A 2023 Holiday gift guide

Emma Wellman, Editor

December 15, 2023

It is gift giving season. If you are lost on what to get your friends and family, hopefully I can give you an item that sparks an idea.

Cosmetic sets

Cosmetic sets are almost a guaranteed hit. You can get a set of almost anything, and they are typically a good deal. Bath and Body Works has gift sets of body care with a body wash, body spray and lotion. You can even get sets with lip products, fuzzy socks, hand sanitizer, etc. They are already in cute boxes too. Another set of great value is the Holiday Sephora Favortie’s Hair Kit. It is only $48 at a $121 value. It contains a lot of good brands such as Amika, Gisou, Morocanoil and etc. This is a really good set– it is on my wishlist and pretty gender neutral. Sephora has more than hair favorite kits. They have makeup kits too that also have popular brands and are a good value. If you want something a little more expensive, Sephora has gift sets with high end perfumes, skincare and makeup. A more masculine set from Sephora has Dior Sauvage scented cologne, deodorant and aftershave. It is a more expensive gift being $160, but it is a really good present for the holidays.

Jewelry

Jewelry is almost always a hit for someone who enjoys accessorizing. Catbird is a brand with high quality jewelry as most of their catalog is real gold or silver. Any item would be an amazing gift for anyone who is a jewelry connoisseur. I personally really love their rings. If you are looking for a more inexpensive brand, try Pura Vida. They are most well known for their string bracelets. This year they have holiday packs too. Pura Vida is selling two types of clear ornaments with bracelets in them. They even have a gifts tab on their website where you can find what they would actually recommend for gifts as well. Another perfect place to find really fun and unique jewelry is Etsy. I personally get so much of my jewelry from Etsy. As it can be handmade and affordable to vintage and a little more pricey. Etsy is good for any budget.

Sweat sets

Since the holiday season is also the winter season, a sweat set is a perfect gift. White Fox has some of the cutest sets. They not only have hoodie and sweatpants sets, but also shorts to mix and match. Personally, I saw them all over TikTok, and it has convinced me to ask for one for Christmas this year. There is also almost any color you can wish for. A go to is the Gap logo set. It is a classic and trustworthy. Gap is good quality with sleek designs, plus comfortable. Another trendy brand is Essentials. They usually have minimal graphics but really good quality. They also have shorts if someone in your life prefers that over pants.

Merch

If you have a music obsessed person in your life one thing you can consider is getting them merchandise from their favorite artist. For example, Tyler The Creator created a brand called Golf. He has made an array of things, from socks to jackets to shoes and more. Golf has partnered with Converse multiple times and is a really thoughtful gift for any Tyler fan. Something a little more based on an artist’s music is Taylor Swift merch. The website has so many unique items to choose from. Swift has a lot of items from her Eras tour and some specialty album items as well. If none of these interest you, once again, Etsy has a lot of unique merch options for just about any artist.

Electronics

Electronics are always an excellent gift, Apple products especially. The iPhone 15 came out just in September. It has a better camera than the past iPhones, better zoom and resolution. The iPhone 15 also has better battery life. To go along with a new phone, the AirPods Max headphones are a really nice gift. They have up to 20 hours of battery life and come in many colors. To protect the phone and headphones, Wildflower has so many fun cases.