Holiday Gift Guide: My Best Friend

Shopping for your best friend is like shopping for yourself -- it's the best! This is always one of the most fun gifts to buy. I have lots of great ideas, so now the only problem is deciding which one to pick...

WHO I'M SHOPPING FOR: my best friend

She's smart and fun with lots of interests and a great eye. She has a little one and has a hard time remembering to take time for herself, so I'm making sure that her gift is purely for her enjoyment (nothing that she'll end up "sharing" with her husband or kiddo). She knows that you shouldn't judge a book by it's cover, but she also makes sure her cover is always flawless.

WHO YOU'RE SHOPPING FOR: the person on your list who deserves some pampering...a new mom...a friend with excellent taste...someone who appreciates the little details.

Sunday Riley Power Couple Kit, $70

A very luxurious set from one of the hottest skincare lines. She'll think of you every time someone compliments her glowing skin.

Confetti Wine Glasses, $80

These are the prettiest wine glasses and will be perfect for fancying up a special dinner or taking the edge off on a Tuesday night. Adding a favorite bottle of wine would be a nice touch.

Monogrammed Sunshine Satchel, $120

She may not be taking long jaunts to Europe right now, but a long weekend away is totally doable. The black/tan/cream color combo is elegant, and a monogram makes everything better.

Mesa Moonstone and Druzy Cuff Bracelet, $345

For someone who has been very, very good. Moonstone and white druzy are two of my favorites -- dreamy, ethereal stones that go with everything. This simple bangle is unassuming and easy to wear every day, with enough sparkle to feel special.

Evil Eye Heart Dish, $98

One of my jobs is to protect to protect my best friend from bullshit, assholes, haters, and other evil-doers. I love the idea of this sweet but kickass little dish to stand guard when I'm not around -- it's also a stylish little way to store jewelry, keys, and other little treasures. I'd wrap it up with something fun, like some homemade cookies or a handful of old school lip glosses.

Rainbow Key Fob, $98

She'd never splurge on something like this, but you can. It's pricey, but just think about how many times a day she'll pull her keys out and smile. A little everyday luxury goes a long way.

Striped Sleepset, $78

The cutest, coziest jammies are perfect for lazy Sundays and Netflix date nights. Give them to her before Christmas morning so she'll look effortlessly perfect for the present-opening photos.

Belle Calligraphy Kit, $20

I don't think anyone has time for hobbies anymore, but this calligraphy kit is perfect for the busy creative type. My best friend Sara is really crafty and would probably be great at this -- I might go a step further and buy her an online class so she can really master all of the swirly strokes.

Bite Lip Lab Custom Lipstick, $45

This was actually what I gave Sara for her birthday last year and let me tell you, it was a big hit (there may have been tears...). Bite Beauty has the coolest Lip Lab in SoHo where you can have a custom lipstick shade mixed just for you (you can read about my visit here). This is the perfect gift for the lipstick-lover in your life -- I mean really, what price can you put on finding "your" shade? If a trip to NYC isn't in the cards, this Sephora Favorites Give Me Some Lip set is a lot of fun. I'd also add this cheeky little makeup pouch, because she who has the reddest lipstick does indeed win.

Mini Messenger Bucket Bag, $50

She knows you'd buy her a Chanel bag if you could, but she'll love that you were nice enough to snag her this inspired-by version.

Kule Cashmere Breton Sweater, $285

I don't know a woman who doesn't love a classic striped Breton shirt. There are lots of great cotton ones out there, but how about a cashmere upgrade? She'll wear this to death and love you forever. (PS: Land's End has an almost identical one at a very reasonable price)

Custom Portrait Stationery, $200 and up

Personalized stationery featuring a darling custom portrait, from one of the most popular paper goods companies -- HOW GREAT IS THIS??? If there is a lady on your list who understands the power of a great handwritten letter, this is a winner. (And if these cards are a bit out of your price range, you could find a pretty set of notecards and order some personalized stamps to go with them -- pets and kids are super cute)

If you need a few little extras, consider...

These little pots of goodness from RMS Beauty -- the luminizer and lip shine are favorites of J. Crew's stylists.

A silly candle, because when she played MASH as a kid she always got mansion.

An adorable pouch for business cards, because she makes leaning in look great.

This great little balm in a pretty tin (I gave so many of these last year, love them!).

A little extra sparkle for her tree (pretty ornaments make great package decorations).

What I'm Buying: Sephora VIB Sale

This is one of my favorite times of the year -- Sephora's annual VIB sale! For a few days, Sephora's VIB members get 20% off all purchases. This is amazing because Sephora never really has sales (unless products are being discontinued), so it is a rare opportunity to stock up on your favorites for less, pull the trigger on a slurge-y treat, and pick up gifts for all the best people on your holiday list.

I've been hitting up my local Sephora over the past few weeks giving myself Sunday morning makeovers and stocking up on samples to help me narrow down my shopping list. Here's what I'm planning to buy this week:

Sunday Riley Power Couple Gift Set -- Sunday Riley products are hot right now, so it's not a surprise that Sephora put together a holiday set with the line's two best-selling products. I'm intrigued -- I'm at the age that I know I need to be taking better care of my skin, but I feel a bit overwhelmed at what I need to use. Sometimes it is easier to let popular opinion decide for me. I just ran out of my regular nighttime treatment, Kiehl's Midnight Repair Complex, and the Luna Sleeping Oil could be a nice change. The set is sold out online, but check your local store. I'll probably pick up a set and then I'll have to figure out whether to keep or be someone's favorite Santa and gift it.

Tata Harper Resurfacing Mask -- I've heard such great things about this for months, and I finally grabbed a sample but kind of dragged my feet about trying it. I don't know why, I just felt like I was going to be disappointed. NOPE! I slapped it on before I sat down to watch last week's Scandal and gave it about 20 minute per the instructions. I regularly use a couple of masks, and I'm kind of used to feeling (or seeing) something happen while the mask is on my face -- drying, tingling, tightening. A little razzle dazzle. This one is gentle, so I didn't really notice it while it was doing it's thing. It wasn't until I washed it off that I realized what the hype was about. My skin felt super soft and bright, but in a very natural way. It wasn't like I'd seared off a few layers of my face, or saw a temporary glow because of product that was deposited on my skin. Just clean, soft, and fresh. And it felt great for days later -- seriously, I spent much of Friday gently caressing my own cheek (it's cool, I work from home and my dog already knows I'm a weirdo). Definitely picking this one up for myself!

Benefit Speed Brow Gel -- I've decided I need a bit of a brow product. For a long time I've thought that just shaping my brows was enough, but I've been convinced that I could benefit from a little extra help to make sure everything stays in place. I tried this one in-store and liked the results, so I'll give it a whirl.

Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer -- I've been using Dr. Jart BB creams for a few years, and I like them but feel like I need a bit more coverage. Laura Mercier is synonymous with fresh, dewy skin, exactly what I am going for.

Clinique Take the Day Off Cleansing Balm -- this is a staple for me. I use it exclusively when I travel -- since it isn't a liquid, I can toss it in my carryon without taking up valuable room in my 1 quart ziplock -- but it is fantastic. Very gentle, but takes off every bit of makeup. A little goes a long way, it's taken me more than 3 years to use up my current jar.

Fresh Nude Lip Lovers Mini Kissing Trio -- sometimes holiday shopping becomes a bit of a "one for you, one for me" situation. I'm intending to pick this up as a gift, but I may snag one for myself. I love these little tinted lip balms, and it's nice to have a few extra tubes around. Also considering this one, which I could break up and divvy out into gifts (and still keep a few for myself...).

Urban Decay Naked 3 Palette -- if you've been thinking about a new eye shadow palette, this is a good time to grab one. I really like the Naked 3 and I've given it a few times as a gift. This Bobbi Brown collection of nudes looks pretty and wearable.

Sephora Favorites Perfume Sampler -- this is a great gift to give. The box includes sample sizes of 11 different best-selling fragrances. Good ones, including Marc Jacobs Daisy Dream, Armani Si, and my all-time favorite, Stella McCartney's Stella. The gift recipient gets to test drive all of the fragrances and then they get a certificate to redeem for a full-size bottle of their favorite. Definitely fun for a fragrance lover, or for someone who is looking for their first grown-up scent. The other Sephora Favorites sets are great as well -- I love the Beauty Unmasked box, with deluxe samples of 6 great face masks, and the Lashstash set of 8 deluxe mascara samples. 

Deborah Lippmann Undressed Shades of Nude Set -- a set of six high quality polishes that run the gamut from blush all the way to bashful. Perfect for girls like me who love a great classic ballet slippers look but sometimes want to go a little crazy with a...slightly darker ballet slipper-esque shade.

These are the items on my list for now, though you never know what will catch your eye in store (I do love Sephora's On The Go section with travel size products). What are your Sephora must-haves? Anything you're dying to try out this year?