Cart Curator #31 - Our 2023 Holiday Gift Guide

We've got gadgets and gizmos a-plenty, we've got whozits and whatzits galore. Strap in, because this is the only gift guide you'll need this holiday season!

Nov 22, 2023

Hi CC friends,

Okay, so starting on a bit of a side note…

You might be thinking, Jess, Nicole - you promised us another super fun and interesting collaborator this week!?

However, in working on our first-ever holiday gift guide (!!!) we found that a HEAP of our suggestions are included in the avalanche of Black Friday/Cyber Monday sales that are currently running. So here we are a little earlier than expected, but if you’re like us and love a discount (especially this time of the year) we hope this coming slightly earlier into your inboxes can be of help.

These suggestions have been compiled over the past few weeks with us researching, cross-checking and shortlisting gifts for the many different people in your lives and those items we’ve already personally purchased for the lucky people around us (and ourselves) in the hopes of making Christmas shopping just that little bit easier for you.

We’ve tried to be conscious of price points (because god knows we have to be at the moment), so options in each of our categories range from less than $20, all the way up to three to four digits.

Something good to also keep in mind this time of year is that money spent does not = love, so be considered with your purchases. And if you don’t know what to buy someone, ask!

We hope you enjoy,

Jess and Nicole x

A gift for a… Secret Santa or a Stocking Filler

Whether it is for your office Kris Kringle, a Friendsmas Bad Santa, or if you need something extra to fill stuff a stocking, these suggestions are smaller and more inexpensive gifts that you can’t go wrong with.

If you know the giftee well enough, a book is always a great cost-effective option that can be super easy to purchase (especially at the last minute). The book currently top of my (Nic’s) wish list is Dolly Alderton’s most recent novel, Good Material, which is under $20.

Anything personalised is also a winner, like the Beysis Waterbottle ($37.90), which gives you the option to personalise the bottle itself or the lid if you are after something more understated. It’s also a slimmer size than some of the other bottles out there which means that it won’t weigh down your work or gym bag.

We also somehow have two towel options in this category. The first is Lululemon’s Small Towel ($25) and the second is a beach option, the Lightweight Beach Towel (currently on sale for $15) for Cotton On. Again, two useful items that you know would get used.

Next up is this fun wine bag from Eau Bags. We love this for several reasons. It’s obviously a very practical gift and demonstrates that you put a bit more thought into your present than popping into your local bottle shop and picking up a bottle of wine (although if you are going to do this let us recommend the Georg Jensen Cuvée which reusable bottle stopper in the signature Georg Jensen silver). They (Eau) are also a local brand, which we love to support, and the blue and lemon colourway is very fresh.

Next up we have two practical options. The Apple Airtag, which is less than $40, is one of those things your giftee will easily be able to find a use for, particularly for anyone with a dog, upcoming travels, or just simply forgetful. Similarly, we love the D.S Durga Car Fragrance ($23), which is a perfect KK gift for the person who has everything because it’s both bougie and useful.

If you’re leaning towards beauty, opt for options that are all-skin-type friendly like a lip product or hand cream, as this is a category that people can be picky about. We love the tinted Lip Butter Balm from Summer Fridays ($38) or Glossier’s Hand Cream ($34) in their signature You scent for something a little different.

I (Nic) am utterly obsessed with puzzles, and the Remy Gregera puzzles from The Iconic (30% off currently!) are great gifts as they are only 500 pieces, so a more approachable option than the usual commitment of 1000 pieces. There are some local (think Bondi, Bronte) pictures and some international ones, so a fun way to match up where your giftee lives or has travelled.

A gift for a… Mum or Mother-in-Law

Okay, mums/mothers-in-law are arguably the hardest people to shop for because you want to get them something that you know they will use, but we also personally love to gift something with a hostess/thank you element to it - because let’s be honest - mums are the backbones of the holidays.

First up is Sage x Clare Inez Pair of Salad Servers, which are a gift that is excellent if said mum is hosting, but is also appropriate for the interior-loving mum. They are also giving us major Dinosaur Design vibes, without the price tag ($59).

Something like the Philips GoZero Soda Sparkling Water Maker makes for the perfect gift for anyone who loves to entertain or perhaps loves to spike their sparkling water with a glow booster like Nic. This model is super reasonably priced at under $90 (currently on sale) and this style would look super sleek as a permanent resident on any countertop.

If you’re stuck on what to get Mum or you don’t know your MIL that well, the L’Occitane Shower Quartette is a safe, but tasteful option, because who doesn’t shower, or even more so, doesn’t want to shower with great-smelling products? This set is also at such a great price at under $50 and comes with four different scents, including their iconic Almond Oil blend.

Now you know we love multi-purpose homeware, like the Pillow Talk Watering Can, which you can use for its intended purpose (watering plants) and as a chiccy diccy design object. This is not something that needs to be hidden away and is perfect for providing any indoor plants with some TLC. I (Nic) ended up with a watering can once in a Bad Santa and it quickly became one of the most useful gifts I’ve ever received so could also work for this category as it is under $30.

As gin lovers (we know there are a lot of you out there) we have included two gin-themed gifts with the Four Pillars Christmas Pudding (which is only $30!) and the Three Cuts Gin Gift Pack which has a few different price point options. Full disclosure here, we don’t love the flavour of the actual Four Pillars Christmas Gin, but figure the Christmas Pudding with the same super cute branding is the next best thing and you can spike it with any Gin, like Three Cuts.

Any wellness lover would already know the benefits associated with dry brushing and this Goop G.Tox Dry Body Brush is the perfect self-care gift for anyone, mum or not. I (Jess) own this specific brush and love using it before a shower. The Goop design and branding just make it feel like even more of a lush experience.

Next, we have the Louenhide Serena Cosmetic Cases which we feel fits into the category of things you would never buy yourself, but are very useful. The orange colour of this is stunning and the towelling fabric is on trend and very sensible for makeup or toiletries. Also 30% off currently!

As you now know I (Nic) love puzzles and think they make for such a great gift. This Piecework Winner Winner 1000 Piece Puzzle is an elevated version of your typical puzzles available. They make for such a great way for Mum to dip in and out of play without committing to a several-hour-long Monopoly fest with your family.

A gift for a… Sister, Female Friend or Girlfriend

Strap in. This category is the biggest in our guide because it eventually just ended up becoming our wish list. But, to be fair these are all very practical, well-priced and of course, chic, gifts for any female in your life. But, just to reiterate to any friends or family reading, we would be very happy to be gifted any of these.

Up first is this striped Country Road Robe, which is listed as a “Pool Robe” but we would happily wear this striped robe around the house too. It looks very lush and plump, and the pink and red colourway is very on-trend.

Jess discovered the SŚAINT range of fragrances recently and instantly fell in love with their unique scents. Their Discovery Set (another one at 30% off!) would be such a great way to give someone the ability to test their fragrances against their skin without committing to a whole bottle.

Our next gift brings together two of our favourite interior design things - Assouline and bar cart styling. Although it is a little pricier ($105), the Assouline Cocktail Chameleon would make for such a fun way to jazz up your bar cart and the pop of colour would instantly a fresh look to your space.

On the theme of homewares, these Tarot Coasters from In The Roundhouse (20% off right now), are another gift that falls into that perfect category of something you wouldn’t buy yourself but is always something a home needs. Again, with any homewares recommendations that we give, these look just as great on display as they would be being used.

For someone a little more art inclined the Crockd Pottery Kit is such an excellent present as it ends up being two gifts in one. You get the DIY element of making the pottery itself and then you also end up with your creation to use/display. It’s another one on sale, down to $60 at the moment.

We could have had about 1000 gift recommendations from Cotton On in this guide but for everyone’s benefit have narrowed it down to some of our top favourites, like Bronte Beach Chair which is on sale right now for only $28 and Jess recently purchased (and is loving). It makes for sitting on the beach reading your book so much more comfortable, and a whole lot less sandy.

Now, I (Jess) am quite literally obsessed with this Rotisserie Chicken Hat from Wear Your Snacks and this is just such a fun gift for anyone in your life and is perfect for the beach/a walk/going to pick up a rotisserie chicken. I’m hoping that Santa brings me this one.

Yes - we are still going in this category.

Next, the 35mm Co The Reloader Camera has been on both of our wishlists for a while, as we both love using film cameras and this is far more stylish than a reusable Kodak. Goop also has this on their Holiday Gift Guide, and if it’s good enough for GP then it’s good enough for us all.

Again, you know we love our bar carts so we couldn’t not include something both chic and very drinkable as a gift for your cart. The La Gritona Resposado Tequila is definitely the one to go for. And yes, we did include 818 in a previous issue but sorry Jess has since tried 818 and just was not a fan. Fun fact - tequila was the fastest-growing spirits category last year in the US. We’ll take a Paloma, thanks.

The holidays produce some really cute limited edition sets like the Fenty Glossy Posse Volume 6.0 Trio which includes one of our favourites, the Gloss Bomb Cream in Fenty Glow. This set has full-size products in it, so such great value.

We love earrings, so two ear (?) related gifts. First up is a voucher from Covetear, who have piercing studios in Sydney, Byron Bay, and the Gold Coast, but also have an excellent range of earrings to purchase on their website. To fill those holes, we love these Statement Textured Stud Earrings from Lovisa, which are gold-plated (bonus) and very reminiscent of the Heaven Mayhem range you know we love but at a fraction of the price at less than $18.

Candles are such a classic gift which I feel like you can just never receive enough of. However, if you are going to gift a candle, it’s nice to branch out with brands like this Celia Loves White Musk + Violet candle which smells amazing and also looks super chic and interesting to dress up your living room space.

A gift for a… Brother, Male Friend or Boyfriend

We know that this category can be tricky, so we’ve done the hard yards here and compiled a fail-safe list that has been given the tick by our partners.

Starting with the Swell Hooded Towel (currently half price!), which I (Nic) told my parents to buy my partner last year and is such a practical gift for anyone who spends regular time in the ocean.

A cap is such a great gift and we love the maroon Quiero logo cap from Venroy, which is a little on the spenny side but they will probably end up wearing this more than clothing.

When my (Nic’s) partner heard that Jess’s boyfriend is getting the Mejuri Bold Round Signet Ring from her (spoiler sorry!) he was instantly jealous, so we knew we were onto a winner. While they do offer engraving through Mejuri, our recommendation is to take it to your local engraver for more custom personalisation.

If you’re thinking of picking up a bottle of Whisky or Gin, go one step further and book an experience, like the Archie Rose Blend Your Own Gin or Whisky Class, which would be such a fun hands-on experience for anyone (over 18).

If your giftee travels a lot or perhaps is a partner that doesn’t live with you, the Le Pliage Travel Bag is on the pricier side, but a more practical gift than a suitcase as it can be easily stored folded down.

We just couldn’t not include a Kindle in our gift guide. Whether your giftee is a casual or a fanatic reader, anyone who has a Kindle tells you how great a Kindle is (Jess included), which says enough in itself and it really is the perfect thing to take to the beach, work, in the car, etc.

Lastly, if your partners are anything like ours, they spend a lot of time and money on golf. If you want to support their hobby (for lack of a better word), then a subscription to Golfer’s Journal is one way to do it without forking out $$$ on golf clubs or clothing. Plus, the covers of these magazines are quite cool, meaning they can quite easily sit next to your Vogue Living on the coffee table without looking out of place.

A gift for a… Dad or Father-in-Law

Why are Dads so difficult to buy for? Skip the Bunnings or BCF gift card this year, because we’ve got a much more stylish edit for the father figures in your life.

Starting off with one that is bound to satisfy all Aussies. We have no doubt in our minds that your Dad or father-in-law owns a pair of R.M’s, and their Leather Cleaner (30% too) is something that you can be sure they will use.

Moving up in price point is the Gozney Roccbox, a portable pizza oven which is a great gift for the dad who considers himself a bit of a chef. As a bonus, you get to also enjoy the pizzas and they can be a nice way to create a bonding moment making, topping and cooking the pizzas.

Ok, this one is a little cliché but let’s be honest, whose Dad or FIL isn’t drinking beer? We love the unique shape of the Denver & Liely Beer Glasses, and they spent 18 months researching the best vessel to maximise the beer-drinking experience (something we know nothing about). Throw in a 6-pack of their favourite beer - easy.

A couple of fun, cheap and cheerful options for dad include the Little Greeves Chilli Oil from Gewurzhaus and the Chargrill Charlie’s Chicken Salt. The Chilli Oil bottle itself is a moment, which means that this will also look great on your countertop or spice rack and the Chargrill Charlie’s Chicken Salt is a bit of an IYKYK but we’re calling it now - nobody could be disappointed receiving that.

Similar to the Kindle, we just couldn’t go past the July Carry On. Although on the pricier side for a suitcase, we both have July’s and can’t fault their quality (they also have a lifetime warranty). We personally love the Moss colour, and July is doing free personalisation at this moment which is another great way to better your gift.

We love the gift of experiences, and we feel like this is such a winner amongst dads and honestly, you can’t top tickets to the Australian Open. We were honestly surprised about how affordable some of the tickets were, so if you’re not fussed about watching a certain person or match, then opt for some cheapies, and make a weekend out of it if you live interstate.

Lastly, we couldn’t get through this gift guide without including chocolate, because whose dad doesn’t love a little sweet treaty and the Original Williams Sonoma Peppermint Bark is about as Christmas-y as you can get. It’s only released once a year for Holidays, which gives the gift a more considered feel than a box of Cadbury Favourites or Ferrero Rochers.

That’s it for our first-ever Gift Guide! If you have any additional requests leave them in the comments below. If you’re picking up any of our suggestions, please also share - we would love to hear them.

Otherwise, we’re back to regular programming next week!