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Recommended by: Prutha Bhosle
Outhouse Celeste collection is perfect to add a bit of bling to your Diwali look. With striking silhouettes and crystal spikes, the range is an unusual one, and we think perfect for the confident woman who likes a bit of contemporary married with tradition.
Cost: Rs 3,000 onwards
To buy: outhouse-jewellery.com
The Rose Quartz Roller has a smooth, glass-like texture, and is made from 100 per cent natural jade stone, rose quartz, magnesium and titanium. Natural healers say it has a high energy property and helps to charge the circulatory system, bringing oxygen to the skin, and improving the way your facial skin looks and feels. Be sure to store your roller in the fridge overnight before use for best results.
Cost: Rs 1,999
To buy: nykaa.com
This Body Cupid's lotion will give your skin loving and soothing care. It contains two of nature's most precious and ancient healing secrets—aloe vera extract and green tea extract.
Cost: Rs 399 (250 ml)
To buy: www.bodycupid.com
Philips Hair Straightening Brush for her and Philips OneBlade for him are the perfect combo gift for a couple's first Diwali together. While the hair brush promises minimal damage, it also claims to give you naturally straight hair in just five minutes. The blade lets you shape, trim and shave your beard at home, all with a single tool.
Cost: Rs 3,495 (brush) and R2,199 (oneblade)
To buy: amazon.in
Romantic
Recommended by: Aastha Atray Banan
I discovered kurtas from The Loom on Instagram, and was struck by their fine sense of aesthetics. They sport delicate lace work, and are made in breezy organza that when worn, will make you game for a romantic Diwali. For the guys, I recommend indie label Fancy Pastels that specialises in hand-stitched garments. They have traditional colours paired with edgy prints.
Cost: Rs 5,490 for kurta-salwar-dupatta set (ladies); Rs 1,750 onwards (men)
To buy: theloom.in; fancypastels.com
The Ink Bucket's flower motif diary can inspire you to pen down your thoughts every day, make notes of gratitude or start writing that romance novel you've been meaning to. Illustrator Vidhi Khandelwal uses pastel colours and designs in a creative way and makes you want to open that page and pick up a pen.
Cost: Rs 749 for a set of three
To buy: theinkbucket.in
Try the blood orange and rosehip organic lip balm, which is as effective as delicious smelling. The fans of this Coimbatore-based indie brand have grown in lockdown, thanks to the aromatic products that feel good to use and also, work! Share the love, and gift a jar to a friend.
Cost: Rs 350
Log on to: juicychemistry.com
The Caravan Mini from Sa Re Ga Ma will come handy on Diwali night, when you want to sit and listen to old Bollywood numbers. It's been a slow year, and a tough one. What better than to soothe the anxiety with musical nostalgia? The collection is well-curated, and you are sure to find yourself singing along.
Cost: Rs 2,490
To buy: saregama.com
Boozy
Recommended by: Anju Maskeri
Brew Whale is a startup that specialises in new and unusual craft beers. For the festive-cum-party season, they've introduced eclectic flavours. I recommend the Moby Wit, a Belgian Witbier. The traditional wheat beer carries notes of coriander and orange, making it a very drinkable beer that's well-suited to the Indian palate. The brand also personalises beer caddies on request.
Cost: Rs 600 (one litre glass growler)
To buy: 8928543276, WhatsApp
Reveilo is an indigenous wine-brand from Nashik that has been producing red and white wines that are young and tropical. Their signature is the Grillo, a Sicilian grape variety that grows on their estates. The wine is fresh, crisp and bursting with citrusy flavour. It's also vegan, which means they don't use any animal or milk-based elements for clarifying, fining and stabilising. In Mumbai, it's available at Sante Spa, BKC.
Cost: Rs 949
To buy: 9136962944
Cocoa Cellar, a pâtisserie in Central Mumbai, has been whipping up tantalising alcohol-infused desserts all through the lockdown. The creamy Amarula and dark chocolate cupcake is topped with buttercream frosting with a generous drizzle of the South African liqueur. It's not too sweet which might tempt you to have more than one.
Cost: Rs 100 each
To buy: @cocoacellar, Instagram; 9004095194
Foodie
Recommended by: Nasrin Modak Siddiqi
From date night treats to Pahadi meals with a twist and the art of making dhaba quality tikkas and kebabs at home, there is something for every cook at Studio fifteen's eight week-long celebration of culinary arts with some of the best chefs in the country. Pick an online class and gift it to someone who'd love to amp up their chef skills and learn the tricks of the trade.
Cost: Rs 1,770 per class
To book: https://insider.in/go/studio-fifteen-workshops
Turkish confectionaries are now a festive favourite due to their rich, decadent taste. The sheer variety of handcrafted baklavas and lokums are heartwarming at this South Mumbai Middle Eastern dessert boutique. Get them packed in handpainted, handcarved wooden boxes and you have a royal treat, apt for the season.
Cost: Rs 500 onwards
To buy: www.hurremsbaklava.com
Convey your love with these artisanal dark chocolate-covered hazelnuts from Entisi Chocolates. Nuts are healthy and the thick sugar-free chocolate coating on them compliments the crunchy bite. Savour them as a solitary snack or add them into a snack mix to enhance its flavour. Great for a post-meal indulgence that is absolutely guilt-free.
Cost: Rs 325
to buy: @entisichocolatier, Instagram
After all the mastery they've achieved in cooking this year, it's time to treat your loved one to pretty looking porcelain-enameled cookware and tea-ware. The range is handcrafted and has insulating properties that retain heat and is ideal for low simmering cooking. The ash pink, light grey, smoke blue, and olive green coloured wares look straight out of a vintage photoshoot.
Cost: Rs 2,095 onwards
To buy: www.fujihoroindia.com
Healthy
Recommended by: Jane Borges
There's no need to give up on mithais this Diwali if you are a fitness enthusiast. Try The Yoga House's guilt-free and sugar-free festive treats. You can choose from ladoos made with organic khapli, wheat flour, jaggery, tree gums, dry fruits, flax seeds, organic coconut, and pure A2 cow ghee; rose and pistachio bliss balls, comprising natural dates, chia seeds, rose water and petals, or the healthy tiramisu made with classic dates, fine coffee and maple syrup.
Cost: Rs 990 onwards
To buy: 8655045001
With everyone stuck indoors, a #LiteraryDiwali is the best way to celebrate. Choose from HarperCollins India's specially-curated list that will appeal to different ages. The Diwali Gift Guide comprises titles like Japonisme by Erin Niimi Longhurst, which explores the Japanese art of finding contentment and includes practical tips and tricks to live a happier, more thoughtful life, and Lagom by Niki Brantmark, which uncovers the secrets of the Swedish philosophy of life, and how to strike a balance with the world around us.
To buy: harpercollins.co.in/diwali-gift-guide/
Since food is on everyone's mind, as is well being, pick a healthy food package from Nourish Organics, a homegrown clean food label, that has curated hampers with nutrient-dense cookies, on-the-go snacks, seed and nut combinations. You can choose from onion poha, fig cookies, honey roasted almonds and walnuts, choco and amla bars, and brown rice snacks.
Cost: Rs 1,200 onwards
To buy: www.nourishorganics.in
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