The JCI Gift Guide
The holidays have a way of asking us to slow down, notice the people around us, and choose gifts that feel like extensions of our affection. Not just things, but tools, rituals, textures, and experiences that encourage someone to feel more like themselves.
This year’s JCI Gift Guide is built around three themes—Beauty, Fashion, and Self-Care—each one paired with ideas that feel personal, thoughtful, and quietly inspiring. You can use these suggestions to shop, of course, but also to dream a little, to customize for someone you love, or to create experiences that aren’t bought so much as assembled.
Beauty
There’s something deeply intimate about giving a beauty gift. You’re choosing something that becomes part of someone’s ritual—the quiet minutes before they face the world, the moments they carve out for themselves, the places where confidence begins.
When thinking beauty, look for pieces that feel both grounding and uplifting. A beautifully weighted brush set, for example, becomes a daily companion; the kind of tool that changes how someone moves through their routine. A signature lipstick—bold red, deep berry, soft rose—is less about the shade and more about the mood it unlocks. And skincare gifts, especially those that emphasize hydration and glow, offer the gentle encouragement to slow down and take care.
You can pair beauty items with a small experience:
booking a winter facial or dermaplaning appointment together
gifting a “beauty night in” with masks, candles, and a playlist
wrapping a product with a handwritten note about what you admire in them
Beauty gifts feel special because they remind someone that their confidence deserves attention.
Fashion
Fashion lovers are some of the easiest and hardest people to shop for. Easy, because they’re endlessly inspired. Hard, because they know exactly what they like—and even more exactly what they don’t.
The best fashion gifts are the ones that honour their eye. A well-made sketchbook or designer’s notebook becomes a space for ideas to land. A fashion book (the kind with heavy pages and iconic images) doubles as reference material and décor. Tools like shears, patterning essentials, or draping materials support the student who’s deep in the process of building their craft.
And then there are the conceptual fashion gifts:
a day at a museum or gallery
a thrift or vintage crawl through Main Street or Commercial Drive
a gift card to a local boutique, letting them choose something that fits their style story
a fabric store “adventure afternoon,” where you pick swatches, talk silhouettes, and dream
Fashion is both personal and expansive. The best gifts acknowledge that duality: something practical paired with something inspiring.
Self-Care
Creativity can’t flourish on an empty tank. Self-care gifts anchor the season—they’re the reminders to soften, slow down, and find pockets of quiet amid the busy stretches of life.
Look for gifts that feel like offerings rather than obligations: a beautiful journal for end-of-day reflections, a cozy sweater or blanket that becomes their new comfort object, a candle with notes that make their space feel like home. Body care that nourishes rather than overwhelms. Small luxuries that encourage rest as maintenance.
You can easily turn self-care into an experience:
a weekend morning dedicated to nothing but reading and tea
a shared walk through Stanley Park or the Seawall
a “creative reset” day where you light a candle, tidy your space, and allow yourself to begin again
a DIY spa evening with a friend, complete with soft lighting and warm socks
Self-care is about giving someone permission to exhale.
A Note on Giving (and Receiving)
The best gifts are the ones that feel like recognition—evidence that you’ve noticed who someone is, what they care about, and how they show up in the world. Sometimes that’s a thoughtfully chosen item. Sometimes it’s an invitation to spend time together. Sometimes it’s a tool that supports a dream they’re building quietly.
And sometimes, the most meaningful gift is the one you choose for yourself: an object, a ritual, or a moment that reminds you that your creativity, your rest, and your growth are all worth investing in.
This season, let the gifts you give (and the ones you keep) feel personal, thoughtful, and rooted in care.