It is the home stretch before Christmas and I had to put together for you (like last year) a nice little selection of gift ideas that are inexpensive, quirky, or just super original to help you perhaps a little in your quest for THE perfect gift (I reassure you, I am also deep into this search right now and I am struggling too, just like every year).
Anyway, let’s forget about ties, literary best-sellers, or the coffee set that will end up at the next flea market and let’s try to step off the beaten path by transforming ourselves for the occasion into a modern-day Santa Claus!
Idea No. 1: a chocolate ritual at Spa Or’Normes
For the holidays, the Spa Or’Normes (which I mentioned here) is offering a brand new chocolate-based ritual (249 €) and its benefits.
On the agenda, a set of nourishing body treatments starting with a tasting of old-fashioned hot chocolate, before moving on to the steam room for a chocolate-granita body exfoliation followed by a creamy chocolate wrap. Finally, the ritual ends with a nectar massage, a cocoa butter oil that deeply hydrates the skin.
The Deal: a special chocolate facial cream or body oil is offered in addition to the treatment.
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Spa Or’Normes Paris
5, place du Panthéon – 75005 Paris
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Idea No. 2: A lovely selection of Christmas teas
I am a tea lover, you have known that for a long time, and I love giving quality tea to the people I love. For example, I recently discovered and became absolutely a fan of Georges Cannon teas (but I will tell you more about that very soon…).
I also recommend the pretty (and delicious) selection of Christmas teas from Dammann Frères or the Christmas tea from the Maison de la Chine.
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Idea No. 3: A candle to scent your home
Like every year, Diptyque dedicates a limited edition to the celebration of the end-of-year festivities. A collective of young artists is lending itself to the exercise this time.
They call themselves Qubo Gas and cultivate a singular creative mix, combining traditional techniques and computer technology. The intersections of the past, present, and future are one of the affinities that explain this partnership with diptyque.
Three new scented candles: spice, winter and resin available in November at the unit price of 55€ (190g) or 28€ (70g)
The Fouquet’s brand, for its part, has partnered with Groupe Parour, the prestigious perfume house, to launch a collection of fragrances composed of 4 scented candles (49 €) that recreate the atmosphere of unique, gourmet, intoxicating, enveloping, or delicate moments.
The scents: Oriental Vanilla; Irresistible Gourmet; Woody Amber; Orange Blossom
A little while ago, I also discovered a candle bar that has just opened in the Montorgueil district, which offers you to create your own candle scent, with the help of the boutique’s House Perfumer.
L’Aurore Paris / 39 rue Saint-Sauveur 75002 Paris
On the occasion of the opening of Espace Basus, the French brand is partnering with the famous Pop Up Paris candle. To permeate the space, they have imagined a scented candle with red amber together (39 € for 140 g), on which Pop Up has applied the Basus gingham, a timeless staple of Basus collections.
The great Christmas idea is that the specialty of Popup is to offer its collectors a 0.10 carat diamond (one for every 50 candles). Hidden in the wax, it appears as the candle burns down. A 1 in 50 chance, therefore, to give a great Christmas present!
Sold exclusively at Espace Basus – 14 rue Crespin du Gast – 75011 Paris
Another product, but with similar results, the Scentsy brand offers home fragrances by means of an electric diffuser that melts scented wax. They obviously have a very pretty special holiday collection.
Scentsy Tux warmer; 15 cm high, price 49 €
The La tour des Anges scented candle (23 €) at Sud Corner has a powdery, woody scent that invites daydreaming.
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Idea No. 4: Christmas DIY style
With Hema stores, you become the queen of DIY and you personalize your gifts with total simplicity: cutting, wrapping, ribboning, taping… it’s all there! It’s nicer and it makes for pretty personalized gift packages.
Same deal with Truffaut stores, which offer a whole bunch of products to make your own Christmas decorations, from paper bows for gifts to Christmas wreaths, and even making super cute Winter Jars or advent calendars in the shape of a little house…
Anyway, DIY Christmas is very trendy, so if you have a little time, you are not “disabled” when it comes to manual work, and you have a creative soul, you know what you have left to do…
I try it every year at the famous Winter Party Truffaut and even if I don’t excel in this field, it’s still super rewarding to be able to say “I made it myself”!
Another fun idea for gift wrapping is this HO HO HO 2014 wrapping kit resulting from the collaboration between the creative agency M/B, Anouk Ricard, and the Imprimerie du Marais. It includes a sheet of stickers, 4 prints on glossy paper and a pretty blue ribbon (price 10 €).
On sale at Colette, 107 Rivoli and on Milh
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Idea No. 5: Offer a piece of Scotland and a title of Lord or Lady
Since its creation in 2007, Highland Titles has allowed thousands of private individuals to become owners of plots of land in Scotland, to call themselves Lord or Lady, and above all… to contribute to the preservation of a nature that is beautiful, wild, and authentic, which is now classified as a nature reserve.
In the same theme, another nice idea: instead of directly offering a plot of Scottish land, you can also offer a product directly derived from it.
For this, there is an exceptional product typical of these lands in the north of Great Britain: whisky.
The Bowmore brand, “The taste of Islay”, which produces whiskies on the west coast of Scotland, also offers limited editions of Scottish single malt whisky bottles for this end of the year.
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Idea No. 6: Offer a rare wine
A good gift idea for wine lovers, with Les Éditions de Vins Rares, a publishing house for exceptional wines, as it defines itself.
At the origin of this initiative are Jean-Armand Bloc (oenology professor and iconic figure in the wine industry) and Loïc Mignotte. Together, they build the collections and choose the authors according to a precise and always very demanding set of specifications. For them, every bottle must be synonymous with pleasure and discovery. A very nice gift idea, therefore, if you know a wine aesthete.
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Idea No. 7: Retro and eco-friendly bags
Original and pretty gift ideas with Entre 2 Rétros, a brand of bags and accessories with a retro-chic look that are made from upcycled automotive fabric remnants, which creates a very nice fashion-forward and eco-friendly mix. Personally, I love the look…
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Idea No. 8: Colorful and joyful socks with Happy Socks
is a Swedish sock brand, created in Stockholm in 2008, with a very colorful and playful universe. For the end-of-year holidays, the brand is investing in Paris with 2 temporary Pop-up Stores:
- the first, rue de Rennes, in the heart of the 6th arrondissement of the capital
- the second in the Gare de l’Est (central hall)
These Happy Socks Pop-up Stores present the complete autumn-winter collection for women, men, and children, the new line of underwear for women and men, the collection resulting from the Happy Socks x Snoop Dogg collaboration, and gift boxes. These collections are trendy, original, creative, and have acid colors.
In short, it is the ideal place to find a small, original, and funny last-minute gift idea.
101, rue de Rennes – 75006 Paris
Monday to Saturday from 11:00 am to 7:30 pm (until January 10, 2015)
Gare de l’Est (central hall) – 75010 Paris
Monday to Saturday from 07:00 am to 8:00 pm + December Sundays (until January 15, 2015)
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CONTEST:
Because it’s also Christmas on the blog, I invite you to win, in partnership with Happy Socks, a box of 3 pairs of socks (to be chosen in the desired size) created by the artist Snoop Dogg (value 29.90 €).
To participate, simply leave a comment below this article telling me what your tips are for finding your Christmas gifts and if you are well advanced in those of this year.
A draw among the answers to this question will determine the winner of the prize. Be careful however, the winner must come and pick up their prize at the boutique rue de Rennes in Paris before January 10, 2015! Good luck to everyone!
Rules:
– Competition limited to Metropolitan France
– The prize must be picked up by the winner at the boutique rue de Rennes in Paris
– + 1 chance if you are a fan of the blog’s facebook page; + 1 chance if you follow the blog’s twitter page; + 1 chance if you follow the blog’s hellocoton page + 1 chance if you follow the blog’s Instagram page + 1 chance for each sharing of the article (don’t forget to leave your usernames in your comment if you want to benefit from extra chance(s))
– 1 entry per IP address
– competition start date Friday, December 19, 2014 – deadline for participation Thursday December 25, 2014 and result the next day on the blog in an edit of this article
EDIT of December 26, 2014:
Following the draw, I am pleased to announce that the winner of the Happy Socks prize is Jordane.
Congratulations to you, I will contact you quickly by email to inform you of your win.
Thanks to everyone for your entries and I wish you more happy holidays!
