bookbear express 2025 gift guide
buckle up!!!!
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All holidays, birthdays, and random weekdays are an opportunity for me to force my taste onto other people. My credentials are that people have praised my gifts over a long period of time. Also, I spend a mind-boggling amount of time perusing items online—like, I literally peel my eyes open in the morning and start scrolling Depop. I’m so addicted to receiving packages that I have an uncanny ability to predict when each mail truck will arrive at my house down to the minute.
Since the 2023 Bookbear Express gift guide was a hit (I’m sorry I couldn’t get it together enough last year to make one), I decided to enlist some beloved friends with great taste to contribute once again. They are all extremely sophisticated and I am very grateful to them for sharing their excellent recommendations. Some brands or objects reoccur multiple times, so pay extra attention to those! Now, without further ado:
AVA
Unsexy things I got this year that you should get yourself:
My Oura ring. I hesitated for a long time but it sparks joy. I think Apple Watches are ugly and I didn’t like the Whoop nearly as much. I love checking the app every day.
PanOxyl pimple patches. These are not as fun as Starface/my cute anime character patches but ridiculously better than any other ones on the market.
GUM Twisted Mint Floss Picks. I have a lot of opinions about floss.
Dyson vacuum. The laser light thing makes me happy. I never vacuumed before I got this, which meant my apartment was constantly in dire straits since I am the proud owner of two extremely fluffy dogs. I love it.
Comme Si workout socks. These come in amazing colors and are too cute to really work out in but I love them.
Organic Initiative tampons. These are really great tampons and now I’m less worried my tampons will give me cancer.
Brandy Melville underwear and sweaters. 100% cotton and I can’t believe how good they are for how cheap they are. I’ve owned a couple of their sweaters for like eight years and they really hold up.
Uniqlo v-neck cashmere sweater. It is very, very, very important to own at least one of these. I suggest the black one in one size larger than your normal size.
DedCool Milk detergent. Yes, it’s probably all over your Instagram ads. Yes, it is good! This scent is what originally kicked off my lactonic fixation.
Skincare/shower/beauty
Westman Atelier contour stick. I own it in Biscuit. It really is all that.
Dior Backstage powder blush. I have it in Candy, I love the formula and it’s sooooo pretty.
NARS soft matte concealer. This is the BEST concealer. I’ve used this for many years and I will never quit it. There is no comparable one for acne.
Soft Services buffing bar. Obsessed with it! This is the best form factor for physical exfoliation. However I am also addicted to the Josie Maran scrub and the Lush date scrub.
Makeup Forever eye pencils. They are as good as everyone says they are. I use mine every day as eyeliner but it also works for contouring your nose and as lip liner.
Olaplex conditioner. I have the shampoo too but I’m pretty sure the conditioner is what makes my hair bizarrely soft. Which matters because I have extremely strong, extremely dry, extremely coarse hair.
L’Oreal Glossing Lamination hair mask. I saw this recommended somewhere as the product that gives Bravo housewives shiny hair and it really delivers.
Clarins lip comfort oil. Maybe my favorite lip tint, and I own like 35.
COLOR WOW Raise the Root spray. I found out about this on TikTok. I spray when damp and it DOES give my flat Asian hair volume. I don’t know how it works, but it does.
What you should get our loved ones
Nippon Kodo Mori-no-KOH incense. I love this! Incredible bang for your buck, the little box feels so fancy, it smells insane. I’m burning it right now as I write.
The Loewe tomato candle. S got me this because he loves me, and I’ve been panicking because I’m almost done burning it and I feel like I cannot spend $130 on a candle to replace it. But it’s just so good.
RIRA glasses. Very expensive for glasses but I got S these for his birthday and they are so delightful. They are proper goblets, heavy and chunky, and come in such fun colors.
Comme Si hooded cashmere scarf. I want this soooo bad. Unfortunately I will not be spending $380 on it since I live in San Francisco and do not actually need it. But you could!
Diptyque scented oval in 34. This will be my own Christmas gift to myself. I got sniped by this awesome Substack post and now want everything she mentions in it.
D’Annam Strawberry Mochi. Okay, blind buying a perfume is high risk high reward, but this really smells just like strawberry mochi. Tammy and I both own it and I just love it.
Anything by Ted Muehling, for cerebral women who appreciate both nature and beauty :)
Secondhand
I’m a Georg Jensen superfan. This carafe gives me heart palpitations.
Get a vintage tray from Etsy for perfume storage.
While we’re at it, what about a cute vintage butter dish?
Minaudieres are just so chic.
ALISHA
Alisha is the COO of Sourced By and lives on the Lower East Side of New York with her fiancé and her cavalier king charles, Goose.
I landed on each of these gifts using one simple rule: does it pass the covet test? A good rule of thumb for a gift. These are all items I own and/or would love to see under my Christmas tree.
Match Pewter Frame — A little gilded detail to elevate any shelf or nightstand. The shape and size is so, so sweet.
UNDO Hairware Claw Clip — Any piece by them is fantastic. The grip, the soft edges, the pretty colors! I personally always need my hair up to focus (don’t ask me why) so I always have one of these in my bag.
Fara Homidi Essential Lip Duet — A small luxury! I am a sucker for a lip product and try them all. This is the real deal. The blue is also such a fun pop in a makeup bag.
King Cookbook — One of my favorite restaurants in the city came out with a cookbook! For the friend who loves good food, good ambiance, and good company. Every recipe hits.
Vintage Opera Glasses — Something whimsical! One of my best friends and I exchanged opera glasses a few years back and now our annual pilgrimage to the met opera is so much more dramatic and amazing.
ANDREW
Andrew is a partner at Sequoia and a founding subscriber of Bookbear eExpress.
For Bookbear subscribers with kids (or giving gifts to families with kids), I would highly recommend Story Time Chess. It brings the rules of chess to life by giving the different pieces their own backstories. Rules are tedious; stories are fun.
The original Teva sandal is $60, super durable, really great for the woods, and they look cool. I never understood why everyone wants Birkenstocks, these are way better.
Get someone a skateboard. How cool must it feel for someone to give you a skateboard? That they would think you’d be someone who could ride a skateboard, someone who should have a skateboard. Small garage footprint too.
ANNE
Anne is an engineer turned marketer and currently leads many Marketing teams at Ramp. She enjoys making impossible things possible (like creating a Super Bowl ad in under 7 days), loves travel and design, and splits time between NYC and SF. She’s basically non-existent online, as evidenced by her X account, but DM her if you want Marketing or gift giving advice (no promises if she sees it!).
I spend a truly embarrassing amount of time hunting for the perfect gift for someone. I believe the best gifts are emotional and take effort to procure (with most of the effort centered around observing and learning details about the personal - to be loved is to be seen, after all):
Is there something they’ve been eyeing for months but haven’t purchased? Get it for them!
Is there an experience they’d love but would never get for themselves? Is there anything going on in their life that you can take into account? Examples:
Have they been wanting to overhaul their closet? Get them a closet styling session!
Did they just have a baby? Perhaps an organic meal delivery service for a few days would help!
Are they really stressed? Is there a decadent spa or really fun experience that will provide a break from their week to week?
What’s something they love collecting? Can you do something fun with it?
Those are just thought starters though and don’t leave you with very practical advice, which I am a sucker for. So I’ve listed options below if you’re in a pinch and don’t have the time or opportunity to collect this information. I personally guarantee people will be delighted to receive these - if not, ask Ava for my email and I’ll rectify the situation (I will though begin the call by telling you that your friend probably doesn’t have good taste). I’d characterize most of these gifts as “generally delightful” and under the “elevated essentials” category.
Comme Si cashmere socks (second mention, third if you count my double mention): Hands down the best cashmere socks - cozy, luxurious, classic, and practical! This year, you can buy them with a giftbox to add a touch of whimsy.
Smythson Portobello notebook: Or any notebook from Smythson for that matter! There are so many options available, you can select a fun one that speaks more to their humor and sensibility. Smythson notebooks last forever, are beautiful and functional, and can also be personalized.
Charvet slippers: These are my favorite slippers, you can’t go wrong with a slipper (especially ones from Charvet).
Pettinaroli: Anything from this delightful Milan store. You can WhatsApp or call the shop (+39 02 8646 4642) to figure out what they have available, but note that you will need to place your order via WhatsApp. Make sure to add a monogram.
Aspinal of London travel wallet or hotel souvenirs from previous or upcoming trips: For the frequent traveler, . If you’ve recently gone on a trip together or have one coming up at a hotel with chic merch, that’s always a fun option. For example, the change tray or ashtray from Il Pellicano. It’ll remind them of the good times you had or get them excited for the upcoming trip!
Flamingo Estate Essentials Set: Anything from Flamingo Estate is great for someone who loves to cook. Pro tip: add the strawberries.
Bonilla a la Visa potato chips: Behold, the fanciest and most difficult-to-procure potato chips for your friend who loves to host. Show up with a few of these and wrap ‘em in a cute little bow (just make sure to order one extra to share on the spot).
Ginori 1735 teacups or coasters: Anything from Ginori is exquisite and a love letter to traditional Florentine craftsmanship. Perfect for a friend who loves to enjoy a cup of tea at home.
Rocky’s matcha set: Best matcha, need I say more?
La Double J espresso cups and coffee beans from their favorite coffee shop. Give them a delightful way to start their morning.
Makoto Koizumi Yure Cup and a bottle of their favorite sake. These little guys are a delight to drink from and look great on a shelf.
CHRIS
Chris lives in San Francisco.
For a beloved bookworm, skip the brodernist doorstop and subscribe them to the Paris Review. Sophisticated but undemanding, it’ll draw them away from the Substack app at least once a quarter, and print looks great on a coffee table. If you know a hypebeast who seems to have it all, go for the Rick Owens x Selahatin toothpaste—with “Verbena, Sichuan pepper, juniper and dark citrus” you get to blur the line between “it’s an essential” and “it’s a weird flex.” If you’ve got a neurotic parent, get them a water leak sensor and help them set it up. If it never goes off, you’ve gifted peace of mind; if it does, you’ll be their favorite child.
DEVIN
Devin is a builder/marketer/artist/community builder who previously founded mad realities which is most infamous for the crypto dating show post pandemic era and most recently was working on marketing at the browser co. An almost a 10-year New yorker, she is spending more time on both coasts in 2026.
Looking back on the gifts I find myself giving again and again, alongside some of my favorite gifts I’ve received recently, here are a few recommendations I genuinely stand by this holiday season:
A universal gift for any level of closeness. If you need a gift that works regardless of how well you know someone, the Aesop Reverence Aromatique Hand Wash with the little grainy pumice is chefs kiss. It’s my go-to gift whenever I stay over at someone’s place since it’s functional, elevated, and a good price point. (Disclaimer: as a man, you may run the risk of coming off as ran through to women who visit your home).
For the ones who host. As someone who hosts fairly often, I’ve learned that two things really make a gathering feel good are music and lighting. For music, I am a fan of the Marshall Acton III speaker (if you are looking for a playlist to play on said speakers, DM me). For lighting, I think candle holders and a set of tapers is a thoughtful pair. You could go with cool chrome candle holders or a more vintage, antique-style depending on the person.
Simply a Devin-approved, great item. If there were one product I’d happily influence any woman on at the moment, it’s the Jones Road Miracle Balm. It’s really nice and glowy and lasts for an absurdly long time (my favorites are Dusty Rose and Pinky Bronze). A close runner-up in this category is the DedCool Xtra Milk fragrance (second mention) which I get a ton of compliments on any time I wear.
Made with love. Last but definitely not least, my favorite kind of gift lately is something made by hand. If you have any creative outlet and would enjoy spending an hour making something personal, it often means more than anything you can buy. For example, I recently painted a watercolor of my sister’s dogs floating on lily pads, but if your medium is words, I’m a huge fan of these “Why You’re So Awesome” books (I’ve filled out 5+ of these in my life so far)
MOLLY
Molly Mielke McCarthy runs Moth Fund and enjoys everything creative.
I love crafting, and few things bring me greater joy than gifting my creations to the people I love. This year I got really into cyanotype prints, which I’ve been putting in floating frames and wrapping with yarn and lavender to give as holiday gifts. Last year I made everyone candles and before that, pearl jewelry. Other gifts I’ve been giving include vintage jewelry boxes from ebay like this, Crown Affair claw clips, Line and Current earrings, and this lovely cup I’ve enjoyed for over 10 years. One of my favorite gifts I’ve ever received was a Orfeo Tagiuri print, which is now available as a book.
PAIGE
Paige is an engineer based in Berkeley who doesn’t really have an online presence anymore and wants to keep it that way.
1. Comme Si Silk Boxers (third mention, fourth if you count my double mention… they’re the best)
Self-explanatory. Expensive pajamas are a great gift.
2. Earrings by Gabriella Kiss. I love receiving jewelry, 99% of the jewelry I own was gifted. Assuming you’re gifting jewelry according to the receiver’s tastes, it’s a perfectly sentimental gift. Gabrielle Kiss is an exceptionally talented artist who makes really incredible pieces that often incorporate elements of nature in ingenious ways. Pictured are her eggplant earrings.
3. Nippon kodo incense booklets (second mention)
The packaging of this incense is beautiful and compact and it comes with a ceramic holder that looks great on a desk or nightstand. I love the aloeswood scent.
4. Criterion Collection Wes Anderson Archive
I think this is a great gift. Wes Anderson’s worlds are so fascinating, there’s at least one film in his collection that anyone would love. Also a great collector’s item.
Listen, there is a ridiculous amount of waste in the world and there are many perfectly useful things we can buy secondhand! I love eBay. There is something for everyone on there. Also, everyone loves a good deal. I recently purchased a like-new portable document scanner for $5 (originally ~$100).
6. Le Creuset Fondue set by Enzo Mari
Fondue is one of the coziest dishes you can eat and it’s also fun and interactive. This fondue set from the 80s is really cute.
7. Mariage Frères Esprit de Noël tea
Mariage Frères makes great tea and their canisters are aesthetically pleasing and can be reused. I’m a big fan of their black teas, Esprit de Noël in particular is a flavorful black tea with holiday spices.
TAMMY
Tammy is the commissioning editor for Stripe Press, and is currently working on a project about tacit knowledge.
I love a great lip balm, especially in the winter. After my scientific study (n=3) of 5 different balms/lip treatments: Eadem, Ole Henricksen, Experiment Beauty, Topicals, and Laneige, Experiment emerged as the winner. Their balms don’t contain fragrance and aren’t pigmented, so they’re also a safer buy than some of the others (Ole Henricksen is my #2).
Calpak Terra Duffle Backpack. I travel quite a bit for work and unfortunately I have not evolved beyond being the kind of person who has to pack every possible thing to be prepared for Any Scenario, so I need a ludicrously capacious carry-on/personal item. Calpak achieves that rare trifecta of being useful, comfortable, and pretty enough. Can’t say the same for my Longchamp duffle (elegant, but too unstructured) or my large Beis weekender (the worst thing I’ve ever done to my left shoulder). For a cheaper alternative, I like Calpak’s Luka Duffel or Baggu’s Cloud duffel.
One idea I think is cute is to create an experience jar (particularly fun for couples, but works for friends too) with 5-10 experiences which they can redeem throughout some designated stretch of time (ideally six months or less). The key is to personalize it for them, and you can even leave 1-2 free spaces for them to fill in. My list includes a broadway or ballet show and a day in which we eat our way through one of the many Google Maps lists I have saved, but also simpler things, like ‘watch The Departed’ (I just saw The Godfather for the first time, sue me!!). Everyone I know is So Busy, so this a great way to prompt quality time.
Fragrance discovery sets! I’m a fraghead, but I find the experience of in-store fragrance shopping to be totally overwhelming, and results have been…mixed when I’ve tried to help friends find a fragrance this way. Some of my favorites: d’annam (I love the Japan set (second mention)). Le Labo is another; I love them in particular because their fragrances are high-quality but don’t project dramatically (this one contains all of my favorites). I’m also Escentric Molecules-curious, but haven’t tried theirs yet.
VINTAGE MAGAZINES! Trawling through the archives of LIFE, The New Yorker, Vogue, Vanity Fair, and The Atlantic has been a favorite pastime of mine for years. Anyone who does any kind of creative work will probably find something to adore in the stories, yes, but also in the imagery (it’s rare to find anything near the quality of Margaret Bourke-White’s work in today’s magazines). Right now I’m particularly taken with FORTUNE magazine. I love frivolous-ish writing about industrialists, and all the evidence suggests they had much more fun spending their money than today’s industrialists. Etsy sellers and local bookstores are your best bets here.