Buying gifts at Christmas can be tricky, even when you really know a person
it can be so easy to get wrong. That said, I always think that it is best to
give something personal and something that shows you have put a little thought
into your choice, let’s face it, anyone can buy a perfume or gift card (the
exception being for guys of course), buying clothes is usually a no go for most
people and cosmetics and toiletries are always, in my opinion, a waste as a
gift. Females usually know what products work best for them and you'll never
really know exactly what she has in her glam box and therefore be at risk.
My sister once said to me that the key for gift giving lies in purchasing
something your recipient will need but not necessarily buy for themselves. As a
sort of tradition you can always guarantee that the two of us will always be
unwrapping pyjamas from each other come the 25th, because, well who doesn't
need an extra set! You'll find most girls will have some kind of list, whether
they have told you or not, that said I’ve made one of my own of the things I’ll
be most excited to receive come Christmas morning.
A bathrobe is something that is easy to get wrong - we've all seen the cheap fleece versions from Primark and the like. For something more luxurious, try The White Company, with prices starting from £50 and matching his and hers sets as well as beautifully minimalistic gift wrapping, it's a present you can't go wrong with.
I've mentioned briefly before my preference for a Sunday night spent pampering before the harsh realities of a Monday morning rear their ugly heads. This next suggestion will therefore appeal to many girls like myself who reserve that one night for some 'me' time.
Of course, Jo Malone candles would be ideal however, I myself would begrudge burning it and find them too decorative to actually use. White Company candles offer the perfect alternative. Slightly cheaper ( prices start from £18 ) than Jo Malone but by no means less fragrant. My favourite by far is Seychelles, featuring notes of Orange, Amber, Vanilla an Almond it is the perfect scent to get you in the mood for summer after a chaotic festive period.
Today's gift idea comes in the form of some of the cutest jewelley out there at the moment. Whilst we have all become accustomed to wearing bulky statement jewellery over the last few years, Estella Bartlett offers us a range more simple accessories which, whilst aren't as in your face as the costume pieces currently available in droves on the high street, is just as attention grabbing but are also personal to each wearer due to the simple statement noted on the packaging, such as 'you me ou I' or 'shine bright like a diamond'. Prices start from just £15 and you can be sure that any girl you buy for will love the thoughtfulness of such a simple gift.
You should never underestimate the importance of a good diary and there is nothing in your life that is more handy than having the right one. I don't understand people who use their phones for everything, I mean, yes an iPhone calender is a good tool for noting shifts and so on, but what happens when your battery dies? Anyway, I digress. When it comes to diaries no one does them better than Smythson. Yes they are a little on the pricey side, but for me, something as personal as a Smythson diary shows how much thought has been put into a gift, and with matching notebooks and pens, they are any career girls ideal present. My favourite is the aptly named Fashion Diary in Fuschia.
Something every girls needs for Christmas that she will undoubtedly get from one of the men in her life is perfume, so if your said man, please make sure you choose the right one. Si is the latest fragrance from Giorgio Armani, 'my tribute to modern femininity, an irresistible combination of grace, strength and independent spirit' according to the man himself. I won't pretend to be a perfume expert, but this scent is the perfect balance between sweet and musky and more importantly - it lasts all day.
For me, I love nothing more than a Sunday night. Bubble bath, face mask and a fresh coat of nail varnish to see me through the week. As any girl knows - the best nail varnish comes in the form of a Chanel limited edition. Every year the brand release a number of exclusive colours, and this year they came in the form of these two Nuit Magique colours.
The two colours emulate what most of us look for in winter colours. The blue 'magic' represents the sky as we see more of it in the winter months and 'Cosmic' is an expanse of the ever popular black we all know and love, this time featuring accents of blue and silver. What's not to love?
Whilst most of us are agonising over what to wear at our Christmas party and shopping for a new frock for fear of our colleagues recognising our outfit, there is one Hollywood star who doesn't seem to share our woes - Keira Knightly. The Pirates of the Caribbean actress has stepped out yet again wearing her favourite Chanel gown, the same one that she wore to her wedding earlier this year and to a pre BAFTA bash way before that in 2008. Well, as they say 'If it aint broke why fix it'.
I'll admit, despite their having been around for two years now, I've still not yet bought into the onesie hype. The main reason had, I think, lied with the notoriety the garment gained after Towie star Joey Essex revealed his love for them. If there ever is a time to wear a onesie, however, then Christmas is it.
Every girl loves new pyjamas for Christmas and if you're going to spend your money, then why not spend it on something as festive as these? The Fairisle print onesie from Asos is £45.
Let's face it, none of us exactly enjoy washing up but with this Ryan Gosling tea towel from prezzybox.com it might not be a task that all of us dread. The recycled tea towel, priced only at £9.95, features three images if the Hollywood Hunk, 'Classic Ryan', 'Hipster Ryan' and 'Charmer Ryan' and even features it's very own 'Hey Girl' sentence at the top. We'll be honest, I wouldn't want to ruin it by drying my dishes with his face but it certainly would look nice in the kitchen.
December is a great month for everyone. Not only is the end of the month two log weeks of food, family and celebration but it is the one month of the year we can shop without feeling guilty. Everyday this month I'll be posting my favourite shopping treats and gift ideas.
First up it this a novelty Gingerbread Man jumper from Topshop. Everyone loves a Christmas jumper and this one is quite possibly the best I have ever seen. Retailing at £42 it's more than you might usually spend on a jumper you can only wear one month a year, but when a jumper is this good, how can you resist?
For me, there's nothing that starts off the festive period like an appearance of a Christmas Advert. Whilst the likes of Marks & Spencer have been producing big budget adverts for a few years now, for most brands I can barely remember anything further back than last year (and that's only because we spoke about the John Lewis one in a lecture). This year however, we seem to be inundated with the big companies trying to outdo each other, but who did it best?
1. Marks & Spencer
In our family, it's hard to beat the M&S advert (who can forget 2007's 'Christmas Belles'?) and this year has proved to be no exception. Feauturing two of the most insanely beautiful models on the planet, this years advert has a tagline of 'Believe in Magic and Sparkles' and brilliantly emulates a few of the best fairytales of our time - firstly my personal favourite of Alice in Wonderland then Aladdin, Little Red Riding Hood and finally moving on to The Wizard of Oz when we see the best part of the advert - Helena Bonham Carter. The advert invokes not only that nostalgia we all love to experience during the festive season but also offers us that sense of aspiration that all adverts are meant to provoke in their audience. 'Believe in Magic and Sparkles'? Well it's hard not too with an advert as perfect as this.
2. John Lewis
A John Lewis spokesman recently said that when planning their Christmas Adverts they like to 'connect emotionally' with their audience. Whilst I'm not the biggest fan of their adverts I can see that this is a valid statement by looking back over previous ads bought to us from the company (2011's advert of the little boy giving his parents a present is a great example of this). This year however I just didn't get this advert. The had all the right components for a great Christmas ad; Lily Allen making a comeback and singing a Keane cover, Disney animators who bought us the likes of The Lion King and an unlikely friendship between a Bear and a Hare, but somehow this still went wrong. It seemed wrong to me that they spent £7 million on animators just to add in real life gifts (yes I know they need to advertise but it looked odd) and barring the fact that there was a Christmas Tree in the advert, it doesn't make me feel festive at all.
3. Tesco
Tesco's went for the familial angle this year by showing us a collection of home made movies over a number of decades. We see a young couple through various stages of their relationship, from their first Christmas together, to Christmas with their children with the grandparents, to the children growing up and the young couple becoming the grandparents. It featured a number of situations we all experience on the day, the excitement of opening our presents, rowing with our parents and of course, celebrating with those we love most, because that is, afterall what Christmas is all about.
4. Harvey Nichols
Harvey Nichols have used tongue in cheek humour to not only capture our attention this year, but also to promote a new line hitting the stores. 'I Spent It On Myself' is a situation that all of us can relate too, that dreadful feeling when you splurge on yourself knowing you have other to buy for. To counteract any of us ever having to feel like this again, the brand have come up with a new line of gifts including elastic bands, toothpicks and a sink plug. Well, as said by one of the self spurgers in the ad, at least you can challenge the recipient as to if anyone else got them a gift from Harvey Nic's.
Whilst I have to admit that the M&S is my favourite of those above, there is still no one who can quite contend with the classic Coca-Cola advert. After all, it really isn't Christmas until you have seen it on your screen.
