Nuna Knits’ Peggie Ehlers doesn’t just peddle high quality yarns—she’s at the helm of every step from breeding the sheep to spinning the fibers for a “farm to fashion” approach. While her spools would turn any pattern into a beautiful wooly ensemble, the sheep soaps are just as wonderful. Created on the North Fork of Long Island, each hypo-allergenic bar is covered in wool for an all-natural loofah and soap combination.
Best known for his playful products like the solid walnut Rocket and Big Quist, Little Quist nutcrackers, Brooklyn-based Pat Kim flexes his ubiquitous design prowess with this set of three simple soaps. The elegantly minimal cone shapes come in small, medium and large, with three color gradients.
Keep your feet warm in colder months with Chilote’s naturally insulated house shoes, a pair of slippers that are as sustainable as they are cozy. Each is handmade by women in Chili with wool from free-range Patagonian sheep and upcycled salmon leather.
Based on professional barbershop necessities, Imperial Barber’s grooming products bring time-honored tricks of the trade into the home for everyday use. Made in LA, they’re all-natural, utilitarian grooming goods for the manliest of men. Be sure to pick up the essential Field Shave Kit during its limited holiday run.
Working together for the second time, men’s grooming company Baxter of California again collaborates with SF’s Unionmade, this time for a bar of soap. The “CNG” is an oversized bar scented with mandarin lime and balck pepper, for a nice scent that’s citrusy but still masculine.
This unique blend of lemon balm, oats, nettle, damiana, chamomile and peppermint fuse with hot water to create a soothing and tasty concotion as a great pick-me-up during a stressful day. Stocked at the Wythe Hotel in Williamsburg, Mountain Woman Tea is made by Brooklyn-based herbalist and natural beauty advocate Jessa Blades whose mission is to spread consciousness about simple and healthy living.
Migraine be gone! From the British company whose tongue-and-cheek marketing proclaims that they “only want you for your body” and refuses to test on animals is this aromatic headache balm from Anatomicals. Made from a soothing mix of natural ingredients, including extra virgin olive oil and rose hip extract, “Oi! You Throbhead” salve is a holistic answer to reaching for the acetaminophen. Just a few dabs will vanquish the throbbing brain pain away from your cranium and back to its special place in hell.
Harry’s Truman razor is the perfect item to get your guy hooked on, and the shaving company’s One-Two Set will do just that. Determined to deliver the ultimate daily shave for half the price of the big brands, Harry’s eschews constant refills with razors that are rough on the skin in favor of blades designed to last long and shave close. The set includes a blade, a handle and a tube of Harry’s shaving cream.
Monoi ancient oil has been used in Polynesia for centuries as a trusted beauty cosmetic, a sacred balm in religious ceremonies and even as a medicinal remedy. Consisting solely of pure coconut oil mixed with local flower petals (the product’s simple ingredient list is equally refreshing), Monoi Tiare Tahiti promises beautiful hair and skin and a transformative mini tropical vacation in your bathtub.
Scented candles often call to mind potpourri and frilly sweet scents, but the Barstow candle is a bit rough around the edges, in the best way possible. Light up this American-made candle and enjoy an oaky, mesquite scent inspired by motorcycle journeys through the desert. Once the candle has flickered its last flame, enjoy the reusable enamelware container made by one of the oldest producers in the US.
S.W. Basics, known for making natural skincare products using five pure ingredients or less, comes out with a new limited-edition mask for the winter season. Made from only hibiscus, French green clay and organic lavender, the mask is an exfoliating treat for your face. Simply mix with water, yogurt or honey to activate.
Give the gift of experience with this cycling journey through the mountains of the South of France complete with gourmet food, technical support and a massage at the end of a long day on the bike. When you’ve had enough of turning the pedals, there are plenty of cultural activities and immersions to unwind with. Let the expert crew at Rapha do all of the logistical work for you, you’ve got hills to climb.
The Italian Futurist movement rejected the old and glorified the young and strong. We can only hope our skin care products have the same manifesto. Leave it to Aesop, purveyor of antioxidant defying lotions and potions to merge their passion for fine art, and Futurism in particular, with a useful range of holiday gifts sets. The perfect regime for any arts scholar, sets range from “Agility” to “Potency,” with packaging and typography that pay homage to this groundbreaking movement.
Hopping into a helicopter with a few of your closest friends and family with your skis and snowboards in tow is the ultimate in winter sports. Make the dream a reality this winter in beautiful British Columbia, where the snow is deep and the runs are steep. Book a week or pay as you go, just keep an eye on the snow reports, you don’t want to miss a powder day.
Scavenge for quarters, haul a heavy load down three flights, embarrassingly sort dirty gym clothes in semi-public space—and that’s only the beginning. But we continue the task because the reward of clean undergarments far outweighs the hours lost amidst the machines. This sturdy bag is roomy enough for even the least frequent of launderers, and is sewn in Massachusetts from a natural army duck canvas, revered for its stench-rearing capabilities. Best of all, the sack is emblazoned with a mantra we can chant along with each spin of the dryer and try to understand where that other sock went: “You will feel great when this is all done.” Amen.
Izola created the Golden Thyme candle in staunch revolt against the grossly pungent fragrances of the common scented candle, with a mission to please even the most offended of male noses—although we wouldn’t be surprised if a ladyfriend or two also appreciates the subtle scent. Thyme, the precious herb that Rudyard Kipling said to “smell like dawn in Paradise,” has been used throughout history for purification, to ward of nightmares and to bring courage, none of which could hurt. Made in the USA from 100% vegetable wax, set this wick-happy wonder alight and contemplate the promise of a new day.
