Arctic circle and not a thing to wear!

have a look here about what to wear in places like lapland and norway

https://www.lapland.fruitbandit.com

as for the cotton thing as a base layer, if you are not going to be active then it does not matter if you have a cotton blend etc as it is only when you sweat that cotton is a no no as it absorbs the sweat and does not draw it away from your skin, bit like having a cold wet flannel on

regarding facial creams, the reason you should not use water based creams is that they can freeze but the likelihood is slim, also, it is not advised to put any creams on your face in temps lower than about -20 as your skin does need to breath, as for suntan lotions - they ain't no sun until later on in the year, the sun only starts to come above the horizon in lat jan so in feb you may get a few hours of dim sunlight so don't bother with sun lotion or sunglasses

I would also highly recommend you get ice grips that attach to the bottom of your boots, you can get them in tchibo for under a tenner for a pair, they really will stop you from slipping on the ice and with an older person with you who maybe a little more fragile it could save broken bones

Great thread, we're also off to Tromso so I'm reading with interest. We're also going by ourselves so will be walking about. I think my major worry is boots, I have a pair I don't mind getting snowy etc, but do I need something better?

I wouldn't buy on arrival, not only will it be expensive but you will waste time, not have the choice and you should really be repaired before you go

the stuff you get over here is fine, you just need to follow the basic rules of thin layers with a good ski coat and trousers (or all in one if you prefer), the most important thing is good gloves, hat and boots.

I prefer mittens as it gives more room for your fingers to move about and for air to circulate, as for boots, there are lots of options here but they need to have a good tread as you will be walking on a variety of surfaces including packed down show/ice - I have north face nuptse boots and they have done me well in lapland with temps in excess of -25, they are lightweight and very cumfy

there is a company in the US that has some great stuff which is also cheap, they ship over here and have live help as regards to sizing etc, http://www.sierratradingpost.com/

Couple of suggestions.
A neck fleece is useful which you can pull up over your mouth.
Get some hand warmer sachets from an outdoor shop.
Don't skimp on gloves and boots.

Keep your carbs intake up and drink plenty of water to prevent dehydration.

Strangely it often doesnt feel that cold because it is so dry. Watch out if is windy. We saw the lights in South Norway a few years ago, its an amazing sight.