One brand in duty free had people running for the testers
After arriving at Birmingham Airport, Birmingham Mail reporter Kirsty Bosley saw something rather surprising as she headed towards her flight via the airport’s duty free shop.
“‘OH MY GOSH!’ a pre-teen girl shouted at the top of her lungs as I strolled through duty free en route to Birmingham Airport Wetherspoons,’ writes Kirsty. “After a swift six-minute security check early on a Sunday morning, I hadn’t expected a ruckus.”
She added that the girl had exclaimed “mom LOOK!” before running towards the beauty section. “Her mom, also excited, hopped forward to meet her stride,” she wrote.
“It’s been a while since I saw anyone this energetic before 7am on a Sunday. I imagine it’s how people would have reacted to cut-price menthols in the airport in the 90s, back when smoking was cool and cigarettes weren’t £20,000 a sleeve, or however much they cost here in 2024.”
The mother-and-daughter duo quickly made a beeline to, what was fast becoming a small crowd of people making use of the Sol De Janeiro product testers. The popular beauty brand appeared to basically pop up overnight in the UK a few years ago, thanks to the popularity of their ‘Bum Bum’ cream online
Opting to give the Sol De Janeiro testers a go, Kirsty wrote: “Not one to miss out, I hung back by the boring beauty products no one had run for and waited my turn to see what the fuss was all about. No sooner had I spritzed the Cheirosa 62 Perfume Mist, £24, made for the hair and body, I understood the hype. I was OBSESSED.
“It smells exactly like you want the best holiday to smell. A salted caramel dream, with a delicious pistachio note and a sunny kind of warmth to it. It’s not overly sweet, it just smells like you’ve been on the beach all day and now you’re doused in aftersun eating Lays crisps and some chocolate you’ve never had before on a hotel balcony.
“The Bum Bum cream was good too. When I got to my destination, I still smelled great. Good enough to know I was probably going to grab that spray on my return journey.”
Kirsty continued: “That in itself proved interesting. In Copenhagen Airport on the way home, I didn’t have to look particularly hard for Sol De Janeiro. In another language, a mom and her daughter were enthusiastically trying the testers there too. The price wasn’t much better.”
After arriving back in Birmingham, Kirsty attempted to purchase the Cheirosa 62 perfume at the Bullring but was unable to even get close to the Sol De Janeiro due to the gaggle of shoppers surrounding it.
She concluded: “I know a few places have brought of their own ‘dupes’ of the famous Bum Bum cream. Aldi had something similar recently and I got a 99p Superdrug body wash that has similar notes. Nothing will do though – I’m going to need the real deal. Next time I’m at the airport, I’m going to make like those ladies and run for it!”