As a Cotswolds and Kensington native, here is what I’m shopping for my rich household and mates this 12 months… and EVERY reward on my record is below £50 (however you’d by no means guess), says SHRUTI ADVANI

I may be biased – this is distilled practically down the road from me in the Cotswolds – but one sip of this and you’ll be a convert. The pop-art bottle alone looks like it belongs in a Soho House bar. Keep it in the freezer and offer it with dessert… or instead of dessert, depending on how strict people are being with calorie counts. Sweet caramel meets vodka, finished with bourbon vanilla. 

This Hermes-themed scarf from Osprey London looks more expensive than it is. The premium yarn helps, but it’s the beige-and-orange colourway that signals Hermès to anyone with even a passing interest in fashion. 

Was £59 

A faux-fur vest is one of those gifts that looks decorative but ends up being genuinely useful. It adds warmth without adding weight, works over jumpers or under coats, and solves the ‘I need one more layer’ problem on cold days. It’s an indulgent, glamorous gift that’s bound to make her feel special every time she puts it on. 

Was £49.95 

The designer’s bags usually retail in the hundreds, which makes this version a genuine steal. It’s practical, instantly recognisable and something they’ll use. If you’re feeling generous, fill it with a few fancy treats they wouldn’t buy themselves. 

This deck turns an ordinary game of snap into something far more entertaining. Each of the 52 cards features a different image or illustration of King Charles, from childhood to coronation, with a few surprisingly cheeky swimsuit shots thrown in. They’re so kitsch they loop back to cool, and they work just as well for grandparents as they do for grandchildren. 

Jellycat’s reputation comes from using high-quality fabrics and Bartholomew is one of its signature designs. This large size feels substantial and Jellycat’s cult following means the gift carries a certain social currency among both parents and children. 

In the Middle East, Bateel holds the same status that Charbonnel & Walker enjoys closer to home. These bars of 44 per cent single-origin Ecuadorian milk chocolate with pistachios gives a social-media favourite the premium spin it deserves. 

Winter shorts sound impractical, but they’re everywhere – worn with tights and boots as part of the standard cold-weather party uniform. I have a Saint Laurent pair that’s virtually indistinguishable from this sequin M&S version, and the designer brings them back every party season for a reason. They’re exactly what a teenage girl will reach for on New Year’s Eve, birthday parties, school discos or any night she wants to look properly dressed up without overdoing it. 

Because it helps reduce breakouts and frizzy hair, a silk pillowcase is one indulgence that parents, teenagers and dermatologists can all agree on. But beyond the science, owning a serious piece of kit like this feels adult and elegant. 

Zip-up hoodies are everywhere in teen menswear at the moment, and abstract camo is one of the colourways that circulates fastest on TikTok. It’s practical and slots into the uniform teenage boys already rely on – joggers, trainers, headphones, done. 

 Was £49.95

‘A hundred per cent,’ said both of my teenage testers when I asked whether these wireless earbuds would make a good Christmas present. I then had to awkwardly clarify that this was research and they weren’t actually getting a pair themselves.

Even if he already owns headphones, earbuds get relentless use: on the way to and from school, sometimes at school, and almost certainly while gaming or streaming. Beats, the brand founded by Dr Dre and later acquired by Apple, retains serious street credibility. At around £45 these feel like a properly premium gift without drifting into excess.

Was £79.95 

After a football fixture, when it looks as though a herd of identically muddy boys is heading my way, I often pick my son out by his backpack. Indeed, a good backpack is the unsung hero of teenage life. Herschel, an American brand that is as popular with teenagers and young creatives as it is with their tech-bro parents, is instantly recognisable but far from flashy. 

Was £50 

House of Bruar has been a countryside favourite long before The Traitors made tartan trendy again. But when Claudia Winkleman wore their tartan trousers on the show, the brand became a search-engine phenomenon. A herringbone-wool throw brings a genuine country-house polish to a favourite chair or sofa without feeling overdone.

These lemon-shaped soaps from boutique brand Bronnley look just like the fruit, right down to the grainy texture. They are so glamorous in a bowl by the bath or on a windowsill in the bathroom but if you do end up using them, they lather nicely too. Crucially, they have a complex, layered scent – not just lemon but also lemongrass, neroli and musk – so they smell more like a designer perfume than shower gel. 

Some gifts work because they add a little elegance to the everyday, and these V&A notecards do exactly that. Drawn from Manolo Blahnik’s own designs, they turn something as simple as a note into a small act of style — perfect for the friend who enjoys a touch of fashion without the performance. 

It doesn’t matter whether you fill it with single malt or someone’s experimental home-cider – once it’s in a hip flask, it immediately looks sophisticated. What makes this one from Aspinal special is the leather pouch. It is an upgrade on the usual metal versions and something he’ll actually carry. 

Was £59 

A Liberty tote strikes the balance between practical and polished. The brand’s prints come from one of the longest-established design archives in British fashion and this bag will get used daily – for school runs, errands, playdates and everything else – and she’ll thank you every time she reaches for it.