10 Holiday Gifts Under $50 I'd Actually Want to Receive

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Hey guys - I don't know if you heard, but the holidays are coming up. Yeah, really. Have you bought all the stuff yet?

Image source: Grant Cochrane @ FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Personally I'm still second-guessing some of my gift ideas. I have no trouble thinking of stuff that I would want, but I'm not shopping for myself, now am I? Well, sometimes I am. But not right now. Today I thought I'd share a few things that I've been coveting, because if I'd enjoy receiving them as gifts that means somebody else probably would too, right?


1. NEST Fragrances Luxury Hand Cream Set ($38)

So I read a review of the Nest Eau de Parfum Coffret on Skin & Tonics a while back and was like OMGMUSTHAVEIT. Of course that set is sold out now, but you can still get this hand cream set with the same fragrances. Because I totally need something that will make me sniff my hands all day like a weirdo.



2. Adagio Zibo Teapot & Sampler Set ($49)

I like loose-leaf tea, and I have a few from Adagio in my cupboard that are oh-so-tasty. Tea samplers and sets are actually a common gift within my family because they're pretty safe and inoffensive, haha. Personally I'd pick the green tea sampler to go along with this pot - how about you? You can also buy tea-only samplers from Adagio if you don't like the teapot pictured above.




3. Etude House Color Play Eyes Palettes (approximately $23 each):

These are the new LE eyeshadow palettes from Etude House and ZOMG LOOK AT THE PRETTY COLORS. Right now eBay seller f2plus1 is selling both of these for about $23 apiece, so you could pick up both for just under the $50 budget.



4. A coffee subscription from MistoBox ($20-$35):

MistoBox is a monthly coffee sampler subscription service. I actually used to subscribe (you can read my review here), but they raised their prices so I cancelled due to budgetary concerns, boo-hoo. But they do sell one-off gift subscriptions, so if you know a coffee addict this might do nicely as a holiday surprise... I know I'd be happy to receive it.



5. Wantable Makeup/Accessories/Intimates Box ($40):

Speaking of subscription boxes, you've probably heard by now that Wantable is awesome, right? If not, check out my review of October's box. Wantable does sell one-off gift boxes at $40 a pop, and it actually seems like a really safe gifting choice because the recipient gets to choose the box type (makeup, accessories or intimates) and of course they'll fill out the details on the personalization quiz. I'm thinking of sending this to my sister for her birthday - that seems like a nice surprise, right? I really enjoyed the Wantable makeup box I got, but if I were to receive another one as a gift I might be tempted to try one of the other box types... tough decisions.



6. Voluspa Votive Candle Set ($50):

In case you haven't figured it out I really love scented candles, and this set by Voluspa has a classier feel than your average Yankee Candle fare. One thing to keep in mind: The other candles I tried from Voluspa smelled lovely, but the throw wasn't as crazy-strong as some other candle brands. Which could be a good thing or a bad thing, depending on how subtle you want your home fragrance level to be.



7. A Penzeys Spices Gift Box (prices vary):

Know someone who likes to cook? Then they NEED some Penzeys Spices in their life. Seriously though, I'm an avid home cook and Penzeys is like 90% of what I buy spice-wise because the quality is excellent. They sell a number of gift sets, many of which are under $50 - the herb set pictured above is $36.99, for example. Not holiday-related, but these would also make nice housewarming gifts. JUST SAYING.



8. STEAMCREAM Moisturizer (prices vary, single tins are $20):

I actually wrote a review of STEAMCREAM a few days ago - you can check that out here if you missed it. But to summarize, STEAMCREAM is is a nice all-purpose moisturizer that comes in super-cool, designy tins - perfect for stocking stuffers or small gifts. Normally these sell for $20 apiece, but right now there are a few holiday bundle deals in the STEAMCREAM shop, so I'd check them out if you've been wanting to try it. You can also find some of the STEAMCREAM designs on ASOS, which might be worth a look because they've been having a bunch of pre-holiday sales recently too.



9. Paperblanks Filigree Floral Ebony Planner ($17.95)

I always enjoy getting calendars as gifts for the holidays - it's a very sensible gift, what with the year being almost over and all. I really like the planners that Paperblanks makes because they're attractive, functional and affordable - all good qualities in my book. I actually gave one of these to my boyfriend's brother's girlfriend (phew) for Christmas last year and she seemed to like it, so there's that.



10. An Amazon gift card ($50 worth, please)

When all else fails, this is the gift that can unlock pretty much any other gift. And let's be honest: You probably want this more than that subscription to Nutrition Action Newsletter (thanks dad!), right?!



What gifts would you most like to receive this holiday season?



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