A little luxury for less than $40

Times are tough and inflation is real, but this holiday season, it's still possible to shower your loved ones in luxury without breaking the bank.

- By Deborah Netburn

There's no rule that says indulgence has to come with a buying yourself. Does anyone need an iPhone case in rich pebbled leather? Probably not, but they might enjoy one. On this list of gifts that feel expensive (but aren't), you'll find a sophisticated scented high-end candle alternative, an elevated bottle of indie nail polish with a display-worthy brass cap and one of the best olive oils you'll ever taste from the fruit of 100-year-old California olive trees. My editor challenged me to keep all the gifts under $40, and I rose to the challenge - if you don't count shipping costs.

Fischersund Incense

Hand-rolled by a family-run perfumery and art collective in Iceland, Fischersund's incense reads more sophisticated Nordic lodge than musty crystal shop. And at $32, it's a fraction of the price of the brand's candles ($95) and perfume ($198). Available online and at Hammer and Spear on La Cienega Boulevard, the incense comes as both sticks and cones, but the sticks look more substantial in a gift bag.

$32 at Hammer and Spear

Dior Candle Snuffer

Christian Dior's candle snuffer arrives in a luxuriously large textured white box with "DIOR" stamped in big gold letters on the top. Inside you'll find the silver chrome candle snuffer resting in a nest of shredded Dior tissue paper making the experience of receiving this gift almost as pleasurable as using it. The snuffer itself is shiny, weighty and works like a charm for extinguishing candles.

$35 at Dior