As a lifestyle editor in Hong Kong, I spend an indecent amount of time trying things and talking to the people who make them. So I promise, this year’s last minute gift guide isn’t a round-up of press releases. Everything here is something I’ve actually lived with, loved or seen my family fall for. These are the (mostly Hong Kong) brands that have earned a spot in our home, in our routines and, this year, under our tree, which makes sharing them feel far more fun.
The Peninsula Boutique
I’m about to share the best toy my five-year-old has been given this year. The Peninsula Café Counter Wooden Play Set (HK$680) has become an instant favourite at home, a beautifully made barista station with 27 tiny pieces inspired by The Peninsula Boutique & Café. There’s also an Afternoon Tea Set for budding hosts, and the Boutique has recently expanded its range with children’s dining sets, pyjamas, bathrobes and bed linen, plus cashmere, linen and impossibly soft sleepwear for adults.
For older children and adults, the limited-edition Peninsula Monopoly and Peninsula Jenga sets are uniquely Hong Kong, while the Peninsula x Anya Hindmarch Tote Bag (HK$2,980; only 200 pieces available) is the standout at the hotel’s festive pop-up, as are the iconic Peninsula leather bag charms (HK$1,280), all firmly on my own list this year.
The Peninsula Boutique & Café and Festive Pop-up (both inside The Peninsula Hotel); The Peninsula Boutique at Hong Kong International Airport, Terminal 1 (after security), and online. Certain pieces are exclusive to the festive pop-up.
The Mandarin Cake Shop
Gifts from The Mandarin Cake Shop are hard to beat. This year, the hotel’s playful chocolate creations steal the show. Santa’s Chocolate Teddy (from HK$709) is a white-chocolate bear filled with chocolate-coated nuts, while the Festive Chocolate Tree (from HK $529) is a delicate white sculpture hiding cinnamon praline and tiny edible surprises. They’ve become such a tradition that my family in the UK request them annually, and we hand-carry them across continents.
If you’re after something a little bigger, the hampers are a pleasure to give and can be tailored to suit everyone, turning even the most last-minute gifting into something thoughtful.
The Mandarin Cake Shop, Mandarin Oriental, Hong Kong, 5 Connaught Road Central
Bimbo Casa
Bimbo Casa has opened a charming new pop-up at Lane Crawford IFC, and it arrives just in time for the season of matching pyjamas and cosy corners. Founded by Hong Kong mother and designer Elaine So-Girardi, the brand is known for creating pieces that balance style, comfort and childhood imagination. This year’s Christmas family pyjamas (from HK $429) are a particular delight — soft organic cotton, tiny embroidered owls and the option to personalise each pair with a name or initials. The Christmas cushions (HK $399) are just as sweet, a mix of playful shapes and beautifully embroidered details that instantly warm a sofa or a child’s reading nook. And for something a little bigger, my daughter has the Rainbow Tulip Armchair (HK $3,500) at home — she proudly calls it her “rainbow throne”.
Shop Bimbo Casa at the Lane Crawford IFC pop-up, SOGO Causeway Bay, Lee Garden Two, and online at bimboconcept.com.
Tea WG
OK, TWG isn’t a Hong Kong brand – it was actually founded in Singapore – but it is so deeply loved in the city that its festive collection earns a place on our gift list. This year, the standout is the Twelfth Night Advent Calendar (HK$788), a beautifully crafted box of twelve miniature tea tins that open like chapters in a holiday story, each blend offering a new moment of calm from Christmas to Twelfth Night. The brand’s popular Tea Teddies, charming tea infused fruit gums made with rare teas, make great stocking filler. Alongside these hero pieces are the Red Christmas Teabag Gift Box, the luxurious Caviar Tin Teas, Joy of Christmas Mini Tea Tin and shortbread infused with Red Christmas Tea.
Tea WG, boutiques in Hong Kong and online.
Tiny Explorers Stories
Founded by a Hong Kong mum looking for a beautiful way to preserve her children’s artwork, Tiny Explorers Stories has quickly become a favourite among parents. The team photographs each drawing or sculpture and turns it into a bespoke art book.
Since we’re now approaching last minute gifting territory, gift cards are a great choice allowing families to start the process in their own time. These can be redeemed for personalised books or smaller pieces such as notebooks (from HK$250), desk calendars (HK$210), wall calendars (HK$300) and greeting cards (from HK$35). With HK$50 off and complimentary delivery using the code HKLIVING/TINY, it’s a thoughtful gift that celebrates creativity without adding clutter.
Visit tinyexplorersstories.com, WhatsApp 9065 5985 or contact @tiny.explorers.stories on Instagram.
La Maison du Chocolat
If Paris were to design Christmas from scratch, it might look something like La Maison du Chocolat’s holiday collection. The star this year is the Triomphe Advent Calendar (HK$850), a theatrical, spinning countdown of 30 chocolates that echoes the avenues around the Arc de Triomphe. For gifting, the Holiday Collection Gift Box (from HK$570) showcases the maison’s classics alongside two new creations: a roasted rice praline and a dark ganache scented with spicy notes from the Vanuatu archipelago. Parisian, polished and a little bit magical.
La Maison du Chocolat, boutiques across Hong Kong and online.
Aesop
In a city full of people chasing small moments of calm, Aesop remains a reliable stop for gifting at Christmas time. This year’s festive kits include Greetings in the Guest Room (HK$365) that pairs Geranium Leaf Body Cleanser with the much-loved Resurrection Hand Balm. For fragrance fans, Library of Aromas (HK$1,390) offers two editions of Tacit, one to live on the dresser and one for travel, bright with Yuzu and Basil and unmistakably contemporary. And Serenity at the Basin (HK$825) brings a gentle exfoliant and hydrating masque together for those who like a reset at the end of the year.
Aesop is also offering a rotation of small, cheer-inducing gifts with all online orders from 1 to 25 December, and complimentary shipping throughout.
Aesop, stores across Hong Kong and online.
ETM Remedies
Founded in Hong Kong by aromatherapist Belinda Lam, ETM Remedies creates beautiful aromatherapy pieces designed to steady the pace, soften the edges and bring a little clarity to the end-of-year rush. The signature ONE.TWO.THREE Candle Gift Set (HK$390) is a highlight — three petite soy candles that can be mixed and matched from soothing scents like lavender, rose, cedarwood and grapefruit, each topped with dried flowers for a quietly luxurious finish. For stocking fillers, The Traveler mini candle trio (HK$290) or The Portable desk candle (HK$320) bring a moment of calm to even the busiest days.
Order online at etmremedies.com.
