Welcome to a special edition of the Watering Hole!

We put together a last minute holiday gift guide with some of our favorite men’s brands and products so that you can get the people in your family/significant other/friends something that goes beyond the ordinary. We tried to add as many queer-owned businesses as we could find in each category!!

There is soooo much clothing out there, so here’s just a sampling of what we’re loving right now, but this is obviously not exhaustive! I didn’t include pricing, since the brands are mainly by category vs. individual items 🙃 

• POPULAR BRANDS: 

  • Naadam’s cashmere sweaters

  • Cos’ jackets & overcoats

  • Massimo Dutti’s cardigans (sorry - their website sucks)

  • Buck Mason’s tees

    • Also, their women’s slub muscle tank, but buying a size up for men

  • Abercrombie’s light wash loose fit jeans (also their carpenter-style jeans)

  • Onia (if you want to support a queer-owned brand and get ahead of summer shopping)

• NEW / LESSER KNOWN BRANDS:

  • Wax London’s overshirts and corduroy pants

  • Che Studio’s knits

  • Octobre Edition’s belts & accessories

  • Corridor’s unique cardigans

  • OAS’ funky robes

  • Perte D’Ego (they have some fun holiday stuff)

  • Luca's mules 

  • Marco Montesi cableknit pullover

  • A Day’s March outwear

• UNDERWEAR: Whether you’re a boxers or briefs person, Skims has you covered with the most comfortable and stylish underwear on the market — full stop. If you’re feeling rich, splurge for Tom Ford underwear, but the holidays usually bankrupt us all 😂. Also, can’t forget Coyote Jocks for, you guessed it, jocks.

• ACCESSORIES: We’ve been living for Quince’s 100% cashmere hats, gloves and scarves. At such an affordable price point, you can finally feel and look bougie without breaking the bank. For socks, you really can’t go wrong with Uniqlo - their price point and quality are unmatched. Can’t miss queer-owned businesses Humankind for gender-inclusive swimwear and For Them for binders. Oh, and Bombas’ Gripper Slippers ($48) are so cute.

• OTHER GIFT GUIDES: Huckberry’s gift guide is the only one you need to care about ❤️‍🔥. Ok, fine, we like NN07’s gift guide too 😁.

• BEAUTY PICKS: Our top picks by product types that we think you’ll love, because we’re obviously experts? We typically lean toward products that won’t make it look like you have makeup on your face.

  • TINTED MOISTURIZER: Saie’s Slip Tint ($36) - it has SPF 35 so it will keep your skin protected, and provides really natural looking coverage so you don’t look like you’re wearing makeup.

  • BLUSH: Rhode’s Toasted Teddy ($24) - I know this brand is super hyped, but Toasted Teddy really is that girl. It gives you a burnt look and feel, while staying matte so you get that natural look.

  • CONCEALER: Nars’ Radiant Creamy Concealer ($32) - great coverage without caking for under eyes. We’d recommend going slightly lighter than your natural skin tone to brighten the area and help conceal dark circles.

  • SETTING SPRAY: One/Size by Patrick Starr ($32) - the holy grail. If you need extra validation, it’s recommended by every Sephora employee on TikTok 😊.

  • HAIR: JVN Complete Air Dry Creme ($28) - (another queer-owned biz) this creme provides a soft, natural hold for short or medium length hair. Put in a quarter sized amount when your hair is still slightly wet. We also love spraying Byredo’s Hair Perfume (recommend Black Saffron - $85) to make your hair smell incredible.

• SKINCARE PICKS: Recommending skincare is tough because everyone has really different skin types and not everything works for everyone. Here are our simple picks for normal skintypes.

  • DAILY CLEANSER: Dermalogica Daily Glycolic Cleanser ($38) - this cleanser FUCKS. My skin feels so smooth and clean after applying - I usually do it in the shower and use a more gentle cleanser at night like Paula’s Choice ($22).

  • TONER: Indie Lee CoQ-10 Toner ($38) - this was actually recommended to me by an aesethician at Heyday years ago and I have never looked for another because it is so effective at prepping the skin to absorb other products.

  • MOISTURIZER: Peter Thomas Roth Cloud Moisturizer ($54) - no words, just perfection. Queer-owned goodlight’s hyaluronic cream ($28) is also incredible, but sadly waitlisted right now.

  • HYALURONIC ACID: Mixsoon HA Serum ($19) - fairly inexpensive, and incredibly effective. Adds a ton of hydration and nice glow to your skin.

• FRAGRANCE: We’ll break them out by price point, but here’s just a few wintry, deeper scents.

  • LOWER: Zara’s Oud Vibrant Leather ($36), Salt & Stone Santal and Vetiver ($45)

  • MID: YSL’s MYSLF ($89-155), Maison Margiela’s Replica Jazz Club ($85-165)

  • EXPENSIVE: Tom Ford’s Ombre Leather ($200-300), YSL’s Tuxedo ($295)

  • SAMPLE SETS: Byredo ($60), Dries Von Noten ($40), Margiela ($39), Malin + Goetz ($26), Diptyque ($130)

• CANDLES: There are really too many choices when it comes to candles and a few different price points which can make it difficult. Here are a few of our favorites..

  • HOLIDAY SCENT: Queer-owned Preston Lane has an incredible Winterwatch candle ($85) that will make you feel the holigays in full force. At a lower price point, one of our followers recommended Thyme’s Fraiser Fur ($36) - try it and let us know what you think!

  • SEXY SCENT: Another queer-owned business, Boy Smells, really nails seduction with their Hinôki Fantome candle ($48 or $96). It’s woodsy & smoky, while also bringing a slight fruitiness.

  • EVERYDAY SCENTS: Voluspa candles ($25.50) are on sale right now - you can never go wrong with Voluspa, but my biggest recommendation is Seda France’s Japanese Quince ($40). It’s a dupe for Diptyque’s Baies at a fraction of the cost - and let me tell you, it smells identical. Element Brooklyn ($17.50) also does a refill dupe for Baies. OK, I’m giving you all my tricks…

• HOME: Anything and everything (towels, robes, plates, vases) from Dusen Dusen or Gustaf Westman for an eclectic pop of color.

• FOOD: If you’re balling out, Flamingo Estate is the top of the top - and, they’ve curated a gift guide section.

• TOYS: Babeland (queer-owned) is your one-stop shop for any and all toys. We also love Lelo’s toys because they sync to your phone, so you can control everything — it’s WILD.

• LUBE: Our two favs are Necessaire’s Sex Gel ($28) and Maude’s Silicone Lube ($25)!

• BUTT STUFF: Queer-owned Studio Ready’s Butt Scrub ($29) and Sol De Janeiro’s Bum Bum Cream ($44) will keep you clean and tight.

HOPE YOU FOUND ALL YOUR HOLIGAY GIFTS ❤️