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When words fail you, a no-hassle, perfectly packaged gift box will say it all. Gift Box
Most gift baskets are uninspired. They arrive in some cheap wicker basket that will, no doubt, end up on a shelf at Goodwill. They come wrapped in cellophane, containing an incongruous assortment of items we’d never buy on our own: stale nuts, hard-as-rock cookies, waxy chocolate, and some chip dip–looking condiment that suspiciously expires in 2050. But fear not, time-constrained gifters. Some luxury brands are emerging from the doldrums of sad presentation land and changing everything we know about the traditional gift basket.
For New Jersey–based designer Carmen Henriquez, presentation makes all the difference. “Beautiful wrapping demonstrates an added attention to detail,” she tells ELLE DECOR, adding that the inclusion of high-quality and specialty products make for a luxe assemblage.” As companies are leveling up on what a luxury gift basket entails, Henriquez has found that specialty gift baskets make for a surprise that can feel very personal. “If there is a special theme or focus tied to the person receiving the basket, that can make it a more meaningful gifting experience,” she explains. For example, “Gifting someone who is a coffee lover a crate of special brews and high-end coffee items proves that the giver was genuinely thinking about your preferences.”
Struggling to find a gift for the most discerning tastemaker you know? Whether it’s a set of Love and Found’s set of card table products worthy of a Soho House space, Teak & Twine’s medley of your diehard gourmand friend’s soon-to-be-favorite kitchen necessities, a very generous spread of hot chocolate essentials (complete with a Le Creuset saucepan) for your girlfriend who will love you forever, or a decadent miscellany of Dom Perignon–level delicacies for that one beloved client—this year’s selection will charm even the most discriminating recipients.
Below, our editors have tested and reviewed some of the most glamorous luxury gift baskets to buy this year. These opulent bundles showcase your refined taste, demonstrate that you care about the details of your loved one’s life, and require absolutely no wrapping-paper wars or last-minute post office runs. Scroll on to see the 23 gift baskets we’re drooling over right now, and how they rank.
Maybe she's a total drama queen; maybe she's a reckless free spirit. She could be your fellow BBC period drama binger; or the mom friend who been there with you in the trenches amid this new identity shift. Whatever your friendship looks like, this very pink gift box is the perfect way to brighten her day. Complete with a bottle of guilt-free non-alcoholic rosé, gourmet champagne-flavored popcorn, a notepad, white wine-infused chocolate bar, and candle—she'll feel so loved, no matter what type of best friend she is.
Unboxing: This delivery arrived in a luxe pink box, clad in a thick pink bow. Inside, the five items were securely placed upon shredded crinkle paper. "It all felt so bougie, like I was being treated to something special," noted the tester, ELLE DECOR associate editor Rachel Silva. "Fittingly, I shared the bubbly with a girlfriend. We were unanimously impressed with the tasty white tea, ginger, and elderberry flavors."
Chocolate, it seems, is the answer to everything. Whether your gift list this season includes a father-in-law you have nothing in common with; a colleague you know very little about; or a lover you know too much about—chocolate is a fitting indulgence for nearly any kind of recipient. But not all chocolate is equal, and we’re here to remind you that life is too short for off-brand chocolate wafers (in the vein of Ryan Gosling’s words, be better than Hershey’s). We’d advise Dandelion Chocolate's Grand Flight Box. We’ve found that the brand’s flavors, selections, and packaging to be perfectly sophisticated—and, for the right occasion, maybe even a little seductive. Finally, true decadence that’s worth the calories!
Unboxing: "Christmas came early!" Silva says, who gave this beautiful package a generous five stars for presentation alone. "It came securely packaged in a three-tiered box held together by a thick, striped ribbon. Totally luxe." But if we're purely judging by what's inside the box (which, at ELLE DECOR, we never do), Silva says the high-quality chocolates were the very definition of decadence: various hot chocolate mixes came bottled in amber glass jars; a box of square-shaped chocolates topped by artistic flourishes of edible gold dust; and bars for days of chocolate from Peru, India, and Brazil. "If chocolate wasn't your love language before you received this glorious package, it surely will be now," Silva adds.
If your friend is not one for frilly adornments or anything glittered, embellished, or floral patterned—or simply appreciates a streamlined aesthetic approach, Coup Champagne's Solo Metal Case is everything you need to get in good graces with said friend. But make no mistake, its lack of frivolous garnishments does not mean there's anything lacking in this impressive gift. It comes with a sleek painted matte black bottle and a pair of black stainless steel metal flutes. No nonsense never looked so fine.
Unboxing: Silva, our tester, says she was floored by the presentation of this chic gift box. "Even the act of opening the sturdy travel case, which arrived within a box, was a luxurious experience," she says, adding that it's the kind of package that delivers on everything it promises, from the box opening to the pop of the delectable Coup bubbly. "Excuse me while I live out my James Bond fantasy," she laughs.
There’s just one thing that is as revitalizing as indulging in the luxurious, ultra-exclusive amenities of a spa: doing so from the comfort of your own home. This goody box is a spa day at your doorstep, offering 10 pampering products like a mint cooling clay mask, essential oil rollerball, lip balm, face mist, candle, bath soak, headband, and mini flower bouquet. Like your friendship, it's the gift that keeps on giving.
Unboxing: Unboxing this lovely crate was a gleeful experience, according to Silva. "Equally practical and indulgent, this box arrived in impeccable condition, revealing a generous assemblage of everything I need to feel totally pampered—minus the licensed professional massage therapist," she says. "My favorite item was the cozy socks, which might possibly offer more mental support than my very skilled therapist."
Italy, it seems, was the “it” hotspot this summer. With its Neoclassical architecture, stylish , buzzy beaches, and, of course, fabulous carb-happy cuisine—would we go anywhere else? While they're still on their dolce vita high, bring the tastes of Italy back by gifting your loved ones this thoughtfully themed box. Complete with extra virgin olive oil, Eliche Di Gragnano pasta, balsamic vinegar, Italian tomato sauce, Porcini mushrooms and white truffle sauce, as well as four chocolate bars. Grazie mille, they'll croon!
Unboxing: "Unlike shamelessly over-embellished TV dinner ads, this gift box was everything it professed—and so much more," Silva says of this gift box. "Removing its contents was like pulling pasta out of Mary Poppin's magic carpet bag. It just kept coming." Having made one full dinner from the pasta and sauce in this box, she says the linguine rivaled that of what she enjoyed in the motherland earlier this year. Bravissimo!
"It's time to treat sugar like cigarettes," a recent TIME article claimed, going on to detail how the food landscape is changing, with a surge in zero-sugar products meeting the people's demand. This year, send a gift box that will be guiltlessly devoured. Baskits's Not Too Sweet Box is filled with gourmet cheese, artisanal salami, smoked salmon, and—let's not be entirely abstinent in the sugar department—Laura Slack chocolate. But the cherry on top is the Empress & Co. acacia wood cutting board and brass spoon, which suggests there will many a charcuterie board to come at your next get-together!
Unboxing: Baskit's Not Too Sweet box easily made the cut of the best gift baskets available this season, Silva says. Why? "Each item within was a quality ingredient and well made," she explains. "In a sea of mediocre presentations boasting quantity without quality, Baskit's rendition was a true rarity." Note: the artisanal salami, brie cheese, and water crackers made for a stellar combo. Chef's kiss!
We could all use a pick-me-up at times. Whether someone in your life has a bad case of the Monday blues or something more life-altering, crisis can lead to the best of humanity, awakening in us the power of community and empathy. The lovely spread—a fully-arranged assortment of artisan cheeses, dried fruits, nuts, meats, olives, crackers, and chocolates with an Acacia wood serving board—is a fitting way to show support—That is, until a listening ear can be offered.
Unboxing: Boarderie's rendition of the new luxury gift box was the kind of endless bounty fit for a queen, Silva says. "It was cheese and salami and green olives and luxury jams for days," she adds. "And while the display was almost too pretty to eat, though that didn't stop me from giving each of its items a taste test."
A luxury gift box doesn't have to consist of non-essentials. Take, for example, Teak & Twine's Chef's Kiss box, filled with quality olive oil, top-of-the-line sea salt, Momofuku's secret sauce (chili crunch), and a recipe book. Whether your recipient-in-question is a total culinary neophyte in the kitchen or a Michelin star-worthy saucier, this gift box contains all the necessary quality ingredients. "A pinch of this. A dash of that. Whatever way you dice it, The Chef’s Kiss is…well…chef’s kiss," the brand explains on their product page. We couldn't agree more.
Unboxing: "You had me at Graza olive oil," laughs Silva, who's a big fan of the brand that garnered a cult following with its clever packaging. "But maybe, ultimately, it was Momofuku's famous chili crunch; or, no, Maldon's specialty sea salt." Whatever it was that piqued Silva's interest, she confesses: she caved and simply sent it to herself rather than gifting it to others. "Time to treat myself, no?"
Your friend is a type-A perfectionist, juggling a million balls in the air. Pamper her with a much-needed at-home spa moment. This elegant assemblage includes fruity tea, soap, a Minot candle and snuffer, woven face cloth, face mask, and Herbivore milk bath. With so many little luxuries, your grateful beneficiary will be totally blissed out and ready to take on the world!
Unboxing: Who doesn't identify with the frazzled super woman? Silva says this box delivered on everything it claimed to this recipient. "After a glorious Teak and Twine-Sponsored night in, I can tell you that the box was everything I needed to feel centered again," she says. "The milk bath soak was so soothing to my very sensitive skin, the candle smelled amazing, and the rose hip and clay face mask left my face feeling hydrated. BRB, I'm schlepping to the salon never."
Give your friend the gift of a mindful morning start, the old-school way. This gift set features Earl Grey tea, a handmade pottery mug, a coconut bowl, pancake mix, and many other goodies. Who needs fruit and crackers when you can enjoy each morning with a few imaginative essentials?
Unboxing: This bountiful bundle hit all the high notes for Silva. Unlike many gift baskets that throw in a three-inch cutting board that would hardly serve to meet the needs of a chopping session or charcuterie display, this basket contains not one but two thick, sizable cutting boards that are, in itself, reason to click "add to cart." "Our Green House's thoughtfully curated box was filled with objects of quality craftsmanship and flavorful indulgences," Silva says. "Their interpretation of the luxury gift basket checks all the boxes of a reimagined gift worthy of the most critical of aesthetes. I know what I'm getting my mother-in-law this season!"
Rachel Silva is the associate digital editor at ELLE DECOR, where she covers all things design, architecture, and lifestyle. She also oversees the publication’s feature article coverage, and is, at any moment, knee-deep in an investigation on everything from the best spa gifts to the best faux florals on the internet right now. She has more than 12 years of experience in editorial, working as a photo assignment editor at Time and acting as the president of Women in Media in NYC. She went to Columbia Journalism School, and her work has been nominated for awards from ASME, the Society of Publication Designers, and World Press Photo.
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