The algorithm got me in the end. It began with recipe content, and once I was hooked on food influencer videos, I began to be pummelled with adverts for attractive pots and pans, then clothes, and from there an ever-widening vista of objets and objects by turns pretty or useful and occasionally both. The result, apart from frittering away a certain amount of money on non-essential cardigans and kitchen gadgets, has been the development of a ruthless taste and approach to e-commerce. I want to have, and want to give, nice things, and increasingly I know where to get them. I am also hopelessly disorganised, a snob and far from awash in cash. If you’re anything like me and have yet to get your gifts sorted out, read on. And if you’re really behind, take heart: a recent study found that people mind late gifts far less than they mind no gift at all.
Scent: Aesop
I was surprised, having considered the brand a bit dull and snooty, to discover that Aesop perfumes – unisex no less – are quite simply some of the best out there. They are very expensive, at £145 each, but if your budget stretches that far I think they are worth the price. They are clearly well made, elegantly packaged (of course) and, above all, smell unlike anything else on the market. My favourite three are Aurner, which evades typical commercial scent categories thanks to a strange but delightful fusion of magnolia leaf, chamomile and cedar; Virere, an intoxicatingly botanical scent reminiscent (to me) of a giant oak in a stately home park (in fact, it’s made with fig, bergamot and green tea); and Karst, a sexy yet clean blast of wood and berries, juniper, cumin and sandalwood.
Candles: The Flora Lab
The Flora Lab’s soy wax candles have aromas so bold and seductive you would not guess they are made from clean-burning, all-natural components. My Flora Lab gateway drug was the Renaissance Man scented candle, which indeed smells as I’d imagine a well-dressed, very clean choral scholar who does competitive fencing on the side to smell. More recently, in my long-running quest for a Christmas candle that doesn’t make you feel faint, I found two that are bound to bring joy to whoever’s stocking or Secret Santa allocation they end up in. ‘Christmas’ is a mixture of orange, clove and cinnamon, and the double-wick version (£38) burning on my bedroom window sill is enveloping without being overpowering. ‘Alpine Air’ is a more bracing blend of lemon, eucalyptus and pine (£28). The air spray (£20) is an uplifting accompaniment.
Essential oils: Homework
Homework products have a clean, artisanal look which will buy you immediate brownie points, whether from a moody teenage niece or a difficult mother-in-law. Extra brownie points will follow, especially for the woo woo, from Homework’s emphasis on the four elements. Earth, wind, fire and water are their distinctive smells used across candles, essential oils, bath salts and perfume. There are others too, such as metal and wood. The smells won’t be for everyone in perfume form (£85), as they are really rather retro to my nose, but the candles (£35) and essential oils (£28) are certain crowd-pleasers. There are gift sets for Christmas if you prefer that to individual items.
Ceramics: ClayNote
One thing just about everybody loves is a beautiful mug. As a frequenter of real-life as well as digital markets, I can vouch for the fact that there are lots of cool young artisans coming on to the stoneware scene (and older ones finally carving out a niche). One of my best recent discoveries is the studio ClayNote, whose earthy, speckled vases, mugs and plates – made in a small studio in Willesden Green – are satisfying, hardy and elegant, with texture and shapes that evoke the sea lapping at an empty English beach. There is a shop on Etsy which sells the mugs, but for the full range, get in touch on Instagram.
Cookware: Borough Kitchen
Now that we are in the age of prestige kitchens, with a premium on being kitted up for actual cooking and not just show, one must have the right accessories – and Borough Kitchen is a good place to start. Utility is king, followed by style, but I think this Milton Brook Pestle and Mortar (£19) has both. Made from stain-proof porcelain, it’s not as heavy and weird-looking as the traditional sets, nor is it so light that you can’t crush anything properly. For years I didn’t use one, but if you’re cooking at all these days, they really are a must: so many recipes now call for the likes of crushed cardamom pods and cumin seeds. I use mine for baking – crushing nuts – and medicinally, to crush up those giant tablets of magnesium for adding to yoghurt.
Homeware: Camden Arts Centre
I love everything sold in the Camden Arts Centre shop on the Finchley Road, between West Hampstead and Hampstead. Far better than the pretentious art on display, this is a home for local jewellers, print-makers, ceramicists, candle-makers and other arty craftspeople. But my pick of the Christmas bunch is this glass watering can (£50). It’s worth a visit to the shop – it is like a curated version of all Europe’s best Christmas markets in one (albeit some stuff is made in China like, ahem, this watering can). But if you can’t get there, the online shop allows you to order some of these failsafe gems for the discerning folk you’re likely to encounter around the Christmas tree.
Accessories: Desmond and Dempsey
Scrunchies are extremely on-trend (again) but they are useful too. Luxury British pyjama maker Desmond and Dempsey uses offcuts to make their late 20th-century throwback hair ties. As someone who always ties their hair back, it is unforgivable that I have generally used the cheapest, spindliest hair elastics for the job, given how unkind they are to hair. A while back I bought a floral scrunchie with a hanging bow from H&M and found it looked great and was gentler on my hair. But the fabric seemed cheap, and because it felt disposable, I promptly lost it. Which is why I decided to invest in more luxuriant scrunchies, beginning with this jaguar-themed, nicely trimmed, capacious one that I can wear in all moods, seasons and outfits (£18).
Clothing: Navygrey
I have spent a small fortune on three jumpers from Navygrey, largely as I can’t mess around when I emerge from the Ladies’ Pond on Hampstead Heath in winter. They are heavy, well-made from northern English and Scottish wool, and look great. The brand was started by Rachel Carvell-Spedding after a 20-year search for the perfect jumper and I am pretty sure that everything they make is great. The jumpers are upward of £300, and so my pick of a more manageable and arguably more fun gift that does not sacrifice the quality would be this hood. I have the whole Lorton jumper the hood belongs to and it is a very good hood: roomy, warm, not itchy, stays in place. On its own, it’s indisputably cool.
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