Gift Guide: Valentine’s Day
Whether treating yourself, your partner, or somebody else, here are plenty of ideas
Whether you believe Valentine’s Day is a holiday created to sell greeting cards, or that it’s crucial to expressing your adoration for those around you, every year on the 14th of February things go a little heart-shaped. We at CH are firm believers in showing love every day, and if you see a gift that makes you think of a loved one, it doesn’t need to be presented on a special occasion. For all of our readers—whether anti-Valentine’s Day or indifferent or obsessed—we have gathered a few of our favorite products at the moment for you to gift your partner, brother, sister-in-law, dog, or whoever else makes your life a little shinier. (That includes yourself.) Take a look at our full BUY section for more gift ideas.
Bullshit Candle
Despite its name, IIUVO and Stefan Brüggemann’s “Bullshit” candle ($59) smells divine. With notes of Sichuan pepper, grapefruit, lavender, musk, guaiac wood and more, the candle was inspired by the theory of bullshit. According to the makers, the scent has been derived from the idle content that’s found between truth and invention; the things we think but don’t say. Price is in Euros.
Pannier Leather Bucket Bag
Made with buttery white calfskin leather with black contrast edges, Italian label Marni’s Pannier bucket bag ($2190) combines luxury with modernism. The bright red acrylic ring handle makes the otherwise understated piece, but the combination remains sophisticated and stylish. With a removable shoulder strap, snap closure and a super-useful leashed zip pouch, this is a timeless accessory.
Travel Perfume Case
With silver letters reading “I ♥ U” hot-stamped directly onto leather, BYREDO’s new travel case ($120) has been made in a limited edition just for Valentine’s Day. The buttery leather is scratch-resistant, and the case’s magnetic closure means it won’t slip off easily in your bag. Just the right size for a 12-ml bottle of perfume, this case is also available in plain burgundy, black or beige if you’re a little more quiet with your proclamations of love.
Smart Photo Album
Certainly one of the better takes on the concept, the Joy smart photo album ($499) is a minimal, sleek piece that doesn’t look out of place next to traditional photo frames. Impressively, this 13.3-inch screen supports images and movies of all kinds: jpg, png, mov, mp4, HD videos, raw files, panoramas. With a full HD touchscreen, stereo speakers and a wireless charging port, the JOY smart photo album is a forward-thinking storytelling product.
Reykjavik Speaker
The smallest portable speaker ($229) yet by Danish brand Vifa takes its design cues (and name) from Iceland. With three drivers packed into a pebbly shape that enhances 360-degree sound, the Reykjavik comes either covered in Kvadrat woolen fabric or in a fully anodized aluminum version that’s as tough as it looks.
Moroccan Rose Otto Sugar Body Polish
This cane sugar body polish can be used all year ’round, but it’s invaluable during the winter. Gently exfoliating, REN’s Moroccan Rose Otto Sugar Body Polish ($16) doesn’t leave skin feeling stripped or dry, rather it will feel silky smooth and nourished (thanks to olive and almond oils) and slightly rose-scented. The fragrance is 100% natural, and the dense scrub is also suitable for vegans.
Kaico Enamel Kettle
This white kettle ($150) from Tokyo-based designer Makoto Koizumi’s “Kaico” series is subtle and stylish. Made from enamel-coated steel, it features a beechwood handle and maple knob, altogether creating an attractive but warm contrast. This lovely piece holds 49 fluid ounces. The “Kaico” series also boasts a butter warmer, saucepan and more.
“Leave and Return” Print
Almost all Stephen ESPO Powers’ works contain terms of endearment or sweet messaging in his immediately recognizable style. This “Leave and Return” print ($200, in a signed and numbered edition of 50) centers on one of Powers’ favorite themes: home. The two-color screen print measures 24×24 inches—and the window is embellished by hand.
Ward Bennett Book
With a career that spanned 50+ years, Ward Bennett’s eye for elegance and minimal style was (and remains) undeniable. Known as a designer and artist who helped define an era, Bennett worked with clients including Sasaki, Japan, Chase, David Rockefeller, Tiffany & Co, and more—creating everything from furniture to flatware, jewelry to textiles. This lovely hardcover book ($95) explores his work across 280 pages and 300 illustrations—some of which have never been published.
Lock Stock & Barrel 18 Year Straight Rye Whiskey
Two important details of Lock Stock & Barrel’s 18 Year Rye Whiskey ($235) battle each other to create a surprisingly smooth profile. First, the proof stands at a whopping 109. Second, its age—the aforementioned 18 years—actually tames that high ABV. In fact, aging in American oak barrels has lent the spirit a creamy vanilla warmth. There’s a bunch of rye spice here but it’s all in service to a tasty, uniform and wood-defined whiskey.
Happiness + Inspiration Ritual Kit
Whether or not you believe in the merits of burning sage or palo santo wood for their more mystical attributes, there’s something soothing about both scents—and a ritual-like repetition of use. J Southern Studio has assembled a kit ($35) with these and many other items, for the sake of happiness and inspiration. For those in need of a well-intentioned ritual, be it in the morning or for breaks at work, a kit like this offers a few points of entry—and a handful of divine fragrances.
Limited Edition NASA Print
After the tremendous demand for the “NASA Graphics Standards Manual” book (released in 2015) come three limited edition prints ($78) taken from those very guidelines, done in collaboration with Best Made Co. Printed on Stochastic Screen Press matte paper, these are four-color prints—one hue of course being custom NASA red ink. Sold separately or as a set of three.
Grandiose Eternity Rose Bouquet
Beginning at $39 and reaching all the way to $1,799, Venus et Fleur roses aren’t your regular bodega posy. Their roses (which come in all colors from classic red to mint green or black) can last a year—thanks to their proprietary solution solution and color pigmentation process. These are some of the biggest, most lush and beautiful roses we have seen.
Floral Dot Bandana
Available in three colorways (sky blue, forest green and pink) NOAH NY’s Floral Dot Bandana ($32) applies a bit of flair to a classic accessory. Crafted from 100% cotton, each bandana is made in the Shingora factory in India, which recycles all its water, and pays for the education of its workers’ children.
Images courtesy of respective brands
