2009 Holiday Gift Guide - Decadent gift ideas

2009 Holiday Gift Guide - Decadent gift ideas

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Those of us that signed into one of our retirement accounts this past year only to find it utterly gutted are probably not looking into the four digit price tag range for gifts to give our loved ones this holiday season—we’re just trying to keep our heads above water. But realism is only so much fun. What are some of the more decadent, indulgent—or to put it another way generous—gift ideas that have crossed my inbox in recent months. Here are a few that came to mind today.

Hommage is a men’s-only skincare line that's already in the celeb-frequented spas and hotels of the world. The brand just introduced its emollient Relieve, a water-resistant, melt-proof, lightly scented (amber, sandalwood and tobacco flower) oil-gel for the time-challenged man who needs a spa quality shave ($40). If you want to impress a dude, nab the travel shave kit for $100 or pony up for the manly $400 Chicago shave set at Barney’s or the Trump Spa here in Chicago.

Bottle service may have gone out of style in 2009, but there’s nothing to prevent you from bringing a flashy bottle home. Belvedere introduced its new line of Polish vodka this year, Belvedere Silver, which comes in a ridiculously handsome silver bottle. This is the kind of Warholian decadence you want to prop up the pop art portion of your art book shelf.

True decadence is enjoyed on the side of a snow-covered mountain. Burton's high-tech gear, in particular, will keep the techy and snowboarding obsessed awake at night.

The Method ($1499.95) is like the concept car of the Burton showboard line, with a half-dozen new technologies applied to make it an unbelievably light, slick, fast and strong board. You’d look silly riding this rocket without a proper Burton jacket— the military-inspired 2L Gore-Tex Maestro Jacket ($749.95) is built to last more than a season or two. It has a friggin’ lifetime warranty.

There’s nothing quite as indulgent as luxury travel—and Abercrombie & Kent can design an itinerary that’ll give your special someone something to talk about at cocktail parties for the rest of their life and then some. A&K put together a wine lover's Signature South Africa trip that ranges from Cape Town to the Cap Winelands and includes four nights on safari—twelve days in all for $5850. If that sounds too mellow, they’re doing an Extreme Adventure trip in South Africa and Botswana that includes racecar track driving, jet fighter piloting, shark cage diving and live game viewing for $11,950 for twelve days. That's extreme decadence right there.