7 Holiday Gift Ideas for the Jetsetter in your Life
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The Three Part 2018 Holiday Gift Guide
Now that it’s December, the holidays are in full swing. As joyful as this time may be, it’s also pretty chaotic. If those year-end work deadlines weren’t stressful enough, you suddenly feel the pressure to transform into Martha Freakin’ Stewart complete with a perfectly decorated home for the holidays, homemade croquembouche in hand, and the perfect gifts for everyone under your tree (which, by the way, should also be perfectly wrapped). Although I can only offer my condolences in respect of those pesky work deadlines and I can’t offer tips on how to make a croquembouche in less than four (yes, 4!!!) hours (side note: skip the croquembouche and bring a cheese platter (Cheese Boutique (Toronto) and Eataly (Manhattan) are my faves!) or opt to make something simple, like this or this), my three-part holiday gift guide should help you find the perfect gifts (at different price points) to help show you really care. P.S. There’s no shame in buying these holiday gifts for yourself…or at least that’s what I tell myself!
Part 1 - The Traveller
First up are 7 thoughtful and useful gifts for your family and friends with chronic wanderlust:
1. Active Noise Cancelling Headphones
US$300/C$450 seems like a lot for a pair of headphones, but audiophiles and travel junkies who have been subjected to countless hours of airplane drone (or worse, children throwing tantrums!), will likely agree that it’s a worthy splurge. There are other active noise cancelling headphones on the market, but after lots of research (I’m really into tech and researching big purchases), I chose the Bose QuietComfort 35 Over-Ear Noise Cancelling Bluetooth Headphones because they’re incredibly comfortable (I can fall asleep with them on in the airplane), wireless (comes with a cord if you don’t want to use bluetooth), aesthetically pleasing (comes in silver, black or triple midnight (I think it’s black with a deep navy tint? I went with silver), compact (folds into its included carrying case) and most importantly, the sound quality and noise cancellation are superb. Bose released the newer QuietComfort 35 II which comes with multiple levels of noise cancellation and integration with Google Assistant.
2. Monogrammed Passport Cover
GC and I spent a good chunk of time travelling this year, so my Louis Vuitton passport cover (US$335/C$385) got a lot of use. It puts a smile on my face every time I have to take it out (but unfortunately, that smile can be quickly erased if a customs officer is in a mood…) It’s the perfect gift for the person who loves to travel because it’s an unnecessary extravagance (and we often don’t buy (enough ?) unnecessary extravagances for ourselves), it’s personalized (maybe it’s narcissistic, but I love anything monogrammed with my initials), and useful for frequent travellers. I keep my travel-only cards (e.g. lounge access cards, travel credit cards (i.e. cards that don’t charge a foreign exchange fee), etc.) permanently in the credit card slots. LV offers complimentary hot stamping so your lucky recipient’s initials can be monogrammed on the inside of the passport cover, but the hand-painted initials on the cover come at an additional cost.
For a lower cost option, Nordstrom can personalize some items. Check out these beautiful passport holders from Beis (US$25, plus it comes with a matching luggage tag!) and Rebecca Minkoff (US$45) at Nordstrom.
3. Travel Books
If the people on your list are anything like me (i.e. type A), they’ll appreciate travel books to plan every detail of their next trip! My go-to guides are Rick Steves and Lonely Planet. For travel within Europe, I swear by Rick Steves as his books contain a wealth of information that embrace my high/low spirit. And he’ll share tips on how to avoid long lines which really is a priceless gift! The price of the travel books vary, but are all generally less than US$20.
4. Beauty Masks
Image via: Charlotte Tilbury
You’ve probably seen celebrities post sheet mask selfies while in the air. Granted, they’re often on a private jet or at least first class, but there’s no reason the rest of us can’t battle the dry, stale air and improve our skin en route to our destination! I’ll admit the first time I applied a sheet mask on a plane, I was very self-conscious. But now I easily put aside any reservations for the sake of avoiding dry skin. Since the Charlotte Tilbury’s Revolutionary Instant Magic Facial Dry Sheet Mask (US$22 each or set of 4 for US$80. Each mask can be used up to 3 times!) is dry, it makes a great luxury airplane mask and gift for a jetsetter. If you think the traveller on your list won’t want to don a Hannibal Lecter-esque look, then you can always gift these cream/gel masks in a jar (C$95 (approx. C$150 value based on my calculations; although, according to the packaging, it’s a C$330 value) six pack of 50mL masks from Peter Thomas Roth).
5. Travel Adapters and Converters
Between the iPads, laptops, phones, cameras and my curling wand, GC and I are always in need of travel adapters and converters. Although you can sometimes get away with just an adapter (i.e. if your product is designed for dual voltage), I like to play it safe and have a combination adapter/converter, like this one from Bestek or the one available in the US below.
6. Luxury Travel Size Products
Since most people tend to take more pictures while on vacation, it only makes sense that we should look our best on a trip! I don’t know about you, but until I started bringing my own shampoo and conditioner, my worst hair days were always while I was on vacation. No matter how many stars a hotel may have, they often skimp on the quality (and, if you have super thick and long hair like me, quantity (if you don’t want to ask for a handful of super mini bottles for a single use)) of their toiletries. Give your family and friends the gift of beautiful hair with the Moroccanoil Moisture & Shine Travel Kit in TSA approved sizes (US$26 (US$37 value)). Same logic applies to your skincare regimen while travelling. I love this Hydration Dream Team Set by Glamglow (US$49 (US$95 value)). For the men on your list, opt for the Travel Essentials for Him Kit by Kiehl’s (C$54 (C$75 value)). Holiday beauty kits make great gifts since they look impressive (i.e. contain an assortment of best-selling products) but are priced at a discount. Don’t forget to use coupon code “2018Hooray” to get $25, $20, or $15 off your purchase of $75 of more until December 12th (11th for Insider members) at Sephora if you’re a Rouge, VIB, or Insider member, respectively.
7. Travel Cocktail Kit
I’m a sucker for beautiful, reusable packaging and a creative cocktail. The W&P TSA-compliant cocktail kit (C$32/US$24) satisfies both requirements! Show how well you know your friends by gifting them the kit to make their favourite drink, like the moscow mule! Each kit comes with all the necessary essentials (except the hard stuff) to prepare two drinks in-flight. Who says you can only have a boring juice and spirit combo in economy?
Image via: Amazon.ca
Stay tuned for gift ideas for the fashionista and foodie in your life. For gift ideas for the little ones in your life, check out neatntiny.com’s Christmas gift guide for kids. I went with her pick of the Osmo Genius Kit for my nephew! Let me know what holiday gifts you’re planning on buying in the comments below!
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