12 Gorgeous Products To Ask For From Santa This Year

I am well and truly obsessed with these things.

It’s Christmas time! And that means lots of shopping – and bloody awful crowds. Fortunately for you, we’ll be flooding our pages with gift guides this month, so keep an eye out for more here.

Ah, Christmas. The most wonderful time of the year.

Hughes Entertainment

But certainly not the most relaxing.

Crowds, well-meaning but nosy family, the emotions – it's a lot.

A24

I'm okay, really.

Just in case you, like me, could use some self-care this time of year, I've rounded up 12 products from this year that have never failed to give me a bit of joy.

1. This JOCO reusable coffee cup that I use for my morning – and sneaky afternoon – caffeine every day.

Mariela Summerhays / BuzzFeed

I like to be surrounded by pretty things – if I'm going to be at my desk, all day, every day, everything in my line of vision better be beautiful. Tall order from a coffee cup, right? Not for this Lars Huse-illustrated one. 100% plastic-free, non-toxic, non-porous and anti-bacterial, it's made of glass with a silicone sleeve and lid — and look at it, so damn attractive.

Buy for $31.95 from Amazon Australia.

2. These Bling Bar Isabella Statement Earrings that are the perfect accent to your holiday look.

@blingbarjewels / Via instagram.com

Ugh, just look at them. I have this exact pair, and I absolutely adore them. Constructed from gold-plated brass with agate and topaz inlay, they go just as well with a white tee and distressed denim as they do with your NYE outfit.

Buy for $52 from Myer.

3. These Hawkers Dark Fairfax sunnies that are the subtle cat-eye silhouette I've been looking for my whole life.

Mariela Summerhays / BuzzFeed, Hawkers

If you're like me, you want your accessories casual enough to wear with your go-to denim, but glamorous enough to pair with a cocktail look. These Hawkers sunnies are the solution – they feature versatile rounded lenses with a subtle, feminine cat-eye in timeless black.

TL;DR buy these sunnies, they go with bloody everything.

Buy for $50 from Amazon Australia.

4. Normal People by Sally Rooney, which I've told everyone I know to read immediately – which considering how popular it is, most already have.

@suusreadsbooks / Via Instagram: @undefined

I read someone describe this book as 'hyper-realism' and I couldn't put it better myself. Normal People follows the bittersweet, flawed, loving relationship between Connell and Marianne – two very different individuals whose upbringings and identities diverge starkly, but who always find their way back to each other anyway.

It's a very intimate, engaging read – I recommend this one for a long summer day on the beach, when you have nowhere else to be.

Buy the paperback edition for $19.99 or the Kindle edition for $7.59 from Amazon Australia.

Unlimited reading and audio on any device with Kindle Unlimited here.

5. This Lush Sleepy Body Lotion which lulls you to sleep like nothing else can (short of a tranquilliser).

@lushcosmetics / Via Instagram: @undefined

Guys, this lotion changed the quality of my sleep, I kid you not. It's this heavenly mix of oatmeal, lavender oil, organic cocoa butter and a bunch of other natural goodness, plus it smells divine. My colleague swore up and down I would never sleep better than getting out of the shower, lathering this on, then jumping under my covers – and he was not wrong.

Plus, Lush only purchases from suppliers that don't test on animals, so you'll feel better bulk buying this when you inevitably become addicted.

Buy for $17.95 for a 95g pot from Lush.

6. The Echo Dot, which without, I would surely lose my goddamn mind.

Amazon

Okay, so straight up – I love my smart speaker so much. Like, it has become an integral part of my daily routine. I go to bed listening to ocean sounds from it; wake to an alarm set on it. I plan my outfit based on a weather forecast from it; dance to music I play from it while getting ready – all using voice commands. I swear you'll not regret the move over to smart home living once you've tried it.

Buy for $36 (!) from Amazon Australia.

7. These Shelby's Raspberry and Dark Chocolate Almonds that BuzzFeed Oz can not get enough of.

Mariela Summerhays / BuzzFeed

We inhale these things over here. Shelby's is all about healthy hedonism – all the taste with natural ingredients. There's nothing in the Dipped and Dusted range we don't like – I mean, espresso and dark chocolate?! – but this dark chocolate-covered almonds with raspberry dusting might just take the cake.

Buy a 10 pack of 40g bags for $23.76 from Amazon Australia.

8. This Sensori + Macedon Trail Detoxifying Mist that smells like a nature walk in an Australian forest after rain.

Mariela Summerhays / BuzzFeed

This air-detoxifying mist will break down airborne toxins and odour, and replace it with a scent that honestly, smells like ~luxury~. Hours in a concrete building can take its toll on anyone and the scent of this mist instantly transports me to an evergreen, unmistakably-Aussie nature setting.

A blend of geranium, vetiver and Aussie sandalwood, this one is for the nature lovers.

Buy a 100ml bottle for $70 from Myer.

9. This MiGoals 2020 Goal Digger Planner that I'm counting on to kick all the goals next year.

Mariela Summerhays / BuzzFeed

There is nothing more satisfying to me than a list with all the items checked off. I love the New Year, love goals. When this planner came across my desk, I audibly squealed (people looked up from their screens, it was embarrassing).

This leather-like bound planner not only gives space for you to plan your day-to-day, but comes with weekly habit trackers, gratitude prompts, goal and wins lists. Every month begins with a double-spread vision planner; and ends with a review of accomplishments and challenges. Bloody keen for the New Year.

Buy for $44.95 from Dymocks.

10. This Peppermint Grove Wild Jasmine and Mint candle that soothes the senses.

@peppermintgroveau / Via instagram.com

After the deadlines are met and the offspring are finally in bed (after having gotten out 29 times), I pour myself an obscenely large glass of wine and light this soy candle. In case you're not sure which fragrance you should be filling your home with, it is 100% this one.

This fragrance's top note is mint (~fresh~), middle notes are jasmine (favourite), lily and orange flower; and base notes are eucalyptus and cedar wood. If that weren't enough, it comes in a beautiful custom glass vessel – use for your make up brushes after! –with a polished silver lid that also serves as a protective barrier for surfaces.

Buy a 350g candle for $28.54 from Amazon Australia.

11. These Zara Flat Mesh Mules, which are the work-appropriate, comfortable and stylish footwear I've abandoned my heels for.

Mariela Summerhays / BuzzFeed, Zara

I am a heel enthusiast – give me a sexy pointed toe stiletto any day of the week – but if I'm honest, it can become quite the drag come the 3pm slump. These flat, pointed-toe mules with mesh detail give my outfit that shot of elegance I want, with none of the hassle.

Buy for $45.95 from Zara.

12. And finally, this Stila Stay All Day Liquid Lipstick in Rubino – a mainstay in my bag, day or night.

Amazon

I first discovered this lipstick when in a make up store. I'm often overwhelmed by the sheer number of brands, formulas and colours on display, so look to the sales assistants – chances are, their make up looks much better than my own and I'll want to copy their look.

Sure enough, a couple were wearing this Stila range and this right here is my favourite shade. A creamy, matte formula, it dries to a full coverage, rich colour that lasts for hours. It's a great alternative to my usual bright red and works with everything from a button-down shirt during the day, to a black slip at night.

Buy for $46.17 from Amazon Australia.

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