holiday gift guide

We may be going through a global pandemic, and I may not be attending my favorite Christmas pop-up bar this year, but the holidays are not canceled! How are you spending Christmas this year? My family and I will still be getting together to see each other and do our holiday traditions. I’ve listed items I’ve had my eye on below for a Holiday Gift Guide for Her. Some can be bought anywhere, where others are for my fellow Chicago locals!

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. Thank you in advance for your support towards Sweating Champagne and my writing goals!

InvisaWear Keychain

InvisaWear offers cute jewelry that also serve as an SOS panic buttons during an emergency. On the back of each piece of jewelry is a button that can send out a distress signal when clicked two times. Five emergency contacts can be added to receive alerts and you can also allow dispatchers to access to your location as well. They offer keychains, bracelets, and necklaces. All perfect holiday gifts! Photo: invisawear.com | Silver LimeLife Keychain: $149

Natalie Mills Rhinestone Face Mask

Face masks are here to stay, so why not add a little glitz and glam to it? If you’re looking for something a little more fun and fashionable, I recommend taking a look at rhinestone face masks from Natalie Mills. I have one in black and love it! They’d also be a great item for dressed up holiday parties and functions. Photo: amazon.com | Rhinestone Face Masks: $22.50

Rare Beauty Matte Lip Cream

Selena Gomez recently released her new beauty line, Rare Beauty, and I absolutely love it. With 1% of proceeds going to The Rare Fund, which was created to donate to mental health organizations such as NAMI, I think the company is advocating towards such a great cause. Rare Beauty offers a lot of different products that are all about showing what makes you unique. Some examples include lipstick, eyeliner, highlighter, brush tools, and more. My cart on launch day included the Liquid Touch Weightless Foundation in shade 210N (one of their Light Medium shades) and the Lip Soufflé Matte Lip Cream in shade ‘Courage’. Photo: rarebeauty.com | Lip Soufflé Matte Lip Cream: $20

Bose SoundSport Free Wireless Headphones

These have been one of my most prized possessions for numerous years. Numberless commutes, work outs, you name it – these wireless headphones have sure gotten their use and STILL have the best sound and quality I have ever found in a set of wireless headphones. I also like how the earbuds still inside your ears since I have a hard time keeping other ones in my ears, especially while working out. The purple option is pretty hard to find, but the headphones also come in black, blue, and bright orange. Photo: amazon.com | Bose SoundSport Free Wireless Headphones: $299

Aura Reading from Revealing Soul

If you live in Chicago, I highly recommend having your aura read by Cindy from Revealing Soul. It’s such a unique experience! I’ve had my aura read by her twice now. It’s really cool to hear the explanation of why colors show in certain places within the photograph. Aside from aura readings, she also offers private and group channeling sessions. It’s a unique holiday gift! Photo: Revealing Soul’s Facebook | Private Aura Reading + 15 Min of Channeling: $120

Beachwaver Co. Curling Iron

If you want easy, luscious curls, I highly recommend a curling iron from Beachwaver Co. – it’s what I use to curl my hair! The curling iron has a button you can push to automatically rotate the barrel to curl your hair and hold. You can have it curl inwards or outwards. It also heats up super fast and distributes heat evenly from top to bottom. Beachwaver Co. offers other barrel sizes, but I like the 1.25 inch model the best. Photo: ulta.com | Beachwaver Co. Voltage Rotating Curling Iron: $129 (Use promo code CHAMPAGNEWAVE for 10% off your order!)

Transit Tees Chicago Red Line Magnet

Transit Tees, in my opinion, has some of the best Chicago themed items around. One item of theirs that I really like is the Transit Line Magnets. I want to get one for the Grand stop to represent my neighborhood! They offer magnets for the red line, brown line, purple line, blue line, green line, orange line, pink line, and yellow line. Aside from magnets, Transit Tees also has some cool Chicago games, apparel, jewelry, keychains, glassware, and stationary. SO many great, affordable options that are perfect for gifts or stocking stuffers! My eye is on these transit magnets, Loop: The Elevated Card Game, the Loop stripe coffee mug, and the CTA token camper mug. Photo: transittees.com | Red Line Transit Magnet: $5

The most wonderful time of the year is just around the corner, which means it’s TIME TO SHOP! Sales and product releases are happening earlier and earlier each year, so I recommend making your gift list (or wish list) sooner than later. Start giving those hints! I have rounded up a list of Alyssa-approved gifts in a holiday gift guide that are worth giving or being given this holiday season below. Let me know which ones are your favorites!

Bose: Soundsport Wireless Headphones

These have been one of my most prized possessions for the past three years. Numberless commutes, work outs, you name it – these wireless headphones have sure gotten their use and STILL have the best sound and quality I have ever found in a set of wireless headphones. I had the pair in black, but after recently losing them (could have kicked myself) I replaced them with the violet pair! Honestly, these are a great gift and an even better item to have on your personal wish list. My number one recommendation, for sure.

Clothing Garment Rack

For the fashionista in your life, an easy, yet affordable, option is a clothing garment rack! These really add a stylish flare to any room and are great for having in the background while taking #ootd pictures. For this reason, I had to include it in this holiday gift guide! I recently got one for my apartment and love it. I have linked the exact clothing garment rack I purchased HERE.

Cole Haan: ZERØGRAND Explore Hiker Boots

I love these winter boots from Cole Haan. They are waterproof (much needed in the city) and are really stylish. They also have rubber pods for traction and a great cushioned footbed. When Chicago hits the polar vortex again, these are the shoes I want to have handy!

Venus Et Fleur: Lé Mini Round

These tiny rose arrangements are the perfect gift for any occasion. They’re unique, beautiful, and a great price range! Each rose lasts up to about a year on their own, no watering needed, in a cute mini box. The Lé Mini Round style offers a variety of box colors and rose colors to choose from. It’s perfect!

AE: High-Rise Plush Leopard Legging

If you know me, you know I absolutely love leopard print. On any occasion. On any piece of clothing. Did you catch my post about leopard print styles for Fall?? These leopard leggings from American Eagle look SUPER comfy and would be a great lounge addition to your closet. The price is not too shabby either!

Corkcicle: Stemless Insulated Wine Glass

These babies are perfect for Wine Wednesday! Stainless steel that keeps cold drinks colder than cold and hot drinks hotter than hot. Sounds like the perfect, sleek wine glass to me! Did I mention it has a shatterproof lid and is super cute?

Spanx: Jean-ish Ankle Leggings

Now these are on my wishlist! I love the way Spanx leggings are made. I have their faux leather leggings and love the high-waisted fit as well as the quality of the material. I think these Jean-ish Ankle Leggings are perfect for Fall and Winter this year. The best thing about Spanx and these leggings, they come in regular and PETITE size! Woo hoo!

Fitbit: Versa 2

I have a Fitbit Versa 2 (just got it) and LOVE it. I love being able to track my steps, heart rate, and sleep every day. The Versa 2 is the latest edition released by Fitbit this past September. It comes in multiple colored bands and there are many cheap bands sold on Amazon for them as well (view my leopard band here!). You can also sync Spotify and Alexa to it!

The Beachwaver Co. S1 Curling Iron

If you want luscious curls, I highly recommend this Beachwaver curling iron – it’s what I use! It is $129, and worth every penny. The curling iron has a button to push to automatically curl your hair and hold. It also heats up super fast and distributes heat evenly from top to bottom. I like the 1″ inch model for not too tight, not too loose curls!

Timberland: Carnaby Cool Bootie

What would a holiday gift guide be without cute, girly booties for fall and winter? I’m a big fan of the color pink, so I am a big fan of these pink Timberland booties. They come in women’s size 5.5 to 11 and have an OrthoLite® footbed for increased comfort. They also have a little bit of a heel, which is a plus for style!

Balance Athletica: The OG Pant – Tie Dye Intuition

Balance Athletica offers super cute leggings for every woman, no matter her shape or size. Worthy of being on a holiday gift guide! Their newest collection, the Aura Collection, are especially head-turners. These tie-dye styles come in three different colors – with pink of course being my favorite – for $70 each. I love that they are high-waisted and flattering to the behind!