Contents
- 1 Best Gifts Overall
- 2 Hulken Reusable Bag on Wheels
- 3 The Best Black Friday Sale Gifts
- 4 Loftie Smart Alarm Clock
- 5 Hill House The Tiny PJ Set
- 6 Jenny Bird Zodiac Pendant Necklace
- 7 On This Editor’s Wishlist
- 8 Clicks Keyboard iPhone Case
- 9 Nomasei Trench Loafers
- 10 Béis The 21-Inch Carry-On Roller
- 11 Best Editor-Approved Holiday Gifts for Her
- 12 Chanel Ultimate Allure Makeup Set
- 13 Tory Burch Reva Bangle Watch
- 14 Camp Snap Screen Free Digital Camera
- 15 Great Jones Dutch Baby Dutch Oven
- 16 Santa Maria Novella Melograno Bath Salts
- 17 Chanel N°5 L’Eau Eau de Toilette Purse Spray
- 18 Slip Silk Initial Collection Pillowcase
- 19 Prada Infusion d'Iris Candle
- 20 DedCool Laundry Day Detergent Set
Top finds from Coach, Chanel, and Apple start at $14.
I know myself to be a good gifter but it’s always nice to be reassured. I have already begun my holiday gifting since there are friends and family I know I won’t see until after the new year. As the results trickle in, I can happily say I’ve still got it. I’m getting around to the outstanding gifts now that many, perhaps most, are on sale during Black Friday.
The items I’ve picked start at just $14 (a book to get you ready for 2025’s Super Bowl halftime performance), are up to 80 percent off (the GOAT of skin care devices), and from top tier brands like Chanel, Apple, Coach, Merit Beauty, and more.
Best Gifts Overall
- A Failsafe: Apple 2nd Generation Airpods, $89 (Originally $129); amazon.com
- Chanel N°5 L’Eau Eau de Toilette Purse Spray, $195; chanel.com
- An Unexpected Crowd Pleaser: Moon Juice Magnesi-Om Berry L-Theanine Relaxation Supplement, $25 (Originally $35); amazon.com
- Selling Out Fast: Laneige Midnight Minis Lip Mask Gift Set, $21; us.laneige.com
- Roku Streambar Streaming Device and Soundbar, $130; amazon.com
- Ugg Faux Shearling Blanket and Eye Mask Sleep Set, $88; amazon.com
- Sonos Ace Wireless Over Ear Headphones, $349 (Originally $449); amazon.com
Hulken Reusable Bag on Wheels
$114 $89 at Amazon
New York City’s ‘It’ bag is not a Fendi Baguette or quilted Chanel shoulder bag, it’s the giant and incredibly utilitarian Hulken Bag. It has three straps, which allow it to be worn as a tote or pulled/wheeled on the floor. It has four wheels, a reinforced bottom, is made of (what seems like) industrial-grade tarp, is foldable, and holds (depending on the bag size—small, medium, or large) 33–66 pounds.
I have a large silver one that I use to store miscellaneous things in my apartment, to lug my big plants around the town to get repotted, to trek clothes to Goodwill, and 100 other uses. I’ve gifted this so many times and to great acclaim.
I’ve separated the rest of this gifting cheatsheet into three categories—the best Black Friday deals, my own wishlist, and more editor-approved gifts. I truly think you’ll find something for everyone and in every price range—you can’t go wrong with a pair of Airpods, a chic designer candle, and monogrammed silk pillowcases.
The Best Black Friday Sale Gifts
The following gifts are a worthwhile purchase even when full-priced, it’s simply a little gift for you that they’re discounted during Black Friday. There are steep deals and rare deals. In the former category are Jenny Bird’s half-off zodiac necklaces and Great Jones’s 43 percent off dutch oven. In the latter category, there’s Hill House’s hotel-grade pajamas and Eadem’s skin care set.
Loftie Smart Alarm Clock
$150 $120 at Amazon
Everyone could use an alarm clock. Even the gentlest of phone alarms are too jarring and reaching for your phone first thing in the morning is not exactly healthy either. The Loftie has smartphone capabilities, a range of alarm tones to choose from, and is a nightlight, sound machine, and bluetooth speaker. As a person obsessed with aesthetics, I also love this purely for the old-school look.
Hill House The Tiny PJ Set
$60 $42 at Hillhousehome.com
I have four siblings so the competition for best aunt/uncle is a pretty tight race. This year I am going to cement my first-place rank with this pajama set from Hill House. There’s also a Hotel Robe in the same print that you can get custom embroidered initials on.
Jenny Bird Zodiac Pendant Necklace
$160 $80 at Jenny-bird.com
A zodiac necklace is the perfect quasi-customized gift. It doesn’t require special ordering or anything of the sort but it shows the giftee that you’ve personally picked this out for them. Jenny Bird’s is 50 percent off (the steepest discount I’ve ever seen on any of its products), minimalist but not boring, and layers well with others.
- Great Jones Dutch Baby Dutch Oven, $80 (Originally $140); greatjonesgoods.com
- Sweet and Sentimental: Their Sutton Oval Locket 14k Recycled Gold Vermeil, $159 (Originally $211); theirisours.com
- Eadem The Even Skin Set, $173 (Originally $206); eadem.co
- A Great Housewarming Gift: Urban Outfitters Cherry Table Lamp, $59 (Originally $99); urbanoutfitters.com
- Used by Martha Stewart: Merit The Five Minute Morning Makeup Set, $141 (Originally $206); meritbeauty.com
- Splits Into Five Individual Gifts: The Sill The Favorite Five-Plant Bundle, $159 (Originally $215); thesill.com
- 80 Percent Off: Medicube Age-R Booster Pro Six-in-One LED Skin Care Device, $46 (Originally $228); amazoncom
On This Editor’s Wishlist
I literally shop for a living which my friends and family lament any time my birthday, the holidays, or any other gifting moments come up. This year I am making it easy with this 10-product wishlist. Although my tastes are expensive (yes, I want a $400 pair of loafers) not everything included here is—the book on Kendrick Lamar’s seminal To Pimp a Butterfly album is $14 and the Eloise ornaments that would make my heart sing with joy are $40.
Clicks Keyboard iPhone Case
$139 $109 at Best Buy
I miss pressing the actual buttons and tip-tap noise of the Blackberry phones of my adolescence. The brand is out of business and I don’t have a time machine, so this Clicks Keyboard phone case is my best bet.
It’s expensive for a phone case, which for some reason makes it a hard purchase to justify myself but a gift I would be over the moon with. This niche subcategory of gifts—things people want but won’t buy for themselves—is always a hit.
Nomasei Trench Loafers
$510 $408 at Nomasei.com
I am wearing a pair of loafers 92 percent of the time. But I need a pair that is a little more dressed up and I’m eyeing Nomasei’s Trench Loafers. First off, they’re never on sale. Second, the brand’s celebrity fanbase includes Bella Hadid (my queen), Nicole Kidman, Katie Holmes, and Kristin Stewart, per the brand and its Instagram. (To access the sale use the code NOMAVP20.)
Editor tip: When I need to know someone’s shoe size I use one of these methods: I ask something like “I have a holiday party but no shoes for my dress! What size are you? Could I potentially borrow a pair?” Another option: “You have a pair of Adidas Sambas, right? I’m thinking about ordering a pair—do you like them? Are they true to size?” The second option doesn’t specifically ask for their shoe size but nine times out of ten it's offered up in their response.
Béis The 21-Inch Carry-On Roller
$238 at Nordstrom
My carry-on suitcase is so busted that I operate it with less dexterity than I do playing a very rigged claw machine game. I need a new one and Béis is the new gold standard for luggage. This has four 360-degree wheels, compression straps, and built-in organization. Plus it’s light which means I don’t have to suppress my overpacking tendencies.
- Santa Maria Novella Melograno Bath Salts, $55; saksfifthavenue.com
- For My 25-Year-Long Eloise Obsession: Kurt S. Adler Eloise at the Plaza Ornaments, $40; amazon.com
- Warby Parker x Emma Chamberlain Frances Sunglasses, $95; warbyparker.com
- When Harry Met Sally Vibes: Kotn Women’s Luxor Cable Sweater, $148; kotn.com
- Textural Variety for My Gallery Wall: Bedouin Heritage Tatreez Embroidered Wall Hanging, $34; etsy.com
- Terrain Concordville Zinc Tavern, $48 (Originally $68); anthropologie.com
- To Pimp a Butterfly by Sequoia Maner (Book), $14 (Originally $15); amazon.com
Best Editor-Approved Holiday Gifts for Her
If I haven’t fulfilled your gifting needs yet, the following options are bound to fix that. My problem solvers include Chanel’s makeup set, which you can order gift-wrapped, an advent calendar that isn’t corny, and a detergent update that will have the receiver happy to go to the laundromat.
Chanel Ultimate Allure Makeup Set
Buy Now for $106
A Chanel gift set is one of the best things you can give a beauty lover because every part of it is covetable—the woven white pouch with the gold snowflake zipper pull, the classic black mascara, and the iconic red lipstick. This season’s Chanel gift sets also come wrapped in a limited edition gold and white box or bag.
Tory Burch Reva Bangle Watch
Buy Now for $228
A watch that does more! Yes, you can use this to tell the time but it’s also a piece of jewelry in and of itself. It’s a statement piece yet everyday wearable. My favorite part is the five interchangeable top rings—it lets your giftee switch between classic golds and pops of pink, red, and blue colors.
Camp Snap Screen Free Digital Camera
$75 $45 at Urban Outfitters
I’ve been hearing a lot about turning your smartphone into a “dumb phone.” The idea is to reduce phone usage to the essentials like phone calls and texts. The Camp Snap takes care of the camera angle. It’s a screen-free digital camera that functions like a film camera, but without the repeated cost of buying and developing film.
It’s compact and light—it fits into pockets and small purses. It takes and stores up to 500 photos which you transfer to your computer via a USB-C wire. It’s wildly popular, the brand’s website says they have very limited stock and are working to produce more ASAP. Get yours on time—and in a limited edition leopard print—at Urban Outfitters.
- A Coach Bag That’s Not the Willow: Coach Alter/Ego Bag In Checkerboard Upcrafted Leather, $350; coach.com
- Novel and Useful: Papier 24 Doors of Desk Delights Advent Calendar, $175; papier.com
- Makes Mundane Chores Fun: DedCool Laundry Day Detergent Set, $68 (Originally $97); dedcool.com
- Ettitude Signature Sateen Basic CleanBamboo Bedding Bundle, $337 (Originally $397); ettitude.com
- The Chicest Candle Ever: Prada Infusion d’Iris Candle, $75; bloomingdales.com
- Slip Silk Initial Collection Pillowcase, $99; anthropologie.com
- For the Little Ones: Super Smalls Super Entrepreneur Bead Kit, $75; supersmalls.com
The holidays are approaching fast so get your shopping done now to make the most of Black Friday sales on things like Apple Airpods, a baby pink dutch oven, and luxe laundry detergent. If your gifts are not Black Friday deals—like a Chanel makeup set or Prada candle—you’ll still want to order asap to get them in time.
Great Jones Dutch Baby Dutch Oven
$140 $80 at Greatjonesgoods.com
Santa Maria Novella Melograno Bath Salts
Buy Now for $55
Chanel N°5 L’Eau Eau de Toilette Purse Spray
Buy Now for $195
Slip Silk Initial Collection Pillowcase
$99 at Anthropologie
Prada Infusion d'Iris Candle
$75 at Bloomingdales
DedCool Laundry Day Detergent Set
$97 $68 at Dedcool.com
Tamim Alnuweiri is a senior beauty writer with a decade of experience in the beauty industry. She has tested hundreds of skin care, hair care, and makeup products, many of which she has written first-hand reviews on.