This is a gift guide for those of you who have older kids who have learned about really high-end brands (often via memes on Tiktok or Instagram) and are really into that whole world. If you know someone who aches for the luxe life even when it’s out of reach, I’ve collected the most affordable items from the fanciest brands — mostly from their beauty and skincare lines. Yes, a $ 4000 handbag or $ 2000 trench coat is out of reach for pretty much all of us, but pulling out a Gucci lip balm from your backpack still feels like a mini-luxury.
Let’s jump in:
Chanel Lip Balm, $ 25
Available in five shades.
Chanel Deodorant Stick, $ 25/
There are 8 different options, mostly for men, and several are exclusive to their website. (I’m linking to the one pictured, but if you do a search for deodorant stick on the Chanel site, the rest will show up.)
Chanel Anti pollution Cleansing Oil, $ 45
There’s also Anti-Pollution Cleansing Milk-to-Oil for the same price.
Chanel Multi-Use Glow Stick, $ 45
Four shades available.
Chanel No. 5 The Bath Soap $ 26
There are two other bath soaps available on their site, both for the same price (search bath soap to find them).
Gucci Nail Polish, $ 28
There are 5 shades in their capsule collection.
Gucci Gel Face Gloss, $ 33
Gucci Goldie Red 25 Lipstick, $ 42
The work Gucci puts out is always new and interesting to me. Visit the landing page for Goldie Red 25 to see what I mean — it definitely made me want to buy this lipstick. : )
Dior Eyelash Curler $ 25
Dior Lip Tattoo Colored Tints, $ 30
Available in five shades.
Burberry Lip Gloss, $ 29
Available in 11 colors, or should I say colours.
Burberry Nail Polish $ 23
Also available in 11 colours.
Hermes Glycerin Soap, $ 30
There are a few other soaps in the $ 30-$ 40 range on the site if you want to search them out (just search the word: soap).
From Prada, there’s nothing in the $ 25 to $ 50 range, but there are a few options in the under $ 100 range. And remember: If you’re going to spend $ 100+ on a bottle of Prada fragrance, why not order directly from Prada?
Prada Candy Fragrance, $ 65.
Prada Water bottle, $ 75
Prada Cutlery Set, $ 75
That’s the list — even if I’m not buying, browsing their websites is enjoyable to me. They’re all incredibly well designed. If you’re into this, there are other fun high-end brands you can explore. I chose the ones above because I was guessing they are the names most likely to be familiar to those who have recently fallen in love with the world of fashion.
Two more notes: 1) The idea is to purchase these items directly from the brand when possible (versus going to a department store), so that the packaging that arrives is branded too, which I think is more fun for the recipient. 2) Related, if you’re planning to buy perfume for any gifts this year, I recommend buying it directly from the brands. My thinking is that Chanel perfume is expensive wherever you buy it, so if it’s on your list, why not shop directly from Chanel and get their pretty packaging?
Your turn: does anyone in particular come to mind when you see this list? Do any of your kids search The Real Real each day looking for a fashion treasure?
I’d also love to hear if this kind of thing has no appeal to you. I’m aware that we see the water bottle, and lip gloss, and bar soap, and deodorant, and know we can get perfectly good (even great!) versions at the grocery store for a fraction of the cost. Does interest in fashion brands drive you crazy?
P.S. — From Louis Vuitton, the most affordable thing I could find was in the $ 250 range.
P.P.S. — More shopping and gift guides.
