Welcome to our yearly gift guide, complete with over 50 products, experiences, and ideas to make shopping and gifting a little easier this holiday season.
Beauty
Looking good, feeling good, smelling good.
- Perfume: take a look at our last post on cold weather perfumes.
- Cologne: try the Cologne Sampler Set from Sephora, or a personal favorite, Dior Sauvage.
- Sephora Gift Sets: limited edition pre-made holiday bundles make it easy in every category from skincare to makeup. Try to avoid products that require a shade match.
- Hourglass Ambient Lighting Edit Unlocked Face Palette: strobing, finishing, and blush powder palette in 2 shades – light to medium, and medium to dark skin.
- Sol De Janeiro Body Products
- OUAI Hair Treatment Mask
- Gisou Honey-Infused Hair Oil
Apparel & Accessories
Whether you work from home in sweatpants, or need a watch to time your commute in style, we all wear stuff.
- Matching loungewear set: most brands have gotten on the WFH bandwagon. Look for:
- Sweatpants and a pullover sweatshirt
- Wide leg knit pants and a knit sweater
- Waffle knit 3-piece camisole, pants/shorts, and a cardigan/robe
- Pajamas: This seems basic, but choose something they wouldn’t justify buying themselves; satin, flannel, or modal fabric. Don’t forget the slippers!
- Watch: your best value watch is always going to be from Fossil, and there’s always a sale.
Experiences & Services
As this is the first Christmas with the world being “open” again, gifting someone an experience will be the gift that “gives” twice.
- Facial: I have never felt more pampered than when I had my first facial. There’s an amazing chain of facial spas in the city called Heyday, and they offer gift cards that never expire.
- Spa Day: I have heard amazing things about Aire Ancient Baths in the city specifically, but a relaxing experience at a spa near you will be just as beneficial.
- Massage: preferably by a masseuse with whom you’ve personally had a good experience.
- Mani/Pedi
- Protein or Moisture Treatment, Blowout, Braids, Beard Shape-Up: These are hair salon experiences plenty of people consider to be “maintenance” but that doesn’t mean they’re thrilled at the idea of paying for them.
- Subscription: Masterclass, Hello Fresh, Blue Apron, Bright Cellars, a streaming service, etc.
- Niche Experience Tickets: If you know your loved one’s schedule, or want to participate in their gift as well, getting tickets to an experience they themselves might not typically shell out the money for is a great gift. Some ideas are:
- immersive art exhibit
- live theater, live music, supper club dinner
- sports event
- ice skating
- paint & sip/pottery
- gift card to cafe or restaurant you think they’d love
Food & Beverage
You can either gift these items on their own, or make a basket with a few of these items for a custom, well-paired dessert experience.
- Tea
- Ground coffee or espresso beans
- Chocolate, baked goods, nuts, fruit, cheese
- Wine/Champagne/Liquor
Home
- Candles: warm floral, or woody & herbal.
- Throw Blanket/Pillows: in person- HomeGoods, online- Target.
- Hand Soap and Lotion Set for Bathroom/Kitchen
- Shadow Box: to display sentimental objects
- Digital Picture Frame: perfect for parents, grandparents, long-distance relationships, or if you just like to change framed photos often.
- Cookbook
Tech
Invented to make our lives easier.
- Electric toothbrush
- Electric trimmer
- Hatch Sunrise Alarm Clock/Noise Machine
- Massage Gun
- Personal Fireplace
Expensive Misc.
For those with a higher budget.
- Dyson Blowdryer/Airwrap
- Creme De La Mer Moisturizer
- Velvet Canyon Sunglasses
- Tom Ford Fragrance
Stocking Stuffers
If it’s over $10, it’s not a stocking stuffer.
- Lip Balm: my favorite is the Fresh Rose Lip Cream ($24) but comes free with most Fresh purchases.
- Pocket Hand Sanitizer ($2)
- Travel Size Banila Co Cleansing Cream ($7)
- Listerine Pocketmist Breath Spray ($5 for 2pk)
- Incense ($7)
- Socks: fluffy or regular, they disappear, I’m sorry, you can never have too many pairs of socks. ($7 for 2pk)
- Hair Ties/Scrunchies: you will lose these all year ($5-7)
- Matches ($1)
- Guitar Picks: if you play, you will also lose these. ($7 for 6pk)
- Snacks
Random Ideas to Help You Shop
A brand’s “bestsellers” are their best sellers for a reason, you probably can’t go wrong.
When shopping online: READ THE REVIEWS, the more reviews there are on a product, the better representation there will be of the item’s likability… or not.
Beauty products with and Allure Best of Beauty sticker on them have won that award for a reason
If something doesn’t feel “special” enough, get it personalized: engraved, embossed, embroidered, whatever it is. Use their logo for their business, their initials, their favorite sports team. Check out Zazzle.com to get custom personalized gifts.
Shop on Etsy or at local small businesses for a more hand-made gifting feel. Good reviews don’t lie.
Keep person’s niche interests in mind: do they like painting as a hobby? Do they love skiing but never go? Do they spend all day on their feet at work? Who are they, what do they need? What are their passions, what would they want?
Don’t forget gift wrap or gift bags!! Some stores will do this for you, even if you order online. If your gift is wrapped/bagged with care, it shows that you care.
Conclusion
I hope this guide gave you a few gift ideas. I know holiday shopping (and the holiday season in general) can be stressful, so keep in mind the themes and thoughts of gratitude, love, kindness, and generosity that is the essence of the holiday spirit.
Good Luck and Much Love! XOXO
