2022 Holiday Gift Guide for Beauty and Wellness Enthusiasts

THE GIFT GUIDES ARE HERE!!!

I’ve got some fabulous ideas for a variety of humans: Beauty and Wellness Enthusiasts (below), Home Cooks and Food Lovers, Home and Style Mavens, and, of course, Dudes. 

We all know that holidays aren’t about the presents. BUT you may also know that giving presents can be the best, and I take great pleasure in helping you find the perfect present for someone you love, especially the tough giftees. (I feel you. Everyone in my family is shockingly difficult to shop for.)

As always, my hope is that these gift guides help make shopping for your people a little bit easier and more fun. And reminder that there is zero shame in forwarding these gift guides to significant others/family members with the subject “Hint, hiiiint.”

Happy gifting, friends! And happy, happy holidays. You’re the best. 

2022 Holiday Gift Guide for Beauty and Wellness Enthusiasts

Dr. Whitney Bowe Bowe Glowe and Exfoliation Night Serum. Give the gift of glowing skin! Dr. Whitney Bowe is an award-winning, board-certified dermatologist, and her new skincare line is one of the best I’ve tried. I’m a particular fan of the Bowe Glow Microbiome Nourishing Cream and the Exfoliation Night Resurfacing and Brightening Serum, which are suitable for all skin types (including my fellow sensitive skinned friends!) and leave skin feeling smooth, bright, and hydrated.

WellnessMats Anti-Fatigue Mat. Anyone who spends a lot of time on their feet will appreciate this cushioned mat that helps to reduce foot, knee, and back pain. The mats come in a variety of sizes, colors, and patterns, and they really do make all the difference! I have one in front of my stove and another in front of my sink because I spend so many hours in those locations, but they could also be placed in an office, bathroom, workshop, etc.

Westman Atelier Makeup. Be a loved one’s expensive makeup fairy godperson! Westman makeup is absurdly priced, but it is also AMAZING and likely to make the lucky recipient feel like the best version of themselves. A few of my personal favorite products: Face Trace Cream Contour Stick, Baby Cheeks Lip + Cheek Cream Blush Stick (I’m partial to petal), and Super Loaded Tinted Cream Highlighter (I love Peau de Rose).

Ladson’s Winter Special Soap and Soap Dish. This may be the most beautiful soap I’ve ever laid my eyes, nose, or hands on. Created in collaboration with the great Jessica Murnane, this moisturizing soap smells wildly cozy and comforting and comes with a beautiful blue ceramic soap dish to zhuzh up any kitchen or bathroom. As an added plus, a portion of proceeds are donated to the Adoptee Mentoring Society, who provide compassionate virtual mentorship for adoptees, by adoptees.

Scribd Subscription. For the amazing readers in your life! In my humble opinion, reading is one of the best wellness tools. Getting lost in a good book can help us all relax in so many ways, boost self-esteem, teach us new things, expand our perspectives, and so much more. Scribd is an app that gives subscribers instant access to an enormous library of ebooks, audiobooks, articles, podcasts, sheet music, and documents, and will also generate excellent recommendations based on a combination of editorial expertise, machine learning, and search technologies. Book worms will love it.

K18 Leave-In Molecular Repair Hair Mask + Tangle Teezer. If you haven’t heard of this K18 leave-in mask, it’s an absolute game changer for lackluster hair. It helps to repair damage caused by heat styling, coloring, and chemical services, and leaves hair feeling strong, soft, and smooth. I like to apply the mask and then work it through my hair using the Tangle Teezer Fine and Fragile Detangling Hairbrush, which is a personal favorite. I used to be a Wet Brush girl, but I now prefer this Tangle Teezer across the board, which detangles easily and helps to reduce breakage whether hair is wet or dry. (The soft-flex teeth also very gently massage the scalp, which both feels nice and boosts hair health. Win-win!)

TriggerPoint NANO Foot Roller. One Amazon review title for this dense foam foot massager was “Sex for your feet.” I’ll leave it at that.

Spanx Booty Boost Active Leggings. Good-looking, comfortable leggings that sculpt (without cutting off circulation), stay up, lift the butt, and take the possibility of camel toe off the table? Spanx has done the impossible with these perfect leggings that would be an excellent addition to any workout/athleisure collection. If you want to go all in on a set, I highly recommend the Longline Medium Impact Sports Bra.

Calpak Mini Cosmetics Case. I am deeply obsessed with this chic and practical clear cosmetics case, which allows one to easily find what they’re looking for without having to pull every single thing out of their dopp kit. It should fit most skincare/haircare essentials for travel and is TSA-friendly, but it could just as easily be used as one’s at home or on the go makeup case! If you’re potential giftee travels heavy (no judgment), there is also a larger size available…

CosRX Advanced Snail Mucin Power Sheet Masks. This soothing and intensely hydrating sheet mask is one of the best on the market. (And gives you serious bang for your buck.) Suitable for all skin types, it will leave its wearer’s skin plumped and glowing in just 15 minutes. Snail SORCERY.

Nuface Mini and Fix Set. For the true skincare fetishist!I have been shouting about my love of the Nuface Mini for years at this point, and I WILL. NOT. STOP. Used consistently (like my favorite LED Mask, it’s definitely one of those “it only works if you work it” items), this at-home microcurrent device visibly reduces fine lines and wrinkles, depuffs, and lifts/tones the face. I often get asked if it’s worth splurging for the Trinity over the Mini, and having used both, I really don’t think the Trinity is necessary, unless you think the recipient will regularly use the attachments (I’m too lazy). For the basic use, the mini is just as effective and roughly half the price. I’m a more recent fangirl of the Nuface Fix, which has very tiny probes that help target the areas that are harder to reach with the Mini/Trinity, such as around the eyes, nasolabial folds, and lips! This kit is an excellent deal via CurrentBody (and it’s worth trying code SERENA10 for an extra discount). And you can find more info and tutorials in the Nuface/LED highlight in my Instagram profile.

Glow and Grow Scented Candle. Not your average candle! Once the soy-blend candle burns out, the pretty ceramic base can be used as a planter for basil, aloe, or daisy seeds that are included (as well as a soilless grow medium and plant food). Genius.

Strivectin TL Advanced Tightening Neck Cream. Treat someone you love to a neck lift! I’m being mildly hyperbolic, but this neck cream really does deliver on the firming front. And given our communal addiction to technology, we could all use some assistance in the battle against “tech neck.”

Bloomeffects Black Tulip Cryotherapy Tools. Puff be gone! These stainless steel tools are great for lymphatic drainage and help to instantly tighten skin and contour the face. I love a good (and cost effective) ice roller, but these tools really take the cryo experience to the next level. They glide amazingly, retain their coolness, and more easily target the eye area than a bulky roller.

Marlow Pillow. Be a sleep shepherd this holiday season! A good pillow is hard to find, and this is a GREAT pillow. It’s filled with a proprietary, chopped memory foam that provides great support without the dense feeling of most memory foam pillows and stays cool! I have been sleeping on my Marlow Pillow for almost a year and can vouch for the extreme comfort factor whether you’re a side, back or stomach sleeper. The true selling point of this pillow for me is that it’s customizable. Pillows shouldn’t be one size fits all—I am very princess and the pea-like about pillows—and the Marlow pillow has zippered vents on either side that allow you to adjust the firmness to your liking!

For more gifting inspiration, check out the Beauty and Wellness Gift Guides from 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, and 2017.