The Little Lady Agency

What are you supposed to give the girl who has everything?

Of all Melissa Romney-Jones’s Little Lady Agency jobs, the one I really covet is her Christmas shopping service. Who wouldn’t want to be let loose on the shops of London with someone else’s credit card? And, actually, show me a man who wouldn’t happily hand over the whole present shenanigans, and I’ll show you a masochist with a suspicious knowledge of Selfridge’s fine lingerie section.

It’s hard for men to find presents for the women in their lives, because so many gifts come with pitfalls. Yes, you know she loves treating herself to Bliss spa treatments – but will she take a rejuvenating facial personally? She’s been dropping hints about a pair of ‘investment jeans’, but one size too big or small, and she’ll be glaring at you over a Ryvita until January 4th. So, for the benefit of any chaps planning a last-minute spin around Saks, here are Honey Blennerhesket’s best suggestions…

1. a complete luxury valet for her car.
I adore my little green sportscar, but frankly, it’s a mess. I never polish it, it’s full of shoes and old copies of Tatler, and it needs a good scrub and service. If someone could take my MX5 away, and bring it back looking spotless and new, without my having to get out the bucket and chamois leathers or talk to the mechanics about new spark plugs, I would instantly whisk them out for lunch in it.

2. correspondence cards with her address, or initials on
indescribably chic and an indulgence she’s unlikely to give herself in these straitened times. And I’d never say no to a Mont Blanc fountain pen…

3. flowers for a year
what’s lovelier than a present that keeps on reminding you of the giver for a whole year? Arrange to have a bunch of roses (or seasonal variations) delivered on the first of the month, and she’ll feel like a Hollywood star. To be even more romantic, check out the ‘language’ of different flowers, and let her decode your intentions

4. a serious scarf
whether it’s a classic Hermes print, or a luxurious cashmere throw, there’s something very indulgent about a fabulous scarf – and in weather like this, she’ll be wearing it enough for everyone to see

5. some Guerlain Issima Midnight Secret… and an invitation to a late-night party for two
Midnight Secret is sleep in a bottle, deeply beloved of girls who need to perk up party-pooped skin, but to stop it being interpreted the wrong way, make sure it comes attached to the cocktail list from Duke’s Bar, St James – or the dinner venue of your choice. Sorry, I think I might have slipped in a massive hint to Father Christmas there…