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This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Illinois chapter.

With the holidays just around the corner, now is the perfect time to start snagging some gifts for all the loved ones in your life! This year, instead of shopping through the usual big name brands such as Target, Amazon, Walmart, etc., think about choosing to support small and sustainable businesses instead, because especially in the midst of a pandemic, small businesses can use all the help they can get. Plus, it’s so much more special and personal to buy gifts from someone who was involved every step of the way in creating the product for you! So, if you need some ideas on unique holiday gifts to give this year, keep on reading! 

1. Lonely Ghost Co. 

Lonely Ghost Co. (@lonelyghost.co on Instagram) is a brand created by the travel blogger, videographer and now influencer, Indy Severe, better known to her followers as Indy Blue. Lonely Ghost is a streetwear style brand that makes everything from comfy and trendy loungewear pieces to skateboard decks and face masks. The company has become known to its followers as more than just a brand; it is a lifestyle and a community based on its ability to connect people through their pieces. What started as a small business with only two employees has skyrocketed and become very popular, amassing a following of almost 100,000 people on social media. If you’re looking for some comfy and trendy clothing pieces to revamp your quarantine wardrobe or know someone who would like to be a part of the LG fam, consider buying from Lonely Ghost this holiday season!

Two Ghosts Standing in Front of a Brick Wall
Photo by Karolina Grabowska from Pexels

2. Shellie Argeanton Art

Shellie Argeanton (@shellieargeantonart on Instagram) is a self-proclaimed mixed media artist from Evanston, IL. She creates beautiful and unique pieces of art that can be displayed on a greeting card, canvas or printed onto items such as backpacks, travel mugs, pillows, journals, etc. She also can make custom pieces out of pictures of loved ones or pets! In the midst of the pandemic, she has been using her art as a way to support her family and I can promise you that if you’re looking for a special gift to give this holiday season, you’re sure to find something at Shellie’s shop! Her pieces are available for purchase on both Etsy and Society6, or you can head over to her Instagram to learn more about her and get a sneak peak of some of her work! 

art watercolor painting
Photo by Victoria Bilsborough from Unsplash

3. Yay for Earth

Yay for Earth (@yayforearth on Instagram) is a zero-waste, cruelty-free and organic brand that currently only supplies one main product: their sensitive skin face lotion. Over the past year, I’ve realized that less is truly more, especially when it comes to what products we’re putting on our skin. This face lotion is only made of four (that’s right, four!) ingredients that you’ll actually recognize. It’s been given praise in top magazine’s such as Glamour, Vogue and Vanity Fair and has amazing customer “before and after” testimonials on their wesbite showing skin transformations after using the product. The lotion comes in four different sizes ranging in price from $18-$64. If you know someone in your life who’s a skincare connoisseur or maybe needs a little “before and after” transformation of themselves, make sure to check out yayforearth.com to get some before it sells out! 

Hi! My name is Isabella Sohn and I am a Junior at UIUC studying communications with a minor in leadership.
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