Podcast Summary: Lipstick on the Rim — "The Ultimate 2025 Holiday Gift Guide: Beauty, Fashion, Home & Wellness Picks"
Hosts: Molly Sims & Emese (Emisha) Gormley
Release Date: November 18, 2025
Episode Overview
In this spirited and ultra-practical episode, Molly Sims and her best friend Emisha Gormley share the ultimate 2025 holiday gift guide, covering standout ideas in beauty, fashion, home, and wellness. With a blend of personal anecdotes, industry insider tips, and a genuine love for gift-giving, they offer listeners a rapid-fire, chatty rundown of what they're buying (and wishing for) this year. The tone is candid, playful, and geared toward creating magical, thoughtful moments—whether for loved ones or a little self-gifting.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
The Art of Gift-Giving
- Holiday Shopping as a "Sport":
- Emisha calls holiday shopping her sport, sharing her love for finding thoughtful, personalized gifts.
- "Gift giving for me is my love language. I love finding a gift that I think someone's gonna love." (Emisha, 03:58)
- Personal Touches Matter:
- Both hosts stress the value of gifts people wouldn't usually buy for themselves, like high-end hair brushes or custom photo books (13:12, 14:18).
Beauty Picks
- Westman Atelier Mini Trio (05:04):
- Limited edition, holiday-exclusive blush trio in a pale blue box—universally flattering and luxe.
- Fragrance Sets:
- Dries Van Noten ($200, luxurious presentation)—ideal for fragrance lovers (05:38).
- Perfume Mini Sets from Vireo, Perfumehead, Maison Detto—"they feel so luxe... typically under $100" (Emisha, 06:09).
- Haircare Gifts:
- Shoutouts to Crown Affair (clips, combs, and a "waffle" hair towel that "doesn't move") (06:33).
- Wise Beauty's holiday revitalizing eye set—features an ice-cold lymphatic glass globe and brightening products (06:55).
- Discovery Sets "Hack":
- "A great time to try out brands... Buy these sets! Buy one for yourself, buy one for your mom, your sister, your friends." (Emisha, 09:04)
- Stocking Stuffers:
- Violette, Summer Fridays, and Wise for lip balms and mini sets (09:36).
Fashion Favorites
- Quince for Cashmere & More:
- Affordable Mongolian cashmere, Italian wool coats, denim, and silk—all "at a third of the money" (Molly, 01:29, 24:46).
- Scarves:
- White + Warren, Freya, and "the one under $500 is... Kajuden" (France)—"beautiful, double-ply cashmere in every color" (Emisha, 24:59).
- Heart Love Earrings ($150):
- Lovely yellow gold drop earrings, great for mother-in-law or sister-in-law gifts.
- Jenny Bird & Jennifer Fisher Jewelry:
- "So much costume jewelry... such a fun way to elevate an outfit and it's a great gift to give." (Emisha, 33:40)
- Dorsey, Shylee Rose, Adina Reyter:
- Noted for colorful beads and unique, on-trend gold necklaces and hoops (33:01, 33:21).
- Wolford and Hosiery:
- "Anything Wolford—sheer, tight, it's always looks good. A legging, always great." (Co-host, 34:47)
- Cashmere Socks by Claire V:
- "One of those things you're not gonna buy yourself." (Emisha, 31:56)
Home & Wellness Hits
- Kitchenware:
- Caraway (sleek cookware), KitchenAid (stand mixers, food processors), Smeg (chic design appliances), Braville (countertop ovens), Ninja Slushy Maker ("good for margaritas and the kids—it's real good", 20:24).
- Personalized Gifts:
- Shutterfly photo books, mugs, pillows, tumblers—"sentimental, thoughtful... gifts that last forever" (Co-host, 14:18).
- "I think these are good gifts. If you have any pictures of your friends... it's very thoughtful." (Emisha, 16:02)
- Textile Gifts:
- Boll & Branch sheets ("A great gift. No one's gonna buy themselves sheets... So soft." 21:37).
- Hermes throws and ashtrays (for "the person who has everything") (19:03).
- Candles & Decor:
- Loewe holiday candles, Flamingo Estate food and candles, big sculptural candles ("doubles as decor", 19:37).
- Tech & Family Gifts:
- Sonos, Bose, AirPod Max headphones, Apple Watch (for graduation), Ray-Ban aviators—"Everyone looks great in them" (31:13).
- Wellness Picks:
- Sage essential oil sets/diffusers, Virtuvi diffusers, Higher Dose sauna/infrared blankets, Therabody face wands and boots (22:02, 22:53).
- AG1 supplement for busy lifestyles, easy travel (16:19).
- Socks & Slide Shoes:
- Uggs and Birkenstocks in every color—"the kids love it" (28:00).
- Rothy's fur-lined clogs ("comfortable, cute, made of recycled plastic", 31:56).
Gifts for Men & Teens
- Men's Fashion:
- Bottega carry-on, Gucci loafers, Everlane basics, Viori and Lululemon sweats, Faherty hoodies (23:31–24:06).
- Teen/Tween Gifting:
- Bobble Bar bead kits, personalized phone cases, Jellycat plushes, Adidas Sambas, Nike Dunks, Roller Rabbit, White Fox, Goat app for sneakerheads (26:09–28:56).
- Boys' gifts: Fear of God sweats, Supreme, Psycho Bunny, cologne (Creed), David Yurman jewelry (29:35–29:58).
Notable Quotes & Moments
- On Giving Gifts People Wouldn't Buy Themselves:
- "One of those is a really beautiful brush... like the Mason Pearson or Crown Affair. Who's going out and buying themselves a nice brush?" (Emisha, 13:12)
- On Sentimental, Personalized Gifts:
- "It's called throughout the years. I'm not gonna look at it. It'll make me cry. But look how pretty." (Co-host, 14:17)
- "There's just a connective tissue there... have coffee with your niece or... grandkids." (Emisha, 14:48)
- On Family Gifting and Holiday Memories:
- "Last year, I sent Junior's red velvet cheesecake to Molly and it was a total hit... my dad still brings it up months later." (Molly, 10:29)
- On What Makes a Gift Great:
- "It's doing something that you know is personalized. It's picked out." (Co-host, 14:18)
- On Shopping & the Festive Spirit:
- "Guys, we just did your entire Christmas list. You're welcome!" (Emisha, 34:34)
Timestamps for Key Gift Categories
- Beauty Gift Guide: 05:04 – 10:29
- Home Entertaining/Kitchen Gifts: 20:08 – 21:37
- Personalized/Sentimental Gifts: 14:17 – 16:02, 21:06 – 21:37
- Fashion & Accessories: 24:46 – 33:01
- Kids & Tweens: 26:09 – 28:56
- Men’s Gifts: 23:31 – 24:46, 29:35 – 31:13
- Wellness & Tech Gadgets: 22:46 – 23:31
Memorable “Gift Whisperer” Shopping Tips
- Try holiday discovery sets to sample luxe brands affordably (09:04).
- Personalize whenever possible—names, photos, favorite colors—especially for grandparents or long-distance family.
- Buy something they’d never buy themselves, but will treasure (the “investment brush” principle).
- Go for mix and match sets: socks, balms, mini beauty kits, or kitchen accessories.
- Find special collaborations and limited editions for that “wow” factor.
Final Thoughts
The episode delivers a sparkling, comprehensive guide to gifting in 2025, with every suggestion grounded in the hosts’ lived experience and insider access. Molly and Emisha keep the advice concrete and actionable, prioritize meaningful connection, and don’t forget to have plenty of fun along the way.
As Emisha declares when signing off:
"Guys, we just did your entire Christmas list. You're welcome!" (34:34)