There just isn’t a way to write in a meaningful way about giving gifts for the holidays. Because, we all know deep down that no matter what, your mum might be pleased for that bottle of No. 5. But what she really wants is for you to visit more often. We give gifts for a variety of reasons. The best case scenario is we love the person we buy a present for, and that present is supposed to signal those feelings. Worst case, it’s just something we do for the holidays and do I really have to buy something for that cousin I never got along with?!
Giving gifts can be fun, though – and instead of those ubiquitous gift guides full of Missoma jewellery and cosy scarves, I thought of a few things that are truly, truly out there. Of course everything is kind of beauty adjacent! Prices range from stocking stuffer to rather expensive. A lot of them are also a bit of tongue in cheek – maybe not give those to your MIL who lost her sense of humour some time in the 70s. (1970s, that is.) (Also remind me to tell you the story of my MIL, whom I wanted to gift a very expensive Estée Lauder anti-aging cream once. Spoiler: it wasn’t met with any enthusiasm. Since then I haven’t given skincare products to people.)
Bathtub caddy/ wineglass holder
Did you ever had a shower and thought ‘why can’t I have a glass of wine simultaneously?!’ – Me neither, but you never know – this might be the best thing since sliced bread, and your SIL will love you for it?
A nice bathtub caddy, though – that’s heaven sent! You don’t want your mags and Kindle to get wet, and have a beverage of your choice just an arm’s length away! (Maybe a small DIY project for you?)
Molton Brown scented glitter
I really have no words for this – scented glitter?!?! My inner 13-year old is also delighted. We live in glorious times.
Rituals The Perfume Genie
This is what I imagine a bachelor working in something tech adjacent might have in his apartment that’s otherwise a bit stale smelling, kwim? So, this little thing that looks like Aladdin’s lamp can be controlled with an accompanying app. The scent cartouches that go into it are known and loved Rituals scents. For getting your techie friends into home fragrances.
Loofah subscription
Loofahs and sponges in general are breeding grounds for a lot of nasty things – at least when you store them in the damp and warm environment of your shower. This subscription service just sends you a new one every month. (I guess it’s limited to the USA, but I couldn’t find out – their FAQs are a bit wanting.)
Scented liner paper
I’ve been obsessed with scented drawer liners ever since Hèrmes brought them out ages ago. (They’ve been discontinued for a few years.) I hate cleaning my wardrobe, and with liner paper, you at least don’t have to dust the shelves, while your clothes smell nice, too. The super luxurious option is from Diptyque, the less flashy but still high-end is from The Laundress, and then we have Bed Bath and Beyond. Also, here’s a DIY from Martha Stewart herself!
Guerlain lingerie/cashmere spray
For the movie star in your life. I’d love to swan around in a satin negligee and fur slippers and spray my bed, silk lingerie and cashmere jumpers with Guerlain. (Sadly, I’m not that glamorous.) But how amazing it is that Guerlain thought – hey, there’s a demand of what is basically very, very luxurious laundry sprays. (Not diluted Lenor or Zoflora, oh no!). Eau de Lingerie is a bit too generic floriental for me, while the Eau de Cashmere scent is exactly what you imagine a cashmere scent would be.
As always, there’re no affiliate links or sponsorships in any way found in this post. I just had a lot of fun trawling the internets for the most out there beauty gifts I could find. I hope you had some fun reading about them.
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