I'm a Shopping-Obsessed Editor—31 Under-$100 Beauty, Home, and Fashion Items I'd Like to Gift (and Receive!)
This is your sign to wrap up holiday shopping early.
As a chronically online beauty editor with a penchant for shopping, there isn't much that doesn't cross my desk. From celebrity-worn street style trends to the next best thing in K-beauty, I'm inundated with cool things day in and day out—which is great in theory, but terrible for my personal finances. But it's not a sin against your wallet if you buy these things for other people, right? That's what I'm telling myself as I come across one covetable item after another through my daily research and shopping scrolls, the "add to cart" button tempting me ever so sinisterly. To minimize the damage, I've decided to look for items that retail for less than $100 (or are on sale for less than that). Surprisingly, my cart is fuller, chicer, and more expensive-looking than I could have expected.
I found skincare tools with limited-time discounts, bodycare sets that are worth far more than the currently listed price, and collectible heirloom gifts that can be cherished for years. Whether you're searching for the impossible-to-shop-for, ultra-cool friend with impeccable style, a coworker à la your office gift exchange, or a little something for yourself, you'll find everything you need (or at the very least, a bit of gifting inspiration) for less than $100 below. Keep scrolling for the budget-friendly(ish!) gift guide of my dreams.
31 Editor-Approved Beauty, Fashion, and Home Gifts Under $100
Standout Gifts
- Rarely on sale: Medicube Booster Pro Mini Plus, $73 (was $105)
- Covetable bodycare collection: Salt & Stone Saffron & Cedar Full Body Set, $99 (worth $143)
- Sellout risk: Rhode Mini Rhode Kit Glazed Skincare Essentials, $68 (worth $78)
- Instant crowd-pleaser: Quince Silk-Lined Leather Glove, $48
- Personality piece: By Anthropologie Brooch in a Box, $50
Beauty Gifts
This mini skin-enhancing tool is the compact, travel-friendly version of Medicube's celebrity-loved Booster Pro. Perfect for your upcoming travels, this wand-like device slots into your carry-on easily—allowing you to use red, blue, and purple light therapy to improve your skin's texture and radiance on the go. (It's not normally under $100, but you can snag it on sale for just $73 right now. Act fast.)
One of the quickest ways to depuff your face is with a pair of freezer-cooled Cryo-Ice Massage Sticks. These from Skin Gym are cool to the touch, fit snugly into the contours of your face, and glide easily across the skin.
Salt & Stone fans, assemble. The brand has put together a bodycare set for the holidays, composed of its best-selling deodorant, bodywash, body mist, and body cream in one of its most covetable fragrances, Saffron & Cedar. (You know, the one that everyone says smells like Baccarat Rouge.) It's valued at $143, but you can snag it for just $99 when you nab the set.
Even the biggest beauty snob will be impressed by this curated assortment of Westman Atelier products. The set includes the brand's silky highlighter stick, a dusty rose blush, and a slick mascara—aka the perfect five-minute face.
If you're looking for a winter-coded scent to elevate your hygiene routine, try gifting yourself (or a fellow bodycare lover) this bodywash and lotion set from Nécessaire. These two products are beloved on their own, but the Olibanum scent—spiced with vanilla, fig, cassis buds, and frankincense—transforms your daily cleanse into a fire-crackling winter scene as the scent plumes in your shower steam.
If you're struggling to gift the stylish person in your life, look no further than this luxe hairbrush and hair perfume set from Byredo. In the enchanting wintry-citrus scent Bal d'Afrique, this mist delicately perfumes the hair while the brush evenly disperses it. While the scent alone is something to behold, the wooden hairbrush—detailed in the style of traditional Nordic needlework—is collectable enough on its own. Together, it's an unforgettable gift your giftee will cherish for years.
My fellow beauty editors and I are obsessed with Merit beauty products, but one category I'd urge you not to overlook—especially in the winter—is its skincare. If someone in your life is struggling with dry skin under their makeup, consider giving them the gift of a soft, glowing complexion with Merit's Great Skin serum and Priming Moisturizer with this discounted set (full-size bottles, by the way).
Lore's Lil Softie is one of the newest seasonal It-girl perfumes on the block. It somehow marries freshness (cotton musk, pink pepper, bergamot) with warmth (ambroxan, rice milk, galbanum) and a touch of sweetness (cereal milk), delivering the subtle gourmand scent of our winter dreams.
When in doubt, gift an eye shadow palette from MAC. This shade assortment tells a story of wintry forests, champagne in crystal glasses, and the first swirls of sunrise over a glittering, snowy landscape. In short, it's the perfect shadow set for holiday parties and winter glam. (Though, those warm shades are perfect for the summer, too.)
Mark my words—this kit will sell out (and anyone under the age of 30 will be ecstatic to see this box with their name on it). The set includes four of Hailey Bieber's top-selling skincare products from her knockout brand, Rhode, and these collectible mini sizes are perfect for keeping your routine consistent when traveling.
One of the best parts about gifting the person who has everything is that you get to give them something slightly ludicrous but extremely luxe—and in this case, actually useful. This is why everyone with chic taste should know about the Trait d'Hermès Le Courbe-Cils Eyelash Curler: detailed in the brand's iconic colors, outfitted in an Hermès-orange box, and retailing for $83. Sure, you can nab a lash curler for $5 from CVS, but why not splash out on something nicer (and functional!) for the beauty lover in your life?
Okay, so this technically is not a beauty product. It is, however, shaped like one and available at my number one shopping destination for chic beauty gifts—Violet Grey—so it deserves its own moment. This golden lighter is cloaked under the guise of a lipstick case, with a marbled flip top that reveals the Bic lighter inside. It's a conversation-starter and a real collector's item, if you ask me.
Cyklar's Perfume Oils are otherworldly—just ask the beauty editors who have raved about them for a solid year now. This set combines four of the brand's top scents, including Sacred Santal (my favorite for winter), Vanilla Verve, Naked Neroli (my go-to vacation scent), and Sex Musk, resulting in an instant fragrance wardrobe. Plus, its roll-on packaging and small size (it is an oil, after all—a little goes a long way) make it easy to apply midday touch-ups.
Your favorite beauty editor's favorite brand is probably Sofie Pavitt, and its hero products are in this lineup. This set includes the brand's famous cleanser, oil-free moisturizer, and mandelic acid serum for those with acne-prone skin, and you can take it all home for just $38.
Fashion Gifts
If you're not sure what to gift your most fashionable friend, consider this tassel necklace from Mango. It's under $50, completely on-trend, and fashioned with an adjustable closure for customizable length. There's something so romantic about its finely plaited knot below the ivory pendant.
My mom recently told me that she's eyeing these gloves for the holidays—both for her chic friends and herself. The lambskin outer and silk-lined interior make for luxurious wear without the uncomfortable trapped heat of faux materials. Plus, they have touch-friendly fingertips for easy phone use.
This chic velvet fringe bag is dripping in vintage decadence without the steep price tag. I've been itching for a way to incorporate summer's hottest color into my winter wardrobe, and this delicate bag is the perfect conduit.
Whether you're looking for a low-cost gift for your chic colleague or hunting for an easy way to elevate your holiday wardrobe, all roads lead to this versatile scarf from Zara. You can wear it like a cummerbund, tie it in your hair, loop it on your bag straps, or drape it over your shoulders. It can do it all.
You're stylish—I don't doubt for a second that you've seen the fur-adorned brocade jackets à la Conner Ives. To transform your old jackets into something completely new, give yourself (and your fellow trend lovers) this faux-fur scarf designed to drape over your jacket like a lapel.
Home Gifts
You can rarely go wrong with gifting a chic set of glassware for a holiday party, housewarming, bridal shower—you name it. I'm eyeing these sleek, vintage-inspired coupes from Anthropologie for my next party, which come in multiple stained-glass-looking hues. Perfect for the eclectic decorator.
Alyssa Brascia is an associate beauty editor at Who What Wear. She is based in New York City and has 3+ years of industry experience. Brascia has personally tested more than a thousand beauty products and services—from the hottest new eye shadow palette to the buzzy manicure sweeping New York Fashion Week. Brascia graduated with a BS in apparel, merchandising, and design from Iowa State University. She was formerly a shopping writer at People.com. Her earlier work can be found at InStyle, Travel + Leisure, Shape, and more. When Brascia isn’t writing, researching, or testing new beauty products, you can find her watching the latest movie to generate Oscar buzz, taking a workout class with friends, or updating her wardrobe post-shopping spree in her beloved city.