Searches for “lymphatic sculpting face brush” are up 400% this year. “Classic toy train set” is up 240%, “kitten heel sandals” 295%, and perfume has become the most searched type of gift set. Those numbers come from Google’s Holiday 100, the annual gift guide it built from 2026 search trends and published yesterday.
The list is a decent map of what people will be unwrapping in six weeks. It is also a map of where sellers know demand is high. When everyone types the same three words into a search bar, the stores at the top of the results have little reason to cut the price, and marketplace listings with familiar-looking photos multiply.
So here is a walk through the biggest trends on the list, with a note on how to buy each one without paying the trend premium. None of this comes from testing the products. It comes from published specs, store policies and the way these categories usually price.
What the list actually measures
Google says the Holiday 100 is based on its internal search data for the U.S. and globally in 2026, and the percentages are year-over-year changes in search interest. That’s useful, but it measures curiosity. It says nothing about sales or quality. A 400% jump can start from a small base. A product can trend because it went viral, because it’s new, or because people are searching for a cheaper version of it.
Treat each item as a category you already know people want. Then shop the category. The exact listing Google or a gift guide links to is one option among many, and rarely the cheapest.
The trends, one at a time
Perfume gift sets: do the math per milliliter
A holiday fragrance set usually pairs a bottle with a travel spray, a lotion or a shower gel. It looks generous. Whether it beats a plain bottle depends on how much actual fragrance you get. Divide the price by the milliliters of perfume and ignore the extras for a moment.
Here’s a hypothetical with round numbers: a 100 ml bottle at $130 works out to $1.30 per milliliter. A set with a 50 ml bottle, a 10 ml travel spray and a body lotion at $95 gives you 60 ml of fragrance, or about $1.58 per milliliter. The set only wins if the person will actually use the lotion. Sometimes the set is the better deal, but you won’t know without running the numbers.
For someone who doesn’t have a signature scent, a sampler is a smarter gift than guessing. Google’s own link for this trend points to a Sephora holiday perfume sampler, and Sephora sells sampler sets that come with a voucher the recipient trades for a full-size bottle of one of the scents inside. Read the redemption terms, check whether the set is final sale, and avoid secondhand listings, which sometimes arrive without the voucher. Fragrance is also a favorite of counterfeiters, so buy it from the brand itself or a store on its list of authorized sellers, never from an unknown marketplace seller with a suspiciously low price.
Podcast microphones: start with how it connects
Google says searches for “podcast microphone” are up 115%. The spec that matters most for a gift is how the mic connects. A USB microphone plugs straight into a computer and is the easy choice for a beginner. An XLR microphone needs an audio interface or mixer to reach a computer, which adds cost and setup the recipient may not want. Some mics offer both outputs, which gives a new podcaster room to grow.
The other choice is dynamic versus condenser. Dynamic mics pick up less of the room, which helps in an untreated bedroom or kitchen. Condenser mics capture more detail and more echo along with it. A popular model at a premium price in the wrong type makes a worse gift than a modest one that suits where the person records.
Face brushes and other beauty tools: the dupe zone
Google says facial wellness tools had a breakout year, led by that 400% jump. Simple tools in a hot category are exactly where unbranded versions show up fast. For something this basic, materials and return terms matter more than the name. Check what the bristles or head are made of, how it’s cleaned, and whether the store accepts returns once the package is opened, since policies on used personal care items differ from store to store.
Trending beauty brands are a different case. Google says searches for Cécred hair products grew 160%. With a named brand, the bigger risk is fakes. Buy from the brand’s site or the stockists it names.
Candles and ski mugs: decor with a short shelf life
TODAY’s rundown of the list cites a 335% rise in searches for festive candles, and Google calls “ski mug” a breakout search. Seasonal decor is where the trend markup is easiest to skip, because the item’s job is to look nice for a few weeks.
For candles, compare price per ounce of wax, which most labels list. An $18 candle with 8 ounces is $2.25 an ounce; a $40 candle with 20 ounces is $2 an ounce. Stated burn time is worth a glance too, though it’s an estimate. For mugs, the trend is the design, so a well-made version from a store brand or a local potter does the same job as the one in the gift guides.
Train sets and roller skates: check fit and growth
Two classic kids’ gifts are back. Google says searches for “classic toy train set” rose 240% and “adjustable roller skates” rose 180%. For wooden trains, compatibility matters more than brand. Track from most major makers connects, though some pieces fit tighter than others and some cheap sets use slightly different grooves. If the child already has a set, buy add-ons labeled compatible with that system.
Adjustable skates are popular for a practical reason: they expand across a range of sizes, so one pair lasts more than a season. Check the size range against the child’s current shoe size, aiming for the low or middle of the range. Budget for a helmet and pads in the same order.
Striped sweaters, kitten heels and one named sneaker
Fashion trends on the list run hot. TODAY cites a 600% jump in searches for striped sweaters, Google reports kitten heel sandals up 295%, and “nike v5 rnr running shoes” climbed 150%. Clothing and shoes are the riskiest gifts on the list because of fit, so the gift receipt matters more than the brand.
For a trend piece like a striped sweater, the pattern is what people want, and mid-priced store brands carry it alongside the labels. Check fiber content before price. For a specific named shoe, list price tends to be similar across the brand and its major retail partners, so the savings come from store promotions, loyalty rewards and less popular colorways, which often sell for less than the one in every photo.
Habits that keep the trend premium off the receipt
- Look up the price history first. Google’s price insights show whether a product’s current price is low, typical or high, and you can set a price-drop alert while signed in. A “typical” price on a trending item means there’s no sale yet, only a tag.
- Check who is selling. On Amazon, Walmart and other marketplaces, the “sold by” line deserves as much attention as the price. Trending brands attract copycat listings.
- Buy where the return window is long. Target stretches returns on most electronics bought in November and December (up to Christmas Eve) into late January. Amazon has told sellers that November and December orders can be returned through Jan. 31, 2027, though Apple items get less time. If the recipient got the same trending gift from someone else, that window is what saves you.
- Ask for a gift receipt. It lets the recipient exchange without seeing what you paid, and stores usually refund gift-receipt returns as store credit or a gift card.
When to buy
Early sales are already here. Target’s three-day early sale wrapped up on Nov. 7, Amazon has been running early holiday discounts on a lot of items, and Walmart’s early Black Friday event opens this Thursday, Nov. 12, and lasts through Sunday. Black Friday is Nov. 27. Trending items sometimes get a real discount in that window, but the hottest ones often don’t, and some sell out.
A workable rule: if the price insight shows low or typical and the item is the exact one the recipient asked for, buy it now at a store with a long return window. If it’s a category gift, like candles, a sweater or a mic, you have more room to wait, because there are always other versions at other prices.
The Holiday 100 tells you what people want this year. It doesn’t tell you what any of it should cost. That part is still your job, and a few minutes of math per gift is usually enough.
