Making It Up: Friendship can come in packages

It's a tradition to give till it hurts this holiday season. Behold! Deluxe items of personal adornment to max out your credit card or just make it look that way...

Jo Malone's Scent A Scent is London's best kept gift-giver's secret. One call sorts out a fashionable gift that makes you look like you know what you're doing. Select from pot-pourri, linen spray, scented seashells, bath oil, cologne, body lotions, candles, soaps and more, and Jo sorts out delivery and wrapping. In her black boxes nestle truly gorgeous products in spiced lime-scented straw. Ten out of 10 for presentation (0171-720- 0202).

Scented candles need not be nasty or naff. Crabtree & Evelyn make very nice ones which in turn make a room - and those in it - smell beautiful. Five pastel-coloured paraffin candles look and smell tres cher in their frosted glass container but they aren't actually cher at all. They burn for 45 hours and cost pounds 10 each.

Estee Lauder makes great compacts - but have you seen what they've got cooking only at Harrods? Sparkling pillboxes shaped like lipstick or lips are part of Estee Lauder's Handbag Accessories range, which includes a glittering jet-black watch-fob compact and powder brush. Glamour ain't cheap: prices run between pounds 130-pounds 210.

Trish McEvoy's covetable Make-up Planners have always been expensive but, like mobile phones, you'll wonder how you managed without. Now at Harvey Nichols, Trish has taken pity on us and designed a micro mini-planner. Make-up brushes (from pounds 14), essentials for face (pounds 22) and lips (pounds 23) in one handy "wallet" (pounds 15). Tell Father Christmas or end up with kohl in your stocking.

Complete your luxury buying spree with one heck of a lump of gold and black: Montblanc's Meisterstuck Watches. Their distinctive Twenties styling starts at pounds 340 at Selfridges.

Speaking of time, why not buy a few MAC Kids Helping Kids christmas cards painted by children with HIV or Aids? All the profits go to clinics and agencies. Cards (and T-shirts) are available at all MAC stores (0171-349 0601).