Get your loved ones a gift that will land right on their doormat and go straight to their heart.
RECOMMENDED: Check out the full Christmas gift guide
Thanks to the ingenious packaging this beautiful bouquet from fantastic florists Bloom & Wild will arrive, not a petal out of place. And if you’ve completely forgotten to buy a present for your Auntie Joyce, don’t panic, they can be ordered just two hours before delivery (in the London area only)
£25. www.bloomandwild.com
For a tenner a month (plus a little extra to cover post and packaging), the beauty queens at Birchbox will send out a box filled with five brilliant make-up, skin care or hair care products. They work with a mix of well-known names (think Benefit, Bliss and Cowshed) and under-the-radar gems and tailor the contents to the recipient’s tastes.
www.birchbox.co.uk
The perfect prezzie for anyone who loves London (and wants to get even more out of it) the Time Out Card offers exclusive access to a year’s worth of amazing, Time Out-endorsed events in the capital – from underground film screenings to one-of-a-kind dining experiences – as well as 2-for-1 discounts at top bars and restaurants, and free first-look screenings for the biggest films. Why not give someone the gift of an amazing 12 months in the city? Plus, right now, it’s half-price!
£24.50. www.timeout.com/card
We love Time Out, but you know what would make our pages that little bit better? Cats. Lots and lots of cats. Luckily our friends over at Puss Puss are making up for our shortcomings with a bi-annual glossy magazine dedicated to culture, fashion and, of course, felines.
£24. www.pusspussmagazine.com
Ensure that their new year's resolutions don’t fade into obscurity by January 3 by presenting your pal with a voucher for the School of Life. Sessions are headed up by experts and cover everything from the existential (‘How to Fill the God-shaped hole’) to the entrepreneurial. A thoughtful gift for a thoughtful friend – just hope they don’t start ‘life-coaching’ you à la Jeremy from ‘Peep Show’.
From £45. www.theschooloflife.com
Give the gift of craftsmanship this Christmas, with a lesson in leather from beautiful bag-maker Kate Sheridan. Over two hours the bag-lady (or gent) of your choosing will be given the materials and most importantly, the skills to whip up the best-selling Hex Bag in a fun- (and booze-) filled class. £180.
Email: info@katesheridan.com for availability and dates
It’s set to be a stellar year for the Tate, which will host exhibitions from big-hitters like Francis Bacon, Georgia O’Keeffe and Robert Rauschenberg. For £70, arty types get unlimited entry to shows at all four Tate galleries – including Liverpool and St Ives, if they can bear to head beyond the M25.
www.tate.org.uk
Christmas is great, but you know what it’s lacking? The fear factor. Scare the one you love by getting them tickets to ‘Goosebumps The Show’, the fantastic-looking immersive theatre experience, taking place in The Vaults beneath Waterloo Station, from April 23 2016. Mwah, ha, ha!
The perks of being a member of London’s most stylish museum are plenteous: you’ll snag exclusive previews of the V&A’s blockbuster exhibitions (next year’s big draw will be ‘Undressed,’ a celebration of all things underwear) and get unlimited priority access to the shows. The museum also attracts an illustrious line-up of speakers for itsmembershipevents:fashionduo Agi & Sam and cool knitwear gang Sibling have recently given talks.
From £64 per year. www.vam.ac.uk
Give someone a Blumen lovely time in Bray. Heston Blumenthal’s Michelin-starred pub, The Hinds Head, does bar grub that’s out of this world, including the scotch egg of your dreams. Time Out has an exclusive four-course set menu to offer, available Monday to Saturday, from January until the end of March. Nice day trip!
£45. www.timeout.com/hindshead
Membership for the Royal Academy starts at £97, and includes free exhibition entry for a friend so that dedicated culture vultures don’t have to fly solo. You’ll also receive the RA’s brilliant magazine and be the first to hear about the gallery’s programme of curator’s tours and expert talks.
www.royalacademy.org.uk
London doesn’t get much cuter than when you’re riding a vintage Routemaster around while taking afternoon tea for two. BB Bakery’s Vintage Afternoon Tea Bus Tour is a sightseeing trip with a difference. And that difference is cake.
£96. www.timeout.com/teatour
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