It seems like Christmas comes around quicker every year, and we understand that getting the right gift for a friend or loved one can be difficult around this period. So this is where PartyLite can help.
Whoever you’re buying for - whether they love fashion, food, fitness, or anything in between - we’ve got plenty of suggestions for unique and thoughtful gifts. We’ve researched the best independent magazines, sustainable fashion companies, and vegan hair brushes in order to make your gift stand out.
We’ve broken up our suggestions into categories for you to choose your favourite idea, so whoever you’re buying for you’ll have plenty of options whatever your budget.
For Foodies
For Fragrance Lovers
For Sporty Types
For Home Stylists
For Fashionistas
For Beauty Addicts
For Foodies
For Food-Lovers Who Don’t Have Time To Spare
They may lead more hectic lifestyles, but they still love to eat well, so a thoughtful gift that takes the pressure off for a couple of nights a week is perfect. If they simply don’t have time to go food shopping, then you can bring the pantry to them. HelloFresh or Mindful Chef vouchers offer your busy friends a chance to plan some delicious meals and let the exact ingredients be delivered to them.
Alternatively, if there’s a new addition to the family, not only do COOK offer 10% for new parents for six months, they can provide your foodie friend with delicious pre-made meals that only need reheating, which means more time to look after the little one.
For The Coffee Lover
They know the difference between a macchiato and a cortado, ask for an extra hot flat white, and only buy beans that are in season. So what do you get the coffee addict in your life? If they don’t have one yet, then they have to experience the ease of using an Aeropress for their morning coffee. The innovative device can make regular espresso or cold brews in minutes, and is an affordable gift.
If they’re keen cyclists, then a coffee cup holder for their bike means they can get their caffeine hit while commuting. Alternatively if they’re serious road warriors, then Rapha have made a coffee cup that sits in a bottle cage.
If you’re on a budget, then give them the gift of the satisfaction of growing their own coffee beans. We promise it’ll be worth the wait. Alternatively if you’ve got a bit more cash to spend, this 15-bar Espresso machine will give them the chance to fine-tune their barista skills and means they don’t have to wait for their V60 to drip!
For The Home Chef With Flair
For aspiring Anthony Bourdains who love to make the finer foods, you don’t need to push the boat out as much as you might think to get them a unique present. The School of Artisan Food offers courses that suit any budget including butchery, mindful breadmaking, and sausage making. They’re perfect for anyone who wants to further their culinary skills.
If you’re able to splash out a bit more, then give them the chance to attend a masterclass at a Michelin Star-standard restaurant, it would be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to learn from the best. For those who don’t mind the outdoors, you could offer them a day out foraging their own seasonal lunch. This is a handy gift for vegetarians who love to treat themselves to excellent cooking.
For Fragrance Lovers
For The Perfume Addict
They don’t go out without a splash of their favourite perfume and are always trying out new aromas wherever they go. So why not treat them to a subscription that chooses a fragrance for them? Scent & Co offer the chance to ‘date’ a scent for a month by sending 30 days worth of popular perfume. If they’ve already tried everything and crave a unique perfume, then Sniph offer a similar subscription with a more curated collection to choose from.
For The Home Fragrance Aficionado
If you’re looking to buy the perfect fragrance form for the Christmas season, then PartyLite have all your gifting answers. Whether they want a scent that captures all the joys of the season, or a softer, more luxurious aroma, we have the perfect holiday fragrance form.
You could also find the scent that matches their personality thanks to our Personality Boxes. So if they’re Fruity or Floral, Fresh, Exotic or Gourmand, you can find the right aroma for them. If you’re not quite sure what fragrance to match to them, take this quiz on their behalf and we can help find the right gift for you.
For The Experiential Friend
If your friends love making, creating, or experiencing things first-hand, then they’ll love creating their own scent at home or at a workshop. There are ingredient box sets that you could gift them in order to make their own perfume, you could even make an event of it by creating aromas together.
There are also experts out there who can teach people the nuances of top, middle and bottom notes, and the fine art of perfumery. The Experimental Perfume Club in London offer online courses in anything from ingredient classes to more advanced perfume-making. They also offer the chance to visit their space in Hackney for face-to-face workshops as well, and they range from one-to-one apprentice classes to open-lab sessions where people have the freedom to create their own perfume.
If you’re looking for the perfect PartyLite gift this season, click here to see our full range.
For Sporty Types
For The Goal Setter
They rarely go longer than a couple of days without hitting the gym, and are more likely to be seen in sports gear than office attire, so you need to find the appropriate gift. Designed to be able to deodorise even the most offensive-smelling shoes, Boot Bananas are a fun gift for those brave souls who will even go running when it’s raining. (Don’t worry, the serious sportspeople in your life won’t take this as a hint! They’re a godsend.) If they’re even braver and are willing to tackle the outdoors when it’s icy or snowing, then give them the gift of safety with some ice crampons for their trainers.
Another ace addition to any goal setter’s armoury should be the Tile Mate. This handy bluetooth device attaches to any objects they may lose while out exercising, and allows them to find it quickly with one tap from their smartphones. Perfect for the fell runners among your friends.
For Outdoor Types
For those who love trekking unusual trails or experiencing destinations as physical challenges, it’s all about giving gifts that will stimulate their newest holiday ideas. With that in mind, a subscription to Cereal Magazine gives access to their stunning series of City Guides, while Haarkon Adventures also gives a more photo-led guide to beautiful destinations. Both of these magazines ship worldwide, and are a perfect coffee table addition to spark inspiration in their next trek, hike, or challenge.
The outdoors fan still needs to fit in relaxation and photography while they’re abroad too, so Malin & Goetz have a (carry-on approved) essentials kit that means giving the gift of skin hydration and hair nourishment. Plus, they’ll smell amazing. If they need to get their coffee fix wherever they go, then the Wacaco Minipresso is the ideal choice for them to savour the taste of their favourite ground coffee on the move. Alternatively, you could get them a throwback gift of instant pictures thanks to the Fujifilm Instax camera. They can capture their travel memories with it, and have physical copies of them in 90 seconds.
For The Warmdown
Everyone needs to relax after a workout, so buying your sporty friends some post-exercise gifts will always be appreciated. The White Company have their Spa Restore bath salts, which gives a luxurious alternative to a spa day at home. You could always give them a pampering gift set from Aesop as well, their seasonal kits have a range of various lotions that are ideal for loosening up with.
A complementary fragrance should accompany their downtime, so a PartyLite BeBalanced Daily Calm + Relaxation sampler is the ideal companion. It comes in a giftable box, and can be used with a diffuser to fill their space with a cool, fragrant mist.
For Home Stylists
For Modernists
If you’re buying for people who have high tastes when it comes to interiors, it’s best to look to the classics of interior art and design. The Tate Modern’s online shop has a range of prints or books that would look incredible on anyone’s wall or bookshelf. Alternatively, if concrete architecture is their thing, buy them a spot on a tour of the beautiful and brutalist Barbican Centre.
If they’re into their fragrance and accompanying décor, then this Votive Holder by PartyLite offers modish and clean straight lines that would be perfect in any modern home.
For New Cohabiting Couples
Few things are more exciting for couples than moving into their first home together, so why not celebrate them taking a big step with a personalised door mat? You could also buy them unusual but super-useful items for their kitchen - who wouldn’t love this ornamental but practical spaghetti measurer by Alessi? Other useful items for their kitchen could include a Lékué Pickling Kit, or an Olipac olive oil dispenser.
If moving in is getting in the way of them cooking at home, then buying them vouchers for a meal at a local restaurant in their new area wouldn’t go amiss. They’ll appreciate getting away from all the cardboard boxes, too!
For Green Thumbs
If they love gardening and are amateur rewilders (those who prefer to create more biodiverse habitats in their green spaces), then this bee hotel is ideal. It comes with seeds that grow wildflowers that are perfect for our buzzy friends to rest their weary wings. For budding chefs, this seed starter pack from Seed Pantry allows them to grow their own herbs all year round. It’s also perfect for balconies, which makes it an ideal present for those who don’t have a large outdoor space.
For those who love a gardening challenge, this Japanese Hori Hori Trowel is sharper than your average gardening equipment, making it a great tool for getting rid of the more annoying weeds. Complement it with Nitrile Gloves, they give the wearer a bit more flexibility for more delicate gardening jobs.
Looking for more inspiration for your gifts this year? Check out our range of giftable fragrance and décor here.
For Fashionistas
For High Fashion Lovers
For the people scouring fashion week front rows to see what attendees are wearing, an à la mode gift is a must. We recommend a subscription to a high-end fashion magazine. If you’re thinking of buying them a subscription to Vogue, it’s important to note the distinction between each international edition of this classic magazine so you can cater to their tastes. Vogue US caters to those who love classically American fashion that we see on red carpets and celebrities everywhere, while Vogue Italia offers a more avant-garde look at couture and ready-to-wear inspiration.
If you want to go off the beaten track with your magazine choice, then look no further than The Gentlewoman. This biannual publication profiles some of the most interesting women in the world through a fashion lens, and recent cover stars include Caster Semenya, Sofia Coppola, Margaret Atwood and Saoirse Ronan. For those who would rather be reading i-D or Dazed, then a copy of Popeye (“The Magazine For City Boys”) is perfect for looking at pictures of people in unobtainable streetwear.
For Sustainable Fashion Lovers
They’d rather be thrifting through a flea market than buying new clothes, but there are plenty of options out there if you want to buy new gifts for sustainable fashion lovers. Lucy & Yak started out sewing pouches on a beach in New Zealand and have now expanded their offering into a huge range of ethically produced, sustainable clothing, including their famous dungarees. You could also look for brands that have an ethical mission like Mayamiko, their collections are rooted in helping communities in developing countries, and count Meghan Markle as one of their many fans.
For parents, Polarn O. Pyret are a Swedish company who offer a sustainable alternative to baby and young children’s clothing. Their recycled collections of clothing that come from plastic bottles and old fishing nets are made to be passed between at least three children. With sizing that’s made to be grown into, these fashionable hand-me-downs are designed to last for years.
For new parents, NO SLEEP CLUB offers a sustainable alternative to baby clothing. Their carefully curated collections come with an individual name tag featuring a space for five children’s names, as they’re intended to be passed on once they’ve been grown out of.
For The Tough To Style
Buying gifts for those who are notoriously particular about what they wear can be difficult, but you can always find the right accessories to match their style. Ace & Tate are based in Amsterdam and make easy-to-wear sunglasses that complement any style. Not to mention they’re a brand that’s beloved by fashion lovers at the moment so even if they’re opting for clear lenses, they’ll want these in their wardrobe. For those who are finding themselves in front of a screen a lot more, they sell lenses that filter out harmful UV rays, making it a little bit easier to work from home!
When it comes to jewellery, a perfect chunky chain or a bold, monochrome necklace are all the rage this season. Don’t forget to match the metal to your friend’s tastes and complexion - it’s a must to find a hue that matches the taste of the person you’re buying for. Take a look at what type of accessories or clothing colours they already wear for your cues. If they’re a fan of clothing that’s classic and structured, don’t go crazy with the design. Instead opt for something simple with a style that lasts the seasons, like a fine necklace you can engrave with their initials.
For Beauty Addicts
For The Beauty Experimenter
We all know those beauty addicts who just can’t wait to try the latest and greatest new products, right? Satisfy their itch to experiment with a subscription box that gives them something new to play with regularly. Birchboxis a classic, with a customisable subscription service that lets them try products to suit their needs each month.
If they’ve got their makeup sorted but want to try skincare each month, Glossybox is perfect. Or if you want to splash out on a box that has more luxe items, and even plenty of full sizes instead of samples, try Cohort’s covetable subscription.
For The Boho Friend
They love wearing natural-looking makeup, so you should reflect that through the gifts you buy them. Glossier is the perfect place to start if you’re on a budget, they offer a range of beauty sets that are ideal for perfecting a natural look. The Makeup Set offers a basic but customisable set that includes an eyebrow pomade and blusher where you can choose the colour, plus film form mascara. Their range of makeup also includes The Eye Color Set, which includes customisable matte eye color, as well as liquid eyeliner and lengthening mascara. Glossier’s whole look is natural, glowy and ready for any skin tone and hair colour.
If your budget is a little higher, then Rituel de Fille offers a stunning high-end range of makeup that is completely natural. If you’re indecisive, then you can buy one of their sample sets, both of which offer an affordable variety of concealers or eye colours. If they love experimenting with eyeliner, then you should be buying them The Black Orb. This adaptable crème liner allows the user to create whatever they like around their eyes, including (but not limited to) smoky eyes and precise winged liner, and makes the perfect Christmas gift.
For The Aspiring Makeup Artist
If they love watching MUA videos whenever they have a spare moment, and aspire to become the next Nikkie de Jager or Pat McGrath, then buying them the right equipment for their beauty aspirations is a must. McGrath’s range of brushes and makeup is on the higher end in terms of budget, but this Concealer Brush is an affordable part of her collection.
Further down the scale, ZOEVA’s newest Rose Golden collection offers plenty of high quality brushes for a good price range. If you’re buying for an aspiring artist who likes their makeup to be animal-free, Morphe have a low-cost range of affordable vegan brushes. For the people who are eager to learn, you could always buy a masterclass with a makeup artist online. Eve Jenkins’ artistry was impressive enough to allow her to work with iconic photographer Rankin, and she offers regular tutorials on her Instagram for aspirant MUA’s.
To learn more about key trends for this season and get further inspiration, discover our latest collection, and take a look at our entire Gifting collection.