An Ultimate Hyper-Specific Gift Guide

From French pharmacy finds to girlblogger essentials, there's a gift for *someone* on your list.

Gift guides are my guilty pleasure—odd, data-driven lists of curated items that brands pay to be featured in. It’s magical. The more specific the gift guide, the more amusing I find it. Think: 25 gifts for your best friend’s boyfriend that you don’t like. Again, magical. So, I decided to make my own hyper-specific gift guide—no sponsorships (duh), just gifts I truly stand by.

(if there are any typos or grammatical errors, please don’t hold it against me)

11 Perfect Gifts for the Girlblogger in Your Life

Your favorite girlblogger scrolls Tumblr when she’s bored of Pinterest, loves Lana Del Rey, still treasures her copy of Lolita from when she was thirteen, and spends countless hours in bed yearning and wondering why. Why are we here? Why did this happen the way it did? Why do I have these unrealistic fantasies? She’s the kind of person whose medication you pick up for her at the pharmacy on a regular basis.

• These four books are so her (she might even already own them): The Bell Jar ($18.40) The 25th edition hard cover, Valley of the Dolls ($15), My Year of Rest and Relaxation ($12.35), The Virgin Suicides ($6.49) I think this cover featuring Orchard (1999) by Justine Kurland is the best. I added a link but I recommend buying all of these from a local bookstore or finding them used online.

  

• Rosehip Seed Oil ($10): It literally comes from roses! The vitamin C in rosehip oil serves as an antioxidant, helping protect your cells from damage and disease. It’s gentle on skin, 100% natural, and can be used on skin or hair. Whoever marketed beard oil as the ultimate gift for men needs to do the same for facial and hair oils. This is the perfect last-minute stocking stuffer—you can grab it at any health food store. Jojoba and Moroccan oils from the grocery store are also great options.

• Catbird Lace Bookmark ($10): I don’t often see a bookmark and think, wow, I’d love that. In fact, I never have—until this one. It’s so dainty and cute.

• Limoges Box ($45–$875): These one-of-a-kind, hand-painted boxes from Limoges, France, are perfect for storing medication. A girlblogger is also a trinket lover, and these little “dingle dangles” (a British term for trinket—this will be both the first and last time I use it) is c'est parfait. They come in a variety of designs and shapes (stretching from bread to a gazebo to rabbit running track to baby teeth). She can toss it her bag (because who cares if it gets hurt—so can we) or keep it on display.

• Sandy Liang Socks ($38): If you’re buying someone something from Sandy Liang (or making any big purchase), it’s nice to let them choose. That said, no one would complain about socks—especially these.

• Aker Fassi (10€):
  This Moroccan beauty staple, a carmine powder made from dried poppy petals and pomegranate rind, can be used as blush or lipstick. Just wet it and apply. It’s all-natural, cooler, chicer, and cheaper than most lipsticks. Perfect for her sensual side. This isn’t exactly a pharmacy product, but it’s interesting enough that it won’t come across as suggesting the person needs to wear makeup.

• Catbird Swan Pencil Sharpener ($5): Girlblogging = ballet = Black Swan (the movie) = actual swans = this pencil sharpener.

• Scented Matches (16€): These come in a variety of scents and have just the right amount of moodiness. Girlbloggers have a lot of rage—we want to burn the world down sometimes. These matches are the perfect outlet (if used correctly).

• A Custom Leo Costelloe Piece (Varies): Everything he makes is SO cool. Enough said.

Nine Gifts for French (Pharmacy) Obsessed

They spend lots of time on TikTok figuring out what they’re going to pick up in France next time they’re there, are learning French on Duolingo, and have a private Pinterest board titled Outfits for Paris.

Beauty Products: I’m only listing three because these are safe bets in terms of skin types, and they’re unscented. If you’re French, don’t buy these for people in your life—it won’t hit the same. If the person asks, “Why did you get me this?” you can just say, “It’s French,” and no further explanation is necessary. I love seeing products from foreign pharmacies in my medicine cabinet; it makes me feel like I know what I’m doing. Plus, their information-packed packaging contrasts nicely with the minimalist-designed products everywhere else.

• Hexomedine ($30):
  An antiseptic that works wonders on scrapes, infections, and, coincidentally, blemishes. In 48 hours, it reduces redness, swelling, and bacterial infections. It’s also fun to pull out when someone at your house asks if you have anything for a scrape or irritation. You can say, “Oui! I know just the thing. Hexomedine!” And when they ask, “Pray tell, what is that?” you can reply, “It’s an antiseptic from France. It’s the best!” To which they’ll say, “Très gentil!”

• Bepanthen ($8): It’s a Swiss product, which isn’t exactly French, but it’s nearby. It’s used to treat over-irritated and stressed skin. It’s rich in vitamin B, protects the skin barrier, and, either way, I love the baby blue packaging.

• Homoplasmine ($28): In my mind, it’s Aquaphor but French and overpriced when you order it to the States. The pink will go well with the blue.

• A French Hair Pin ($11.99): A more elegant and safer alternative to a claw clip.

• Ladurée Tea ($18): It’s like going to Ladurée, but you’re at home.

• A Charm Bracelet: They’re a classic and perfect for collecting memories. You can find many reasonably priced sterling silver or 14k gold options on Etsy. Start them off with their first charm, and buy them another in Paris.

• Audrey at Home: Memories of My Mother's Kitchen ($22.45): Written by her son Luca Dotti, this cookbook-meets-coffee-table book contains 50 recipes from Audrey’s life. This book shares personal anecdotes, letters, and features 250 unpublished photographs. It is an absolute joy to read. Many of the anecdotes center around her time living at her home, La Paisible, in Switzerland, which, like I said, isn’t France exactly, but it does include Givenchy’s favorite recipe—and he was French. I can only find a non used version on Amazon, but like I said, I absolutely recommend used books!

• Metal Tube Squeezer Key ($7): In line with the pharmacy theme, I love that you can get every last drop of a product, and I think it looks so appealing on a vanity—like you work in a lab or something.

• Jane Birkin-Style Basket: The real Birkin bag is the basket carried by the most French British person who ever existed, Jane Birkin. Etsy has a surplus of cute options.

Eight Gifts for the Girl Who Loves Cute Things

She most likely has cute aggression, never lost her childlike sense of wonder, and probably has “Douyin makeup tutorial” in her TikTok search history. Pink, white, grey, and baby blue are her color palettes, and a guy has probably called her weird before when he realized she wasn’t interested.

• Custom Blythe Doll: While these Japanese dolls have been around forever, I just discovered they are customizable! This would be an "order now and tell them about it in a card" sort of gift, as creating them can take time. These dolls can be personalized to look like the recipient and are the cutest things in the world—I want one so badly. Each artist has their own style but can personalize them to an insane degree, even carving the facial features to resemble the person. I’ve linked a reddit page with a few options but you can find a ton of other ones on social media.

• Sonny Angels ($15):
  If she’s a Sonny Angel fan like I am, this is a no-brainer and such a fun stocking stuffer. Not only will she be surprised when she opens it, but finding out which angel she got will also be an extra surprise. A friend once gifted me one of the larger Sonny Angels, and I cherish it so much. If she’s already a fan, I’d look into the larger ones—they’d absolutely be a hit.

• Urban Decay Moon Dust Glitter in Cosmic ($24): Sevie (again), who works for Urban Decay, gave me one of these, and it’s literally the best glitter—quite possibly in the entire world. It’s like a light dusting but has the intensity of those way-too-intense MAC glitters. Glitter is also a beauty product you can buy without worrying about offending anyone.

• Laura Dolls ($13): Another fun stocking stuffer that’s a surprise within a surprise! My friend Sage once gave one to our friend Sevie for her birthday, and I’ve been obsessed with them ever since.

• G2G Labs Winter Hat with Ears ($80): I picked one of these up in Seattle during a walk through the park. We stumbled upon a tent where the owner was selling them, and it felt like destiny. They’re so cute and unlike anything I’ve ever seen.

• C.O. Bigelow Cherry Claw Clip ($22): Shiny, plasticky, and adorable—plus, it’s from America’s oldest apothecary. If you need more convincing, Carolyn Bessette Kennedy used to buy her headbands from there.

• Padlock Necklace with Key: This is a callback to Nana—the live-action movies (which I guess are also a manga/anime, though I’ve never watched or read them). It’s specific, but it all makes sense in a way I can’t quite explain. Think of it as the Cartier Love Bracelet, but not boring and overplayed. There are tons of options on Etsy.

• Miffy Lamp ($28-$269): These come in a variety of sizes, so they can work in any space. I have the XL version, and every time I look at it, it makes me happy. I love it so much, and I know she will too.

Seven Gifts for the Creative Person With That It Girl Factor Who Constantly Inspires You

You know, the kind of person who is quick to learn anything they try and seemingly good at everything. They know how to take the best pictures of you, have an affinity for Fragonard, love the female experience, and aren’t afraid to discuss it through their work. They appreciate both the artist and their process. They’re the type of person who turns dreams into realities.

• Louis Vuitton Murakami Cherry Blossom Bag Baby Pink (~$2,000): This 2003 collaboration between Louis Vuitton and Takashi Murakami is peak Marc Jacobs-for-LV brilliance. After they open it on Christmas morning, you can spend the afternoon watching the Marc Jacobs & Louis Vuittondocumentary together and learn about MJ’s process. It’s extremely inspiring.

• Sofia Coppola Archive Book ($65): If they love Sofia Coppola, I cannot recommend this enough. It offers so many fun glimpses into the creation of her movies.

• Oui Tee ($30): In line with Sofia Coppola, this recreation of a shirt from her brand Milkfed, which she wore in a famed picture with Bill Murray on the set of Lost in Translation, is a deep cut any Sofia fan will appreciate.

• Criterion Collection Subscription ($100/year): Keep this person inspired with access to the entire Criterion Collection. For any movie lover, this is an amazing gift.

• Vote for Women Mug/Teacup ($15.95/$18.95):
  A friend asked me to pick up one of these tea cups featuring the 1909 motto “Votes for Women” when we visited leading suffragist Alva Vanderbilt’s home, the Marble House, in Newport last year. The motto was used during a famous suffrage rally held at the home. I loved it so much that I got the mug for myself.

• Instax Photo Album ($36):
  Get them something to store all the Instax pictures they take. I linked one, but there are so many options out there. Not only will it look nice on the coffee table, it’s also fun to flip through the photos instead of letting them pile up somewhere. While you’re at it, throw in some fun Instax film too.

• Be Ready When the Luck Happens: A Memoir by Ina Garten ($17):
  Ina Garten is like the grandmother from the Hamptons we all wish we could talk to. Her life is endlessly inspiring and will leave you feeling like you’ll end up somewhere good as long as you try things.

Seven Gifts for the Minimalist, Down to Business, Underconsumption Core Enthusiast, Not Here to Mess Around, Give It to Me as It Is and Nothing Else Sort of Person.

This one makes sense if you let it.

• Mitsubishi Pencil Uniball One Pen ($5):
  This Japanese stationery award-winning pen dries instantly and has the precision of a pencil. I’ve been using one all year, and it’s still going strong.

• Compact Nail Clippers ($18 or $44):
  These feel more like a serious tool than a grooming device and are by far the sleekest nail clippers out there. They fold into themselves, making them so small that no one will even think to steal them from you.

• Uniqlo Mini T-Shirts ($14.90):
  These shirts fit so well, and a minimalist knows the importance of a plain T-shirt.

• Custom Boat Tote (Starting at $25.00):
  I like the mini ones. They’re minimal in that sort of WASPy-essential way and will last for years. In fact, the more beat up they get, the more appealing they are. Also, absolutely get it monogrammed.

• Fiskars Micro Scissors ($10):
  This may sound silly, but how many times have you needed scissors only to find nothing of the sort? These scissors are super sharp and small enough to bring anywhere. I like to leave mine in my carry-on suitcase and hope TSA doesn’t throw them out (it’s only happened once).

• Sylvia by Angela Hill, Second Edition Book (£50):
  This book documents adolescent life in the ’90s for model-turned-activist Sylvia Mann. The photographs span her life from ages eleven to eighteen. Hill herself is a minimalist in my mind and stresses the importance of casting, saying, “Seriously, all I’m doing is using the most basic lens, a 50mm lens on a 35mm camera, and my choice of film. I don’t even choose the shutter speed, and I always leave it on the same aperture! So literally, it is point and shoot.” This is an absolutely beautiful book.

• French Butter Dish ($22 on sale for $11.39):
  Perfect for the person who loves toast but has no patience to wait for butter to soften. This contraption keeps butter at room temperature, using water to seal it shut, so you can store it on the countertop.