NEW YORK, Nov 24 — Buying gifts for your most stylish friends is harder than trying to get your teenage sister a Kylie Jenner lip kit. We’ve got you, though. Here is a selection of items that will satisfy the woman who has (almost) everything, and the man who is always up on the latest trends.
Bevel trimmer
“My signature fade with the Bevel blade,” Nas raps on Nas Album Done, a track from the DJ Khaled album Major Key. If the Bevel trimmer is good enough for Nas, it works for us. With a blade that repels oil and water, minimising the residue that can cause razor bumps, the trimmer allows a man to get a line-up on the days that he doesn’t feel like going to the barbershop. (US$199.95 or RM880, bevel.com for orders)
Nars blush
Two Nars Orgasm blushes are sold every minute worldwide, and it’s the No 1 selling blush in the United States. Why? The peachy shade of pink, with just the right amount of gold shimmer, suits a wide spectrum of skin tones. Think of it as a gift for someone who wants to rock a St Barts look even when staying home and binge-watching Insecure. (US$30, narscosmetics.com)
Tuza earrings
In many ancient cultures, charms bring magical powers. Give the energy of love in these hearts-on-fire charm dangle earrings — at a price that won’t break the bank. Made in Mexico, they come in sterling silver and gold and rose-gold plate. (US$138 for silver to US$168 for rose and gold plated, tuza.com)
Uniqlo vest
This vest is filled with down and comes in a handy portable pouch that will fit in a bag for those times when you forget to check your weather app. (US$39.90, uniqlo.com)
Glossier makeup set
The gang at Glossier has figured out what you need for a quick pick-me-up that will take you from the office to a holiday party: A graphic eye pencil, a nail polish in the company’s signature pink, lip gloss and a highlighter infused with moonstone crystals. The Black Tie set comes with a signature Glossier bubble bag, which doubles nicely as a travel makeup bag. (US$50, glossier.com)
Lulu Frost earrings
For a woman who faithfully checks the Susan Miller astrology site, zodiac earrings will compensate for those days when Mercury is in retrograde. The collection, handmade with recycled 10-carat gold and white sapphires, includes necklaces that can be customised with the signs of up to five friends and family members. (US$250 each; customised family necklaces, from $635; lulufrost.com)
Rodin by Recine Hair Oil
This is one of the steps in Gwyneth Paltrow’s beauty routine (that and a treatment called apitherapy, which involves being stung by bees). The formula is based on apricot oil mixed with calendula and sweet almond and sunflower oils to leave hair feeling silky smooth. (US$70, theline.com or oliolusso.com)
Sophie Buhai pendant
Sophie Buhai is known for her architectural jewellery, her egg-drop necklace being a signature. Handmade in Los Angeles in sterling silver, it’s a gift for a woman in the know. (US$550, sophiebuhai.com)
Building Block bag
Give the joy of convenience with this Building Block bag, which is a smaller version of your favourite bucket bag, the one that’s the perfect size to hold what you need for a holiday night out dancing. Made of pebbled leather, it also comes in nude and black. (US$350 for navy and nude, US$325 for black, building-block.com)
Comme des Garçons wallet
Show your kinship with Rei Kawakubo ahead of her Met Costume Institute show with a leather Comme des Garçons wallet. It comes in bright blue, green and red, which makes it easy to find at the bottom of a bag. (about US$102, doverstreetmarket.com)
Gosha Rubchinskiy perfume
For the friend who identifies with the cool kids who hang out in Washington Square Park, there’s Gosha Rubchinskiy’s first fragrance, which was inspired by “skateboarding on a summer day.” Made of angelica root, mandarin, blue chamomile, patchouli and other enticing-sounding ingredients, it is sold exclusively at Dover Street Market, the hub for all things avant-garde. (about US$81, doverstreetmarket.com)
Brother Vellies shoes
These traditional Erongo shoes, handmade in South Africa of kudu leather, can make a holiday outfit on trend. They come in men’s and women’s sizes and in colours like blue, red and gray. If you feel like splurging, you can get them in hornback crocodile sourced from farmers in South Africa. (US$195 for suede, US$1,450 for crocodile; brothervellies.com)
Gap robe
Even the woman who has everything will love a cosy sherpa robe for the days she wants to stay in and Kondo-ize her closet. It comes in primitive pink, snowcap white, sunrise blue and cool-lake blue. (US$69.95, gap.com)
Noah cap
For the man who is always up on the next big thing, a Noah cap will satisfy his urge without having to camp out in a drop line. The label, owned by Brendon Babenzien, the former design director of Supreme, caters to men who have graduated from streetwear but still want to think they can push around with their boys. (US$32, noahny.com)
Everlane sweater
Everlane, known for its high-quality basics, doesn’t disappoint with this cashmere crew-neck sweater. With a roomy fit and dropped shoulders, it’s as great for perusing a Christmas bazaar as for bingeing on chocolate chip cookies at 2am. (US$235, everlane.com)
Wash With Joe body wash
For most of us, the day begins with coffee. Wash With Joe takes it out of the mug and into the shower to jump-start the day even sooner. The body wash is made with Arabica coffee beans (caffeine is a natural deodorant and has anti-inflammatory properties) and botanical infusions like cassis and cardamom, promises to help tighten and firm the skin. (US$30 for 16 ounces, washwithjoe.com)
Cage purse
Made in Mexico, this cage purse from Sincerely, Tommy is the gift for the woman who takes fashion risks. It may not hold all of her necessities, but it will certainly catch people’s attention — especially if those people are street-style photographers. (US$300, sincerelytommy.com)
Nike Lunar Force duckboot
Nike’s Lunar Force will satisfy the man who misses holiday parties to watch the Cavaliers play. The latest version of the Air Force One shoe worn by legends like Charles Barkley and Moses Malone updates the classic design with a lug pattern rubber outsole and a high collar cut. (US$165, nike.com)
Kevin Amato book
Kevin Amato is not only the casting director behind the faces of Hood by Air, but also an of-the-moment photographer. The Importants, Amato’s first book of his images, focuses on the Bronx, which happens to be where he finds most of his subjects. (US$49.95, phaidon.com)
Oddo underwear
Oddo, a new underwear label founded on Kickstarter, cites the Salt-N-Pepa song Let’s Talk About Sex on its list of values as it aims to raise awareness about women’s sexual health. The line, made in New York with Japanese cotton, focuses on function over frills. But just because the company is health-conscious doesn’t mean the undies, which come in four colours, aren’t sexy. (US$40, oddobody.com) — The New York Times
