Gifts

Beauty

The New Beauty Products To Shop This Month According To Our Beauty Editor

Welcome to the most fabulous corner of the internet—Urban List's destination for the picks of the beauty crop. This month, our fave haircare has a glow up, there's new scents galore, indie brands are having a *moment* and a new immersive beauty space. 

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The Best Jewellers In New Zealand

When it comes to finding beautiful gems, trinkets, and treasures, look no further than New Zealand’s best jewellers. From a little to-me-from-me piece to finding the ring for your loved one, there’s a shiny keepsake waiting to be uncovered. 

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Gorgeous Mother’s Day Gift Ideas From Local NZ Businesses

Mother’s Day is just around the corner, and while there’s absolutely nothing wrong with a last-minute supermarket flower run (we’ve all been there), this year we’re thinking a little more local.

Beauty

Tonic Room

If you're hunting for the perfect rejuvenating gift for yourself or a loved one this Christmas look no further than Tronque x Tonic Room's gorgeous Summer Glow-up Body Treatment.

Homewares

Johnny Jungle

If you're a plant enthusiast, no doubt you will have come across online plant phenomenon Johnny Jungle on your plant acquisition journey. Well, now you can stalk your next plant baby in person as the slick online store has just put down physical roots in Ponsonby Central. 

Homewares

The Arts House Trust

The Arts House Trust holds one of the most extensive collections of contemporary art in New Zealand. Located in the stunning historic Pah Homestead, in Hillsborough's Monte Cecilia Park, it is host to a regular rotation of art exhibitions from Aotearoa artists, with works selected from the 9000 plus collection and host to nationally touring exhibitions.

Shopping

16 Ways To Embrace Mocha Mousse AKA The Pantone Colour Of The Year 2025

Pantone has been selecting its Colour of the Year for more than a decade now and in 2025, that honour goes to Mocha Mousse (PANTONE 17-1230). According to the official Pantone website, this is a “warming, brown hue imbued with richness. It nurtures us with its suggestion of the delectable qualities of chocolate and coffee, answering our desire for comfort.”

Features

Here’s Where To Buy The Best Real Christmas Trees In Auckland This Year

To make things easy for you, we’ve created this list of the best places to buy your Christmas tree this year—now you have no reason to procrastinate!

Fashion

The Best Christmas Decorations In NZ To Deck Your Tree Out In 2024

Christmas is indeed the most wonderful time of the year and our fave part of the festivities is decorating the tree. That said, we've searched out the very best Christmas decorations money can buy, and we think you'll be impressed. From pop stars and film characters to pretend treats and treats proper (or at least, baubles filled with them), there's a lot to get excited about.

Homewares

Babylon Store

If you're a little plant-obsessed like us, and enjoy filling up your home (and your 'Gram) with gorgeous greenery, then Babylon Store has got you covered. 

Homewares

Alex & Corban

Former winners of The Block NZ, Alex and Corban have made names for themselves in the world of homewares. Their homeware store stocks quirky brands from all around the world, each with unique designs. Take a slice of your favourite cultures back home. Alex and Corban's style can influence yours to give you great interior inspiration and items without the hefty price tag. The store items are mostly minimalistic in style with natural tones, beauty, character and class. Skincare and beauty, curated book selections, beautiful and eclectic gifts, kitchenware, lifestyle items and more. 

Homewares

Madder and Rouge

If you’re after a cosmopolitan art nouveau style interior, Madder and Rouge is THE place you want to go. With wanderlust owners, their pieces are sourced from all over the world. Every item is not only stunning, but quality made. With French/Indian vibes, Madder and Rouge are perfect for all things artsy and bold with pieces that will give character to every room of the house.

Shopping

Auckland’s Best Christmas Markets To Visit This Festive Season

We love a good market, especially one with the word 'Christmas' attached! So hop in the car, crank up the Mariah (your secret's safe with us) and head along to one of these incredible Christmas markets coming to Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland this holiday season.

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The Best Adult Advent Calendars In NZ So You Can Count Down To Christmas

Welcome to 2024, where advent calendars are as big of a deal for adults as they are for children, and filled with so much more than cheap choccy. We're talking beauty products, booze, and even treats for in the bedroom (there's a reason Santa has a naughty list).

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The Best Father’s Day Gifts To Shop In 2024

From limited edition beer collabs and linen pants to packable day packs, and an edition outdoor oven, check out our hit list of the best Father's Day gifts to shop this year. 

Homewares

Tessuti

If you're looking for effortless chic, look no further than Tessuti. Jam-packed with beautifully curated pieces, this Herne Bay store does minimalism like no other. For those who love a good shop, their store has a relaxing atmosphere to enjoy as you browse for the perfect piece to walk away with. Stocking everything from socks, perfume and jewellery, to linens, kitchenware and furniture, it's a must-visit for those looking to up their interiors game! 

Gifts

Monstera

For those of you with a love for lush decor, get ready for this. Auckland has just welcomed its very first indoor plant store, and it’s more glam than we ever imagined.

Fashion

Miramôr

The secret’s out. Tucked away behind two hidden doors, you’ll stumble upon Auckland’s newest—and most stunning—jewellery studio. Since launching in 2016, Miramôr has been shaking up Auckland’s jewellery scene with their beautiful, handmade designs.

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The Best Engagement Rings In NZ To Secure A Yes

Popping that pretty question can be a nerve-racking time—we get that. What should be a piece of cake, however, is picking out that sparkling little something to seal the deal with. Here’s your definitive list of the best places to shop for engagement rings in New Zealand.

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Mother’s Day Gifts: Thoughtful Gifts For Every Type Of Mum

Find the perfect Mother's Day gift for the most important woman in your life. Our hand-picked selection of unique and thoughtful gifts is sure to make her day.

Fashion

Afterpay Day New Zealand 2024: The Best Deals To Shop This March

The first Afterpay Day sale of 2024 officially kicks off in New Zealand on Thursday 14 March. Shop the best deals on fashion, beauty, and homewares. Get discounts from top brands like The North Face, Culture Kings, Glassons, and more. 

Food & Drink

Devonport Chocolates

Oh, how we love visiting Devonport Chocolates. The boutique chocolate store specialises in quality handmade chocolates and truffles that are not only delicious but also oh-so pretty—half the fun of visiting the store is simply gazing at all the intricately crafted treats. The chocolates and truffles come in a vast selection of flavours. Think strawberry rose wine, flat white, passionfruit honey and limoncello—you name it and chances are they have it! We’re particularly fond of their chocolate figurines in shapes such as a penguin, cat, purse and a high heel shoe. Grab a chocolatey treat for your loved one or simply spoil yourself—go on, you deserve it!

Cafes

Petal Cupcakes

Located on Newmarket’s Teed Street, Petal Cupcakes is your one stop shop for a real ‘sweet’ gift… or a treat for yourself! Specialising in—you guessed it—cupcakes, Petal Cupcakes have up to 20 flavours available on any given day. The have all your classics (vanilla, raspberry and double chocolate), as well as some more unique flavours (black Doris plum, tropical mango and golden syrup). Buy a single cupcake or opt for a four, six or 12 pack. Trust us when we say, one is simply not enough—they’re absolutely delish and very moreish.

Gifts

Iko Iko

If you’re after a lil something-something to gift to your mother, brother or lover, look no further than Ponsonby Road gift shop Iko Iko. We could quite happily spend hours browsing through the store’s delightful nick nacks, homewares and stationery. Here you’ll find everything from New Zealand-shaped cookie cutters and tiki salad servers, to inflatable flamingos and Justin Bieber posters. We guarantee you’ll leave the store with not only a gift for your loved one, but also a little treat (or two) for yourself.

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The Best Flower Delivery And Florists In Auckland Right Now

There simply isn’t an occasion that doesn’t call for a beautiful bunch of flowers. 

Gifts

20 Of The Best Valentine’s Day Gift Ideas To Upgrade Your Lover’s Life

Upgrade everything from picnic dates to love-making with these great gifts.

Food & Drink

From Boujee Bar Carts To Granite Chilling Stones, These Are The Best Whisky-Themed Chrissy Gifts

Chances are there’s a whisky connoisseur in your life. They’re deeply passionate about their spirit of choice and could talk your ear off about whisky-this and whisky-that. But what on earth do you get them as a meaningful Christmas gift?

Cafes

The Botanist

It’s not everyday that you are able to wine and dine amongst blossoming flowers and greenery. The Botanist in City Works Depot is the collision of a café, wine bar and florist, so your options are endless. With a team made up of restaurateurs, florists and sommaliers, the experience you get at The Botanist is truly inventive and invigorating.

Gifts

Flowers After Hours

Flowers After Hours, located in trendy Parnell, has been bringing joy to Aucklanders for the past 25 years. The specialized team of florists behind Flowers After Hours consistently create unique bouquets and arrangements that are a beautiful way to complement any occasion, from corporate events and product launches to dinner parties and special gifts.

Fashion

Pah Gallery

Pah Gallery is part of Pah Homestead, located in Hillsborough. The carefully selected exhibitions are astounding and complex. Pah Gallery’s unusual location, and unique exhibitions are inspiring to even the most un-artistic of us. Alongside Pah Gallery is its very own gift shop, showcasing talent from all over New Zealand, with a large proportion from Auckland. There's plenty of gifts and products on display—handcrafted, exquisite and always changing. 

Gifts

The Best NZ Christmas Gift Ideas So You Can Smash Out Your List For 2023

Shop our selection of the best Christmas gift ideas this side of the North Pole.

Fashion

The Best Christmas Pyjamas In NZ To Get Into The Festive Spirit

We’ve always been a fan of a pyjama party and, while we’re not a fan of Christmas carols outside of December, we absolutely condone a sneaky transition to festive PJs. Let’s be honest, the festive PJ season really begins at Midwinter Christmas anyway. Here are the best pyjamas to rock around the Christmas tree in this December. 

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9 Of The Best Florists In Tauranga For Magnificent Blooms

Who doesn’t like getting surprised with a bunch of blooms? They’re pretty, smell delightful, and make you feel oh-so-loved. 

Food & Drink

Victoria Park Market

After a rather long stint in the shadows, the iconic Victoria Park Market has been returned to its former gorgeous self. It’s looking shiny and new, but with the exposed brick and community feel that made Aucklanders fall in love with the place all those years ago. Victoria Park Market’s re-development has seen a number of stores move in as well as some great bars and restaurants, old and new. 

Cafes

Scarecrow

Urban farmers market, gourmet kitchen, florist, and ultimate playground for anyone who loves local, artisan food, Scarecrow on Victoria Street West might just be the one of city’s coolest openings this year. Scarecrow stocks over 120 products from the best artisan producers in the area—we’re talking chocolate, wine, bread (three of life’s guilty pleasures) and heaps of other goodies that you’ll want to get your hands on. Scarecrow also has an excellent menu, or pick up a sammie and enjoy it next door at Albert Park. 

Homewares

Presentz

Presentz on Richmond Road in Grey Lynn likes to do things a bit different. Like it’s name, the gifts inside are equal parts quirky, fun and New-Zealand inspired. Presentz is one of those gift shops that you look forward to visiting because the offerings are an eclectic amalgam of things that you never knew existed but somehow always wanted.

Things To Do

Devonport | The Best Things To Eat, Drink And Do In This Charming North Shore Village

Could Devonport be Auckland's most charming suburb? Its old-fashioned villas, picturesque gardens and character buildings are straight out of a storybook, while it also happens to be located right beside the sea and beneath the watchful eye of not one, but two volcanic mountains. 

Gifts

The Best Mother’s Day Gifts For Every Type Of Mum (And Budget)

From statement earrings and sleep-supporting tea to illuminating skincare and cosy knitwear, shop our thoughtfully curated list of Mother's Day gifts.

Features

Epic NZ Made, Eco Friendly And Sustainable Products So You Can Keep Our Planet In Mind

Shopping sustainably is becoming easier and easier, with more local NZ brands being launched all the time specifically developed to be way better for the environment than their predecessors. We've filled our list with some of the lesser-known brands, so you can support small business while you build your more sustainable life.

Homewares

Saigon Crafts

Saigon Crafts on Jervois Road in Ponsonby is a conduit for Vietnamese culture here in Auckland City. Working directly with Vietnamese crafts people and artists, Saigon Crafts imports hand-made quality gifts that truly are one-of-a-kind.

Homewares

Shut The Front Door Ponsonby

Shut the Front Door is about the coolest name, for a homewares store, that we’ve ever heard. And tell you what, if the interior of our house was this awesome, we would want to shut the front door and stay at home forever. Shut the Front Door has one of the best assortments of homewares, furniture, nic nacs and just about anything you can think of, but cooler. In our minds, Shut the Front Door is one of the best home stores in Auckland.

Homewares

Flotsam and Jetsam

Ponsonby Road’s Flotsam and Jetsam is a treasure trove of old and new, and is one of Auckland’s best retro stores. The place is stocked with vintage glassware, mismatched cutlery and other quirky knickknacks (the kind you’d find at your nana’s). Whether you’re on the hunt for some Kiwi memorabilia, or a print or two to vamp up your walls, you’ll find it at Flotsam and Jetsam. Grab a fresh Little & Friday donut while you’re at it—they get delivered to Flotsam and Jetsam daily. 

Gifts

Wholesome Ways To Give Back This Christmas 2022

It's no secret we love Christmas and all the glitz and glam that comes with it, from beautifully wrapped gifts beneath pretty trees, to swanky end-of-year parties with fancy food and drink. However we also know that, as the Grinch himself discovered, 'Christmas means a little bit more'. It's about spending time with loved ones, creating special memories and most importantly—helping out those less fortunate than ourselves.

Gifts

14 Affordable Luxury Gifts To Give Someone Special In 2022

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.

Features

17 Epic Planet-Friendly Gifts For Giving Sustainably This Year

Make more conscious gifting decisions this Christmas.

Fashion

Flora Rose Studio Pop Up

For a curated collection of houseplants and flowers, look no further than new Auckland florist and interiors store, Flora Rose Studio pop up on Jervois Road. A collaboration between Gemma Yeoman of Flora n Fauna Styling and Rosie Holt from Rose Tinted Flowers, it’s the Auckland store to find the perfect gift this Christmas. 

Homewares

Flo & Frankie Newmarket

Shopping can sometimes feel like a mini mission, but Flo & Frankie make it considerably less daunting by packing fashion, design, lifestyle and homewares into one beautiful Newmarket store. We’re not surprised that it’s one of the best all-in-one shops in Auckland.

Gifts

Rose Tinted Flowers

There’s nothing like a bouquet of flowers to brighten up your day, and Rosie Holt of Rose Tinted Flowers makes some of the prettiest arrangements in town. Inspired by her florist mother, Rosie has jumped on the entrepreneurial bandwagon, and is now one of the best florists in Auckland creating gorgeous, dreamy bouquets.

Gifts

13 Steamy Gift Ideas For Couples And Lovers To Shop This Christmas

Forget choosing between naughty and nice this Christmas (it’s far too binary anyway) and dive into the pleasuredome with earth-shatteringly good sex toys for solo or two plus person play.

Entertainment

Take Your Binge-Watching To New Heights With Samsung’s Latest Mini Projector

Movie lovers and entertainers, we’ve got just the thing to level up your next binge-watching session or weekend crew hang. 

Gifts

The Best Gift Deliveries In New Zealand To Show Someone You Care

Receiving gifts never gets old, but when you're the one trying to come up with something new and exciting to give—it kinda can. Enter the following companies, who together offer a slew of unique and thoughtful goodies to show that someone spesh that you care.

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Here’s How You Can Win One Of Five $4,000 R.M.Williams Shopping Experiences

From August 11 until September 4, R.M.Williams is giving you the chance to score one of five shopping experiences, including a $4,000 voucher and a private styling appointment.

Health + Wellness

Say Goodbye To Plastic Bottles With These New Shampoo Bars That Actually Work

Say goodbye to plastic bottles and hello to healthy hair with Ecostore's new shampoo bars. 

Things To Do

6 Reasons You Need To Visit This Food & Entertainment Mecca On The GC

Nestled in the beating heart of Surfers Paradise, we’ve found the perfect place for the ultimate fun day out. Think: epic games, live sport and a total foodie nirvana. So where can you find this awesome spot? Perched on the corner of Surfers Paradise Boulevard and Cavill Mall, boasting a 100-metre frontage opposite the world-famous Surfers Paradise Beach, is Paradise Centre. Home to over 90 stores, an alfresco dining precinct and a buzzing entertainment hub, gather your crew and make tracks here stat.

U:L Recommends

6 Of The Best Florists In Wellington For Finding The Perfect Bouquet

Whether you’re saying congratulations, happy birthday, or just a simple I love you, a beautiful bouquet is always a good idea.

U:L Recommends

Lift Your Summer Wardrobe With These Fresh Summer Tees And Totes For Under $35

Urban List is turning 10 and we’re in the mood to celebrate. And what better way to celebrate than by dropping some sweet-looking merch just in time for your summer wardrobe refresh.

Homewares

The Lushest Places To Nab Indoor Plants In Auckland

Fun fact: Having pot plants around your home can benefit your breathing, increase your immunity, deter illness, and boost your overall mood! Plus they look nice and add 10+ adult points to your home. We’re sold!

Features

Make A Difference And Support These 6 Businesses Doing Better By Our Planet

The winners of The Circle Awards AUS & NZ 2021 have officially been announced, and our carts (and hearts) are full of sustainable swaps we never knew we needed.

Homewares

An Amazingly Lofty Plant Paradise Has Just Opened In St Heliers Village

The team behind the talented design and construction team Babylon Gardens—who have been creating beautiful landscapes in Auckland for over 10 years—have just opened the Babylon Store to help all plant-lover wannabes.

How Celebrated Kiwi Illustrator Bonnie Brown Of Studio Bon Landed Her Dream Job

Just in time for Mother’s Day, the Roses box is getting a new outfit by Bonnie Brown drawing inspiration from elements of the beautiful Aotearoa as an ode to thank all the unsung heroes who raised us.

What's On

Calling All Green Thumbs, A Massive Botanical Market Is Coming To Auckland

If one thing’s for sure, indoor plants sit in a very special place in our hearts these days. You know, those cute, spiky little cacti sitting on the windowsill, or those stunning, draping string of pearls hanging on the wall. Many of you will agree that having plants around the house just makes life better.

Features

Make A Beeline, Auckland’s Huge Plant Market Has Been Shifted To March

Load Up your boot on covetable botanical goodies at Auckland Plant Market happening on March 21 at Smales Farm. Expect botanical art, live music, cute planters, colorful pots, jewelry, and skincare so whether you’re looking for adorable little succulents or kokedamas, you can find it all here.

Features

Strive For Style Goals With The 10 Best Local Vintage Sellers On Instagram

Follow a few of these gems to fill up your feed with sustainable, original and drool-worthy fashion. 

Gifts

Auckland’s Best Florists

A tip from the extraordinary: When it comes down to it, nothing says ‘I think you’re pretty swell’ than a big, bright, beautiful bunch of flowers… So to make life easier for ya, here's a list of the very best florists Auckland has to offer.

Gifts

13 Of The Best Places To Buy Plants In Auckland

Fun fact: Having pot plants around your home can benefit your breathing, increase your immunity, deter illness, and boost your overall mood! Plus they look nice and add 10+ adult points to your home. We’re sold!