first things first: no idea why the image quality is so shit today. created and saved as per, and yet somehow, grainy and fuzzy. no idea. how annoying. secondly: how frustrating is it getting gifted items at christmas from those flatmates or aunties or friends of friends who don't really know you that well, but feel obliged to buy you a present. don't get me wrong: random gifts are awesome, but way more awesome if it's something you like or need, and aren't planning on re-gifting to another friend of friend next christmas.
why am i suddenly so bothered? because christmas present buying is hard. the worst, and i am currently overwhelmed by it. i don't like wasting money, so i prefer buying people useful things, not tacky or pointless things, but... how do you know what will be useful for someone else? hard. does anyone else have this same problem as me? someone at work said they'd nailed all their chrismas shopping already, and i was gob-smacked. i literally don't know where to start.
er, so, while i was doing some window shopping for ~other people, i decided to help other people help me to not want to re-gift things i don't need, won't use, and don't really like next christmas by creating a wishlist of safe and thoughtful gifts for, well, me. and i guess people like me too. yay for the mes of the world!
sleep treats | there's nothing i like doing more - or have more trouble doing, than sleep. with that in mind, things like sleep masks, essential oils and comfy pyjamas are always a welcomed gift under the tree. some people are particular about pjs, like prefer their bottoms big and their tops small (me), but generally i think people love a new set, right? christmassy ones can get a bit naff, but i've never met someone who wasn't pleased as punch with their new seasonal jim jams. maybe just consider their personality when deciding though - i'd be more than happy with a novelty pair like above, but maybe your aunty janis not as much.
beauty treats | aaaall of the beautification! a lot of the high-end beauty brands will do neat little gifty treats at this time of year so you can sort out your giftee with a whole host of suitable quality goodies, but if you want to be more thoughtful then you want to think about that person's specific taste. me, i wear loads of blush and always have really chipped nails, so a good quality brush or nail strengthener would be a lovingly received treat under the tree, as would any sort of pink lip product to add to my plethora of link lip products. if you think a bit about the person, this bit's pretty easy to get right i think. we're not talking base shades or anti-ageing serums, nothing offensive or personal, just something you ~know they'd like, based on what you know they already like.
accessories | seasonal accessories are easy win, for sure. you can never have too many hats or scarves in winter, and with the range of products out there, it's really very hard to get this wrong. i would avoid tacky prints and colours though, again thinking about the person who's going to be wearing it, and go for a simple classic print and colour scheme. a pink and mustard tartan would be perfect for me, but i know my mum - for example, would prefer something less 'spewy', that would go with everything (i know the tartan ~does go with everything). with hats you need to consider hair colour too - anything pink or orange on my head is a no-go at the minute, so i'd say try contrasting colours; if they're blonde, go a darker shade, and vice versa.
with jewellery - keep it simple. a birth stone or gem is always a nice idea (although mine is sapphire, so no), and never, ever anything too sparkly. not everyone likes a flashy piece of jewellery, so i would take note of what they usually wear, and think what would compliment their current pieces. again, i'm totally all about novelty, i think we all know that.
suitable smellies | this is the biggie, isn't it. every year ~someone will inevitable gift you that impulse gift set from boots, that just gets regifted to someone else, or the charity shop, in the weeks after christmas. does anyone still use impulse spray - as an adult, i mean? i have a bottle on my dresser, but i use it more for room spray than anything else, and i would be mortified if someone gifted me something that impersonal this christmas. i never, ever buy them for others - same goes for those men's lynx ones, as they are just an absolute waste of money. instead, try the high street smellies stores like lush and the body shop and even soap and glory at boots. a slightly higher price point, maybe, but at least value for money because they will actually ~get used by the recipient. for me though, as i don't take baths and everyone i've ever met knows that about me, i would hope any smellies that come my way would be thoughtful enough to be of the shower or skin care variety, and not of the bath bomb type.
so there really are a few totally safe areas for gift giving, so long as you put a ~little bit of thought in to the receiver's personality. i've realised it's no good thinking like "if i like it, they'll like it", because not all my friends are carbon copies of me, and i think that's been my problem until this point. i suppose come christmas time, we're all just hoping for something thoughtful, that we'd be happy to have in our lives, right? with less than thirty days until the big day, i need to really get a wriggle on and get these gifts sorted out.
how have you gone with your shopping this year; are you sorted, or struggling like me?
answers on a christmas card.
