Instead of participating in the age-old, head-scratching tradition of picking out the perfect gifts, we recommend simplifying your search with practical gifts that’ll make their lives easier and always get put to good use.
Just because they don’t come with bells and whistles, that doesn’t mean practical gifts have to be boring. After all, there’s nothing mundane about a percussive therapy device that’ll guide them through breathwork sessions, so they can unwind after a long day. If you want to gift them a new scent but aren’t sure if they’re currently more into floral or woody notes, Sephora has you covered with a fragrance set that allows them to pick up a full-size bottle of favorite fragrance at a later time — no extra cost incurred.
To help you ease into holiday shopping, or you just feel like indulging yourself, we’ve curated the best practical gift ideas that anyone on your list would appreciate. (And they’ll think of you every time — perhaps even every day — they make use of said useful gifts.)
Our Top Picks:
- Best Skin-Care Gift: NuFace Mini+ Starter Kit, $250
- Best Hair-Care Gift: R+Co Bleu Holiday Bleu Essentials Set, $35
- Best Fragrance Gift: Sephora Favorites Perfume Sampler Set, $85
- Best Stocking Stuffer: Uncommon Goods Minute Mimosa Sugar Cube Trio, $30
- Best Tech Gift: Therabody Theragun Sense, $300
- Best Travel Gift: Dagne Dover Medium Landon Neoprene Carryall Duffle Bag, $185
- Best Home Gift: Nori Press, $120
Need more gift-spiration? Check out our ultimate holiday gift guide for 2023.
All products featured on Allure are independently selected by our editors. However, when you buy something through our retail links, we may earn an affiliate commission.
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Therabody Theragun Sense
The Thergun Sense comes with the percussive therapy you’re probably familiar with — but slightly toned down (12 mm vs. 16 mm emitting from the Pro Plus) for those who don’t need intensive recovery measures. The star of this particular device though? It has a built-in biometric sensor (positioned right below the main handle, where your pointer finger would normally rest) that’ll read your heart rate as you complete guided breathwork sessions through the Therabody app. These meditations are also paired with haptic vibrations, which feel incredibly relaxing and grounding as you hold the device against your chest.
P.S. To relieve other areas of the body, there’s also the Theraface Pro, Theraface Mask, and SmartGoogles to consider.
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Sephora Favorites Perfume Sampler Set
Fragrances can be tricky to gift since people’s tastes vary so much. That’s where Sephora Favorites’ Perfume Sampler Set (or the cologne version) saves the day. Housed inside a metallic makeup bag (which is cute in its own right!), your giftee will discover 16 sample-size vials of delectable scents from Gucci, Maison Margiela, Phlur, Viktor&Rolf, and more. Once they’ve landed on their signature scent, they can redeem a full-size bottle at sephora.com or any Sephora store. So smart.
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Amika Hair Blow Dryer Brush 2.0
Blow-dryer brushes are a game-changer when it comes to shaving off both time and effort, and the Amika Hair Blow Dryer Brush 2.0 is the tool to do it. This multitasking round brush and blow-dryer adds shine and smoothness, lifts your roots, and detangles hair, all while drying your hair. (Just be sure to add some heat protectant prior.) Say hello to flawless blowouts.
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FP Movement Curated Quilted Beauty Bag
First off, we’re in love with this sunshiney quilted beauty bag — in fact, we’d be happy just receiving that. But Free People went a step further and filled it up with four very useful, travel-friendly items. Everyone needs to hydrate and the Mayim Collapsible Water Bottle can be folded down when they’re not using it. Cold and flu season is upon us, so make sure they stay protected with a portable sanitizer — we like Jao’s Refresher Spray because it smells super refreshing.
Wearing sunscreen every day becomes less of a chore with Vacation’s Classic Lotion SPF 30. Lastly, who doesn’t want to stay smelling fresh? Salt & Stone’s Natural Deodorant Gel gets bonus points for being clear and not leaving any residue behind.
