The Ultimate Holiday Gift Guide

Halloween week has officially come to an end. And with its end starts the spiraling fast-paced holiday hole. During the coming months, it can be easy to forget or put off getting gifts for your friends and family. It can also be frustrating to figure out what you should get them. Don’t worry though, lots of people are in the same boat when it comes to holiday gifts. Hopefully, these give you a few ideas on what to give to your friends and family this holiday season. Also, don’t forget that your packaging goes a long way for holiday gifts, so don’t be afraid to get creative!

1. Skin Care

This is my favorite thing to give my friends during the holidays, even my guy friends. Everyone wants to have amazing and flawless skin so this is the perfect holiday gift. I also think that this is a great gift for roommates. You don’t have to purchase anything too expensive unless you want to. Formula 10.0.6 is a really great brand and its only 6.99 for their typically mud masks. You can find most of them sold at Ulta, but they do have a bigger variety online. I also really like to buy a few of them and create my own gift package for my friends.

However, if you’re buying for a family member or a really close friend and want to splurge on a really nice brand you have to check out Peter Thomas Roth. They have a really amazing array of face masks to choose from. The best part is if you don’t really know what skin type your friend or family member has they make a really great gift package. You can find it at Ulta (liked to the picture below) or Peter Thomas Roth’s website for $75. It has 6 different masks that literally feel like heaven on your face.

2. Mason Jar Baking

This sounds really weird but it is kind of hard to describe. They are a super easy holiday gift for people that you aren’t terribly close with, but still, want to show appreciation too. They’re also a really great holiday gift for a lot of people. The most common ones during the holidays are filled with ingredients for cookies or hot cocoa.

Basically, all you do is find a recipe and fill the mason jar with all of the dry ingredients. Then on the front, you write the baking instructions. Hot cocoa ones can be topped with marshmallows, chocolate chips, and candy cane bits. Once they’re filled with the ingredients just ad a festive ribbon to the top and you’re good to go. They look super cute and make really festive holiday gifts.

3. Winter Survival Kit

If you have a friend that lives in a colder state try making them a “winter survival kit”. I always like to fill mine with winter scented candles, scarves, and other cold-weather essentials. You can add a coffee mug, a blanket, hot cocoa mix, and really anything else that you want. They make really cute holiday gifts that are actually useful to the person receiving them. I promise they’ll like them and you can personalize them as much as you want. TJmaxx is a really great place to find little things to include and Bath and Body Works is the perfect place to find holiday candles. Click on the picture below to browse Bath and Body Works holiday sents that are perfect for a winter survival kit.

4. Makeup

Unless you are giving a gift someone who really hates wearing it, makeup is a great holiday gift. It is super easy to splurge on new pallets, but you can also go for something on the cheaper side. There’s nothing like opening up a new pallet on for Christmas. They’ll want to start using it right away, especially on New Years’. The new ShanexJeffree Conspiracy pallet is something that I definitely have my eye on for this holiday season, but there’s literally a million that you can choose from. Don’t be afraid to buy them something that’s not just neutrals.

Most people like to wear neutral shadows daily but a pallet with a few bolder colors is great for really fun events or just experimenting with other colors. However, if you really are looking to give someone a more neutral pallet Tarte has good options. They don’t have the best color pay off, but they’re better than drug store pallets. Morphe also has really affordable pallets and brushes. Brushes are a great thing to include in a gift because you always need new ones. The picture below is linked to Morphe’s website that you have to check out before putting together all of your holiday gifts.

5. Jewelry

Dainty jewelry is a must-have these days when it comes to casual outfits so they make for perfect holiday gifts. You can pick up a few necklaces that your friend can wear layered or on their own for a more versatile gift. They’re pretty small so they can make the perfect addition to any gift. But because they’re so useful don’t feel like you have to get them anything else if you don’t want too. Rings are also a really good option. Most of the time you can buy layer-able rings that come in a big pack which is great for gift giving.

Mejuri is one of my favorite Instagram/stores for fine jewelry. Even if it is out of your price range it can be a good way to get ideas on pieces that your friends might like. If you’re interested in getting dainty jewelry for a friend I suggest going to boutiques or looking online. They always have super cute options.

6. Sweaters

Who doesn’t love cozy sweaters at Christmas? They’re oversized so you don’t have to worry as much about figuring out what size your friend wears as much. You can find them pretty much anywhere this time of year you just have to figure out what style they would like the best. You can also add some super cozy socks for an added holiday gift.

American Eagle has some of my favorite cozy socks and sweaters this time of year. They’re super easy to match with sweaters so they can feel free to wear them together. Click the picture below to check out their holiday sweaters that are perfect for anyone in your family. If you really want to up the cozy factor in your holiday gift throw in a candle or a coffee mug. You’re friend or family member that’s receiving these holiday gifts will definitely be thanking you and they won’t have to worry about staying warm this winter.