63 Holiday Shopping Tips
Holiday-related proclamations and well-sourced recommendations from The Strategist’s staff and contributors.
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If you’re buying a gift you hope they’ll use forever, cross-check it against theBuy It for Life sub-Reddit.
Community favorites includeZojirushi’srice cookersandCanada West boots.—Erin Schwartz
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Update theirold jewelry.
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Spur Jewelry Custom Renovation
The concierge serviceSpur Jewelrywill, for instance, turn an heirloom like a brooch into a chic necklace.—Jenna Milliner-Waddell
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Costco sellsgood jewelry.
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I’ve got my eye on its18-Karat-Yellow-Gold Round Hoops.—Dominique Pariso
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Costco also, surprisingly, sellsMason Pearson hairbrushes.
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The“handy” versionretails for $175, but Costco sells it for $93.—Lauren Ro
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Diptyquemakes a weightier version of its candle, meant for closets or dresser drawers.
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It’s a surprisingly luxurious thing to own.—Margaret Rhodes
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I love to gift aproper bayberry candle.
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During colonial times, it was tradition to light one to ensure a prosperous year. (There’s even a poem about this: “A bayberry candle burnt to the socket brings food to the larder and gold to the pocket.”)—Caroline Weaver
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Every Friday,TikToker Emma Ungaroposts vintage designer bags she’s spotted on resale sites.
Turn on notifications and grab one for the purse snob in your life.—J.M.W.
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Give a one-on-onereading with an astrologer.
I likeRose Theodora,Janelle Belgrave, andLisa Stardust. Everyone loves an opportunity to talk about themselves.—D.P.
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Rose Theodora Reading
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Janelle Belgrave Reading
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Lisa Stardust Reading
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A gift for yourMoon Juiciestfriend:single servings of actually delicious vegan anti-stress chocolateprotein powderfrom Kate Hudson’s (weirdly good) brandInBloom.
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Its main ingredients include reishi mushroom (of course), cocoa, anddandelion root.—Liza C. Corsillo
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The best skin-care tool to give is ahigh-qualityLED mask.
It’s one of the few instances in which price really does, always, correlate with efficacy.Dr. Dennis Gross SpectraLite maskis best for those with acne, andCurrentBodyis best if breakouts aren’t a main concern.—Jolie De Feis
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If they’ve expressed the desire totravelmore often, offer to pay for theirGlobal Entry. —J.M.W.
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A fewMuji stores, like the one on Fifth Avenue, offerembroidery on in-store purchases (from $5).
Their right-anglesocksor ginghampajamasboth would make nice gifts.—L.C.C.
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ManiMeis a greatstocking stuffer,Secret Santa gift, or present for anyone into nail art.
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ManiMe Digital Gift Card
Your recipient can redeem theirgift cardfor a set of stick-on gel nails custom-cut to precisely fit their nails (all they need to do is send in a picture of their hands!).—J.D.F.
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Get your nail-biter friendcuticle oil from Deborah Lippmann.
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It actually worksand feels really fancy.—Rio Viera-Newton
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Present them with a membership to theNoguchi Museum.
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The gift within the gift is that they’ll then get a discount onAkari lamps.—Winnie Yang
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Mogutable’s $8 food-shaped chopstick restsare idealstocking stuffersfor friends.
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The takoyaki and hanami dango ones are sold out online, but you can pop by the Grand Street shop to check for more (like theyuzu!).—Chelsea Peng
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With anannual subscription toWonder Valley, they’ll get a different beautiful bottle ofolive oilfour times a year.
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Each one also comes with a gift from another brand like Diaspora, TartVinegar, and Dark Horse Organic.—Emma Wartzman
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Instead of the usual crate of pears, introduce your recipient to the delights of sapote and rambutan with avariety box of tropical fruit.
Or if your recipient has a reasonably green thumb, send aMeyer lemonor Australianfinger lime tree, which both grow well in containers.—W.Y.
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Pair a cookbook with a toolor special ingredient for an especially thoughtful gift.
Example: a copy of Jess Damuck’sSalad Freakwith agreens stripper.—E.W.
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Nutellareleases one-ounce jars specifically for the holidays that make funstocking stuffers. —Jen Trolio
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Not everyone can subscribe to every newsletter, sogive someone a membership to a Substack.
Blackbird Spyplane(for more interviews and its “Cla$$ified Recon Tier”) or the newPasserby Club(to access its Discord and get discounts at brands like Saie and Mater Soap) are good options.—M.R.
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The hands-down best bath product isDr. Singha’s Mustard Bath.
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A 28-ounce jar of it costs $40 and will last for months, maybe a year.—M.R.
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Send them anonly-available-during-the-holiday-season treat.
My favorites: aged-one-year fruit cakes byRobert LambertandLeckerleelebkuchen that comes in special-edition tins.—W.Y.
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Louis Sherry chocolate tinsare a real twofer.
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Once you’ve finished the Sicilian-orange, coconut-almond, and Turkish-coffee chocolates, you’re left with a lovely box forstoring jewelry, loose change, or your weed stash.—L.C.C.
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When in doubt,send dinner fromGoldbelly.
My favorites are muffuletta fromCentral Groceryin New Orleans and BBQ fromSnow’sin Lexington, Texas.—Kayleen Schaefer
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The most highly coveted gift in my group chat of professional Brooklyn-basedbakersis aWhite Bark Workwear hemp apron.
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It’sknownfor its comfortable crossback and flattering silhouette and comes in a number of dusty jewel tones.—Tanya Bush
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Andrew’s Honeyhas beehives on rooftops throughout the five boroughs and sellsraw, hyperlocal honey.
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I find myself giftingAlpine Cooking: Recipes and Stories From Europe’s Grand Mountaintopsevery year.
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It looks beautiful on acoffee table, the photographs inside are stunning, and the recipes are cozy and warming. It’s proved to be a fail-safe option for both friends who I know lovecookingand for hosts whom I don’t know well at all.—Ruby Redstone
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Atiny Le Creuset Dutch Ovenonly costs $36 (about $340 less than an actual Dutch oven) and is great for serving sides. —E.W.
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Consider thegroup buy.
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It’s simple: pool your funds and choose a gift the whole group wants, like a42-pack of crab chips from Utzor abeauty giftset (have everyone previously agree on who gets what product).—C.P.
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My go-to gift for theunder-10 crowdis alwaystemporary tattoos from Ooly. —Sam Daly
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You can’t go wrong with aLauren Manoogiansweater. —Katy Schneider
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Barefoot Dreamsmakes the most luxe, fuzzyblanketsand can be foundheavily discounted atNordstrom Rack. —Zoe Denenberg
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Shinolahas lovely linen-boundjournalsthat are the same style as mainstays like Moleskine and Leuchtturm but are higher quality and made in the U.S.
And itmonogramsthem for free.—C.W.
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Abetta fishwill delight at any white elephant exchange. —D.P.
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Agoodlast-minutegift: Go to a newsstand and get trashy gossip magazines, bundle them with a scratch-off lottery ticket. —Alexis Swerdloff
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Band-Aidsin fun colors, character prints, and patternsare the perfectstocking stuffer for kidsup to 6 or 7 (ideal for ages 2 to 4). —J.T.
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Support a radio stationthat gives a branded baseball cap as its member thank-you gift and then give the hat as a gift. A good local one is 90.7 WFUV. —M.R.
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Persephone Booksin the U.K.reprints books by women writers that never got the attention they deserved when they were first published.
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I bought my momReuben Sachs, by Amy Levy, which was like Jane Austen but for Jews. Its whole catalogue is full of treats, and its books are beautifully bound with pretty endpapers. Shipping to the U.S. is free but can take up to two weeks.—Zoe S. Dubno
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If you’re out of ideas, gettinga bunch ofhair accessoriesfrom Amazon in 50 different colorsis an easy and very pleasing gift. —L.C.C.
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One thing I always put in mykids’ stockingsis aninteresting piece of fresh fruit.
Star fruit, persimmons, even a pineapple — whatever you think they will like but haven’t tried.—J.T.
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A literalrainbow of solid-colored T-shirts and leggings fromPrimarywas a huge hit with my older daughter when she was6and super into dress-up. —J.T.
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Eva Chen just ordered thisNational GeographicgemstoneAdvent calendarfor her daughter, and now I want one, too. —C.P.
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Target, in collaboration with L.A.’s Sugar Paper, makesperfect red gift boxes.
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They’re available in a set of three and look more expensive than they are thanks to a crisp white-edge detail.—J.T.
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For kids,ThePicture Book Club’s subscription(hand-curated, nonobviouschildren’s booksthat arrive every month for six months) is really a gift that keeps on giving. —A.S.
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And for adults, trya subscription to London’s HeywoodHill Bookshop’s “A Year in Books.”
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It includes an in-depth, over-the-phone consultation to ensure each pick suits them.—Louis Cheslaw
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For any amaro fan,Forthave’s Reserve 1 magnumwill make a splash.
You’ll have to do some digging to score one of the few remaining bottles of Reserve 1, but for a more readily available (and no less special) amaro, try the distiller’s just-releasedMithradates.—C.P.
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Roll up to aholiday partywith a few cases ofZuzu’s bottled agave-spirit cocktails, which are chic and contain only five ingredients
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The calamansi flavor is the best.—C.P.
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If your giftee is into aperitifs (or aperitif-curious), you can’t go wrong witha bottle ofSt. George Bruto Americano.
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You can mix it intococktails, but it’s also good on its own over ice.—J.T.
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Reality-starCameosare generally affordable and well received.
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Angela Sankovich Cameo
I once ordered one from former Survivor playerJanet Carbinfor a friend, who was delighted. For fans ofThe Rehearsal:Angela Sankovich.—E.S.
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I have a habit of getting my husbandhigh-end sweatshirtsthat he’d never buy himself.
Hits through the years have includedSave Khaki,Jungmaven, andBuck Mason.—A.S.
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Never forget that popes have been getting theircardinal-red socks fromMes ChaussettesRougessince 1798. —L.C.
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The Methas released a collectible star ornament annually since 1972, which means this year’s is the 50th-anniversary edition.
You can also find stars from years gone by onEtsy, if you want to buy someone an ornament from their birth year.—Katherine Gillespie
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If you want to impress yourSecret Santawith a brand name — and great scent — consider somescented tags fromD.S. & Durga, which are only $12 each.
They’re meant for your car, but they’re ideal for making your closet or dresser drawers smell nice, and they’re just the right size to slip into a holiday card or stocking. I like the classicBig Sur After Rain, but there’s something aboutPortable Fireplacethat seems right for the season.—Maxine Builder
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Digitally wrap a donation onDoubleDutch.cash.
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Choose a card featuring images by artists likeCindy Sherman, add a donation, and your recipient “unwraps” their gift via a link sent to their inbox.—C.P.
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Etsy store32NorthSuppliessells die-cut foil moons and Carta Varese paper that I used to wrap a Secret Santa gift last year to great effect.
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The designs are beautiful, and the colors are superdense and rich.—E.S.
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Forolder relativeswhose sizes you aren’t 100 percent sure about,Saks Off Fifthsells inexpensivecashmereopen-front cardigans. —A.S.
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For a primo selection ofwashi tape and the cuteststationery, go toYosekain Greenpoint. —C.P.
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You can buy someexquisitely packaged, pre-rolledCBDjointsonline …
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… LikeGossamer’s newHappy Hour Pre-Rollswith CBG.—M.R.
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Targethas consistently stocked Black Santa productssuch asgift wrap,ornaments, and PJs. —Latifah Miles
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Friends NYCconsistently hasthe wackiest assortment of novelty ornaments.
Highlights from this year’s drop include acroissant sandwichand a sparklyfield radish.—C.P.
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