soft glow (un)serious gift guide
unserious but also serious gifts for yearning poets, chaotic girls, witches, people you low key dislike and more!
Struggling to find the perfect gift for your hot-mess bestie, the family member who tests your patience, or your poet girlfriend who’s in a perpetual state of yearning? Don’t worry: Soft Glow is here with all the answers you need.
Maybe your new internet friends are in the mix too: substack girls who contain multitudes, meme admins (hot, obviously) who are even more relatable offline. They deserve to be spoiled this season! Chosen family is just as important (if not more important) than blood. Here’s what to get them:
~ for the yearn baby ~
Diptyque’s L’Eau Papier perfume (or the hair mist, if you’re feeling it) captures the scent of fresh paper and ink. One whiff, and her heart will flutter!
The yearning writer girl of the internet has one universal truth: she loooves honey (Because, you know, bees obviously). The I’m From Honey Mask will inspire her between chapters while nourishing her skin.
For those late-night brooding sessions, the silver-and-green pearl toothpick set by Gohar World is pure indulgent elegance. and it comes with a velvet pouch<3
She’s on her Frama stool, poetry in hand, The Dreambird album washing over her, easing her into that soft-cranium headspace before the writing begins. Her thoughts take shape in a dreamy Diptyque notebook, framed by her melancholic AHLEM Saint Jacques glasses.
Sensitive skin is a hallmark of sensitive souls. For dry patches and chapped lips, there’s nothing more classic than Rosebud Salve. Its the perfect occlusive to use after a gentle exfoliation (PHA + enzyme-based products) and a hydrating essence toner (yes, lips need toner too when they’re dry).
I think Oribe’s tortoiseshell comb would make her happy: stunning, timeless, and made for moments of quiet self-care.
Paloma wool knits always work well as a gift to the girl that reads first editions alone in the park. And make sure to check out Justine Menard for poem-like glassware that will make her drool.
Wrap it all up with a romantic silver tray, something that whispers Elsa Peretti. Perfect for a bit of cluttercore magic: stacks of half-read books, skincare, scattered jewellery, and evidence of late-night musings.
<3 please hit like / share if you enjoy this, ripple effect is real. it would mean SO much. <3
~ for the minimalist ~
We all know that one person who insists you don’t get them a gift, whether it’s a commitment to sustainability or just a preference for living lightly.
With that in mind, I’ve rounded up a few all-in-one solutions and a couple of non-physical gems. These are picks for people who appreciate things that last or have a functional, multipurpose edge:
Seriously, this is the best gift for a minimalist: a fractional laser treatment gift card. Skincare, streamlined, no bottles required (except for some SPF, especially post-treatment). Fractional laser is the ultimate multitasker, tackling nearly every skin concern. It’s a bit more invasive than your usual routine, but the results last ages.
Then there’s the Dyson Airwrap. The all-in-one hair tool that even a minimalist can’t argue with. Efficient and capable of doing everything they’d ever want for their hair. Truly an investment in simplicity.
For a multi-purpose balm, nothing beats the classic blue tin. It smells like childhood and works like a charm on dry patches everywhere. Therapy and skincare in one. (Sensitive skin friends, maybe skip the face application! I know I do.)
Minimalist or not, everyone needs a solid facial sunscreen. TOCOBO’s is no-fuss perfection: a watery texture, absorbs in seconds, zero white cast. Not too glowy, not too matte, just right.
For a cleaning essential that doubles as a luxury moment, there’s Diptyque’s La Droguerie Multi-Surface Spray. Lavender, cedar, and fig tree notes in a refillable glass bottle. A boujee way to wipe down surfaces and keep things fresh.
A digital product is the perfect gift for the minimalist. The facial massage method of Anastacia Beauty Fascia has gotten a cult following, and I do believe it can work on people. Consistency is key though. Here you can sign up for her waitlist.
A tool that lasts a lifetime: the Philip B Genius Paddle Brush. High-quality, timeless, and designed to be with them for decades.
~ for the occult-y best friend ~
The one that knows your birth chart, uses chatGPT to combine iChing with career advice, feelings and human design. We all know her (and if not, search for one), and this is what she would love to get under the tree. in the forest, ideally. sitting in a circle.
Allies of Skin Copper Tripeptide serum, Rira brown glass, Votary super seed oil, Path mcGrath lip kohl, corali Silver Lago Ring, R.E.M. green highlighter (GORGE), Sophie Buhai perfume necklace, The Row maxi skirt, St. Rose Good Omens candle, Alaïa black Criss Cross flats, Vyrao Ember candle, Rituel de Fille black orb, Alaïa Le Teckel Flap, Piet Langeveld Winter Solstice candles in fanta: the blackest black on earth, sucking up light(!), Saie Glowy supergel, Commune Nymphaea candle, an egg chandelier cause why the hell not, Paloma wool skirt, Krystel Liliana candle via Muy Fragil , Anna Sui Black Erickson Beamon Edition Cameo Choker, L'OBJET Bois Sauvage Bath Salt, 500 mL
This might be the most satisfying category for some: passive-aggressive gifts for that one annoying family member or the friend-of-a-friend who grates on your nerves.
Who needs a detoxifying treatment? exactly. And if a Tom Ford perfume feels a touch too generous for someone who isn’t quite worth it (depending on their crimes though let’s be real, sometimes the ambiguity of a very nice gift is its own insult), there’s always a more economical option:
loose glitter makeup.
A little cheaper, a lot more chaotic. It’ll live on in their home forever, clinging to every surface, impossible to fully remove. A sparkling reminder of your impeccable taste and your subtle revenge.
~ gifts for your hot mess bestie ~
She’s the life of the party, lives for the plot and people obsess. She deserves the best! That acne faux fur coat is sold out everywhere but you can still buy her a Burn Book notebook and some iconic beauty items!
The messy, it girl aesthetic calls for a very specific kind of je ne sais quoi perfume, and she probably layers 3 of them. Make her day with Dries Van Noten’s Neon Garden Hand Cream: a green, powdery musk with a sterile, synthetic twist that keeps it fresh and intriguing.
U Beauty’s Skin Tint delivers that effortless skin-meets-makeup finish, packed with powerhouse ingredients. Expensive but undeniably worth it.
Gloss has taken over matte and shows no signs of stopping. MAC’s viral lip gloss in brown is perfect alone or layered over a pencil lippy lip.
Oribe’s Mirror Rinse isn’t just a pretty bottle (in the deepest most perfect blue, gaggg) Its advanced gloss technology gives hair that freshly salon-treated shine. No mirror needed anymore
Byredo’s Kali Kali Kajal pencil delivers rich black pigment with a thick tip, for eyes that smudge just right. I saw they also have silver now!!
The radicalised wellness aunty
She’s deep into DIY beef tallow balms, swears that castor oil navel packs before bed trigger “extreme lymphatic drainage”, hates sunscreen for no scientific reason, and harbours an intense - albeit misinformed - fear of chemicals. It’s a self-absorbed kind of naturalism, and while you could try to educate her, sometimes it’s easier to meet her halfway. The question is: do you challenge her worldview or indulge it with a wink? Here's how to strike the perfect balance, hoping she worked long enough on diminishing her ego that she can take a joke. Fingers crossed!
Spend some quality time with her, find things you both agree on or that are of interest of you both (ceramics? herbs? although she’s probably not vegan anymore and loves eating raw meat: ehmm, animals?) and practice good faith communication. avoid talking politics at all times.
This shakti mat is absolutely amazing for deep rest, back pain, any form of stress, head aches and more. I have experienced it doing wonders by stimulating the blood flow and pressuring deep tissue layers of the skin, muscle, fascia etc.
Hope you enjoyed! If you did, feel free to share the love so others can enjoy as well :))
Next one will be next week already. a tad more scientific but also fun.
Speak soooon! xoxo soft glow
I love it! Your gift guides just became my personal wish lists lol <3
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