Small Business Gift Guide

It’s slightly unnerving how quickly 2020 has passed; I mean, there’s a little over five weeks until Christmas, and six and a half weeks until the new year starts. I know. It’s felt a little like it’s just crept up on me. And right now, I’m getting a head start on my Christmas gifting, so I don’t have to worry about making a last minute dash on Christmas Eve.

Today I thought I’d kick off the first of a series of Christmas Gift Guides. Each one will be tailored to a specific category, starting with Small Business. I think we can all appreciate how hardly hit many small businesses have been this year, and Christmas is definitely a great opportunity to buy something special for a loved one, while supporting local retailers.

As part of this Small Business Gift Guide, I’ll be sharing a selection of (mostly) small Australian and Kiwi brands with a focus on the following; beauty, homewares, food, candles, blooms. And, a section at the end to share some local retailers with well-curated edits.

BEAUTY

Theseeke: Focusing on plant-based active ingredients, Theseeke creates simple, clean skincare. All products are made locally in Sydney, in small batches, and are cruelty-free, paraben and sulphate free, and entirely natural.

Aotea: Inspired by traditional Māori herbal remedies, the core ingredients in the Aotea range include Kawakawa, Manuka, and Harakere. The brand is based on Great Barrier Island, where is where Aotea grows the native flora used in their skincare, in addition to extraction and production.

MARYSE: A nutritive skincare brand, which draws properties from natural and organic ingredients. Each product encourages and optimises healthy and beautiful skin, without unwanted chemical additives.

ALABASTA ORGANIK: Handmade in Australia, Alabasta is organic and vegan, and uses raw cold pressed extractions in their formulations. Nutrient-dense ingredients are at the crux of each products.

Botaniq: Another NZ-based brand, Botaniq uses naturally-derived ingredients to strengthen, nourish and protect your hair. Many of the ingredients are wild harvested, and there’s a huge focus on sustainability (right down to the packaging). The brand also plants a tree for every order made.

BEAR LTD: This is a beautiful wellness brand with a focus on clean beauty. Therange of therapeutic vitamins, superpowders, and skincare are vegan, natural, and made in Australia.

FOOD

Marshmallow Club: Fun flavoured marshmallows hand-crafted in the Blue Mountains. There’s over 40 different flavours, including a special Christmas collection, bakery flavours, and cocktail flavours.

Fluffe: Magical flavoured fairy floss, made fresh in Sydney. Some of the flavours include: lemonade, gingerbread, pavlova and buttered popcorn.

Wild Love: Created in New Zealand, Wild Love has a beautiful range of herbal teas which are blended by hand in small batches to promote freshness and flavour.

Loco Love: An absolute treat, these vegan, refined sugar free, fair trade, gluten free chocolates are devilishly good. Each chocolate is hand-made, literally melts in your mouth, and are packed with ingredients that are actually good for you!

Handpicked Wines: My favourite spot to take friends and family visiting Sydney, this local cellar door has an incredibly delightful selection of wines. I love their wine & cheese boxes – such a great gift idea for a fellow wine lover!

Apothotea: In its infancy, this Australian-based teahouse has a tightly edited selection of premium loose leaf teas.

BLOOMS

LVLY: These are the kind of blooms that will brighten up someone’s day. Each bouquet is packaged in their signature “someone thinks you’re awesome” box, and has a sweet quote on the vase. LVLY also have add-ons so you can build a bespoke bundle for your loved one, complete with booze, chocolates and body care.

Mystery Blooms: A fun concept, this is one for the green thumb. It’s essentially lucky dip with plants. Each gift set includes a packet of mystery seeds, with a little bit of information about what you’ll be growing.

CANDLES

Curio Noir: Each of these exquisite candles is housed in individually handblown coloured glass vases – all crafted in New Zealand. The throw is incredible; this is a candle that will quickly fill a room.

Palm Beach Collection: Locally produced in Palm Beach, each fragrance is inspired by Australia’s coastal landscape. One thing I love about their regular sized soy candles is that they have a dual wick. This helps to keep your candle burning evenly.

Oscar Amherst: Newly launched, Oscar Amherst is the brainchild of creative wizard Eddie Yacoubian. The brand’s inaugural candle is centred around the scents of Christmas. Delicious.

The Prospect Project: Fun and quirky, these are candles like you’ve never seen before. The packaging is no frills, but the scents are unreal and totally unique. TPP is also a socially conscious business, giving $2 from every order to one of three worthy causes; The Smith Family, Lifeline, and Foodbank.

HOMEWARES

Sunday Lane: Sweet affirmations centered around each sign of the zodiac. Each darling print features a beautiful illustration.

The Dairy: Super cute personalised phone cases, designed by some of Australia’s most talented creatives. I love their armoured cases – gives you extra protection if you’re a total butterfingers like I am!

Myk & Dee: A beautiful gift for new parents, these prints are such a thoughtful way to memorialise one of life’s most precious memories.

Nicola Hart Studios: One of a kind ceramics lovingly crafted by hand, each piece is utterly unique (and completely gorgeous!). In addition to ceramics, Nicola also paints beautiful still-life images.

Subtle Bodies: Based in Melbourne, each incense variety is carefully selected for its qualities, resulting in a premium product which is raw and smokey, and free from perfumes, oils and additives.

Baina: These playful and modern towels are the ultimate luxury. Each towel is made in Portugal using 100% GOTS organic cotton, and uses print and colour not only as a nod to fine art, architecture and colour theory, but also as a celebration of the daily bathing ritual.

Made of Tomorrow: I love their simple, minimal yearly planners. They’re customisable too, so you can get your initials embossed on the cover.

Bespoke Letterpress: Planners, notebooks, puzzles, and stationary. This boutique letterpress has a marvellous array of paper goods, peppered with gorgeous illustrations.

Foraging Throughout Tasmania: Perhaps reading my mind, I love Ali’s philosophy around cooking. Effortless, and easy to prepare for those with busy lifestyles. Her book, which features a collection of 40 recipes is inspired by her time living in Tasmania.