5 Gift Ideas for the Humanitarian
A handful of our favorite local artisans and organizations that have dedicated their craft to making small-batch and humane products for our last-minute holiday gift guide.
By Ise White
FOR THE (FL)EX-VEGAN: Holiday Cheese Assortment chaseholm.squarespace.com $65
We fought our love for it. We even denied ourselves its full-fat goodness in some fad diet pique. Now that that phase is over, we're ready to overindulge in all the cheese that we've missed out on in 2020. Enter Chaseholm Farm Creamery's Holiday Collection, an assortment of local, small-batch, artisanal cheese. Why Chaseholm Farm Creamery? Because they're our neighbors — they’re based in Pine Plains, NY; and because they're also one of a handful of farmsteads in New York that produces cow's milk cheese from their own farm's herd.
FOR THE STYLISH TRAVELER: Vagabond’s Daughter Scarf $100 Esty.com
Nancy Geaney, who designs handmade scarves, throws, and accessories out of her Bearsville, NY studio, named her company, Vagabond’s Daughter, for her father. As she describes him on her website, “he gave up his wanderings to be home with his wife and four daughters.” The local artisan favors exotic indigo dye with Shibori hand-knotting details but has expanded to other palettes with equal sensitivity. You can see these scarves at home at a formal table or slung around a clever and stylish traveler on route to the Adirondacks.
FOR THE HARD TO PLEASE: Norne Perfume by Slumberhouse $180 luckyscent.com
The elusive Norne scent by Slumberhouse is dark, mysterious, and woody with hints of evergreen and moss. Launched in 2012, Norne immediately put Slumberhouse on the map as the most sought after Pacific Northwest micro-perfumer, helmed by nose Josh Lobb. Why we love it: this delicious scent is 100% natural, composed entirely of absolutes. Basically, like essential oils, absolutes are concentrated, highly aromatic, oily mixtures extracted from plants. If you're lucky, you might still be able to find a bottle.
FOR JUST ABOUT ANYONE: Alpaca Trapper Hat $109 fluffalpaca.com
Suzanne and Bob Werner purchased an old dairy farm in Hillsdale, NY, that encompasses over 80 acres of forest and pasture on the pristine Green River. The farm was a working dairy farm decades ago and was brought back to life by the Werners as they have fenced and revitalized the old pastures. Seeking to offer quality alpaca products directly to locals, the Werners branched out to Hudson, NY, opening up Fluff Alpaca, the boutique. Our favorite find: this handmade, 100% cruelty-free, and hypoallergenic trapper hat will keep your head and ears toasty warm during the colder months.
FOR THE PERSON WHO NEEDS NOTHING: Plant or donate a tree tenmilliontrees.org
If you find yourself looking around and thinking that there is nothing in the world you need or want, consider volunteering or partnering with A Million Trees, a collaborative organization geared towards improving Pennsylvania's communities, economy, and ecology by planting 10 million new trees by the end of 2025. It’s an ambitious project, one that relies on the collaboration of not just local and national agencies and conservation organizations, but also from citizens (like you) who are committed to saving the planet.
Things We Love
A new era commences with 2021, and we have a lot of work to do. Market editor Mandy Coon assembles a force of products — from cashmere sweats and shearling-lined kicks to chakra-balancing scents — to empower, to comfort, and to help us sleep soundly and then wake up with the energy we'll need to change this place for the better.
A new era commences with 2021, and we have a lot of work to do. Market editor Mandy Coon assembles a force of products — from cashmere sweats and shearling-lined kicks to chakra-balancing scents — to empower, to comfort, and to help us sleep soundly and then wake up with the energy we'll need to change this place for the better. — Alexandra Marvar
LAKE & SKYE 11 11 Candle lakeandskye.com $48
After experiencing escalating health issues while working in the NYC fashion industry in her 20’s, Domino Contributing Editor Cortney Somer began her wellness journey studying holistic nutrition, reiki, and Kundalini yoga. Eventually, she left the city and began experimenting with the healing powers of essential oils, which led to the founding of her fragrance line, Lake & Skye, based in upstate New York. A cult-favorite, this minimalist fragrance was inspired by the spiritual energy of Kundalini and the color white. Made with 100% soy wax and free of parabens, phthalates, sulfates, 11 11 is our favorite vegan and cruelty-free candle of the moment for its bright, sheer, uplifting powers, perfect for delicately warming up a winter’s day.
WILLIAM EADON Perfume williameadon.com/edp $144
A designer for Cynthia Rowley and Opening Ceremony, a professor of fashion design, and a photographer, William Eadon has an eye for beauty — but he also has a nose for it. An “accidental fragrance dealer,” Eadon began fulfilling made-to-order bottles of his namesake perfume for friends in the industry as soon as they got a whiff of his personalized scent. Anise, honeysuckle, jasmine, patchouli, frankincense, ylang-ylang, sandalwood, cedarwood, and rosewood with other natural essential oils and extractions are carefully hand-blended, bottled, and packaged by Eadon himself, on Kent Street in Brooklyn. Our editor-in-chief has Perfume No 11º on heavy rotation, which she describes as “Chanel in the woods” for its elegant, musky, and unisex smell.
SABAH Alpine Shearling Babas shop.sabah.am $205
We have been living in slippers since quarantine, and as winter takes hold, like the seasoned upstate women that we are, we’re investing in a new pair of smart shearling-lined slippers. Enter our latest obsession: Sabahs, made by Turkish artisans using techniques that have been passed down from generation to generation. The Alpine Shearling edition is lined with thick, furry all-natural shearling for softness and warmth, with a glistening, soft metallic leather upper. Called “babas,” it literally sold out in the first 48-hours of its launch; and we can see why. Sabahs are the coziest and most stylish house slippers we have ever laid eyes on.
CHINTI AND PARKER Cashmere Track Pants us.chintiandparker.com $325
If you haven’t heard, loungewear is the new workwear, so you have permission to splurge on these tapered, oatmeal mid-weight, 100% cashmere track pants. With a flattering shape and thoughtful details, you’ll never want to take them off. Plus, they’re crafted in Inner Mongolia in a ‘vertical’ factory, meaning the start-to-finish process — from goat herding to dyeing the yarn and knitting the final style — is carried out by the same supplier resulting in a low carbon footprint. If you’re packing them in your weekender bag, keep them in their reusable canvas sack, included, which is made by a collective in India whose profits are spent educating local children.
ALPYN BEAUTY PlantGenius Melt Moisturizer alpynbeauty.com $60
Sustainable, plant-based products by Alpyn are made with the wild, resilient plants foraged from the mountains around Jackson Hole, Wyoming. Health food for the face, Alpyn’s whipped anti-aging super-hydrator, melts into skin and leaves it fresh and nourished with a velvety finish. Retinol-like plant-based secret ingredient Bakuchiol sparks collagen production and smooths fine lines, while ceramides and squalane help fortify the moisture barrier, and vitamin C brightens and protects against free radical damage. With its versatility and proven results to increase collagen production and protect and strengthen skin, PlantGenius Melt Moisturizer has become the “holy grail” of skincare for our editors.
HATCH Restore Night Light, Sleep Aid, and Sunrise Alarm hatch.co $129
SAD season (the season of seasonal affective disorder) is upon us, and we are looking for anything that helps us get out of bed, not feeling like the undead. Hatch, the smart alarm clock company, has applied science and design to make it easier for you to wake up refreshed, wind down, fall asleep, and stay asleep. Tested and approved by our editors, this glowing egg-shaped alarm clock boasts a smart light with varying shades and endless sleep sounds, from narrated meditational journeys to soothing nature-inspired soundscapes. Hatch connects to your smartphone so you can control your personalized sleep routine, all the while maintaining healthy cortisol levels. Waking up gently to sunrise with the sound of Tibetan bells? Yes, please.
CORPUS Nº Green Deodorant heydayskincare.com $24
This clean, unisex deodorant is so much more than what’s currently out there. It’s luxurious and elegant, two words that never come to mind for an antiperspirant—and it earns its name. Made from naturally-derived enzymes and plant extracts in a water-based formula, CORPUS Nº Green is free of parabens, aluminum, synthetic fragrances, talc, baking soda, phthalates, and other toxins and skin irritants. With notes of bergamot, pink lemon, orange blossom, and cardamom, its beautiful and sophisticated scent is bright as its mint green case. We love it for its solid, smooth, no-residue texture, for its masculine and feminine appeal, and because it works all day and looks super chic on the shelf.