Great Goth Gift Guide~ Unisex Gifts

Do you have a friend or relative with an appreciation for the darker things? If your not clued up finding that perfect Christmas gift can be a total nightmare. So here i give some ideas and tips on finding the perfect gift for your alternative familiar. This will be my final blog post for the Great Goth Gift Guide due to Christmas approaching far to quickly, there are just not enough hours in the day to get everything ready. As the other two posts have been mainly targeted towards women i thought i would make this more of a non gender specific guide. This is a really tricky one for me, i live in a small village so goth guys are pretty much non existent but i will do my best.

1. Books~ Doesn't everyone love to get their teeth into a good book, 50 shades of gray is a big hit but we are more interested in 50 shades of blood and gore. This isn't true of everyone though, romantic tragedy's or classic novels are also favoured. Barnes and Noble have a collection of beautiful leather bound books perfect for your literacy lover. I own a copy of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein and it is one of my favourites, every detail from the cover to the artwork is perfection making a beautiful addition to any book collection. I would recommend Dracula, Frankenstein, The Edgar Allan Poe Collection or Wuthering Heights for a great gift. Most of these books are available on Amazon but i have also seen some of them in Waterstones.

2. Candles~ They are relaxing, smell great and create a romantic eerie atmosphere, in the short if you don't like candles you probably have no soul. My all time favourite candles are black and opium scented, they are elegant, mysterious and make inexpensive gifts. Another sought after brand is the weeping rose candle, these are black and have a red wax center which drips like blood down the candle. I have found both of these on Ebay and amazon for low prices. For something a little more mysterious why not pick up a skull shaped candle, these are a little more expensive but look beautiful. Gothic candle holders paired with black tea lights or tapered candles would make a perfect gift.

3. Music~ O.K so buying music for Goths is a tricky business, there's a wide range of music listened to in the gothic subculture. Some like metal, while others are more inclined to classical or other genres, unless you know your recipients taste its best not to buy anything too specific.When looking for music i use a website called getmetal, they have a big list of new album releases including Gothic metal. If you still have no idea what to buy Itunes has an extensive library of all genre's of music. I personally prefer to use Spotify, a music streaming subscription which i can use on my PC and iPhone. By using spotify i can listen to any song without purchasing it individually. This would be more suited to someone who spends a lot of time online or has a smart phone. Itunes and Spotify gift cards are both attainable in most supermarket but you can also buy e-cards online.

4. Goth Boots~ Goth boots are one of our big fashion staple pieces, they go with jeans they go with dresses we love them! Before you go browsing for some bad ass boots you need to know that while they are built to last they don't come cheap so if your looking to save the pennies buy something else. Popular brands are New Rock and Demonia, i have owned both brands and would say from experience that New Rocks last longer but Demonia are better looking.

Luna's Top Tip: Is your Goth friend vegetarian?, they might appreciate some animal friendly boots from Madfish. Keep hold of your receipt just in case the fit isn't quite right

5. Food~ Everyone loves to eat, and you don't necessarily need to find some kind of goth foods, although Halloween sweets will probably go down well. What kind of foods does your recipient like? I am a big foodie and love to cook, one of my favourite gift ideas is food subscription services. These are boxes of food that are sent out weekly or monthly depending on the subscription. Some of my favourites are the cake club which sends you a delicious slice of cake a month and the curry club, a box of fresh spices that comes with a curry recipe card. If your friend isn't the cooking type perhaps you could get them a gift certificate to there favourite restaurant.

6. Jewellery~ There's plenty of unisex Gothic jewellery out there, Alchemy Gothic is the first brand that springs to mind. They sell a gorgeous collection of both masculine, feminine and unisex pieces featuring dragons, fairies, skulls and other characters. A wide range of pieces are available for any budget, perhaps a belt buckle for your goth guy or a nice pendant if that's more his thing. Alchemy Gothic also have some gorgeous rings for someone special

Luna's Top Tip: If buying rings always find out the recipients size, guessing is never going to work!

I hope my little guide has helped you with your tricky Christmas recipients, Once again i want to thank all of you for reading my ramblings. My next post may be after Christmas so i take this time to wish you all a happy holiday (full of doom and gloom of course), See you in the New Year

Luna X

Image links books:http://media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/236x/8f/6d/c7/8f6dc7e083f2fbe59866621529c43990.jpg candle:http://www.mensfashionmagazine.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/memento-mori-wax-skull-candle.jpg bass:http://stylefavor.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/Bass-Guitar-Wallpaper.jpg
boots:http://www.sinistersoles.com/v/vspfiles/templates/Sinister3/images/Right-2.gif bracelet: http://blackriverrock.co.uk/store/images/brr/alchemygothic/bracelets/A78.jpg food: http://gothiccakes.daenerys.co.uk/files/2012/04/Black-rose-cupcakes.jpg

December Haul!

Here's a haul video of some things i picked up on a recent shopping trip in Cardiff. It also features a few gifts that i have picked for friends. Enjoy Luna x

Great Goth Gift Giving Guide~ Fragrance

Do you have a friend or relative who with an appreciation for the darker things? If your not clued up finding that perfect Christmas gift can be a total nightmare. So here i give some ideas and tips on finding the perfect gift for your alternative familiar. Girl's love to smell nice FACT! So why not give your friend the gift of fragrance this Christmas. You should bare in mind that top selling celebrity fragrances are probably not going to impress. Before purchasing a fragrance you need to know if your giftee likes floral, fruity or spicy scents. Age is also an important factor when buying a perfume for someone, overly sweet fragrances are more suited to teenagers while delicate florals are for the mature woman. Here are my top 5 fragrances, these are more suited to those aged between 20-40.

*Luna's Top Tips
1. Always check the prices of fragrance gift sets, they are often cheaper than the bottle of perfume alone.
2. Some stores offer free gifts with perfume purchases so it's worth shopping around
3. Debenhams have a variety of "try now fragrance guarantee" fragrances which come with a sample of the perfume, these are ideal as a gift if you are unsure of your Goth's fragrance preference.

Top Notes
Middle/Heart Notes
Base Notes

1. Paco Robanne~ Black XS

This is definitely a perfect perfume for a metal chick, the kind of girl who rocks out all night in the mosh pits and doesn't get home until the early hours of the morning. This is one of my all time favourites, it is a floral scent with a hint of earthy fruitiness. It has a real confident sexiness about it which makes it perfect for evening wear but the sweetness would make it a good gift for an older teenager. The bottle is eye catching and has that alternative look about it, i once purchased this in Debenhams and i got a gorgeous black skull candle as a free gift.

RRP: 30ml £25, 50ml £32, 80ml £45

Perfume Notes: Cranberry, Pink Pepper and Tamarind, Rose, Cocoa and Black Violet, Vanilla, Patchouli and Mossoia Wood

2. Calvin Klein~ Euphoria

I absolutely adore this fragrance, my mum wore it a lot when i was a teenager (i used to sneakily put it on because i couldn't afford my own). It really is a timeless sensual evening essence that seems to work for women of all ages, the only way to accurately describe it's scent is euphoric (sorry for the pun). The bottle isn't particularly eye catching or unusual but i am yet to find someone who doesn't fall in love with its woody oriental contents.

RRP: 30ml £30, 50ml £38, 100ml £65

Perfume Notes: Pomegranate and Persimmon, Lotus blossom, Champaca Flower and Black Orchid, Liquid Amber, Black Violet and Mahogany Wood

3. The Perfume Shop~Vivabox 

The Vivabox by The Perfume Shop is the perfect fragrance gift if you have no idea what kind of scent your alternative friend looks for. Vivabox contains a variety of seven popular fragrance samples which are changed slightly each season. The great thing about this gift is that it contains a voucher for a full sized bottle of perfume so you can try each one and choose your favourite. These boxes are available for both men and women. The women's box currently contains; Jimmy Choo~Flash, Carolina Herrera 212 VIP, Lacoste~Touch of Pink, Boss~ Orange, Ghost, Paco Robanne~Black XS and Paco Robanne~Lady Million

RRP £37.99 at The Perfume Shop

4. Guerlain La Petite Robe Noir

Another one of my favourite scents, this one i would say is targeted more at the under 30's as it is a sweet, fruity floral (at least on my skin). I would describe this scent as chic, and seductive but definitely youthful. One of the notes that can be easily detected it the black cherry, it gives a fruity sweetness with sensual and mysterious notes of licorice and black tea. The bottle is a beautiful light pink faded into a mysterious inky black. I would recommend this fragrance to fashion conscious 20 somethings. 

RRP: 30ml £35, 50ml £59

Fragrance Notes: Black Cherry, Almond and Red Berries, Rose Licorice, Smokey Black Tea

5. Giorgio Armani Code

This little beauty would be ideal for the girl who takes a lot of pride in her appearance, think glam goth or Morticia Addams. I have the tiniest amount of Armani Code left in the bottle but i just can't bring myself to use it, the bottle is too beautiful to throw out. Armani describe it as spellbinding and elegant, i have to agree, it has an air of mystery about it, the colours remind me of the night, . This fragrance is an oriental floral (not the yucky granny kind), very delicate and sensual so it would be perfect for anyone 20+. I really have never smelt anything similar to this, it's the most elegant fragrance i have ever smelt and i am in love with it.

RRP 30ml £35, 50ml £45, 75ml £65

Fragrance Notes: Jasmine and Orange, Orange Blossom, Honey and Vanilla