Merry Christmas to all!

We want to wish all of our readers and supporters a very Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays. Give a little more love this Christmas and enjoy our favourite Christmas Advert from John Lewis!

Jumeirah Living Christmas Tree

Mark Humphrey with his girlfriend, Astrid Gray (GM of Grosvenor House Apartments) and Camilla Kerslake

To celebrate its first Christmas, new luxury hotel concept Grosvenor House Apartments gave a unique take on turning on the lights; ‘Christmas at Home’.

Grosvenor House Apartments by Jumeirah Living also unveiled what is undoubtedly London’s most innovative Christmas tree – Ice-circles, a sculpture created by leading artist designer Mark Humphrey exclusively for the luxury accommodation on Park Lane, London. The 3m tall work of art gave guests a modern and contemporary twist on a quintessential British Christmas; Ice-circles is fashioned from a series of perfectly-formed perspex circles which run from base to apex. A beautiful green light source emanates from the centre of the ‘tree’ giving a sense of traditional green foliage.

Crossover singer Camilla Kerslake, the first signing to Gary Barlow’s new record label, showed she’s got the X-Mas Factor with a special seasonal performance for residents and esteemed guests. 

Festive entertainment was also provided by The New London Children’s Choir and the Grosvenor Chapel, to usher Christmas in to the grand seven-storey vaulted Atrium that lies at the heart of the ‘hotel residence’. 

Mahiki Coconut Christmas Party

Nick Grismshaw turned on the Mahiki Christmas Lights

On Tuesday 4th December, celeb favourite Mahiki hosted its annual Christmas Party, with the added celebration of Mahiki Coconut Rum (now available at Tesco and Sainsburys) There was guest attendance from some well known faces, and Mahiki regulars Mollie King, Alexandra Burke, Oliver Cheshire, Isaac Ferry and Diana Vickers also joined in the party.

Sheltering from the cold in Mayfair's very own tiki paradise, guests flocked to Mahiki to celebrate the annual Christmas Party. With the Mahiki Coconut Rum in full flow, celebrating its launch in stores nationwide, guests were welcomed by some friendly tiki warriors at the door, as they descended into the tropical warmth and out of the bitter London wind. With everyone suitably comfy, and sipping on drinks out of pineapples and coconuts, Nick Grimshaw had the honour of turning on the Mahiki Christmas lights, to much fanfare and the flash of camera bulbs. With food provided by Tom Parker Bowles, guests were presented with a delectable feast with a festive twist. 

*Oliver Cheshire, without his beau Pixie Lott, had just come from the Zara party which he absolutely loved, however had to forgo a big night as he had an important Christmas dinner to attend the next day!

*Nick Grimshaw, fresh from turning on the Mahiki Christmas lights, exclaimed how excited he was for Christmas, and how he has become "strangely used" to waking up at 4am each morning for his radio breakfast show, so a late night doesn’t phase him at all.

Christmas Auction for War Child

Quintessentially Foundation is hosting an interactive Christmas auction in aid of War Child which is now Live! Please follow this link to see the amazing lots and to register christmas.auction-bid.org, or register via your phone by texting ‘CHRISTMAS’ to 88850.

There are some fantastic prizes up for grabs from holidays, meet and greet with Stephen Fry, red carpet experiences, dine at your home with a Michelin star chef with music entertainment by Ronnie Scott’s and many more. All our auction lots were picked and donated to be perfect Christmas gifts.

Please remember this auction is supporting a fantastic cause that believes no child should be the victim of war. War Child is the only international charity that focuses its work solely on children suffering the brutal effects of conflict.

As the shocking news from Syria attests on a daily basis, children are too often hit hardest by conflict. They are targeted, beaten, raped and tortured; their homes, families and schools are destroyed – everything a child needs to build a better future for themselves is lost. War Child’s unique, challenging work saves the lives of the most vulnerable children offering them a lifeline and hope for the future.

The auction in now live and will close on Thursday 29th November at midnight.

A Unique Mixology Set

One of the world's leading brands of luxury travel bags, Tumi, has gone a step further and announced the launch of Mixology Set as a part of their holiday collection.

The stupendous set was co-designed by Diageo and Ketel One Vodka. It consists of a range of bar accessories - from martini glasses to shakers, from zester to a wooden cutting board. There is also an ince bucket and a built-in bottle space, and all this masked in an elegant suitcase. Who doesn't want to have this!

Shopaholic Treat Package

This year is all about great British Institutions and The Stafford London by Kempinski is continuing the trend. Teaming up with Liberty London and the Burlington Arcade, guests booking the 'Shopaholic Treat Package' can take advantage of 10% discount when hitting the shops, which definitely will make Christmas even merrier. 

Bentley-branded Christmas Gift Ideas

Weekender Leather Bag

Bentley has unveiled a top drawer range of Bentley-branded accessories and gift ideas, which are definitely a chic choice for any enthusiast or aspiring owner. We chose a couple of our favourites to share with you.

Backgammon Set by Geoffrey Parker for Bentley

Breitling for Bentley Desk Clock

Cufflinks: Break Pedal, Oil Cap, Wheel Spinner

Alice Tait's Map of London

Fresh from designing the personal invitations for Chanel’s Little Black Jacket Exhibition, British artist and illustrator Alice Tait is pleased to announce her Illustrated London Map: the perfect gift idea for anyone looking for a unique gift this Christmas. 

The map contains sketches of some of London’s best-known landmarks and attractions. Alice’s joyful design was initially inspired by the life of the bustling streets in her beloved Portobello Road neighbourhood and you can even spot Alice and her sausage dog in many of the London pictures. 

The Alice Tait Illustrated London Map could complement any room in the home, brighten up a workspace, or make a memorably thoughtful gift. The Map range is also available in a Paris and New York Map and works beautifully as a set of three. All three versions of the map are available from The Alice Tait Shop on Not On the High Street.

Bella Freud at Bicester Village

Bella Freud today hosted the launch of her very first stand-alone boutique. Bella welcomed guests to the VIP lounge at Bicester Village for breakfast and then took guests to unveil the pop- up, which is home to Bella’s iconic knitwear, alongside items that she has sourced and created especially for this unique boutique. The boutique will also stock Bella’s new candle range.

Kate Driver, Jeanne Marine, Bella Freud and Laura Bailey

Bella’s guests for the launch included Laura Bailey, Jasmine Guinness, Noomi Rapace, Esther Freud, Plum Sykes, Jeanne Marine, Azzi Glasser and Kate Driver. 

Visit Bicester Village throughout November and December for special late night openings with festive cheer. 

Bella Freud pop-up boutique is open at Bicester Village until early January 2013. 

The Scent of Christmas with Penhaligon's

Throughout December, the elegant Sofitel London St James will be serving an exclusive seasonal afternoon tea and cocktails inspired by the fragrances of fine English fragrance house Penhaligon's.

Head Bartender of the St James Bar has created four exclusive cocktails inspired by four best-selling Penhaligon's scents; Endymion, Juniper Sling, Peoneve and Artemisa. Containing essential oils, spices and unusual liqueurs, the four cocktails take key notes from the fragrances and transform them into very quaffable tipples.

In addition, Head Chef, Vincent Menager, has created a delightful scented afternoon tea featuring scones with rose scented jam, cardamom scented creme brulee tartlets and pear mousse snow balls with violet flakes.

Of course no Christmas is complete without a tree, and Sofitel London St James invited Penhaligon's to decorate their lobby tree. Festooned with opera glasses, theatre masks, programmes and bottles of scent, the Penhaligon's tree is theatrical celebration of all things fragrant. 

The bespoke cocktail and afternoon tea menu will be available at the Sofitel London St James from the 28th of November 2012.

Gordon's Limited Edition by Conran

We have already reported about the launch event of this special collaboration between Gordon's and Conran, now it is time to tell you more about the product itself and hint that Christmas is approaching with lightening speed. 

Seeming an obvious marriage, the two brands share the common values of craft, wit and intelligence coupled with creativity and flair. Each bottle has been carefully curated to tell a different story, inspired by Sir Terence Conran. The designs, which are printed on 100% cotton fabric, feature the corresponding bottle numbers intricately incorporated within a unique print.

To celebrate the launch of the ‘Ten Green Bottles’ collection, Gordon’s and Conran have created a celebratory ultra-premium ‘Ten Green Bottles’ series, which features the designs,  printed on 100% cotton fabric and hand stitched to create a tight fitting bodice around the bottle.  Only ten sets of the ultra-premium ‘Ten Green Bottles’ Limited Edition of Gordon’s will be available to buy in 70cl bottles, exclusively through Selfridges.

This collection is a range of only one hundred bottles, lovingly hand sewn in the UK with care and attention.  Each one-off bottle is hand signed by Sir Terence Conran himself.  You will also receive the corresponding design print on A3.  As only ten of each bottle will ever be sold, this will surely become a highly cherished collector’s item.

Alice Temperley at Bicester Village

On 8 November, Alice Temperley officially launches ‘The Charm of Christmas’ campaign at Bicester Village near London, one of the nine Chic Outlet Shopping® Villages in Europe by Value Retail. As a member of the judging panel for ‘The Charm of Christmas Design Initiative’, Alice will celebrate the arrival of the illuminated Art Deco Christmas gift boxes that will decorate Bicester Village during the festive season, together with students from the Royal College of Art in London and Caroline Issa, Fashion Director at TANK Magazine, another member of the judging panel.  

Also on the itinerary during Alice’s visit to Bicester Village was the Winter Wishes event at the Temperley London boutique, where celebrations for the festive season began in style. During the in-store event she gifted customers with treats from the boutique’s Winter Wishing Tree, as well as taking part in a signing of her new book, True British (published by Rizzoli). 

Alice has also compiled her Christmas wish list from the more than 130 boutiques in the Village, and it includes some of her favourite brands such as Penhaligon’s, La Perla, Smythson and Bose.  Alice’s gift suggestions from her Temperley London boutique include the Temperley pouch, the perfect present for a girlfriend; the five fragranced candle gift set, an ideal present for someone who travels frequently; a knitted cape, for cosy weekend wear and chilly evenings; and the embellished Viola dress with coloured stones and sequin detailing, stunning for any Christmas cocktail party.

Shakespearean Sonnets

This Christmas, give the gift of poetry - a diary in verse form from a man seeking to understand hiw own conflicted nature in this highly-praised new book of self-discovery from award-winning author, Ryan J-W Smith.

'Candid, spiritual, philosophical and sometimes boldly political...a landmark in literature.' - Watkins Magazine

'Impressively well-constructed...often startingly expressive and insightful...a fascinating and richly detailed picture of the author.' - Neon Literary Magazine

'Like reading someone's diary, their private thoughts and feelings captured in verse...this collection shows a tremendous talent, and deserves to sit along side your Poes, Plaths, and T.S. Elliots.' - Mass Movement Magazine

Godiva's Christmas

Godiva Chocolatier, the world leader in premium Belgian chocolates, presents its new range of products created especially for the Christmas season. Godiva offers the chocolate lover a variety of elegant snow-inspired gifts for any holiday wish list.

Godiva chocolatiers present a collection of gifts ideal for any individual over the festive season. From mouthful sized chocolates encased in an elegant beaded ornament to detailed character figurines in white, milk and dark chocolate, a playful advent calendar guaranteed to excite the child in all of us, or a luxurious Royal Swarovski Box. 

The latter is a premium gift box containing sixty-one pieces of Godiva's signature assortment. The chocolates are stored in a beautiful suede case covered in Swarovski crystals forming the Godiva emblem. This sparkling choice is ideal to give to those with a taste for luxurious gifts at Christmas. 

The new scrumptious treats from Godiva are available from 8th November to 31st December.

Belvedere Vodka and (RED) new bottle design

Belvedere Vodka, the world’s first super premium vodka, announces the second year of its partnership with (RED) and unveils its new bottle design for the BELVEDERE (PRODUCT)RED Special Edition Bottle to raise proceeds for the Global Fund, among the world’s leading financier of programmes to fight HIV/AIDS in Africa. 

The new 2012 (BELVEDERE)RED Special Edition bottle, developed by Polish design firm Dekorglass, unifies the innovative packaging by Belvedere Vodka and iconic (RED) hue; resulting in an eye-catching semitransparent metallic bottle. 50% of profits from the global sale of the (BELVEDERE)RED Special Edition bottle will contribute to the Global Fund. 

The (BELVEDERE) Special Edition bottle delivers a clear, succinct message: Buy (BELVEDERE)RED, Save Lives - making it this year’s perfect Christmas gift. Consumers will still be able to enjoy the same naturally smooth, unadulterated Belvedere vodka within the bottle but help the fight to eliminate HIV/AIDS through a simple purchase of (BELVEDERE)RED. 

The (BELVEDERE)RED Special Edition bottle will launch on 1 November 2012 and will be available for purchase from Selfridges, Waitrose and all other good supermarkets across the UK. This definitely is the perfect Christmas gift.

Montblanc's Perfect Christmas Gift

Heritage Collection 1912 Limited Edition

Show your style this Christmas by giving your loved one a beautifully crafted gift from the House of Montblanc. From Writing Instruments to exquisite jewellery, Montblanc has Christmas crafted.

Montblanc Heritage Collection 1912 Limited Edition writing instrument

This is the first edition in a collection which pays tribute to the past ten decades of Montblanc writing instruments and communicates selected historical pens in a contemporary spirit. Restricted to only 333 pieces, the fountain pen features a new two-step screw mechanism which combines the retractable nib movement as well as the piston-filling function. Made from titanium, the Limited Edition boasts a new nib with a triangle-shaped heart hole, which has been especially designed for the Heritage Collection to ensure a soft style of writing. Available from October.

Princesse Grace de Monaco

Diva Writing Range

Paying tribute to extraordinary women this range perfectly reflects the personality of the honoured Diva in the design of the writing instruments.