Inexpensive Gifts from Paris

Long the playground of contessas, sheiks, and the odd king or two, Paris has price tags that would set the average shopper’s hair on end. But you don’t have to be a princess to enjoy some of the luxuries Paris has on offer. Here’s a range of gifts–for you or someone on your list–for around 10 euros or less. My favorite cheap Paris buy is great for men, women and kids. They’re gants de toilette (bathmits), and come in an amazing array of colors, designs and textures–pink, green, red, taupe, floral, leopard-print, teddy bears, waffle-weave, toweling, velour. You’ll find them in the linen section of any department store. (Also try Descamps retail outlets.) They average between 3 and 7€. Look for products by Jalla, Descamps and Mon Jardin Secret (as well as designers such as Christian Dior). It happens in even the best of families: someone smokes. So while you may banish them to the cold outdoors, send them on their way with a solid glass ashtray from Leonardo Glassware. Looking like the moon sliced clear through, the ashtray comes in a range of delicious colors: red, lime, jade, purple, orange and more. Available at Printemps on the 6th level of their A La Maison store. Ok, so they’re a little over 10 euros, but if you use your 10% discount card, it’s all good. Printemps has quite a range of (colorful, contemporary) Leonardo glassware, so even if you’re not shopping for a smoker, it’s worth looking. Their champagne glasses and candleholders also make wonderful gifts for a great price. Printemps à la Mode 64, boulevard Haussmann, 9ème Tel : 01.42.82.57.87 Metro: Havre-Caumartin RER: E, Haussmann St-Lazare Speaking of candles, I’m a certified junkie. Try L’Occitane en Provence for some delicious scents: Orange and cinnamon, crème caramel, green tea, lavender, pear (12.5€); honey (13€). You can also buy incense, in either sticks or cones, in their most popular scents for around 9€. Their perfumed sachets are a steal at between 4.5 and 7€, and don’t forget to the soaps (to go with the gants!). They have a fantastic range, from traditional to honey to shea butter, all for under 10€. The cedar wood, sandalwood and rose wood soaps are perfect for the men in your life. (6€) L’Occitane en Provence It has over 15 outlets in Paris, including: 84, Rue de Rivoli, 4ème Tel: 01.42.78.74.01   17, Rue des Francs-Bourgeois, 4ème Tel: 01.42.77.96.6793, Rue de Rennes, 6ème Tel: 01.42.22.48.74 84, Avenue des Champs-Elysées, 8ème Galerie des Champs-Elysées Tel: 01.53.76.00.06 17, Rue des Francs-Bourgeois, 4èmeTel: 01.42.77.96.67 93, Rue de Rennes, 6èmeTel: 01.42.22.48.74 84, Avenue des Champs-Elysées, 8èmeGalerie des Champs-ElyséesTel: 01.53.76.00.06 Looking for something for the art-lover in your life? Then the Carousel du Louvre is the perfect place to shop. First, try the Louvre’s own store. Favorite purchases of mine are the note blocs with designs from La Joconda (the Mona Lisa) to Napoléon, and the mousepads. But if your art lover is Paris-based, then why not buy them a gift that really keeps on giving–a yearly pass to the Louvre? It’s an absolute bargain, at 15€ for those under 26, and 19€ for the oldies, giving you unlimited access to the permanent and temporary collections, as well as a no-wait entrance. You can also take a friend for free (limited hours apply). For more information, go here. Boutique du Louvre 99 rue de Rivoli, 1er tel: 01.40.20.52.06 Nearby you’ll find JNF Productions, a retail outlet of the publishing firm Flammarion 4. They sell gifts featuring more contemporary artists such as Picasso, Magritte, Cocteau, Dufy, Lichtenstein and photographer Robert Doisneau, amongst many others. You’ll find a range of notebooks (3.95€), address books (5.5€), magnets (2.5€), and more. (They also sell t-shirts, calendars, posters, jewelry and homewares, all bearing the work of various artists.) I can’t go past the whimsical designs of Raymond Peynet and his two lovers, and bought a two-pack of playing cards, perfect for canasta or 500 (15.95€). They also carryl a line of jewelry by Jean-Michel Othoniel, the artists who created the captivating métro entrance at the Palais-Royale stop. Unfortunately, they’re more than 10€, but you can find postcards of the métro stop for less than a euro a pop. JNF Productions 99 rue de Rivoli, 1er Tél. 01.40.20.00.3217-19 rue Visconti, 6ème Tél. 01.44.41.19.60 And don’t forget the other museums. The Musée d’Orsay has a fantastic gift store (with many pieces from the Impressionists and a great guide to the museum for your return trip), as does the Rodin. My favorite is the Post-It notes featuring one of Rodin’s most exquisite pieces, The Kiss. Great little stocking-stuffers at only 3€ apiece. Notebooks range from 3.50 (pocket-sized) to 10€ (regular size with a matching pen). Musée d’Orsay Parvis Bellechasse, 7ème Tel: 01.40.49.43.90 (Go in via the gift store entrance on the quai, not the main entrance on the parvis; you’ll usually have less of a wait, even without the special museum pass.) Musée de Rodin 77 Rue de Varenne 7ème Tél. 01.44.18.61.10 Also try these other museum stores: Musée Picasso 5 rue de Thorigny, 3ème Tel: 01.42.71.97.15 Musée de Carnavalet 23, rue de Sévigné, 3ème Tél.: 01.44.59.58.58 Musée du Moyen Âge–Thermes de Cluny 6 place Paul Painlevé, 5ème Tel: 01.53.73.78.22 Luckily for me, my friends have a well-defined sense of kitsch, which is why they all love those gold or silver  Eiffel Tower keyrings. I used to by them from a lady who sold them 3 for 10ff on the Place du Parvis Notre Dame. I couldn’t find her on my last trip, but there were other vendors there. The keyrings are cheap, fun, and–if you’re the nervous kind–perfect for slipping between your fingers in the event of a mugging. (Speaking of which, be on the look-out for the gypsy kids on the place, who ask if you speak English and, if you say yes, demand, “Then gimme a buck!”)My favorite, favorite, favorite store in Paris has to be Séphora. Although they carry probably every makeup line you’ve ever heard of,…