What do you want for Christmas? For me this question becomes harder every year as I tend to buy everything I need for myself and my partner is the same. So what on earth do you get someone who has everything? This year, my festive gift guide features everything from hair tools, cat treats and even roller skates so that there is something for everyone.
Gifts to elevate the festive mood
One thing that not everyone has is wavy hair, I for one have been trying to perfect the curly girl method to no avail so was genuinely thrilled to receive the Wave Master Jumbo Waver from haircare professionals Revlon. The unique, extra-wide middle barrel creates bouncy, smooth waves with a salon finish that lasts from early morning until late night.
The three-prong barrel also means that you can style larger sections at once (perfect for my thick hair!) and also vary the temperature if you have finer hair. At less than £50 the tool is super affordable and would make a fantastic gift for any teenager after that Mollie Mae-inspired mermaid waves look.
Now to a brand, I love after trying their superb wireless earbuds for last year’s gift guide, Edifier who have come out with a Bluetooth speaker that would look incredibly chic in any living room, bedroom or any room for that matter.
The Edifier MP230 Retro Bluetooth Portable Speaker has a classic retro design but is thoroughly modern in its premium sound technology. One charge via USB gives you an incredible 10 hours of battery life (think spending the afternoon and evening in the garden in summer).
As for the technical bit, the stereo acoustic system is composed of two 48 mm full-frequency driver units, coupled with an integrated large-size dual passive radiator. That means it’s compact yet powerful and loud enough so that you can hear what’s playing throughout your home.
For some people, nothing brings them more joy than to spoil their pets all year round, but Christmas is just the perfect excuse to spoil your pets with treats. Now I’m not talking turkey trimmings and the odd leftover pig in a blanket, I mean something they’ll enjoy and is good for them from Webbox.
My dog and cat were eager to try the box of treats that were delivered earlier this month and I can tell you they all received a resounding wag of the tail and purr from all parties involved. My Border Collie Luther particularly enjoyed the Duck and Cranberry Meaty Truffles whilst Le Chat (yes that’s his name) couldn’t get enough of the Turkey and Cranberry Lick-e-lix.
There are also festive themes toys, chews and even a Christmas Eve box for them to enjoy so you can fully involve your pets in the festivities this Christmas or gift them to someone you know who loves their animals.
For someone more of a home lover than an animal lover, get them something they won’t yet have and can’t wait to try. At least that’s how I felt when I received the Volcanic Potpourri – lava rock essential oil diffuser from sustainable, vegan and independent brand Boostology. Rather than a plug-in diffuser the porous lava and obsidian rocks soak up the oil and slowly release the aroma into your room.
You get to choose which essential oil you want to come with it and I chose their Winter blend of orange, cinnamon, clove and pine which I have enjoyed and I have to say, is longer lasting and more potent than an ordinary diffuser. Another lovely idea from Boostology is their ‘Unwind’ Luxury bath gift set consisting of lavender and bergamot bath salts and a lovely scented candle to light whilst enjoying a relaxing bath.
Talking of candles, I would say they are a universal gift, everyone loves a candle whether they admit it or not so if you have someone difficult to buy for then one of these will go down a treat. Firstly Arran Sense of Scotland has some beautiful scents, all which remind me of the great outdoors.
If you’ve ever stepped outside on a brisk day in Scotland then the scents of their products will be extra nostalgic but as it is the Christmas season they have a wonderful range of Christmas candles to fill your home with scents like ‘Hot Toddy’ Nutmeg, Patchouli, Vanilla and Frankincense and my favourite, ‘Coorie’ a comforting fragrance with fresh citrus notes, together with a heart of cedar and leather, balanced with warm undertones of amber and smoked woods.
A more luxurious option comes from Emma J Shipley whose homewares and fragrances are simply divine. The Polar Scented Candle, inspired by Emma’s own Arctic Expedition and Philip Pullman’s Northern Lights, is an all-natural wax candle, hand-poured in London and handcrafted from the finest bone china, with 24-karat gold accents, giving a wonderful glow when burning.
The bespoke scent has heart notes of luscious Dewberry, tempered with uniquely cooling Bergamot and Mandarin, all resting on a mysterious base of Cardamom and Patchouli. Sure to add joy and enchantment to any home this Christmas, and once burnt the beautifully designed pot featuring a polar bear and other arctic animals can become a beautiful keepsake to treasure forever.
There are of course the more traditional presents you can buy for a loved one, especially the lucky lady in your life, such as a piece of jewellery. Rani & Co create unique pieces that symbolise how powerful women can be. It was funded by Ramona Gohil, an inspirational female entrepreneur who is passionate about her British Indian heritage and culture. What I also liked about the collection is that it has been responsibly sourced and ethically crafted with recycled sterling silver. I chose the Turquoise Gemstone Bead Bracelet as it my favourite colour and also to attract luck, peace and protection.
A nice idea for a small present for maybe a teacher, colleague or neighbour is a beautifully crafted selection of teas from Tea and Tonic. Found in the rolling hills of the Surrey countryside, the team produce natural beauty products such as their award winning cleansing balm as well as their wellness teas.
Their tea leaves are combined with the benefits of adaptogen super herbs to help balance stress and support a healthy immune system. The tea pyramids, tags and envelopes are biodegradable and compostable. Their Wellness Tea Discovery Gift Set includes 10 Eco-Luxe Tea Envelopes and is the perfect little luxury gift.
Last but by no means least we come to my personal favourite and the one gift I would have asked santa for after having a lovely time at Good Life Skates earlier this year. It’s a pair of roller skates from female led brand Impala skates. With a nostalgic throwback to the 70’s, 80’s and 90’s, Impala is bringing back the yesteryears of skate and it is their mission to help support a positive and encouraging community for skaters of all levels.
That last part is important as I am very much a beginner, as could be seen by my neighbours witnessing my test run up and down my street at the weekend! If you know someone who is always up for a challenge or simply wants a fun gift, a pair of skates is guaranteed to bring them joy!
Make sure you also have a look at our food and drink guides, childrens gift guides, beauty guide as well as things to do this festive season all on The Bespoke Black Book.
