Every year since it launched in 2008, Gwyneth Paltrow's lifestyle and wellness website, goop.com, has made headlines for its annual gift guide.
Featuring items that are either very expensive, super niche or completely outlandish – or sometimes all three – this year Paltrow has not let us down.
Divided up into "wellness", "kids", "kitchen" and other sections, we've picked 10 of the best and most fun items for you to add to your own wish list.
You can also scroll through the gallery above to see our top picks.
1. Goop Travel Straw, $22
The first red flag here is the fact this straw is made from glass. Glass … travel … we're not sure those two things go together.
The second red flag is the price. That’s $22 for a straw. OK, so it comes in its own recycled plastic case along with a mini-squeegee, but can it code you a new domain name whilst fixing a kale smoothie? No. And that’s what we’d expect if we’re shelling out $22.
2. Aura Stone, $65
Although it looks like something Hawkeye from The Avengers would use as a weapon, Goop assures us that we should: "Smooth this gua sha body-massage stone over your arms, legs, stomach and any other area that needs attention to gently massage muscles and soothe tension."
3. Meditation Pillow, $80
“We wanted a meditation pillow with distraction-defying firmness and shape,” says Goop. But what is so “distraction-defying” about a circle?
Well, they’re the shape of old-school UFOs, bubbles, the Moon, hula hoops, drums. All these things are notoriously distracting. Also … doughnuts. Mmmm, doughnuts. Oh, sorry, we’re supposed to be meditating, aren’t we? Sorry, make that “Ommm, doughnuts.”
4. Pyramid Commode, $35,000
If you’ve got a spare $35,000 knocking about, how about this Elizabeth Paige Smith-designed commode? It’s a 14-drawer storage space which "creates a spatial vortex in whatever room it’s placed in, energetically lifting the vibrations".
Apparently, Kanye West is a client, if you needed another reason not to buy one.
5. Batard Bread Lamp, $210
It’s a lamp. Made of bread. What’s there to not understand? A real loaf covered in resin, it features an "LED light that radiates a warm, comforting glow in whatever room it’s in".
Do you know what else would give you a “warm comforting glow” for a lot less money? Eating some bread.
6. PlantWave, $299
Hook this nifty little machine up to the leaves of your house plant and it will, Goop claims, translate what your greenery is trying to tell you (“The colour of this plant pot leaves me jaded”; “Your cat is trying to eat me again”, most probably) into sounds.
7. Men’s Goop University Sweatshirt, $195
From Goop’s own G Label fashion brand comes this sweatshirt that lets the whole world know you do not respect the education process in the slightest.
It says: “I have an BA in candles”; “Check out my diploma in organic luna recycling”; or, “Might I interest you in medical advice the medical community frequently derides?”
8. Bedtime Rituals Bundle, $84
Consisting of a body oil, bubble bath and a chamomile, silk tree flower and turmeric tonic to "help children ages 2 and up calm down naturally", this ritual pack for youngsters also contains a book called The Lost Elephant.
However, if you pay us $84 instead of giving it to Goop, we will happily come round to your house and wrestle your kids into bed each night.
9. German Oat Flaker, $240
Aside from German oat flakers presumably being superior to other global oat flakers, we can’t quite figure out what this kitchen product is meant to do.
After all, you buy oats from the supermarket already flaked, right? This is not 15th-century England. We're not out here milling our own oats, Gwyneth! There is really no need to re-flake your flaked oats.
10. Efoil 5’6” Cruiser, $12,000
Do your kids love foiling? Do they think it’s “super-rad” and “gnar”? Do you even know what foiling even is?
Us neither, but a quick Google search yielded this result: “A hybrid of surfing and hydrofoil technology, foil surfing replaces the traditional fin at the bottom of a surfboard with a much longer, hydrodynamically designed fin called a blade.”
This gift was in the “tweens” section. So, if you love your tween as much as $12,000, by all means, knock yourself out.
Find the full Goop gift guide here.
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When self-care meets skincare: is gratitude the secret to glowing skin?
Karl Lagerfeld's cat Choupette has landed a pet furniture collaboration
From Michelle Obama to Gwyneth Paltrow: 10 of the best celebrity podcasts that cover everything from wellness to work
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COMPANY%20PROFILE
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The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
COMPANY%20PROFILE%20
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Timeline
2012-2015
The company offers payments/bribes to win key contracts in the Middle East
May 2017
The UK SFO officially opens investigation into Petrofac’s use of agents, corruption, and potential bribery to secure contracts
September 2021
Petrofac pleads guilty to seven counts of failing to prevent bribery under the UK Bribery Act
October 2021
Court fines Petrofac £77 million for bribery. Former executive receives a two-year suspended sentence
December 2024
Petrofac enters into comprehensive restructuring to strengthen the financial position of the group
May 2025
The High Court of England and Wales approves the company’s restructuring plan
July 2025
The Court of Appeal issues a judgment challenging parts of the restructuring plan
August 2025
Petrofac issues a business update to execute the restructuring and confirms it will appeal the Court of Appeal decision
October 2025
Petrofac loses a major TenneT offshore wind contract worth €13 billion. Holding company files for administration in the UK. Petrofac delisted from the London Stock Exchange
November 2025
180 Petrofac employees laid off in the UAE
Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
Torque: 390Nm
Price: From Dh126,000
Available: Now
Who's who in Yemen conflict
Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government
Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council
Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south
Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory
Avatar: Fire and Ash
Director: James Cameron
Starring: Sam Worthington, Sigourney Weaver, Zoe Saldana
Rating: 4.5/5
Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
The biog
Date of birth: 27 May, 1995
Place of birth: Dubai, UAE
Status: Single
School: Al Ittihad private school in Al Mamzar
University: University of Sharjah
Degree: Renewable and Sustainable Energy
Hobby: I enjoy travelling a lot, not just for fun, but I like to cross things off my bucket list and the map and do something there like a 'green project'.
Common%20symptoms%20of%20MS
%3Cul%3E%0A%3Cli%3EFatigue%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3Enumbness%20and%20tingling%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3ELoss%20of%20balance%20and%20dizziness%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3EStiffness%20or%20spasms%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3ETremor%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3EPain%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3EBladder%20problems%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3EBowel%20trouble%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3EVision%20problems%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3EProblems%20with%20memory%20and%20thinking%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3C%2Ful%3E%0A
'Saand Ki Aankh'
Produced by: Reliance Entertainment with Chalk and Cheese Films
Director: Tushar Hiranandani
Cast: Taapsee Pannu, Bhumi Pednekar, Prakash Jha, Vineet Singh
Rating: 3.5/5 stars
Desert Warrior
Starring: Anthony Mackie, Aiysha Hart, Ben Kingsley
Director: Rupert Wyatt
Rating: 3/5
Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
THE%20JERSEYS
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The%20Woman%20King%20
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Gina%20Prince-Bythewood%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStars%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Viola%20Davis%2C%20Thuso%20Mbedu%2C%20Sheila%20Atim%2C%20Lashana%20Lynch%2C%20John%20Boyega%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%203%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
