By Karen Habashi

Supporting community businesses is always a good idea. Whether you’re looking for your partner, a family member, a colleague, a friend, or yourself, this list has just the thing for the lover of local in your life.

Midnight Paloma body trio

Founded by Tayler Rogers in 2018, Midnight Paloma has been featured in the likes of Cosmopolitan to Who What Wear. This holiday season, give someone who needs some relaxing the brand’s invigorating Trio that contains a bath soak, a body scrub, and a lotion; for the scent, choose between soothing Lavender + Chamomile or invigorating Grapefruit + Mandarin. 

Aralea Beauty Sun Kiss Balm

Founded in 2022, Aralea infuses its nourishing lip balms and tints with organic Vitamin D, which is much-needed in winter. The untinted Sun Kiss Balm (made locally in small batches) uses hemp seed oil, coconut oil, and peppermint to nourish and refresh. 

Scentuals Lip & Cheek Tint

Following a “from our family to yours” approach, this cruelty-free-certified company is backed by ongoing scientific research. This holiday, gift the Scentuals Lip & Cheek Tint, which comes in four fun colours. Another great product is the Hand Repair Cream, which smells great and leaves the skin feeling soft and supple.

ILIA Balmy Gloss Tinted Lip Oil

While now based in Los Angeles, ILIA is a home-grown natural beauty brand that started when founder Sasha Plavsic lived in Vancouver. The Balmy Gloss Tinted Lip Oil makes a great gift; it has hyaluronic acid for plumping, and comes in a number of shades for a gentle and sophisticated lip colour.

Lover’s Tempo Birth Flower Pendant Necklace

Lover’s Tempo started in founder Elaine Kim Smith’s kitchen, where she made pieces by hand and sold them at fairs across Vancouver. Now she has a full-fledged ecommerce shop, where the brand’s beautiful Birth Flower Pendant Necklaces offer something different from the usual zodiac signs, while still being personalized.

Welleree Pearl Studs

Designed and hand-crafted in Vancouver, Welleree was started by former personal trainer Lauren Twining, who started making jewellery full-time in 2021. Made with 14-karat gold, the Pearl Studs are a simple, classic gift.

Village Bloomery CBD-infused Bath Bombs [sponsored content]

Best gift under $20! CBD-infused bath bombs in two scent profiles: Zen Citrus when rest is the goal, and Awake Peppermint for post-workout or when you are ready to reignite for a night on the town! There is 100 mg of CBD per bath bomb. Available at Village Bloomery; visit villagebloomery.com.

Seray sleep set

Designed and manufactured in Vancouver, Seray products are made of Tencel fabric, which is sustainable, oh-so soft, and temperature-regulating. Seray’s sleep sets come in either shorts or pants, and feature no-feel stitching and no-dig waistbands for extra comfort.

Malvados Azalea Slipper 

The Azalea Slipper from Malvados might be the most fashionable house shoe on the market. It looks like a sandal but it wears like a slipper—plus, it comes in 100 per cent biodegradable packaging. 

Aelo Lime Margarita

Launched in 2022 (and originally called Opus), Aelo is a great alcohol-free option for the holiday season. The Lime Margarita is perfectly zesty and citrusy.

Mala Sundays candle

Mala candles are hand-poured and crafted from natural coconut soy wax. The Sundays scent with sandalwood, lavender, and apricot is ideal for lazy days at home. Bonus: for every candle sold, one tree is planted.

Quark BuubiBottle Smart Portable Milk Warmer

Founded by two Vancouver dads, Quark is all about making parents’ lives easier with intelligent design and innovative technology. With smart temperature control and real-time temperature display, the BuubiBottle Smart Portable Milk Warmer is great for breast milk, formula, or anything else that new parents want to warm up for their babe.