The 2018 Millennial Gift List
Youngest Sister is, once again, happy to relieve you of the burdensome task of selecting Christmas gifts for those 22 to 37 year olds that are dear to your heart. In case you didn’t read the memo, the term “Millennial” has come to be considered a pejorative by that generation, so let me assure you that I am only using the term to refer to an age range of young people. Thanks this year go to my daughter/blog coach, Lawler, Millennial Extraordinaire, and my friend Ashley who, at 35, is on the Generation X/Millennial cusp, also known as a “Xennial.” Xennials figure that, since they are old enough to remember the sound of the phone modem connecting to AOL, they ought not be bundled in the same generation with people who got their first cell phone in the 5th grade.
Gift cards be damned! Millennials want a gift they can hold and shake and squeeze and complain about when it doesn’t live up to their lofty standards for quality. Make sure to include a gift receipt with your package because there’s a good chance whatever you give will be going back. As always, it’s the thought that counts so just give it your best shot. Tight budget? Give them a subscription to Youngest Sister. It’s the season’s coolest gift. Trust me.
BUY A PAIR, GIVE A PAIR
Millennials are all about giving back and Warby Parker is a “social good” company that donates a pair of glasses to someone in need for every pair you buy. Worried that you can’t possibly pick out sunglasses to suit your Millennial? Don’t. They have a Home Try-on program that sends you 5 pairs to choose from, so you could wrap a selection up and let your Millennial pick from those. Of course they have gift cards, and they also have holiday paper that you can download and print on your home printer. That’s just so gracious it has “Millennial” written all over it.
Warby Parker Sunglasses - $95
Warby Parker’s printable holiday paper is just ADORBS.
A KICK-ASS HAIR DRYER
You know how you see different ads on Facebook and Instagram, based on whatever Google has decided you are are into? Well, somehow they decided I am really into hairdryers because I have been seeing ads for hairdryers for months now. I got pretty excited about this mint green model made by Harry Josh and, in spite of its whopping price tag of $270, I thought it was a good idea for my millennial nieces because I figured they wouldn’t be expecting to receive a hair dryer for Christmas. Then I saw a woman using one in the locker room at my gym and she said it was a bit of a disappointment because it doesn’t actually blow like a big jet engine, which is how they make it sound in the advertising. I happened to mention this to Ashley the Xennial and she informed me that one can actually spend MUCH more than $270 for a hairdryer. Leave it to Dyson to make a $399 “Supersonic” hair dryer that people swoon over. If it is anything like those Airblade hand dryers that just about blow the skin off your hands, I expect it’s a pretty good dryer.
Dyson Supersonic Hair Dryer - $399
Harry Josh Pro Dryer 2000 - $270
Harry Josh Pro Dryer 2000
Dyson Supersonic Hair Dryer
Dyson Airblade (Not for your head)
THE COOL ELECTRIC TOOTHBRUSH
Another thing the Millennial in your life might not be expecting to receive this Christmas is a hip electric toothbrush. I think the coolest of the cool electric toothbrushes out there is Quip. It is what an iPhone would look like if it were a toothbrush. A starter set consists of the toothbrush, a soft bristle brush head and a AAA battery. Refill plans are available that send your Millennial a new brush head and battery every three months. As an option you can include toothpaste with that.
Quip Electric Toothbrush - Start sets from $25, Refill plans from $5
SKIN CARE PRODUCTS - FROM MASKS TO MOLLUSKS
My best guess is that members of my generation, who grew up treating our faces with nothing better than Noxema and the magic of Oil of Olay, are to blame for the apparent obsession Millennials have for skin care products. They are determined to look better in their old age than we do and they probably will. Ashley sent me a couple of links, one of which was for this 16 flavor mask bonanza from Innisfree but I was much more intrigued by this snail-slime product you apply under your eyes. Millennials have gotten over the “ick factor” that used to cause manufacturers to hide the fact that they use snail slime extract in their products. Now that snail slime is what all the cool people are sporting, Millennials want to wear it like a participation medal. Don’t let your mollusk-loving Millennial feel left out!
Gold & Snail Hydrogel Eye Patch - $10.46
Dollar Shave Club’s starter kit.
Harry’s version. That’s the Truman handle, in orange.
SUBSCRIPTION SHAVERS
As long as we are in the personal hygiene department, you’ll want to know about this year’s hottest shave club. You may have heard of the Dollar Shave Club which, according to Ashley, was the OG in the shaving department. (In case you are an old coot, that means original gangster, pronounced gangsta). Dollar Shave Club sports a starter kit that includes a shaver handle, 4 cartridges and a travel-size shave butter for just $5. But everybody knows the money isn’t in the razors, it’s in the razor blades. So you should know that, after you buy the starter kit, the restock box will ship every 3 months and your credit card will be charged $24.70 for each shipment. Enter Harry’s, the newest competitor in the shave club biz. Harry’s razors start with the Truman handle, which comes in a variety of colors and “may be the best-looking thing in your bathroom (other than you.)“ Harry’s starter kit includes the handle, 5 cartridges, shave gel AND a travel blade cover. After that the refills are $21.
Much ado about razors. All I have been able to think about, the whole time I have been writing this, is a party trick I learned from another Millennial named Ashley, who is from Australia (not Ashley the Xennial). Say this out loud: Rise Up Lights. Say it again: Rise Up Lights. There - You have just learned how to say “Razor Blades” in Australian. See? Now it’s all you can think of too.
Dollar Shave Club - Starter $5/Refills $24.70
Harry’s - Starter $8/Refills $21
COMRAD SOCKS
While I still like the socially conscious Bombas socks I recommended last year, there’s a new kid in the 2018 cool socks arena. Here’s how it works: After the age of 50, Baby Boomers plod along wearing dreadfully unattractive, but functionally useful compression socks. Millennials figure out that their parents aren’t as stupid as they thought, because compression socks feel good and help you avoid getting blood clots on airplanes, but they are so uncool no self-respecting 28 year old would be caught dead in them. So they invent a cool version, charge a fortune for them and, BOOM - compression socks are a thing. You can apply that model to just about anything - eye glasses, hair dryers, toothbrushes, shavers. Just be sure to charge a LOT for whatever it is you reinvent, because that’s what makes it authentic.
Comrad Socks - $48-$54/3 pack
RBG Candle
For reasons I cannot explain, Millennials love anything to do with Ruth Bader Ginsburg. As I waltz into my waning years, I find this very encouraging. Since a bottle of RBG’s favorite wine, Opus One, would set you back about $325, you may find this prayer candle to be a more cost-effective tribute to Madame Justice. Perfect for the millennial stocking.
MONOPOLY FOR MILLENNIALS
I knew the moment I read about this new board game from Hasbro that I would have to add it to my Millennial Gift List for 2018. This ground-breaking version of Monopoly doesn’t even feature real estate that you can buy and sell because, as the box top explains, “Forget real estate - You can’t afford it anyway.” Ouch. I expect my older Millennial, who actually does own real estate, and near Los Angeles at that, would find that particularly offensive. No, in this version, players collect experiences. And take a look at the Monopoly mascot, Uncle Pennybags, who is sporting sun glasses (likely made by Warby Parker), ear buds and wearing - wait for it - a participation medal. To be honest, the only way I recommend this as a gift for a Millennial is as an investment, because I doubt very seriously if Hasbro will be making it for long.
Monopoly for Millennials $58.99 (Wow. That’s a lot for a board game.)
THE GIFT THAT KEEPS ON GIVING
Nothing says you care more than a gift subscription to Youngest Sister. Best of all, it’s free! Fill out this form and your loved one will receive an email from me on Christmas morning. I will tell them that you love them and want them to share in the joy this blog brings. Order now and your gift subscription recipient will also receive a link to last year’s very fun online holiday game set. If you prefer the personal touch, download one of the very special gift cards I made just for you. Click on one of the images below to make your selection, then print it on plain paper using your home printer. Fold it, sign it, give it. Envelope not included.
Youngest Sister Subscription - priceless
