Let’s be real, no month of the year rinses your bank account as quickly as December. Between the Christmas gifts, flights home, festival tickets, being friends with so many Sagittariuses, it’s probably a sensible time to hold back on the ‘treat yo self’ mantra until the new year.

But let’s be really real - Christmas shopping for others is like opening a Pandora's Box of consumerism, where you suddenly realise you have nothing to wear to all the festivals you’ve booked and the three weddings you’re attending, and you simply can’t do another summer in that same daggy swimsuit.

Here at Ensemble we’re big believers in making thoughtful purchases, so this month we made the most of our limited self-gifting budgets – from flattering, local swimwear, to a first piece of art and a first tattoo (!), these are the nice things we bought and loved.

Sleeping Profit bikini top, $65

Sleeping Profit is one of those young local brands that’s been on my fashion editor radar for a while, but I’ve never felt like I’m cool enough to be able to pull it off (my style is more twee than textured and DIY). Their cute bikini tops, with a noughties-inspired print that is giving Blue Crush, wannabe surfer girl, felt like an easy entry level purchase. I got it in the purple and baby green colourway, and I can’t wait to wear it all summer long in my backyard/at the inner city beaches. It’s reversible too. - Zoe Walker Ahwa

A custom illustration from Poorly Drawn Cats, about $20

This year I decided that I will get my first tattoo, but only if it’s meaningful. And what’s more meaningful than a hilarious drawing of my cat’s face? I’ve been obsessed with Poorly Drawn Cats – yes, that’s the name – by Brazilian artist Heloisa Nora for ages, and wanted to get a commission. She only opens her books at certain times of the year, accepting a small number, and this month I finally got through. Early next year I’ll be taking her doodle of my cat Jem and turning it into a tattoo. - ZWA

Rachel Mills ‘Paula’ one-piece swimsuit, $219 

Summer is here! This is the first swimsuit I’ve bought since 2019 and I love it. The shape and the fabric are beautiful and it looks great with my Kowtow culottes (see below). Important note: I bought these online and the sizing was smaller than expected. - Rebecca Wadey

Kowtow culottes, $249

I’ve definitely been on a spending bender the past month... These culottes however were purchased with store credit from a dress I returned earlier in the year. I adore them for their comfort and practicality. They’re ideal to slip on over togs or a body suit for a casual cool summer look. - RW

Dora Larsen bra, $72 (on sale)

Drawn in by the excellent colour combination, I bought this very cute bra by London brand Dora Larsen from an online retailer that was having a sale, but I've since found out that they're also stocked locally at fantastic Wellington lingerie shop Underlena, so I'll be purchasing my next set from there instead. - Tyson Beckett

Jelly gel manicure, $65 

I’m about a year late to the ‘jelly nails’ trend (glossy, translucent manicures with a hint of colour, Dior Glow vibes) but when I popped into my usual salon last week (The Nail Bar in Ponsonby), I saw they had a brand new range of jelly nail colours, about eight sheer shades with intriguing names like ‘Green Glass’, ‘Cheese milk’ and ‘Dirty bubble tea’. Feeling festive, I went for a glacé cherry red, the exact colour of the raspberry jelly shoes I had as a toddler (and the Gucci versions I have now, yolo!) - Lara Daly

Zapotec woven rug from Oaxaca, Mexico, $450

I was lucky enough to enjoy a three week holiday in Mexico a few weeks before the Christmas madness kicked in. One of the highlights was visiting a small village in Oaxaca on the way to Hierve el Agua, where we stopped at a local weaving workshop. 

One of the prolific weavers there talked us through the process of how the rugs are made – from sourcing the raw wool and dying it with plants and insects, to weaving the artwork on the looms. I was blown away by it all, but one piece caught my eye and I had to take it home. I had been saving for this trip for a while, so when I realised I would happily eat $4 street tacos and $2 beers for most of the time, I felt really good about dropping some cash on my first piece of art! - LD

Woven market bag and crochet mushroom from Oaxaca, Mexico, $20

OK last one (technically two) from me, but I have to share my second favourite Mexico purchase with you because LOOK HOW CUTE! There was an overwhelming amount of cool woven bags in Oaxaca, but I spotted this adorable love heart one hiding in the corner of a sweltering Mercado (market) for only $15. I was already feeling smug skipping back to my hotel when I passed another Mercado selling crochet everything - including a baby mushroom accessory that perfectly matched my new bag. A day I won't forget.