I get very, very annoyed with those irritating shops that decide to have their Christmas displays up in August. And who on earth wants to see a Christmas ad on the TV in October? We all know it’s coming, there really is no need to ram it down our throats 3 months in advance. Shame on you!
But…now that December is finally here, I don’t mind talking about Christmas. In fact, I’ll allow myself to get a little bit excited thinking about presents, eating mince pies and listening to Fairytale of New York (best Christmas song EVER) every now & then. Because December is the month for all things festive. Not a minute before, or a minute after…but during December? Fill your super warm Ugg boots.
One of my very favourite things about Christmas is the look on peoples faces when they unwrap a gift you bought them that really means something. It doesn’t always need to cost a lot of money – it can even be something you made – but knowing you selected it especially for someone you love, and seeing their eyes light up when they open it – that’s what makes my Christmas. Of course…I like getting prezzies too…but my favourite bit is definitely making the important people happy. I get that warm fuzzy feeling (a bit like drinking straight brandy but without the hangover)
So, this year I decided to put together a lovely little collection of present ideas that are a little bit different to the socks & HMV vouchers that usually do the rounds. Some are from unique boutiques, others from more mainstream retailers – but all are a little bit special and I hope they give you some great ideas. Would love to hear which bits you like best!
1. If you know someone who is a huge fan of make up (like most of us ladies) I have the most amazing gift idea. Check out Beauty Boxes – a fabulous range of make up cases that suit anyone from a teenager with their first few products, to professional make-up artists. With trays and drawers for every brush, pot, lipstick, eyeshadow and base you could ever need – Beauty Boxes are seriously useful – and I can say that because I have one! (St Tropez case in pink). Perfect for organising the mountains of make up you may have laying around – brilliant!
2. For some beautiful, organic pampering products, take a look at Gift Boxes from Spiezia and Green People. Both companies are dedicated to using natural and organic ingredients
in their scrumptious lotions and soaps and offer a fabulous range of luxurious body products. My favourites are the Organic Luxury Spa Box from Spiezia and the Pure Body and Festive Fix gift sets from Green People. Both companies have a range of gifts suitable for all budgets. Heavenly!
3. For anyone who loves the latest beauty treatments, gadgets and gizmo’s – the only option for Christmas this year is the fabulous new Clarisonic Cleansing System. Only recently introduced to the UK, this fabulous new technology improves skin tone and reduces the size of pores and wrinkles. Marvellous, don’t you think?! Available from your nearest Space NK store.
4. It’s not only ladies who like to be pampered these days, so if you have a man in your life who likes to take care of himself, why not consider a voucher or gift set from The Refinery. They can choose from beautifully packaged products, amazing treatments (such as the Ice Facial – amazing for hangovers!) or even get themselves a relaxing wet shave and eye treatment. But its not just the boys that get to have all the fun – the lovely guys over at Wahanda also have a great gift voucher scheme that can be redeemed at hundreds of venues throughout the country – I heart Wahanda!
5. I love a bit of luxury and have been a fan of Aromatherapy Associates for a few years now. From bath oils to candles to lotions, their collection of Christmas gifts are stunning – and best of all, there is something to suit all budgets.
6. For make up lovers, Urban Decay have some fantastic gift sets available. I recently treated myself to the brilliant Book of Shadows, a collection of highly pigmented eye shadows in some popping colours. I have to say I love it – the colours go on easily, last well and look great. I also love the Best of Urban Baked set; a combination of some of the best selling products in one handy box, or the Smoke Out Eye Kit. Help your friends look uber-beautiful and they’ll love you forever! (Just a little bit more than they already do….)
1. This is quite possibly one of the most exciting gadgets I’ve seen in ages – its genius! A toaster that also poaches eggs – seriously – who could wish for more?! The innovative invention from Tefal can perform each function separately or both together, meaning you can have a lovely breakfast sandwich in bed in just 4 minutes. Weekend bliss! You can get your mitts on one for around £45.
2. There are hundreds of ace iPhone products on the market at the moment and I have spent the last few weeks testing quite a few. My favourites include the Griffin Aircurve – a powerless amplification system that increases the sound of your iPhone by around 10 decibels amazing considering there are no speakers involved at all – just air! Available at an incredibly reasonable £13.50 this would make a ace stocking filler…It looks and sounds great and is perfect for when you’re going on holiday and don’t want to pack heavy speakers or worry about another thing to plug in (saving energy – can’t be bad!). I also like the idea of the iKaraoke (£36.45) – a kooky gadget that plugs into your iPhone and allows you to sing along – much fun at Christmas time! I like. Both are available from Zoombits.
3. Now. The Boy is a huge fan of headphones – and its fair to say his fascination has baffled me in the past. He has spent hours looking for the best pair and spent hundreds – which I never understood…Until I tried the TwistJax Headphones from Atomic Floyd. The sound quality is extraordinary as they swivel to precisely fit your ear – they look good and they are loved by celebrities far and wide. They’re not cheap (£129) but they are worth it – if you have a music lover in your family this is definitely one to consider!
4. I don’t think I know anyone who doesn’t have an iPod these days – but if you feel like giving someone an extra special gift this year, why not consider the Gold Plated special edition Bobby Moore iPod? Football fans will love this gadget, and knowing that 10% of all sales will go to Cancer Research should make you feel all lovely inside. If the gold plated version is a little flashy for your tastes, there are other special editions available. Head to www.goldgenie.com for more details – and help make £15,000 for Cancer Research this Christmas.
1. Christmas would not be Christmas without overindulgence in chocolates would it?! So, because I’m nice, I have been doing my research and coming up with the best of the bunch for you – its been hard work testing all these yummy chocs but I got through it…and I did it all for you, of course 
First, I had the pleasure of visiting the brand new Jeff de Bruges store on South Molton Street, where I was blow away by the vast selection of mouthwateringly good, quality chocolates (try the cherry liqueur one – its amazing). The presentation boxes, staff friendliness and the attention to detail mean you will get the best possible selection at a reasonable price – I definitely recommend dropping in while you’re braving Oxford Street, the smell alone is delicious. I’ve also sampled delights from Chocolates for Chocoholics, Godiva, Guylain (their truffles are to die for) and Rococo – and I would recommend all of them! Every single one beats High Street chocolates hands down on flavour and quality and all have some perfect presents for anyone with a sweet tooth. Delicious.
3. If you want to send a gorgeous gift to someone who you may not see in person this year – my first stop would be the Hummingbird Bakery. I get my birthday cupcakes from here so I can vouch for their scrumminess. This year, as well as the usual selection, Hummingbird have gone all festive and have created a special Christmas range, complete with red and white icing and snowmen decorations. Cute and incredibly tasty! If cakes aren’t your thing, you could think about ordering a cookie bouquet from either Biccies or Biscuiteers...something completely different that will make someone special all smiley!
4. My friends are lovely…really lovely…but on the whole they’re also a bunch of 30-something winos too! So I liked the idea of these gift hampers from Laithwaites. There are gifts for all budgets, or if your friends are like mine, you could just get a case in for when people drop by for a mince pie!
5. I love the idea of a cookery course for any foodies in the family. Eckington Manor is a state-of -the-art cookery school with its own luxury B&B. all in the grounds of their very ow 260 acre farm in Worcestershire,. Ingredients are home-grown wherever possible making it perfect for a gourmet getaway. Alternatively for something a little closer to home, Angela Maliks new West London Cookery School could be the best choice. Either way, if your friends and family like to cook they are bound to love this gift!
6. For something a little less expensive, I like these personalised recipe calendars from Mydish. You can select the recipes, choose the photos, Edit the title and ad comments. Great stocking filler idea or perfect for the cook in the family.
1. Perfect for anyone with an eye for fashion, Brat and Suzie’s hand illustrated designs would make a fantastic gift for friends, sisters, daughters…whoever! I love the bright colour palette and quirky characters – so much in fact I got my best friend and me one each and we love them. They are really good quality and available from around £20…brilliant! Available online or in TopShops flagship London store…I think you’ll be seeing a lot more of Brat and Suzie in 2010.
2. I like my man to look good. I think he looks good most of the time (odd horrendous fashion choice aside) but in all truth, he looks best in a suit. Now, I can’t necessarily afford to be buying my man suits for Christmas…However, this fab new idea from A Suit That Fits can definitely go someway towards getting your man kitted out in an individually tailored, high quality suit from his own choice of fabric. They have started to offer embroidered satin gift vouchers at any amount you choose to be put towards the desired garment, and with suits starting at £150 they have something to suit almost any budget.
3. For something completely different, why not book the ladies in our life a 4-our hat making class with successful London milliner, Janie Lawson. Glam Hatters Tea Parties are just £55 per person and you have the opportunity to design hats, fascinators and even tiaras at her Clapham workshop. The ideal present for creative types or groups of girls up for a giggle!
4. I like being cosy. Cosiness makes me happy – and I can imagine being very happy wrapped up in a Alpaca sweater from Peruvian Knitwear. There’s something for everyone here – hats, scarves, jumpers, tank tops – plus cute baby designs so the littl’uns can be all toasty warm too. Alpaca is an equally luxurious alternative to cashmere and all garments are made ethically in Peru in a fair trade environment.
5. If you’d like to buy your best mate or little sister a stunning little dress for over the party season – you will find everything you need over at MyBoutique. Stocked to the rafters with cute dresses from the likes of Lipsy, Rare, Motel, tfnc and Mina UK, you can find everything on trend – from shoulder pads to sequins and everything in between. I love it.
1. I adore these amazing 100% cashmere cushions and throws from CocoonU. Made from the highest quality ethical cashmere, these amazingly soft interior pieces are high on my wish list this Christmas. CocoonU also have hats, scarves, bath and body products and eco-friendly jewellery.
2. I think these scented candles from D.L. & Co are gorgeous. Beautifully wrapped in the chicest little black box, they would make a perfect gift for anybody – if you have £55 to spend.
3. Stylish London Ladies will fall in love with these exquisite Erdem diaries, designed exclusively for Smythson of Bond Street. These limited-edition collection of notebooks and diaries feature Erdem’s signature prints and romantic colour-blocked line drawings engraved and printed on goatskin leather. Stunning – I’d be a very happy girl if there was one of these in my stocking.
4. I love this hot water bottle. “Grumpy and Irrational…do not approach unless you have chocolate”. Most women I know would love this to cosy up to when it’s cold outside! Available for £9.99 from Treather.com
5. If you don’t love Myla, you’re mad. I really mean that. Their lingerie is stunning, their accessories stylishly sexy. Treat your lady to something truly special with something like this beautiful Camisole – and you know she’ll be thanking you for ages….
So – those are some of my top tips this Christmas. I love them all and would be happy with any or all of them! Happy shopping my lovelies x x x
At TLLWTL, we only write about venues, products and stuff we LOVE. Everything you see here is featured because we think you should know about it. This is true whether we’ve visited of our own accord, or been invited to review. If we don’t like it, we won’t mention it. Simple!
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3 Reviews
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-Lucy Thorpe, 2 years ago
Good call. I blogged a list of my favourite brands for Christmas and forgot to mention Space NK, they are great aren’t they. I would be happy to have anything from there. Here’s hoping we get what we want.
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WIN! Beautiful Beauty Boxes…, 2 years ago
[...] couldn’t have been happier with the feedback from my Incredible Christmas Gift Guide last week – it was brilliant to hear you liked the ideas as much as I did. And it was also [...]
[...] couldn’t have been happier with the feedback from my Incredible Christmas Gift Guide last week – it was brilliant to hear you liked the ideas as much as I did. And it was also [...]