Our tree is *finally* up, and my inbox seems to be full of not just festive season invites, but sales and shipping countdowns ahead of the big one; Christmas. Every year I share a round up of my favourite gift ideas that run the gamut from affordable stocking stuffers to those big ticket items. This year I’ve split it up into five core categories; experiences, beauty, fashion, home, and travel & tech.
Wearing Everlane alpaca sweater, Everlane cheeky straight jeans, By Far mules (affordable dupe here), Kindersalmon coat (use ‘mademoiselle10’ for 10% off), Phillip Lim bag
For those of you who follow me on YouTube, I’ll be sharing a number of giveaways in tonight’s video, which include some incredibly beauty gift sets, fashion vouchers, and jewellery. Plus, there’s still a little bit of time left to enter the Longchamp wallet giveaway (which you can do so HERE).
** All items featured in the imagery below are clickable **
01 | EXPERIENCES
I wanted to kick things off with my favourite thing to gift – experiences. At a time of year where we are being pushed to consume more than any other, I think one of the most valuable parts of Christmas can be slightly overlooked; quality time spent with our loved ones. My friends and family are fortunate to be a position where they don’t technically need anything, so in lieu of trying to find the perfect “item”, I personally find giving an experience to be such a valuable present. In the past, I’ve gifted and received concert tickets, restaurant vouchers, overnight stays at a lovely hotel, movie tickets and most recently to my sister; a ramen noodle making class. The opportunities are endless, and the best part is that you can enjoy the experience with the receiver, making it even more special.
02 | BEAUTY
Next, let’s talk beauty. Christmas is the ideal time of year to really experiment if you or your loved ones are a beauty lover, as gift sets tend to offer incredible value and are a great way to buy into a new (to you) brand. If you’ve got the budget to spare, I personally love a good beauty advent calendar, which have had a serious step up from the chocolate ones I used to get as a kid. Otherwise, a beautiful gift set is always a winner (I love using this opportunity to go a little more high end) – I’ve linked some of my favourites above and below.
For the woman on the go, a gorgeous cosmetics case is a great gift. My favourite is this one from The Daily Edited. It has two compartments, and it’s transparent which makes it perfect for travel too.
My final beauty pick would have to be a stunning fragrance. This time of year, you can usually pick up a gift set for the same price as a single perfume, and often the bottles are limited edition too. This is one of those gifts best given to someone you really know, otherwise if you’re taking a gamble, you can’t really go wrong with a discovery set of perfume minis.
03 | FASHION
Luke and I don’t do Christmas presents every year, but when we do, he’ll either opt for something fashion-related, or a bit of tech (more on that later…). Despite it being summer in the Southern Hemisphere at Christmas, I tend to love giving something cosy. Knitwear in particular; mostly as it’s usually more of a splurge, and sizing is more forgiving that other styles.
Some of my favourite knit sweaters come from Everlane, in particular I love their cashmere rib sweater, and alpaca knit sweater (the latter of which recently featured in my Spring wardrobe wear count). A newer brand that I’ve fallen in love with this year is Naadam, and they have a great classic $75 USD cashmere crew. It’s unisex so the sleeves are pretty long, but it’s probably the softest sweater I own. For something more substantial from the brand, their luxe unisex cashmere sweater is a great option – but gift it with a cashmere comb. I’ve worn mine four times and it is hefty, cosy, but it’s also pilled a little down the side where my bag rubbed against the fabric. The final sweater I thought I’d mention is the Sezane chuck sweater. I’ve had my fair share of ups and downs with the brand, but their slick marketing and beautiful imagery reels me in every time. This one is cosy, soft, snuggly and fuzzy – everything a winter knit should be.
For a bundle up and keep warm kind of option, a great scarf is a no brainer. I’ve previously gifted the Canada scarf from Acne Studios, but it’s a serious investment. For something a bit more budget-friendly, I would recommend this scarf from Everlane. It’s a wool/cashmere blend, is ridiculously soft, and it’s like wearing a big ol’ blanket.
My next fashion pick is a gorgeous piece of jewellery – something I think anyone would be delighted to find under the tree come Christmas time. As a pre-festive season treat to myself, I decided to splurge on some Missoma pieces during the Black Friday sales, picking up these chunky earrings, and this simple chain bracelet. A couple of my other favourite brands include Mejuri (who I’ve proudly co-designed jewellery with in the past); Chupi (for affordable and splurge-worthy designs and an unwrapping experience that is unrivalled); and more recently, Wanderlust + Co (for affordable gold plated jewellery and hair clips).
Small leather goods are a general crowd pleaser at Christmas, and it can be a chance to splash out on a designer cardholder, or go for something personalised. If you’re going down the personalisation route, my favourites are The Daily Edited (their saffiano leather pieces are indesctructible!) or Mon Purse (who use a soft pebbled leather that exudes luxury!).
Finally, I thought I’d hero the humble magazine subscription. I often tend to pick up the odd magazine throughout the year, and honestly, a subscription is never something I’d think to buy myself, despite it being such a treat to receive a beautiful glossy magazine in the mail. My favourite mastheads include Russh and The Gentlewoman. Best part is, you can go digital with this one!
04 | HOME
Since Luke and I bought our first house in 2018, I’ve noticed my own spending priorities have also shifted; I want to spend more investing in making our house a home. Perhaps one of my favourite gifts I’ve given Luke to date, was a framed photograph from our wedding – one of our absolute favourites. A beautiful art print is also a great option; I tend to buy most of mine from Jasmine Dowling, a Brisbane-based illustrator and creative. Don’t forget a classic frame too! All the ones I’ve bought of late have been the Adler style from Country Road.
For the person who loves shiny trinkets and jewels, a beautiful minimally designed jewellery box is not only thoughtful, but will have pride of place on any vanity.
The new year isn’t too far away, so another thoughtful gift idea is a 2020 planner. I was recently gifted one from my friend Kelly, who runs Maker’s Mrkt. It’s a soft cream linen planner from Bianca Cash, and it may seem novel, but I love the inclusion of stickers at the back!
Something I’ve always enjoyed gifting people – at Christmas or otherwise – is a bougie candle. Again, it’s the kind of thing you’re unlikely to splurge on yourself, but it’s such a luxury to light. Diptyque or Jo Malone are classic luxury candle staples, but for something with serious throw, I can’t fault No.27 Fragrance House. Smells absolutely divine and will fill a room with fragrance even when it isn’t lit.
05 | TRAVEL & TECH
I wanted to wrap up this gift guide with travel and tech, which I find often tend to go hand in hand.
Luke and I are both music lovers, and a couple years back he invested in a record player for my birthday. I’ve got a small stash of records – or should I say, vinyl – both new and vintage, and each one fills me with an immense amount of joy. Plus, the process of tracking down some vintage records can be a fun treasure hunt in itself!
Still on the music theme, something that completely changed my world this year was a good pair of wireless/bluetooth headphones. As a runner, having headphones that hooks onto your ears is priceless. While you could go all out and splurge on some Beats, I got some from Kogan which cost less than $30, and have absolutely done the trick.
For the person who loves a good gadget and to stay connected, a smart watch might be just the thing they need. You can hook these up to your mobile device and get notifications when emails come through, when you receive texts, or are getting a phone call. You could go with the classic Apple Smart Watch, or if you’re on the hunt for a more stylish option, Fossil’s new Gen 5 Smart Watch is gorgeous!
I don’t talk about this often, but I’m a gamer from way back when. As much as I love reading, getting stuck into a classic JRPG is one of the other ways I love to unwind. Luke bought the Nintendo Switch for me last Christmas, and I’ve ben hooked since. Currently on my games list are Pokemon Sword, Octopath Traveller, and Stardew Valley.
Finally, let’s wrap up this 2019 Christmas Gift Guide with some travel picks. A total splurge and a great gift for either yourself or significant other, a drone can be so much fun. I bought the DJI Mavic Air earlier this year and it was incredible for travel. It’s lightweight and small – I was able to pop this in my backpack during our hikes in New Zealand, and we managed to get some gorgeous aerial shots!
Something a little more budget-friendly or smaller would be a personalised passport holder or luggage tag. I love these ones from Mon Purse. The passport holder in particular is so practical, as it can double up as a wallet at your destination, and it’s unisex too!
I couldn’t talk about travel without mentioning luggage. My carry-on of choice is from AWAY (it comes with a built in charger!). Though I’ve been told only good things about Lojel from a girlfriend, and it’s next on my list of suitcase brands to try. Otherwise, Samsonite is always a safe bet, and they have a 10 year warranty on their suitcases too!
I hope this Christmas Gift Guide has been helpful, and given you a handful of ideas for planning out any presents you’re buying loved ones this year. Don’t forget to keep an eye out for my gift guide on YouTube this evening for a chance to win some lovely goodies for yourself this Christmas! xx
