Ladies. Gift givers. Start your engines.

I was originally going to publish this gift guide post-Thanksgiving but then I thought to myself… I think that folks have the time and energy to get ahead of the holiday season more than ever this year. And I also recognize that never has there been a time in history when people are more cognizant of where their dollars are going. Never has there been a time when we realize how much we have the ability to lift up and support other women, other creators.

A “status quo” gift guide, this is not. Every item on here is made by a female business owner, and is someone I either have met personally or have come across online and truly believe in. 

As easy as it is to hop onto Amazon Prime or shell out the dough to a big retailer (no shade, I have placed a Prime order in my day too), I believe that right now we have a unique opportunity to really “put our money where our mouth is,” as it were. 

So, to make that as effortless as possible for you, I bring you The Female Business Gift Guide. I’m keeping it relatively short and sweet, because paralysis by choice is for real, y’all. There are options in here across genres, and across price points. What they have in common is that they are made by womxn, many of them BIPOC womxn. And while many of these items are also for womxn, there are also items that can benefit all humans in your life. I’ve included the links to their shops, as well as to their Instagrams so you can support and pay it forward with following, too. Happy (and thoughtful) shopping. 

Token Moment – World, meet the Yoni Earrings. You heard me right. Like a Georgia O’Keefe painting, if you know, you know. Brooklyn-based ceramic artist Amanda Schram hand makes these earrings in her studio in celebration of the Divine Feminine. What a way to send a message of self love to the human you gift these lil works of wearable Yoni art to. 

Us Two Tea – I spoke on a panel with the lovely Maggie Xue this year, who founded Us Two Tea as a way of bridging the gap between her Asian heritage and her Asian American life experience. It is a celebration of connecting people over tea, which also happens to be clean, all-natural, and sourced directly from small family-owned farms in Taiwan. My personal favorite is the jasmine tea, but you can find the full selection of giftable teas here. They packaging is beautiful, and they make great stocking stuffers (or are really thoughtful when gifted with a new mug).  

Klur – Clean, ethical, and inclusive skincare. Those are the foundational values that Lesley Thornton created her brand, Klur, upon. And not only is she devoted to sustainability, but Klur is a self-funded, women-owned and operated company made for diverse skin conditions and ethnicities. We are HERE for that. Her products are beautifully designed and incredibly thoughtful – such as what she calls Skin Soil, which you mix with your daily cleanser to transform it into an enzymatic exfoliating paste. 

Unbound Babes – Did you know… research has found that among sexually satisfied women, the more often they have sex with their partner, the more often they masturbate? Can I get a HELL YEAH ladies? For your friends and loved ones, give them the gift of self pleasure this season via one (or two) of Unbound Babes well-designed and thoughtful toys. Polly Rodriguez, founder of Unbound Babes, built this company to improve how people explore and enjoy pleasure as we all, ahem, come together (their joke, not mine). 

3rd Ritual – In truth, I’ve had my own eye on the Bel Candle from 3rd Ritual ever since I came back from a winter 2019 event where I met the founder, Jenn Tardiff. It is, in fact, a meditation candle, built ingeniously to use fire, gravity, and sound to measure time. When the candle is lit, the wax melts and eventually a pin falls, landing with a resonant ding—a beautiful way to end your meditation, as they say. This is a bit more of a pricey option, but one that truly is a gift that will keep on giving. 

King Sophie’s World – What if you could own a piece of an Instagram post that made you both laugh out loud, and think to yourself “How is she in my head??”. It turns, out you can. Anyone who follows Sophie King on Instagram has been privy to her hilarious, dead-on artful memes about relationships, and she created a print shop so you can bring the humor home with you. This and this are two of my favorite prints, but there’s also a selection of t-shirts, stickers, and pins that hit home, too.  

Effortless Composition – Have a home decor lover on your hands? You want to know about Effortless Composition, the impeccably curated home decor store founded by Brittiny Terry. It’s eclectic, original, and so full of life. A few of my favorite items include this Stoneware Face Vase and this Wood Chain Link art piece (how insane would it look on a coffee table or dresser top??).

Hooray For – Sisters Amanda Kloots and Anna Kloots founded Hooray For in 2020 amidst the pandemic as a way to raise money and give back, and their t-shirts bear the message “Hooray For <insert thing>”. There’s a wide variety of Hoorays to celebrate in their shop here, and different shirts give back to different causes. For example, the Hooray for Women tee gives 50% of its profits to RISE, which provides seed funding and mentorship to female entrepreneurs in low income areas, and the Hooray for Boobies tee gives 50% of its profits to the Dr. Susan Love Foundation for breast cancer research. 

OUI the People – Read the mission statement by founder Karen Young on the OUI the People website and you just may get the chills..

“A recent search on a major beauty website returned 1,766 products with the term “anti-aging”, 524 with “flawless”, and 1,665 with “perfect”. Every one of those products fell under the women’s beauty category.”

A core tenet of this inclusive brand is a commitment to watch their language, as they believe that “brands inform culture and language” and it’s more important for you to feel good in the skin you’re in that to aspire to be “flawless” or “perfect.” Their largely non-binary community (and all people) are loyal to their Matte Gold Razor, which is as artful to look at as it is good for the planet and well-designed. Their Big Mood Bath Soak is another phenomenal gift for the loved one who could use a lil self care moment.

A few more ideas:

If you’re looking for books as gifts, check out my round-up of books for female entrepreneurs.

If natural skin and body care is more your style, check out my round-up of the best and most beautiful clean products.

As always, stay connected with me HERE for the most real-time updates!