So you’ve booked your holidays, scheduled in catch-ups with the mates, and even invested in a dapper new wardrobe for Chrissy and New Year. But hang on, you’ve forgotten there’s still half a shopping list to get through – all those pressies for your loved ones.
Fear not for Cream has compiled our Trusty Last-Minute Christmas Gift Guide for you. Plenty of cool products for you to ponder: be it for your other half, the kids in your life, your folks, or your BFFs – heck, there’s something here for everyone.
Compiled by Antonino Tati + Lisa Andrews
↑ 01.
WHAT: Lomography La Sardinia Camera. DESCRIPTION: From the people who brought you the very arty and cool ‘Lomo’ style of photography (think Instagram-style vintage-looking photos but before everything went fully digital) comes this awesome antique-like camera complete with old-school flash that does a beaut job at taking cool and casual snaps. COST: $150. AVAILABLE: From QTique, the in-house gift stores housed in fabulous QT hotels; more information at www.qthotels.com.au.
↑ 02.
WHAT: Pure Evoke D4 Digital and FM Radio. DESCRIPTION: The standard Evoke D4 is a portable digital and FM radio with a striking walnut or oak veneer casing. The Evoke D4 with Bluetooth (available in ‘domino’ black or ‘glacier’ white) makes it simple to stream music from sites like Spotify or Pandora from your phone or tablet directly to your Evoke D4! COST: $249, or for the Evoke D4 with Bluetooth $299. AVAILABLE FROM: www.au.shop.pure.com.
↑ 03.
WHAT: Clearaudio Concept Wood Turntable. DESCRIPTION: If you’re keen to go old-school with your music listening, you may as well do it in style. And without the cumbersome hardware. Enter the Clearaudio Concept Wood – a master in disguise providing you with a stress-free, plug-and-play music listening experience. It features a stylus force that is preset, so it’s simply a matter of plugging it into the nearest electrical outlet and sticking its lead into an amp linked to speakers. COST: RRP $2,995. AVAILABLE: For stockists visit www.advanceaudio.com.au or phone (02) 9561 0799.
↑ 04.
WHAT: Ultrasone Performance 840 Headphones. DESCRIPTION: Featuring gold-plated, 40-millimetre sound transducer that offers impressible clarity, the Ultrasone headphones replay music as it was recorded and intended to be heard. Focussed bass ranges make these phones great for listening to everything from acoustic tunes to pounding club tracks, while the bass remains agile thanks to a complete ear cup composition. Also available are Ultrasone Performance 860 and 840 Headphones (for more information about each model, please visit their website). COST: Prices start from $399 for the Ultrasone Performance 840. AVAILABLE FROM: www.au.shop.pure.com.
↑ 05.
WHAT: Love Black Spectacles. DESCRIPTION: They’re a bit kooky so if standing out of the crowd at all those festivals and functions this season is what he or she is desiring, these Love L7003S Black framed specs might be just the fashionable ticket. COST: RRP $79. AVAILABLE FROM: www.clearly.com.au.
↑ 06.
WHAT: Eau de Gaga. DESCRIPTION: Nothing is off-limits with this unisex fragrance from the queen of pop-art (and pop-tartness, in fact). Eau de Gaga is an enigmatic scent built around omnipotent ingredients of white violet, lime along with “a sensual trail based on leather, adding a primal quality to the scent”. Yes, we’ve put some on and it does indeed get the right amount of attention! COST: RRP $49 for 50ml EDP; $69 for 75ml EDP. AVAILABLE: From Myer, Priceline and selected pharmacies nationally; for stockists phone 1800 812 663.
↑ 07.
WHAT: HTC Re Camera. DESCRIPTION: Looking rather like a periscope, the Re is a handheld device that’s simple to hold and operate. Just point, shoot and click. It’s not only clearly ergonomic and compact but water-proof, Olus it boasts a 146-degree wide-angle lens to shoot the best of what’s around you while you can enjoy the actual moment with your own eyes. COST: $199. AVAILABLE: For stockists visit www.htc.com/au or phone 1800 987 039.
↑ 08.
WHAT: ProQ BBQ. DESCRIPTION: Have something that not only does a brilliant job at cooking those sausages, steak and shrimp, but looks stylish doing it. The ProQ even roasts beef, lamb and chicken to perfection, turning into a rotisserie in seconds. COST: Starts at $399. AVAILABLE: Bot the ProQ Frontier which caters for up to 12 people, and the ProQ Excel 20, the larger and top-of-the-range version; for stockists visit www.proqsmokers.com.au.
↑ 09.
WHAT:DéLonghi ‘Dedica’ Manual Coffee Machine. DESCRIPTION:At only 15cm wide, the stylish machine is designed to fit any kitchen bench-top or office space, making it the perfect gift for inner-city dwellers. Giving you full control of the milk with a manual steam wand and offering dual function with the choice of pre-ground coffee or DéLonghi’s new Easy Service Espresso pods, the Dedica meets the demand for a convenient quality product with a low-ish price point. COST: $349. AVAILABLE: In red, black or silver, for stockists visit www.delonghi.com/en-au.
↑ 10.
WHAT: Ceylon Gold Five-Over-Ice Infuser. DESCRIPTION: How’s this for nifty? An infuser sits inside a small pitcher which sits inside a larger pitcher filled with ice to chill your tea. Produces up to 700ml of fresh iced tea with purchase including fine organic black tea leaves from the renowned Blackwood Estate in Sri Lanka! COST: $59.90. AVAILABLE: For stockists visit www.teaforte.com.au.
↑ 11.
WHAT: John Olsen Masini & Chern Pyjamas. DESCRIPTION: Hop into these comfy PJs emblazoned with the famous illustrated frog by iconic Aussie artists John Olsen. COST: Shirt and pant pyjama set $190; shorts $80. AVAILABLE: From Art Series Hotels’ new online retail outlet Artefact at www.artserieshotels.com.au/artefacts-shop.
↑ 12.
WHAT: Murphy & Daughters Bon Bon Soap. DESCRIPTION: These stylish soaps are made using natural and ethically sourced ingredients. Triple-milled French style and subtly fragrant, they are scented with essential oils from garden fresh herbs, flowers and citrus. Enriched with shea butter. Ten different colours and scents available (pictured, Green Tea). COST: $11 each, also available in gift boxes of four ($40) or eight ($80). AVAILABLE FROM: www.murphyanddaughters.com.au.
↑ 13.
WHAT: Eagle Creek Pack-It Cube Luggage. DESCRIPTION: Made for the smart traveller, the Cubes have a two-way zippered opening that allows for maximum compression for when you need to squeeze a lot into a little. These innovative pieces of lightweight luggage allow you to separate his and hers, or to simply isolate the clean from the dirty! AVAILABLE: For stockists visit www.eaglecreek.com.au.
↑ 14.
WHAT: Sol Republic Deck Ultra. DESCRIPTION: This wireless, Bluetooth-enabled speaker can hit such impressive decibels, it’s difficult to believe all that oomph can be packed into one sleek, slim design. Promises long battery life (22 hours after one full charge) and an extra 30 metres of wireless reach than the previous Deck model. Oh, and it allows up to five people to sync their MP3 players to the speaker so that everyone can play DJ. COST: RRP $249. AVAILABLE: From JB Hi Fi, Myer and Harvey Norman stores.
↑ 15.
WHAT: Silhouette Futura Sunglasses. DESCRIPTION: Not only are these sunnies utterly cool in their slick, vintage aesthetic, they’re made with premium lenses offering perfect protection from the sun, innovative snap-in temple construction, hard-to-break SPX+ polymer frame, and are ultra-light and a perfect fit. COST: RRP $530. AVAILABLE: For stockists phone 1300 100 512 or visit www.silhouette.com.
↑ 16.
WHAT: JBL Charge II Speaker. DESCRIPTION: A streamlined take on the original JBL Charge, this new speaker features two drivers and passive bass radiators for more oomph. Also, its Bluetooth connectivity allows for up to three people to play DJ – hopefully making arguments over music control redundant! COST: $229. AVAILABLE: From Dick Smith, Harvey Norman, JB Hi Fi, Good Guys and Bing Lee.
↑ 17.
WHAT: Johnny Romeo Print. DESCRIPTION: Appropriating comic book characters and bastardising brands left, right and centre, Aussie pop artist Johnny Romeo creates the most colourful works to dress up any old wall. Like the ‘Dinky Dime’ (2014) print, pictured. COST: $220 per print (note: the print pictured will not necessarily be available online but there is a huuuuge selection for you to peruse). AVAILABLE: From www.burattieditions.com.
↑ 18.
WHAT: ‘1001 Restaurants You Must Experience Before You’. Die. DESCRIPTION: An impressive coffee table tome containing just what its titles suggests, and, yes, the author does have good taste. Profiled are some of the world’s oldest and finest restaurants alongside fab and postmodern places to dine. For foodies who know better than to just rely on Yelp and Urban Spoon for suggestions. COST: RRP $49.99. AVAILABLE: From quality good book stores, physical and online.
↑ 19.
WHAT: ‘Breaking Bad’ Box Set. DESCRIPTION: Here it is: the complete collection of the coolest must-have-seen-it show of 2014. In case you’ve had your head in a cloud (of meth smoke, perhaps) the series follows the extraordinary story of a high-school-chem-teacher-turned-meth-kingpin. A massive package of 21 discs containing all 62 uncensored episodes. COST: RRP $129. AVAILABLE: From quality home entertainment stores, physical and online.
↑ 20.
WHAT: Amazon Kindle Fire. DESCRIPTION: Amazon’s shiny new tablet range includes stylish, best-in-breed tablets; the perfect gift for those who like to read, play games and oh-so much more. They even let you share the entertainment with HDMI or wirelessly via Amazon Fire TV, PS3, PS4 and more. COST: From just $99. AVAILABLE: From www.amazon.com.
↑ 21.
WHAT: Audible Australia Membership Gift. DESCRIPTION: Audible Australia carries over 100,000 audiobook titles, a number of which are narrated by celebrities including Morgan Freeman, Tina Fey, even local dude Dave Hughes. Membership gives you one free audiobook of your choosing per month, exclusive access to members-only sales and promotions, and a Great Listen Guarantee. Audible Australia Memberships are perfect as last-minute presents. COST: From $43.95 for a 3-month membership. AVAILABLE: From www.audible.com.au.
↑ 22.
WHAT: Mr And Mrs Smith Gift Card. DESCRIPTION: For the more discerning other half or that fussy buddy of yours who is difficult to buy for, there are always gift cards as an option. And then there is the Mr & Mrs Smith gift card. Branded the Get A Room! card it’s as good as sending them off on a fabulous holiday already! Stylishly presented in black embossed envelope, Smith cards can be used towards booking any Smith hotel. COST: From $100. AVAILABLE: From www.mrandmrssmith.com.
↑ 23.
WHAT: HeadsUp Hangover Remedy. DESCRIPTION: How could we not end our gift suggestions with this necessary stocking-stuffer? HeadsUp is a new Australian product formulated to prevent the symptoms of hangover. Containing a special combination of plant extracts, vitamins and minerals, the product helps purge hangover-producing toxins from your system, whereas other ‘hangover products’ on the market merely mask the symptoms of a hangover. They say this stuff really works! COST: Single pack $9.95 or six packs for $49.75 (indeed, expert partygoers might want a full 12 packs for $99.50). AVAILABLE: From www.headsuprelief.com.au.
HAPPY CHRISTMAS SHOPPING!