Holiday Gift Guide: Super Last Minute Ideas

Okay. You have three days left and you're freaking out!

Mostly because you don't even have enough time to finish packing, let alone to go shop in-stores for presents now, and express shipping is not going to deliver your gift(s) in time. What do you do? Well, if you have a Chinese or Taiwanese background like me, the easiest gift (although also seen as the best in my culture) is a red envelope with cash in it! But okay, let's not assume that is an option. Let me help you out with a few really last minute gift ideas. 

Gift Cards (But thoughtful ones!)

For the Fashionistas, consider getting a gift card from Shopbop.com or Net-a-Porter. They're two of my favorite online shopping sites for beautiful products. If you have a smaller budget, a voucher from Asos.com might be a good idea, because the items often go on sale, allowing a smaller budget to easily go towards a piece of clothing or accessories.

If your giftee is a beauty/skincare junkie, get a gift card from SpaceNK or Glossier! If she is into Korean beauty, she would be thrilled to get one from Sokoglam or Glow Recipe. 

And if you're gifting a frequent traveler, I think they would love a gift card from Away the suitcase brand, or Airbnb. In fact, maybe one from Lyft is a good idea, too!

This Away pink suitcase is one of my favorite luggage pieces I've ever owned. Photo by Ashley Gallerani.

This pair of heels by Schutz was purchased on Shopbop.com. Photo by Caitee Smith.

Get Something at the Airport

There are a lot of gift options at airport terminals, but what are some good ones that won't go wrong? Some of my favorite products that tend to be available in airport terminals include:

• L'Occitane Shea Butter Hand Cream: You can read about why this is one of my current favorite hand creams on my beauty site Key To Radiance.
• Lip Glow Color Reviving Lip Balm by Dior: It looks good as a gift, and it works great for chapped lips.
• The Hydrating Facial sheet masks by La Mer: This is a fancy gift I once received and really loved. It's too expensive for me to buy it for myself but I'd personally like to gift it to someone special who deserves a good stay-in spa day.
• The book entitled At Home in the World, by Tsh Oxenreider: I read this book twice already since I got it. In this book, the author shares the journey of how her family spent 9 months traveling (with three kids) around the world. The adventures and the exploration are simply so inspiring!
• Mon Paris Eau de Parfum by Yves Saint Laurent: A fruity, feminine scent in a beautiful bottle.

The Lip Glow lip balm by Dior keeps my lips moisturized throughout the day and gives me a healthy-looking lip color.

Magazine Subscriptions

Despite being able to access a lot of articles online, I still love flipping through an actual magazine. I see them as a source of inspiration and believe anyone would appreciate an annual subscription. Some great choices include:

• VOGUE: You can never go wrong with VOGUE.
• MONOCLE: I always manage to find great ideas, learn new concepts from Monocle; the content is just so inspiring.
• Travel + Leisure: A great way to find the next travel destination!

A Fresh Bouquet

You can grab a nice bouquet from a local florist as last minute as the day of, but let's say you don't even have the time to run to the shop. There are so many online stores that offer same-day delivery services, such as The Bouqs Co., Urban Stems, and Bloom That. Most of them offer subscriptions that may be a good choice, too! Who wouldn't like having fresh flowers sent to them all the time?

Hopefully, one of the above will help you with your last minute gift-buying panic attack! Let me know what you ended up getting in the comments below. If you have other great ideas, please share with me, too!

Thank you for reading.

Love,