The Gift Guide: Things We Loved This Year
Our gift guide features items we’ve given to others and some that we bought and kept for ourselves.
Everything on this this list has been used and appreciated and we update it throughout the year when something new earns its place.
Whether you’re shopping for someone else or adding to your own basket, here’s what we’d genuinely recommend.
(Some of the links below are affiliate links, which means we may earn a small commission if you choose to buy, at no extra cost to you.)
Home Comforts
Can’t think of a woman alive that won’t love this gift – each week, she can choose from 28 recipes for either 2 or 4 people, designed by an all-female chef team where everything is macro-balanced, nutrient-dense and built around wholefoods and designed to support both short and long-term health. All Mindful Chef meals are refined sugars, refined carbs, synthetic ingredients and cheap fillers free and contain wholegrains, high quality protein, British meat and free-range chicken. Not having to think about what to cook is one of the best gifts you can give her!
Kids are always losing things; shoes, water bottles, school uniform – the list goes on. TagLink is a practical answer to all of it. The Essentials Pack includes a personalised metal tag and four waterproof Smart ID stickers, designed to go across everything from sports equipment to tablets to luggage. The kind person that finds the missing item simply scans the QR code and can message the owner securely. No app required on their end, no subscription, and crucially, no personal contact details are ever visible.
Building LEGO as an adult is genuinely meditative; the repetitive, focused nature of placing each brick demands just enough attention to quieten everything else, which is why it’s increasingly recommended as a mindfulness practice for adults. This set contains 958 pieces for you to recreate the Eiffel Tower, Notre-Dame, Arc de Triomphe and the Louvre in a framed wall display. The building process is the point, but the result is something worth keeping.
Fiolas Hena Smoky Cherry Gift Set
A limited edition candle and reed diffuser set built around cherry and blueberry at the top, smoky musk and heliotrope at the heart and vetiver and rose in the base. The result is warmer and more interesting than a straightforward fruity fragrance. The packaging is gift-ready as it comes. It’s limited edition, so only available while stock lasts.
Created in memory of Issy, the cousin of founder Sophie, who lost her life in 2023. Sophie launched the bracelet on what would have been Issy’s 21st birthday; a delicate 18k white gold plated star on a fine chain, designed to be worn every day as a quiet reminder of someone you love. £5 from every sale goes to Brave Mind, a mental health charity supporting the rugby community.
Olio Guglielmi Tales Terra Pregiata EVOO
A serious olive oil for someone who loves to cook. Produced by a family-owned operation in Puglia that has been growing on 160 hectares of its own land for over 60 years, this is made exclusively from Coratina olives; a native variety known for its intensity and exceptionally high polyphenol count. We like using on anything where the oil is the point; grilled vegetables, a rustic bean soup and good bread. It comes in an opaque painted glass bottle that protects the oil from light.
The cable situation that comes with owning multiple devices – different connectors, the inevitable tangle at the bottom of every bag – is one of those small irritations nobody ever quite solves. This does. A compact hub, it takes two inputs and splits into four outputs, covering USB-C, Lightning and Micro USB in one block. Charge your phone, earphones, watch and iPad simultaneously from a single plug.
LunaCore Hybrid Pillow Twin Pack
A very comfortable pillow you can adjust to suit the way you sleep, which turns out to matter more than any single firmness or fill. The LunaCore combines gel-infused shredded memory foam with hollow microfibre and an inner zip lets you add or remove filling until the height and support feel exactly right. The bamboo honeycomb cover keeps it cool through the night. It comes as a twin pack, has a 5-year warranty and is OEKO-TEX certified.
Most protein powders are hard to swallow with their chalky texture, artificial sweetness and an ingredient list that reads like a chemistry test. This one contains a blend of pea, hemp and pumpkin protein with 21g of complete protein per serving, 110 calories and is naturally high in iron and zinc. With no fillers, artificial flavours or seed oils, it’s great in a smoothie, mixed with oat milk, or just water if you’re in a hurry.
A collaboration between EMU Australia and We Norwegians, two brands that take Merino wool seriously. The result is a relaxed rollneck with a star-and-cross intarsia pattern in navy, white and red. The slouchy fit and deep ribbed cuffs make it easy to layer over a shirt or under a coat and the navy colourway goes with practically everything in your wardrobe.
Wellness + Beauty
Chantecaille Just Skin Moisturiser
A luxurious lightweight tinted moisturiser that sits somewhere between skincare and makeup with SPF 15, botanical actives and a dewy finish that looks like skin rather than coverage. For mature skin specifically, Spirodela Polyrhiza Extract plumps and hydrates, a red algae and Tara Tree blend smooths texture, and Butterfly Bush provides antioxidant protection. Pair it with the iconic Faux Cils Longest Lash Mascara for the complete no-makeup makeup look.
The Seasonist Daffodil Dew Hand Wash
A handwash that earns its place on the shelf, the bottle is elegant enough to leave out in a bathroom and the scent, Narcissus and Lily of the Valley with a base of Sandalwood and Musk, is the kind that makes hand-washing feel like a small luxury. Formulated with 92% natural origin ingredients, Betaine from Sugar Beet for hydration and Aloe Vera to soothe. The wash is made in the UK, vegan, cruelty-free, with packaging designed with sustainability in mind.
Shapemint Essentials Built-In Bra Shaper Bodysuit
The Sweetheart Bodysuit replaces a bra, cami and shaper in a single layer with a wire-free built-in bra with sew-in cups, 360° targeted compression from tummy to back and a sweetheart neckline that works under almost anything. Nothing rides up, bunches or untucks during the day. The hook-and-eye gusset means bathroom visits aren’t a production. The suit has adjustable straps, lightweight fabric and medium compression that holds without the “squeezed in” feeling reviewers consistently mention.
Sparkle & Shape Cracker
Everything you need to keep brows and lashes looking salon-done at home, packaged as a cracker. The Shavata Sparkle & Shape set includes a defining pencil, brow tamer, castor oil strengthener for brows and lashes, a lash brush, and a RevitaLash sample, more a complete routine than a single product. Shavata is a cult brow brand with a loyal following, so this is one for the person who takes their brow game seriously.
Kylie Cosmetics Kylash Mascara Duo
Two full-size mascaras in one set; black for definition and lift, and true brown for a softer, natural finish. The duo works well used together – use black on your top lashes and brown on the bottom, for an open-eye effect that doesn’t look overdone. The formula is vegan with grapeseed oil and Pro-Vitamin B5 to condition as it coats. Weightless brush fibres separate lashes without clumping, smudging or flaking.
MoveActive Pilates Ultimate Set
Everything a home or studio practice needs, in one set. The MoveActive Pilates Ultimate Set comes with six pieces; a Pilates ball, medium resistance band, core sliders, curved yoga block, 1kg ankle/wrist weights, and a Pilates ring, covering the full range of a proper session without hunting down equipment from five different places. It’s a solid starting point for beginners building their practice and genuinely useful for seasoned practitioners who want studio-quality kit at home.
Sweet Bee Organics Sweet Dreams Ritual
One sold every minute tells you most of what you need to know about the Sweet Sleep Magnesium Butter. The 30g pot is magnesium-rich, lavender-scented and made by hand in Somerset, simply rub it onto the soles of your feet before bed and let it do its work overnight. The Calming Roller pairs with it for the hours before sleep. It contains organic lavender, ylang ylang and vanilla in a pocket-sized roller for pulse points.
The kind of thing that looks effortlessly put-together with almost anything whether that’s a coat, a hoodie/hunky jumper or your big coat on a cold commute. Wrist warmers do what gloves can’t: keep hands warm while leaving fingers free, which makes them genuinely practical for anyone who’s on their phone, typing or just doesn’t want to keep taking gloves off. These are 70% wool, 30% cashmere, handcrafted in Britain in a heavyweight rib knit. They work as a standalone piece or coordinate with Porridge’s matching beanie and snood.
A delightful fragrance with scents of jasmine, blood orange, golden amber and red peony. It leans sweet and warm and the kind of scent that lasts without being overwhelming. Made in France, the sculptural mirrored bottle is genuinely beautiful and looks good on a shelf
Marc Jacobs Beauty Heart On Shine Lipstick
A long wear lipstick with a soft, dewy finish and saturated colour that stays true all day without bleeding or fading. The formula leaves lips feeling nourished rather than dried out by the end of the day. Available in 20 shades, from barely-there neutrals to bold runway hues, there’s a match for every preference and skin tone.
The Elevator is formulated specifically for women and is perfect for busy moms with 23 nutrients in a single daily sachet, covering energy, immunity, hormones, sleep and skin. No pill-swallowing or cabinet full of separate supplements, just mix with water/juice and you’re done. With CoQ10 for energy, magnesium for sleep and stress, B complex for the daily grind and vitamin D3 for everything else, the sachet is compatible with HRT.
The Five Minute Edit | Skn to Skn
Designed for hormonal skin at every stage; pregnancy, postpartum, perimenopause or just the kind of skin that reacts to everything, it works equally well whether you’re pregnant or not. The set covers morning and evening: a gel-to-oil cleanser, a multi-tasking serum with retinol-like results without the irritation, a mineral SPF30 moisturiser and a night cream.
If you’ve started paying more attention to what you’re actually putting on your skin, we like the Waldor Skin range. The cleanser is formulated with Centella Asiatica, Tremella Mushroom and growth factors to remove impurities without the tight, stripped feeling that most cleansers leave behind. The exfoliating pads contain salicylic, mandelic and glycolic acids combined with niacinamide to clear pores, even skin tone and control oil without over-stripping. The Lift Facial Mask and Glow Facial Mask (£39 each) are worth adding to your routine for an occasional skin reset; one firms, one brightens.
Most nail care focuses on how nails look rather than how they’re treated. Fyle does things differently. The believe that healthy cuticles and a protected nail bed are what matter and everything else follows from that. The Complete Kit uses a blade-free, heat-free method developed with nail technicians: filing strips made from coastal quartz sand, a cuticle pusher, buff pads and a fragrance-free sealing balm. It also includes The Shiner; a finishing step that buffs a natural glossy barrier onto the nail without polish.
Age Defense Collection | Nioxin
Thinning hair is sadly quite common as we age – less volume and density plus a change in texture that’s hard to pinpoint. Nioxin’s Age Defense range is built specifically for this, addressing the scalp, follicles and melanin production together rather than just treating symptoms at the surface. The three-product system covers a detoxifying shampoo, a deeply moisturising conditioner and a leave-in serum that works to maintain natural colour and improve the appearance of thickness and shine over time.
Designing Massage Cream | Suqqu
SUQQU’s Gankin Massage technique has been at the heart of the brand since it launched in 2003; a Japanese approach to facial massage that works with bone structure and muscle tension rather than just sitting on the surface of the skin. This is the bath and shower version, designed to make the method accessible as part of a daily routine.The cream spreads smoothly over wet skin without slipping, holds enough texture to give you proper control, and rinses cleanly without leaving residue.
Less is More Haircare Routine | Innersense
A four-step haircare routine designed for people who care about the integrity of their hair. The Clarity Hairbath and Clarity Conditioner form the foundation; hypoallergenic, gentle enough for all hair types and with Chufa Milk for elasticity and Colloidal Oatmeal to soothe a dry scalp. The Repair Hair Mask handles the heavy lifting on damaged or brittle hair, using Hydrolyzed Moringa Protein to rebuild bonds from the inside out. The Hair Renew Daily Active Serum helps keep the scalp calm between washes. All organic, all clean.
At-home workouts have never been more popular – we’re big fans of Pilates by Izzy on YouTube – and resistance bands are one of the easiest ways to add intensity without adding equipment. The problem is looping a band around your hands cuts off circulation and makes some exercises genuinely uncomfortable. The TRX Bandit solves that. Two ergonomic handles attach to any resistance band and give you a proper grip meaning no pinching or slipping and a full range of motion. The kit comes with four bands at two resistance levels so you can progress as you get stronger.
Three products designed to work together, the set includes a room spray, a reed diffuser and a 200g candle, all built around GAIA’s Awakening blend, which leans energising rather than the usual lavender-and-sleep direction most home fragrance goes in. The room spray works on soft furnishings as well as the air, the diffuser runs all day without any effort, and the candle is there for the evenings when you want something slower.
Ruby Hammer MBE has 40 years of professional makeup and beauty expertise behind her and designed this foot file from tempered crystal glass so it works on wet or dry skin. It’s 100% lead-free and sustainable so it lasts indefinitely rather than ending up in the bin after a few uses.
For Kids
A well-made play tent from The Little Green Sheep that looks as considered as the rest of the room. The five-pole solid wood structure with 100% cotton canvas is substantially more substantial than most play tents at this price point. AT 155cm tall with a footprint of 143 x 113cm, there’s real room inside. It assembles without tools and comes with a cotton travel bag. The linen colourway works in almost any bedroom or playroom without looking like a primary-coloured eyesore. Add a playmat and it becomes a proper little den.
Xtend Ride-On Plus | smarTrike
One of those rare children’s products that genuinely earns its price because it doesn’t get outgrown. It starts as a parent-controlled ride-on from 12 months, converts to a foot-powered ride-on at 2, becomes a three-wheel scooter at 3, and extends to fit children up to 12 years old. The world’s only extendable footboard makes that last stretch possible. The removable seat doubles as a storage box, the LED wheels add visibility on darker days, and the whole thing folds flat with one press.
Most teens are now using adult skincare that often contains heavy actives their skin isn’t ready for. Funny Skin is designed specifically for ages 8 to16 with a four-product routine (cleanser, serum, moisturiser and SPF50) formulated by paediatricians and approved by dermatologists, with barrier-boosting ingredients like ceramides, probiotics and vitamin B5. The range has no soap, alcohol, parabens, artificial colours or fragrance. The Essentials Kit makes a particularly well-considered gift for a tween/teen who’s already interested in skincare but needs age-appropriate guidance on where to start.
Earthy Nails Oceana Collection
Kids copy what they see, so if you’re wearing nail polish, they want some too. Instead of painting their tiny nails with your polish, use a range like Earthy Nails, that is 97.5% natural and especially formulated for kids. It washes off and comes in kid-appropriate shades. They also have a decent sized collection for adults.
Designed for children from 18 months to 4 years, this cute bike is light enough for small hands to manage independently and adjustable enough to grow with them so it won’t be outgrown by spring. Balance bikes are genuinely useful at this age as no pedals means children focus on steering and stability first, which makes the eventual transition to a pedal bike significantly easier.
The question of when to give a child a phone, and what to give them instead, is one most parents are wrestling with earlier than expected. Karri is a screen-free voice messenger designed for exactly that gap; old enough to want independence, too young for a smartphone. It works on any mobile network, has GPS tracking built in, an SOS function and connects to a parental app. Children send and receive voice messages rather than texts, which keeps it simple and safe meaning no social media or browsers.
Harry Copter’s Animal Rescue Helicopter
Battery-free toys for toddlers, made since 1997 and built to survive the kind of play toddlers like! The range covers vehicles, bath toys, play sets and figures all with clever mechanical features that work without batteries. The helicopter has no sharp edges and is compatible with other toys in the range so children can build a bigger play world over time. With a five-year guarantee, we think it’s a reliable, well-made gift for the under-fives.
Ocean Life Glow in the Dark Puzzle
A 1.5-metre panorama puzzle for ages 6 and up with ocean life imagery detailed enough to keep children genuinely engaged. The pieces are child-friendly in size and fit together cleanly. It comes with 10 ocean fact cards, which make it educational without being preachy. The glow-in-the-dark element turns it into something worth doing twice, once in daylight, once with the lights off. Good value for a puzzle that earns its space on the bedroom wall once it’s finished.
A drawing board that works differently in the dark. Children draw or trace onto the black board using four fluorescent pens, turn the lights out and watch the picture transform into glowing neon art with 36 different light effects. It wipes clean and they can start all over again. Compact enough to fit in a bag, it’s a good travel or holiday companion.
Young Driver is an experience we go back to time and again. With 70 venues across the UK (and if you’re in London try Wembley for North and Bluewater for South) they offer driving lessons for kids from age four to 17. The lessons take place on specially created road systems with roundabouts, junctions and areas to practice real driving skills like parallel parking. The kids will have an absolute blast! It’s not just fun and games though; research shows that learning to drive over a longer period, and from an earlier age, can help reduce the accident rate for newly qualified drivers by more than 80% in the dangerous first six months after passing their test.
Voxblock Children’s Audiobook Player
With no Wi-Fi, app, subscription or screen, children simply choose a physical audiobook block, place it in the player and press play. That’s it. The controls are simple enough for young children to use independently, the player remembers where they left off and the growing library covers over 350 titles from The Gruffalo to Roald Dahl. Bedtime mode runs for 20 minutes then switches to standby automatically, which makes it genuinely useful for the evening routine without involving a phone or tablet. For families trying to reduce screen time, this is a well-thought-through alternative.
Scoot & Ride Highway Kick 1 Scooter
The world’s first 2-in-1 scooter with a seat, designed for kids age 1 through 5. Younger children ride seated and as they grow, the seat removes in seconds without tools and it becomes a standard kick scooter. The adjustable handlebar grows with them too, so there’s no outgrowing it before they’ve barely started. Two front wheels and a patented safety pad prevent tipping. The olive colour way is a nice change from the usual primary colours. We think it’s a well-made gift that covers several years of use from a single purchase.
Our curated guide features items that are considered and genuinely used. If something here ends up in someone’s hands who needed it, or makes your own day a little easier, that’s gift enough.
