Teens can be tough to shop for – they’re done with the toys of childhood, but you still want to make it fun and not ‘oh great, another sweater’. I’m sharing the gifts that will be in my daughter’s stocking this year in the hopes it helps give you some ideas for your teen!
Now that I’m done with the madness of the major Christmas shopping, it’s time to focus on one of my favorite rituals of Christmas gift-giving: stuffing the stockings! We’ve always loved watching the kids reach in and pull out a treasure from Santa. And when the kids were young, it was the easiest thing to shop for – always a plethora of small toys, gadgets and treats to choose from, the hardest part was narrowing it down to what would physically fit in the stockings. But now that I’ve got a high schooler and a college guy, it’s become a bit trickier. And while I know they’d love a stocking full of gift cards, I still want to see that smile of surprise. They still look forward to their stockings almost as much as they did when they were small…so my stocking game has got to keep up.
For my girl, that largely means embracing the fact that she’s into makeup. And while I know she’s going to hit the drugstore with her friends and shop some of the trendiest brands and products (luckily she’s clean-conscious and pretty eco-savvy, but sometimes a girl has to get the Wet-n-Wild, I get it. Happy medium!), I want her to use clean options as much as possible . Which makes Christmas a great time to gift her a few things, because let’s face it: a lot of clean beauty isn’t friendly for the teen budget. However while we are giving her a few splurge items in the beauty department, I’ve also chosen some things that should she like to replace them on her own dime, she’d be able to.
So let’s dive in and take a peek inside her stocking this year!
Henné Organics | Luxury Lip Tint
I chose this tinted lip balm in particular because my girl has Clinique’s Black Honey on her wishlist (love that BH has made a comeback!). The shade ‘Muse’ has been touted by fans as being a clean dupe. So naturally I had to get one for myself as well to test it out. And let me tell you, I love this balm (I’ll be adding it to my favorites!), and the color is close…it’s a bit more berry than brown on me, but very pretty and will be perfect on my girl. Just a lovely wash of color, and the balm itself is moisturizing and cushiony. In fact my boy is getting the clear version in his stocking, because chapped-lips season is arriving soon and it’s always a struggle. He digs that chapstick feel, so I’m hoping this little gem will finally bring him over to the green side….
Tower28 | BeachPlease Luminous Tinted Balm
At $20 I would consider this a splurge item for a teen, but the color payoff in these is so good that it should last her quite a while. I chose Magic Hour for her, but Happy Hour and Rush Hour are also fab choices for teens. Can dab on their cheeks as well as their lips and eyes. Natural looking and just adds to that already glowy youthful skin.
Pacifica Beauty | Pink Nudes Mineral Eyeshadow Palette
A terrific starter set of eyeshadows in lovely neutral shades. Gets great reviews, and for $14 she’s getting a ton of product.
EcoTools | Start the Day Beautifully Brush Set
This was actually on her wishlist. And yes I was super-proud that she chose such an eco-friendly option. Made from recycled materials, cruelty-free and packaged with tree-free materials. And at a fantastic price point! Can’t beat a set of good brushes for under $10. In fact I also got her the travel set for all those weekend volleyball tournaments.
Jenny Patinkin | Vegan Makeup Brush Soap
Hoping to start her off with good habits when it comes to makeup application. This does a great job at cleaning brushes, and makes the process super easy. Lasts forever, too! All natural and the tin is reusable/recyclable.
Alix E. Harrow | The Ten Thousand Doors of January
This magical book was one of my favorite reads this year, and I know she’ll dig it. It’s a story about a mixed-race girl coming of age in a time and place that wasn’t very accepting. I know it will fire up my girl as well as bring tears and laughter. I can’t wait for her to read it.
Along with these she’ll have a bag of her favorite (organic) gummy bears and some film for her mini Instax instant camera. Boom! Can’t wait to see the smile.
Tracey is the founder and writer of Life in the Happy Medium. She’s also a freelance graphic designer, Mom to 2 teens, Wife, and Friend to a tribe she holds dear, who’s prone to some fairly serious car singing and dancing much to her family’s chagrin (old school R&B is where it’s at!).
From cleaner beauty to healthy-ish eating, she’s blogging here to share favorite finds that keep her happy in the middle.
