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Your Last Minute, Slightly Bougie, Gay Holiday Gift Guide đđ
Welcome to a special edition of the Watering Hole!
We put together a last minute holiday gift guide with some of our favorite menâs 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!!
MENâS CLOTHING & ACCESSORIES
There is soooo much clothing out there, so hereâs just a sampling of what weâre loving right now, but this is obviously not exhaustive! I didnât include pricing, since the brands are mainly by category vs. individual items đ
POPULAR BRANDS:
Naadamâs cashmere sweaters
Cosâ jackets & overcoats
Massimo Duttiâs cardigans (sorry - their website sucks)
Buck Masonâs tees
Also, their womenâs slub muscle tank, but buying a size up for men
Abercrombieâs 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 Londonâs overshirts and corduroy pants
Che Studioâs knits
Octobre Editionâs belts & accessories
Corridorâs unique cardigans
OASâ funky robes
Perte DâEgo (they have some fun holiday stuff)
Luca's mules
Marco Montesi cableknit pullover
A Dayâs March outwear
UNDERWEAR: Whether youâre a boxers or briefs person, Skims has you covered with the most comfortable and stylish underwear on the market â full stop. If youâre feeling rich, splurge for Tom Ford underwear, but the holidays usually bankrupt us all đ. Also, canât forget Coyote Jocks for, you guessed it, jocks.
ACCESSORIES: Weâve been living for Quinceâs 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 canât go wrong with Uniqlo - their price point and quality are unmatched. Canât miss queer-owned businesses Humankind for gender-inclusive swimwear and For Them for binders. Oh, and Bombasâ Gripper Slippers ($48) are so cute.
OTHER GIFT GUIDES: Huckberryâs gift guide is the only one you need to care about â¤ď¸âđĽ. Ok, fine, we like NN07âs gift guide too đ.
MENâS SKINCARE / BEAUTY
BEAUTY PICKS: Our top picks by product types that we think youâll love, because weâre obviously experts? We typically lean toward products that wonât make it look like you have makeup on your face.
TINTED MOISTURIZER: Saieâs Slip Tint ($36) - it has SPF 35 so it will keep your skin protected, and provides really natural looking coverage so you donât look like youâre wearing makeup.
BLUSH: Rhodeâs 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: Narsâ Radiant Creamy Concealer ($32) - great coverage without caking for under eyes. Weâd 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, itâs recommended by every Sephora employee on TikTok đ.
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 Byredoâs 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 Paulaâs 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 goodlightâs 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: Weâll break them out by price point, but hereâs just a few wintry, deeper scents.
LOWER: Zaraâs Oud Vibrant Leather ($36), Salt & Stone Santal and Vetiver ($45)
MID: YSLâs MYSLF ($89-155), Maison Margielaâs Replica Jazz Club ($85-165)
EXPENSIVE: Tom Fordâs Ombre Leather ($200-300), YSLâs Tuxedo ($295)
SAMPLE SETS: Byredo ($60), Dries Von Noten ($40), Margiela ($39), Malin + Goetz ($26), Diptyque ($130)
FOOD & HOME
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 Thymeâs 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 HinĂ´ki Fantome candle ($48 or $96). Itâs 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 Franceâs Japanese Quince ($40). Itâs a dupe for Diptyqueâs 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, Iâm giving you all my tricksâŚ
HOME: Anything and everything (towels, robes, plates, vases) from Dusen Dusen or Gustaf Westman for an eclectic pop of color.
FOOD: If youâre balling out, Flamingo Estate is the top of the top - and, theyâve curated a gift guide section.
SEXUAL WELLNESS (bc we are sex-pos here)
TOYS: Babeland (queer-owned) is your one-stop shop for any and all toys. We also love Leloâs toys because they sync to your phone, so you can control everything â itâs WILD.
LUBE: Our two favs are Necessaireâs Sex Gel ($28) and Maudeâs Silicone Lube ($25)!
BUTT STUFF: Queer-owned Studio Readyâs Butt Scrub ($29) and Sol De Janeiroâs Bum Bum Cream ($44) will keep you clean and tight.