Contemporary Christmas

0
182

Nothing blah about black and white. Throw in some glitter and you’ll boast the glammest event in the neighbourhood.

Black. Barista Black. Do you know that, if the Authorised Biography of James Bond is to be believed, the world’s most celebrated secret agent is 100 years old? So, as it happens, is the Pinotage cultivar. And grabbing this coincidence with both hands, the team at Barista conceived a wine and bottling regal enough the match the richness of both the Pinotage and Bond legacies. This opulent wine demands a well-deserved moment to slow down, and savour one’s hard-earned successes. With plums, red currants and baking spice intermingling beautifully on the nose, the wine has a juicy fruit core with velvety tannins and oak complexity. The finish is long, smooth and pleasantly dry. Just like James! Perfect to serve this Christmas, or to give a gift. You’ll find it in fine wine stores for around R150, or order online from baristawine.co.za

 

 

 

 

Not only for the tree. Hang gold glitter baubles from every place possible and have a glittering Christmas. R79.95 from Woolworths.

 

 

 

 

 

What’s black and white and the sweetest festive treat ever? Delicious liquorice … the Sally Williams way. A limited edition, it’s a combo of nougat and the sweet aromatic flavours of liquorice. So it tastes just like classic liquorice, but with the famous softness and sweetness found in nougat. Yum. Mee. R79 from supermarkets.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The festive season’s all about best friends. And celebrations. And bringing the two together is Zandvliet, who’ve just introduced My Best Friend wine-in-a-box. And what’s better than one friend? Two, obvs. So there’s a Cape White (refreshing flavours of lime, citrus and melon with hints of honeysuckle) and a Cape Red (all red fruit, plums and spice). You’ll find these two-litre boxes at local bottle stores for around R140, with the single bottles still available for around R70 each. Details: zandvliet.co.za

 

Glam up the dinner table with these uber luxury crackers, six in a pack, from R279 from Woolworths.

This easy-to-bake Red Pepper & Chilli Wreath Bread comes in a locally crafted ceramic dish, which makes it a delicious hostess gift. R249.99 from Woolworths

The successful combination of two endangered species – the rhino and the rhino bush – comes together in one great tasting gin. Celebrating South Africa, and donating a portion of the proceeds for each bottle sold towards the fight to save the rhino, gives us even more reason to say cheers to the festive season with Cape Town Rhino Gin, the latest offering from The Cape Town Gin & Spirits Company. Around R299 from Take A Lot, Italian Deli and Norman Goodfellow online.

 

 

 

Twinkle

Is it even Christmas if there’s no advent calendar? We think not. And we’re not going to deny opening a chocolate-a-day version is delicious (and on that note, look out for the Chuckles calendar at Woolies … not just for children). But this SOiL version is taking 24 days of spoils up a level.

The SOiL Organic Aromatherapy calendar has 24 tiny 1ml vials … one for each day leading up to Christmas. Use them in your diffuser each night, or save them up and make a SOiL Festive Diffuser Blend … a combination of clove, cinnamon, sweet orange and pine. R299.99, you’ll find it at Dis-Chem, Wellness Warehouse and online at faithful-to-nature.co.za and soil.co.za

 

 

 

 

Twinkle twinkle … diamond star string lights, R279 from Woolworths.

And here it is. The Christmas season’s O.M.G. Shaped like an oversize bottle of the iconic fragrance, the Chanel No 5 Calendar has two dozen boxes – numbered not from 1 to 24, but, in true Chanel style, from 5 to 31. No 5 is obvs, and 31… that one’s for 31 rue Cambon – the epicentre of the world of Coco Chanel. Each box holds a Chanel treat… from a limited edition red Rouge Allure lipstick to a tree ornament shaped like the N°5 bottle to a black ceramic bracelet designed to resemble the wax seal on the N°5 Parfum bottle. A properly luxurious gift – too desirable for words. You’ll find it at Chanel fragrance and beauty boutiques, for R14 350.

MSLONDON Mineral Cosmetics has a cult following … and deservedly. This black female-founded BEST clean makeup brand was founded and formulated by sisters Natasha and Ego Iwegbu, and has a dozen adaptable, vibrant foundation shades for all tones … foundations that are made with minimal ingredients for maximum effect. The foundations are lightweight, multitasking and provide natural coverage that really works. On top of that, it’s acne-friendly, is excellent for those with psoriasis and rosacea, and doesn’t agitate even the most sensitive of skins. Use with the iconic Flat Blending Brush (which also helps with you having minimal contact with your face). R550 for the foundation, R350 for the brush, and while you’re shopping, look out for the blushers, contour and bronzers, highlighters and Banana Setting Powders (also must-haves). From Woolworths.

What does a girl want? Beauty sleep. So this sleep mask and hair band gift set will go down a treat. R129 from Woolworths.

Rooted in tradition, built for speed, the latest addition to the Dunhill London’s collection is the Driven Eau de Parfum, a powerhouse of a fragrance for men with a little va va voom! From R999, from Clicks and DisChem.

 

 

 

For more than 150 years, Louis Vuitton’s monogrammed bags have been seen on the arms of celebs (real and wannabe) and royals … the brand has thrived through two world wars, the Great Depression, the Jazz Age and the Swinging Sixties. Beautifully illustrated, Karen Homer’s Little Book of Louis Vuitton is the story of this – the world’s most luxurious brand. A brilliant stocking filler for a fashionista. Welbeck, R297 from Exclusive Books

 

 

 

Miss Dior by Justine Picardie (who had unparalleled access to the Dior family home and archives) paints a portrait of the enigmatic woman behind the designer Christian Dior – his beloved younger sister, Catherine, who inspired his most famous perfume and shaped his vision of femininity. From the French Resistance to the Ravensbruck concentration camp, from freedom and fashion to beauty and betrayal … Picardie reveals how Dior’s enchanting New Look emerged out of the shadows of his sister’s suffering. Faber and Faber, R615 from Exclusive Books

 

 

Advertisement