With the holidays around the corner, it’s no secret that coming up with a perfect last minute gift idea is often hard and perhaps even stressful. Being a last minute shopper myself, I often find myself in this situation. This year however, I am feeling a little more prepared and have taken the liberty to assemble a list of all my favourite items and services to create my ULTIMATE gift guide. I hope you find inspiration in this list and it helps make your Christmas shopping a little easier, and the holidays a little more stress free!
Ludevine
I have been in love with this Los Angeles based jewelry brand since its inception! Shahla Kareen Friberg, a naturally born artist, started Ludevine in 2002 and has evolved the brand into 4 distinctly diverse and ever growing collections. Designed and produced in Los Angeles, California, Shahla draws on her personal philosophies and interests as inspiration for creating pieces. The four lines that make up Ludevine include Primitive, Sempt, Peak, and Mores.
The Primitive collection can only be described in my opinion as wearable art. Full of seashell, seahorse, and fossil motifs usually centred in diamonds and gold, it’s luxury jewelry at it’s finest.
Sempt - Not many collections are said to be complete with a single piece, but this collection stands out against its counterparts with a beautiful, anatomically correct, human heart locket that is available in gold, bronze and silver. What says I love you better than a love note hidden in a heart shaped locket?
Peak - a modern collection of various materials and tear dropped shaped rings, the Peak series is meant to combine the many pieces to create customizable feminine armoury. Pair this with the sensual body chains also found in the collection to create the most beautiful of gifts.
Over the years I have collected numerous pieces of jewelry from three of the four collections and you can often see my most coveted piece, my body chain, peeking out from under my clothes. If you are looking for a gift that is beautifully distinctive, I definitely recommend ordering a piece from Ludevine.
Pure and Simple
We all know that the winter season can be very harsh on the skin. Between changes in temperature and holiday shopping we often have little time and even smaller budgets to pamper ourselves. That is why I recommend giving the gift of relaxation and self care!
Purchasing a gift card or box set from Pure + Simple , an all-natural skincare and wellness spa with locations in Toronto and Waterloo, will surely be a winning gift for anyone on your list! Having experienced multiple Pure + Simple facials myself, I can attest to the wonders that one of their Super Hydrating Facials or Urban Renewal Facial does on your skin! Not only have they helped me achieve the best looking skin of my life, but they have also helped people battling severe acne achieve beautiful and natural skin for over a decade!
The owner Jean Eng, who battled severe acne almost her whole life, found that harsh ointments and antibiotics prescribed by her previous estheticians and dermatologists left her skin with scars and redness. This, along with her own daughter’s troubles with acne, inspired her to develop her own line of holistic and chemical-free products and open her own natural spa concept now known as the beloved brand Pure + Simple.
On top of their exceptional services Pure + Simple aims to maximize their clienteles’ experience and comfort through customizing services using a selection of all-natural skincare products they believe your skin needs. If you know someone who is trying to live a healthy lifestyle, is battling acne or is pregnant and needs to watch out for certain chemicals, you should consider treating them to a Pure + Simple service or gift set.
Lack of Color
Sometimes a good accessory is all you need to elevate an outfit! If you have been following me for awhile now you probably know that my hat game is strong! I love collecting new accessories to help dress up my outfits and recently I have become obsessed with hats! I think I’ve added almost 10 new pieces to my collection this year alone. #NoRegrets. I am happy to blame my obsession with accessorizing on my current favourite Australian brand Lack of Color!
Lack of Color is an Australian fashion label that produces a range of high quality and affordable women's & men's hats. New styles usually become available seasonally in a variety of colours and styles so there is always something new and exciting to look out for. Last month I ordered two hats. The Ivory Rancher Special is a beautiful cream stiffened wool fedora trimmed with a camel vintage ribbon from the 50s, and a tonal gross grain ribbon on the brim edge. The Sierra is a wide brimmed black, boater-style hat also made from 100% Australian wool featuring a black pattered vintage ribbon. Both hats are guaranteed to make any holiday outfit extra chic.
If you have a fashion lover on your list, you should definitely consider giving them a hat from Lack of Color. With so many designs to choose from, I have no doubt you will find the perfect hat to compliment your friend or family member’s style.
100 Years of Love
Make the holidays merry and bright with 100 Years Of Love, a contemporary fragrant label from Toronto, Canada. I was first introduced to 100 Years Of Love a year ago and fell absolutely head-over-heels for their beautiful candles. All of their candles are hand poured and made with love, great attention to detail, and are of the highest quality ingredients. Each and every candle they make is done start to finish in their Toronto studio. Production is done in small batches and every product they develop has come to fruition through numerous experimentation, research, and fragrance development.
When my friend introduced me too this line I was instantly drawn to it. As an avid believer that a scent or someone’s perfume can be tied to a long forgotten memory, I was hooked by their philosophy and goal to curate a unique and exceptional scent experience for their customers. I also got the opportunity to sit down with one of the founders and learn a little more about the brother and sister duo behind 100 Years Of Love. With great love and excitement he told me how their company has evolved and hearing their story made me want to support and spread the news about their wonderful products even more! Plus I got that Toronto pride! ❤
Lac and Co.
When it comes to my hair there is definitely no messing around. It needs to be cut, coloured, and styled to perfection and Lac and Co. is where I go!
A couple of summers ago I decided to dye my hair a variety of cool tone shades in an effort to achieve the perfect mermaid hair style. Although my ‘at home hair colouring’ attempt was successful, once it faded out my hair was never the same. Getting back to blonde was a tough uphill battle that seriously took me over a year. I honestly never felt like my happy blonde self until a recent colour service at Lac and Co. In the span of 4 hours I felt like I had transformed back to my old self thanks to the help of my colourist Kiki. She knew just the right tons of blonde that would compliment my skin tone and assessed the condition of my hair to see if it could take on the challenge of being dyed and processed. The result, the best colour I have ever had!
If you have a beauty love on your list, or someone who is in need of some hair therapy, I definitely recommend sending them to Lac and Co for a service. Located in Yorkville, Lac and Co is easily the ‘go to’ boutique hair salon in Toronto with a mile-long list of Toronto’s elite as cliental. The salon also offers a range of high-end hair care products from some of the best brands in the industry, making giving the gift of beauty and amazing hair via a gift card, product, or service from Lac and Co. an absolute no brainer!