We've got a whole list of teenage gifts for the holidays just for you! If you don't have your list complete or your Pinterest page full of ideas, we are here to help (just in time for Black Friday and Cyber Monday). Other lists for teenage gifts for the holidays will be coming soon! For Social Media Mavens:
Skylark lipgloss, Blush.com, $19.95
Any teen who is into beauty knows the names Elle and Blair Fowler, but may better know them as AllThatGlitters21 (Elle) and juicystar07 (Blair). They are sisters who post beauty and style videos on YouTube, have almost 2 million subscribers and 320 million views. They've branched out into acting, designing, and now are creating a makeup line just in time for the holidays. They sent us their Skylark Lipgloss and I was thrilled to try it. Ava, the pinker of the two, was not very flattering on me. It kind of looked like I had rubbed pink frosting all over my lips, which unfortunately for me, isn’t a good look. But, next I tried on the Sofia lipgloss, a berry color, and it is amazing! The saturation was perfect and it wasn't goopy or too thick. The wand on both of the lip glosses picks up a lot of product and is very easy to use. Also the color lasts for a very long time, even if you eat or drink. I think the Ava lip gloss would look best on blondes, and the Sofia lipgloss look nice on brunettes so it's the perfect set for everyone.
For the Tween:
Blue Star Bazaar, Lolo Seahorse bag, $30
When I first moved to the beach in 5th grade, I was looking for fish in the ocean with my net. My parents always told me and my brother they would pay us a $1 if we caught one. I think he may have caught just one over the years, but I never did. Thinking back, I have a sneaking suspicion the $1 / fish was a ruse to simply get us to stop bugging them so they could chill and read a book. But, one time I did catch a seahorse. I know, it was crazy and I should have gotten $100 for catching it, right?! It was a tiny one, and I was dying to keep it, but we decided to throw it back in the ocean to be with its mom. I've always thought about it and wondered if I should have kept it. Deep down, I'm sure I did the right thing *sigh*.
So, because of actually finding a seahorse {I mean what are the odds?} I love them. And I have an obsession with cases and bags. Absolute obsession. I love all makeup bags, pencil cases, and purses. And my favorite color is teal, which you know if you've ever seen my room! It's covered in teal. Blue Star Bazaar is a treasure trove of cuteness that has products for both teens and moms, plus dads! But my search ended when I saw this blue seahorse makeup case ($30) by Lolo. It was love at first sight since it's beyond cute, and the perfect size for either makeup, personal items, or pencils! It’s a gorgeous color with the most adorable seahorse on the front! although the inside is not waterproof, it is a light color, which I love since it makes finding stuff that falls to the bottom so much easier. And I also like the contrast of colors between the teal and pink and the patent leather feel of the outside of the case. Adorableness. It may not be a word, but it should be.
For a Friend:
Apple Cider & Candy Cane chapstick limited edition at drugstores and mass retailers.
Chapstick takes me back to being in grade school. It was one of the first "beauty" items my mom let me buy and it made me feel so cool and definitely so "teen"! I'll always have a fondness for Chapstick because of that, and I'll always think of my grade school friends and how we would put on our "lipstick"! What's odd is that I haven't changed that much from then... I still use it more often than lipstick and am somewhat addicted. I put it on first thing in the morning, and last thing at night because I hate, despise, & abhor chapped lips. Usually, I’m not a fan of apple flavored items, but since Chapstick sent us Apple Cider and Candy Cane scents, my mom and I tried them both and made our choices. We both chose the opposite of what we thought we would like. She loves apple cider drinks and I love candy canes, but I chose the Apple Cider Chapstick and she chose the Candy Cane Chapstick! So this is a total exception for me. This Chapstick moisturizes my lips, lasts for a very long time, and smells great! It's not flavored (boo!) but I think this would be the cutest little stocking stuffer or gift for a friend. It would also be cute tied to the top of gift. I like how it isn't waxy and gives a hint of the holidays without being overpowering. It keeps my lips moisturized, without being gooey or messy and without me having to worry whether or not anything is going to come off on my latté cup or on my teeth. It's the ultimate winter accessory for staying moisturized, and with a little bit of the holiday spirit! Perfect for younger teens through any age, because Chapstick really knows no age limits.
For the Glamour Gal:
Sonia Kashuk Gilded Cage Six-Piece Holiday Brush Set, Target.com, $24.99
This over the top glam set is perfect for the ultimate girly girl. The cage clutch is my absolute favorite part of the set and I can't wait to use it for some fancy occassion, like New Year's Eve or Prom or my big Birthday dinner. If this was all that was included for the price, it would be a bargain, but the brushes by Sonia Kashuk are nice too. I love how the cage-like pattern from the clutch is repeated on the brushes in black and gold and how the brushes are amazingly soft. The wide fan brush is nice to clear off excess blush and there is a a powder brush, a blush brush, and all-over eye shadow brush, a detail eyeshadow brush, and an eyeliner brush. This is beyond a basic set, but is the perfect starter set for a budding fashionista or a replacement set for someone like me who only had a beginner set and really needed some more advanced brushes to experiment with as I try more makeup. I'm impressed with the quality of the brushes and the fact that they didn't leave any bristles behind when I used them. This would be a great gift for any age teen who uses makeup and is learning how to use different brushes.
My mom was impressed that we got two useful and pretty items for 1 price.
For the Natural Skincare Beauty Gal:
Liquid Mineral Foundation, AdvancedMineralMakeup.com, $44
I have very sensitive skin and I also don’t like when makeup feels heavy, but this Liquid Mineral Foundation felt light and worked really well! I felt like I wasn’t wearing anything which was great, and I still got really good coverage. I occasionally like to even out my skin tone, but hesitate to use a foundation because most break me out. Advanced Mineral Makeup gave a sheer coverage that looked very natural leaving an invisible slightly dewy finish that complemented my skin instead of trying to mask it. It is very easy to blend in with your fingers, making it all the better in my book! I have light skin and tried French Toast and it blended perfectly with my skin tone.
Mom approves because it contains a natural sunscreen and is paraben-free, which is probably why I didn't break out or have any reaction.
Pressed Mineral Powder in Taylor, AdvancedMineralMakeup.com, $38.50
My face is the normal t-zone in winter: dry and peeling sometimes, but looks oily by the end of the day along my forehead and nose and sometimes my chin. And I'm prone to breakouts. When I don't want to wear a foundation, which is most of the time, but want to look "finished," I like to try a powder. I was impressed with how natural the Pressed Mineral Powder looked and how it didn't look chalky, or like I had anything on my face - it simply looked like my skin was perfect and flawless. In other words, like I might be wearing this powder a lot, but I think my mom might steal it.
Mom approves because it's all natural, and oil-free, meaning my skin can breathe it's also anti-inflammatory and helpful with my sensitive skin and my blemishes, plus it's antibacterial.
I'd recommend the powder for a glam girl who prefers the more natural look or needs to cut down on shine. For those who prefer a more finished look most of the time, I'd recommend you buy the Liquid Mineral Foundation.
For the Sentimental Type, or Active Teen:
Mascara Amplified, blinc.com, $26.00
My mom is already a fan of Blinc Mascara and will tell virtually anyone how wonderful it is. It's kind of embarrassing, but I understand why she loves it now. I tried the latest Blinc Mascara Amplified and it lives up to its name. Blinc is not your typical mascara, it's a tube mascara which means it coats each eyelash in tubes of mascara instead of just coating them in black stuff on top of them. It's the wildest thing when you go to take your mascara off -- it actually looks like your eyelashes are coming off (they are not) since the tubes come off. It doesn't flake off like normal mascara, which is good for contact wearers, active people, girls who play sports, and girls who cry at movies or anytime. Your mascara won't run during ordinary life. It will only come off when you want it to come off. And that is super-cool to me. The brush is completely different from the brush that is with the regular mascara: it is thicker, fuller and has more bristles. Other mascaras make my lashes look darker, but this mascara really makes me look like I was born with longer lusher lashes.
Mom loves it because it works and doesn't run, even when she does.
For anyone fighting blemishes:
EraseZit Pencil, Judith August, $16
If the EraseZit Pencil is good enough for Heidi Klum, it's good enough for me! Actually, I didn't know Heidi Klum was such a huge fan of the EraseZit pencil until after I had tried it, and it wouldn't have made a difference, since I already loved it. Breakouts plague me at least monthly. I'm always looking for something to hide them, but hiding them can typically make them look worse, instead of better. Sometimes the only thing worse than a blemish is a blemish with bad cover-up. And then they look even worse when they react to the cover-up. But the Judith August EraseZit Pencil amazingly solves both problems. The pencil blended perfectly with my skin tone and since it had Tea Tree Oil and Camphor, it actually helped clear the blemish while it covered it. It stayed on all day, it didn't flake, and it didn't look cakey. I actually love this pencil cover up and also was impressed that for the price it came with a sharpener, which is handy since the pencil is wider than most pencils. I recommend this EraseZit Pencil for teens and adults who need to hide acne or blemishes or even under-eye circles.
Mom liked how it hid her under-eye circles better than any cover-up she's ever used. Ever.
For the Beach Lover who has everything
Panasonic Precision Body Shaver, $29.99
Shaving is an absolute hassle. It's a constant battle (I'm losing) and one that, I have to admit, I get tired of fighting. So any product that can help me is welcome. The Panasonic Precision Body Shaver is unique and different from my regular razor. It's an electric razor, but it's tiny. It pivots, which means I can use it on my bikini area, or under my arms; it doesn't need to be used with water, so I don't have to be in the shower to use it. I'm thinking it's the perfect razor to use in between waxes or under or to reach spots I miss while shaving and only find after I've dried off... like my knees! It's gentle and doesn't pull on the hair. It's not super-strong, so I'm not sure I can use it for my entire legs, but it's perfect for touch-ups or when I'm in a hurry. Dry shaving was new to me, but it's amazing how quick it is. The best feature is that the blade is supposed to last up to 2 years and you can rinse it clean under running water.
Other great beauty ideas:
Nail polish - pick her favorite color and go crazy with all hues of it!
Eyeshadow sets, or individual pots of fun colors
A manicure set or a mani/pedi gift certificate
Facial gift certificate
Body lotion
Gift cards to Sephora or Ulta
Perfume
