Things I have loved in December
The Christmas Gift Guide that never saw the light of day
You have no idea how long this article has been sitting in my Drafts. The start of it, anyway. I myself lost track of when I first started it, but I am pretty sure it must have been November. Ample time, I told myself, to put together a thoughtful, considered list of lovely things that I would have actually loved to receive for Christmas. As time slipped by with uncanny and inexorable speed, the draft went through various iterations. I was originally going to simply name it “The Venetian Pantry’s Gift Guide” (a little boring and expected perhaps, but I was low on ideas). It then became “The very last-minute Gift Guide”, which I thought was fitting, as I typically am quite last-minute with my Christmas shopping.
But in the end, I had to admit defeat and add this Gift Guide to the long list of things I didn’t manage to get around to doing before Christmas, alongside making home-made Christmas tree decorations out of tin foil and publishing my Christmas Cookie recipe (it’s coming next week, I promise). Nothing left to do but to rebrand my gift guide that never was one last time and turn it into the next instalment of my old Monthly Edits series. And since it has been a while since my last Edit (July, to be exact), this is truly a Christmas Miracle.
It’s not lost on me that you will all have reached Gift Guide fatigue approximately three weeks ago, nor that by this point you are probably as broke as I am post-Christmas. And in truth, I had to take out quite a few pieces that were too Christmas-related, replaced with other things I have genuinely loved over the past month. So, keep this list of lovely things for a rainy day, when some therapeutic shopping is needed, or perhaps for that one, unlucky friend whose birthday falls dangerously close to Christmas (take it from me, a January baby). They are all things I have at home and I have either bought for myself (in the majority of cases) or have been gifted and appreciated.
Much love,
M
Bertioli Breathing Balm
This little pot of wonders was given to me as a gift by my friend Ksenija when she came around mine to record an episode of the podcast. I had never heard of such a thing as a breathing balm, but seen as she is my guru on all things beauty & skincare, I knew it must be good. I only realised how good it was after trying it for the first time before going to bed. The scent, fresh and herby, with a note of apple, is so deliciously relaxing that Joe started requesting a smear of it on his wrists too (you then rub your wrists together and take deep breaths). Since then, it has become our nightly ritual, and I take it with me everywhere I go if we are spending the night away. We love it so much that Joe gifted me the matching bath salts for Christmas. Truly a special present to yourself or a loved one!
☞ Bertioli Water Meadow Breathing Balm - 100ml, £45.00
Mercury Candle Holders
This winter, I have been having a love affair with mottled silver candle holders. There is something quite magical in the way they refract candlelight, and they look particularly atmospheric during the holiday season (although I am pretty sure I will end up keeping them out all year round). This set of 3 from Zara Home (now on sale!) is particularly elegant, I think, but I also have several smaller ones from the White Company.
☞ Zara Home, Christmas Candle Holder Vases, 15.99 GBP – 29.99 GBP
☞ The White Company, Winter Tealights & Mercury Holder Set, £55.00
☞ The White Company, Fir Tree Mercury Luxury Candle, £38.00
An unlaquered brass gua-sha
If you are not familiar with it, a gua-sha is a small, rounded tool used to perform face massages to drain away excess liquid, de-puff, and sculpt, leaving you looking (allegedly) like Lindsey Lohan circa 2024. If nothing else, it is an incredibly relaxing ritual of self-care: I use it quite a lot on the back of my neck and cervical, my go-to spot to store up tension. They are usually made of stone (I’ve seen plenty of rose quartz, jade and even marble ones in my career as a Gua-sha user), but I think this brass one from Akt is far more chic. Best of all, it is unlaquered brass, meaning it will age and tarnish and develop the exquisite patina we all love on our kitchen taps (we do, don’t we?).
It is actually meant to be an applicator for their natural deodorant (which I can’t vouch for, but I’m sure is equally brilliant), but I bought it as a stand-alone piece for the sole purpose of using it as a face sculptor.
This Eyebrow Gel
I had been looking for a brow gel for a while when I walked into a Space NK and asked the shop assistant for her top recommendation. She shoved this funky-looking little gel from Kossas in my hand with a knowing twinkle in her eye, and I have been using it religiously ever since. It’s clear, so it works best on medium to thick eyebrows, but it does make your eyebrows stay in place the whole day. Plus, it is packed with ingredients such as hyaluronic acid, which promotes healthy growth.
☞ Kosas AIR BROW Clear Lifting Treatment Gel, 22.60€
A Mary Poppins Bag, but make it cool
I got this Cos bag the day before I went on a city break, and managed to fit everything I needed for a night away – including a change of clothes, my toiletries, a change of shoes AND my camera. This bag is incredibly lightweight and with handy internal pockets, can be worn across the body or on the shoulder. Perfection!
☞ Cos, Oversized Quilted Crossbody bag, £85
☞ Cos Brass curved earrings, £25 £12 (52% OFF)
Two flattering (and comfy) off-white barrel legs jeans
As someone with a fairly generous hip-to-waist ratio (I believe Curvy is the term nowadays), I have always struggled to find jeans that fit me at the hip without leaving a huge gap in the small of my back. Enter the Curve Love collection from Abercrombie&Fitch (a brand I have to admit I had never shopped from before).
This pair of jeans taught me that not only I can pull off a barrel leg, but that a mid-waist is more flattering on my body type than a high waist (who would have thought!)
Whilst they look white-ish on the picture, they are actually a very pale grey. I’ve been loving them so much that I am considering getting a second pair in their medium Jeans colour.
☞ A&F Curve Love Mid Rise Barrel Jean, £75
Still high from this realisation, I ventured to buy myself a second pair of barrelled-leg jeans, this time a creamy number from Everlane. The beauty of this model is in its slightly stretchy fabric, which makes them super comfy to wear (the A&F model, in comparison, is not stretchy, but cut in a way that’s still very comfortable).
In this outfit:
☞ Everlane, The Way-High® Curve Jean, £123
☞ Arket Wool-Blend Jacket, £159
☞ Uniqlo Lambswool Crew Neck Jumper in Beije, £24.90 £34.90 (SALE)*
*This is a Comptoir de Cottoniers collaboration and I LOVE the cut of this jumper! I also have it in green and light grey
An ultra-luxurious face cream
As far as expensive skincare creams go, this is hands down the most eye-watering thing I have ever put on my face (in the figurative sense, not in the literal one). At a whopping £178.00 per 50ml, if the aforementioned Gua-sha hasn’t made me look like a 2024 Lindsey Lohan yet, this cream better do the trick. It was the very generous joint gift my sisters gave me to cover both Christmas and my Birthday, and I have been using it sparingly, savouring it like the last day of a summer holiday. I have to report that it truly feels incredible on the skin – super lightweight, non-greasy, and leaving a noticeable glow even on my greyish winter complexion (and only within a couple days of using it).
☞ Sisley Paris Black Rose Skin Infusion Cream 50ml, £178.00
These stylish (and re-usable) earplugs
If you are a light sleeper like me, than do yourself a favour and get yourself a pair of these earplugs. I got a pair for me (white) and one for Joe (black), but they come in all sorts of colours (even metallic ones, which look almost like jewellery), as well as different size adaptors. And even thought they clearly took a page out of Apple’s book when it comes to their packaging experience, the price is still very affordable. The best part is that, being made of soft silicone, they stay very clean and can be easily washable. No more grimey earplugs. Ew, no thank you!
☞ Loop Quiet 2 Earplugs, £29.95
I hope you have enjoyed this little list, but most of all that you have been enjoying a restful few days these holidays. I’d love to hear what you have been up to! What was the most thoughtful gift you have given or received?
I loved this post, because I enjoy posts about things people really enjoy and also, crucially, you explained why you love them! I will admit to being a gift guide addict, but I got annoyed by the ones that are just a list of (probably affiliated) stuff, with no mention of why they are special.
I love a gift guide at any time of year and I am not ashamed! I loved the alternative gua sha, truly. I feel that all my gifts were thoughtful however my most used is a shell pink le creuset mug, my inexplicably soft canada goose slippers and a beautiful wooden cylinder salt cellar that has two compartments :)