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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

Does anyone actually like gift sets

114 replies

Dollymixtureyumyum · 27/12/2015 20:30

Smellies and bubble bath I mean.
I love bubble bath but I always have tubs and bottles of mositerising cream left over as I always when I can be bothered use the same one. Not to mention the sponge or flannel that never gets used and don't even get me started on all the bloody packaging.
I am always grateful for the gift but I do tend to think they are an overpriced waste

OP posts:

TapStepBallChange · 27/12/2015 20:45

My MIL once bought me Liz Earle stuff because it was on QVC, I was so enthusiastic about it she buys me it every year, which is ace as I love it, although I have now got a stock of the eye lotion

OryxNotCrake · 27/12/2015 20:45

I love them too. I like getting things that I can use - I don't need any more stuff to find a home for. I don't have sensitive skin and I'm not massively picky about scents. I've had a really nice Soap and Glory one this year as well as some stuff from the Body Shop. Lovely.

moopymoodle · 27/12/2015 20:46

I would be pleased to receive them with just nice shower gels as we use a lot of that but mine tend to be small travel sized bits I rarely use.

I did get a lovely Christmas box from lush from mil though, lots of nice bath bits :D

Im greatful for any gift I get but it's much nicer to receive something you really want. This year I was quite pleased as I got such lovely thoughtful presents. It's made me vow next year to not hand out any nivea sets!

Topseyt · 27/12/2015 20:51

I am grateful to receive the gift, and I do use them up, but I am just not big on that sort of thing and they don't inspire me.

I do appreciate though that plenty of people do love them and that someone has gone to some effort to choose the gift.

TotalConfucius · 27/12/2015 20:51

For Xmas 1984, which was the first Xmas I knew her, MIL bought me a BodyShop dewberry (remember that! The purple one) set which was very nice for the 17 yr old I was then.
But I am 48 now, dewberry is long gone, I haven't entered a Body Shop for about 20 years and STILL I get a BodyShop shite gift set every effing Xmas. This year is Shea. It's going in the loft and will see the light of day in December '16 when DD will use the bits as stocking fillers for her mates. As she did with the coconut stuff from last year.
I have tried to explain gently and diplomatically that I no longer use Body Shop products since my skin got very sensitive after having the children. In one ear and out the other.

tictactoad · 27/12/2015 20:52

I like them and have no qualms about inflicting half price ones them on the rest of the family too. I always choose naice ones I know they'll like and are too tight to pay for themselves and avoid the ones with bits they won't use.

BarbaraofSeville · 27/12/2015 20:52

No.

Overpriced for what you get, even in 3 for 2. Appalling waste of packaging. Prefer to choose my own toiletries. Don't use body lotion so that is always wasted. Not convinced expensive ones like Molton Brown are worth the premium pricing.

I'm not a 'pampering' person and see washing/bathing etc as a chore rather than relaxing leisure activity.

VintageDresses · 27/12/2015 20:56

I can't get excited one way or another. It's unlikely to be my best present ever, but they're not terrible either.

The Lynx ones DSs got from my friend this year were brilliant though. The "manwashers" got the biggest laugh of the day

chipsandpeas · 27/12/2015 20:58

i like them and use them even if its brands i dont like or know

im soap and gloried out from stuff i bought myself before xmas and stuff i got for xmas but i'll use them all up (or give some away for pressie thru the year)

ghostspirit · 27/12/2015 21:05

i love them bubble bath = me time

ghostspirit · 27/12/2015 21:10

i bought my son a bathroom set came in a nice leather bag. only it had shaving balm. init. he is 13 and does not shave. he keeps walking about now rubbing his chin area

CeeceeBloomingdale · 27/12/2015 21:10

I like certain ones (L'Occitane, Molton Brown, Philosophy, White Company), ones that are a bit of a treat and that I'm not allergic too. I prefer showers gels which always get used rather than body butters which I pass on to friend (not for an occasion, she just likes all smellies and knows they are cast offs)

Shopgirl1 · 27/12/2015 21:12

I like them if I like the brand...got a nice sanctuary one this year and a nice l'occitane set, but also a babyliss & whatever it is and I will be re gifting I think.

ghostyslovesheep · 27/12/2015 21:12

oh I love L'Occitane - and Clarins

MTWTFSS · 27/12/2015 21:12

Depends on the brand :) I like Lush and The Sanctuary.

MTWTFSS · 27/12/2015 21:14

L'Occitane Verbena is the best

Icklepickle101 · 27/12/2015 21:14

I love them

Iliveinalighthousewiththeghost · 27/12/2015 21:14

Yeah. What's not love. Got enough smellies to last me for months.

nooka · 27/12/2015 21:16

My children have given me a couple of sets in the past, I think they just loved the packaging! Unfortunately I'm very picky, I love good bubble bath and nice shower gel so I'm always happy to get those in my stocking (stockings put together my children in our house) but I don't really use any other products and I hate most scented products.

It was tricky with the children's gifts, because although I did of course tell them that they were wonderful and perfect they couldn't help but notice I didn't actually use them!

Vanderwaals · 27/12/2015 21:16

No I dont like them. Nor crappy makeup/nail sets.
However, I got given one last year and it became my favourite shower gel and I now buy it all the time. So it's not all bad.

LMonkey · 27/12/2015 21:28

I love smellies and can't understand why anyone would be displeased about receiving them. I mean, we all wash yah? OK so you might not ideally want to receive one as your main present from your DP or something (although having said that DP bought me the big soap & glory one amongst my other presents, god was I chuffed), but from your gran/friend/someone else....I'd be very happy. Bubble bath isn't ideal for me as I only shower, and I'm not keen on lavender fragrance but I'd still be grateful if I received them.

Shodan · 27/12/2015 21:44

Well, I used to love them...

However, having been given the same brand sets for the last three years, I now have enough to bath several people, several times over, every day, for the next god-knows-how long.

Plus, I have gone off the smell of one, and get thrush from the other, so not a huge success for Shodan's gift-givers.

But I'm hoping that ds1's girlfriend would love them, so that I can quietly offload them without offending anyone

As a side note- ds1 was mightily miffed to hear that Santa had substituted Calvin Klein shower gel for his obligatory Lynx box set, so Santa had to send out a helper to get one specially...

HeffalumpTrap · 27/12/2015 21:46

I like them - I both specifically requested one and was asked to buy one this year. It's nice to try new things and makes the usual scrub down with a dove bar more 'luxurious' even if it's just because it's different.

Sgtmajormummy · 27/12/2015 21:50

Santa brought everybody one this year, mainly because DS has been using his father's stuff for shaving and it was time for him to have his own "cool" brands.
So, with a bit of thought, we all got something suitable. I got Bayliss & Harding Midnight Lavender soap and travel sized creams (wanted to see if MN hatred was justified....).
Cheap and cheerful, but not as a main present.

cuntycowfacemonkey · 27/12/2015 21:57

I hate them as I don't use soaps and showers gels or perfumed moisturisers. Now if someone wanted to buy me a large tub of Double Base cream from the pharmacy and stick a bow I'd be rather chuffed.

I think it's just about knowing the person you are buying for, if they like smellies then nothing wrong with a gift set.

It's like wine, no one starts threads about receiving wine even though that could be considered equally impersonal and not everyone's taste. I don't drink wine so always feel a bit meh when I get given a bottle by someone who's known me for years.

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