Perhaps it’s simply that our inner sophisticate already knows, all too well, that nothing is what it seems. But there’s something about trompe l’oeil that brings out the kid in all of us, the one still naive enough both to take things at face value and to find magic in the moment things turn out otherwise. Whether toys, pieces of folk art, or functional doodads, trompe l’oeil objects inject a little whimsy into any setting, especially where it’s otherwise lacking — the bathroom, the office cubicle, and so on. Here, then, is a shopping list of just such novelty items for those in daily need of a lift, a laugh, a little surprise.

Things that look good enough to eat (or drink)

Bubble baths at Caswell-Massey: " New York Bathtub Gin " ($25/large, $4/small) comes in a bottle that indeed resembles a fifth of Beefeater and smells like a lemon twist; likewise, the gingham-beribboned " Old-Fashioned Milk Bath " ($25) hearkens back to the long-gone days of dairy farmers leaving quarts of cow-juice on the porch at sunrise.

Blueberry-muffin candles ($7.99) at Yankee Candle Co.: looks incredibly like the real thing, smells incredibly like the real thing, and costs only slightly more than the real thing does these days.

Erasers at Black Ink: yummy gummies abound at this Harvard Square gift shop, taking the form of everything from peanuts, soft-serve-ice-cream cones, and slices of meringue pie to nigiri and maki sushi, including sea urchin and sweet egg (peanuts, 50 cents; all others, $6.50/six-piece set).

Wind-up toys at Black Ink ($13): speaking of sushi, Black Ink carries a five-piece set of wind-up toys, all ringers for nigiri: salmon roe, shrimp, and three kinds of tuna. Frivolity doesn’t get much purer.

Coca-Cola lamps at DAPY: the " Rice-Paper Coke Bottle Lamp " ($19.99) — talk about East meeting West — is shaped and painted to look like the famous vessel, complete with water beads; the " Deep Freeze Accent Lamp " ($39.99) is designed to look, for no apparent reason, like a Coke bottle trapped in a block of ice.

Budweiser speaker system at Urban Outfitters ($48): we’re talking two portable stereo speakers that resemble beer cans when inflated — and beer cans that you’ve crushed against your skull when deflated. Probably not for the Brahms enthusiast.

Things that, um, don’t

Salt and pepper shakers ($10) at Black Ink: a pair of light-bulb look-alikes to brighten up your meal.

" Body detergents " ($5.95) at POSH: these powdered soaps are packaged to look like trial-size boxes of dish and laundry detergents, complete with retro logos and faux brand names such as Repent ( " New Formula! Now contains Fire and Brimstone " ) and Diva ( " Super-Sensitive, High Maintenance Formula " ).

Poo pen ($3.98) at Jack’s Joke Shop: really writes. Enough said.

Where to find it:

• Black Ink, 5 Brattle Street, Cambridge, (617) 497-1221.

• Caswell-Massey, Copley Place, 100 Huntington Avenue, Boston, (617) 437-9292.

• DAPY, Prudential Center, 800 Boylston Street, Boston, (617) 236-0482.

• Jack’s Joke Shop, 226 Tremont Street, Boston, (617) 426-9640.

• POSH, 557 Tremont Street, Boston, (617) 437-1970.

• Urban Outfitters, 11 JFK Street, Cambridge, (617) 864-0070; 361 Newbury Street, Boston, (617) 236-0088.

• Yankee Candle Co., Prudential Center, 100 Boylston Street, Boston, (617) 236-8269.