This year, the year I/we lost our minds, has been a real re-set. And not necessarily in a good way. It has hastened the falling of the scales from my eyes in terms of consumerism in that I see now, very clearly, that none of it will help. When the shit really hits the fan who cares if you’ve got a Celine bag?
All I want for Christmas? NO PANDEMIC.
So I’m not in a good place to write about what you ought to request for Christmas, but oftentimes the way I’m feeling is the way you’re feeling and perhaps we can muddle through this together.
Perhaps it’s the lack of certainty that’s such a buzzkill. To that end, it has occurred to me that it might be a super idea to ask for gift cards. In years gone by if I had been handed a gift card I would have handed it straight back with a Princess Margaret face on. There’s something about the miserable £5.40 leftover from anything you buy, or the necessary £10 top-up to get the thing you want that strikes me as unfestive. But this year … I don’t know, this year has got “gift card” written all over it.
I, personally, am pretty sure I will be asking for a Trinny London gift card . The more I know about this brand the more I think it’s the one for me. They’ve just got me where I live with the compelling practicality of their unscrewable stack of product, plus all their products are so great. I don’t need to tell you – you’re already big fans.
And then of course there is the one and only Net a Porter – a gift card for NAP now strikes me as an incredibly good idea. The absolute thing that you want often comes to you at a strange moment and how wonderful then to be able to dial it up on NAP and treat yourself to their Premier delivery service where a lovely man arrives with your stuff the next day. More pertinent is that you can use your gift card at a time when things are more certain, when there might be a party to go to, a holiday to plan for, or someone to actually see your new Roxanne Assoulin alphabet bracelets.
If you’ve got something against Net A Porter, there is also the indomitable Selfridges, whose online service is getting much better, (it used to be awful, taking weeks to arrive and a real faff to return), and there really is everything you could want there that isn’t offered by NAP.
Of course, getting only a gift card is a bit meh, no matter how much is loaded onto it, so alongside this, your “big” present, your husband/wife/other ought to also be getting you a small clutch of stocking-filler type things to represent, in cash terms, how much they appreciate all that fucking cooking you did in lockdown.
Some ideas:
1 Hay’You Beauty restorer. My friend MC who knows about these things says that this works and she lives to call bullshit on stuff. I know when I use my cut-price rose-quartz face roller it does something.
2 Cashmere socks, obviously. What’s better than a fresh pair?
3 A trinket from Margot & Mila. I am such a big fan of Lucy, who runs this small brand from Somerset. She’s an actual person and is very open to – and likes – bespoke commissions, (possibly not do-able in time for Christmas but bear her in mind in the future), and otherwise sells simple, well-crafted and unusual pieces. She has designed and made all sorts of signifiant things for Spikers this year with grace and charm and that counts for an awful lot. I particularly like these at the moment. Because Lucy is so great she is offering a 15% discount to Spikers on any full-price product, just enter DEARHUSBAND15 at checkout.
4 Olverum. This stuff is CHRISTMAS. We are huge, huge fans in our house and a single, small bottle will last absolutely ages, you only need a tiny drop in your bath to fill the house with the most glorious scent of zesty eucalyptus, pine and I’m sure loads of other wonderful stuff. Like Badedas but a billion times better.
5 I am really into discovery sets – little testers of bigger products and brands are really wise now that this is a great idea to suck people in. I like this Sarah Chapman one from CultBeauty, but Net a Porter also have a range, just type in “discovery” and all sorts of things pop up that will make you stop and go “oooo”.
6 A good book. I normally scream and claw the furniture when anyone mentions giving books as a gift (I CAN BUY THEM MYSELF THANK YOU, FUCK YOU) but alongside other thoughtful (i.e. expensive) gifts, books are very Christmassy. I recommend if you haven’t already read:
- A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles – not new but by gum it’s really terrific
- One Two Three Four by Craig Brown – I couldn’t care less about The Beatles but Craig Brown makes everything funny and interesting
7 Babyliss large barrel curling tong – the best hair tool for creating waves, ever – and I’ve tried them all. Whenever I do my hair with this, actual rays of celestial joy radiate from my head: FACT.
Oh no wait, having said I can’t think what big gift to ask for, I’ve now just remembered that you probably do definitely need a pair of AirPods Pro, and a Dyson hairdryer (I’m afraid I believe the hype).
How about you? What are you asking for this year, other than a successful roll-out of the vaccine?
So I know this is more a Christmas present for me, but I recently got a Look Fantastic advent calendar (sadly now sold out) and I’ve LOVED finally getting my hands on so many beauty products and finally finally getting a decent skincare regime. After two babies in less than two years, and lots of breastfeeding skincare no-nos, this is the best present I’ve ever bought myself. And yes I opened every single window as soon as it arrived…
I’ve just started hanging on Instagram because I’m posting about women’s health in midlife (am rather pushing myself outside my comfort zone), but the best thing has been seeing all of the talented artists with small businesses on there. I have put a beautiful embroidered portrait of Audrey Hepburn from @rocketfullofpie and a print of a 1930s lady from @seedofmemoryart on my Christmas list.
I was genuinely just thinking this morning, ‘I wonder what Esther will say about Christmas this year? What wisdom will she have for us?’ I am flailing uselessly at the moment but need focus and this list of ideas is perfect. We were supposed to be having both sets of parents here (plus our two small children), but it looks like it’s just going to be the four of us. So I’m planning to make it as nice as it can possibly be when there’s a lunatic eighteen-month-old charging around. No tree, sadly, as he’ll pull it over/eat it straight away. But all the lights I can get my hands on.
Oh god the destructive years are so annoying, I remember them well. But they grow up and everyone forgets and you can have 8 trees and incredibly smashable baubles and it’s great
My daughter is 4 1/2 and very well behaved, so she is daily proof that it won’t always be so mad! The little one is a fearless terror, but a very cuddly one.
If anyone is thinking the gift card route this year it is worth checking out local schemes. Our nearest city has the York Gift Card { http://www.yorkgiftcard.com }. It can be spent in hotels, restaurants and museums as well as shops. Many of them are small independents which really need our business at the moment with such a drop in footfall in towns and cities.
So pleased you’re enjoying A Gentleman in Moscow, I can’t rate it highly enough and I bought The Rules of Civility on the advice of another one of your followers! Feeling tempted (but extravagant) by the Olverum – we have very strict budgets for stockings in our house ……… and my husband always moans bitterly that I always buy myself what ever I want, leaving nothing for him to get me (¨you’re awful good to yourself!¨ – in a strong Belfast accent!)
We are mid house move (which has of course been delayed) and I’ve not been feeling very festive. Both my kids are at home (3&1) and I feel like they have been all year really. Neither are in childcare and the baby classes all opened up for a few weeks then inevitably shut back down again. What I’ve realised is that I really don’t need or want anything. I just want the pandemic gone and the kids back to normal, to go to playgroups and then lunch with friends, take my boys swimming and the holy grail: to be able to send them for a sleepover at Nanny and Grandad’s house! The only thing is when it does all open back up I’ve no idea how I’m ever going to get used to wearing jeans again having lived in ‘loungewear’ for a year!
O Cia I hear you. Those years are so difficult and Christmas is just more of the same. While everyone else lounges about eating chocs and watching movies you are still changing 9,000 nappies, it’s the pits. The only comfort that I can give is: it’s not you – it’s THEM. And they grow up and everyone forgets
Thanks Esther, that’s made me feel a bit better!
My sisters and I have decided to do board games as presents this year for each family and then cash for the under-teens (there is NOTHING a ten year old likes more than a £10 note). For teen boys we are doing pull-up bars that can be fitted to door frames as they are always fitness mad and have spent too long at home this year, and girls are getting those fake hanging plants and macrame hangers that are all over instagram. Me, I want a navy cashmere poloneck and some short wellies to walk the dog in, or if I am very luck I’ll be getting a cocktail ring from Daniella Draper like this https://danielladraper.com/silver-blue-topaz-claw-ring
Unless you have identified the polo neck you want can I recommend Sessun? It’s sort of cropped and wide, I’ve got one it’s AMAZING
Oooh will investigate! I splashed out in Lockdown 1.0 and got myself a Victoria Beckham wide/cropped white crewneck but with it being white I can’t quite be brave enough to wear it anywhere just yet!
I bought AirPod pros for myself and they are so good I leave the house at 10pm to walk the dog rather than stick her out on the terrace to pee.
Wish I could send pics of the beautiful empty Embankment.
What a wonderful list of suggestions thank you xx Will try the bath oil and socks – rock and roll….
I second Gentleman in Moscow, it was the perfect slow, nothing-really-happens mirror to lockdown life.
I think this is the year for ‘upgrade’ presents – something you have and use but would love a prettier/better quality/slightly different version. Really good thermo-base saucepans. A Le Creuset sauté pan. A COPPER sauté pan (that would be my dream but kitchen & bathroom renovations this year means we are both getting an old sock and a lump of coal). Decent wellies. Sneeboer garden tools. Crisp new bedlinen. Decent towels. Boxer shorts from Hilditch & Key. A silver photo frame. That annual flower subscription.
Stuff that will last, that’s a real treat because you never quite manage to justify spending real (plenty of) money on quotidien things. Stuff that will bring joy when you use it, but isn’t frippery. Me, I shall be all Eeyorish repeatedly hanging a damp tea-towel on our tiny new kitchen radiator and watching it dry. Supposing the radiator is fitted by Christmas …
Sophie this is an excellent idea and I applaud it. Wonderful new bed linen. A SECOND very sharp pair of kitchen scissors. A really good hands-free kit for the car etc.
Thanks for telling me about “Discovery” Have put it in different shops’ search list and lots of goodies pop up!
I know! So great. A little bit of this, a little bit of that….
Air pods are great and while the Dyson hair dryer is quite pricey, it’s totally worth it!
That Beatles book looks just the ticket for my hard to buy for husband – but then, arent they all!
Esther, do you have a link to the air pod pro things on Amazon as they’re on sale for £200 there but I want to click your affiliate link 😉
Isobel you are so kind and thoughtful, I really appreciate that! Don’t worry, just buy from wherever suits you – £200 is a great deal. You can get really cute cases on Amazon too x
Does anyone have any knowledge of the Dyson AirWrap thingy? Seems to be both all the tools and a hairdryer?
I’m going for the learning something new properly idea. Particularly for the people who have the time (i.e no children!) V&A online learning course for my mum, Muff Kitchen sourdough course for me. I think I need something to keep me going through the dark months. And I’m fatter anyway so might as well have nice bread to eat.
I’ve tried it and it didn’t work on my hair (limp, flat, rubbish). Can I recommend if you do buy, you buy directly from Dyson, as they offer a full refund if you try it and don’t like it. At £450, this is not to be sniffed at. (Do check they still offer the refund though.)
That’s genius! Thanks so much
Just stumbled across this whilst doing research for the dyson hair dryer! I have to say air pods have been revolutionary for me this year – especially with all the extra background noise at home!!
One other suggestion for everyone is a dyson air purifier! I’ve always liked a fan on at night in summer but having one that does hot and cold air has been really great coming into the colder months. 🙂
I’ve just reserved baby Guinea pigs for the Kids because thinking of presents for a 12-year-old boy it’s making my head hurt. And who doesn’t love a baby guinea pig? I’ve got an amazing hair tool/brush thing that rotates and dries your hair at the same time so you don’t need dexterity of an octopus! Can’t quite remember what it’s called will have a look
I read your second para as ‘I’ve got an amazing hair TOOTH/brush thing’ and was genuinely baffled for a minute. *refills coffee pot*
Can someone advise me on application of the Trinny cream shadows? I use my ring finger to dab but somehow end up with the stuff all over my brow bone and a smudgy mess everywhere. The colour and formulas is nice, the application is horrendous and I am wondering if I am missing a trick?
Kate I always use a brush for all my make-up now, I know Trinny advocates using fingers but mine, as yours, don’t do the job especially well in my view. You can get very good, reliable brushes at My Kit Co, and they do one specifically for a cream shadow: https://www.mykitco.uk/collections/my-eyes
Me too. I recently ordered some Trinny makeup (can highly recommend apart from the Miracle Blur….) and I too use brushes to apply (apart from lip to cheek)
what’s wrong with Miracle Blur!!! I’ve just ordered some
Perhaps I was expecting too much. Doesn’t ‘blur’ my fine lines or pores particularly well. I like all her other products. I ordered one for my sister for C’mas and I warned her too. Btw Esther, I keep meaning to ask you has anyone said you look like Carrie Symonds? I mean that as a compliment!
Giles keeps telling me! perhaps I ought to have a side hustle as her impersonator
Thanks! I’ll try a brush application and see how I get on.x
also – an eyelid primer might help. I thought it was an INSANE thing to use on first hearing it but it really helps application and staying power x
Yes I have recently started using primer after watching a Lisa Armstrong tutorial. It really does help! And the brush is a great tip, have been much happier with application since using it. Don’t know why I thought it was a no for cream shadows. Thanks.xx
regarding the dyson hair thing, going by the many many vlogs of american millennials it takes a good month or three to learn how to use it to your own delight if you are a long wavy type.
ive been thinking of gift cards for my 25-30 yr old kids & nephews
plus a game or two and maybe booze
they are all of the age and monies to buy what they want when they want it
its been a nuggeringly horrid year or two without c-19 sticking its nose into our lives.
I just spent £700 at Hush as a present to MYSELF but I carefully did it via an old spike page about hush so hopefully they’ll bung you something…
As for actual christmas – I can’t stand the thought of more toys. Maybe I’ll buy them all the sugary things I usually say no to and go out for the day whilst they gorge…
While researching the Dyson recently, my hairdresser introduced me to the Gama iQ Perfetto hairdryer and omg, I need one for Christmas. Slightly cheaper than the Dyson too so really my husband is making money if he gets me that instead:)
this is a great tip!! thank you I will look it up x
Aaargh, on your Instagram stories you mentioned a range of jewellery that a friend of yours had started selling, and like a fool I didn’t write it down, and now it’s gone, and it would be perfect for Christmas presents… please could you share the details again?
That’s the Sister Collective! My dear friend Rachel who used to lend out hats for events and has really really been hit by Covid. It would be amazing if you would support her xxx