This isn’t really a serious Christmas list – first of all, it’s obviously way too late for that and second, I don’t expect anyone to give me these things. It’s mostly a collection of objects I like and consider getting for myself, in case realistic. The good news is that I don’t get as excited about things as I used to; the bad news is that IF I get excited, it’s almost guaranteed to be something expensive.

Celine scents. My perfume buying has slowed down considerably, but there are still things that get my heart racing – this set of Celine miniatures being a case in point. The ones I’ve tried from the line are really nice (there’s a lot of iris happening and I very much approve of this) and the bottles are gorgeous. Do I need another perfume? Absolutely not. Am I going to buy this next year? Very likely.

Victoria Beckham lipstick. My love for Victoria Beckham is well documented and nothing has changed in 2020, despite the fact that her Lid Lustre was a slight disappointment (the black eye pencil is insane, however, and the eyeshadows are beautiful). So even though no-one is going to see my lips in public for a while, I must have one of VB’s Posh lipsticks: I’m pretty sure that Sway is the right colour for me. The other makeup collection that has been tempting me is Byredo’s – the colour sticks look particularly good.

Boy Smells candles. I love my Diptyques and Jo Malones and Cire Trudons and Bella Freuds, but I’ve been curious about Boy Smells for a while. Luxury candles tend to be rather classic, so it’s interesting to see how the concept can be taken in a more modern direction. Recently, Sali Hughes gave these her seal of approval, which obviously did not decrease my excitement. See also: Overose, Amoln, Saint Fragrance.

The Vampire’s Wife dress. I have been lusting for The Vampire’s Wife dresses for years and obviously, before I got rich enough, they became extremely popular and are now worn by everybody who, unlike me, happens to be rich enough. I try not to hold it against the VW, as the dresses are still beautiful, the best Gothic elegance available. My absolute favourites are The Cate and The Frill Seeker, but the ubiquitous Falconetti is indeed gorgeous as well. For more official or minimalist occasions, Lilli Jahilo’s dresses (as pictured) will also do the trick.

Khrisjoy puffer. On the other side of the spectrum, I have been looking for a cool puffer coat/jacket and Khrisjoy’s are the coolest I’ve found. Unfortunately, they are also pretty much the most expensive ones I’ve found, which is why I still don’t own a puffer jacket (I do have a Uniqlo puffer coat, but it’s extremely boring). If you can think of something with a similar aesthetic but ideally, ten times less expensive, feel free to share in the comments.

Kristel Kuslapuu hat. I own several hats, but the problem is that they are all made of cashmere. While I admit that this isn’t usually not considered a problem, it is in this case: cashmere hats are almost always rather thin and my ears are very cold-averse. Which means that I need to find something thicker and equally non-itchy. Kristel Kuslapuu’s hats come highly recommended and I will get one before this winter is over (she has some pretty radical knitwear as well).

Great Jones The Duchess Dutch Oven. I have a very soft spot for beautiful cookware and Dutch ovens in particular. I already have a Le Creuset, but isn’t The Duchess gorgeous? I’m especially smitten with the green and yellow versions.

Ferm Living Champagne glasses. I did in fact alreay try to buy these as a gift for J, but unfortunately they were and are out of stock, even if the web site claims otherwise. I love this minimal, but non-boring, vaguely mid-century style. In addition to chamapgne, you could use these for martinis and desserts. The rest of the line is nice, too.

Shahnameh and Sappho. I usually don’t have any books on my wishlist, because if there is something I want to read, I pretty much order it immediately. There are two items, however, that I have been planning to get and still haven’t, as they’ve been out of stock or otherwise difficult to order. The first is a beautifully illustrated version of Shahnameh, the Persian epic written by Ferdowsi at the turn of the tenth century. The other is a translation of all Sappho’s poems by Diane J. Rayor. I love Sappho and this specific translation was praised in one of the books on Ancient Greece I read (was it Mandelsohn, perhaps?) and I have hunted it ever since.

I’m wearing Lilli Jahilo’s Winslet dress. The pictures are by Laura Nestor and MUAH by Lembe Lemmiksoo.