Brittany couldn’t be more excited to share the love for local, small businesses. Check out her Fancy Face 2020 Gift Guide for some stellar brands and products sure to wow and inspire, just in time for the holidays!
It’s hard to believe we’re nearly at the end of 2020. With the holidays just around the corner, it feels good to have something we can all look forward to during a year that has been…beyond tough. With big hope for a brighter new year for everyone, I’m sharing the love I have for some incredible local small businesses and their stellar products by adding them to our Fancy Face Gift Guide for 2020. I’m sharing the love for small business and basking in the holiday cheer! Go buy from these businesses. Seriously. They’re ahhhmazing!!!
Elena Di Giovanni took a difficult time with her life and turned it into something beautiful. Her line of face oils are made with pure, organic 100% botanical ingredients, and my mom and I are in love with all three of them!
Lumi is perfect for pumping, firming and brightening, while Soul offers the only natural alternative to retinol for a beautiful product that fights the signs of aging and reduces the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles, age spots and more. Ego firms, sculpts and combats fine lines and wrinkles, as well. These oils are out of this world, and the ingredients come from every corner of the world!
The Stock Room is a little golden nugget of a place! They run online auctions and you can get some absolute winners here! Fashion, beauty, houseware, electronics, appliances…and everything else. Seriously! Gold mine.
3 // Amandine Sol’s Botanical’s Inner Glow Oil
Amandine Sol is another incredible family run business; this mother and daughter duo live a simple, natural and clean life, and bring these incredible elements to their products with passion and groundedness.
Their Inner Glow Face Oil is made from all-natural ingredients, including a blend of 17 active natural botanicals and essential oils that brighten your skin and bring back that youthful glow. Not to mention it smells so delish you want to eat it!
The Keep Me Golden Sunless Tanning Mist by Sunnatan is exactly what you need in your life to give you that gorgeous, natural glow. You can build a great tan with this spray on mist, and it’s made with natural ingredients! Seems like a much better way to go than UV ray tanning, no!? Personally, I always feel more alive with a bit of that warm, bronze glow that just lights you up!
Sunnatan itself offers a range of sun-free tanning products, as well as a collection of teeth whitening products and sanitizers under SunnaSmile and SunnaPure, respectively.
If you’re looking for luxury retail mecca with a kinder price tag on the side, you have to check out Mine and Yours. This luxury resale brand takes the cake for high-end, luxury clothing, jewelry, handbags, accessories and more. We’re talking Gucci, Hermes, Louis, Prada and the rest of the gang on consignment – if that’s your jam, don’t skip Mine and Yours.
This amazing, affordable and stylish jewellery brand was created by a local Torontonian who made the move from health care to bespoke, curated, high quality bridal and fashion jewelry. You can purchase one of Talia’s incredible pieces (from rings and bracelets to hair pieces and robes!) or have something made especially for you on your special day…
This is Made is a stellar Artisan Boutique as well as a workshop studio, based out of Woodbridge. If you love local, this spot is a must! Candles, charcuterie boards, pillows, artisan chocolates, spreads and other treats, jewellery, the list goes on!
And if you’re a retailer with some quality products of your own, you can reach out to This is Made and find a home to sell your products, as well! How is that for a win!?
This stunner of a brand was created in Toronto in 2005 and soon opened a Miami studio. Founded by Miriam Gee and her daughters Natalie, Celene and Stephanie, Gee Beauty is the ideal combination of high-end makeup and beauty products and spa-quality offerings, as the hottest brands on the market adorn their shelves.
While the list of incredible products they offer goes on pretty much forever, I’m a huge fan of their skincare line and lash serums, in particular. You know me. I love me some glowing skin and a long, sexy lash! Their Lash Conditioning Primer is amazing, creating soft, thicker lashes that you can rock with or without false ones!
If you’re after that glorious, Parisian decor with a flair of Boho Chic, you have to run over to Casa Chic. If I could make it happen, my entire house would be Casa Chic. A family-run business, they offer stunning pieces from all over the world to decorate every room in your home.
Another little fact about Casa Chic that keeps me coming back is that they’re Rattan Designs are ethically made by families from abroad, using sustainable materials; they support small communities around the world. Love them.
10 // Goldscoop Pearl Gold Earrings
Toronto Jewellery Designer Janelle Han founded Goldscoop to offer stylish yet elegant jewellery. She totally nailed it. Both refined and super cool, her earrings, bracelets, rings and necklaces are truly special. But I have to say, some of my absolute faves are her Pearl Gold Earrings. They truly take me to the next level of feeling beautiful when I pop these babies on!
No, I’m not talking about the diapers. Huggies are this gorgeous style of hoop earring that really just hug your ear! They’re both elegant and stylish, and are a go-to on the daily.
With 5 generations of Gozlan in the family, Lisa was bound to end up a quality jeweller. This little business makes you feel like family, and they curate stunning, one of a kind pieces to boot.
You’ve probably heard me talk about The Rock Store in the past. That’s probably because I’ve loved them for ages, and they’re my ultimate go-to crystal finding destination!
The Rock Store is a crystal haven and healing centre;, and their crystals live in my home permanently. They help me stay grounded, keep anxiety at bay and help support me so I can be the best (most Zen!?) version of myself. They’re also stunning to look at! This team also offers beautiful healing jewellery, reiki treatments and a number of workshops and events for those interested in expanding their spiritual horizons!
Remember when I said Casa Chic is how I want my whole house to be? I also want my whole house to be Emily Michelle Home decor. These interior designs are luxurious in quality and create that clean, fresh yet high-end feel to any room in your home. They even have a beautiful holiday range that gives off that rustic, yet somehow luxurious, feel to your holiday decor. Maybe I need two houses?
Freeborn & Co’s Antique Candlestick just makes me want to throw an intimate, glamorous dinner party. They’re the perfect addition to any dining table or pantry hutch and add an extra level of elegance and class to whatever room they’re in.
I’d be remiss to not add that they also offer a stylish range of clothes, textiles, furniture and more, as well. Three homes?
Standing O Accessories is yet another fabulous independent jewellery shop. Their pieces are beautiful, bold and offer many classy options, as well as many that are brilliant statement pieces. You know, the kind that gives just the right amount of cool, trendy and loud (the awesome kind of loud!). If this sounds like your jam, Standing O is absolutely for you.
Gold, bold and badass, Armed jewellery came to be out of the artistic mind of Desiree Girlato. It’s raw, handmade and high quality, and she has fans all over the world. With jewellery that can be worn every day, layered, stacked, at the office or out on the town, Armed allows each person who wears their jewellery to make their own statement and stand out from the crowd. They’ve been featured in British Vogue, Elle, on Jimmy Kimmel live and hit that sweet spot between ‘feminine and edgy’. They’re fierce.
17 // Lemon & Lavender Goddess Head Planter
I love plants, I love how good they are for your mood, and how we literally help each other live…they’re awesome. So to me, beautiful plants deserve an equally beautiful place to live! Lemon and Lavender’s Goddess Head planter is romantic, strong and looks absolutely stunning in our garden!
Mother and daughter team Antonella and Christina are truly inspiring; their business was built out of strength, love and never giving up! It’s full of gorgeous, uniquely sourced gifts from gardening items, cleaning products, candles, soaps, stationary, wellness products and more. The perfect place to find little gifts for practically everyone on your list.
This men’s clothing shop is one of my husband Mark’s absolute faves! And I’ve gotta say, I’m a fan, too, because he always looks crazy-handsome when he dons these duds! Now, I say men’s clothing, but they did just recently launch a women’s line, too!
Canadian made, their clothing is of the highest quality, raw, comfortable, super stylish and always on trend. Their products have been featured in the New York Times, Conde Nast Traveller, NOW Magazine and more. If you’re on the lookout for terrific men’s fashion, check Gerhard’s out!
Ela’s collab with Sasha Exeter is a stunner. This black belt bag can be worn across your chest or as a belt (like a super stylish fanny pack or ‘bum bag’); it adds an extra level of cool to any outfit and to top it all off, the lining is made from 100% recycled plastic bottles. It’s made from vegan black croc leather as well, so it’s both sustainable AND cruelty free.
Ela herself is all about vegan, cruelty-free materials and being kind to mother earth; their products are both accessible and timeless. Seriously, these gals know what they’re doing, and I absolutely love it!
I am obsessed with Joël Joseph’s hats. There. I said it. Joël is actually the brand name, the designer is Terri Dacquisto, and she knows how to make a hat that looks fabulous on anyone. They’re comfortable, hugely stylish and I can’t get enough of them. If I could wear a hat 24/7 and not seem like a weirdo, they’d be these hats.
21 // Yolanda Fernandes Ring Dishes
I honestly don’t know what I’d do with myself if I didn’t have my Yolanda Fernandes Ring Dishes. They can live by the sink in the kitchen, in the bathroom, wherever you take off your rings for anything! Washing dishes or applying creams with rings on is a pain – but these ring dishes are live savers that also look like a gorgeous piece of decor wherever you place them. If you don’t have one yet and you wear rings, buy one. It will change your life.
Yolanda is a brilliant artist, and aside from her ring dishes, she’s an amazing painter with beautiful pieces of art that can absolutely make a room in your home. She even does adorable kids’ room art!
22 // Mel Spivak’s Mini Varsity Asymmetrical Initial Necklace
Available in either white or yellow gold, this necklace is an absolute stunner. It’s classy, personal and so feminine.
Mel’s love for jewellery runs in the family, and she followed in her father’s footsteps after growing up in his jewellery shop! She and her husband work together to seek out the latest trends around the globe, and their incredible and versatile collection is quite the sight to behold. I mean, I basically want to wear all of it…
The gorgeous clothing Thursdays’ shop offers are the kind of clothes that make me want to wrap myself up and bask in the feeling of being both wonderfully comfortable and naturally beautiful. An independent retail boutique run by brother and sister team Rita and James (Thursdays is also supported by their mom, Gill), this shop offers basics, denim, simple and stylish dresses and the absolute best cashmere…
If Yolanda’s ring dishes are making you giddy with excitement, check out Mary Radcliffe’s selection of dishes for jewellery, keys and any other small item that needs a safe space to land – while still looking fabulous.
Mary is also known for her modern, innovative furniture design. After growing up in her father’s workshop, being a ‘maker’ became her calling; her work strikes the perfect balance of both feminine and masculine, and is sleek, strong and beautiful, just like her.
There it is. Our Fancy Face Gift Guide for 2020! Did you have any idea there were so many family run businesses – that also happened to be so out of this world? It is such a joy to feature all of these incredible businesses, and we can’t stress enough how much they need you to get out there and buy, spread the love and share in the season after the year we’ve all had. In buying, you won’t just be helping these brilliant minds and designers, you’ll be gifting quality products to your friends and loved ones…and maybe you can even squeeze something in there for yourself!
Til next time…x
Featured Businesses
She’s Vanity Face Oil // @shesvanityfaceoil
The Stock Room // @thestockroomto
Amandine Sol’s Botanical’s Inner Glow Oil // @amandinesolbotanicals
Mine and Yours // @mineandyoursco
Accessories By Talia // @accessoriesbytalia
This is Made // @thisismade.ca
Goldscoop Pearl Gold Earrings // @goldscoop.jewels
Lisa Gozlan’s Huggies // @lisagozlanjewelry
The Rock Store // @the_rock_store
Emily Michelle Home // @emilymichellehome
Freeborn & Co // @freebornandco
Standing O Accessories // @standing_o_accessories
Armed // @upandarmed
Lemon & Lavender Goddess Head Planter // @lemonandlavenderinc
Ela Handbags’ Belt Bag // @elahandbags
Joël Joseph Hats // @joeljosephofficial
Yolanda Fernandes Ring Dishes // @Yolanda.Fernandes.Ly
Mel Spivak’s Mini Varsity Asymmetrical Initial Necklace // @melspivakjewellery
Mary Ratcliffe Studios // @maryratcliffestudio
