A Minimalist's Gift Guide
You did not ask but you shall receive
I haven’t written for over a year! I’ll be dropping some essays soon (“The Creative Façade: How Tastefulness Holds You Back from Being an Entrepreneur” and “What if I Want to Grow Up?: Boycotting the Bow and Embracing Self-Responsibility”). If this interests you, pls let me know :P In the meantime, let’s turn to more pleasurable matters.
I got a lease this summer for the first time in six years. It’s been a huge change to my lifestyle and truthfully, very overwhelming. The amount of stuff I needed to purchase after living out of my suitcase for that long felt insurmountable.
After 4 months, the living room still consists of only a table, six chairs, and a tiny lamp on the floor. It’s sparse and I do intend to kit it out more over time, but I also like it like that.
Naturally, my purchases are extremely considered. I have a bit more freedom now to invest in miscellaneous items vs pure essentials and as a deep appreciator of design, that has also been satisfying. Here is my 2024 gift guide.
1. SUBU SLIPPERS
*Especially* for those who work from home, I cannot survive without these SUBU Slippers now. Hailing from Japan, they are extremely plush and comfy. I have these polka dot ones, and I also love keeping an eye out for their collaborations like this which I would’ve copped had they not sold out! There are tons of different colours and styles for both men and women with some versions wearable for outdoor use too, aka your morning walk to the coffee shop.
2. BINU BINU
I’ve tried a lot of products from the Toronto-based brand BINU BINU and I really love them. Their signature soaps that come in the cutest milk carton packaging are my favourite for subtle, natural scents inspired by Korean bathhouses. My favourites are the Super Mild and the Seshin Korean Scrub Soap.
In addition, I have their Honey Onyx Soap Dish, as well as their candles that come in sleek stainless steel vessels and their Incense Discovery Gift Set is a must, filled with gorgeous scents like sandalwood, cypress, and hydrangea tea amongst others. It comes with a stainless steel incense holder and a matching lighter in collaboration with the epic Japanese Tsubota Pearl lighters.
3. TANCHEN
This Singaporean textile studio is putting out some extremely tasteful stuff. I’m obsessed with these wine bottle bags which come in a range of colours and handles. They are so chic for porting wine around or bringing a bottle over to a friend’s. I also love the coffee cup holder and they produce a range of textiles like coasters, stools, etc.
4. TYPOLOGY
French skincare. I realised that most of my simple routine is from Typology. They have tons of products and a skin diagnostic test you can take when you land on the site to help with product selection. Their formulas work really well in my opinion, the price point is unexpectedly affordable, and I love the pharmacy-like no nonsense packaging paired with beautiful art direction across their channels.
I also love that you can buy tester sizes for many of their products. I initially bought small sizes to trial products but I kept the testing size bottles so that when I travel, I have miniature versions of my actual product packaging vs nondescript travel containers.
Daily use:
Vitamin C Radiance Serum (the best vitamin C!)
Retinol (combined with castor oil which I find so much more pleasant for application than other harsh, liquid-y retinols I’ve tried)
Lip Oil (I use un-tinted which is great for night application, but their tints also look really enticing like Black Cherry)
Weekly use:
Radiance Face Scrub with Rosehip Oil (wonderful exfoliator with a jelly-like texture combined with granules… leaves the skin so smooth)
10-Ingredient Body Cream (unfussy body cream with a slight, neutral scent, dries quickly, feels nourishing for colder months, slightly thicker formula)
5. VINTAGE SHISEIDO HAIR SET
This is something I had wanted for a really long time but didn’t exactly qualify as a nomad essential. There are several of them on eBay, in perfect condition, generally shipping from Japan. I find this brush/comb/mirror set so organic and futuristic, despite the fact it released in 1998. It’s a collaboration between Shiseido and jewellery designer Angela Cummings and comes with a little travel pouch. These kinds of gifts feel so special and one-of-a-kind. I deeply encourage an eBay trawl for these types of gems.
Honourable Mentions
This Dries van Noten lip balm in bespoke packaging. You can choose which outer shell you want, or if you’d even prefer a lipstick. I’ve been following Dries van Noten since I was a teenager and this is a great purse keepsake after his retirement this year.
TEKLA x AURALEE — just great quality towels that compliment your home in an understated way. I love this collab with Japanese brand Auralee, and I cannot tell you why but for the last 5 months I have had such a strong feeling that this colour is going to be all the rage next summer.
Kye Intimates — cosy PJs, loungewear and underwear in the softest bamboo fabric, based in LA. After many years and many attempts by various brands, I still don’t think anyone has cracked tasteful, comfortable underwear on a large scale. Kye is your best bet.
That’s all it for now. Wishing you all a happy holidays 🫧🫧🫧
If you’d like to find me elsewhere, you can do so here: Are.na / Instagram / Website
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Welcome back!! I’ve missed these…