The title of this story is not totally correct. That’s because the gift ideas I’m suggesting as little splurges for you, are also great gifts for other people. However, a piece of talisman jewelry by Katia Designs, a new vegan wallet to start out the new year by Doshi, a new “IVY” wellness tracker by Bellabeat to get back on track and stay there, or some silky but affordable sleepwear from NKEOMA by Ivy & Livy are things that make life easier, and more beautiful, and fun. That’s what advicesisters.com is all about. Furthermore, these are things you actually need, as well as a way to show yourself some self-appreciation. But do share them with people on your gift list, too.
A Very Good Vegan Wallet:
Sometimes you just want to wear a smaller bag, and that means leaving that large checkbook-style wallet, behind. Doshi is one of our favorite vegan fashion brands. For the holidays, why not gift Doshi’s French Quilted wallet? The vegan wallet feels like leather, but it’s not.
As we have mentioned in past Doshi reviews, not all faux leather is the same. Doshi’s synthetics are made with nonwoven synthetic fibers with no animal content ever. But this is not any old pleather. The vegan leather feels really soft and pliable. At first, I didn’t even remember that Doshi is PETA-approved and not actual leather. It’s that luxurious.
What’s a French Wallet?
The Doshi French Wallet:
French wallets aren’t necessarily from France. However, they’re usually square, and always have two sections: 1) An easily accessible section where bills and cards are kept, and 2) A secure section closed by a zipper, flap, or kiss lock. The one from Doshi is RFID protected, available in black or camel. It’s 4.75″W x 4″H x 1.25″D. You can really stuff a lot in the wallet, but it will fit in most small crossbody bags or larger evening bags.
There’s a snap button section for cards that opens up to a bill compartment that is full length (no folding your bills). Then there’s a zippered area for coins and other small items. I also really appreciate the large and sturdyzipper which makes it easy to open and close. Everyone needs a great wallet. If you’re into vegan leather, you won’t want to paas this Doshi wallet by. The wallet is jsut one of the great gift ideas from Doshi. It’s $95 and available on the Doshi Website
Luxurious Pajamas To (Maybe) Share With Your Man:
Luxurious sleepwear is one of the best gift ideas to buy for yourself. As I’ve mentioned in a previous review of some African Print pajamas from NKEOMA by Ivy & Livy/NKIM (Never Knew I Needed) sleepwear shouldn’t just look good, it also has to feel good too. Last time I reviewed a NKEOMA green pajama set for women but for now, I am crushing on the Lion Head Collection (for him, her, whomever).
NKEOMA by Nigerian Sisters Ivy & Livy features afro-centric designs. Celebrities such as Queen Latifah, Yvonne Orji, and Teedra Moses wear them (and so do influencers). The prints are colorful and beautiful and the fabric is sensuous and silky.
The Lion Head Collection:
The Lion Head Collection features a print on poly satin material with roaring lion’s heads on a black or red background. This print is inspired by Isiagu attire, a traditional garb worn by the Nigerian Igbo tribe for special occasions like weddings and chieftaincy. There are a number of pieces and they are either one size, Small to large, or 1x -3X.
The Long African black lion robe in my photo is one size (or plus). Can you believe this gorgeous tie robe is just $58?! You can see how amazing the print is, but what you can’t see is how it feels. Each piece is like a kiss of silky luxury as it slides on your skin. There is a short version of this robe as well. Other items in my photo include a pair of long, lion-head sleep pants in black that is also available in red ($38) with an elastic and drawstring waist. The unisex pants would look good on him or you can with a cami or tee and it’s for you.
For the Guys:
The long silky pants have two side pockets. I am showing you how it looks in red on this hunky model who is 6’1″ and is wearing a size Medium. The pants do run long, so if you or your guy are short, you’ll have to hem them. However, if you’re not into long PJ lounge pants, there are cute sleep shorts in the same lion print with elastic and a drawstring waist ($28) for women.
NEKOMA by Ivy & Livy also has a limited number of glam bridal, clothing, and accessories. The styles are selling out fast so if you want yours, visit the NKEOMA by Ivy & Iivy website.
For Great Gift Ideas, Empowerment Jewelry is Beautiful:
Show everyone you are the QUEEN BEE and remind yourself who rules the hive. The Queen Bee Necklace by Katia Designs ($99) from her “spirit animal” collection is a multi-layer necklace with a magnetic clasp. Katia Designs jewelry is meant to empower the wearer with “feel good” sentiments.
The necklace is available either in matte faceted crystal beads, or beige crystal beads. The main focal point of the Queen Bee necklace is the round bronze finish “bee” charm on the top layer of the two-beaded layer necklace. The other side of the charm is engraved with the word “Queen.” In our editorial sample, we found a little tiger eye oval stone dangling from the bee charm.
We also love the attention to detail on the lower bead layer featuring a big oval crystal quartz and a tiny rose quartz stone heart plus another little leaf-shaped charm that says “I am” on one side and has a raised heart on the other.
I am wearing the queen bee necklace with quartz charm and black beads
The photo above shows you all some of the details and there are two ready-made options to choose: Option 1: Matte black crystal bead necklace with crystal quartz, rose quartz heart, & pearl. Or you can choose the Beige crystal bead necklace with a crystal pendant, pearl, & a red jasper heart. However, for more personalized gift ideas you can also design your own.
The necklace can be worn in different ways using the magnetic clasp held by two lobster claw clasps. The idea allows people to easily change the look of their necklace by changing the length of the layers or wearing it as one layer. It is so beautiful you will wear it every day.
The bronze pendants are all treated with a clear coat (similar to nail polish) to help delay the aging process. However, humidity is not their friend, so don’t store them in the bathroom or shower with them. Treat them with kindness by storing them in the cloth bag that comes with the necklace. For more information and to purchase a beautiful empowerment piece visit the A Wellness Tracker Just For Women That Looks Like a Bracelet:
Key Takeaways (more details will be in our full story on advicesisters,com in 2023):
this is what’s in the Bellabeat IVY Box. Download the app for IOS or Android
- Identifies self-care gaps, and suggests improvements
- Calculates Wellness and Readiness Score
- Monitors heart rate, cardiac coherence, respiratory rate, activity, and sleep
- Lightweight, safe for skin, and hypoallergenic
- All algorithms calibrated to female bodies
- Is available in 6 styles with different hardware and center stones. There is no display so it just looks like a nice bracelet. All the information is on the Bellabeat app. For more information and to order one of these now just visit the Bellabeat Website
