By Valentina Ceriello
Christmas is the ideal time, besides birthdays, to buy presents for someone, whether they are friends, family, or your teachers. However, during the Christmas season it seems like we can never find the “perfect” gift for someone because it is simply too hard to pick just one! I am going to list some of the best gifts, split up into different categories, that you can buy for your loved ones this Christmas season.
If the gift receiver likes makeup/perfumes/colognes, then give them…
Bath and Body Works Gingerbread Latte Perfume: First coming out in 2016, the well known perfume brand Bath and Body Works’ Gingerbread Latte Perfume smells of classic Christmas gingerbread, frosted pears, and brown sugar. A testimonial from the Bath and Body Works website says that the perfume gives “hot cocoa s’mores marshmallow vibes,” and it has light scent notes.
Maybelline Lash Sensational Sky High Mascara: A popular mascara amongst teen girls today, the Sky High Mascara is a perfect gift for girls who love makeup. The mascara comes in eight colors, three of which are shades of black and the others are brighter colors, such as green or purple. I even tried this mascara myself, (the Blackest Black shade), and I really liked it! Testimonials from the Maybelline website praise this mascara, as they think it works really well, and it took them barely a coat of mascara to get perfect lashes. Another reviewer from Ulta Beauty says that the mascara makes their eyelashes look naturally long.
Sol de Janeiro Cheirosa 62 Perfume: One of the most popular scents from Sol de Janeiro, Cheirosa 62 is a widely known perfume amongst girls today. The perfume smells of salted caramel, pistachio, and vanilla, so if you like the scents listed, then this is the perfume for you. According to reviewers on the Sephora website, the scent is long-lasting and smells fantastic. Reviewers from Target’s online website say that the perfume creates a warm and tropical scent that people really enjoy. On a side note, I use this perfume often and it smells great in my opinion.
Sephora Favorites Holiday Must Have Value Set: On the flip side, if you want to give someone a set instead of an individual item, Sephora offers a holiday set with their most popular items, such as the Touchland Power Mist in Wild Watermelon, Glossier Strawberry Balm DotCom, The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2%, and Sol de Janeiro Brazilian Bum Bum Cream. Each item in the set is well-liked by Sephora shoppers and customers highly praise the set, saying it’s a versatile kit, perfect for trying new products.
Bubble Super Cuties Trial Kit: Since 2020, Bubble Skincare has been selling very popular products, such as Slam Dunk (a popular moisturizer from the brand) and Morning Rays (an eye cream). The item suggested here is a trial kit, which means you can try each product to see if you like it. Many reviewers on the Ulta website say it’s so “cute and perfect” and works great for traveling.
Jean Paul Gaultier Le Male Elixir Eau De Parfum 3 Piece Gift Set: Now, if you’re shopping for a guy who likes beauty products or cologne, this cologne gift set from Jean Paul Gaultier, a popular fashion designer, is very well liked amongst customers who bought it. Testimonials from Macy’s say that the cologne scents are very good and they smell exactly as described on the box, which people highly expect when buying a product they hope to like.
If the gift receiver likes art/art supplies, then give them…
Prismacolor Premier Highlighting & Shading Colored Pencil Set: Ever since 1938, Prismacolor has been making colored pencils that work so well, which is why their pencils are an artist’s best choice for colored pencils, whether they are a beginner or professional. This set features twenty-four different colors of colored pencils. It also features soft, thick cores to help colors blend in beautifully. Testimonials from the Blick Art Supplies website say the Prismacolor colored pencils are worth your money, versatile, and the best colored pencils on the planet!
Liquitex Basics Acrylic Set: Featuring twelve unique colors, this paint set is perfect for the aspiring painter in your life. According to the Liquitex website, the paints give you the perfect balance of quality and economy. Testimonials from the Liquitex website say the price is reasonable and they are excellent quality paints.
Artist’s Loft Soft Pastels Colors: Now, if the gift receiver likes pastels instead of supplies like paint and colored pencils, then this is the perfect gift for them. The set features a variety of colors in many different shades that people seem to really like, such as blue, yellow, and neon pink. The pastels also have smooth blending with other colors. Reviewers from the Michael's website say the set has a decent flow on paper and has good pigment.
Ohuhu Honolulu 24 Basic Colors Dual Tips Alcohol Art Markers: This great brand of markers, featured on social media, is perfect for any artist who prefers drawing with markers. The markers come in such beautiful shades of purple, pink, and many more colors. More importantly, the set of markers has a clear color blender, so you can blend colors with ease. According to a reviewer from the Michael’s website, these markers have such beautiful colors and work extremely well. A different reviewer from the same website says these colors are very bright and greatly pigmented.
Bobbie Goods Fall-Winter Coloring Book: Now that I’ve listed some great art supplies that you can get someone for Christmas, here is something they could use all those art supplies for. And that is, drumroll please…a coloring book! Specifically, a winter and fall themed one. This coloring book is perfect for all seasons, but features twenty pages of cute fall and winter themed pictures with dogs you can color in. It also features a color tester page to test your art supplies before you start coloring. Testimonials from the official Bobbie Goods website say all the coloring pages are very cute and the paper was high quality.
If the gift receiver likes food, then give them…
Hershey's Reese's Cookie Skillet Kit: This very delicious cookie is like no other. It’s actually in a cast iron skillet! A reviewer from Amazon said that she gave this to her grandson for his birthday, and he really liked it. Similarly, a reviewer on the Walgreens website says the Hershey’s Reese’s Cookie Skillet Kit is an amazing stocking stuffer. Last year, my family and I gave two of my cousins another flavor of the cookie skillet for Christmas and both of them seemed to enjoy it. If the gift receiver is a big fan of sweets, cookies, and skillet recipes, then this gift is a great option!
Hershey’s Chocolate Bar: A staple chocolate bar in many households across the United States since the start of the twentieth century, the famous Hershey’s chocolate bar is a great gift to give a chocolate lover for Christmas. According to reviewers on the Hershey’s website, the Hershey’s Chocolate Bar gives off that classic Hershey’s vibe and the reviewer describes them as the freshest chocolate bars you can get. It’s the perfect stocking stuffer!
Williams Sonoma Christmas Mini Iced Cookies: These cute Christmas decorated cookies are a cute gift to give someone of any age for Christmas, whether they are young or old. Iconic Christmas characters and symbols are present on these cookies, like Santa Claus and the Nutcracker. The Shop My website says these cookies “add a touch of whimsy and sweetness to any gathering” and “bring joy with every bite”. On the other hand, the Williams Sonoma website describes these cookies as, quote, “the North Pole's most delicious sugar cookies”!
M&M's Milk Chocolate Christmas Candy Cane: M&M’s, one of the most famous chocolate candies of the twenty-first century, can be a gift on its own, but instead of being in their signature bag why not put them in a candy cane. This novel creation is another perfect stocking stuffer for a candy lover. These M&M’s, specifically, are red and green, the signature colors of Christmas. Reviews from Walmart’s website say that this is an amazing stocking stuffer with plenty of M&M’s to satisfy a chocolate craving.
Haribo Goldbears Holiday Edition: Haribo is a household name for gummy bears, and if your gift receiver loves these gummy candy, then you should give them these gummy bears for Christmas! Instead of being in their signature colors like reds, yellows, and oranges, they are in red, white, and green. Testimonials from the Target website say these three flavors in the bag are the best flavors out of every Haribo Goldbear flavor. The Haribo Goldbears Holiday Edition gummies are another great stocking stuffer!
If the gift receiver likes animals, then give them…
Christmas Squishmallows: Squishmallows are a very popular brand of adorable, squishy, stuffed animals. If your gift receiver likes the Squishmallow brand, then this is the perfect gift for them! Christmas Squishmallows come in various animals and Christmas characters, such as Ruben the Moose, Laurel the Christmas Tree, Nick the Santa Claus, Balthazar the Gingerbread Man, and iconic characters from the franchise like Junie the Banana and Louis the Terrier Dog. I even have some Squishmallows myself, and I find them to be cute. I don’t have many Christmas Squishmallows, but I have two; their names are Alfred the Moose and Avery the Green Mallard Duck, and they are dressed in a lumberjack print.
Animal Socks: Covered in animals such as dogs and cats, socks are a great gift for someone who loves animals and socks. A review on Hallmark’s “Welsh Corgi Novelty Crew Socks E&S Pets Cardigan Welsh Corgi Novelty Crew Socks” says that these socks are super cute and still display great images even after being stretched over the foot.
National Geographic, The Photo Ark: If the animal lover in your life likes books about animals, then give them this book for Christmas! The book mentioned here is a picture book, full of pictures of zoo animals. Best of all, the book is published by National Geographic, known for creating all kinds of media about animals (documentaries, books, tv shows, and a magazine, to name a few). Testimonials from Walmart’s website call this a beautiful book with breathtaking and vibrant photos.
Shark Onesie: This recommendation is for someone who likes sea animals, especially sharks. Some cute shark onesies can be found on Amazon, with the most popular one being just twenty dollars. The popular one is like a sleeping bag instead of an actual onesie, and you can barely see your face in it. You can use the onesie for reading or sleeping.
Animal Journal: If the animal lover in your life also likes to write, or journal, then this is the perfect gift for them. The journal covers have varieties of animals, from cats and dogs to rainforest animals. However, the pages do not have animals on them. They are just classic journal pages, so don’t expect the journal to have animals galore.
If the gift receiver likes books, then give them…
Better Than the Movies by Lynn Painter: Better Than the Movies has been one of my favorites ever since I was twelve years old. It is a romance book and follows the main character, Liz Buxbaum, a seventeen-year-old high school senior who is obsessed with romcoms. She really loves romcoms because they remind her of her mother, who died a few years before the story began. When her childhood crush Michael Young moves back to her hometown from Texas, she really wants to take him to prom. To do so, she pretends to date her neighbor and rival, Wes Bennett, to get Michael to notice her. But, as Wes and Liz fake date, Liz begins to realize how much she actually likes hanging out with Wes. As prom night nears, can she get the courage to ask Michael to prom, or will that backfire as she realizes she has feelings for Wes? This book is a combo of everything romance lovers enjoy, from the classic enemies to lovers trope to fake dating, the book is appropriate for ages twelve (that’s the age I read it) and up. People highly praise this book due to its cute 2000’s romcom vibes and lovable characters. So, I’d highly recommend you get this for any bookworm on Christmas!
How the Grinch Stole Christmas by Dr. Seuss: A Christmas classic, Dr. Seuss tells the story of the miserable Grinch, who despises Christmas. His heart is two sizes too small in the beginning of the story. One Christmas, he decides to make Christmas go away for good in the town of Whoville. He does so by dressing up as Santa Claus and stealing everyone’s Christmas presents, decorations, and food. When he goes to a little girl named Cindy-Lou Who’s house, he gets caught trying to steal their Christmas presents. After lying to Cindy-Lou that the Christmas tree’s lights weren’t working, he eventually realizes that he was a bad guy once he sees the Whos being happy about Christmas. His heart grows three sizes as he becomes happy and regrets making Christmas go away. This multigenerational story is perfect for young kids, but a person of any age can enjoy it as well. Overall, the Grinch is a heartwarming story about the true meaning of Christmas.
Let It Snow: Three Holiday Romances by John Green, Lauren Myracle, and Maureen Johnson: This collection of stories from authors John Green (best known for the bestselling book and movie The Fault in Our Stars), Lauren Myracle (best known for the series ttyl), and Maureen Johnson (best known for the Truly Devious series) is centered around the topics of Christmas and romance. In the last chapter, all the stories tie together. The book has mixed reviews, with some saying they are good while others say they dislike the stories. It has also been made into a movie in 2019, so definitely recommend your gift receiver to watch it if they enjoy reading the stories.
Betting on You by Lynn Painter: Well, I added this other book because Lynn Painter is one of my favorite authors, so I just had to add another one of her amazing books in here! Betting on You is about an organized girl named Bailey Mitchell who meets the annoying Charlie Sampson on a flight to Omaha, Nebraska, where she is moving after her parents’ recent divorce from Fairbanks, Alaska. A few years after they meet, Bailey and Charlie reunite as coworkers at a bouncy house place. When they see two of their friends flirting, Charlie and Bailey make a bet saying that boys and girls can just be friends. As their bet goes on, Charlie and Bailey begin fake dating and eventually develop feelings for each other. But as soon as Charlie reveals he had another bet involving Bailey, will the two finally admit their feelings for each other? I recommend this book for a Christmas gift because there are some wintery scenes when Charlie and Bailey go on a road trip to an Airbnb in Colorado. People who have read this book highly praise it for its cute romance just like Better Than the Movies. There are some really cool scenes, but I’d rather not spoil them for you!
I think that these are some perfect Christmas gift ideas for your loved ones. If you like my gift ideas, then give them to your family and friends this Christmas! Happy Holidays!