Melanie Morris on presents from the beauty counter and Deirdre McQuillan on wearable giveables.
Melanie Morris: When buying beauty products for others, remember:
Diptique candle, €40 from Nue Blue Eriu. The Pomander scent is particularly festive.
Lush Santa Baby, €64.95 from Lush, Dublin and Belfast. A huge hatbox full of festive bath ballistics and soaps.
Ultimate Relaxation Hamper, €69 from www.4giftsdirect.com. Everything from waffle slippers and pillow to an exfoliation brush and bath cream.
Roger & Gallet soap sets, €16, available countrywide. Green Tea, Sandalwood or Tea Rose variants are contemporary classics that make great hostess gifts.
Origins Everything Nice bubble bath, €28.50 from Arnotts. A big tub of foaming cream that's deliciously scented with orange, clove, cinnamon and ginger.
Clinique Body Butters, from €39 from counters countrywide. In three Clinique fragrances - Heart, Happy and Simply - these rich creams soften and scent skin.
Shu Uemura Cleansing Oils, stg £175, mail order from 00-44-207-235-2375. Limited- edition set of the cult product with bottles designed by Japanese artist Iai Yamaguchi. A collector's edition - too good to use!
Pout Cherry Cheeks, €30, from Brown Thomas. With pocket for the accompanying lip gloss.
Crème de La Mer Theo Fennell set, €400 from Brown Thomas. Face and eye cream with bespoke sterling silver lids. Luxe unlimited.
Bobbi Brown Train Case, €90 from Brown Thomas. A grown-up cosmetics case that will stand the test of time.
Chanel Sparkling Eyeshadow, €34 from counters. Swirls of gold, silver and bronze, erupting like lava from a chic, limited-edition compact.
Estée Lauder Vintage Holiday Compact, €52 from counters. Retro design housing Golden Shimmer Powder. Stylish and great value.
YSL Calligraphy Coffret, €49.50 from counters. Three pots of coloured eyeliner, a selection of brushes and instructions on how to draw the perfect line.
MAC 7 Face Sparkle kit, €47.20 from Dublin Airport. A gem-studded palette that houses the most wearable matte and sparkling shades - plus brushes.
Smashbox Mini Gloss Trio, €18 from Arnotts. Three of their best-selling glosses, housed in a mirrored box.
Hard Candy Midnight Snack Kit, €19 from Boots, Liffey Valley. Pocket sized tasty glosses in a refrigerator-like box. Great for teens.
Deirdre McQuillan:
Fans of Peter O'Brien's clothes will love the five cards he has designed. Each of these miniature works of art (170mm x 170mm) is hand finished and printed on quality watercolour paper and retail at €35 per set at the Tramyard Gallery in Dalkey. Also on sale will be a selection of his original fashion drawings and signed prints. Contact the Gallery at 01-2351346.
Propaganda Dublin started life with two friends selling T-shirts in Cow's Lane. Now they expect to have around 40 retailers for their spring/summer season. With slogans such as "Havana Laughs with the Lads" and "Your Pub Needs You", this streetwear would make fun Christmas gifts. And at €25-€30 for T-shirts and €55-€60 for hoodies, it's reasonably priced. For stockists, contact Richard Doody at 086-0666352 or see www.propagandadublin.com
In-your-face glamour for under €50? This bright red tuxedo costs €20 and the trousers €13; add to it the diamanté belt for €4 (worn as a necklace) and lace plunge bra for €6 and a few diamanté bracelets at €1.50 each, and you're off to the party in style. All from Penneys countrywide.
A new lingerie boutique called Beneath opened in Cow's Lane recently, inspired by Victoria's Secret in the US. Long, narrow T-shirts in unusual colours with three-quarters sleeves that look great with jeans are by C & C California, while slim boxers for women - the new shape replacing the dreaded thong - come in green lace or polka dots from Australia. Beneath also has a dedicated bridal section. Beneath, 1 Cow's Lane, Temple Bar, Dublin 8 (01-6745983).
Chesneau has launched a new range of bags for the Christmas season. Called the "Mini Mi", in crocodile and quilted leather, they come in red, green and pink and cost €135. Given that bags from the Chesneau stable cost from €250, the "Mini Mi" is an affordable alternative. Chesneau is at 37 Wicklow Street, Dublin, (01-6729199).
An Irish company called NikoLa is producing a stylishly embroidered Christmas stocking, mixing fabrics and colours. Makes a change from the usual Santa numbers. NikoLa's range is in Avoca Handweavers at €29.95.
Babouche, those flat leather soled traditional Moroccan slippers, are now made in all sorts of appealing guises, in suede, leather or in textile fabrics such as brocades or silks (see below). Pretty sequin-studded leather slippers for children are €10 and red silk ones for adults are €15. There are also black suede versions for men. They can be purchased from Louise Gallagher Interiors, contact 087-2369338/ 086-2744742.