Sometimes the most personal gift is one that at first appears impersonal but later delivers the goods in fine fashion: a gift certificate for custommade goods or services. A slim envelope can contain the means to anything from a trip to the shopping capital of the world to a pair of shoes made exactly as the recipient prefers.

A trip to the City of Light is thrilling every day, but throw in a day of shopping at the city’s most exclusive boutiques and it’s enough to melt any gal’s heart. That’s where the founder of Paris Personal Shopper, Susan Tabak, can help. For $1,500 a day, Ms. Tabak, who resides in New York and travels to Paris to guide shopping tours, will customize a path through the city to fit her client’s personal tastes. “I cater to their needs,” Ms. Tabak said. “If they say, ‘I want a wedding dress,’ or if they say, ‘Show me hidden Paris’ — I run the gamut. Whatever their request, I fill. It is never the same.”

The day of shopping lasts as long as the client can totter along on her high heels. “I’ll be with them the whole day until they can’t stand it anymore,” Ms. Tabak, whose favorite shopping spots include Colette and Mina Poe, said. “The stores open at 10:30 and close around 7. It’s the shop ’till you drop mentality — although usually by 5 or so they’ve had it.”

Ms. Tabak’s book on Parisian style and shopping, “Chic in Paris” (120 pages, $27.50), is the perfect gift in which to slip an envelope announcing the trip. If your budget doesn’t include a day with a personal shopper, the book can serve as its own guide; it features interviews with boutique owners and addresses of some of the city’s best spots. To buy a gift certificate or arrange a surprise shopping day for a special someone, contact Ms. Tabak (212-404-8398, www.parispersonalshopper.com).

For couples who want to enjoy Paris together, the Hotel Castille has a package that includes shopping, food, pampering, and, yes, a little bit of romance. Starting at $920, “Winter Dream in Paris” includes a minimum two-night stay in a suite or duplex at the hotel, located at 33 Rue Cambon, near the Maison de Chanel. Guests are greeted with a Christmas basket, flowers, and champagne. Next comes half a day of shopping via limousine service, with discounts at Printemps or Galeries Lafayette department stores, followed by a 90-minute in-room massage. Later in the evening, a limousine will chauffeur you around town to take in the sights. And after a cozy night’s sleep, you and your special someone will have breakfast at Il Cortile. (Package available December 1-27 and January 3–7, 2007; 39-055-36925 or reservations@castille.com)

Shoes are notoriously hard to give as a gift. But with a gift certificate for custom-made shoes, the recipient can determine his or her own fit, style, and comfort. Otabo, a men’s footwear company, even allows a guy to be involved in designing his own shoes. Using a 3-D scanner to assess features such as heel shape and toe curvature, Otabo creates customized oxfords, loafers, and more. Leathers range from Italian suede calfskin to high-performance English tumbled leathers. There are up to 6,000 design variations per style — enough to keep any man busy. Clients have their foot scanned at a kiosk and then speak through video conference to a representative at the Florida-based factory to work out details like toe shape or shoe height. The customer’s foot is scanned in over 200,000 places to determine exact measurements, and the shoe can be an alternative to orthopedics. Shoes start at $300. Otabo will be opening a Manhattan kiosk in 2007, but you can get deal by looking ahead: Now through December 10, Otabo is offering a discount on gift certificates. A $500 gift certificate is $400,and a $1,000 gift certificate is $750. For more information visit www.otabo.com or call 888-236-9888.

For women and men seeking shoes made entirely to any and every whim, there is Tupli, a custom shoe store founded by Tamara Chubinidze and Kathy Myczkowski. To create one-of-a-kind footwear, clients choose from Tupli’s array of materials or bring in their own. And that means just about anything goes — from rhinestones to rubies to ribbons, even engravings and logos. “We had a client who came in with a vintage diamond from her mother’s wedding earrings. She wanted to put them on her wedding shoes,” Ms. Myczkowski said. “For Ivana Trump, we did her company logo on a pair of her shoes.”

The process begins with a consultation in which measurements are taken and basic styles are discussed. The client picks a shoe genre (pumps, sandals, or boots), shape, and heel height, followed by material and detailing. The shoes are manufactured in the Republic of Georgia, and shipped stateside in about six weeks. All that’s needed for a gift certificate is a credit card and instructions on where to mail a beautifully written card announcing the gift. Shoes start at $700; boots start at $1400. (Tupli, 700 Madison Ave., Suite 2C, between 66th and 67th streets, 212-472-2576, tupli.com)

If you still aren’t sure about the perfect gift, unique beauty and spa packages are always sure hits. Le Petit Spa offers holiday treatments such as a Peppermint Swirl Body Massage ($85), an hour-long massage that includes peppermint oil, known to improve circulation and firm skin, and a Peppermint Mud Body Treatment ($95), an hour-long treatment in which the client is covered with peppermint mud to tone and moisturize the the entire body. To obtain a gift certificate, call or visit one of Le Petit’s locations. Gift certificates are good for one year. (Le Petit Spa I, 140 E. 34th St., between Third and Lexington avenues, 212-685-0773, Le Petit Spa II, 900 Second Ave. at 48th Street, 212-644-9525)

And these days, even a little fixing up can come via gift certificate. Plastic surgeon Dr. Jennifer Walden offers holiday gift cards for Botox, Restylane, and plastic surgery consultations. And while Dr. Walden says both men and women purchase her services as gifts, she also is quick to say: “You have to be tactful and give it at the right time and right place.”

The best people to give this gift to are “those who have made reference to needing or wanting something like Botox or Restylane to help their appearance,” Dr. Walden said. “You wouldn’t buy a friend with gorgeous skin, no wrinkles, and is 25 years old a gift certificate for Restylane.” Gift certificates are good for one year and can be purchased online or by phone. (50 E. 71st St.,between Park and Madison avenues, 212-288-9009, drjenniferwalden.com)