63 Holiday Shopping Tips 2022

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Community favorites include Zojirushi’s rice cookers and Canada West boots. —Erin Schwartz

Zojirushi NS-TSC10 Rice Cooker

Spur Jewelry Custom Renovation

The concierge service Spur Jewelry will, for instance, turn an heirloom like a brooch into a chic necklace. —Jenna Milliner-Waddell

Costco 18kt Yellow Gold Round Hoop Earrings

Mason Pearson Handy Bristle & Nylon Brush BN3

Diptyque Figuier Scented Oval

It’s a surprisingly luxurious thing to own. —Margaret Rhodes

Helsher House 8

During colonial times, it was tradition to light one to ensure a prosperous year. (There’s even a poem about this: “A bayberry candle burnt to the socket brings food to the larder and gold to the pocket.”) —Caroline Weaver

Turn on notifications and grab one for the purse snob in your life. —J.M.W.

I like Rose Theodora, Janelle Belgrave, and Lisa Stardust. Everyone loves an opportunity to talk about themselves. —D.P.

InBloom Clean Green Protein Single-Serve Box Set

Its main ingredients include reishi mushroom (of course), cocoa, and dandelion root. —Liza C. Corsillo

It’s one of the few instances in which price really does, always, correlate with efficacy. Dr. Dennis Gross SpectraLite mask is best for those with acne, and CurrentBody is best if breakouts aren’t a main concern. —Jolie De Feis

Dr. Dennis Gross SpectraLite™ FaceWare Pro

CurrentBody Skin LED Light Therapy Mask

Global Entry

Their right-angle socks or gingham pajamas both would make nice gifts. —L.C.C.

Muji Right Angle One Size Tapered Socks

Muji Women's Side Seamless Stand Collar Pajamas

ManiMe Digital Gift Card

Your recipient can redeem their gift card for a set of stick-on gel nails custom-cut to precisely fit their nails (all they need to do is send in a picture of their hands!). —J.D.F.

Deborah Lippmann Cuticle Oil

Noguchi Museum Membership

Photo: Nicholas Knight

The gift within the gift is that they’ll then get a discount on Akari lamps. —Winnie Yang

Mogutable Mitarashi Dango Chopstick Rest

The takoyaki and hanami dango ones are sold out online, but you can pop by the Grand Street shop to check for more (like the yuzu!). —Chelsea Peng

Wonder Valley Oil Club

Each one also comes with a gift from another brand like Diaspora, Tart Vinegar, and Dark Horse Organic. —Emma Wartzman

Or if your recipient has a reasonably green thumb, send a Meyer lemon or Australian finger lime tree, which both grow well in containers. —W.Y.

Miami Fruit Variety Box

Four Winds Growers Improved Meyer Semi-Dwarf Lemon Tree

Four Winds Growers Finger Lime Semi-Dwarf Tree

Example: a copy of Jess Damuck’s Salad Freak with a greens stripper. —E.W.

Chef’n Looseleaf Kale and Greens Stripper

Salad Freak: Recipes to Feed a Healthy Obsession

Nutella

Blackbird Spyplane (for more interviews and its “Cla$$ified Recon Tier”) or the new Passerby Club (to access its Discord and get discounts at brands like Saie and Mater Soap) are good options. —M.R.

Blackbird Spyplane Monthly Subscription

Passerby Club Monthly Subscription

Dr. Singha's Mustard Bath

A 28-ounce jar of it costs $40 and will last for months, maybe a year. —M.R.

My favorites: aged-one-year fruit cakes by Robert Lambert and Leckerlee lebkuchen that comes in special-edition tins. —W.Y.

Robert Lambert Winter Fruitcake

Leckerlee Lebkuchen

Louis Sherry Designer 12-Piece Tin

Once you’ve finished the Sicilian-orange, coconut-almond, and Turkish-coffee chocolates, you’re left with a lovely box for storing jewelry, loose change, or your weed stash. —L.C.C.

My favorites are muffuletta from Central Grocery in New Orleans and BBQ from Snow’s in Lexington, Texas. —Kayleen Schaefer

Central Grocery Muffulettas Sandwiches

Snow's BBQ Best of Texas BBQ Combo

White Bark Workwear Full Cross-Back Apron

It’s known for its comfortable crossback and flattering silhouette and comes in a number of dusty jewel tones. —Tanya Bush

Andrew's Honey Central Park Honey

This is a great gift for anyone with seasonal allergies, as eating local honey can help build immunity to local pollen. —J.D.F.

Alpine Cooking: Recipes and Stories from Europe's Grand Mountaintops

It looks beautiful on a coffee table, the photographs inside are stunning, and the recipes are cozy and warming. It’s proved to be a fail-safe option for both friends who I know love cooking and for hosts whom I don’t know well at all. —Ruby Redstone

Le Creuset Mini Round Stoneware Cocotte

Utz Crab Chips

Ooly Tattoo-Palooza Temporary Tattoos

Lauren Manoogian Base Alpaca-Blend Sweater

Barefoot Dreams Luxe Heathered Stripe Throw Blanket
Very Good Deal

And it monograms them for free. —C.W.

Shinola Large Hard Linen Journal

Welly Bandages Ice Cream Pattern

90.7 WFUV Donation

Reuben Sachs by Amy Levy

I bought my mom Reuben Sachs, by Amy Levy, which was like Jane Austen but for Jews. Its whole catalogue is full of treats, and its books are beautifully bound with pretty endpapers. Shipping to the U.S. is free but can take up to two weeks. —Zoe S. Dubno

Anezus Snap Hair Clips, 80 Pieces

Star fruit, persimmons, even a pineapple — whatever you think they will like but haven’t tried. —J.T.

Primary The Short Sleeve Classic Tee

Primary The Legging

National Geographic Gemstone Advent Calendar

Sugar Paper + Target Red Shirt Boxes 3ct

They’re available in a set of three and look more expensive than they are thanks to a crisp white-edge detail. —J.T.

The Picture Book Club

Heywood Hill A Year in Books

It includes an in-depth, over-the-phone consultation to ensure each pick suits them. —Louis Cheslaw

Italic Luxe Sateen Bedding Bundle, 500 Thread Count

Its cotton and linen sheets are amazing quality for the price. —Sarah Leon

You’ll have to do some digging to score one of the few remaining bottles of Reserve 1, but for a more readily available (and no less special) amaro, try the distiller’s just-released Mithradates. —C.P.

Forthave Spirits Reserve 1 Amaro

Forthave Spirits Mithradates Vino Amaro, Half Bottle

Zuzu Calamansi Lime Sparkling Agave Cocktail

The calamansi flavor is the best. —C.P.

St. George Bruto Americano

You can mix it into cocktails, but it’s also good on its own over ice. —J.T.

Angela Sankovich Cameo

I once ordered one from former Survivor player Janet Carbin for a friend, who was delighted. For fans of The Rehearsal: Angela Sankovich. —E.S.

Haflinger Coffee Slippers

They come decorated with all kinds of designs, so you can choose a coffee mug, beer stein, puppy, cat, horse, or chicken as a thoughtful touch for people who like those things. (Haflinger also has a chic plain one that looks like those UGGs everyone has.) —Z.D.

Hits through the years have included Save Khaki, Jungmaven, and Buck Mason. —A.S.

Save Khaki United Supima Sweatshirt

Jungmaven Tahoe Sweatshirt

Buck Mason Interloop Crew Sweatshirt

Gammarelli Red Socks

You can also find stars from years gone by on Etsy, if you want to buy someone an ornament from their birth year. —Katherine Gillespie

The Met 2022 Star Ornament

AnewAgain Vintage Metropolitan Museum of Art Gold Star Christmas Ornament

They’re meant for your car, but they’re ideal for making your closet or dresser drawers smell nice, and they’re just the right size to slip into a holiday card or stocking. I like the classic Big Sur After Rain, but there’s something about Portable Fireplace that seems right for the season. —Maxine Builder

D.S. & Durga Big Sur After Rain Auto Fragrance

D.S. & Durga Portable Fireplace Auto Fragrance

Double Dutch Cindy Sherman

Choose a card featuring images by artists like Cindy Sherman, add a donation, and your recipient “unwraps” their gift via a link sent to their inbox. —C.P.

32 North Italian Floral and Vine Striped Florentine Carta Varese Paper

The designs are beautiful, and the colors are superdense and rich. —E.S.

Saks Fifth Avenue Open Front Cashmere Longline Cardigan

MT Washi Tape

Happy Hour Pre-Rolls

Black Paper Party 25 sq ft Mugs Gift Wrap Green

Wondershop Fabric Santa with Stocking & Overalls Christmas Tree Ornament

Highlights from this year’s drop include a croissant sandwich and a sparkly field radish. —C.P.

Friends NYC Croissant Sandwich Ornament

Friends NYC Field Radish Ornament

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The Strategist is designed to surface the most useful, expert recommendations for things to buy across the vast e-commerce landscape. Some of our latest conquests include the best acne treatments, rolling luggage, pillows for side sleepers, natural anxiety remedies, and bath towels. We update links when possible, but note that deals can expire and all prices are subject to change.