Clockwise, from bottom left: A woody fragrance from Hermetica, a catchall tray, pink pjs, a satin boutonnière, a notebook for dog lovers and Diptyque’s fig-scented candle.
By Janet Kelly
A PATAGONIA down vest, cute fanny pack, a new cookbook or two and unnecessary gadgets—I’m checking those off my list for the men in my family.
What I’m really enjoying is the hunt for gifts for my girl tribe. My teenage granddaughters, daughter-in-law, sister-in-law, my daughter-in-law’s mother (she always gets me presents) and a bunch of wonderful friends, both new and old. Dear readers, please forgive me for including myself among the giftees. If you can’t spoil yourself now, when can you?
Sometimes the best gifts are the ones you buy for yourself, like this pair of snuggly hand warmers—timed perfectly for this week’s Arctic blast—and the next one, too. They’re $55 and come in four other colors.
Pajama Pants and Top
A while ago I read that you should paint your bedroom the color that’s most flattering to your face. The same should apply to sleepwear, no? The 30% off the price of both top and bottom (with code GREAT) is a bonus on these glowy pink, all-cotton poplin pjs.
As mentioned, I’ve already gotten my husband his gifts. But this thick, soft turkish cotton one is sooo up his preppy alley . . . If not, I really love it for moi. From Brooklinen for $129.
Hermetica Source1 Eau de Parfum
The perfect perfume? It’s the alchemy between the fragrance and your skin, so what smells divine on your pal might be a big mistake on you, as you undoubtedly have discovered. At Bloomingdale’s not so recently, I spritzed on this Hermetica woody and citrus scent and decided I may have to cheat on my longtime favorite, Acqua di Parma. It comes with a sample so you can try it on at home without opening the bottle. If it doesn’t work magic on you, return it.
An accessory is always a good idea. Even better when it’s created by a clothing designer. Han Feng’s handmade boutonnière (available in organza, satin, and silk in white, black and black and white) attaches to clothing with a protective silk-covered magnet and comes in three sizes—small 2½”, medium 3″ and large 3½”. A terrific gift for adding interest to a blouse, a jacket or a dress. It sells, starting at $52 for the small in black organza, at New York City’s Neue Galerie’s opulent museum shop.
Heart-shaped jewelry is not just for Valentine’s Day. Take the hip Stephanie Ruhle, MSNBC’s “The Eleventh Hour” anchor, who regularly wears her expertly layered two necklaces with large hearts. Maybe my daughter-in-law would like this gold-tone brass chain necklace (34″) and heart pendant (1.5″). The mini puffy heart necklace has an 18.5″ chain with a 3/4″ pendant.
“A lot of my patients are asking about red light therapy,” says my dermatologist. She’s doing her research but hasn’t yet come up with anything definitive about its ability to improve wrinkles and lighten dark spots. The raison d’être for it, if you ask me. A friend, who’s also a physical therapist, though, says that Lumebox, a portable red light therapy device, does relieve muscle aches and has recently begun using it on her face. For the nonce, the jury’s out. (It sells for $629, but has frequent sales promotions which lowers the price to $369.)
I’m considering something to comfort the tired tootsies of my favorite 13-year-old, who’s captain of her school soccer team. These shearling-lined slippers from L.L. Bean are looking like the winning candidate for a shoe that’s soft, cozy and durable.
From its first scented candles in 1963, Diptyque has built up its collection to almost 50 scents, from cannelle (cinnamon) to cyprès (cypress) to gardénia (gardenia) and tubéreuse (tuberose). How soul soothing would it be to inhale the fragrance of figs on a freezing winter day. I also like feu de bois (firewood) to replicate the scent of wood crackling in a fireplace. Figuier comes in four sizes—2.5, 6.5, 10.6 and an extra-large 51.3 ounces.
More shawl than scarf at a generous 78.7″ by 79.3″, this vibrantly colored wrap from Paris-based Épice is a toasty neck warmer well worth giving and/or receiving under the tree or for Hanukah (the first night of the holiday falls on Christmas Day!).
Who wants socks for a gift? If they’re as cute as these chunky crews made by Hansel From Basel, your sister-in-law, cousin, possibly your whole girl gang.
What does my favorite 17-year-old want for Hanukah and/or Christmas? Having failed in my previous attempts at gift giving, I asked her mother, who recommended this dainty bracelet with interlocking hearts from Gorjana.
Leave it to Apple to make a geeky pair of over-the-ear headphones look so damn stylish. Listen up, my podcast-listening friends: you get high-quality audio (Apple calls it surround sound), memory foam, comfy ear cushions that seal in sound and a noise control button to switch on to counter unwanted noise or off to let outside sound in “so you can interact naturally with your surroundings” (translation: so you can hear the bus coming or a car horn before either hits you as you walk on obliviously). It comes in five other colors.
Prada lovers will swoon over this square porcelain tray (6.7″ by 6.7″) with its famous lipstick print, created for the brand’s Spring/Summer 2000 collection. It’s a splurge at $440, but still a lot less expensive than anything else with the Prada logo. Here’s a less pricey alternative—an eye-catching catchall from Edie Parker.
MyLittleBird often includes links to products we write about. Our editorial choices are made independently; nonetheless, a purchase made through such a link can sometimes result in MyLittleBird receiving a commission on the sale. We are also an Amazon Associate.
