The festive season is upon us! Luckily we have gifting all wrapped up.
We've put together a list of 20 thoughtful and fabulous gifts that give back, are environmentally focused, cruelty-free, committed to artisanal craftsmanship, and support small businesses and social initiatives.
There's a gift idea to please even the fussiest friend or family member out there.
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Article 22 works with traditional Laotian artisans to repurpose and transform Vietnam- era bomb shrapnel into beautiful jewellery for their Peacebomb collection. Each piece of jewellery purchased gives back to support traditional Laotian artisan livelihoods, village development, and helps MAG (Mines Advisory Group) clear unexploded ordnance, making land safe. Their bangles come engraved with little peaceful and empowering messages and can also be personally engraved, and they look great on guys and gals.
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For the glam beauty addict in your life, check out French makeup brand La Bouche Rouge who make microplastic and paraben-free, vegan lipsticks encased in luxe stainless steel casings. The casings are recyclable and refillable (with separate paper cased refills), and this elegant vegan leather case is created in collaboration with Stella McCartney. For every lipstick sold the brand also provides 100 litres of safe drinking water to Eau Vive Internationale.
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Aussie brand Grown Alchemist offers all organic, vegan and cruelty-free skin, hair and body care products. This hand care set looks great in your bathroom and is too chic not to reuse. The hand wash is scented with natural oils of sweet orange, cedarwood and sage, while the hand cream has notes of vanilla and orange. So, while this past year may have gotten you wringing your hands, at least they're clean and moisturised.
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Made in Australia using plant-based ingredients and premium oils, Maison Blanche candles are hand poured into a minimalist glass jar and have a heavenly, subtle scent. Available in 11 fragrances, they're 100% vegan and eco-friendly. Maison Blanche also commit part of their profit every month to the Pay The Rent Grassroots Collective.
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Keep cozy this winter and curl up with a glass of wine under this pinot coloured blanket from Aussie label, Seljak, available at Elk. Each blanket is ethically and sustainably produced in Tasmania, and made with offcuts and recycled wool. For every online order the label will donate $2 to tree planting.
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Handcrafted from bean to bar in Hong Kong, Conspiracy Chocolate make vegan chocolate from high quality and organic ingredients in a range of delicious flavours like Kampot Pepper, CBD, Kashmiri Chilli and Salt & Caramel. An assorted box would be nice, wouldn't it? Chocolate beans are directly sourced from a single farm and a fair price paid to farmers. Shipping is available to most countries.
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Vegan, cruelty free and natural, Costa Brazil use sustainable, recycled and biodegradable ingredients and materials in their products whenever possible. A percentage of their proceeds are donated to non-profit environmental organisation Conservation International to help protect the rainforest and raise environmental awareness. The lightweight, super absorbent body oil is already a cult classic, brimming with super charged plant-derived extracts, and free of parabens or fillers. And it won't leave you feeling like an greasy latke.
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R+D.LAB's Luisa Bonne Nuit Set consists of a pale pink-tinted carafe and carmine-red tumbler, highlighting the label's affinity for gemstone hues. It's handmade in Italy from borosilicate glass – a material that's known for its durability and resistance to temperature changes – and shaped with traditional mouth blowing technique. Place it on your table to bring a pop of colour to a minimalist dinner setting.
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This iconic chain-trimmed bag is arguably one of the most popular non-leather bags of all time. The Falabella bag comes in a variety of styles and is 100% cruelty free and rock’n’roll, much like the brand's creator, Stella McCartney. The brand uses recycled polyester instead of Brazilian calf leather, which creates 24 times less of an environmental impact, and water-borne and solvent-free polyurethanes.
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Explorer and eco-activist David Rothschild’s brand, The Lost Explorer, has redirected its focus from men’s skincare to mezcal. The Lost Explorer is committed to the sustainable production of high-quality handcrafted mezcal in a manner that benefits the local mezcal-producing community in Oaxaca and protects the land’s biodiversity, with the long-term mission of becoming the most sustainable mezcal brand in the world. Agave is cooked according to artisanal methods and with local reclaimed wood only; they use renewable energy in production and track their carbon footprint; they harness rainwater for the production process and pay their agave growers a fair price. It's a hangover you can feel good about.
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For the yogi in your life, this Perfect Potion kit contains seven bottles of vegan and cruelty-free pure essential oil blends from Australia, and it's the perfect gift to balance each chakra on and off the mat. Or just ignore the chakra stuff, mix the oils up, layer them on, and use them as a scent because they smell really nice.
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Mühle reusable razors are a great alternative to plastic disposable razors and suitable for men and women. This eco-friendly rose gold version is corrosion-resistant, making it long lasting and therefore a more sustainable option when compared to a disposable razor. Plus, it looks way more elegant shaving with this than a piece of plastic.
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Books
Books are the gifts that keep on giving. Here are three that are sure to delight.
Rare Plants - Forty rare and endangered species are explored through images sourced from the archives at Kew Royal Botanic Gardens accompanied by illuminating and authoritative text by Ed Ikin, deputy director of Kew's wild botanic garden at Wakehurst. Encased in a luxurious clamshell collector's box, it also contains 40 frameable botanical art prints.
Wild Kitchen rounds up 20 chefs who are passionate about sustainability and minimising their carbon footprint through their cooking. Giving you an exclusive peek into the home kitchens of personalities the book explores how food professionals embrace the wild in their homes and gardens, whilst also featuring some handy recipes and tips on gardening and foraging.
In Praise of Veg- Australian food writer and presenter Alice Zaslavsky profiles 50 favourite vegetable varieties, offering 150+ recipes reflective of both traditional and modern cooking. A great comprehensive guide to veg cooking.
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This alligator vegan, Eco PU bottle bag from Aussie cruelty-free accessories brand, Sans Beast, is made with custom hardware in shiny gunmetal and makes hydration look super chic. The brand also supports animal sanctuary Edgar's Mission with the purchase of its Everything Pouch. Made from recycled poly fabric and printed with the Sans Beast manifesto— 'Designed with love, not animals'— it's cool, kind and a conversation starter.
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Choose a coffee subscription plan and never run out of good coffee again. Try Three Thousand Thieves Coffee which brings you coffee from some of Australia’s best roasters including St Ali, Code Black Coffee Roasters and Sensory Lab.
Or Driftaway Coffee, which offers small batch, single origin coffee, shipped in compostable packaging. Choose your grind (or whole bean), size, frequency, and even opt for a variety pack of freshly-roasted coffee on your preferred schedule. Driftaway is also transparent about pricing, so you can hold the brand accountable to pay its farmers fairly, and it also donates 5 cents for each pound of coffee roasted to World Coffee Research, which contributes to sustainable lives for coffee farmers.
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These slick reusable bottles are made from stainless steel, and have triple-layered, vacuum-insulated construction designed to keep beverages colder or hotter and longer. They come in a rainbow of colours and designs, and they can also be personalised. S’Well is also certified B Corp and is a partner of UNICEF, committing $1.4 million since 2017 to help provide clean and safe water to the world’s most vulnerable communities.
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Independent London based jeweller, Tarra Rosenbaum, hand creates beautiful nature-inspired jewellery using the finest materials from honest, non-conflict sources, and recycled materials from around the world, while planting trees with Trees For the Future. The Hemlock Pine Cone Pendant— a symbol of new life and beginnings—makes a perfect gift for a special friend or family.
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What could be better than growing your own food? Whether you live in a small apartment or you have a lovely large garden, The Little Veggie Patch Co will have you growing your own edible garden in no time with their selection of heirloom seeds. Put together a bundle for a green-thumbed friend.
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Online Course
Coursera has online courses and specialisations from leading universities and companies around the world, or learn from the world's best with Masterclass. Choose from a long list of courses from tech, arts to business and gift a friend a new skill.
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Make a Donation
Give the gift of trees this Christmas. The Nature Conservancy's Plant a Billion Trees campaign is a major forest restoration effort with a goal of planting a billion trees across the planet.
Or consider making a donation in a loved one’s name to one of many other causes and orgs in your local community.