Remember when you were a stylish, beauty-obsessed teenager and your distant relatives gifted you ugly clothes and weird products that you would never be caught dead wearing? Now that you're the grown up relative, you may realize that buying fashion and beauty gifts for teenagers is stressful AF.
Considering you want solidify your status as the coolest older sister/cousin/aunt (and you are! you swear!) you're going to have to crush the gifting game. And I won't lie to you — when it comes to teenagers, it can be pretty hard. On the one hand, you want to make sure you get them something that's age appropriate (which means you can't get them the BigGulp wine funnel you got for everyone else on your list), but on the other, you want to make sure it's something that they'll still think is cool. Trust me on this one — nothing will make you feel older than having your teenage niece open the gift you got her and tell you it's lame.
To avoid that awkward moment under the Christmas tree, here are 17 gifts that every teenager in your life will actually want in their holiday stocking. Eye rolls, avoided — as long as you don't start any stories with the phrase, "When I was your age..."
1. For The Budding Writer
One Line A Day Five Year Memory Book, $14, Barnes And Noble
Requiring one line a day of journaling is do-able enough for even the most anti pen-to-paper teenagers. Don't you kind of wish you had started one of these when you were 15, so you could go back and re-read all of your important thoughts about Obamas first election (... and your prom drama)?
2. For The One You Have NO Idea What To Get
FabFitFun Winter Box, $50, F ab Fit Fun
Give your teenaged loved one a taste of girl power (which we could all use after this election) with FabFitFun's winter box. It features five products founded by female enterpreneurs, and they're actually gifts people will want... like a Moleskin Planner, a Gorjana gold necklace and a D+L Candle. You can buy this box, which has a eight products in total, for $49.99 (it's a $245.95 value) or buy a four box subscription for $179.99.
3. For The Nail Art Queen
Durable Gel Nail Polish in Party Queen, $24, MelodySusie
Remember when you had to ask for permission (and money, and a ride) to go get a manicure? Such is life as a teenager. With this MelodySusie polish set, you'll be giving the gift of professional-style gel nails at home. And the best part? They'll only need to use one coat.
4. For The Bath Afficionado
Candy Cane Ring Bath Bomb, $18, PearlBathBombs
Teens love bath bombs. They literally watch hours worth of videos on YouTube of them exploding into strangers bathtubs and consider it entertainment. Give the people what they want with Pearl's vegan and paraben-free options, which come in festive flavors like Frozen Berry, Candy Cane, and Evergreen.
5. For The Selfie Obsessed
iPhone 6/6S Lumee Case, $40, Lumee
Selfie sticks were so 2015.
6. For The One Who Likes To Sleep Until Noon On The Weekends
Marigot Collection Marine Blue Pinwheel Lorient Pajama Short Set, $125, T ucker Nuck
It's a widely known fact that teenagers need more sleep than we do (something about their growth patterns or their brains or something) so they may as well do it in style with an adorable PJ set, like this one from Tuckernuck.
7. For The Teen Refining Her Lipstick Game
MAC Red Nutcracker Suite Mini Lipstick Kit, $26, Macys
Considering I personally didn't wear lipstick until I was 25, I give serious props to any high school student who's experimenting with reds and plums. MAC's Nutcracker gift sets come in red (pictured above) and nude lipstick, eyeshadow, highlighter and brush sets, too.
8. For The Stylish Athlete
S'Well 25 oz. in Khaki Cheetah, $45, Swellbottle
Just try and pretend 16-year-old you didn't want a cheetah printed water bottle that would keep your drinks cold all through soccer practice.
9. For The One Who Wishes She Was A Part Of Taylor Swift's Squad
Costway Inflatable Leisure Giant Swan Float Toy Rideable Raft Swimming Pool Celebrity, $25, Walmart
Now she can at least have similar looking Instagram photos to Taylor, Karlie and Gigi.
10. For The Gilmore Girl In Training
But First Coffee Thermal Mug, $14, DollsKill
Rory gave all of us unrealistic standards about how much coffee a teenager should actually be drinking, but if they're going to do it they may as well do it out of a cute mug.
11. For The Budding Fashionista
The Coveteur: Private Spaces, Personal Style, $23, Barnes And Noble
#TBT to when we were teenagers and had to wait for the latest issues of People and Us Weekly to get to us in order to see inside celebrities' closets.
12. For The Music Lover
Gold Flake And Smoky Resin Taylor Headphones, $160, WeAreFriends
These super-chic headphones are sure to be a hit in any teen's stocking, whether they're music taste is more "P!nk" or "Pink Floyd."
13. For The Baby Beauty Guru
Panda's Dream Hand Cream, $12, Tony Moly
Pretty much anything on Tony Moly's site is bound to be a hit with the teen set. All of the brand's products are cute and super effective, so you really can't go wrong!
14. For The Wannabe Calvin Girl
Calvin Klein Underwear Modern Chevron Bralette, $28, U rban Outfitters
Considering Kendall, Gigi and Justin Bieber are all brand fans, you can basically guarantee that every other teen is going to be into this comfy Calvin Klein underwear set, too. Boxer briefs for the boys, bra and undies for the girls.
15. For The Photography Nut
Smartphone Projector, $22, Z avvi
Most teenagers have probably never seen a projector IRL before, but they'll love to show off their photos with this projector that hooks up easily to their cell phones and displays them on any sort of blank wall or canvas.
16. For The Indecisive Teen
Sephora Favorite Perfume Sampler, $60, Sephora
IMHO, this is the coolest gift for any human of any age. For $60, you get to sample 14 of Sephora's top selling fragrances, then redeem your favorite for a FREE full-sized bottle. If anyone wants to get one of these for me while they're shopping for their teen, I wouldn't hate it.
17. For The Future Bling Ring Member
Bauble Bar Gem Piñata Tassel Drops, $38, Baublebar You'll be there hero of New Years Eve with these fun statement earrings, which come in dozens of colors (... so you can buy a pair for yourself, too).
18. For The One Who Can't Peel Herself Away From Her Phone
iPhone cases, $24, A mber-Ash
Let's face it — every teenager's favorite accessory is his or her iPhone. If they're going to have it with them every second of the day, it might as well look as stylish as possible, right? These iPhone cases from Amber & Ash are inspired by Pantone colors and will add a chic touch to any outfit.
19. For The Summer-Loving Beach Bum
Coconut Holiday Kit, $38, K opari Beauty
If the teenager in your life loves all-things-coconut-oil and dreams of tropical getaways, this gift set from Kopari will have her smelling and feeling like she's somewhere on the beach, no matter where she is.
Images: Courtesy of Brands
