Affordable luxury is one of our favourite gifting categories. For the special person in your life who lives and breathes designer, don't feel you need to drop thousands on the latest It Bag to make them smile. Instead, little luxuries, at a fraction of the cost, are where it's at.
Think fancy fragrances, designer makeup, dreamy candles, luxury skin and body care, and timeless mini accessories. Affordable luxury gifts are great keepsakes and feel like more of a thoughtful investment as opposed to a throwaway Secret Santa prezzie. Christmas is creeping up quickly too—New Zealand Post is already signalling it's time to get your online shopping done to avoid those frustrating end-of-year logistics letdowns. So with that in mind, here are 12 affordable luxury gifts to shop this festive season.
Prada Paradoxe
Price: From $209
With a bottle shaped to resemble Prada's iconic triangle (and the pricey Prada Triangle Bag), this new fragrance from the legendary Italian fashion house is the ultimate fashion girlie Christmas gift. It's a collab between creative directors Miuccia Prada and Raf Simons and master perfumers Nadège Le Garlantezec, Shyamala Maisondieu, and Antoine Maisondieu. It's equal parts ethereal and sophisticated, with notes of neroli, amber, and soft musk. Shop here.
Sulwhasoo Overnight Vitalizing Face Mask
Price: $88
Korean luxury skincare brand Sulwhasoo's pricey face creams might be out of the budget, but this overnight mask offers a full K-beauty moment at a much friendlier price of $88 for a 120ml tube (their concentrated ginseng cream will set you back $409). It's infused with Korean herbs, jujube and pomegranate extracts so your giftee can wake up glowing and feeling fresher than ever. Shop here.
Assouline Capri Dolce Vita Book
Price: $170
Assouline's line of luxury coffee table books has earned a cult following. The books tick off some of the world's dreamiest locations—from Mykonos to Provence and, in this case, beautiful Capri. The resort island has been a favourite of famous folk for decades—and it's sure to inspire their next big Euro trip. Shop here.
Loewe Luscious Pea Small Scented Candle
Price: $174
While we'd all love to own a luxe Loewe Puzzle Bag, this cute candle dreamt up by creative director Jonathan Anderson is just as nice. It's designed to smell like peas sprouting in spring and the ribbed terracotta earthenware vessel can double as a vase or mini flower pot when the candle is done. Shop here.
Alessi Black Wowl Dog Bowl
Price: $111
Because our furry friends deserve a little luxury from time to time too, why not treat them to this fancy feeder from Italian designer homewares brand Alessi. Shop here.
Maison Margiela Replica Jazz Club Eau De Toilette
Price: $215
With notes of rum absolute, vanilla beans, and pink pepper, Jazz Club is a favourite in the Maison Margiela fragrance line. Designed to evoke a specific time and place, Jazz Club is Brooklyn back in 2013, with Martinis and whisky, cigars, and moody jazz in a proper dive bar. Shop here.
Juliette Has A Gun Not A Perfume Shower Gel
Price: $51
Created by the grandson of fashion stylist Nina Ricci, the French perfume brand Juliette Has A Gun pays homage to the Shakespearean classic with romantic yet modern fragrances. This shower gel is blended with the brand's most popular scent, Not A Perfume and leaves soft, amber and musk notes on the skin. Shop here.
Coach Colourblock Leather Kia Circle Bag
Price: $316
Coach is really having a moment right now, delivering a whole universe of affordable luxury accessories, including this cute 70s-inspired circle bag. Shop here.
Sophie Bille Brahe Velvet Jewellery Box
Price: $169
This luxe jewellery case from Scandinavian designer Sophie Bille Brahe works as a pretty ornament for the bedroom and as a great way to store a precious pair of earrings, rings, or their fave necklace. We love the emerald green colour and the silky Art Deco-style tassel. Shop here.
Smythson Panama Travels and Experiences Leather Notebook
Price: $88
When it comes to stationery, it really doesn't get much more luxury than Smythson. This pocket-sized notebook features Smython's famous featherweight pages and comes in a fancy box that's perfect for gifting. Shop here.
Philips Hue Play Gradient Lightstrip
Price: From $439
They've got the flatscreen TV, the la-Z-boys and the surround sound system so now all they need is some boujee AF surround lighting. Enter the Philips Hue Gradient Lightstrip, a 55", 65" or 75" LED strip that utilises the HDMI sync box to flawlessly mimic and blend the colours from the action on screen that will take their home cinema experience to the next level. Shop here.
The Laundress x Le Labo Santal 33 Signature Detergent
Price: $104
A bottle of Le Labo's ultra-famous "Santal 33" fragrance might set you back a few hundred dollars, but this cute collab with The Laundress comes in at under $100. And, who wouldn't want their laundry to smell like Santal, seriously? Shop here.
Veuve Clicquot NV Ice Jacket
If you know someone who is never far from a glass of champers, this Ice Jacket from Veuve Clicquot is sure to hit the mark. This charming reusable ice jacket—made sustainably from 100% recycled plastic using waste-free 3D knitting technology—will keep your already chilled bottle cold for up to two hours. Shop here.
Hermès Satin Lipstick
Price: $147
Yep, $147 for lipstick is extreme. But for any die-hard Hermès fan, this little slice of the luxury French fashion house, which comes wrapped up in a signature Hermès orange box, will surely make them swoon. Shop here.
Can't give your present in person? Check out these gift deliveries.
Image credit: Maison Margiela, Prada, Hermès.
Editor's note: Urban List editors independently select and write about stuff we love and think you'll like too. Urban List has affiliate partnerships, so we get revenue from your purchase.