff on the few channels that we had because there was less good stuff on most of the time. I’d devour the Radio Times and find so many obscure old film that I wanted to watch.

My SIL law still has and uses that M&S eyeshado palette, I did a triple take when I saw it poking out her bag. She doesn’t wear make up often😂

Well later I am off to the Christmas disco. It is 1990 before that I am going into town with my mates to do my Christmas shopping. Good job and all because Mum has just chucked a mental about what I am wearing tonight! What is wrong with wearing my body suit, velvet mini dress, tights, different coloured DM boots on each foot? Plus my velvet chocker and blossom hat? Mum does not get that I am grown up and fourteen, still thinks I am two. Moaning as I head out the door about time I got up (it is Saturday), about leaving my salon selectives stuff everyone, how much mousse I use to scrunch my hair.

In town I spend time mooching in the body shop spraying perfume Dewberry and fuzzy peach are the best. I go into marks and buy Mum some magnolia bubble bath in a set , as part of her Christmas present, then I go to H Samuel and get her some earrings too. If I get lots of money for Christmas I will be back to buy a new Swatch pop watch. For Nan I find a 'granny cardi' in Littlewoods we nearly get chucked out because me and my mates are pissing ourselves at the uncool clothes and the store assistant glares at us. I go to our price and buy my hateful older sister the latest NKOTB tape, Dad gets a novelty tie from tie rack and my brother gets novelty socks from sock shop.

Shopping makes me hungry, so it is off to maccy D's for lunch _ root beer is so cool.

We all discuss what we are hoping for Xmas top of my wish list is a new Sony yellow Walkman, the latest now album, benetton perfume, cosmetics 2 go stuff. The lady came into school to talk to us from C2go and their cleansing bar looks fab, a slogan bag from body shop, more Dewberry stuff and a Pringle v neck jumper and some platform loafers would be Wicked!

Decide to see if I need a new velvet dress for tonight in C and A, River Island and Dorothy P. I decide I don't, but those 'walabee' shoes in Dolcis look great. Will have to save up for them.

Treat myself to a bottle of john Frieda frizz ease shampoo and conditioner in boots . Love the purple square bottle it is in. Also buy raspberry ripple bubble bath in boots and that new impulse. Pick up J 17 Christmas edition, head home and get ready for tonight.

See you at the disco!

Loved early nineties Christmases!

Oh wow. I feel really nostalgic! I was born in 74. Loved the Body Shop. Yes to all the Christmas specials on the telly which would be recorded on VHS (that blew.my Grandma's mind so no idea what she would make of technology now!!l)
Early 90s would go out to various parties in the run up to Christmas and the pub on Christmas Eve. I'd wear DMs with stripey tights and cut off denim shorts.
Christmas 1990 I was seriously loved up with my first love who I'd been with for a couple of months. Ooh that has brought back some nice memories (blushes).

Early 90s... almost into my 20s, going out is def going to be a pub crawl at Christmas in the local old town or the nearby roman town's old town where there are soooo many pubs..the trouble with the roman town is that the kerbs are sooo high some have steps up to them... v easy to fall off after one too many... ah well..we shall be brave soldiers and risk it...
Shall I wear black fishnets or lacy tights.. a short skirt or a black vintage lace dress? Velvet dress? Oxfam black lace blouse? Still a bit goth from student days, a bit more rock these days though. DM's or pointy little black boots, channelling my inner Kate Bush?
Alcopops hadn't come out so it was still Diamond White or regular cider.. Don't need to bother about looking too glam, it's not trendy (how refreshing). A bit of mascara, brown eyeshadow (unblended and up to the brows from the lid), rust coloured lippy from Outdoor Girl, and good to go. No nail varnish unless I'm splashing out and then it will only be blue or baby pink. No nail salons existed. Hey who has time for nails anyway.. money for cider and gigs is more important
It's freezing cold as we stagger from pub to pub, tights somehow get laddered, never mind, will probably still wear again, maybe just dab a bit of clear nail varnish on to stop the ladder running further. Still get the odd perm for my limp, fine hair . Root lift is important so hair spray is a must. My eyebrows are thick and natural as they've never seen tweezers (little do I know that I already have thyroid disease; at the end of the decade I pluck them to almost nothing and they never grow back). Clear mascara is a relatively new thing so I can always tame them with that. Trouble is it can go a bit rigid and then I pick at my crunchy brows.
I still live at home so must try not to appear too drunk on return. Have a spliff with friends after the pub crawl. Get home late and dad stands me under the living room light and has a good look at my dilated pupils but doesn't accuse me of anything (odd as he's an ex copper) only in recent years does he admit he had my then boyfriend checked out and knew about his being charged for possession of cannabis; although quite harsh at time for such a small amount for personal use
Christmas Day is fairly dull as my very strict welsh Nan stays... always moans if I put TOTP on and about choosing to be a vegetarian so I can 'be difficult'.. even though I've been one for years now. Even though she makes me vegetarian friendly mince pies every year. Wait for boyfriend to come round in the evening. maybe we'll get frisky on the sofa when everyone's gone to bed Baileys is all the rage, I get a bottle from him and also a box of Baileys chocolates but with one missing where he 'had' to try them out first. Ah well..he's not touching the bottle, that's mine...He's bought me a Christmas card from Athena too. It still has the reduction sticker on it. Oh look..it's not even a Christmas card... he's just being cheap and denies it was marked down! But look ! That bright red sticker on the back saying 20p! Isn't that a bit tight? All my friends get those big padded cards from their partners...
His parents go away skiing every Christmas. Hoorah.. we can take over their very nice home. Boo..they turn the heating off. they really don't like their son very much and want him to leave home We have 'Pink Floyd parties' where we invite friends round, smoke joints and watch a psychedelic Mike Oldfield video with the sound off. We also play the Doors a lot. It's cold but idyllic as we all still live with our parents so it's great to have our own space even if it feels like being in a freezer. Also his parents have a jacuzzi! This is the height of decadence in the early 90s. Sometimes we go and get stoned on Dunstable Downs, even if it's snowing. We sit on the hillside and watch for the train below. On New Years Eve we go to a locals pub in Hatfield. It's grim as hell but we drink enough cider to not notice. On the way back the police stop us as 8 of us have crammed into a Skoda. The police laugh so much we get let off.
At work we wear thick tinsel in our hair and snow spray. It's my first full time job. We spray silly string on our heads too . Colleagues and I (all around same age but I also work with the boyfriend..that's how we met) get so drunk we can hardly serve customers. It's ok, big boss never checks up on us, too far away. No cctv to watch us on either. We manage to lock up the shop on time but are too drunk to remember to take in the sandwich boards. We shut for three days (hoorah!) and only on return do we realise we left the boards out and they've been kicked around town.
Am now 47 and stopped smoking anything in my early 30s and rarely drink. But 90s was THE best time. And I'm still friends with that ex despite us being an absolute nightmare as a couple!
And I do realise this post could be quite outing but if anyone recognises it they will no doubt be an old friend!

and I miss the aniseed gorilla soap!!

@Haggisfish do you mean these? We (as a family) had loads. I think we've all still got our respective collections!

Can I just state for the record that woolies has been replaced by wilko :)

Yes!! God I loved them.

I remember one Christmas in 1990 or 1991. My friends and I all exchanged gifts on christmas eve and we all handed each other cylindrical gifts which all turned out to be from body shop. I remember getting minty shampoo which was amazing. My dd is into body shop now but they don't do scented shampoo and conditioner like they did in the '90s (unless you want banana - yuck!). It has to be Boots for shampoo now

I'm going to do a V05 hot oil treatment before I go out. Just saying.

I loved sun moon and stars perfume

I bought lipcote the other day, still the same, stings like hell but kept my MAC lipstick in place for 24 hours.

I was born ‘85 but what I remember from ‘90s christmases.....

the Boots Elements toiletries
the Boots perfume sets containing miniature bottles of Charlie Red, Exclamation, So?, Addiction and another one
Only Fools Xmas special and everyone watching it
going to Athena with my friends to look at posters and Purple Ronnie/Groovy Chick stuff with our Christmas money
Shaun the Sheep merchandise, two of my friends got the hot water bottle covers
Furbies, a very spoiled friend of mine got two the year they were really hard to buy

'Don't be so mean to your hair!' @ RealJudas

I'll be smearing the Bodyshop kiwi lip balm on my lips, putting on my Totes toasties, scoffing some Toffifee and listening to the Happy Mondays on my CD Walkman

I got given some Body Shop strawberry perfume for xmas - AIBU to wonder why on earth anybody would think I want to smell of strawberries?

I, too, had a black, crushed velvet (indecently short) Christmas Day dress!

Ha, me too! I'm roughly the same age as you and other pp OP. Great thread.

And yes to southern comfort and lemonades in the local club on Christmas Eve in 1994. It was the best night of the year!

still wear Heather shimmer, it really suits me

Black thread(?) necklaces with metal unicorn things with holograms in- or yinyangs
Silver earring studs of all different shapes from the market - zips! Kittens! More yinyangs!
Satin cross body tasselly bag from my boyfriend's mum
Weird scented starfish - perhaps an ornament? All chalky and probably from the Body Shop along with a basket full of animal soaps
Chalky feeling dangly earrings from Accessorise
Pvc backpacks or 'record bags'
When a bit older, getting feather boas and tiaras and ALL the glitter gel gift sets. Miss Selfridge purple nail varnish.

Those tops with the poppers were the worst for going to the loo but the BEST when boys were trying to feel you up but you didn’t want them too. They couldn’t work out how to get into them. Like a stretchy Lycra chastity belt.

I don't know. I was wearing (a crushed velvet) one the first time I decided I was ok with my boyfriend feeling up my boobs. It was all very enjoyable until he started trying to get his hand up my top and I realised that he'd have to round third in order to get back to second. That was a total panic!

anyone remember naf naf? i had 2 jackets one being a puffa thought it was well cool

My best Christmas in memory was when I got a Joe Bloggs top which hadn’t been passed down from my two older brothers first. I had an item of clothing that was actually fashionable at that time and not three years previous to that!
Mum got her obligatory bottle of Orange Cream bath oil from the Body Shop and I was wafting around in a cloud of either Dewberry or Charlie Red.
My brothers spent hours programming their Big Trak which was a shared present and impressed all of us with its state of the art technology.
It was around this time that my friends and I were all sporting odd brassy streaks in our hair from the Sun-in which matched our hideous orange hued foundation.
Shelley’s Biker boots were on my wish list but I had to save for months to buy them myself and then had to get two sizes too big as they are continually sold out of my size.
Couldn’t afford NafNaf although I longed for one of the sweaters - had to make do with Fruit of the Loom or Naf co 54 instead.
We used to spend hours trawling the hippy shops for mood rings and incense on Carnaby street. Then sitting in maccy Ds for hours sharing one small bag of chips.
90s christmasses saw carol singers at our door every year and hundreds of cards stuck on taffeta with bows at the top which ran down every wall on the lower floor of the house.
Gosh I miss the simplicity of the 90’s.

@Howtodeal Sun 16-Dec-18 10:53:25
I'm still wearing Exclamation perfume

Same here, I keep meaning to pick up a new bottle Love it!

I might have a look in boots and see if they still do heather shimmer.

I had no idea Blackbushe market was gone. That’s so sad. Mind you, the last time I went was about 12 years ago, so it’s not like I made the most it.

Oh my god I remember finding a hoi polloi black bomber jacket in a charity shop and I just loved it.
I also had ice blue lipstick that I'd got free with a magazine I think hypothermia chic anyone