Hi there, Nadya here! If you’re anything like me you’re probably doing your annual scramble for holiday gifts. My scramble usually goes right up till the night before Chirstmas morning (and sometimes for months after – I’m a student, wadiya want?!).
So, to help you out, I’ve put together my holiday gift guide (and personal wishlist) chock full of all things affordable, lovely, and cruelty-free. So if you have animal loving, conscientious, caring, big-hearted, hippie, tree-hugging, and generally sweet people in your family or among your favorite Facebook friends, just look below and let me relieve some of your holiday stress.
1. Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics Lip Tar (variety of colors) – $18-20 each
I love love love OCC. All of OCC’s products are vegan and cruelty-free, so you can do no wrong buying their stuff at Sephora or off their website. I especially love their Lip Tar, which is this super saturated lip gloss that leaves deep color and comes in every single shade you never knew you wanted so bad. If you don’t know where to start, they’re selling the perfect taster pack on Sephora.com.
Personal favorite colors: Role Play (Metallic), Black Dhalia (Matte), Anime (Matte), and Memento (Neutral).
2. LUSH Cosmetics Bath Bombs (variety of flavors) – $3.95-6.95 each
This is the perfect gift to give to ANYBODY. You don’t even have to know them super well to know they like taking the occasional luxurious bath. LUSH’s bath bombs make fantastic stocking stuffers (cuz they’re so small and cute!) or token gifts (for the people you don’t like but need to get something for). All LUSH products are cruelty-free and most are vegan, so you’re in good hands with them.
Personal favorite flavors: All that Jas, Lord of Misrule, Avobath, and Softy.
3. Beehouse Asian Glazed Teapot (variety of sizes and colors)- $25.95-29.95
I have one of these teapots at home (in green) and I love it. It’s the perfect size for any solitary tea snob as the 15 oz. holds somewhere between 2-3 cups and the 22 oz. does 3-4 cups (which is great for the occasional guest). It’s sleek and modern with the dwarf spout so it’ll look as good as it brews. I like it for herbal teas as the ceramic isn’t thick enough to keep tea warm for too long, but it also works well for black teas if you’re a quick tea drinker and not a sipper like me.
4. Feminist Ryan Gosling Journal – $9.95
Hey girl, there’s a high chance that the ship has sailed on my favorite meme but I don’t really care. Feminist Ryan Gosling was a beacon of light in the usual drudge of internet fads and, as such, should be immortalized forever in journal form. On every page is a cartoon Ryan Gosling complete with speech bubble flattery – it even gives you blank space to write your own accolades! Give this to any friend/family member/loved one that would like a few socially-conscious compliments from Ryan Gosling. See also Texts from Hilary Clinton for similarly political humorous meme.
5. I Could Pee On This or Boo The World’s Cutest Dog Calendars – $13.95 each
Give your giftee the chance to start the year off right: with adorable animals doing adorable (minus the peeing) things. According to studies that exist somewhere looking at pictures of cute animals when you’re feeling stressed or otherwise disgruntled can have an alleviating effect on you and allow you to escape those negative feelings for a while. So consider this the gift of productivity and generally dealing with the new year.
6. Manatea Tea Infuser – $11.95
Again for the tea lovers, this infuser is the cutest thing. Manatees are the softest, most gentelest heribivores on the planet. Their day actually just consists of three things: sleeping, eating plants, and hanging out with other manatees (they’re super social and affectionate). I’m sure that reminds you of someone you know – can you say ‘spirit animal?’ So get them this infuser and let the know you love them for all their tea-drinking, harmless, plant-eating loveliness.
7. Betsey Johnson Pretty Kitty Muffler (3 different colors) – $27.98
No matter where you live you can never have enough scarves, let alone super cute, pine-upy designer scarves. When Betsey Johnson declared bankruptcy a little while ago I was heartbroken – when they took apart their store at the local mall it felt like they were also breaking my rocker punk girl heart and I never thought I’d ever get the chance to own what was my fantasy wardrobe in high school. But now they’re back with a vengeance and an online store, and everything is as cute and pink-and-black as ever. Check out this scarf for the wannabe rocker punk girl (or boy) in your life.
8. Moleskine Classic Notebook – $9.95
A Moleskine is a simple gift – it’s just your basic black journal with lined, graph, or blank pages. It doesn’t look like much but giving someone one is giving them a love affair that lasts a lifetime. I may be exaggerating slightly but I received a basic black Moleskine Classic when I was 15 and I’ve been writing in it ever since (only buying a new one every few years or so). They come in a variety of colors, cover styles, page types, and sizes. You can even get special ones for recipes, music composition, water coloring, etc. Take it from me, a Moleskine is a worthwhile gift that keeps on giving.
9. Big Vegan by Robin Asbell – $29.95
If you’ve never tried a vegan dish or if you’re just curious where vegans get all the protein from, check out Big Vegan, a cookbook chock-full of vegan recipes (250 to be exact). It’s great as a starter kit for any aspiring veggie or even to help someone branch out their cooking a bit. It comes highly recommended from book reviewers everywhere.
10. Cute Shirts on Etsy – $12-30
If you’re still stumped, then look no further than Etsy, an online marketplace for all things handmade. I especially like the huge ‘vegan’ section of the website which is home to some of the most adorable t-shirts sporting sweet graphics and funny captions. Check it out.
Some of my favorites: ‘I’m a Vegan and You Can Too‘ and ‘Vegetarian‘