December’s mood is mellow …
After a very busy year, THE GLOSS team longs for a cosy anti-social cocoon as much as the next woman. But, with our annual Christmas round-up designed to make life a bit sparklier, we too are embracing the seasonal rituals and conventions that bring such joy. Let there be lights …
Banish all vestiges of cynicism by taking a look at Gwyneth Paltrow’s latest annual sarky and self-aware Guide to the Holidays on Youtube. It’s so silly, it’s cheering. After that, you’ll be open to creating your own characterful festive set-up, and Giving like our Glossy Gift Guide rather than Giving like Gwyneth!
Our contributors for THE GLOSS December issue have the right ideas: Kitty Coles creates a concise Christmas menu for a crowd, while Skye McAlpine wallows in the joy of eggnog-fuelled baking and Julie Dupouy describes how wine (and whiskey and mead) “gives Christmas its singular fragrance of festivity”. In her guide to navigating December dress codes, former Voguette Rebecca Willis wonders: “Will my husband and I look like we are going to the same event?”. We are all for couples that look out of sync with each other, and have chosen muses who inspire with their individual style.
But this sparkling season has a shadowy side. For many, it carries a weight, the loss of a loved one, strained relationships, or unmet expectations. Reframing Christmas was a courageous decision by Deirdre Adams after she lost her husband to suicide. In Amid The Noise and Haste her words offer great comfort to those grieving at this time of year. “You will smile again, I promise …”
THIS MONTH WE’RE …
EXPLORING STORES: See THE GLOSS X The Shopkeepers Best Shops List 2025. Jaqi, a new interiors store on Charlemont Square in Dublin 2, joins the list.
SHOPPING: for gifts at Form & Fable where a selection of lovely items by Irish makers is curated by J Hill Standard founders, Ava Kelly and Anike Tyrrell.
LOVING: If you buy one thing this winter, make it a cool kilt. @lekilt
SLEEPING IN: Organic cotton pyjamas by Irish brand Moon + Mellow, €215.
PICKING UP: Avoca Christmas cracker gift boxes, €3.20.
ADMIRING: Rhodolite garnet cocktail ring, €1,000, at Stonechat.
BOOKING: a wreath workshop with Mark Grehan of The Garden at Howth Cookery School this weekend, December 6 and 7.
GETTING TO KNOW: the iconic Irish artist, who has painted Seamus Heaney and Queen Elizabeth II, among others, in Colin Davidson: Twelve Paintings (Merrion Press, €35) with interviews by Mark Carruthers.
WATCHING: Eternity by Irish writer and director David Freyne. Starring Elizabeth Olsen who is planning the perfect afterlife – and who to spend it with.
STOPPING OFF: for a drink at Bar 1661 in Dublin 7 to sample its festive menu: try the Mistletoe & Mead with sesame cream or a Cranberry & Pine gimlet.
LISTENING: to the sounds of Christmas by the Avoca String Quartet in a candlelit concert at St Andrew’s Church, Dublin 2, on December 19 and 21.
SO LAST YEAR …
MINI CANDLES: Playing the long game? Invest in metre-tall candles.
SHINY BAUBLES: It’s all about a natural Christmas now: winter blooms, pinecone wreaths, fresh greenery, even decorating the tree with dried flowers; @zarahome.
PLACEMENT CARDS: Hosts are taking it one step further with monogrammed plates that double up as a keepsake; @veronicabeard.
GLOSSY GIFT GUIDE: 12 Bougie Buys For The Interiors Obsessive In Your Life
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