The Ultimate (Affordable) Holiday Gift Guide
By: Lanie Brice ‘24
With the holidays already upon us, you might be scrambling to think of last minute gifts for everyone on your list. This gift guide is focused on keeping gift giving affordable (everything is under $50) and heartfelt. Hopefully it will spark some inspiration to make your friends and family think you read their mind.
For the Make-Up Fan
This year, Halsey, the pop star best known for hits like “Without Me” and “Bad at Love,” expanded on her popular make-up brand by launching a more affordable sister brand, AF94. Focused on creating clean, ethically made, cruelty free products safe for sensitive skin, Halsey’s expanded line has brought unfettered creativity to an even wider audience. I swear by their blue mascara shade called Bada Bing, and it’s always a conversation starter, so if you have a friend, sibling, or roommate who’s into experimenting with make-up, get them a tube of blue, magenta, or orange mascara. Or play it safe with standard black.
From Halsey’s higher end brand, About Face, I’m obsessed with their Shadow Sticks as an effortless part of my daily routine. Shadow Sticks allow you to color on your eyeshadow like you’re using a crayon which is perfect for impatient people like me. They come in so many fun, bold colors as well as subtler, shimmery shades, and they wear impressively well, not budging through a chaotic school day or a concert. These are perfect for those already well versed in the make-up world as well as beginners interested in getting started. Some of my favorite colors are the subtle pink Baroque, silvery-blue 2002, and glittery orange Inferno.
For the Bookworm
If you’re friend is constantly showing up with a new book in hand, it can be hard to find one they haven’t already read or that you’re sure they’ll like. That’s the beauty of getting someone a gift card. To make it more personal and support a small business, consider getting them a gift card to an indie bookstore. My personal favorite and the closest to campus is The Last Bookstore in DTLA which is just a few stops down the Metro E line from campus. With a minimum denomination of $1, you can customize this gift to fit whatever budget.
But if you want to go out on a limb and gift a specific book, I highly recommend giving a copy of Gabrielle Zevin’s latest book Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow. It’s my favorite new release of 2022 and tells an incredible love and friendship story that spans from childhood through middle aged spinning in threads of university life, video games, and what it means to be an artist. Also, the cover is absolutely gorgeous, so it even makes for a good decoration.
For the Homesick
If the recipient of this gift doesn’t live in a dorm where candles are a hard no, consider getting them a sentimental reminder of their hometown to keep in LA for the holidays. Or, possibly, if they’re going to miss LA over break, get them the LA candle to bring a bit of the city home. While I’ve never tried candles from Homesick myself, I love their elegant design and inventive premise with scents spanning from Dodger Stadium (popcorn, peanuts, fresh grass) to Pumpkin Picking (pumpkin, ginger, vanilla) to New York City (bergamont, jasmine, oakmoss).
For the Foodie
Baked Treats from LA places
Sometimes, spending time with a loved one is the best possible present. While you do that, check out a new spot to get a delicious treat. If you’re going with someone gluten free or vegan (or both) check out Just What I Kneaded in Frogtown to support a local business. This spot is a favorite of artist and music producer Finneas. Donut Friend is another cool spot to check out with a few outposts around the city (including DTLA) to grab a decadent, highly decorated donut.
Dulce Gift Card
Or maybe your roommate is always getting up an hour early to stand in the long lines at Dulce to get a coffee or a pastry before class. Get them a few pick me ups to fuel the spring semester with a gift card to our very own Dulce location in the USC village.
For Self Care
Winter is a tough time for skin with the dry air, especially if you go home to a colder place. While many of us have a skincare routine for our faces, it’s easy to forget our hands. Fend off hangnails and give someone in your life a luxurious treat with this cute, millennial pink hand cream dispenser that’s easy to toss in your bag so they’ll never skip their moisturizing regime again.
We’re Not Really Strangers Self Reflection Cards ($12 on sale for $4)
This is a great gift for yourself or for your deeply introspective friend or family member that’s running out of journaling topics. While We’re Not Really Strangers makes games to bring friends and families closer, this pack is focused on asking questions to get to know yourself. Warning: these get really deep. But they are truly thought provoking and make fascinating journaling prompts that feel like therapy.
For the Sentimental
If you know how to knit or crochet, consider making your loved ones specially made clothes or blankets. Collage custom cards. Make them a candle. Write a song for your mom. Write a heartfelt letter. There are so many free or low cost ways to show your appreciation for those around you this time of year. Sometimes the best gifts come from the heart.
For the Academic
If they love bullet journaling or making their own planner to keep all their assignments in order, there’s no better treat than a high quality notebook. With luxurious 160GSM paper, the pages are incredibly smooth and there will never be bleed through or ghosting to worry about no matter what pen or marker is their favorite to use.
For the Music Lover
If you know someone who never left their One Direction phase, has been agonizing over Taylor Swift tickets, or maintains a fan account on social media, they will fall head over heels for this book by Kaitlyn Tiffany. Tiffany is a tech reporter at the Atlantic and a fangirl herself, so she’s well qualified to pen a book charting the growth and development of the Internet through the lens of fandom. It’s a truly fascinating read.
If you have a fan of rap music in your life, this new book by New York Times music reporter Joe Coscarelli is sure to keep them busy through the break. It compiles hundreds of interviews and years of time spent immersed in the scene to tell the story of Atlanta rap.
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