Throughout the year, and especially during the holiday months, there's no better feeling than finding the perfect gift for a person you love dearly — especially if they're a hard-to-please teenager. If you're shopping for a sibling, friend, niece or nephew, or classmate and don't know where to begin, we can promise you that these affordable gift ideas for teens are the coolest finds of 2025. How do we know? Well, we asked two real-life teens.
Here, Winter (14) and Ella (13) give PS a sneak peek at their holiday shopping wish lists — with nothing clocking in at over $100. And TBH, we're really glad we asked: did you know that teens are clambering for comfortable shoes [1] like Crocs, cute earrings [2], and budget-friendly skin-care [3]? You do now.
Ahead, shop our picks for the best affordable gifts for teens, according to teens, with items that come from top brands like Nordstrom, Anthropologie, and more.
- Best skin-care gift for teens: [3] Bubble Skincare Level Up Balancing Gel Moisturizer [4] at $14, originally $15
- Best beauty gift for teens: [4] Tower 28 Beauty ShineOn Lip Jelly Non-Sticky Gloss Magic [5] at $16
- Best home gift for teens: [5] Sunset Projection Lamp [6] at $16
- Best face mask gift for teens: [6] Biodance Bio-Collagen Real Deep Mask [7] at $17, originally $19
- Best skincare accessory gift for teens: [7] The Original Makeup Eraser Drip Erasers 3-Piece Set [8] at $18
- Best organizing gift for teens: [8] HBlife 360 Rotating Makeup Organizer [9] at $26
- Best hair accessory gift for teens: [9] Solar Eclipse Hair Claw Clip [10] at $28
- Best charm accessories gift for teens: [10] Anthropologie Shoe Charm & Laces Set [11] at $28
- Best comfortable shoe gift for teens: [11] Crocs Classic Clogs [12] at $40, originally $50
- Best travel gift for teens: [12] Fruit Babies Bestsellers Kit [13] at $38
- Best unique gift for teens: [13] Lego Icons Succulents Kit [14] at $40, originally $50
- Best jewelry gift for teens: [14] Anthropologie Cherry Drop Earrings [15] at $44
- Best literary gift for teens: [15] Subscription to Anyway Magazine [16] at $48, originally $54
- Best everyday sneakers gift for teens: [16] Adidas Originals Gazelle Bold [17] at $65, originally $120
- Best running shoes gift for teens: [17] New Balance 1906R [18] at $55, originally $155
Best Skin-Care Gift For Teens
Bubble Skincare Level Up Balancing Gel Moisturizer [19] ($15)
Bubble is a line of gentle, cruelty-free skin-care made specifically for teens and tweens — and the kids love it. This lightweight moisturizer uses zinc PCA and niacinamide to even out skin texture and includes proteins to protect the skin from blue-light damage. (The price point, meanwhile, is as easy on your wallet as the product is on their skin.)
Best Beauty Gift For Teens
Tower 28 Beauty ShineOn Lip Jelly Non-Sticky Gloss Magic [20] ($16)
According to Ella, this is a great everyday lip gloss. And according to one PS editor, "It has an elegant consistency that's moisturizing and flexible on the lips. The gloss has just the right amount of slip where it's not oily but not sticky either. It contains a blend of moisturizing oils like apricot-kernel oil, raspberry-seed oil, and rosehip oil that feels weightless yet conditioning on the lips." Read our full review of Tower 28 ShineOn Lip Jelly [21] here.
Editor Quote: "It has an elegant consistency that's moisturizing and flexible on the lips. The gloss has just the right amount of slip where it's not oily but not sticky either. It contains a blend of moisturizing oils like apricot-kernel oil, raspberry-seed oil, and rosehip oil that feels weightless yet conditioning on the lips. It feels like all that hydration and moisture are sinking into your lips. The lip gloss has a stunning high-shine finish that makes my lips look plump and bouncy." — Anvita Reddy, former assistant shopping editor
Best Home Gift For Teens
Sunset Projection Lamp [22] ($16)
Take mood lighting to a whole new level. The head on this glowy lamp can be rotated 180 degrees to adjust the size and shape of its sunset projection. It's small enough to be placed anywhere, whether it be a nightstand, dresser, or shelf, making it a great gift for practically anyone to enjoy — including a teenager. "This is very fun; I'd love to get it as a present," Winter says.
Best Face Mask Gift For Teens
Biodance Bio-Collagen Real Deep Mask [23] ($17, originally $19)
A must for any sleepover, these collagen masks offer intense hydration, while minimizing pores and boosting natural glow. What begins as a white, jelly-like mask slowly transforms into a clear layer that can be peeled off after three hours or overnight. For more details, read our Biodance Bio-Collagen Real Deep Mask review [24].
Editor Quote: "I've used it three times since I initially purchased a pack of four. Once when my skin was fairly normal, once when I was experiencing some annoying breakouts, and once when I had a massive sunburn on my face. I'm genuinely not sure how, but the mask seemed to help with all of my skin issues.
I find it to be ultra-hydrating, and it hasn't bothered my acne-prone skin or exacerbated any breakouts. I fully plan on continuing to purchase this mask and use it once a week, especially the night before a date or a special event." — Renee Rodriguez, senior beauty staff writer and social producer
Best Skincare Accessory Gift For Teens
The Original Makeup Eraser Drip Erasers 3-Piece Set [25] ($18)
Her skincare routine will become much more seamless (and less messy) with this three-piece headband and wrist cuffs set. The headband will keep her hair out of her face while she applies her skincare and prevent water from running down her arms when she washes her makeup off.
Best Organizing Gift For Teens
HBlife 360 Rotating Makeup Organizer [26] ($26, originally $30)
Ella is hoping to get this rotating makeup stand for the holidays. Its multiple tiers make it easy for your teen to find their fave products and makeup tools, even when they don't have much space on their vanity or dresser.
Best Hair Accessory Gift For Teens
Solar Eclipse Hair Claw Clip [27] ($28)
For a claw clip that becomes the outfit, this butterfly hair accessory couldn't be prettier. It comes in two colors: this orange option and a pink version.
Best Charm Accessories Gift For Teens
Anthropologie Shoe Charm & Laces Set [28] ($28)
Bag charms and jewelry charms have been everywhere, but these shoe charm and laces sets are a cool and unexpected way to upgrade up a favorite pair of sneakers. They come in 10 different charms and laces combos, from tennis-inspired charms to gingham laces.
Best Casual Footwear Gift for Teens
Crocs Classic Clogs [29] ($35, originally $50)
My friend, Crocs are in. (Note from this millennial editor: I know, I didn't believe it either, but I've fact-checked this!) If you want your teen to love you forever, score a pair of these classic Croc clogs, which seem to be always sold out.
Best Travel Gift For Teens
Fruit Babies Bestsellers Kit [30] ($38)
"I want this on my list," Ella says of this Glow Recipe set of the brand's best-selling products. For under $40, you get the travel-size version of six products, which comprise an entire skin-care routine: cleanser, moisturizer, eye cream, exfoliating serum, and more.
Best Unique Gift For Teens
Lego Icons Succulents Kit [31] ($40, originally $50)
Winter says a flower kit from Lego's Botanical Collection [32] is on her holiday list. We think this succulents display is just too cute, and we love that your teen will be able to spend time building the plants (rather than scrolling on their phone) and then use them for decoration. You can connect all nine plants together to create one display, or separate them to add bursts of color throughout the room.
Best Jewelry Gift For Teens
Anthropologie Cherry Drop Earrings [33] ($44)
These top-rated earrings from Anthropologie add a playful twist to any outfit. They can be worked into an ear stack or stand alone with a simple black holiday dress. Either way, the teen in your life will love them.
Best Literary Gift For Teens
Subscription to Anyway Magazine [34] ($48, originally $54)
If you grew up reading American Girl Magazine or Girl's Life, you'll be thrilled to discover Anyway, a new magazine dedicated to making the messiness of growing up a little less stressy — and a lot more fun. The physical magazine makes a great stocking stuffer for your younger teen (the mag's editors say their target audience is tweens ages 9-15).
Best Everyday Sneaker Gift For Teens
Adidas Originals Gazelle Bold [35] ($52, originally $120)
This bestselling sneaker adds a stylish pop of color to neutral 'fits. Right now, this red and pink combo stacks a 46 percent discount with an extra 20 percent discount that's taken out once it's added to the cart. There are still plenty of sizes, but I'm guessing they'll go quickly at this price!
Best Running Shoes Gift For Teens
New Balance 1906R [36] ($55, originally $155)
Whether they're a runner or just want a comfortable pair of athletic sneakers, they'll love this bestselling pair. The midsole is built to absorb impact while the outsole adds extra arch support. There are just a handful of sizes left, so you'll want to act fast to take advantage of the 65 percent discount.
— Additional reporting by Kyley Warren, Macy Cate Williams, Abbey Stone, and Angela Elias
Kyley Warren [37] (she/her) is an award-winning writer and editor with more than four years of experience in the publishing space. She previously worked as an assistant editor on PS Shopping and is an expert on all things related to shopping and fashion. Before joining PS, Kyley worked with Entertainment Tonight as a style commerce writer, and her byline has appeared in publications globally.
Macy Cate Williams [38] is a former content director of commerce at PS. She literally shops for a living! Based in the Bay Area, Macy finds the best fashion, beauty, fitness, and home products that readers should know about.
Abbey Stone [39] is the former editor-in-chief of the Webby-Award-winning brand Well+Good. Abbey was also an editor at publications including Mental Floss and People and has bylines at The Daily Beast, Wondermind, She Knows, and more.
Angela Elias [40] (she/her) is a contributing editor for PS Shopping, where she reviews everything from beauty products to kitchen gadgets, curates can't-miss sales, and creates "best of" shopping roundups. In her former roles at PS, she led the relaunch of its Latine identity and family-focused verticals, directed its Home vertical, and hosted shopping segments. She has nearly 15 years of experience working in the lifestyle space as a writer, editor, content strategist, director, on-camera talent, and publicist.