Archives: Gift Guides

You know it, you love it, and so does Katie: It’s Jenni Kayne’s iconic cashmere cardigan. Perfectly oversized, unbelievably soft and fluffy, comfortably lightweight and warm, and endlessly versatile, it really is a top-notch sweater and a wonderful gift for anyone on your list. And if you’re still not convinced, read our in-depth review.*

Who hasn’t developed a couple extra forehead creases while hunting for the perfect gift for everyone on their list? (Or is that just us?) Treat yourself to this dermatologist-approved serum that’s formulated with 30 percent plumping peptides to help smooth out fine lines and wrinkles and is clinically proven to improve skin firmness in just seven days.*

Take 20% off with code KATIE20.

Katie loves entertaining, which makes these one of her top picks. Plus, not every home design update needs to be a major investment, and making small changes in table settings can create a whole new look and feel for your dining room. Minted’s new table linens feature designs from independent artists, they’re soft and easy to care for, and they’rre meant to be mixed-and-matched into your ideal array of patterns and colors. They’re the perfect gift for the host extraordinaire on your list.*

Take 20 percent off through Dec. 11 with code SNOW2023.

Advertisers and Christmas enthusiasts may say it’s the most wonderful time of the year, but our skin would disagree. If you’re shopping for someone who suffers from winter-induced dryness, the name of this nourishing moisturizer should tell you all you need to know. It’s a rich balm that infuses skin with moisture and seals it in, helps stimulate collagen production, and gives the user a luminous, rejuvenated complexion.*

Whoever said socks make a bad gift didn’t know about Bombas. These cozy, subtly festive socks have sewn-in arch support and cushioned bottoms for maximum comfort, and they’re made from a soft and durable cotton blend. The best part? Bombas donates one pair of socks for every pair bought, so giving a loved one this pack will ensure that four additional pairs will be distributed to the homeless community. That’s a gift that gives back.*

A simple gold chain can be worn every single day, alone or layered with other jewelry, and Jennifer Fisher creates some of Katie’s favorite pieces, including this delicate paperclip-style necklace. It’s an investment piece for sure, but because it’s made from 14-karat gold, it won’t tarnish or turn your skin a Grinch-like hue (and put you in a Grinch-adjacent mood). If you’re looking to give something extra special this year, this is the item to gift.

Katie is the queen of PJs, and loves gifting these Eberjey sets to her closest friends and family. “No one has complained yet!” she says. This cozy style is made with soft jersey, which is great for year-round use and hot sleepers. But you can opt for a long-sleeve and long-pant pair if your giftee is more of a chilly snoozer.

Katie recently appeared on Watch What Happens Live in a show stopping all-pink ensemble, which included this bright blazer. Because it’s made from temperature-regulating wool, this jacket will be a comfortable top layer year-round — plus, the color will blend in well on chilly spring days and has the power to brighten up a winter wardrobe.

Giving to those in need is the reason for the season, which is why we love this bag from FEED. Every item you purchase from the brand triggers a donation of food to a child in need, and since 2007, more than 126 million meals have been provided. When it comes to this specific bag, Katie loves it because it can be monogrammed with your giftee’s initials, and it’s made from a sturdy canvas fabric that will last through years of regular use.

After being gifted these gorgeous glasses by a friend, Katie can’t stop paying it forward and buying them for others. If you’re on the hunt for a hostess gift for your BFF, an elegant set to give your mom, or looking to help stock a recent college grad’s “grown up” glass collection, these colorful stemless cups are the way to go.

Seeing an expensive item on someone’s wishlist can be shocking, but it can also be a great opportunity for you and your village to pool your funds and give one big-ticket, holy-grail gift, like Dyson’s now-iconic Airwrap. It’s considered a top shelf hair tool, since it dries hair super-fast, curls, straightens, smooths flyaways, and comes with five different styling attachments and a chic storage case. This sugary-sweet colorway is a limited edition for the holidays, so snatch it while you still can.

No, this isn’t a space-age warrior mask, nor is it a Halloween costume meant to scare away children. It’s actually an LED light therapy mask that could become your recipient’s favorite skincare device. Beneath its slightly frightening facade, this mask performs skin magic: It’s packed with 162 LED lights (both red and blue) that boost collagen production to lessen the appearance of wrinkles and kill acne-causing bacteria to prevent and heal breakouts. It’s a splurge, but we guarantee buying this for someone will automatically land you the “best gift-giver ever” award — and that accolade is priceless.

We’re calling this gift a slamdink (pickleballers get it). A set of patterned paddles will instantly put a smile on anyone’s pickleball-loving face, and they’ll be proud to carry it onto the court. Choose from fun swirls or solid-colored paddles (Katie prefers Recess’ prints!), each of which has a cushy grip that’s comfortable in the hand and a set of balls, so your recipient can play immediately upon unwrapping their gift.

The humble cashmere wrap is more than meets the eye: You can wear it as a scarf or shawl, wrap it around yourself as a blanket on an airplane, or swoop it around your head and pretend you’re flying down the Pacific Highway in a convertible like someone in an old Hollywood film. The options are endless! This one from Quince costs less than $100, which is a steal for 100 percent cashmere, so we wouldn’t blame you if you indulged and bought one for yourself, too.

Michelle Pfeiffer founded this fragrance line because she knew that if she wanted a perfume with safe ingredients, she’d have to create it herself. Henry Rose’s scents are free of harmful substances (including certain natural ingredients that can still be irritating to the skin) and approved by the Environmental Working Group and the Cradle to Cradle Innovation Institute. It can be hard to gift a fragrance because perfumes interact with every person’s skin and nose differently, so we have a safer solution: Opt for a sampler of small vials, so they can figure out what they like best. This set contains 11 genderless formulas, ranging from fresh to warm.

Katie is obsessed with her Spanx AirEssentials set not only because it’s extremely comfortable, but because it’s cute enough to wear to the airport, straight into that birthday brunch you flew out for, and beyond. This half-zip sweatshirt is one of the newest additions to the line, comes in six different hues, and is one of our readers’ favorite products.*

The myth of losing most of your body heat through your head has been busted, but it’s still a good idea to protect your noggin during the colder months. Whether you know someone who’s always borrowing your beanies or has a hat for every outfit, this luxe cashmere one makes a practical and cozy gift. An adorable fur pom pom tops the knitted beanie, and the hat comes in four different colors.

We will never stop singing the praises of this beautiful and functional belt bag, which Katie has worn for the better part of this past year. If you happen to know someone who hasn’t already gotten their hands on this fanny pack, now’s the time to gift it to them. And if they already have one for themselves, why not grab one for them in a new color or fuzzy texture?

Bobbi Brown knows how to make makeup for women of all ages, so if you’ve got a beauty lover of any generation in your life, they’ll undoubtedly appreciate this set of multi-use products that are easy to pop in a purse or travel makeup bag. The brand’s essential products like Jones Road’s Miracle Balm are included in the set, which has all the basics anyone needs for a fresh-faced look.

‘Tis the season for a constant flow of libations. To get in the spirit, start by pairing each evening of the 12 Nights of Christmas with a glass of wine. You can choose a red or white box of 12 different wines for the oenophile — and Advent calendar enthusiast — in your life. Inside, tiny test tube-like containers hold a perfectly portioned glass of wine, and there’s also a pairing guide and a frame-worthy poster inside the ready-to-gift box, too.

Owning too many candles is rarely an issue, especially when they smell as amazing as this one. Not only is it beautifully packaged, but famous perfumer Jo Malone has somehow captured the smell of the salty air and fresh breeze from a seaside village in a candle. Once lit, your recipient will instantly be transported to a calm beach oasis, even if they’re landlocked.

Walking into your kitchen and seeing everything color-coordinated is so satisfying, it might even prevent you from ordering out. This set includes an apron, easy-to-clean silicone oven mitts, and two dish towels to make cooking and clean-up a breeze. You can choose from three different colors, and there are matching shades of pots and pans from Our Place, too.

We all know someone who takes things a little too seriously in the kitchen. And while there’s nothing wrong with that, it can make buying them cooking gear extremely difficult. This nonstick pan set from Stanley Tucci’s GreenPan collaboration will please even the pickiest of chefs (or the biggest Searching for Italy fan), as the ceramic coating will keep food from sticking for years to come. Because if anyone would know how to design a high-performing skillet for any task, it’s Tucci.

No wires, no background noise, and no need for a charging cord make these AirPods a staff favorite at Katie Couric Media. And if your loved one has an older pair, upgrading to the newest model might feel like a splurge, which makes them a good gift for you to give. They easily connect to Bluetooth devices via the push of a button and can be charged on a wireless charging pad, if you don’t want to fiddle with plugs or cords.

People were fawning over the gold aviators Gwyneth Paltrow wore to her trial last winter, but the truth is that Katie pioneered this style. OK, all jokes aside, in the year since, it’s been made clear that the ’70s-inspired style has serious staying power, and this Caddis pair is Katie’s favorite. These would make a great gift for any fashion-conscious someone in your life, especially if she spends a lot of time in front of a screen — these have the option to add blue light protection to the lenses.

Runner or not, supportive shoes are a must. Hoka Cliftons are beloved by both Katie (she has them in the robin’s-egg blue color) and Katie Couric Media staffers. From long days wandering a museum to running a full-on 5k, these cushy sneakers will cradle your feet with each step.

OK, hear us out: This is more than just a spoon rest. Made to look like pieces of sea glass you’d find while strolling along a beach, these small resting stones can be used as a catch-all by the front door, a bedside jewelry dish, a small serving vessel, or, yes, a stovetop spoon rest. Wherever you set them, one thing’s guaranteed: They’ll look stunning. They come in a set of two, so you can choose to give both as a gift or split the set and give them to two lucky people.

Who would have imagined that the demise of skinny jeans would somehow work its way into the athleisure world? Instead of skin-tight leggings, Katie’s been opting for these flared yoga pants from Alo. They have a comfortable high-waist that offers coverage and support, stretchy fabric that moves with you no matter the activity, and fun snap detailing down the side to spice things up.

Just about anyone could use a new card wallet, and this one from Hyer Goods fits the bill while being earth-friendly: It’s made of high-quality leather scraps that would otherwise go to waste and sit in landfills. It has six card slots and a center pocket so you can carry some cash as well, and it comes in 12 beautiful colors to match any vibe.

Freshly squeezed orange juice in the morning is peak luxury, but it’s a pain to make for yourself if you don’t have the right kitchenware (or grip strength). Instead of spending hours hand-pressing citrus, consider adding an electric juicer to your arsenal. This baby can make lemons into lemonade, limes into the makings of a margarita, and oranges into…you get the gist.

No dinner party is complete without fresh flowers. If you don’t end up gifting this whole set to a friend, give out individual vases with stems in them as a hostess gift or a little token of appreciation next time you see your best buds. (Get it?)

Not all of us have time during a busy morning to craft an aesthetically pleasing açai bowl complete with chia seeds and wildflower garnishes. Tossing a handful of spinach and fruit into a blender is much easier and less time-consuming, especially when the blender carafe doubles as your smoothie cup. Tiny but mighty, this makes a great gift for the moms who are often caught alternating gulps of coffee and bites of breakfast sandwich while driving the kids to school.

When Katie saw this beaded brooch, she knew she couldn’t pass it up. This butterfly is created by Trovelore, an atelier specializing in small, mixed-material treasures. Inspired by nature, each pin is handmade with love and depicts the small creatures that make life beautiful, like bees, butterflies, moths, and birds. Anyone would be delighted to unwrap their own wearable piece of art for Christmas, Hanukkah, or just because.

Unfortunately the exact brooch Katie fell for is sold out, but there are plenty of other nature-inspired options to choose from, like this precious honey bee. 

String a charm on it, layer it with other necklaces, or wear it solo — this simple, elegant chain necklace does it all. Made of 14 karat gold, it will never tarnish and is made to last forever, and Mejuri’s DTC model means you’re getting it for a much lower price than a similar piece from other retailers.*