Holiday Gift Guide Part 5 — Edgy Gifts for Bold Trendsetters
With only two weeks left until Christmas, we’re kicking our gift guide coverage into high gear and focusing on some of my personal favorite finds — fashion, jewelry, footwear, cosmetics, nail kits, and fun knickknacks with a bold attitude. Some pieces have a decidedly punk vibe, some boast the flamboyance and glitz of disco trappings, while others push the envelope via bold colors and textures, surrealist prints, unusual silhouettes, unconventional materials, and tough-as-nails attitudes. Perfect for trendsetting types, these gift ideas are bad to the bone in the best possible way.
Laruicci Rodin Necklace., $120 Available at Laruicci.myshopify.com
Forget dainty chains tucked under cardigan sweaters. In fact, forget cardigan sweaters too! This necklace isn’t for the prim and proper — it’s for those cool girls who, in the words of Joan Jett, don’t give a damn about a bad reputation. Rocker chicks will love the audacious attitude of this silver-plated mixed metal necklace, featuring spiked details dangling from the lower rungs of chain links.
Jeffrey Campbell Lorah Studded High Vamp Sandal, $185. Available at NeimanMarcus.com
Hardly a brand known for its timidity, Jeffrey Campbell strikes gold again with these suede sandals, covered in gold-toned studs and featuring an open toe, a 3 1/2″ covered heel, and a high-cut vamp with an ankle-hugging strap and an open heel.
Urban Decay Ocho Loco 2 Set, $59. Available at Sephora.com
Name one eyeliner that’s as richly pigmented and long-lasting as Urban Decay’s 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil. Can’t think of one? That’s because UD’s creamy eye pencil simply can’t be beat. And the fact that Urban Decay goes beyond the yawn-inducing navy and black shades only makes their eye pencils all the more enticing. This new set features eight full-size 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencils, along with a neon green Grindhouse Double Barrel Sharpener so you can keep those liner tips as sharp as needed. The Ocho Loco 2 set features the following shades: Roach, a deep brown copper color with golden and copper shimmer; Twice Baked, a cocoa-esque brown with gold micro-sparkle; Crave, a rich, almost blackened brown reminiscent of tree bark with a matte finish; Perversion, an abysmal black shade with a matte finish; Mars, a metallic emerald green with a sophisticated, gem-like shimmer; Deep End, a metallic teal-meets-turquoise hue reminiscent of peacock feathers; Ultraviolet, a fascinating blue-violet tone with a galactic feel and tons of shimmer; and Tornado, an eggplant purple with purple pearl shimmer.
Check out swatches of all eight shades and find out why we’re loco about them!
The Cambridge Satchel Co. 14″ Black with Tartan Satchel, $250. Available at CambridgeSatchel.com
It’s been a huge year for punk-inspired fashion and, whatever fashion forecasters may say, any true rebel knows punk never dies. Go for a look inspired by such icons as The Clash with this 14″ black leather satchel, itself a nod to classic British style, which features a classic red tartan print along the front pocket.
Ohne Titel Leather Knit Jacket, $998. Available at IntermixOnline.com
There’s a reason why nearly every kick-ass female character in TV and film owns a biker jacket — from Sons of Anarchy‘s Gemma Teller to The Good Wife‘s Kalinda Sharma, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo’s Lisbeth Salander, and so on and so forth. Even if you don’t know the first thing about working a chopper, you have to appreciate the tenacious, hardened, slightly irreverent vibe of a finely constructed leather motorcycle jacket. This Ohne Titel piece captures all of those elements but also adds a quirkiness to the biker chic plain via the use of a polka dot knit material along the bodice and collar, as well as the choice of a modern asymmetrical hemline.
Venessa Arizaga Little Girl Blue Necklace, $350. Available at VenessaArizaga.com
A grown-up take on the friendship bracelets many of us wove as children, this hefty necklace features green, blue, and black threads woven through a 17″-long gunmetal-plated brass chain and crocheted below it for a dramatic collar-like silhouette. For a dose of flashiness, the inner rim of the necklace features a row of square clear glass rhinestones, while the outer rim is adorned with teardrop-shaped acrylic blue rhinestones.
Ouidad Eat, Drink & Be Curly Holiday Kit, $40. Available at Ouidad.com
Friends don’t let friends’ curls go limp. Give the curly-haired cutie in your life the gift of healthy, bouncy, shiny, gorgeous hair with this Ouidad holiday kit, containing three of the brand’s best products: the Curl Quencher Moisturizing Shampoo, formulated with hydrolyzed wheat starch, hydrolyzed wheat protein and wheat amino acids that increase the hair’s ability to retain moisture; the Curl Quencher Moisturizing Conditioner, which features wheat amino acids, alongside soothing aloe leaf juice, algae extract, chamomile and echinacea extracts, and conditioning dog rose extract; and the Curl Quencher Moisturizing Styling Gel, which helps to give hair control and hold without drying it out or making it appear stiff and helmet-like thanks to such botanical nutrients as green tea extract and rosemary extract.
FST Madonna Gloves, $72. Available at OtteNY.com
Any girl will feel like a “lucky star” in these printed gloves, bearing a black-and-white image of pop legend Madonna. Made in France, these 100% gloves feature elastic textured bands along the wrist for a secure fit.
LORAC Rockin’ Red Hot Lipgloss Collection, $27. Available at Sephora.com
This holiday season, LORAC wants beauty lovers to rock around the Christmas tree and beyond. Part of the brand’s Rockin’ Red Hot holiday line, this kit features six lip glosses infused with antioxidant-rich like açai berry, pomegranate, and grape seed so that lips are hydrated and protected while being coated with a bit of shiny, shimmering color. The candy cotton-scented glosses come in the following shadeS: Rock N Roll, a peachy nude shade with a creamy finish; You Rock, a mauve-ish pink; Rock On, a perky rose hue; Rock Star, a near-sheer violet color; Easy Rock, a sheer, whisper pink hue; and Rock It, a golden coral pink.
Here are swatches of all six rockin’ shades:
LARUICCI Violette Earrings, $120. Available at Laruicci.MyShopify.com
Judy Jetson may have been stylish, but even she wasn’t cool enough to pull off these gunmetal-plated Laruicci earrings, which combine a rocker-like bravado with the space age sensibility yielded by the faceted, blue aurora borealis stones linking together the open ring shapes and conical spike pendants.
Rebecca Minkoff Wes Moto Jacket, $398. Available at RebeccaMinkoff.com
A whimsical take on a motorcycle jacket, this Rebecca Minkoff piece features an all-over digital floral print in perky shades of honeysuckle pink, deep violet, sea foam green, and crisp white.
BCBGMAXAZRIA Stone Floral Necklace, $118. Available at BCBG.com
When wearing sleeveless dresses or bustiers, ladies can direct the eye to their long, graceful necks and glistening décolletage via this BCBGMAXAZRIA necklace, featuring cascading flowers fashioned out of copper and coated with black acrylic. The open front and the asymmetrical sides of the necklace add a sculptural quality to the piece that heightens the overall drama.
Julep Extraordinary Color Kit, $27. Available at Sephora.com
Trend-setting girls have no time for passé French manicures and boring blush pink nail lacquers. This Julep kit will allow them to coat their nails with high-wattage jewel-toned shades and even coat them with near holographic golden sequins. Packaged inside a clear pouch with a silver-toned top flap, the Julep Extraordinary Color Kit features a 0.27 oz. tube of the brand’s Freedom Polymer Top Coat along with four 0.27 oz. Color Treat nail polish tubes. The four colors included in the kit are: Holy, a metallic teal shade with silver undertones; Zelda, a molten gold shade with gold micro-glitter; Rita, a cool, almost berry-toned red shade reminiscent of holly or even cranberries; and Paris, a disco-ready clear lacquer with gold glitter and chunky mirrored sequins that yield an iridescent effect .
Here’s a sample look created using the Rita polish and topping it off with the Paris color:
Next, check out the Holy nail color:
Alice + Olivia Everleigh Sleeveless A-line Dress, $330. Available at AliceandOlivia.com
You don’t need to be Gwen Stefani to appreciate a great herringbone plaid print — like that on this sleeveless A-line dress, which features a mesh panel along the back for a hefty dose of sex appeal.
Nissa Jewelry Georgina Bracelet, $24. Available at NissaJewelry.com
As if curb chain bracelets weren’t cool enough, this Nissa Georgina bracelet nods to the DIY ethos of punk rock culture via a safety pin closure. Measuring 7.5″ in length and 1/2″ in width, this bit of arm candy is at its best in the antiqued-looking silver finish shown here.
Eugenia Kim Emmanuelle Wide Brim Fedora, $440. Available at EugeniaKim.com
Drama-loving fashionistas will feel like smooth criminals in the Eugenia Kim Emmanuelle fedora, made of royal velour felt and featuring a wide brim and a lavender velvet ribbon wrapped around the crown. For a dose of urban bravado, the ribbon features a bow bearing a gold-toned metal strip along its center and adorned with round metal studs.
Stila Color Me Pretty Palette Lip & Cheek Palette, $28. Available at StilaCosmetics.com
Whether jet-setting or couch-hopping, every girl needs a versatile palette she can keep in her purse at all times. The Stila Color Me Pretty Lip & Cheek Palette covers quite a bit of ground by incorporating five creamy hues that can do double duty, working to add a rosy or golden touch to cheeks and lips. Packaged inside a rectangular tin with a removable top lid, these creamy colors can be applied with brushes for utmost precision or dabbed on with fingers for a less fussy, more lived-in feel. The best-selling shades in the palette are: Kitten, a near-translucent gold color with tons of shimmer; Peony, a creamy nectarine-tinged pink with warm orange undertones; Gerbera, a clean, warm, peachy pink; Rose, a medium pink rose; and Petunia, a delicate coral pink.
Check out swatches of the shades below:
K2o by Karen Ko Sweet & Vicious III Necklace, $395. Available at Shop.k2obykarenko.com
If girls are equal parts sugar and spice, naughty and nice, then shouldn’t their jewelry reflect that? This hefty necklace combines the classic elegance associated with pearls and juxtaposes it against the menacing look of gold-toned spikes. Measuring 17″ in length, 4″ in width, and 1″ in depth, the Sweet & Vicious 3 Necklace features six gold-plated brass chains and, dangling from their links, graduating Swarovski pearls and gold-plated resin spikes — all clustered together for a punk yet glam effect.
