Gifts for the Holidays

by Valerie Gladstone — December 12, 2007

If there's one thing I dislike about gift giving, it's wasting money on a present a friend or family member doesn't want. There are usually so many things that people do desire that it seems like such a shame to burden them with the unwanted. But then I don't like the idea of giving money either, which would be a surefire way not to miss.

What I've to done to get around these (self-inflicted) obstacles is to ask people to list a few things they wouldn't mind receiving and then I pick from that. There are also friends whose tastes I know well enough to make very educated guesses; women who could never have enough fragrant soaps, for instance, or a music lover who can never have enough of his or her favorite band or composer.

I decided to put together a list of beauty products that I can only guess most women would enjoy. Maybe it's just a list of things I wouldn't mind receiving but I did try to put myself in other's shoes. If you have a chance, I'd love to hear your choices--maybe it will spark an idea in someone else:

• Lush soaps--They come in many scents and are relatively inexpensive ($5 to $9 at lushusa.com.
• Lush Karma Hand and Body Cream--One of the most seductive scents I've ever encountered (7.9oz for $23.95 at lushusa.com).
• Aveda Hand and Foot Creams--Just the right texture and mildly scented (4.2oz for $18) or special gift pack Ritual of Relief, which includes one each of the hand and body creams, plus one each of travel sizes ($40 at aveda.com).
• Fresh Brown Sugar Body Polish--An indulgence but also a great defoliating cream (14oz for $62.50 at sephora.com).
• Nars Beauty Palette with a black compact--Several colors for eyes, lips, and cheeks. Great selection in any easy all-in-one case ($60 at sephora.com).
• Philosophy Sage Memory Scented Candle--Nice cozy scent for winter ($25 at sephora.com).
• Stila Six mini lip glaze glosses in six different colors, nutmeg to candy cane--Each set includes Stila's best-selling mini lip glaze shades, with two new flavors for the holiday season ($28 at sephora.com).
• Best of Sephora Face Set--Featuring two of Philosophy's all-time, Best of Sephora products for the face. Purity Made Simple and Hope in a Jar are the cornerstones of Philosophy's skincare regime. The first is a creamy cleanser that removes all debris, including makeup, and is good for all skin types. The second is a therapeutic daily facial moisturizer for all skin types that features lactic acid, which gently exfoliates and softens skin for a healthier glow. Set includes an 8.1oz Purity Made Simple cleanser and a 2oz Hope in a Jar moisturizer ($40 at sephora.com).
• Burt's Bees Vitamin E Body and Bath Oil--The natural antioxidants in vitamin E, wheat germ oil, and sweet almond oil join forces in this rich formula to help soothe, condition, and seal in the skin's moisture (4oz for $8 at burtsbees.com).
• A couple of other ideas, though gift certificates are really like giving money--Gift certificate for a massage or a manicure/pedicure.