It's winter in Montana, for real. And this blanket of whiteness is making me yearn for the tropics. I can't really keep green things alive, but I'm extremely tempted to try to keep this self-sustaining terrarium afloat (only $30!), which I stumbled on by way of Designsponge. And if all else fails, there are these Todd Oldham-designed topiaries, which are equal parts awesome and totally strange.

I have been woefully underprepared for the holidays this year, in every way possible. I didn't finish shopping until December 24,

FROM: Julia Topolski, accessories director

TO: Cristina Mueller, senior beauty editor

I read your blog post and had to e-mail you. When I was in Europe I forgot my usual go-to Lip Medex and ran to the nearest pharmacy—they gave me two lip balms, which I now cannot live without—both La Roche-Posay. I found them on the Internet here—this one is good for nighttime.

And this I always always always carry with me: no taste, no scent, and it really works!

Robin Edlow, our lovely Lucky publicist, has some of By:AMT's stackable plexi-rings, which she bought at the MOMA store—she thinks they make the best gifts ever and is considering the Ring a Day collection.

I just noticed that The Future Perfect, one of the best destinations for cool, contemporary housewares in the country, has gone e-commerce. The site is beautifully designed and actually feels very gallery-like (appealingly uncluttered, with lots of white space and crisp fonts); it's a great backdrop for the artsy inventory, which includes things like this sculptural porcelain letter opener

I don't believe in spending a lot of money on gloves because every time I do, I immediately leave one behind in a cab or drop one on the sidewalk. Meanwhile, I have a pair of old fingerless gloves that I've managed to keep around forever—I'm convinced I haven't lost them because they were insanely cheap. They're awesome, though, because I don't have to take them off to access my Metrocard or phone or book. But if I had an iPhone, with its tricky touchscreen, I would want these, which I spotted on the adorable blog A Cup of Jo. $15 and complete with little dots that substitute for your fingertips.

Imagine right now a world where you were not in fact going home to your parents' house, making polite and stilted conversation with Aunt Betty, and opening gifts from your weird uncle that you do not understand. Imagine instead you were heading to some fabulous cold-weather place like Vail, where the snow is always soft, the fires warm, and you might have a brandy whilst sitting next to Goldie Hawn. What would you wear to such a dreamy, toasty holiday vacation? A fur vest just like this one, of course.

Any fan of 2004's timeless Will Ferrell epic Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy remembers the protagonist's signature scent, the illegal-in-nine-countries Sex Panther by Odeon. Deemed "quite pungent" and "formidable," the scent was said to "sting the nostrils ... in a good way" and even to smell "like pure gasoline." This might sound unappealing, but "they've done studies, you know: 60 percent of the time it works, every time."

I am thrilled to announce that Paramount is now ACTUALLY producing this cologne, and you can buy it here, on sex-panther.com, for a mere $29.99. I'm convinced this is the greatest gift-for-a-man idea ever.* All men love this movie. I've had to watch it at least five times.

*If for some reason Anchorman isn't your male friend's thing and fast food is, there's always the new Flame Body Spray by Burger King, billed as "the scent of seduction with a hint of flame-broiled meat." It's available for a mere $4 on the brilliantly named firemeetsdesire.com, also a foolproof gift option, for a classy kind of man.

—Cat Marnell, associate beauty editor

If you're like me and just realized you have a couple more people you need to buy stocking stuffers for ASAP, here are a few gift ideas that you're likely to be able to track down at your local mall:

BCBG is clearing out loads and loads of dresses—and I never need any real incentive to spring for a new dress, particularly one that I think I can get some mileage out of in 2009. I'm digging this mod striped style, and this silk organza option is really pretty, if maybe a little girlier than what I usually like. This is really pretty too, and I like that it looks like two separates (why style an outfit when they'll do it for you?).