In the coming New Year, I am looking forward to, hopefully, entering my “clean girl era.” This means no more going to sleep with leftover makeup on, shoving papers in my backpack instead of taking the extra five seconds to put the material in its assigned folder, and walking into my room after a long day with about a family-sized amount of dishes on my desk; organization—mentally, physically, and educationally—is in the horizon. So, what better time to start preparing for this awaited fresh start than Christmas? As a self-proclaimed “shopaholic,” my skill of culminating endless lists, dioramas, and presentations of my gift requests comes into play annually when approaching the holiday season. After hours of scouring through Pinterest boards, rifling through TikTok searches, intensively researching makeup and skincare brands, and spending months making one giant, jumbled list of products, clothing, and necessities, I believe I have an outline of how to set yourself up for success in 2025.
1. Self-care
Particularly in the midst of hectic study seasons, it’s important to maintain moderation between studying and relaxing. Some of my favorite self-care nights entail utilizing my hair mask collection—my favorite one being the Mielle Rosemary Hair Mask. After years of searing my naturally wavy hair with extensive hair straightening, I am looking forward to rejuvenating my natural texture in the coming year with bond repair products like the Dove Bond Strength Hair Mask and complying Bond Strength Serum, Miss Jessie’s Pillow Soft Curls Cream, and the Mielle Organics Rosemary Hair Oil to repair breakage.
Naturally, the perfect self-care night cannot go without an everything shower (or bath, perhaps.) My everything shower necessities include products that match my preferred vanilla scent, like the Tree Hut Vanilla Body Scrub, EOS Vanilla Bliss Shaving Lotion, and EOS Vanilla Cashmere Body Lotion. Post-shower, I tend to reach for the Indian Aztec Clay Purifying Mask when my skin is feeling a little too oily, and the First Aid Beauty Oatmeal Repair Mask when I need some extra hydration in my complexion.
While more of a derivative of the self-care realm, I personally consider doing my makeup in the mornings to be somewhat therapeutic. On my list this year are multiple cameos from Saie Beauty, a clean, acne-safe beauty brand that surpasses my expectations with every purchase. Products like their Glowy Super Gel and Slip Tint Moisturizer perform as the perfect natural base, and their Sun Melt Cream Balm Bronzer and Liquid Cream Dew Blush help to complete the most sun-kissed, beautiful complexion even in the dead of the wintertime. Additionally, the Urban Decay All-Nighter Long-Lasting Makeup Setting Spray will lock this look in for hours on end, free of any wear and tear that might occur throughout the day.
2. Basics
As someone who has unfortunately been a victim of purchasing ugly TikTok micro-trends in the past, this Christmas I made the astute decision to ask for the groundwork of my wardrobe; clothing in a category best described as “the basics.” Basics can usually be characterized as sleek, solid, and—as their name implies—simplistic, all of which usually culminate to entail that gorgeous, token “clean girl look.” Although there is a wide perception that such attire consists solely of Skims by Kim Kardashian cotton tees, there are hundreds of hidden gems of variety that are embedded within the style from slim-fit to baggy, grayscale to colorful, cotton to knit, solid to patterned, and more.
This Christmas season, the Abercrombie Essential Popover Hoodie made a consistent feature on my list, with colors such as black and dark olive green making an appearance and additionally the patterned versions of light heather gray (a patchwork addition to the regular gray) and leopard print. While these hoodies are definitely pricier, there are almost identical alternatives on Amazon that don’t break the budget.
Past hoodies, the perfect clean girl Christmas list cannot be complete without staple basic tees and long sleeves. One of my most favorite and affordable small businesses to buy such items from is Amaré, where I have most happily purchased the Cleo Tops, Faye Tops, Ivy Tops, and Maeve Tops in both long sleeve and short sleeve (those of which I plan on asking for more of in varying colors this December). It should be noted, however, that most of Amare’s catalog usually goes out of stock almost immediately after a drop, so make sure that you plan ahead when purchasing and notify any family members when such items may have been restocked. Similar items can also be found at a reasonable price on Garage, where their Estelle Longline Tee made a notable introduction to my list this year.
Going into the winter season, it is crucial to have a good selection of knitwear to compensate for the frigid conditions. Grey Bandit’s sweater selection and Altar’d State’s sweater selection, while accompanied by a high price, hit the mark perfectly on a classic, cozy winter sweater. Past just sweaters, the “Stockholm Girl” trend on TikTok has influenced me to invest in some cozy knit cardigans, such as Princess Polly’s cardigan selection that is absolutely to die for.
Bottoms-wise, my go-to sweatpants store remains Brandy Melville. I routinely wear their Rosa sweatpants and Anastasia sweatpants and have recently requested the same pants in more colors this year. Beyond Brandy, Garage sells the most adorable UltraFleece Straight Leg Sweatpants that I am hopeful to receive this holiday season. While both these options come in limited colors, Millie Bobby Brown’s Florence by Mills Fashion makes vibrant yet minimalist Cozy Crush Jogger sweatpants in both wide-leg and cuffed that rival more prominent and expensive brands with their cozy chicness and quality. And, of course, you can never go wrong with a good pair of black leggings; I am guilty of splurging on Lululemon’s Align High-Rise Leggings, but indistinguishable dupes can be found on Amazon.
3. Accessories
Although the cardinal rule of styling that I have unfortunately strayed from recently, an outfit is simply not complete without its accessories. I, personally, am a strict gold girly for almost all occasions. As much of my previous go-to pieces of jewelry have rusted over time and are simply begging for a much-needed retirement, this Christmas is the perfect opportunity to ask for new jewelry that isn’t such a splurge. My all-time favorite jewelry store is the TikTok viral EvryJewels, a website in which I have purchased many dainty rings like the Dotted Ring, statement necklaces like Double Cross Me Necklace or Meribella Necklace, and anti-tarnish earrings like the Brandy Hoops. This year, I specifically requested a pair of chunky—and I mean chunky—hoop earrings after seeing this trend catapult to popularity online. While there are certainly many luxury brands out there that offer items such as these for a preposterous price point, with just a quick search on Amazon you can easily find high-caliber dupes for a low price. Outside of just jewelry, I have saved a special place on my wishlist this year for the Ugg Platform Ultra Mini Boots in the shade sand (or, a similarly stylish option, the regular Ugg Ultra Minis in Sand). As dropping a considerable amount of money on shoes can seem like a wary decision, this holiday season is the perfect time to request such an item from a family or friend willing to do so.
4. Practical Items: Plan Ahead
While not as conventionally aesthetic on many occasions, asking for items that will provide lasting benefits beyond just looking cute is something everyone should keep in mind when constructing the perfect Christmas list. Approaching a sports season in the near future and in need of new equipment? Including such athletic necessities on your Christmas list will get this out of the way so you don’t have to frantically worry when the time comes. Getting a car soon and worried about sustaining a feasible level of cleanliness and preparedness? Ask for a winter survival kit to scrape off that pesky window ice and a trash can attached to the seat to throw any garbage into on the go. Going into college in the coming year? Now would be the perfect time to get any supplies or essentials out of the way before it becomes a lurking problem later on. There is a common misrepresentation that everything you put on your Christmas list needs to be deemed as pleasing to the eye, when, in actuality, a true “clean girl” encapsulates an organized demeanor and put-together character that extends beyond just an outfit or makeup look and into many areas of life that may seem bland in comparison to social media’s over-represented glitz and glam.
So, this season, don’t feel like your whole Christmas list has to scream Pinterest. Ask for what will help make you the best version of yourself possible in all aspects of life going forward.
