It’s the most wonderful time of the year! Ok, I know it’s not Thanksgiving yet—and my family is still in the camp that we don’t decorate for Christmas until that holiday has passed, but the numbers don’t lie. I know from rewardStyle analytics (the affiliate program I use!) that the majority of my readers shop my gift guides right before or on Black Friday, so I wanted to make sure I gave all my recommendations before the deals really start coming.
In years past, I’ve posted six to eight gift guides, usually organized by a theme, like gifts under $25 or gifts for the beauty lover. (You can still shop all my past gift guides here!) Gift guides take a ton of work behind the scenes—I research 15-18 recommendations per guide, screenshot all the imagery, save the links, make a collage of the products, write the post, and share via social media. I’d say on average, it would take me three to four hours per guide. This year, I don’t have as much time to dedicate to the art of gift guides as I did in year’s past—but I still wanted to do one since I do love pulling them together.
So instead of launching a series of gift guides, I thought I would channel my inner Oprah and launch one big gift guide of all my favorite things. Everything listed (all 25+ things!) below are products I have, love, and use regularly—and they would make a great gift for any gal on your list!
While this will be my only true gift guide for the year, I do plan on writing a post about my family’s new stocking tradition with some stocking stuffer ideas—and I have a whole slew of other holiday content coming your way this year! If there’s anything particular you’d like to see, let me know in the comments below or drop me a note at katie@atouchofteal.com.
I’d also love to know what your favorite things are—I get some of the best recommendations for products and gifts from y’all! And now, without further ado, here are my favorite things.
PS—If I think of anything else, I’ll add it to the list over the course of the season!
I was gifted this Cuyana zip tote two years ago for Christmas from my parents, and it has been one of my most-used bags since then. It’s my go-to work bag since it fits a ton, zips to prevent any theft on the Metro, and goes with 99% of my outfits.
My friend Emma recommended these towels to me, and they are great! So fluffy and absorbent, and every time they come out of the wash, they are like new. They have a range of embroidery options, too.
A workhorse in any closet, this Gigi crossbody is a timeless classic that’s amazing quality. Plus, I love the monogramming detail! It also comes in a few other colors in case black isn’t your thing.
Y’all, I got my first pair of Uggs in 2008—and I still have them. (Granted, they are at the end of their life, but still!) I feel like people either love or hate Uggs, but for me, they are amazing commuter shoes before I put my heels on at work, and I have another pair I just wear around the house. I cannot recommend them more highly!
Candlefish make some of my favorite candles of all-time, and their burn time is amazing. My favorites are numbers 3 + 12, both of which are citrus, and then number 4 for the holidays—it smells like a Christmas tree. The smaller size also makes a great stocking stuffer!
I am a wine glass snob—the thinner the glass, the better in my book. These “tour” wine glasses from Crate + Barrel are a great buy for the price and meet my standards. These are the white glasses, since that’s my go-to, but there’s red glasses and champagne glasses!
This is the best wine opener EVER. Whenever I am handed a manual corkscrew, I have no clue how to work it. (Only half kidding!) This a gadget you didn’t know you couldn’t live without until you own it.
This wine filter was an impulse buy for me last Black Friday and it’s amazing! It filters out the sulfites in wine that lead to those hangover headaches—and I can attest it works. It comes with a few filters to start you off with, but you do have to buy the refills. They are worth every penny though!
This Dermalogica microfoliant is one of my all-time favorite skincare products. It’s so mild I can use it everyday and because you only need a little, it usually lasts me about four to five months
The best $10 I ever spent was for a wet brush! This makes it easy to brush out your hair when it’s wet without damaging your hair. I’ve gifted one to almost every gal in my family—and they love them, too.
I love this palette—it gives you the most glowing skin. I wish they sold the blush in this palette as a standalone! It seems they are phasing tis one out, but I found it on Amazon, and went ahead and bought another one for when mine runs out!
If you don’t have it, you need to get your hands on some Urban Decay All Nighter setting spray ASAP! It keeps my makeup in place for hours on end—I can’t recommend this one enough.
My sister Jennifer introduced me to this Pat McGrath Labs highlighter trio, and it’s quickly become one of my favorite steps in my nighttime makeup routine. It’s on the pricier side for highlighter ($50), so it makes a great gift since it’s probably not something people would normally by themselves.
I discovered this lip sleeping mask in a Sephora Play! Box earlier this summer, and it is amazing. I bought the full size soon after and use it every night before bed. This would be the perfect thing to combat dry winter lips!
I love my Delsey carry-on! The quality is great (love the hard shell!), and since I never check it, the white has stayed clean over the years. The 360-degree spinner wheels also make this a breeze to navigate with in the airport or at the train station.
These packing cubes are the best—they are under $10 and have a great variety of pockets. I have multiple—one for my toiletries, one for makeup, one for jewelry and other miscellaneous items. This would be perfect for the traveler in your life!
I love the headband trend, but since it’s just that—a trend—I didn’t want to invest a ton in headbands. This pack from Amazon gives me amazing options at a fraction of the cost of one headband from a designer brand. Plus, the bands are comfortable enough I can easily were them all day!
My sisters and I all have polaroid cameras, and they are so fun to play with—especially around the holidays when you’re hanging out with a bunch of family and friends.
These are my favorite leggings right now! Zella is incredible quality, and the 7/8 length works so well for my height (I’m 5’4″). I also love the pockets and they make for a really cute shape, too.
Run, don’t walk, to get these Nike trainers—they are the best! They are great for walking and running, but also for any floor exercises. When I used to do Orangetheory pretty regularly, these were always my favorite shoe.
I love the LL Bean boat totes, and earlier this year bought a L with long handles to have on-hand as a weekender. They’re affordable, classic, and last forever!
Sometimes the cheapest gifts are the best—nothing beats a glass of wine in the bath after a long day, and this Amazon find makes it super easy to enjoy your favorite glass.
A Yeti tumbler is one of those things that once you own one, you don’t know how you lived without it all those years. Whether it’s coffee, water, soda, or a cold one tailgating, these keep your drink at the perfect temperatures for hours.
I bought these pajamas from Nordstrom about a year ago, and they were one of my best purchases ever. They are the softest, most comfortable pajamas I’ve ever owned and the set makes me feel super put together. My apartment runs really hot, so I opted for the short sleeve version, but there’s also a long sleeve version, which would be perfect for winter.
I’ve had a pair of Bean Boots for nearly ten years now, and they are a must-have for surviving winter—especially for someone like me who doesn’t has a car and often has to brave the elements to get to work. I have a flannel-lined pair and they are great. I always size down—I’m a true 7 in most shoes, but get a 6 in Bean Boots.
This is the softest, most comfortable cardigan I own—and it washes so well! I love it for lounging around the house, airplanes, and even work. I gifted one to my sister a few years ago and she loves it just as much as me.
LL Bean makes some of the most high-quality items in my closet, and this fisherman tunic is no exception. It’s great over jeans and leggings, and because of the length, is less boxy than most fisherman sweaters. I’d recommend going a whole size down.
Uhhh wanting everything on this list!
So many good things on your list! I might have gotten my Uggs in 2008 too. I recently started wearing them in Colorado again and remembered why I liked them so much!