63 Holiday Shopping Tips 2022

Photo-Illustration: The Strategist; Photos: Retailers

This article was featured in One Great Story, New York‘s reading recommendation newsletter. Sign up here to get it nightly.

Community favorites include Zojirushi‘s rice cooker and Canadian West boots. —Erin Schwartz

Zojirushi NS-TSC10 Rice Cooker

Spur Jewelry Custom Renovation

The concierge service Spur Jewelry will, for instance, turn an heirloom like a brooch into a chic necklace. —Jenna Miller-Waddell

Costco 18kt Yellow Gold Round Hoop Earrings

Mason Pearson Handy Bristle & Nylon Brush BN3

Diptyque Figuier Scented Oval

It’s surprisingly a luxurious thing to own. —Margaret Rhodes

Hellsher House 8

During colonial times, it was tradition to light one to ensure a prosperous year. (There’s even a poem about this: “A bayberry candle burnt to the socket brings food to the larder and gold to the pocket.”) —Caroline Weaver

Turn on notifications and grab one for the purse snob in your life. —JMW

i like Rose Theodora, Janelle Belgraveand Lisa Stardust. Everyone loves an opportunity to talk about themselves. —DP

InBloom Clean Green Protein Single-Serve Box Set

Its main ingredients include reishi mushroom (of course), cocoa, and dandelion root. —Liza C. Corsillo

It’s one of the few instances in which price really does, always, correlate with efficacy. Dr. Dennis Gross SpectraLite mask is best for those with acne, and CurrentBody is best if breakouts aren’t a main concern. —Jolie De Feis

Dr.  Dennis Gross SpectraLite™ FaceWare Pro

CurrentBody Skin LED Light Therapy Mask

Global Entries

Their right-angle socks or gingham pajamas both would make nice gifts. —LCC

Muji Right Angle One Size Tapered Socks

Muji Women's Side Seamless Stand Collar Pajamas

ManiMe Digital Gift Cards

Your recipient can redeem their gift card for a set of stick-on gel nails custom-cut to precisely fit their nails (all they need to do is send in a picture of their hands!). —JDF

Deborah Lippmann Cuticle Oil

Noguchi Museum Membership

Photo: Nicholas Knight

The gift within the gift is that they’ll then get a discount on Akari lamps. —Winnie Yang

Mogutable Mitarashi Dango Chopstick Rest

The takoyaki and hanami dango ones are sold out online, but you can pop by the Grand Street shop to check for more (like the yuzu!). —Chelsea Peng

Wonder Valley Oil Club

Each one also comes with a gift from another brand like Diaspora, Tart Vinegar, and Dark Horse Organic. —Emma Wartzman

Or if your recipient has a reasonably green thumb, send a Mayer lemon or Australian finger lime treewhich both grow well in containers. —WY

Miami Fruit Variety Box

Four Winds Growers Improved Meyer Semi-Dwarf Lemon Tree

Four Winds Growers Finger Lime Semi-Dwarf Tree

Example: a copy of Jess Damuck’s Salad Freaks with a greens stripper. —EW

Chef'n Looseleaf Kale and Greens Stripper

Salad Freak: Recipes to Feed a Healthy Obsession

Nutella

Blackbird Spyplane (for more interviews and its “Cla$$ified Recon Tier”) or the new Passerby Club (to access its Discord and get discounts at brands like Saie and Mater Soap) are good options. —MR

Blackbird Spyplane Monthly Subscription

Passerby Club Monthly Subscription

Dr.  Singha's Mustard Bath

A 28-ounce jar of it costs $40 and will last for months, maybe a year. —MR

My favorites: aged-one-year fruit cakes by Robert Lambert and Leckerlee lebkuchen that comes in special-edition tins. —WY

Robert Lambert Winter Fruitcake

Leckerlee Lebkuchen

Louis Sherry Designer 12-Piece Tin

Once you’ve finished the Sicilian-orange, coconut-almond, and Turkish-coffee chocolates, you’re left with a lovely box for storing jewelry, loose change, or your weed stash. —LCC

My favorites are muffuletta from Central Grocery in New Orleans and BBQ from Snow’s in Lexington, Texas. —Kayleen Schaefer

Central Grocery Muffulettas Sandwiches

Snow's BBQ Best of Texas BBQ Combo

White Bark Workwear Full Cross-Back Apron

It’s known for its comfortable crossback and flattering silhouette and comes in a number of dusty jewel tones. —asked Bush

Andrew's Honey Central Park Honey

This is a great gift for anyone with seasonal allergies, as eating local honey can help build immunity to local pollen. —JDF

Alpine Cooking: Recipes and Stories from Europe's Grand Mountaintops

It looks beautiful on a coffee table, the photographs inside are stunning, and the recipes are cozy and warm. It’s proved to be a fail-safe option for both friends who I know love cooking and for hosts whom I don’t know well at all. —Ruby Redstone

Le Creuset Mini Round Stoneware Cocotte
Very Good Deal

Utz Crab Chips

Ooly Tattoo-Palooza Temporary Tattoos

Lauren Manoogian Base Alpaca-Blend Sweater

Barefoot Dreams Luxe Heathered Stripe Throw Blanket
Very Good Deal

And it monograms them for free. —CW

Shinola Large Hard Linen Journal

Welly Bandages Ice Cream Pattern

90.7 WFUV Donation

Reuben Sachs by Amy Levy

I bought my mother Reuben Sachs, by Amy Levy, which was like Jane Austen but for Jews. Its whole catalog is full of treats, and its books are beautifully bound with pretty endings. Shipping to the US is free but can take up to two weeks. —Zoe S. Dubno

Anezus Snap Hair Clips, 80 Pieces
Very Good Deal

Star fruit, persimmons, even a pineapple — whatever you think they like but haven’t tried. —JT

Primary The Short Sleeve Classic Tee

Primary The Leggings

National Geographic Gemstone Advent Calendar

Sugar Paper + Target Red Shirt Boxes 3ct

They’re available in a set of three and look more expensive than they are thanks to a crisp white-edge detail. —JT

The Picture Book Club

Heywood Hill A Year in Books

It includes an in-depth, over-the-phone consultation to ensure each picks their suits. —Louis Cheslaw

Italic Luxe Sateen Bedding Bundle, 500 Thread Count

Its cotton and linen sheets are of amazing quality for the price. —Sarah Leon

You’ll have to do some digging to score one of the few remaining bottles of Reserve 1, but for a more readily available (and no less special) amaro, try the distiller’s just-released Mithradates. —CP

Forthave Spirits Reserve 1 Amaro

Forthave Spirits Mithradates Vino Amaro, Half Bottle

Zuzu Calamansi Lime Sparkling Agave Cocktail

The calamansi flavor is the best. —CP

St.  George Gross Americano

You can mix it into cocktails, but it’s also good on its own over ice. —JT

Angela Sankovich Cameo

I once ordered one from a former Survivor player Janet Carbin for a friend, who was delighted. For fans of The Rehearsals: Angela Sankovich. -ICE

Haflinger Coffee Slippers

They come decorated with all kinds of designs, so you can choose a coffee mug, beer stein, puppy, cat, horse or chicken as a thoughtful touch for people who like those things. (Haflinger also has a chic plain one that looks like those UGGs everyone has.) —ZD

Hits through the years have included Save Khaki, Jungmavenand Buck Mason. -US

Save Khaki United Supima Sweatshirt

Jungmaven Tahoe Sweatshirt

Buck Mason Interloop Crew Sweatshirt

Gammarelli Red Socks

You can also find stars from years gone by on Etsyif you want to buy someone an ornament from their birth year. —Katherine Gillespie

The Met 2022 Star Ornament

AnewAgain Vintage Metropolitan Museum of Art Gold Star Christmas Ornament

They’re meant for your car, but they’re ideal for making your closet or dresser drawers smell nice, and they’re just the right size to slip into a holiday card or stocking. I like the classic Big Sur After Rainbut there’s something about Portable Fireplace that seems right for the season. —Maxine Builder

DS & Durga Big Sur After Rain Auto Fragrance

DS & Durga Portable Fireplace Auto Fragrance

Double Dutch Cindy Sherman

Choose a card featuring images by artists like Cindy Shermanadd a donation, and your recipient “unwraps” their gift via a link sent to their inbox. —CP

32 North Italian Floral and Vine Striped Florentine Carta Varese Paper

The designs are beautiful, and the colors are super dense and rich. -ICE

Saks Fifth Avenue Open Front Cashmere Longline Cardigan

MT Washi Tape

Happy Hour Pre-Rolls

Black Paper Party 25 sq ft Mugs Gift Wrap Green

Wondershop Fabric Santa with Stocking & Overalls Christmas Tree Ornament

Highlights from this year’s drop include a sandwich croissants and a sparkly field radish. —CP

Friends NYC Croissant Sandwich Ornament

Friends NYC Field Radish Ornament

Want more stories like this one? Subscribe now to support our journalism and get unlimited access to our coverage. If you prefer to read in print, you can also find this article in the November 21, 2022, issue of New York Magazines.

The Strategist is designed to surface the most useful, expert recommendations for things to buy across the vast e-commerce landscape. Some of our latest conquests include the best acne treatments, rolling luggage, pillows for side sleepers, natural anxiety remediesand bath towels. We update links whenever possible, but note that deals may expire and all prices are subject to change.

Related Posts