For that Person who’s always on time (or that person who’s always late and wants to be on time)
Berg + Betts
Berg + Betts is a Canadian based company dedicated to creating ethical and sustainable timepieces for the modern woman. Their watch straps are made using leather scraps which would otherwise go unused which reduces the amount of textile waste produced. Berg + Betts also sources their watch parts ethically from Dongguan.
They offer both a rectangular and circular watch face with a variety of strap colours. Berg + Betts also offers a double wrap style strap for their rectangular watches as well as a 2-year warranty and free shipping!
My top picks: the round silver and black for a classic touch or the rectangular black on black watch for an elegant minimalist look.
Medium Watches
Medium is another Canadian company, this one inspired by the Rocky Mountains. I’m absolutely infatuated with almost every single watch produced by Medium – they offer so many different styles, colours, and sizes that there’s really something to suit everyone’s taste. As a bonus, Medium also offers engraving to really personalise your piece for yourself or for a loved one.
My top picks: The Summit watch ($55 off right now!) in white and black is my top pick from Medium’s men’s watches where for women I would go with The Debut in black, rose gold and greige leather. If you’re looking for something classic or a statement piece – Medium is definitely a great choice!
For the Bath Aficionado
Bare Skin Bar
I could not be more jazzed to have found out about Bare Skin Bar and it’s founder, Cynthia, this year. Bare Skin Bar was created by women who want to produce skin care that’s both pretty and beneficial. Not only are the Bare Skin Bars amazing (seriously – they leave my skin softer than it’s ever been in my entire life) but they’re also handcrafted using ingredients sourced within Canada and are free of any animal testing. I could honestly go on and on about all great things that Bare Skin Bar is a part of, because seriously, there are so many!
My top picks: the Calming Bar and the Softening Bar. You can order online or find the Bare Skin Bars at any of these stockists (I definitely recommend checking out Gatley on Commercial Drive – so cute!).
For the Person Who Always Has a Candle Lit (so, anyone like me)
You + Me Candles
If you didn’t already know – I used to work in the mass produced home goods sector and, as someone who LOVES a good discount, was always buying mass produced candles using my employee discount. It wasn’t until recently that I started thinking about what was actually in those candles and whether it was healthy to be burning them at home.
When You + Me Candles approached me to collaborate, I was so happy to try out toxin free clean burning candles made with apricot and coconut wax. Mass produced candles pale in comparison to these hand made ones – the scent throw on these bad boys is actually incredible. They also have a line of room sprays which are DIVINE (seriously they keep my whole house smelling like I just cleaned vigorously).
My top picks: Vanilla Bourbon Glass Candle (perfectly deep and a little bit sweet) or Gun Smoke Tin Candle
For that Person with or Aspiring to have Perfect Skin
Midnight Paloma
This is another local Vancouver brand that creates skincare and body care products using charcoal to help naturally detoxify the skin. Midnight Paloma is natural, gluten free, and cruelty free. I originally waffled about whether or not to put Midnight Paloma under the bath category or under the skin care category, but I think that the real star of the line is the Charcoal and Rose Detox Mask, so skincare it is! You can mix it with your choice of water, honey, or yogurt depending on your skin’s needs (I like to just use water) for a detoxifying and hydrating experience.
Make sure to check out the gift sets for the holiday season!
My top picks: Charcoal + Rose Detox Mask (duh) and the Charcoal + Grapefruit Fizzy Bath Soak
WHYLD Skincare
Based out of California, WHYLD Skincare is one of the first companies I had the pleasure of partnering with. WHYLD’s core values are to create natural products of the highest quality that will actually work for your skin! WHYLD’s products are unisex, formulated to be effective on all skin types and the value for money is incredible – especially these days when a serum can go for $100CAD+. I received my bottle of Youth Activating Elixir back in June and I still have so much left! WHYLD is vegan and cruelty free and in my experience, their customer service is amazing!
My top picks: Youth Activating Elixir (the one that lasts forever) + Active Botanical Cleanse
Ativo Skincare
Ativo is such a brilliant female-led business run in the lower mainland. All of their products are made with natural and organic ingredients. I love the story behind the brand – at eleven years old the founder, Jayda, suffered from cystic acne due to health issues. Being WAY smarter and cooler than I was in my tweens and teens, Jayda actually did something about it and formulated a detox soap for her skin. I can’t even believe how awesome that is! I’m putting Ativo in the skincare category because that’s where their line started, but they have such a wide variety of products that you could probably buy all of your self care products exclusively from them and never be lacking!
My top picks: Makeup brush cleaner (because we all need to wash our makeup brushes more often) and the serenity stress spray (I need this more than anyone knows).
For the Blingy Person in your Life
Foe & Dear
You know me, I love minimalist jewellery more than anything. That’s why I chose to share a brand I only found out about last week – Foe & Dear. Each piece you buy is handcrafted in Vancouver and utilises materials from sterling silver to 14 karat gold to precious stones. What I love most about Foe & Dear is that there are so many beautiful pieces in every price range – you may think that buying a diamond is out of your price range, but think again!
My top picks: Classic Hammered Stacker (for broke me) and the Baby Diamond Stacker Ring or Cuff Bracelet (for bougie me)