Here it is, Christmas gifts for teens & young adults 2020 – I think I feel more pressure about this post than any other in the year as people start asking me when it’s coming from early October. Once again, most of the input has come from my own crew who are always keen to put a gift list together and this year I’ve had some added input from girlfriends too. As always, the ideas that I’m bringing you are smaller gifts because big purchases such as laptops or games consoles are usually individual specific. My helpers talked me through the items so I’ll try to paraphrase their commentary as I go along – and on Christmas morning I’ll be feeling some trepidation as I think about all the present opening that’s going on and hope that you experience the very particular joy of giving just the right gift. So let’s crack on: Christmas gifts for teens & young adults 2020 – as chosen by them.
Christmas gifts for teens & young adults 2020 – chosen by them
Beauty & personal care
I love the way the girls are so much more environmentally aware these days, they’ve made me rethink my use of cotton wool pads by their insistence on these. They come with a bag that you put in the washing machine but remind them to always tie the top so that they don’t get caught in the drum.
Reusable cotton pads with subscription option
Fragrance is so personal that it’s a difficult thing to buy for someone else but you can’t go wrong with one of these collections. The little bottles are useful for keeping in a bag for the days when they’re out and about again.
Mini collection of Versace fragrances(female version)
There’s another lovely Margiela option here which recreates the fragrance of certain locations – a lovely gift for someone who’s missed travelling during this year of lockdown.
You can’t beat a beauty giftset and this one is created for younger skin.
Clarins Beauty Flash Instant Radiance Kit
Foundations and powders need working in more than ever now to avoid them being rubbed off by a face mask and I agree that this is the best brand for make-up brushes that I’ve tried.
The trend for facial hair shows no sign of waning and this, apparently, is the kit you want to keep your beard, tache and sideburns trimmed to perfection. I’m not sure how long this offer will last but it’s the best price I’ve found.
Last year’s much desired Chilly’s and Swell bottles are, apparently, over. This year there’s only one bottle to be seen with and I have to admit that I really enjoyed looking through the site – the wine and beer options are genius too. It would be one way of getting yourself through a dull Zoom meeting while looking as though you’re quaffing water… however… I digress.
We all know that there will be a lot of standing around outside in the cold this winter but these are also apparently good for normal times when you’re waiting in the queue for a club or a sports match – and at inclement festivals too.
If you have a teen they may well already have one of these – when he’s at home our middle son is rarely seen out of his and we wince when he answers the door in it. They are great for lockdown though and they mean you don’t have to have the heating on all day.
This kit is not just for DMs and apparently will make them want to clean their school shoes – and that’s something I’d be willing to try.
Christmas gifts for teens & young adults 2020 – Toys / games / books
Woe betide you if you leave toys off the list. As I’ve said before the middle son never quite got over the Christmas when I thought he was all grown up and didn’t include anything to ‘play with’ amongst his presents.
I didn’t watch it so I don’t quite understand the fuss but here you go, apparently an ‘epic’ option for a jigsaw puzzle.
There’s a move on from the novelty of the polaroid to reusable cameras with real film. Our boys were delighted when we unearthed our old Nikon this year – although less so when they realised they had to pay to get the pictures out of it. However apparently the photos look so much better than digital ones – and of course we all know how much kinder they are to the skin. So here you go, a much desired ‘retro’ gift!
Reusable film camera (here’s a good source for reasonably priced film if you need it)
Go one step further and they’ll realise just how simple photography can be – no need for a triple iPhone lens, they can build their own camera.
I think next year I’ll need a section dedicated to image creation because it’s such an important creative outlet these days. For anyone who’s using a phone this selfie creation kit will help them to get a variety of results so that they can keep innovating their feed.
Oumi Janta is a viral skating sensation on Instagram and TikTok and I’m told that these skates are high on a lot of girls’ wishlists. They’re great from beginner level onwards and they come in lots of different colours and finishes – it’s all part of the retro revival and I have to say I quite fancy a pair.
One to make your head spin – these are skateboard decks but apparently their true value lies in the art form and they are rarely used, instead they’re hung on a wall until they’ve accrued value. Highly collectable they’re a modern investment.
If you’ve ever made the eye watering mistake of agreeing to play Cards Against Humanity with your older kids, you’ll be as relieved as I am that there’s now a family friendly version. It’s such a funny game but the original is definitely a bit too close to the bone.
Family friendly Cards Against Humanity
A very entertaining way of spending half an hour over port and cheese, kazoo games always make us laugh until we cry – but maybe that’s just us.
And this one’s funny too – and educational! You’ll learn about some of the world’s more unusually named creatures, it wears off after a few games so it’s good for a student who’s likely to play it with different groups of people.
Ah Tyson – sadly I don’t share the same gym with him these days but… I did overtake him one day when I was running in the summer. I suspect he was interval training but it was one of the great moments of my year (admittedly there haven’t been many). This book is getting brilliant reviews.
The Furious Method: Transform your Mind, Body and Goals (currently half price – and from a feel good retailer too)
A great book for anyone who is looking to reset themselves into a positive frame of mind – self help but without a hint of ‘woo woo.’
Christmas gifts for teens & young adults 2020 – Home environment
I’m always surprised to see how much effort young adults take with their bedrooms these days but then of course it’s often the stage for their social media output. I have to say that the input on this has come more from the girls – my boys like the various light machines further down though, presumably because it means their rooms can still be messy but no one can tell.
These vines are, apparently, IT! The Tik Tok / Instagram stars have them and so everyone else wants them too. They do look lovely – it makes me wonder what it must be like to have a girl in the house.
Starlight projectors they tell me are a relaxing way of getting to sleep and they remind me of the lights we put in their rooms when they were babies. They are lovely, quite mesmerising.
The boys all love the idea of these – strange but what can you say!
I was a bit cynical about these until the eldest bought them for the middle son to take to uni. Mr MC did a brilliant job of sticking them round his bed and underneath his desk and the wire trunking – in the end his whole room glowed and it really did look good, especially when he put his music on and it flashed along with the beat.
Christmas gifts for teens & young adults 2020 – Clothes
Always a tricky one, I’ve asked for recommendations that are fashionable and also for ‘can’t go wrong’ classics.
This was a surprise, we’ve gone all the way back round to the 90s lumberjack look and I was able to pull out photos to prove I wore it the first time. This time shackets are slightly more popular than oversized shirts but both are in.
And just to confuse things the 80s workwear brands such as Dickies and Carhartt are hot too. This t-shirt is a ‘can’t go wrong’ item.
As, apparently is this, for skateboard chic.
Another timeless classic that transcends any boundaries of style or age.
Here’s a darker alternative if your house is overflowing with white trainer options
A comfortable mask for all day wear, also available in pink, red and blue or black.
Or a fun option for Zombie fans.
And last but not least, I have to finish with a venture that is close to me. You may remember this photo from Kalkan when I said the boys had come up with a business idea of their own. This was the lunchtime when they were talking us through it and since then they’ve worked hard to bring it to life.
I’m really proud of them because they’ve turned the negative of not being able to get jobs into a positive of building something together using the savings they have. So what is it? Well they’ve sourced and designed their own tiny range of sweatshirts, hoodies and t-shirts. They started off selling them to friends and they’ve gone so well that they’ve reinvested their money and are now launching their own website. Of course I have to declare that I’m biased but I think they’re really good.
They’re made from 80% organic cotton with 20% recycled polyester to avoid shrinkage. The cut is slimmer than your average baggy hoodie so more flattering. The dinosaur graphics are their own concepts… because they all love dinosaurs. You’ll see there are two designs, the bigger graphic has almost sold out and they’re not sure that they’ll be able to restock before Christmas but they’ve just had a new delivery of the smaller logo.
They’ve all worked on it together and girlfriends have even been roped in too as you’ll see from the shots they took of the youngest with his ‘copine’ before lockdown… poor boys, this year of constant separations has made hearts grow fonder for all of them. Anyway I thought I’d show the range to you just in case you have offspring that might like something indie and unique. Oh and if you go to the site you’ll see their names. As always please don’t write them in the comments because I work hard to keep Midlifechic away from their Google trail – if it led their friends and future employers back here I wouldn’t feel able to write quite as openly as I do.
Ok so there are hoodies in either pink or blue…
Blue pteranodon hoodie (our model is wearing a medium)
Pink triceratops hoodie (our model is wearing a large)
Grey hoodie with silver graphic (our model is wearing a medium)
White t-shirt (our model is wearing a large)
So there you go, that’s me doing my bit to help them as they struggle to navigate a path through these difficult times. They will, of course, be utterly grateful for and delighted by any orders.
Pink with large graphic; blue with large graphic (just one medium of each left in stock)
One more thing – thank you so much to everyone who has ‘bought me a coffee.’ I’ve loved reading your little messages and it was actually a big surprise because I didn’t know it was being tested on my site. The development team we work with often use me as an experiment – and if you don’t know what I’m talking about, don’t worry, I’ll explain soon. But now I’ve run out of time and must press publish on ‘Christmas gifts for teens & young adults 2020’ because so many of you have told me you’ve been waiting for it. Oh and I’ll be back again tomorrow because there’s a bonus post this week – one last look at Christmas clothes before I go back to gifting on Friday.
Disclosure: ‘Christmas gifts for teens & young adults 2020’ is not a sponsored post
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