The LUXlife Christmas Gift Guide 2019
The festive season is just around the corner, and what better time than now to start Christmas shopping. Here at LUXlife, we have compiled the ultimate Christmas gift guide to suite all of your needs.
So whether you’re looking for the latest technology, a yuletide beverage to share with friends or gifts for the children, our guide has it all. From quintessential stocking fillers, to the more lavish presents, our guide will make your Christmas shopping experience all the more easier.
Advent Calendars
First things first, it wouldn’t be Christmas without an advent calendar to count down the days until December 25th. It’s a tradition that can’t go a miss and so here is a selection of some of our favourite available this year.
Vanilla Reindeer's personalised chocolate advent calendar
UK based Vanilla Reindeer is the NEW personalisation brand that combines contemporary design flair with the very latest in digital print technology.
This Christmas, Vanilla Reindeer have 22 fun styles and themes to choose from amongst their adorable personalised Advent Calendars.
Please the kids with designs including ‘King Kong Merrily on High’ or ‘Merry Slothness’ or make your mates laugh with a more adult design such as ‘Don’t Scoff Them All At Once!’, ‘You’re The Stuffing To My Turkey’ or ‘Clippity Clop and Reindeer Plops.’
Available from *£11.99 for the Standard option and up to *£22.99 for the Truffles at https://www.vanillareindeer.com/
Thornton’s classic advent calendar
For those that love to count down the days to Christmas, Thornton’s have created a range of different themed advent calendars. The range includes the Santa Advent calendar, a fun way to build up the excitement with the front of the calendar depicting Santa with his friends. The Elf Advent even has a Christmas quiz inside to make the festive season even more enjoyable for the whole family. Meanwhile, the Continental Advent Calendar, with its crisp white design stunningly adorned with golden Christmas trees and snowflakes, contains an assortment of delectable milk, dark and white chocolates.
Porsche Advent Calendar Model Kit
Bored of chocolate? Love cars? or just want another way of counting down the days to Christmas? Then this Porsche Model Kit Advent Calendar is definitely for you.
The Advent calendar bestseller created by Porsche enthusiast Karl Chopra returns in 2019 in a new presentation, with new content and a Baliblauen Porsche 911 model car back. For 24 days, immerse yourself in one entire Porsche adventure and slowly but surely build your dream Porsche car in time for Christmas.
The 56-page manual from the pen of the automotive luminary Jürgen Lewandowski leads through history of the Porsche 911 and the construction of the mel.
Available for £39.95 from https://www.design911.co.uk/
Bird and Blend's Tea Advent Calendar
Bird & Blend, the UK’s most loved indie tea company are on a mission to spread happiness and reimagine tea this festive season with their new 2019 Christmas range.
Our favourite item from their range is of course the Custom Tea Advent Calendar, which allows you to try a different tea everyday leading up to December 25th- what’s not to love!
Select from over 60 teas, matchas and gifts to customise this personal calendar just for you, or for your fellow tea-lover. There is an exciting choice of tea flavours from Banana Bread Chai, Blue Raspberry and Pina Colada to more festive blends including Mince Pie, Gingerbread Chai, and Spiced Pumpkin Pie tea.
Available for £45 at https://birdandblendtea.com/
Beauty and Pampering
Beauty gift sets and perfume are presents you can never go wrong with. So whether you’re just in need of a stocking filler or want to indulge in a luxurious treat to pamper your loved one, we’ve selected a great range of beauty products available this Christmas.
Tom Ford Neroli Portofino Eau De Parfum
Tom Ford Neroli Portofino, is the world-famous classic fragrance which has been positively influencing body, mind, and spirit. The scent features crisp citrus oils, surprising floral notes and amber undertones.
The unique fragrance composition is still a closely guarded secret, however the gorgeous scent lasts all day long.
Available to buy from most UK department stores, their websites, and also on Amazon priced at £75.65 for a 30ml bottle.
Green People Organic Beauty
Green People have gift-inspiration wrapped up for Christmas 2019 with their new-look Age Defy+ range.
Age Defy+ by Cha Vohtz is the organic beauty brand’s signature youth-boosting collection and combines carefully selected beauty-enhancing plant actives, creating synergistic blends that work in harmony to bring skin back into balance.
Choose from 12 beautifully-blended products, including the most recent new launches – Hydra-Glow Sleep Mask and Pure Luxe Body Oil.
The NEW Hydra-Glow Sleep Mask (£35) is a super nourishing overnight treat with a blend of richly hydrating Green Algae and Plant Squalane to help stimulate collagen product.
The NEW Pure Luxe Body Oil (£25) is blended with plant botanicals for superior radiance and gives skin an unrivalled glow. It is also rich in Pomegranate to boost elasticity and makes a perfect Christmas gift.
To view all Green People products, check out www.greenpeople.co.uk
The Flat Lay Co
Light up the eyes of every make-up lover in your life this holiday season with this game-changing gift! The Flat Lay Co’s revolutionary design makes these look like a normal pouch on sight, however via a handy drawstring it can open completely flat, and close, in seconds!
The benefit of being able tosee all your products at once greatlycuts down on time spent rummagingin the depths of a grubby bag for your favourite lipstick or mascara.
The bags are equipped withbuilt-in elastic loops, an interior zipper pocket and outer velcro fastening pockets to keep products organised.
The soft touch fabric ismachine washable to get rid of any stains should there be a foundation leakage or a (dreaded) crushed eye shadow palette. The efficient design means your (often expensive)products are protected from grubby surfacesat all times and makes it easier to do make-up on the go- whether that’s in the changing room at the gym, the loos at work, that bit of the floor by the mirror, or in a hotel bathroom on holiday!
The Flat Lay Co’s make-up bags are available in eight gorgeous colours and prints, all in two sizes.
Prices are £19.99 for the larger bag, and £16.99 for the mini. Available from Amazon, ASOS and https://theflatlayco.com/
κέᾰρ Natural Skin Care
Finding inspiration in the Ancient Greek word for ‘heart’, κέᾰρ® (Kear) offers natural skincare that encompasses the bountiful offerings of Mother Earth. Utilising and adapting ancient formulas passed down from Greek scholars and philosophers, κέᾰρ® have created conscientious products that meet the needs of today’s fast-paced daily personal care routine. To achieve this, the power of the Greek elements, ingredients and scents have been blended together in harmony to create products that are truly timeless, safe, natural, non-toxic and completely cruelty-free.
Across its comprehensive range, κέᾰρ® can provide everything you need for healthy, natural and glowing Grecian skin using proven good-for-skin ingredients such as antioxidants, vitamins and essential oils. All κέᾰρ® products are created exclusively in Greece in accredited laboratories, according to EU regulations, from certified raw materials κέᾰρ® source from family farms and cooperatives.
Versatile and multi-functional, these products are equally effective on eyes, neck, décolletage, even hands, heals and cuticles. All are dermatologically and microbiologically tested to ensure excellence.
For more information about their exceptional product range, visit the link below:
https://kearlife.com/products/
Zen + Ether Modern Apothecary
To Zen + Ether, beauty is more than skin deep. Drawing on traditional Caribbean botanicals and revolutionary formulas, these all-natural products are perfectly designed to create a feeling of complete Zen.
The use of Tumeric and Cerasee generates gorgeous, detoxifying beauty bars. A subtle blend of seaweed extract, chamomile, aloe vera and lavender forms the basis of the relaxing face gel cleanser. The Purifying Nutmeg Facial Mask Powder stands out as the ideal exfoliating solution, leaving skin bright, clear and fresh. Every item in Zen + Ether’s select group of products has been developed to guarantee the highest standards for their loyal customers.
Keeping the commitment to nature, Zen + Ether ensure that all its products are packaged using innovative eco-friendly and zero-waste options.
When it comes to finding a natural beauty solution that goes a little deeper, there’s none finer than Zen + Ether. Visit their website here.
Watches
A good quality watch is always a great investment, and so here we’ve selected some of the best Swiss watches for you to consider for your Christmas list.
Emile Chouriet is a Swiss watch manufacturer who’s founder Jean Depéry descends from a family involved in the Geneva watchmaking industry since the 17th century. This Winter, the company have launched two new stunning designs; the women’s Fair Lady Lotus Blue watch and the men’s Lac Leman Chronograph Blue watch.
Continental while officially registered in 1924 has been making Swiss made timepieces since 1881. Continental uses the highest grade materials with Ronda and ETA Swiss Made movements.
EverSwiss watches were established in 1960. Swiss Made, this collection includes a wide selection of women’s and men’s watches in classic styles yet retaining a fashionable design.
All of the featured watches can be purchased from WatchShop.com and The Watch Hut.
Technology
Add some excitement to your lazy Christmas afternoon with some new tech products to have fun with. A new TV would be great for watching all of those Christmas movies on!
Samsung QLED Q950R 8K TV
Indulge in the perfect reality of QLED 8K this festive season, with pin-sharp clarity users can rediscover their most loved Christmas films. Boasting the highest brightness levels of any TV to date and every frame optimised to perfection, Samsung’s Q950R QLED 8K picture is as detailed as it is in the real world.
With AI upscaling, the TV will adapt to provide the very best picture and sound – even if it’s not filmed in 8K.
The QLED TV can be purchased from https://www.samsung.com/uk/, prices start from £4,999.00, available in 55”, 65”, 75”, 82”.
Samsung Q70R Soundbar
Give a loved one the gift of truly immersive surround sound with the Samsung Q70R soundbar. Boasting eight custom designed Dolby Atmos speakers, this impressive device is tuned by Harman Kardon to project crisp and realistic audio every time.
Pair this soundbar with the award-winning Q70R QLED 4K TV and enjoy home entertainment like never before.
The Soundbar can be purchased for £799 from https://www.samsung.com/uk/
Visit Samsung KX and experience the QLED 8K/Samsung Q70R Soundbar yourself. Samsung KX is the UK’s new destination to experience the latest in culture and innovation, so you might even find some further Christmas inspiration there too!
Audi Junior quattro Pikes Peak toy car with battery-operated front and rear lights
Motorsport feeling for young Audi fans – with the Audi Junior quattro in Pikes Peak design. A true highlight of the latest Junior quattro generation is the illuminated front and rear lights with faithfully reproduced Audi A1 Sportback light signature. To enhance the racecar character even further, a decal kit in the legendary Audi Sport quattro S1 Pikes Peak design of 1987 is supplied.
Purchase for £155 from https://store.audi.co.uk/audi-junior-quattro-pikes-peak-my-18-white.html
Bluetooth Beanie
Play music and keep your head warm this winter with a Bluetooth beanie. With built-in speakers that connect to Bluetooth devices, you can ditch your earphones in favour of an all-in-one beanie.
It charges with an included micro USB cable and delivers playback for up to 6 hours on a single charge. For anyone struggling with the warmth-or-music conundrum, this Bluetooth beanie is a must-have.
The beanie is priced at £29.99 and can be purchased from https://www.menkind.co.uk/
Musitrend Record Player
Get the party started and the Christmas tunes playing with this high quality and finely designed record player from Musitrend. For over 10 years Musitrend has inspired, created and innovated the world of Music. Any music lover would be in awe of this funky retro piece.
Purchase this for £999 off Amazon.
A Polaroid Picture Perfect Christmas
For this year’s winter festivities, sharing is most definitely caring with the new Polaroid Lab. Harking back to the retro past and taking you digitally into the analogue future, the device allows you to create Polaroid pictures from your phone, bridging the gap between analogue images and digital pursuits. Using a 3-lens developing system, this table-top darkroom takes your smartphone snaps and turns them into classic Polaroid film photos right in front of your eyes.
Taking instant photography to the next level, users can select phone photos using the Polaroid Originals App, placing their phone on the platform and ejecting a classic Polaroid picture. Experimental photographers can also play with collage and augmented reality features – giving any creator unprecedented artistic control.
The new Polaroid Multi Film Pack for £69.99 also offers Polaroid fans reels of film to take images from the cloud to the fridge door and to try out the Polaroid Lab’s special collage feature – building collages in sets of four, six or nine prints – the perfect gift for the snap-happy friend or family member.
Polaroid Lab can be purchased at www.polaroidoriginals.com
Books
It may be 2019 but good old fashioned paper books are still a special gift to receive in the age of digital technology. Here are some of our favourite pics.
Lucian Freud: A Life
Created in close collaboration with the Lucian Freud Archive, Phaidon is pleased to be publishing Lucian Freud: A Life, a stunning visual biography of one of the greatest portrait painters of the twentieth and early twentyfirst centuries. The book tells Freud’s life story through photographs, portraits, his own words, and the words of those who knew him well.
Organised chronologically by decade, the 150 illustrations are accompanied by texts that explain the historical context in which Freud lived and worked.
The book can be purchased for £97.50 from Amazon.
1950s in Vogue
Organised in multifaceted, thematic chapters, Rebecca C. Tuite’s 1950s in Vogue features carefully curated photographs, illustrations and page spreads from the Vogue archives (with both iconic and less-familiar images from photographers including William Klein, Irving Penn, Karen Radkai and Erwin Blumenfeld), as well as reproductions of fascinating archival materials and correspondence.
Purchase for £42.25 from Amazon.
London's Great Theatres
This richly illustrated exploration of the most remarkable London theatres features witty and engaging texts by actor Simon Callow, whose knowledge of the city’s dramatic venues is intimate and wide-ranging. One of the most prominent photographers of the past 50 years, Derry Moore, captures the theatres from every angle, whether it’s a velvet box seat at the Novello, the view from the Theatre Royal, Haymarket’s proscenium, or the grand entrance of the foyer in the Apollo Victoria.
Exquisite close-ups of architectural elements—such as flamboyant Rococo Baroque friezes, William Edward Trent’s Art Deco mermaids, painted marble pilasters, and elaborately framed mirrors—highlight often unnoticed features and present each theatre’s unique character. From the West End to the South Bank, Westminster to Hackney, the theatres profiled here come to life in ways we rarely see, when the seats are empty and the stages silent.
Purchase for £29.99 from https://prestelpublishing.randomhouse.de/
Food and Drink Gifts
Christmas wouldn’t be Christmas without a cupboard full of festive beverages ready for the cold nights and celebrations. Whether you’re looking for a unique new drink to serve your guests or a good bottle of alcohol to give as a gift, we have selected a range of drinks which will impress everyone.
Manchester Drinks Spiced Rum liqueur
The Manchester Drinks Company has launched a new Ginger and Pear Spiced Rum liqueur, just in time for the festive season. Definite hints of ginger combined with a clean, crisp pear finish give this liqueur a warming feel, perfect for cold winter nights. Simply enjoy over ice or add ginger beer for an extra kick.
Richard Benjamin, Director at Manchester Drinks said:
“We are delighted to be bringing our Spiced Rum liqueur to shelves just in time for the colder months. Its affordability and warming kick of spice make it the perfect accompaniment to the Christmas party season.’’
The authentic Caribbean spiced rum infused with ginger and spiced pear is now available in 500ml bottles for just £8 from Home Bargains.
Woodford Reserve Bourbon
Celebrate this Christmas with Woodford Reserve’s Bourbon Gift Pack – for those partial to an Old Fashioned cocktail or a warming tipple.
Revered for its rich and full-bodied flavours brought out by the masterful artisanal process behind every bottle, Woodford Reserve Bourbon is one of the world’s most celebrated bourbons, with over 200 detectable flavour notes. So what better way to gift your loved ones during this year’s festivities than with a bourbon that has truly made its mark and a limited edition bottle.
Available for £32.00 from most UK supermarkets including Tesco and Asda or from https://www.woodfordreserve.com/
Le Nez Du Vin 54 Aromas Master Kit
‘Tis the season to be jolly and this Christmas, Winebuyers.com has the perfect present to pop under the tree, in to stockings and on the table, to guarantee there will be no unhappy faces this Christmas Day.
It’s time to perfect the marriage of scent and taste with this sophisticated aroma set. Presented in a beautiful red case, the Le Nez Du Vin 54 Aromas Master Kit features 54 high-quality aromas which will help bring your scent memory to life and perfect the art of recognising different notes of various fine wines.
Available for £275 from www.winebuyers.com/
Prestige Hampers
At Prestige Hampers, we source only the finest produce from the Great British Isles to bring you an exceptional selection of artisan hampers and gourmet gifts. These hampers and gifts are filled with the most delicious produce including award-winning cheeses, fine wines, luxury ham, salmon and handmade chocolates. We are proud to have our best-selling “Traditional Gift Basket” approved by the Good Housekeeping Institute for the third year running. Every year, we deliver magnificent gifts and hampers with exceptional service to all corners of the UK. With years of expertise, we can help you find the perfect gift to meet your wishes. Trusted by thousands, every month.
Visit: https://www.prestigehampers.co.uk/ to get your hamper.
Diplomático Reserva Exclusiva Chocolate Orange Rum
This Christmas, award-winning Diplomático Reserva Exclusiva rum and outstanding chocolatier Paul A. Young have created a truly unique rum and chocolate tasting experience for a lucky few to find under the tree.
The limited-edition gift packs are the ultimate expression of the Diplomático, Orange and Chocolate serve, known as the D.O.C. The taste can be described as a deconstructed Old Fashioned, as the coffee and cacao notes from the rich and complex rum, perfectly match the delicious citrus and bittersweet Venezuelan chocolate orange segments. A fabulous present this festive season.
The gift not only delivers a delicious taste combination unavailable anywhere else, the box itself offers the perfect addition to after-dinner entertaining. Cleverly designed to transform into an elegant serving tray on which to display your bottle of Diplomático Reserva Exclusiva with the chocolates, you just need to provide glasses, ice if desired and good company.
Available exclusively at The Whisky Exchange for £49.95.
Homeware and Clothing
Make your home cosy this Christmas with some new decorations set to make your house a snug retreat from the cold winter outside.
Nordvek Natural Sheepskin Clothing and Homeware
Specialising in sheepskin, leather and all things natural, Nordvek really is the last word when it comes to high quality Sheepskin products. Whether you’re looking for toasty warm slippers; a pouffe to put your feet up on or gloves to guard against the cold, we promise to bring you a first-class product every time.
Established in 1983, we know what we’re talking about when it comes to sourcing the finest skins and hides to make the best possible luxury item, which means a purchase from us is a guarantee of excellence. If you’re looking for something to keep you warm in those long winter months, there’s something for everyone at Nordvek.
Visit Nordvek for high quality sheepskin clothing and homeware at: www.nordvek.com
Gia Strauss Art
Gia Strauss is a London based artist. Through her art she expresses her innermost thoughts, delving into the realms of the subconscious, taking vistas from her dreams and formulating a myriad of surrealist expressionist images, both on film and on canvas.
Surrealism has been described as being the epitome of artistic imagination. This quality is reflected in the art of Gia Strauss. Strauss’s art is based on the philosophy of surrealism, but in many ways she transcends it. There is definitely a realistic element that provokes the surreal world in her art.
Strauss’s art is full of statements, her work offering a thought provoking and highly evocative perspective of our times. Some would say that art is Gia Strauss’s life. It is an intrinsic part of her soul and being. Her art is not always designed to please, but always to be noticed. She is never afraid to experiment with and to tackle head on new and controversial ideas and subjects. To this end, her art takes on an infinite number of possibilities and challenges.
To see Gia Strauss’s art, go to straussart.co.uk or follow her on Instagram @GiaStrauss or YouTube.
Cabana Yeti Chair
Inspired by relaxed outdoor lounging, the generously proportioned Cabana chair is clad in a choice of premium finishes, offset by rustic Weathered Oak legs.
Choose from the fresh feel of linen, the vintage look of hand-distressed leather or luxuriously thick long-haired New Zealand sheepskin, carefully selected for its shaggy, rugged look and soft hand feel.
Purchase for £1,175 from https://www.timothyoulton.com
Alpaca Navy Cream Check Throw
This throw from Hastens is the perfect gift to keep your loved ones warm this Chirstmas. The check print will add some subtle festivity to any room too. This throw is soft and super light, handmade with 100 percent baby alpaca wool.
Get yours now for £250 from https://www.hastens.com/
Billingham Hadley Small Pro
The Billingham Hadley Small Pro is rugged, waterproof yet extremely compact and light. This beautifully designed bag is deceptively spacious and perfect for travelling, and is available in six classic colour combinations.
Available from: Harrods, Selfridges and John Lewis, or directly from www.billingham.co.uk, with a suggested retail price of £200 including VAT.
Stocking Fillers
From patterned socks to tasty chocolates, everyone loves a stocking filler. Here is a range of both classic and more unique stocking fillers.
Debrett’s Slimline Leatherbound Diaries
Plan your 2020 in style with Debrett’s slimline leatherbound diaries. Available in five colours, Debrett’s diaries feature gilt edges, embossed covers, two ribbon markers and a list of notable UK and international events, as well as handy travelling etiquette advice.
Handcrafted in the UK from Italian calfskin leather, Debrett’s diaries make the perfect Christmas present for stationery lovers.
Purchase from https://www.debretts.com/product-category/corporate-orders/diaries for £36 (W8.6cm x H17cm).
Gift It 2 Quirky Gifts
Are you looking for that perfect gift for him or her? Look no further than Gift It 2. Emphasising quality and quirkiness, Gift It 2 offers an incredible range of presents to suit every occasion. From campfire survival cards to dinosaur desk lights, there’s something for everyone of any age.
Gift It 2 will even act as a personal shopper, using their years of experience to find the ideal present to make your loved one’s smile. Whether it’s a crafty kid or techy teen, someone who lives on the wild side or who appreciates their creature comforts, Gift It 2 is sure to have the right gift for you.
Visit Gift It 2 at: https://www.giftit2.co.uk/
Lea and Perrins personalised Worcester sauce
For the first time in its 182-year history, Lea & Perrins will allow you (yes, you!) to change its world famous name.
This year, for the very first time, Lea & Perrins lovers in the UK will be able to buy their very own personalised bottles of the world famous Worcestershire Sauce, as the much-loved brand launches a limited edition customisation service.
Exactly 1,837 bottles will be available to personalise, celebrating the year 1837 when Lea & Perrins was first created, with Worcestershire Sauce fans able to change the word ‘Lea’ on the label to an approved name of their choice. Or as we like to call it, Me & Perrins.
The personalised 150 ml bottles of Lea & Perrins are available to order from www.leaandperrins.co.uk/meandperrins for £1.69+ £4.81 P&P.
Crystal Head Vodka 5cl Miniatures
Crystal Head Vodka’s 5cl miniature version of the iconic Crystal Head bottle design make the perfect stocking fillers this Christmas. The bauble-sized bottles house the brands original award winning, seven times filtered spirit crafted from the highest quality Canadian grain and pristine water from Newfoundland.
Crystal Head Vodka 5cl Miniatures are available from Selfridges now RRP £9.99
Pink's Christmas socks
The PINK gifts offer a selection suitable for every man, including the fully Bespoke service made in London, perfect for adding that personal touch.
Pink Socks Boxes start at £60, and can be purchased from https://www.thomaspink.com/
Chocolate caviar from Fortnum and Mason
As avowed sweet-tooths, Fortnum’s know that Christmas is a time where ‘just one more’ fast becomes its own dinner course.
Chocolate Caviar is a new addition to the range this year and an elegantly sweet alternative for caviar connoisseurs. Dark chocolate pearls are made from ActicoaTM, which contains flavanols, a naturally occurring antioxidant present in cocoa. This chocolate is made in a way which preserves more of the flavanols, which can decline during the chocolate making process, making for an exquisite gift for any foodie. Particularly good with coffee or Fortnum’s Brandy de Jerez.
Baileys Chocolate Reindeer Fly in for Christmas 2019
This year, for the first time ever, Baileys Chocolate Reindeer will be available for a limited time only – if you buy a bottle of Baileys Original Irish Cream, you will get a Chocolate Reindeer for free!
Made with velvety smooth, luxury chocolate from premium chocolatiers, Lir, who also make a delicious range of Baileys-flavoured chocolates, the reindeer are hollow in the middle, created as the perfect vessel for filling with deliciously decadent Baileys Original Irish Cream or another of your favourite Baileys variants.
Baileys Original Irish Cream & Baileys Chocolate Reindeer will be available from 14th November for a limited time only in the run up to Christmas. Buy a bottle of Baileys Original 1l and get a Baileys Chocolate Reindeer for free. While stocks last.
Available in selected stores in Asda from 14.11.2019 to 04.12.2019.
With a range of luxury gifts, quirky stocking fillers and festive beverages on offer, you can’t go wrong with buying gifts this Christmas. There’s something out their for all of your loved ones, and even for yourself if you want a treat!
Merry Christmas from LUXlife!
