Olive oil, donuts, even elephants: the story of Hanukkah is packed with beauty inspiration. So this year, instead of socks and pencils, why not give gifts that are useful and contextual? Here’s my round-up of gifts sure to please the beautiful people in your life.
1One little candle…
Scented candles have had a bad rap of late, regularly topping lists of “things you should never bring as a hostess gift” due to their sheer predictability. This year, though, they’ve got their sparkle back thanks to Louis Vuitton, which launched a collection of four perfumed candles in October. Any hostess who fails to be enchanted by those cute leather handles doesn’t deserve to have guests, frankly.
Louis Vuitton perfumed candles, from $185
2The Donut Bath
Had your fill of jelly donuts? You’re not done yet. Continue the theme in a sugar-scented bath courtesy of Fizz & Bubble. Its donut-shaped bath fizzy comes dressed like a unicorn to please teen daughters, cousins or nieces.
3Beard Oil
A vial of oil was pretty central to the Hanukkah story: only enough for one night, it miraculously lasted for eight days so the Jews had time to make some more. Treat the hipster in your life to this sampler of three different beard tonics from Herbivore Botanicals. We can’t promise a miracle on the same scale, but his beard will feel softer — and smell great.
4Olive Body Butter
The crucial oil that kept the Temple menorah lit for eight days was, of course, olive oil — and it’s well known for its gentle beautifying properties too. Treat winter-chapped skin to olive body butter from The Body Shop for Mediterranean-inspired hydration.
The Body Shop Olive Body Butter, from $6
5It’s a miracle!
Devotees of Crème de la Mer can’t get enough of the cult moisturizer, infused with its Miracle Broth™. This set includes a 15ml pot of the original moisturizing cream, together with trial sizes of The Treatment Lotion, The Eye Concentrate and The Regenerating Serum.
La Mer Merry Little Miracles gift set, $150 from Sephora
6Battle of the elephants
Honestly, nothing is giving me greater pleasure right now than linking a cult beauty brand to an element of the Hanukkah story (War elephants were responsible for at least one Maccabee coming to a sticky end). Drunk Elephant is a “clean-clinical” skincare line free from the so-called “suspicious 6” ingredients that it believes can sensitize skin: see if it lives up to the hype with a starter kit.
7The festival of lights
Light up your complexion with this set from Cover FX. The set includes two Custom Enhancer Drops that can be used alone or mixed with your foundation, and two Glitter Drops to use as a sparkling highlighter.
8Hanukkah gelt
OK so it’s not quite a bag of gold chocolate coins, but this NYX lip balm more than qualifies as Hanukkah gelt. One, it comes in round gold packaging. Two, it smells like chocolate. Any game of dreidel is bound to get serious if this delicious lip balm is at stake.
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