Alright. Here we go. Here’s a list of things I either already love, have given as gifts to people in my life, or want to buy myself. I do not know what children want, I do not know what boys of any age want, but these are all things that I want and someone in your life might, too.
My usual caveat: I love things, a lot of them are ridiculous, I am deeply high maintenance and you don’t really *need* any of this. This is all for fun. Gifts should be things people don’t want to buy for themselves but will enjoy using!
Stocking Stuffers (Under $25)
Electric Lighter: Anyone who frequently lights candles needs one of these. This is so much better than any other kind of lighter, and it’s especially great when your candle is already burned a lot and you gotta get deep into the jar to get to the wick.
Hair Accessories: I have acquired a surplus of hair accessories and have them scattered all over my house and my car and my office. Here are some of my favorites: these mini clips (these hold half of my hair back), these medium size claw clips, these big metal claw clips, and these hair pins.
Olive & June Press On Nails: I truly love these. I wrote a whole instagram post about how much I love these. You can also buy at Target.
Scalp Massager: The cheapest and easiest way to upgrade your hair washing experience. This feels so good, is a great way to really work in your shampoo to make sure your hair and scalp are really getting clean, and it will even help your hair grow faster if you use it consistently. You need one!
Touchland Hand Sanitizer: My beloved fancy hand sanitizer. Another product that got a whole instagram post. This stuff is the best but it’s hard to justify spending $10 on hand sanitizer, so it’s a great gift. You can also buy at Ulta and Target. Or you can get this value set and split it up among multiple people.
Luv Scrub: Better than any loofah, better than any washcloth, the only thing I will ever use to wash my body in the shower. Superior in every way. Only needs to be replaced every 18 months. You cannot do better.
Cryosticks: I love these so much. Stick them in the freezer, then rub them all over your face, then feel REFRESHED. I also recommend the ice roller, same premise just a different shape. If you’re not rubbing some kind of ice old thing all over your face every morning you are missing out.
Rechargable hand warmer: Ideal for someone with a dog that needs to be walked, or someone with a commute that involves being outside, or just someone who has cold hands all the time.
Earbud cleaning kit: This is going on my Christmas list.
Anthropologie bracelets: They have sooooo many options and I had a lot of fun picking out a few to wear as a stack. I wear them every day!
Barriere KN95 Masks: I still wear masks on airplanes (honestly might just do this forever, I would rather not have any kind of illness when I’m on a trip) and sometimes still need to wear one at work. These are the best ones, they are so comfortable.
COSRX sheet masks: These are my favorite sheets masks, extremely hydrating.
Things That Smell Good + Accessories For Them
The New Savant candles: one of my favorite nice candle brands. On the pricier side, but they last a long time and every scent I’ve tried is so good. I like Duvet Day and Heatwave. They have a discovery set that’s great for testing scents before committing to a full size.
Otherland candles: Another favorite brand. I love Sun Suede and Cardamom Milk. They have lots of good sets too. You can also buy this brand at Sephora.
Amber Perfume Oil: I don’t even remember how I found this (probably someone on Instagram), but I love it. I wear it alone or sometimes layer it with other perfume.
Sephora perfume samplers: Sephora has these great perfume sets that come with a bunch of samples and a voucher to redeem for a full size of your favorite. This is a great gift that still lets the person pick out a scent themselves. This one is fall scents, this one gets you a travel size. This doesn’t come with a voucher, but I have my eye on this Maison Margiela set of minis.
Perfumes I Like: Scents are so personal and I think it’s really hard to pick one out for someone. That’s why I think the sampler sets are so great for gifts. I like to get perfume samples whenever I can (usually as add ons to a Sephora purchase) and just keep track of the ones I like. I rarely buy a big bottle of one because I like to switch it up and they are so expensive. Usually I buy a roller ball or a travel size. Here’s a list of perfumes I’ve liked enough to buy:
Refillable travel perfume bottle: these are GREAT.
Electric Wax Warmer: A great alternative to candles if you don’t want an open flame. I got one at Target YEARS ago and still use it almost every day. You can buy wax melts pretty much anywhere you buy candles.
Candle Lamp: Another option that doesn’t require an open flame.
Match Cloche: Great little gift for someone if you know they like candles but not which ones. Or these bigger ones for the candles themselves.
Things You Can Eat
Compartes chocolate: These fancy chocolate bars are so good and pretty and come in so many different flavors.
Red Clay Salts: This is a hot sauce brand, and they make really good fancy salts. Good for drinks or salads or really anything.
Brightland: I love this fancy olive oil, and now they have vinegars too! They have lots of sets that would make great gifts.
Bonne Maman advent calendar: Jam advent calendar!!!! 24 mini jars of jam!!! What more needs to be said??
White Elephant
These are all kind of a joke but also something people may actually use. Good for a workplace gift exchange or any type of group exchange where you don’t know who the recipient will be ahead of time.
Beer flannels: I just think these are funny.
Automatic pan stirrer: I also think this is funny.
Flaky salt bucket: I would legitimately be thrilled to receive this giant bucket of flaky salt. I put this stuff on everything. Instantly elevates any food.
Hyperchiller: You keep this in the freezer and you can pour hot coffee into it to get iced coffee in seconds. Can also use it to chill wine quickly. Multipurpose!
Scented Coasters: You microwave these and then they help keep your drink warm, and they’re also filled with spices so they smell good.
A Selection of Fancy Soaps
If you need a gift for someone you don’t know very well, I think fancy soap is always a good bet. Luxury soap is a ridiculous thing to purchase for yourself, so that makes it a great gift. And you know they will use it!
Hand Soap: I would love to be a person who could drop $40 or more on 16oz of hand soap on the regular, but I am a state government employee so these are just dreams. Some favorites: Aesop, Ouai, Jo Malone, Byredo.
Body Wash: It just feels dumb to get fancy body wash when you can get huge bottles of this stuff at any drugstore for $10, but it’s so nice to use a fancy one. Some favorites: Necessaire, Ouai, Grown Alchemist, Le Labo, Maison Louis Marie.
A Selection of Fancy Lotions
Kate McLeod Stones: I love these so much. They are SO moisturizing. You can get sampler sets (mini or expanded) or just buy a full size. You can get some Kate McLeod products at Sephora.
Grown Alchemist Intensive Hand Cream: I love how this smells and its very hydrating without being too greasy.
Necessaire Body Serum: This is my favorite body moisturizer. It’s a gel texture so it’s super lightweight, easy to rub in, dries down super fast. I use it alone in the summer and layer another lotion on top of it in the winter.
Kheils Creme de Corps: This is such a good body lotion. Unscented.
Sol de Janiero Brazilian Bum Bum Body Cream: This is one of my favorite scents. It just smells so, so good.
Dior Cuticle Cream: This stuff works so well. It really does wonders. A little goes a long way, this will last forever.
I Have Tried Hundreds of Lip Balms and These Are The Ones I Would Buy Again
Smith’s Rosebud Salve: My holy grail, favorite lip balm of all time, I buy it in bulk. Make sure you get the tube, not the tin.
First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Lip Therapy: This is a great unscented option. It’s not too thick and it’s very hydrating.
Biossance Squalane + Rose Lip Balm: I like the Smith’s one the best, but this is a very very good lip balm.
Laneige Lip Sleeping Mask: I use this every night without fail. Sephora has some good sets of this, too, like this trio and this set of minis.
Glossier Balm Dotcalm: This one is pretty thick. I’ve only tried it in mint, but it comes in a ton of scents.
Jack Black Intense Therapy Lip Balm SPF 25: One of the only lip products with SPF I’ve tried that doesn’t taste terrible! Again comes in many scents, and again I prefer mint.
Games That May or May Not Instigate a Family Fight
Codenames: Best with four people. There’s also an online version.
Ticket to Ride: This is just a great board game. There’s a bunch of different boards but I’d just start with the original. Up to 6 people.
Secret Hitler: Extremely fun game that involves being sneaky, which makes it very fun to play while drinking. Minimum of five people.
Catan: This is good with 3-4 people and you can also buy expansion packs to accomodate more.
White Mountain Puzzles: Not a game, but I love this puzzle brand.
Gifts That Keep on Giving (Subscriptions)
Nicely Noted: I love sending people cards. Big fan of mail!!! This subscription is $20/month and you get three cards and three fun stamps.
Allure Beauty Box: I think this is the best beauty subscription box. It’s $23/month (less if you pay upfront for several months), and comes with 6 products, at least three of which are full size. It’s a mix of makeup and skincare, so it’s a great deal.
Book of the Month: Each month you get to pick one of five books, usually pretty popular/anticipated releases. They make it easy to gift 3, 6, or 12 months.
Scribd: For $11.99/month, you get access to a huge library of e-books and audio books.
Urban Stems: Fresh flower delivery! You can choose the frequency and the size of the bouquet.
Streaming Services: If you have a Content Friend/Family Member (it’s me, I’m the Content Friend/Family Member), just pay for a year of Netflix/HBO/Hulu/Prime/ Showtime/Paramount+/AppleTV+/Peacock/whatever streaming service we are selling our souls to next.
Fancy Things I Want But Haven’t Been Able to Justify Buying For Myself
Hair pin: I bought cheap versions of this on Amazon to figure out if I liked the concept, and now that I know I do I really want this nice one.
Anthropologie Somerset Maxi Dress: I have seen so many people wearing this and it looks good on everyone. It comes in so many colors and prints. I want one, but I have no place where I would wear this item, so I haven’t bought one. But I WANT one.
Estelle Colored Glasses: These are so beautiful and I look at them often.
Dieux Skin Deliverance Serum: This is my current “too expensive to justify purchasing” skin care want.
Where I Go When I Don’t Know What to Get Someone
Uncommon Goods: This website has everything. If you don’t know what to get someone, scroll through this website and you’ll find something.
Gee Thanks Just Bought It Gift Guides: This is a shopping podcast that I don’t listen to, but the instagram is great and they make great gift guides every year.