$25 challenge: Affordable gifts and Tucson treasures at Pink Moon Mercantile

The retail shop, located in the Marshall Building, 845 N. Park Ave., just around the corner from University Boulevard, has been a staple of campus since 2022 and is filled with all manner of fun gifts, cutesy decor and all-around good vibes.

True to its name, the first thought I had when I stepped through the door was “pink.”

Inside the shop, you’ll find University of Arizona-themed items, notebooks, skincare, candles, art prints and so much more.

This week for our $25 Challenge, I stopped by to search for affordable treasures and compiled some of my favorite finds for under $25.

Everyone loves a good charm bar, and you can pick out both a gold chain necklace and your own adorable charms to design your own unique charm accessory. They have lockets, initials, cherries, cacti, zodiac signs and many other charms. While prices for chains vary, many are under $25, and each charm is $8.

Pink Moon also has many, many adorable cactus decorations, so you can bring a little bit of the desert inside your home or send a piece of Tucson as a present. My favorites were little felted cacti, complete with flowering blooms, from dZi Handmade. Most were priced under $25. I also found tiny cactus and succulent tea lights from Zoet Studio, which, in my opinion, were way too cute to burn. Each one costs $12.

Speaking of candles, for $16 you can pick up one of Cicada’s U of A-inspired candles, including “The Scent of Krutch Gardens,” “Sun-kissed Orange Trees” and “The Scent of the Campus Mall.”

Since the shop sits right on campus, you might also need their Tucson tote — with drawings of local landmarks, flora and fauna — to carry your books and notes. Better yet, the bag is only $16.

For puzzle lovers, Pink Moon Mercantile has an entire shelf dedicated to fun puzzles from Cavallini & Co. Seriously, there’s a puzzle for everyone, from butterflies to cats, mushrooms, dinosaurs and camping. Each of the mini puzzles costs $14.

Along one of the walls, you’ll find dozens of colorful, vibrant art prints hung on racks, many priced for less than $25. My personal favorite was a neon blue, pink and yellow print of potted hydrangeas.

Suncatchers from Scout Curated Wears will throw sparkles and rainbows across your walls to brighten up your space and add some whimsy to your life. The suncatchers retail for $18, but if you have a little more to spend, their stained-glass ornaments are $28.

A final splurge item I had to include was the line of Golden Gems perfumes that they stock. You can get a roll-on perfume for $27 in scents like “Rebel,” a dark tobacco; “Moxie,” a juicy botanical scent; “Louisa,” which smells like warm wildflowers; “Hazel,” a sultry floral; “Golden Hour,” a sweet sandalwood scent; as well as several others.