25 Gifts We Love From BIPOC-Owned Businesses

Love Notes makes several different candles, but the Grace holiday candle is our top pick. The packaging is festive and weighty, and a playlist is included to set the mood. It feels like a lot of holiday scents are predictable blends of cinnamon, cloves, and gingerbread that can get old quickly. Grace is holiday-themed, yet it wouldn't be out of place during any other season. It smells like pomegranate and pine, with a hint of spicy woods from the pepper, mint, and sandalwood. The glass container has a chrome finish, so when you're done burning the candle, you'll be left with something a bit nicer than the typical clear cylinder from other brands.

★ Another Candle Company: Cavo Candles are vegan and made from 100 percent soy wax. The company ships sustainably, complete with biodegradable packing peanuts. The best part is the relatable candle names. After a Good Cry smells like the embodiment of finally dragging yourself out of bed after spending a day feeling melancholy. Not too cheerful, but just cheerful enough, with notes of rainwater, lavender, vanilla, and bourbon. It's optimistic but not pushy.

If your partner has complained one too many times about the color of your walls, or they're determined to brighten up their home office, paint from Clare might make the perfect gift. The brand has a selection of curated colors to help you avoid the paralysis that comes with comparing different hues of white at the hardware store. Clare also offers peel-and-stick swatches so you can make the right decision, and the Color Genius Quiz is a good place to start if you're unsure about what to go for. Clare also sells necessary supplies, like trays and drop cloths.

Staying at home has introduced many of us to new hobbies. I made an adorable stuffed creature with this crocheted craft kit! There are beginner kits available, as well as intermediate-level options for folks with more experience. There's something meditative about arts and crafts, and the video instructions are easy to understand. If you run into any problems while crocheting, additional assistance is also available for free via email. A kit from The Woobles might make a great gift for yourself or an artsy friend.

Is your friend perpetually cold? Are they constantly snuggled in a layer of blankets and sweaters, trying their very best to get cozy with a good book? Tea Drops will make the perfect gift. You plop them into a mug, pour hot water in, and let them dissolve. Your friend will have a hot drink in no time. There's a huge variety of tea to choose from, and plenty of gift sets as well—including a DIY boba tea kit.

Check out our Best Tea Accessories and Best Coffee Gifts guides for more recommendations.

by Lupita Nyong'o

This book will make you cry. Author and actress Lupita Nyong'o teamed up with illustrator Vashti Harrison to create a rich, multilayered children's book that touches on colorism, diversity, self-love, and acceptance. The illustrations are absolutely breathtaking—they're the kind of pictures kids will ask to look at for a little longer before you turn the page while reading at bedtime. The story itself is wonderfully written. It follows Sulwe, a child with "skin the color of midnight," as she embarks on a magical journey and realizes her beauty.

WIRED reviews editor Adrienne So fell for Omsom's meal starters during the pandemic. This kit includes 15 starters, or enough to make 45 meals. The assortment includes Vietnamese Lemongrass BBQ, Thai Larb, Japanese Yuzu Miso Glaze, Korean Spicy Bulgogi, and Thai Krapow. Recipes are provided with each individual starter. You just need to supply the protein and veggies to make everything from spicy chicken to caramelized brussels sprouts. 

Shine is a free app for iOS and Android that aims to make self-care easy. All Shine users get access to daily motivational messages, meditations, and self-care challenges. Premium subscriptions tack on even more meditations and programs, plus access to Shine's community features. Subscriptions cost $15 per month or $65 per year—you can gift a subscription here, and you can sometimes find deals via Groupon. This app has done wonders for my mental health since I first started using it in 2015, but it's been a constant source of comfort, especially these past few years. 

Hida Tool carries all sorts of great gifts for DIY enthusiasts. There are woodworking tools, kitchen knives, and bonsai supplies, among others. One fan favorite is the Hori Hori. It's made from carbon steel (one of our favorite knife materials) and comes with a vinyl sheath. While the tool is called a digging knife, it can be used for weeding, transplanting, trimming, planting, and cutting roots. There are a few versions available, but all of them would make a good multipurpose gift for your favorite green-thumbed friend.

Chunks hair accessories are designed to be accessible, fun, and easy to use. The bold and bright designs come in all sorts of shapes and styles for every hair type. While they'll feel familiar to '90s kids, the nostalgic designs are as trendy now as they were back then. Every item is responsibly made in China, and the brand is climate-neutral.

Fly by Jing's Sichuan Chili Crisp is hard to describe. It's spicy but not too spicy. It's oily but not too oily. It's smoky, it's savory, and there are tiny crunchy bits of chili that add an interesting texture. It's great with noodles, rice, soup, pizza, and eggs, but some online testimonials swear that it even pairs well with peanut butter or ice cream. (I can attest to the deliciousness of the latter.) The sauce is fragrant and flavorful, and you don't have to love spicy food to get a kick out of it. If you're getting a jar to give as a gift, I suggest you also pick one up for yourself. Otherwise, you'll end up placing two orders.

We love Umami Mart here at WIRED, and the salt from this kit was included in our guide to the Best Gifts Under $25. For a bit more cash, this spice kit includes not only Umami Mart's savory, earthy salt, but also Ume-Shiso Furikake and Shichimi Togarashi.

Furikake is a rice topping that elevates everything from eggs to salads. Umami Mart's version is tart, earthy, and flavorful. The Shichimi Togarashi is a crunchy, vibrant, seedy chili blend, complete with orange zest and savory nori. This versatile spice set would work well in any kitchen, and it even comes packaged in a giftable box.

Blondery's baked goods are exceptional, but the company is known for its bite-sized blondies. Traditionally, blondies are like a brownie in texture, but they're vanilla-flavored instead of chocolatey. Blondery's blondies are anything but traditional. My favorite is the Birthday Cake flavor, which tastes like a gourmet Cosmic Brownie. There's also Cinnamon Sugar, a snickerdoodle-like confection with toasted butter undertones, and Brooklyn Blackout, a rich, dark, fudgy ode to founder and baker Auzerais Bellamy's stomping grounds.

The desserts ship nationwide in thoughtful, gift-worthy packaging. Stock fluctuates frequently, but no matter which option you pick, anyone with a sweet tooth will be delighted by these desserts.