The Best Gift Is the Gift of Micro Luxury

Chris Black on how to properly splurge for someone else this holiday season.
Gift Box underneath magnifying glass
Photo Illustration by C.J. Robinson

All products are independently selected by our editors. If you buy something, we may earn an affiliate commission.

A few years ago, I was sharing an office on Lafayette Street with an illustrator friend who has exquisite taste, but she was a difficult person to buy a gift for. Then one morning, during my usual scrub of the world wide web, I stumbled upon the perfect Christmas present from Hermes: beautiful leather, in green and blue, braided around a classic #2 pencil. It came in the signature orange box with the iconic ribbon. It only cost $125, but it felt more expensive than that. I knew I had to buy it for her.

The gift went over well. I have been giving what I call "micro luxuries" ever since.

Micro luxury is the antithesis of wearing a Balenciaga logo covered sweatshirt or carrying a Fendi monogrammed duffle. It is quiet and personal. Soft-spoken. It's not about money; it's about something much more powerful—good taste.

I have a theory that it all started with the market crash in 2008. The truly wealthy, not wanting to look tacky, scaled back the more noticeable luxury items. A lot more attention was paid to the apothecary. The bathroom, a personal sanctuary, was stocked with Aesop hand wash, three-wick Diptyque candles lined the marble bathtub, and salon size Oribe shampoo and conditioner sat underneath the rain shower head. These relatively affordable luxuries, hidden in plain sight, would make the user feel rich and impress in-the-know guests.

Now in 2019, brands are very hip to it. Prada just collaborated with Japanese brand Midori on an affordable collection of $40 notebooks and are even peddling their own $65 reusable water and thermal bottles. Logo adorned, of course. If your budget is slightly higher, Tiffany's is making a wide range of "everyday objects": a $1,500 wooden pool triangle and ball set and a $515 sterling silver clothespin both standout. My personal favorite micro luxury item right now is from French label Lemaire, who has released a set of "five paper leaves inspired by naturalist herbarium bear the olfactory blurred contours of a perfume." Ninety-four dollar drawer liners, only slightly pricier than your average dryer sheet that would in theory serve the same purpose.

Micro luxurious gifts can be for oneself, as well.

Most people will never see my vintage Louis Vuitton Dopp kit, my Bottega Veneta keychain, or my Calvin Klein Pendleton throw on my couch. But that's not the point, and these micoluxuries make me feel good.

And as we all know, gift-giving can be a challenge: cash is gauche, and a gift card is thoughtless. The answer is micro luxury—a $100 Byredo candle, $15 Marvis toothpaste, a $50 Santa Maria Novella potpourri. The shopping experience is exquisite, and the receiver will be ecstatic when they get a glimpse of the box.

The reality is that most people would find these affordable but lavish items unnecessary, frivolous even. If shopping for themselves, they think the money could be better spent elsewhere, on things like student loans or credit card debt. The $245 vintage Bottega Veneta intrecciato picture frame from The RealReal isn’t a need, but that is exactly what makes it the perfect gift.

These seemingly small purchases telegraph taste and maybe even wealth (whether you have it or not). The dopamine rush of buying is almost equal to giving—a surefire cure for the holiday malaise.


Image may contain: Bottle, and Shampoo

Aesop Resurrection Aromatique Hand Wash

Image may contain: Cylinder, Bottle, and Shaker

Diptyque Baies Candle

Image may contain: Bottle, Drink, Liquor, Alcohol, and Beverage

ORIBE Signature Shampoo

Image may contain: Cosmetics, Bottle, and Aftershave

ORIBE Signature Conditioner

Image may contain: Electronics, Calculator, and Triangle

Tiffany & Co. Wood Pool Triangle and Ball Set

Tiffany & Co. Sterling Silver Clothespin

Lemaire Perfume Paper Multicolor

Image may contain: Bottle

Byredo Bibliothèque

Marvis Classic Strong Mint Toothpaste

Santa Maria Novella Pot Pourri Sacchetto 100 G