The Citizen Enfants' December Hotlist

It can often be difficult to think of original and engaging children’s activities during the holidays. Enter Small Car Big City with the London Tour for Kids of all ages. In a Classic Mini Cooper, you can take your children on an adventure they will never forget. Using a selection of beautifully illustrated children’s literature, they will re-trace their favourite characters foot steps through London in their very own classic car from Paddington Bear to Peppa Pig as they match up the sights in their book to the ones out of their window (baby seats and boosters also available). Or older kids can go on a Harry Potter London Treasure Hunt, finishing up at Platform 9 ¾ just in time to catch the Hogwarts Express back home.

Dior launches a skincare line for babies. The scented water, named Bonne Étoile, comes in a choice of two pastel-coloured bottles and is adorned with an imaginary garden of Granville in France and colourful hot air balloons – a specially created version of the house’s iconic Toile de Jouy pattern. In addition to the first baby and children’s fragrance, the ‘Bonne Étoile’ collection also introduces a three-step skincare routine for toddlers, comprising of a gentle bath cleansing gel (La Mousse Très Fondante), a no-rinse, soothing cleansing water (L’Eau Très Fraîche), and a daily moisturising milk (Le Lait Très Tendre). Could baby skincare make your baby smell or look even better? We’re not sure of that. But we are sure you’d be the coolest aunt in town gifting Dior Beauty.

Pregnancy brings a slew of changes to your body, lifestyle, and routine – and a change to your skin is one of the first things you may notice. It’s also important to be careful what skincare you use during your pregnancy, as there are some ingredients experts suggest avoiding, including retinoids. The first step should be to discuss your routine with your doctor but coupled with increased sensitivity to sunlight (so you must ensure you use an SPF), a particularly common pregnancy-related skin concern is hyperpigmentation. You can experience a surge in pigment-stimulating hormones during pregnancy, and these can contribute to melasma – large patches of discolouration which appear on the face. While it is likely to fade post-pregnancy, it’s important to treat the uneven colour to avoid it becoming a longer-term condition, and this is likely to require a concentrated routine. The new Complexion Perfector Plan from the medical skincare brand ALL SKIN | Med is a leading example. The 28-day regime is designed to even skin tone, brighten dull complexions, and smooth skin texture, with concentrated vitamin C brightening ampoules for day and nighttime use; a Radiance Gel to boost your daytime glow; and a Re-texturising Serum that exfoliates to remove dead, damaged skin cells. You can continue using it to maintain your results post-pregnancy too.

Traditionally marking the festive season is the return of the Nutcracker at the Coliseum for its annual winter residency, remaining an enjoyable seasonal treat, full of sparkling dancing to Tchaikovsky’s score, played live by the ENB Philharmonic. Over 100 dancers and musicians adorn the stage on on a sparkling Christmas Eve in a frost-dusted Edwardian London, when Clara receives an enchanted Nutcracker as a present. Together, they discover a magical world where she battles with the Mouse King and meets a handsome stranger. As the air grows colder, Clara and her valiant Nutcracker take a hot air balloon ride across London to the glistening Land of Snow where a puppet theatre comes to life with dancers from around the world. Make sure to catch it this year as rumour has it the company’s new artistic director, Aaron S Watkin, is keen to commission a new production so it may be the last time we get to see this iteration of a Christmas favourite.