Rad Grad Gifts

Gyms and stadiums everywhere are filling with gown-wearing, mortarboard-donning grads and their puff-chested families this time of year. And you’re likely racking your brain for cool grad gifts.  Why resort to the same old boring stand-bys–e.g. frames, photo albums, lockets, gift cards to Borders–when you can give a gift that’ll really wow. Here are a few ideas that are sure to make your grad feel rad without putting a deep dent in your bank account:

           

Tokidoki Makeup Gift Set from Sephora – hands down, this is the cutest makeup line you’ll ever see. Creator and Italian artist Simone Legno (love this guy!) brings his cult-favorite designs and colorful interpretation of life to a new makeup and accessories line available exclusively at Sephora. A complete line of eyeshadows, liners, lip stains, bronzers, luminizers, and more are packed in gorgeous containers adorned with Tokidoki’s insanely lovable and colorful characters. The formulas are flawless, too, with ingredients like nourishing rice lipids and soothing kudzu and marine extracts.  Snag an adorable coordinating makeup bag and fill it to the brim.
($8 and up, sephora.com)

            

Stylish Travel Luggage – Your grad may be jet setting this summer and they need to do it in style. These uber-chic hardside travel cases from Heys USA are just the ticket. My faves: the perfectly-sized carry-on XCase and the 12″ VCase Beauty Case. Choose from a rainbow of colors and prints to suit any taste.
($70 and up, heysusa.com)

Cool Fujifilm Instant Camera – Instant (Polaroid) photos are back and this white retro-inspired instant camera from Fujifilm with flash, retracting lens, and over-sized viewfinder looks way cool and is super-easy to use.
($69, amazon.com)

Classic with a twist CC Skye bracelet – Nix the cheesey tennis bracelet, this one is MUCH cooler. The elegant 24-K-gold plated Mini Spike bracelet from hip accessories designer to the stars, CC Skye, makes a bold statement without being over the top.
($125, ccskye.com)