Gifts That Sleigh: The Best Holiday Gifts Of 2021

A couple years ago, I thought I’d won holiday gifting. A month before Christmas, my girlfriend, a lover of sauces, mentioned in passing that she wanted a gourmet bottle of ranch dressing. “That’s such a great gift idea,” she said. Hearing that, especially after poring over holiday gift guides ad nauseum, I ditched all the other practical holiday gift ideas I knew in my gut she’d love no matter what: skin care gift sets from her favorite brand, a chic puffer coat in her favorite color, or the dainty necklace I’d seen her eyeing a thousand times. Instead, I clung to sourcing the best ranch dressing like my life depended on it. I smugly settled on an expensive bottle from Williams Sonoma, wrapped it up with a little bow, and waited with childlike anticipation as she opened it. Her monotone “oh” was not the response I’d expected for what I thought would be the best holiday gift ever.

Fortunately, the holiday beauty bundles I’d gotten as backups saved our Christmas. And if the fact that she still roasts me over this ranch debacle two years later has taught me anything, it’s that sometimes the easiest holiday gifts — a restock of your bestie’s favorite shampoo or that one gift that’s all over TikTok — make the biggest impact. Also, ranch dressing is not a good holiday gift, apparently.

Below, you’ll find the 2021 Elite Daily Gifts That Sleigh holiday gift guide, a 40-product list of the most coveted gifts across beauty, fashion, accessories, and the viral products sweeping TikTok. Rest assured, each of these gifts is sure to light up your giftee’s face and secure you the title of a Very Good Gift Giver. Keeping track of ongoing shipping delays during the holiday season will give you extreme whiplash when trying to decipher if products are currently in stock, so we recommend you continue checking back to make sure you can get your hands on your fave products before they’re gone again.

We only include products that have been independently selected by Elite Daily's editorial team. However, we may receive a portion of sales if you purchase a product through a link in this article.

Beauty

The holidays are undeniably the best time for beauty gifting, simply because IRL and virtual shelves are overflowing with affordable makeup, hair care, body care, and skin care gift sets. Rather than settling on one expensive beauty product that could be a hit or miss, you can offer your giftee a selection of products to try from their favorite brands, like Drunk Elephant, Olaplex, and The Ordinary. It’s thoughtful, it’s practical, and who doesn’t want a guaranteed good skin day?

Fashion

With style becoming more personal and a new fashion trend emerging every few seconds, sifting through pages and pages of the latest and greatest clothes can feel fruitless. Below, you’ll find a careful curation spanning several different aesthetics for any type of fashion lover. There’s a form-fitting, velvet crop top for the queen of going-out looks; some retro sweaters for the dark academics among us; and some athleisure basics for the giftee who’s always on the go.

Accessories

The right accessories are what elevate an outfit from basic to show-stopping, and the below shoes, bags, jewelry, and more will undoubtedly make a statement. Featuring a prime selection of 2021’s most popular patterns and motifs, like checkerboard, crystals, and butterflies, these accessories will speak to a wide variety of popular interests. Gift a pair of funky Converse high-tops to the sneakerhead in your life or choose a zodiac constellation necklace for a sweet personalized gift.

Trending

Squishmallows. That’s it, that’s the gift. There’s a reason the below trending items are solid holiday gift ideas: Everyone loves ’em. TikTokers have lauded Halara’s inclusive sizing and versatile athletic silhouettes, and who can pass up the the vibey lighting of the ever-popular sunset lamp? Each of these trending holiday gifts has garnered a cult following in recent months, so act fast before they sell out.