Art & Fashion, Events, News
Dec 16, 2015

THE #PPLA 2015 HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE (+ GIVEAWAY)

It’s the holidays! While we’re all meant to spread happiness and cheer the prospect of holiday shopping can cause anxiety more so than giddiness. So we here at Press Pass LA have decided to cultivate our first annual Holiday Gift Guide for you all! Boss, Bestie, Boyfriend? Don’t worry we have them covered.

HolidayGiftGuideEverything from small stocking stuffers, to work appropriate gifts, and elaborate indulgences to spoil your loved ones are included in our top picks for you this holiday season. Lets fill those stocking with our favorite picks for stocking stuffers:

Piper Home Security makes a mini phone charger that has a sleek cylindrical design and gives your phone several full charges. We love it in matte black.

Flash Tattoos, yes we are still obsessed. You can’t go wrong with a little golden body art to add a lil “Je ne sais quoi” to your outfit. Head over to Flashtat.com; to browse their extensive collection. We won’t tell if you buy one for yourself as well.

Lush Cosmetics makes the absolute best bath bombs on the planet. Whether you’re filling your loved ones stocking or gifting a co-worker, these bath bombs are sure to win everyone over. They’ve come out with special holiday edition scents and shapes as well.

Joico is known for their high end hair products. With a great price point, and products that leave you looking and smelling amazing these make the perfect stocking stuffer! Lets face it putting in extra hours to meet deadlines and then running out to holiday parties can leave your hair feeling as exhausted as you can be. That’s why our staff pick is Joico’s dry shampoo to give your hair that little extra “umph” it needs. We also love Joico’s ‘Flip Turn’ for keeping our hairstyle in place all night long without that crunchy effect some sprays leave you feeling.

Need a little gift for a make up junkie? Make sure to grab Becca Cosmetics X Jaclyn Hill’s ‘Champagne Pop’ palette. With three irresistible highlight shades your makeup junkie is sure to be delighted.

Want something with a tad more flair? Try snagging an iPhone case from Wildflower Cases. A celeb favorite; thanks to their cute and simple designs. We all know one friend whose dying for a pizza iphone cover and Kitson has answered your prayer with the Wildflower line.

Want to step up your gifting game in this year’s “White Elephant” gift exchange? We have come up with an array of choices that are sure to leave everyone from your distant cousin to your bestie in a swoon. Check out fashion line Night Walker’s clutches. Delivered stateside by the land down under you can find their intricate yet simple clutches at both Nasty Gal and Revolve. Always remember: designers keep certain collection pieces on the site. Best to cross all your “t’s” and dot all your “i’s” before picking your favorite.HolidayGiftGuide

We’re wild over Viktor and Rolf here at PPLA. That’s why against our “no scent giving silent policy”; we’re saying give a perfume. But, yes there is a but! Only gift perfume if you know the person well. If so then we highly recommend Viktor and Rolf’s scents. ‘Spice Bomb’ is a whirlwind of manly spice for men, while ‘Bon Bon’ is sweet and ‘Flowerbomb’ is seductively understated.

Give a gift with meaning this year. Head over to Brave Chick’s and check out their incredible line of jewelry. Their about me section is a MUST read. Every piece of jewelry made by Brave Chicks has a rich story behind it’s beautiful precious stone exterior.

Is your boss in on the White Elephant? That’s great! Try gifting our favorite holiday “adult beverage” checkout LaMarca’s: Prosecco. This Italian sparkling wine is perfect as a party favor or gift. We even saw a maraschino cherry + prosecco recipe floating around online. Yum!

Still having a hard time? We’ve got you. Eyebuydirect.com has recently picked up RFLKT. That’s right we’re naming glasses as a best given gift. Not only is it simple and easy to order, you can choose between prescription glasses or sunnies all in the same shade. We’re feeling festive with our ‘Aurora’ shades. With as often as people lose their glasses we feel that the gift of sight or sunnies will be a welcome addition to their gifts received.

Need a classier route? Check out The Culver Hotel in Culver City CA. If you’re in LA we highly recommend either spoiling yourself this holiday season or buying a gift certificate for dinner and drinks inside this vintage hotel full of rich Hollywood history. The upstairs lounge reminds visitors of “a speak easy” with a bit of prohibition’s cheeky defiance and love of craft cocktails. Fun fact: The Culver hotel was once owned by the incomparable; Charlie Chaplin, who lost it in a poker match to the legendary John Wayne.

Fresh beauty has the most gorgeous gift wrapped presents this year! We swooned at the office when the packages arrived. The team at Fresh has outdone themselves for the holidays. They’ve created a perfectly balanced spectrum of beauty gifts. From nineteen dollars and up you can pick and choose which gift set is best for you. They currently have a seasonal only pop up shop located in the heart of The Grove here in LA. Make sure to visit before they’re all gone.

Hit the refresh button on your skin this year with Rodan and Field’s “Soothe Regime” After a full year of hearing about R&F we’ve taken the plunge and tried their products here at PPLA. The results leave your skin dewy and full of life. This is definitely on the top of our list for the person in your life you want to have control of their skin! Let us know your results (or theirs) once you’ve had a chance to see the product in action. We know it will be a win-win situation.

HolidayGiftGuideIs there a beer lover in your life? We are obsessed with the creative talents of husband and wife duo: of Artech Studios. With hand blown glass beer tumbles you’ll never drink out of style again. You can choose from an array of colors and prints like: “Chill, Fill, Enjoy!, Rinse Repeat.” Our Canadian readers will be happy to know that this brand is Canadian and you can take glass blowing classes with the very people who make your tumblers. Or perhaps your bestie is more of a vodka gal? Our pick is Organic Mixology vodka-based liqueurs made from organic sugar cane with the finest organic and natural ingredients. These 30 Proof mixologist- designed liqueurs by Natalie Bovis, The Liquid Muse, are USDA organic and available in  four delectable flavors: Coconut Lychee, Meyer Lemon Ginger, Cranberry Blood Orange and Dark Chocolate Sea Salt. The best part about the brand is that it’s the gift that keeps on giving! For every bottle purchased, Organic Mixology donates to plant a tree through the charitable organization Trees for the Future.

Finally we come to our top 4 indulge gifts:

For him we recommend a Citizen watch available at Sears. You can’t go wrong with a classic, so upgrade him to his big boy watch this year if you or he hasn’t already.

Ladies your life will never be the same once you book a facial at The Larchmont Sanctuary Spa. The Environ facial hails it’s medical grade product all the way from South Africa! The experience lasts 90 mins, and includes a neck, and shoulder massage along with a foot scrub and massage. Did you call? Because we already set up our next appointment. Liz is a wiz in the room. She expertly applies every layer, removes, repeats, and surprises you with a mask technique for cleaning your pores and revitalizing you collagen you’ve never seen before. The full Environ Facial runs for about two hundred. We did say this was the indulge gift but it is worth it.

HolidayGiftGuideNext up is T3 Micro. This incredible hair styling brand has quickly emerged from a budding newbie on the market to Allure Magazine’s 2015 best of beauty winner. With so many entries it’s no small feat to win! We couldn’t agree more and that’s why T3’s ‘Whirl Trip Interchangeable Styling Wand is a MUST. So many styles so little time. What are you waiting for? Go get one. Plus it’s a beautiful curling iron.

Finally we come to our number one; no competitors in sight: The Temptu Air. Ahhh, yes. You can now re-create the magic of a professional airbrush machine in your own home with the portable and adaptable Temptu Air. Thinking of it as an airbrush can be intimidating but once you get the hang of it (just a few tries, quick and simple) you’ll never consider brush and foundation application again. The Temptu air has just launched at Nordstrom and the line features a variety of foundations, blushes, bronzers, and highlighters. The days of a million brushes will be behind your once this is in your possession.

Looking for something to wear? We know attending holiday parties can be exhausting and everyone deserves to look stylish while also remaining warm! Which is why we recommend checking out Frangi Pangi. This hosiery line was designed with every woman in mind. Long gone are the days of your legs gleaming too white or too dark. They’ve created a rainbow of skin color assortments to ensure your legs look right and stay warm all the time. Try them out yourself or gift them as a stocking stuffer!

One lucky reader will get to try a selection of these products for themselves on us! Simply Tweet or Share this article and hashtag #PPLASecretSanta.

Happy Holidays from all of us here at Press Pass LA. Let us know what your favorite gifts were!

Reported by Carolina Bonetti