It’s Holiday Gift Giving Time and if you are looking for some gift ideas for yourself or the other ladies in your life, you have come to the right place. I know gift giving is a challenge for some people, but I was born with the gift. My friends and family know that I am very anti-gift card and cash presents. If that’s more to your taste, awesome, but for me, I look at gift giving as an art and an opportunity to surprise and delight my loved ones by finding something amazing they didn’t even know they couldn’t live without! Throughout the year when I come across interesting items that remind me of someone close to me, I keep track of it. Sometimes, I don’t have one specific person in mind. Sometimes the person I’m buying for is myself. But I’ve been told many times over that I find great gifts and things most people just wouldn’t think to buy for themselves. So much so that people come to me looking for ideas for gifts to give their circle. And the best part is, my gifts are usually quite affordable. Of course, what is considered affordable varies person to person and budget to budget, but on this gift list you are going to find some great everyday luxuries that retail from $10-$200, most being under $50 with just a handful of items over $100. Each item on this list has been chosen with a specific woman in mind- the one who loves functionality and beauty, and appreciates any little way she can improve or upgrade her life.
I recently upgraded to the iPhone 16 Pro Max from a very old iPhone 8 Plus, so I have been spending an unnecessary amount of time and energy thinking about and browsing iPhone cases. I know I might be in the minority here, but I like my phone to have a wardrobe of gorgeous case options for different scenarios. In researching cases for my new phone, I ended up back with a brand I have used in the past with my last iPhone and was subsequently one of my favorite cases. That brand is Burga. You have probably seen their cases on Instagram, they do lovely designs and a few varieties of protective case styles. Here is the thing, they are expensive, dare I say overpriced, especially when you consider they come from outside of the US- Lithuania I believe- and are not made from any significantly more expensive materials than most cases. In the past I’ve had issues with shipping. My most recent order arrived in a little less than two weeks which is good. But all that being said, the cases are elegant and I love them. Sure, you could find dupes of the patterns online for less, but I couldn’t find any cases that had similar patterns and had MagSafe compatibility. These cases are definitely one of those splurge treats, but also make an unexpectedly fun gift for a friend as long as you know her taste and pick a pattern she’ll love!
2: Veger Portable Wired Charger
Newsflash, diamonds are no longer a girls best friend, in 2024 it’s portable chargers. They are lifesavers and I cannot leave home without one or two thanks to the variety of gadgets we now rely on to live and work. The first type of charger I think we all need to have is a portable wired charger- one with those built in wires and different port heads compatible with a variety of gadgets. I have been using and loving this Veger charger because it’s slim, has a nice sized battery for charging multiple items, and works with most of my gadgets. Yes, I bought the lilac purple version because it’s my favorite color.
3: Anker Portable MagSafe Charger
Now, the second type of charger I think we all need to have is a portable MagSafe Charger as long as you have a MagSafe compatible phone and case. Now that I have the iPhone 16 Pro Max, I can use this amazing feature. So, all I have to do is stick this Anker charger to the back of my phone, turn it on and viola, I can charge while on the go, while talking on the phone and I don’t have any wires or bulky charging apparatus’ to deal with.
4: Chic Wireless LED Touch Lamp
Whoever came up with these wireless LED touch control lamps is an absolute genius. I have never been one to gravitate to table lamps because they just seem so impractical. You have to make sure you have a plug for them in the vicinity of where you want the lamp, and if you don’t, you are either out of luck or need to use an ugly extension cord. On top of that, they just sort of permanently live where you put them, but what if you want to move it around? Or you only need a lamp in a specific place sometimes? Impractical. But these wireless lamps are fantastic. I own a few varieties of these lamps, but this is my favorite because it’s pretty tall compared to some other wireless lamps and a chic silhouette that manages to look both classic and modern at the same time.
For the longest time, I did not understand why people used body oils until I discovered oils like this that came in a spray form. Regular bottles of oil that come with a pump or even no dispenser at all can get messy and make it hard for you to evenly distribute product on your skin. Spray oils are fantastic and easy to use and now I get why people use body oil. I’ve just recently started using this Caudalie oil because I love the brand and the smell was so delightfully herbaceously bougie.
If you’ve been following me for a while you may know I don’t use fillers or botox (at least not yet- if ever). I prefer using manual tools for facial massage to lift, tighten and stimulate collagen production naturally. One of the newer tools in my routine are these Cryo Sticks. You keep them in the fridge and use them to de-puff your face and tighten your pores. Icing your face has become such a big thing in the last few years and it does really seem to make a difference in the short term to the quality of your skin.
When it comes to home decor, one element I always feel like I don’t have enough of are trinket dishes. How often do you put little things down on the table or countertop and they get misplaced, knocked off or simply roll away and you can’t find them. Trinket dishes are necessary, but of course basic ones will not do, I need lovely little works of art like this cloud trinket dish. I love that it comes in silver and gold chrome finishes because I think those will stand out gorgeously.
8: Deborah Pagani Large DP Hair Pin
I am not exaggerating when I say that these hair pins by Deborah Pagani have been the find of the decade for me. They are elegant but sturdy, and are the single hair accessory that I can use to hold my hair in place for the whole day without worry. Hair ties always fail me, but the DP Hair Pin does not! I credit these pins for how I got my hair to grow out so long so quickly, because once I switched away from using elastics on my hair, length just kept accumulating unchecked! They are just so safe and gentle on my hair and help me create an easy protective style for my locks.
While everyone else is busy fighting over Stanley tumblers, I am living in my bliss bubble with my Simple Modern 50oz mugs. Yes, I own a couple, but for good reason- they keep my water amazingly cold for what feels like forever, they are more spill proof than Stanley’s, and I can fill it up once and drink it all day and feel like I got all the hydration I needed. Okay, sometimes I drink two in a day. The only downside to the 50oz size is that it’s more for home than travel because it doesn’t fit into a cup holder. And that’s why I also have a 40oz tumbler for on the go, but I use my 50oz by far the most.
Are you interested in getting the best sleep of your life? Trick question, of course you are, and that’s why you need a pair of sleep headphones. This option is one part sleep mask and one part bluetooth headphone. Put it on at night, connect it to your phone or tablet, and play some relaxing sleep music with delta waves from either Youtube or Spotify and you will have the best quality sleep. When I wear mine, I fall asleep quicker, I stay asleep longer, and I wake up less frequently.
I’m ashamed to admit it, but until recently, I did not keep my jewelry organized in one central location. I had bits and pieces all over, usually kept in their original bulky boxes and I couldn’t see everything I owned in one place. So, I finally purchased one of these travel jewelry cases and I love it. What is great about this specific style, because there are many options you can buy, is that this size and shape is great for home use or travel. It fits a good amount of jewelry inside comfortably and it looks pretty discreet.
12: Marshall Willen Portable Speaker
I actually own three Marshall Speakers. An Acton III, an Emberton II and this Willen. Some might think this is overkill, but each speaker serves a distinct purpose in my life. The Acton is a great non-portable home speaker that I can connect with my devices including my smart TV, but I mostly use it to listen to music that fills my house with a great quality sound. The Emberton is a portable model that I have used in the past as my office speaker to listen to music while I work, but right now I have it wirelessly connected to the smart TV in my bedroom and it acts as a soundbar which is great because you know how bad the sound is on most flat screen televisions. The speakers are normally in the back, which means the sound is pointing the wrong direction, and so you need something like a soundbar or sound system to get great front facing audio. My Emberton does the trick and can still serve other uses for me. But the Willen, this little guy is my portable little champ. I always travel with it. I take it to the beach, the pool, to other people’s homes. I’ve taken it to restaurants and used it while sitting out on their patio seating where you can barely hear the music playing from the interior of the restaurant (genius). Although the Emberton is another portable model, the Willen is more portable. It has a strap on the back which means you can attach it to things like a beach chair, or the strap of your bag. It’s awesome, I love it and it connects to your phone and you can take bluetooth calls through it as well. It’s also water and dust proof (so is the Emberton) so you don’t have to worry about it. Plus the battery life is solid, I think something like 15 hours. Charges with USB-C, it’s like essentially perfect.
What woman could say no to a luxury lip balm? I love the Baume Essentiel because it’s more than just Chanel’s normal lip balm. First it’s huge so you get a lot for the price and it lasts forever. Second its a multi use stick, so it can be lip balm, and a face highlight or a blush and even an eye shadow. I normally stick to the color Transparent and use it as my lip balm and a sheer but glowy highlight, but if you choose one of the colorful shades it can be a blush and shadow.
14: Chanel Nail Polish Ballerina
I am so glad that minimal clean looking nails are back in fashion. Technically, they never went out of fashion because they are classic, but with the rise of the quiet luxury aesthetic, neutral nails are back in. Nothing says quiet luxury, clean girl, neutral classic nails like Chanel’s Ballerina, the perfect wash of nude pink that gives you that your nails but better vibe.
15: Bala Workout Gear | The Power Ring & The Bala Beam
I am not a gym girlie. In the past when I had a gym membership, I used it for the unlimited tanning and massage beds. I much prefer home workouts. I don’t mean I want to build a home gym, instead I prefer to have a few key pieces of equipment at home that I can use to do a variety of exercises. In the past, this equipment was your standard run of the mill hand weights and kettle bell. I try to get them in a cute color so I don’t hate the sight of them, but the options are limited. That’s why when I found Bala I was in shock and awe. If you aren’t aware, Bala is a brand of workout equipment that is beautiful and functional at the same time. I have a few of their pieces, but the two I love the most and recommend are the Power Ring and the Beam. The Power Ring is a reimagined kettle bell that is so much more functional because you can use it with one hand or two, and because of the shape it sits and fits on various areas of your body during different workouts. I might put it around my neck and sit it on my shoulders to add weight while lunging. I might lay it on my abdomen while doing bridges. I can put my arm and leg through it so I’m not limited to holding it in my hand. It’s a very flexible and functional piece of workout gear. Next, the Bala Beam, this is essentially an EZ Bar, so I can use it as a dumbbell, one or two handed. Its ergonomic design means it also sits on my shoulders, hips or legs for different workouts in a circuit. The best part of these pieces are that you can just leave them out if you want almost like home decor, because they don’t look like what they are, they look like sculptural decor elements.
I don’t use an alarm clock to wake up in the morning but if I did, it would be this one! These sunrise alarm clocks wake you up gently with both sound and light which really helps you manage your circadian rhythm. If you have a hard time waking up in the morning, or wake up startled by a fog horn of an alarm on your phone, you could definitely benefit from this sunrise alarm clock. I know you may already have something you use, and this might feel like an unnecessary purchase, but sleep is so important to your productivity and an alarm like this can really help you build more positive sleep and wake habits.
17: Lodge Enameled Cast Iron Braiser
My beloved Le Cruset Enameled Cast Iron Braiser is by far my most used piece of cookware. You can use it like a frying pan or like a dutch oven. Alas, Le Cruset is a heritage brand with a premium price tag, so my next best pick for you is from the brand Lodge. Still great quality cookware, similar shape and of most important it’s enameled cast iron (not the same as regular cast iron) so it’s easier to care for and retains heat beautifully. I fully believe that food cooks and tastes better when it’s prepared in enameled cast iron.
18: Greater Goods Electric Gooseneck Kettle
I avoided purchasing an electric kettle for the longest time. It felt like an unnecessary kitchen gadget when I could boil or microwave water. But oh my goodness, an electric kettle really upgraded my life. You’d be surprised how often they come in handy. I use mine for tea, instant coffee, powdered drink mixes, making stock from bouillon, sterilizing, heating milk, and making hot compresses. I definitely get my use out of that kettle and I can’t wait to upgrade mine to this charming gooseneck version.
19: J.Crew Oversized Cashmere Wrap
When I think of luxury items, I don’t necessarily think of designer labels and high price tags. I think about what items would be a benefit to my life, that will be versatile and last me a long time. This Cashmere wrap definitely checks all the boxes for a fabulous luxury addition to your wardrobe. A wrap like this is a great wardrobe staple that will never go out of style, and bonus, it’s not just a wrap! You can use this as an oversized scarf or blanket, great for traveling or just getting cozy on the sofa. Cashmere is such a warm, luxurious fabric, and with proper care it’s long lasting, unlike many other wraps or blankets made from synthetic materials that feel fabulous on day one, but after use and cleaning become an itchy, shedding mess.
As part of my productive, healthy lifestyle, I take vitamins and supplements! And using a pill organizer is a great way to keep on track of the habit and ensure you take your pills daily. Most pill organizers and pill planners as they are often called are basic and plastic. But this compact is chic and elevated. Great for travel or just leaving at home. I adore it and it’s not necessarily something you would think to pick up for yourself or give as a gift.
I hope this Charmed Life Gift Guide has inspired you to add a little everyday luxury to your gift-giving this season! Whether you’re shopping for the beauty enthusiast, the productivity lover, or the woman who just enjoys a touch of elegance in her daily routine, these carefully chosen items are sure to make her feel seen, special, and pampered. Each item on this list was selected with the goal of blending beauty and functionality—gifts that are delightful, practical, and unique enough that she might not even know how much she needed them until now. So, as you wrap up your holiday shopping, remember that the best gifts come from the heart, with a little added charm.
Happy gifting!
xoxo,
