It’s a conundrum for every woman I know. You dedicate so much of your headspace to finding gifts for everyone else that when they ask you what you’d like, you can’t think of anything. And then when January comes around lots of thoughts pop into your head – things you’d like but perhaps can’t justify buying for yourself. With this in mind I’m hoping to give you a few ideas today because this year more than any other is one where everyone should have a chic treat on Christmas Day. So let’s go: Christmas gift ideas for women.
Christmas gift ideas for women 2020
I’m going to start with the things you never knew you wanted. Little luxuries that will add a boost on an everyday basis.
Car fragrance
My car is a particular passion of mine and I have one of these to fill it with my favourite home fragrance. It’s an indulgence but I’ve had mine for two years now and it shows no sign of diminishing.
This is a more cost effective version – it’s showing as out of stock now but it was there this morning so it may come back in.
Subscriptions
Being something of a fragrance obsessive, at the beginning of the first lockdown I wanted to buy a new perfume that would encapsulate the memories of this unusual year. I’d usually go to Liberty if I wanted to find something different but that obviously wasn’t an option so instead I took out a subscription to Sniph and it brings me so much pleasure every month when my new 8ml delivery arrives. It took me a while to get my subscription right. I started off with female classics which wasn’t for me – if you’re a fan of floral Lancôme / Lauder style perfumes you’ll love it. I’ve switched around a bit and in the end I’ve settled on Clean – if you can’t decide which one’s right for you there’s a fragrance quiz to help you here. The fragrances are from idiosyncratic brands such as Juliette Has A Gun so it really is like a wander around Liberty’s beauty hall.
Another subscription that gives pleasure all year and, of course, helps the beleagured publishing industry is a magazine subscription. I subscribe to Red, Grazia, Woman & Home (although it’s not as good as it was with the new editorship), Homes & Gardens and Living Etc. There are all kinds of Black Friday offers on at the moment here and here.
Travel
We WILL all be travelling again soon and I know quite a few of you are Longchamp Le Pliage fans like me and have the foldable travel bags but have you seen the backpack? You can buy it in the classic original style and colourways or the more updated one like this – great for city breaks when we start taking them again… in the spring? 15% off at the moment.
We all need something to look forward to and it’s going to be worth getting ahead with ideas for travel over Christmas because I’m sure that as soon as we know we can go, there’s going to be an exodus. This is a voucher for slightly quirky breaks and it has 10% off at the moment.
I have to include these bags because we’ve just been told that they’re on their way so unless something disastrous happens, they should easily be here in time for Christmas. We’ll send them off to everyone who has reserved one as soon as they arrive and we ordered a handful more so if you’d like one, you can reserve it here. They’re available in navy, pewter, brown or black mock croc – and thank you so much to everyone who has supported my small business in this difficult year.
I know I keep including these bottles – I don’t earn a penny from them I just think they’re great. This one’s my favourite, it can carry a whole bottle of wine and keep it chilled. When I go to the cinema with my friends we usually smuggle gin and tonic in with us in cans, this would be far nicer… and of course it looks like a water bottle. I suppose we’d be like old ladies with flasks of tea – but the midlife version!
House shoes
I never imagined slippers being my most worn piece of footwear but they have been this year. Unsurprisingly brands have really upped their slipper game this season. The prize for practical beauty in my view goes to these but they’re sold out in my size now because there’s 25% off at the moment.
You could up the ante even more and join the trend for house shoes which are appearing everywhere, usually in embellished velvet. 10% off at the moment from a small brand and made by hand.
Or there’s the classic sheepskin mule, hard soled for people who wear them when they’re popping out to the bin. I think this is the year when it’s worth investing in the best, reputed to last twice as long as other versions. It’s worth bookmarking this because they were reduced by 30% for one day only on Black Friday last year.
Umbrellas
My friends know that I’ll always be delighted with an umbrella – after all we use them a lot up here and they’re a gift that I usually find goes down well. If you’re lucky you might be able to get hold of one of the charity red heart umbrellas but they seem to go out as soon as they come in. I already had one before the ad made them so sought after and they do make people smile on a wet day.
If not, these umbrellas are genius because they have a C shaped handle so that you can hook them over your wrist if you need to check your phone while you’re walking – or pay for something – or (this Christmas) hold a glass of wine at an outdoor event. There are lots of designs to choose from and it always feels good when you have an umbrella that co-ordinates with your outfit.
Cold weather gear
I think I’ve spent more on kit for running than anything else this year because I’ve had to convert the usual light layers that I wear at the gym to work outside. Thanks to the latest lockdown I’ve started running again and the bootcamp that I was doing has moved to a once a week session with a PT… outside… in the dark… regardless of the weather.
Anyway I just wanted to show anyone else who might appreciate it this flattering piece of outdoor layering. It’s designed for ski-ing but I’m finding it brilliant for bracing runs by the sea – size up though, it’s a very neat fit. By the way there’s 25% off everything at the moment with code CHEERS.
In terms of nightwear, I find that I prefer jersey these days and this set is 100% sustainably sourced cotton with a wisteria design that reminds me that the warmth of spring isn’t too far away.
Christmas gift ideas for women 2020
Hand treats
One of the presents that I’ve found goes down best with friends at the moment is fabulous hand wash – after all, we’re now used to washing our hands endlessly even when we’re at home. There’s the luxury option that adds panache to your interiors too:
Or a more cost effective but still lovely giftset.
And these are by far the nicest hand sanitisers I’ve found for carrying around in your bag, even the boys love them. I’ve been having them imported from Paris but I’ve now found them in the UK. These are sold as a pack, but you can buy them individually here as well.
Beauty products that make a difference
One thing that I’ve been meaning to mention for ages is Revitalash. I bought the smallest size to test last year not really expecting much but it worked and so I invested in the larger one. It hasn’t helped me to grow any extra lashes but it’s made the ones I have much longer – I’d say they’ve grown by over 50%. It’s expensive but I’ve been using my 3.5ml bottle every night for nearly a year now and it’s still going. Because it’s such a cult item a fake industry has built up around it so be careful where you buy it from – it’s not worth taking risks with something that sits so close to your eyes.
‘Forever’ luxuries
The beauty industry is predicting that next year will see a surge in lipstick sales as soon as we reach the point where we don’t need masks any more. A lipstick does feel like an exotic item at the moment and it’s a great time to invest in one of the new refillable cases that are starting to appear. They have all the glamour of a Hollywood powder compact – and of course not discarding all of those plastic bullets will be far better for the environment. There are two main players at the moment with lots of designs to choose from:
This one has an integrated mirror for touch ups which is such a good idea.
Double mirror lipstick case – 15% off at the moment
12 days of treats
As I mentioned in the men’s post, this is the year for 12 Days calendars so that you have a little extra treat between 21st Dec and 1st Jan (or whenever you choose your 12 days to fall). Bear in mind that they usually contain more generous sizes than a 24 day calendar so they’re better value. There are obviously a lot of people who are feeling the same way because most of the ones I’d shortlisted have sold out now but here’s one.
And this one is a discovery set with some full sizes so that you can really try some of the more niche beauty brands.
12 Days of Beauty (worth £495)
This is a good cracker and it’s 20% off at the moment – if I had girls in the house it would be my Christmas Day choice.
For people you can’t be with this year
Send lockdown love, thoughts and promises to somebody that you may not be able to see for now. You come up with ideas based around: “I smile when…; Reasons to celebrate..: and We’ll make up for lost time by..;” submit them online and they’re all beautifully printed, boxed and delivered. They’re covered in a scratch-off finish which adds to the sense of discovery and there’s a cocktail stick in there too so that they can enjoy a drink while they read them.
Personalised box of lockdown love
Businesses run by Midlifechic readers
Now this is a tiny business run by a Midlifechic reader – she’s a barrister by day and a purveyor of silk in her spare time. I’ve watched her journey since the beginning – she started with silk pillowcases and I have some so I can say that they’re the best I’ve ever tried. They’re made from a heavy quality silk (22 momme) and I have the white ones but if you worry about staining them with face cream I’d recommend the grey. The packaging is superb too so they’re lovely to give as a gift. Oh and they wash really well by the way – she’ll probably tell me off but I put them in a standard wash and they come out fine. I’ll just add that I don’t share them with Mr MC – I may be wrong but I don’t think any silk pillowcase would last well with whiskers.
She’s highly regarded by the press – The Independent and The Telegraph both rave about her wares and there are now other silk products that you can buy from her so do have a browse and support one of our own.
And that brings me on to another friend that I’ve made through my Midlifechic journey – Claudia and her beautiful jewellery which, as you know, I wear almost every day. We’ve been chatting all year and I know it’s been a challenging one for her – like so many of us, her business was really starting to grow before all of this happened. Anyway she’s just discovered that her new designs will be delivered in time for Christmas so they’re now available to pre-order and I’ll show you my favourite piece – these stunning earrings:
This time her collection is inspired by the power that nature has to regenerate which is very apt. The pearl represents the power with interlocking symbols of elements such as the sun and the moon moving around it. She very kindly sent some to me to try last weekend so here they are:
The rest of the collection will be arriving soon including this necklace…
and in the meantime, she’s offering Midlifechic readers 20% off the whole collection with code MIDLIFECHIC20.
My wish
One last thing – which may seem a bit odd but I’m adding it in case Mr MC is reading because this is what I’d love. I made the mistake of buying very expensive goose down pillows last year when we upgraded our bedroom. He loves them, I loathe them but I can’t justify changing them. I feel as though I’ve tossed and turned all year on the stupid things and I long to go back to a Tempur pillow again. This would be the one I’d choose (now all I have to do is get him to read the post!).
So I do hope that somewhere along the way today I’ve inspired you (and Mr MC) with chic Christmas gifts for the woman who has everything. This is the last of my gift posts – I usually move on to the sparkle of the Christmas events that I go to in the next few weeks but of course there won’t be any this year so who knows what we’ll talk about?!
I’m sure we’ll find something, we definitely need a catch-up because I have outfits to post and news to share. In the meantime I’ll be covering Black Friday… on Friday… and including the latest offers as they ramp up throughout the day. Until then, I’m listing everything that I know of so far below. Happy shopping everyone.
New Black Friday Week Offers
Boden – 30% off womenswear (excluding new in and third parties) here with code C4L3
Sweaty Betty – 25% off everything here with code CHEERS
H&M – 20% off everything for H&M Plus members (quick to join here)
Heist – 25% off everything here
Monica Vinader – 25% off everything here
Nike – 25% off everything here with code SHINE2020 (some exclusions on bespoke)
Monsoon – 30% off everything here plus an additional 10% if you pay with Clearpay
Cos – 30% off style edits here – changing every day
Trouva – a great way to support small independent businesses with up to 50% off here in the Small Cyber Sale – includes Veja trainers!
Benefit – 20% off everything here
White Stuff – 30% off here (changes every day)
Hunter – 20% off technical boots here today only
Continuing Black Friday offers
John Lewis & Partners – complete Black Friday price match hub here (I see some of the outfits from my last post now have discounts applied)
LK Bennett – 30% off here with code GRAZIA30 (NB the Kirans are back in stock!)
Elemis – 30% off plus free 5 piece gift with spend over £100 here (code SPECTACULAR)
AllSaints – 30% off here
French Connection – 30% off here
Urban Decay – 30% off here
Whistles – 25% off here
Hobbs – 25% off here
Jigsaw – 25% off here with code LD25
Great Plains – 25% off here
Kate Spade – 25% off here
MAC – 20% off here
Lancome – 20% off here
River Island – 20% off and free delivery here (minimum spend (£70) code WONDER
Reiss – 20% off here
Department Stores – ‘UP TO’ offers
Liberty – up to 30% off here
Selfridges – up to 20% here with code SELFCCE
Brands not doing Black Friday
Hush – donating 20% of all takings next Friday (27th) to Crisis here
Baukjen – donating 100% of all profits over Black Friday weekend as follows:
Friday 27th: Centrepoint (Youth Homelessness)
Saturday 28th: Trussell Trust (Working to stop UK hunger & Poverty)
Sunday 29th: PAPYRUS (Suicide prevention in under 35s)
Monday 30th: Princes Trust (Helping the young build skills and find employment)
Disclosure: ‘Christmas gift ideas for women 2020’ is not a sponsored post
Recent posts you may have missed
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The 4 coats you need for a lockdown winter
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AW20 Boden edit and midlife lately here
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