A high-tech towel that's better for their hair
Aquis Lisse Luxe Long Hair Towel, available on Sephora and
Amazon, $35
Aquis' cult-favorite hair towels have inspired a slew of rave reviews online, including one from our own team of reviewers.
The towels are made from a proprietary fabric called Aquitex that's composed of ultra-fine fibers (finer than silk) that work to reduce the amount of friction the hair experiences while in its weakest state. It also prevents hygral fatigue — the stretching and swelling of wet hair that makes it vulnerable to frizz and damage — by cutting the hair's drying time by 50%.
Note: Currently unavailable on Amazon
A customized map of their favorite place on earth
Customized Grafomap, available on Grafomap, from $49
Memories tend to be tied to specific locations — places that start to signify whole periods of our lives: where you met your best friend, where they grew up, where they met their significant other, where they went to college. Grafomap lets you take that place and those memories with you through customized maps. You can adjust, pan, and zoom to specific spots; add or remove text; select the size, frame, and orientation; and opt for a specific color theme that matches their interior.
Insider Picks senior editor Ellen Hoffman tried it, and the process of turning an ordinary map into a work of art only took five minutes. At $49 for a 18-inch by 24-inch print, it's affordable, too.
A small but powerful Bluetooth Bose speaker
Two pounds of the best Starburst flavor
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A gimmicky-seeming nail polish holder they'll actually wind up using
A hilarious collection of Tinder exchanges that, altogether, become one modern horror story
Tinder Nightmares, available on Amazon, $9.89
"Tinder Nightmares" is a modern horror story of Tinder exchanges organized by theme, with chapters such as Bad English, Broetry, Strange Requests, Sneak Attacks, and more. The Instagram account of the same name has nearly 2 million followers. But beware — like Tinder, this book is not for the faint of heart.
A personalized, hand-drawn portrait
Custom Best Friend Portrait, available on Etsy, $23.53
Photographs are wonderful, but a hand-drawn portrait of a memory may be even more special. Whether it's a trip you took together, a concert you loved, or an inside joke, you can give your friend something sentimental, budget-friendly, and truly unique.
A three-month subscription to the book club that put "Gone with the Wind" on the map
Three Month Subscription, available on Book of the Month, $44.99
This subscription gift was handcrafted for bookworms. Book of the Month has been around since 1926, and it's credited with the discovery of titles like "Gone with the Wind" and "Catcher in the Rye." A team of experts and celebrity guest judges curate must-read books — usually new releases, hot topics, and debut authors — and send them to the subscriber's doorstep. If they're more into audiobooks or e-reading, check out a gift subscription to Scribd (full review here).
next slide will load in 15 secondsSkip AdSkip AdA makeup and skincare subscription
Birchbox best-sellers box and three-month gift subscription, $42
Birchbox is a skincare and makeup subscription that sends tons of samples of new and cult-favorite products so subscribers can find products they love without much commitment in the meantime. The gift box above includes a selection of best sellers plus a three-month subscription.
A twill weekender for their travels
A leather makeup pouch from a cool startup they'll love
An insulated stainless steel water bottle that keeps drinks cold for up to 24 hours and hot for up to 6 hours
A giant cardboard cutout of your face
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A brass and wood display box that's a bit cooler than the average picture frame
A topical "spill the tea" meme pin
A box of gourmet artisan milk and dark chocolate
Handmade glass wine charms inspired by "The Golden Girls"
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A poetry book that has become a phenomenon
A personalized saint candle with either their face or their pet's on it
Custom Prayer Candle, available on Etsy, from $22.50
Whether officially recognized or not, your best friend is your own small-time proof that saints really walk the earth. Here's how to say thank you in a pretty explicit way for all the attention, care and advice on everything from menu decisions to life-altering decisions.
A yoga mat towel with skid-less technology made by a trusted company
Manduka Yogitoes Yoga Mat Towel, available on Amazon, from $40
Manduka consistently makes some of the best yoga gear on the market, and their cult-favorite Yogitoes mat towels aren't an exception — they'd probably be the main response if you asked around yoga studios for a mat towel recommendation. They have patented skid-less technology that uses 100% silicone nubs, and it makes a big difference.
Each Yogitoes towel is also made from at least eight recycled plastic water bottles, and the dyes used to make it are free of azo, lead, or heavy metal.
A cute and functional 2019 planner
2019 Planner, available on Etsy, from $17.66
Planners make our lives far easier if we use them, and cute ones like this one help inspire that consistency. Whether she's already extremely into organization or just has a big year coming up, this is a thoughtful way of helping make the whole year a bit easier.
next slide will load in 15 secondsSkip AdSkip AdA vitamin C serum developed by MIT scientists that keeps selling out
Glow Maker, available on Maelove, $27.95
Maelove is a skincare company founded by a team of MIT grads (skincare obsessives, brain and cancer researchers, and chemical engineers) to make affordable, high-quality skincare accessible. The entire under-$30 line is supposedly great, but this $28 vitamin C serum (which people have likened to the multi-award-winning $166 C E Ferulic Serum) is the real showstopper — and it keeps selling out. I've tried it, and it does a great job of reducing hyperpigmentation, hydrating, and adding a "glow" to the skin. Read more here.
A monogrammed leather passport case
A super soft $75 cashmere sweater from a sustainable startup
The Essential Cashmere Sweater, available on Naadam, $75
This $75 cashmere sweater is one of the best I've worn, and it took me by surprise for $75. You can get it in either crew-neck or v-neck styles, unisex sizing, and ten colors. In person, the cashmere is one of the softest I've felt.
Plus, Naadam is a sustainable startup. They avoid toxic chemicals, invest in sustainable grazing practices, fund better vaccination programs for healthier goats, and use 100% clean energy to power production facilities. By cutting out middlemen, they pay nomadic herders about 50% more and charge about 50% less to customers without changing quality.
A personalized zodiac necklace
A design service that can help them figure out their decor or new apartment layout
Essential Package, available on Modsy, $59
Whether they're moving, always talking about redecorating, or would love a gallery wall but don't want to expend the necessary brain power, they'll appreciate a Modsy gift. The service makes an exact 3D, digital replica of their room and fills it with actual pieces of furniture from well-known brands that they can buy on the spot.
next slide will load in 15 secondsSkip AdSkip AdA new book by the co-creator of "Broad City"
I Might Regret This: Essays, Drawings, Vulnerabilities, and Other Stuff, available on Amazon, $18.30
This new book by Abbi Jacobson, co-creator of "Broad City", deals with love, loss, work, comedy, and identity.
A soft, durable pair of slippers they'll want to live in
A vase and smartphone stand handmade from glazed stoneware
A mug with a "coffee reading" tarot-inspired theme
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Three must-have hair products from celebrity hairstylist Jen Atkin's line
A cookbook of 75 recipes that elevate "pub grub" to chef-driven beer cuisine
The Beer Pantry + Bottle Opener Bundle, available on Urban Outfitters, $36
This is the perfect gift for the craft beer aficionado. The set includes a polished bottle opener and "The Beer Pantry: Cooking at the Intersection of Craft Beer and Great Food" by Adam Dulye + Michael Harlan Turkell. It includes more than 75 recipes that turn "pub grub" up a notch into chef-driven beer cuisine and insight into craft beers.
A tiny waffle maker
Dash Mini Waffle Maker, available on Amazon, $9.99
This mini waffle maker may seem more gimmick than substance, but it didn't garner 1,000+ reviews just for being pretty cute. It's compact for small kitchens and people who only want to make three waffles rather than buffet quantities, and it's really easy to clean.