32 Crowd-Pleasing Gifts For The People Who Don’t Even Know What They Want

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Crowd-Pleasing Gifts
1
A stunning claw clip for anyone who loves romantic and whimsical hair accessories
Amazon

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Amazon

Promising review: “These are even nicer than I expected. They are beautiful! My hair is a little past my shoulders and fairly heavy, but these hold all day. Plus, they come in a beautiful box. I’m planning to get another as a gift for my daughter. Highly recommend!” — G Elizabeth

2
Amazon
A Laneige glowy lip balm

Promising review: “I’m a big fan of Laneige and an even bigger fan of this product. I purchased the gummy bear flavor. It smells incredible, is EXACTLY like the sleeping lip mask product (but in lip gloss form, of course), and the color is SO pretty. It’s a sheer purple but has just a slight tint. It’s also not sticky like other lip glosses tend to be, but rather, it’s really moisturizing. I can’t recommend this product enough.” — Jessie

3
Amazon
A bag of reindeer farts cotton candy

Promising review:This was absolutely the best stocking stuffer of all this past year! Everyone, young and old, loved it! The laughs were many and the cotton candy inside was so good! Awesome product! I will buy again.” — Peggy N

4
Amazon
Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza, a fast-paced card-slapping game

Promising review: “Bought this by accident because I thought these were baby flash cards. Saw these were actually a card game and tried it with my husband and fell in love with this game. It’s fun and competitive. :D” — ChocorateChippu

5
Minot
A wintery room spray to bring yuletide cheer to every room in their house

Minot Candle is a woman-owned small business that makes candles and room and linen sprays that are cruelty-free, vegan, and free from parabens, phthalates, hormone disruptors, and carcinogens. The room sprays are safe to use on upholstered furniture and linens, and a bottle provides over 1,000 sprays!

I tried these recently, and they are truly lovely! As someone who works from home and enjoys being a homebody on the weekends, I have definitely noticed that my nose is desensitized (de-scent-sitized) to all the smells in my home. Not that my home smells bad…it’s just a little stale sometimes…so I’ve really enjoyed giving the house a few spritzes — especially in my bedroom as I’m winding down to go to sleep.

6
Amazon
A Jellycat storm cloud plushie

Promising review: “So cute, so soft, I love his little frown. Totally worth every penny! I’m 30-years-old and bought this for myself, lol.” — alee

7
Uncommon Goods
An Excel shortcuts mug for the spreadsheets wiz

Promising reviews: Most popular gift at the white elephant party this year. Coworkers loved it.” — Keir

“I bought this as stocking stuffer for my husband who works with spreadsheets a lot in his job and he loved it! He even said some of the formulas were new for him…which was surprising haha. I highly recommend as a gift for anyone who’s a spreadsheet whiz.” — thenycdivya

Shipping Info: Economy (7–9 business days), standard (3–7 business days), expedited (2–3 business days), and express (1–2 business days) shipping is available for an additional cost.

8
Decor Hardcore / Etsy
An ugly cats in Renaissance paintings calendar

Decor Hardcore is a small business based in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Promising review: “My brother, sister, and I decided to buy fun esoteric calendars for each other for Hanukkah. My sister is a huge cat lover, and this made her day. 100 out of 10 would buy again!” — Gwendy7769

Shipping Info: Orders ship from North Carolina so delivery time varies based on your location. Check the listing for an estimated delivery date.

9
Amazon
Or a Jeopardy 2025 daily calendar if your giftee is a trivia fiend

Each question has a different wager so you can track your winnings for the year.

Promising review:I don’t think I would be invited to Christmas dinner If this wasn’t under the tree! My mom’s favorite day-to-day desk calendar.” — LAM

10
A delightfully stress-free This Annoying Life coloring book

Promising review: “By far the most amazing coloring book I’ve ever bought! It’s so funny and it really makes you laugh at the most annoying and inconvenient experiences in life. This made me laugh so much I bought two more for friends who also loved it! 10/10” — KArribas

11
The Adventure Challenge: Couples Edition — a book of scratch-off dates

And here’s an instant camera you can send along with the book if you know your giftee doesn’t have one.

Promising review: “I bought this for my boyfriend as a Valentine’s Day gift! We both suck at choosing dates, so this helps decide for us. We tried one last night and had an absolute blast! I feel like the way these dates are tailored helps so much in bonding on a deeper level, and it is helping to strengthen our relationship. I cannot wait to choose another date soon!” — Kaycee Lee

12
A pound of cereal marshmallows

Promising review: “Buying these charms was one of the best decisions of my life. The bag is twice the size of my head. The marshmallows are aesthetically pleasing and delicious. It’s everything I ever wanted in a snack.” — Amazon Customer

13
British Book Art / Etsy
An adorable bookmark book tracker for your reader

British Book Art is a small business based in the UK that sells the most stunning book art and bookmarks.

Promising review: “I’m absolutely obsessed with this bookmark. It’s definitely made me more determined to read this year, and it will be a nice keepsake. Will be repurchasing when this one’s almost filled. ❤️” — Mady Taylor

Shipping Info: Orders ship from the UK so delivery time varies based on your location. Check the listing for an estimated delivery date.

14
A National Geographic geode kit that’ll make for a smashing gift

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Amazon

It comes with 10 geodes of varying sizes as well as goggles and a display stand.

Promising review: “My 9-year-old niece gets these every year for Christmas. It is a new gift every time! She loves to put on safety glasses and swing that hammer! The geodes are always beautiful. She also loves the element of surprise! This is a wonderful gift that will engage even kids who are not into the sciences. Every year she takes pieces in to share with her class. She also loves to give pieces away as little gifts or mementos. Nat Geo never disappoints!” — Kristin D.

15
A dainty Local Eclectic solid gold birth month flower charm
Local Eclectic

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Local Eclectic

Local Eclectic is a woman-founded and woman-run business based in Chicago.

I have this charm for my birth month, and I love it. It’s a cute way to personalize my necklace (sometimes you gotta celebrate yourself), and I love that it’s more subtle than a horoscope charm. Whether you wear it on its own or layered with other charms and chains, it’s b-e-a-utiful. I especially love that the dangling birthstone is a cute pop of color against my typically all-gold necklaces, and I’m obsessed with the idea of adding more charms to make a wearable garden.

Promising review: “I ordered four of these flower charms, and they just arrived. Each one is beautifully made, and the detail is extraordinary. The stamen with the jewel hangs freely in the center. I am definitely planning to buy more of these charms!” — Rachel W.

16
Amazon
A pair of magnetic hand-holding socks

Promising review: “My sister and I have had so much fun with these socks!!! They are super cute and the magnetic hold really well. The magnets are a bit big so you do notice them but overall super fun and cute.” — addison fullmer

17
Merit
A sophisticated Merit perfume

Promising review: “This is a beautifully crafted scent that captures elegance and sophistication in every spritz. It opens with a refreshing blend of floral and citrus notes, balanced perfectly with warm, musky undertones that linger subtly on the skin. The fragrance feels modern and effortlessly luxurious, perfect for day-to-night wear. It’s light enough for casual outings but has just the right depth for special occasions. I love how long-lasting it is, and the bottle is sleek and elegant — a stunning addition to any perfume collection. Highly recommend this for anyone looking for a refined, signature scent!” — Teona S.

18
John Mihaly / BuzzFeed
A Silly Poopy’s Hide & Seek game

Promising review:This game is HILARIOUS. My kids love playing with it and taking turns hiding it. (They’re 8-, 6-, and 3-years-old). They all think poop is funny and run around yelling ‘Silly Poopy where are you?’ It keeps them busy for at least half an hour at a time and they leave me alone. Also? It’s pretty durable. I found it outside in my garden in the 20-degree winter weather. I guess my 8-year-old left it out there for a few days. It also gets thrown down the stairs and Silly Poopy just keeps on giggling and having fun.” — Adele

19
A pair of exquisitely warm and cozy fur-lined Crocs

And def check out the wide assortment of Jibbitz (Crocs charms) that you can gift ’em to personalize their new shoes.

Promising review: “My son has tried to convince me that these funny-looking shoes are so super comfortable that he has purchased more than one pair for himself. He’s also added those little characters to them. I declined his advice to get myself a pair since my job requires me to be on my feet all day. ‘They are just not my style,’ I would say. This past Christmas, he gave me what he called a gag gift. He recorded as I opened the package, and to my disappointment, it was a pair of those funny-looking slippers that nearly EVERYONE (except me) was wearing. They were black with a faux fur lining inside. He said, ‘Mom, I’m recording this, so you have to at least try them on.’ I thought, ‘Sure, but I know where these are going’. In my closet to never see the light of day again. I put them on and literally never took them off. I nearly slept in them. Oh my goodness, he was so right. They were so comfortable. I have a habit of always adding a layer of cushion to all of my work shoes to help keep my feet comfortable when I’m working. When I added a cushion to these, it made them super comfortable. I wear them everywhere! I work in the SHOP FROM HOME department in a supermarket, so I’m walking around on the concrete floors all day, and it’s painful; however, with these shoes, I’m walking on a super soft cloud. They are lightweight, so they don’t make my legs tired from dragging them around all day. Just fantastic. I am now a fan, and I HIGHLY recommend them to everyone. I have purchased a few more pairs for myself and have even given them as a gift to someone else.” — deneenmonia

20
Dapple & Dot / Etsy
A Don’t Worry Duck that’ll remind your chronically nervous friend that you’ll al

Dapple & Dot is a small business based in the UK. It donates 5% of all sales to Just One Tree, a nonprofit organization that plants trees to remove CO2 from the atmosphere.

Promising review: “Fun little magnet of great quality. Exceptional value for money.” — PLstar

Shipping Info: Orders ship from the UK so delivery time varies based on your location. Check the listing for an estimated delivery date.

21
Nordstrom
A Dyson Airwrap if they get hand cramps and a case of dead arm every morning drying their heair

Promising review: “I have waited a few years to get the Airwrap because it’s so darn expensive. I finally purchased it six weeks ago, and it has changed my life. This tool replaces your hair dryer, curling iron, and straightener. It’s great to pack for traveling since it’s the size of a larger curling iron with a few attachments and so lightweight. I’ve never had so many compliments on my hair, and I put in half the effort I did previously. My hair looks a lot healthier, too. Hot tools are bad for your hair, and if you can curl your hair with hot air instead of a hot iron, it’s a win.” — alisonshops6

22
MZ Wallace
A fan-fave MZ Wallace Sutton bag

Promising review: “This is the most comfortable purse to wear. The colors are great, too. I have this same purse in bronze and I love it. It fits my large wallet and other stuff, too. I get compliments all the time on this purse style.” — Sheri L.

23
Rat Paintings / Etsy
An absolutely rat-tastic rat painting to make them squeal with delight
Rat Paintings is a small business based in Virginia. And yes, the rats have been trained via positive reinforcement to use their hands or a brush to paint. Ah! So cute!

Promising review: “The picture of Tofu is a great photo, and the quality of the tiny canvas is amazing. I love their name on the back of the canvas. It’s everything I wanted! Going to frame these two prices separately and hang them next to each other!” — Bliss Paige

Shipping Info: Orders ship from the Viriginia so delivery time varies based on your location. Check the listing for an estimated delivery date.

Get a 2″x2″ painting from Rat Paintings on Etsy for $26.75 (choose from 10 primary and secondary colors). Larger paintings are available on the store’s page.

24
Amazon
A TikTok-famous 1,000-piece puzzle

Promising review: “I bought this as a gift for my husband because he absolutely loves puzzles and magic, so it was a no-brainer! I was honestly way more excited to finish putting this puzzle together than a normal puzzle because I couldn’t wait to see the end result. Blown away. I’m super impressed and will be purchasing a different version. Oh, and they weren’t kidding about the no dust in the box…very pleased with this purchase!” — Nlbrimberry

25
Amazon
A This Is Fine talking figurine for your office pal

Promising review: “This is an awesome talking figure with KC’s [the originator of the ‘On Fire’ comic strip] voice. The flames glow with a crackling fire sound. It comes with a great little book with the original comic strip and an insightful introduction explaining the ‘This is Fine’ story. This makes a great gift for someone who would appreciate a smile at the push of a button.” — Doverduo

26
A bougie Bartesian that’ll make them a craft cocktail with the push of a button

I recently got to test out the newer version (I have the older version at home) and it’s got a lot of great updates. The LCD screen and rotary dial design make it so easy to use. And I love that you can choose the strength of your drink, including making it non-alcoholic, because some nights I don’t want alcohol but I do want a fun little drink.

Promising review: “I absolutely love it. It makes the drinks right on time — not too strong and not too weak. For my first cocktail, I thought it would be weak, so I clicked the brewer to strong. Oh boy, did it hand me my tail of being way too strong for my taste. So, I’ll stay with the average setting, which is just perfect for me. It was very easy to set up. Everything is labeled accordingly, and the dial is easy to use and read. Oh, and my hubby, who doesn’t drink, loves the flavor of mocktails. So kudos to Bartesian!! ❤️👍🏽🥰” — Dr. A.

27
A couch cooler shaped like a potato plushie — a couch potato if you will
Amazon

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Amazon
28
Jasmin Sandal / BuzzFeed
A splurge-worthy tube of Stila mascara

BuzzFeed Shopping contributor Jasmin Sandal (that’s her above!) says, “I don’t think I ever knew the true meaning of wide awake eyes until I armed myself with this mascara from Stila. Let’s just start with the look and feel of it: it comes in a weighty gold tube — so you already know you’re about to experience something special — and the applicator is curved in the center with just the right amount of product on it. Clearly from my experience, you can tell the obvious difference between the with and without — and, tbh, the ‘without’ has been my general M.O. during these recent times. But that has all changed thanks to this lash extension in a tube! Not only do my eyelashes appear thicker, but the length is just truly phenomenal. I feel like a brand-new, less-tired looking woman any time I apply a lick of this!

The product doesn’t clump my lashes together, either, and there’s no flaky leftovers come the end of the day. Just a really great formula that coats each lash. So if you’re anything like me and want to do the complete bare minimum with makeup, you’re going to want to have this in your beauty arsenal. It is the true definition of low effort, high high impact.”

Promising review: “Goes on smooth, gives a dramatic but still natural look. Love how it applies to all the lashes without clumping them all together. The black makes my blue eyes pop. Overall love this product. I have been trying a few different mascaras that aren’t drug store brands to see if there was a difference and if they work, they the extra price. So far, this one is. As far as I can tell, it’s relatively waterproof (been doing a lot of crying recently, and the mascara has held up.)” — Realitybug

29
A pack of Crayola Globbles to keep kiddos busy

Promising review:I waited over two months to write my review! My 4-year-old daughter plays with these DAILY! YES, they do attract dirt and hair. HOWEVER, they are so easy to rinse off that it’s not a big deal! We took these to a family gathering and ended up giving two away because they were SO loved! The two we gave away went to a 12-year-old and my 19-year-old brother. They discovered throwing them at the ceiling fan and watching them shoot across the room, which was pretty entertaining! None of them have busted or ripped, and they are definitely NOT gentle with them! I will definitely be buying more!” — Kindle Customer

30
@micromacro_game
MicroMacro: Crime City — a really cool cooperative detective game

Promising review: “This was a birthday gift for my 10-year-old nephew who lives a long distance away, so I asked a friend who had just attended a birthday party with 20 10-year-old boys what the popular presents were. This was on the list. It was a hit, and in every spare moment, he asked me to play.Well designed game that encourages collaboration, searching details for clues, and bonus: He worked on his reading skills since he was the Lead Detective. It starts with an easier training crime and progresses to more difficult. Tips: You need a large table to lay out the map and good lighting to see the details. Adults will need their glasses. It comes with one magnifying tool. It was fun! Also satisfying to piece together the crime scene and solution. The game says 12 and up, but this 10-year-old did great.” — TamaraD

31
How to Be More Tree — a grounding and beautifully illustrated book
Amazon

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Amazon

This made Oprah’s list of favorite things last year!

Promising review: “I bought it as a Christmas gift for my brother, an arborist. He loved it for obvious reasons, but y’all, this book is for everyone. I’m ordering one for me, too! Beautifully illustrated and written. A true gem.” — NolaFanGirl

32
A pair of glowing lightsaber chopsticks
Emma Lord / BuzzFeed

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Amazon

My colleague Emma Lord bought these and loves them. In her own words:

“I bought these for myself, and I love them to pieces. TBH, I use them as decor every bit as much as I use them to eat. Sometimes I just keep them in my work area to light them up during the day to feel fancy. They toggle back and forth between a bunch of different colors, like red, blue, yellow, purple, and multicolor, so you can either make them match or have a red and blue one together and bring balance to the Force.”

Promising review: “I purchased these for a friend’s birthday present (he is a sushi waiter), and these are flippin’ AMAZING. I ordered two sets by mistake, but I am totally keeping the second pair for another gift (or for myself!). These are sure to be great conversation pieces and attention-getters. Way to go!” — T. Redwood

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