December 1, 2006 | 12:00am
Everyone loves shopping–particularly when it’s for a loved one. A little bit of love and lots of holiday cheer make each purchased present extra special. It’s the wrapping part that slowly drains you of said cheer. Bench and Kashieca decided to take out the exhausted middleman (i.e. you) in the holiday ritual and put together some goods – like teddy bears and cologne, lipstick and stationery – and created custom packaging for each set. So when you’re home surveying the results of a week of shopping and half a month’s paycheck on your living room floor, you won’t have to weep at the thought of wrapping it yourself. Let your credit card bill do the weeping.
Thanks to retailers like Bench, all you have to do after a weary day of shopping is pat yourself on the back and wait for the looks of glee you’re bound to receive when your loved ones receive their gifts.
Brothers are the pickiest creatures. They say they don’t want anything but, come Christmas time, they are the first to whine about their loot. This holiday season give them something they desperately need: a belt, P399 at Bench. So they won’t be able to continue wearing their way-past-passé, low-slung hiphop pants. The best part? The belt is unisex. So the next time he annoys you, you can just nick it from his closet.
Who doesn’t like stationery? Heartless people, that’s who. HerBench has a series of pretty girly stationery sets that come packaged with lipstick or eyeshadow (P129). The perfect gift for any friend with a fondness for pink or anything girly.
Bench has packaged one of its best-selling skincare sets in a lovely earthy wooden box, making it a classy gift for the boss or someone of equally important stature (like your mom). The set, P179, includes papaya whitening lotion, small papaya whitening soap and a face towel.
Kashieca’s girly boxer shirts (P265 a pair), available in this print in cream, pink and pale green, nix the preconception that boxers are just for boys. These comfy shorts make for great lounging attire and sleepwear. Your laid-back best friend will appreciate the cute purchase (and dainty packaging) when you hand her the boxed goods.
Feeling the blues because you can’t recapture the glorious days of your childhood? Well, purchase this sweet set from Bench for you and your quarter-life-crisis survivor friends. The set (P149), which comes in a clear zipped pouch, includes Baby Bench cologne in bubblegum, a stuffed cow with traced out spots and a few pens to color them in.
Love doesn’t always mean having to buy really expensive gifts. Say it this Christmas with this cute faux amethyst heart keychain. The large faceted heart (P329), available at Kashieca, is cute without being kitschy and is totally in groove with the oversized pendant trend.
Fill your loved one’s cupboards and towel racks with these colorful towels. Each adorably embellished canister (decorated with a vintage plaid and cars) comes with two towels: one for your friend and one for you during sleepovers.
HerBench’s Pretty when pinched cheek and lip tint comes in a cute nail polish container with brush. Much cheaper than most liquid tints by far at P180, this one does the trick. Paired with a puff in a cute clear plastic zip-up pouch, it’s the perfect gift for your cosmetically-inclined friends.
