Do you like receiving toiletries as Christmas presents?

[katykuns]

I am not a fan, but I don't really do the pampering thing...

Anything to avoid?

I am buying for SIL, who has a month old newborn

[RowanMumsnet]

Hi there

This isn't an AIBU so we've moved it to Christmas.

[ravenAK]

SIL & I always buy each other Lush gift sets...on occasion we've exchanged the same one.

Not fussed, really. Nice treat, inoffensive gift choice, but probably wouldn't miss it much.

I'd prefer proper perfume or something gorgeous from Illamasqua, but I can choose that myself in the NY sale.

[Cabrinha]

No. Absolutely no.
I just do not get why anyone describes them as a treat.
It's just soap, people! Just soap.
Over priced soap.
I suppose the Doce type price range is a more useful present than most things for quite a few people. But anything more than that and I just shudder at the price of... soap.


There are 2 reasons why they're OK as gifts though...
(1) they sell well at car boot sales
(2) as consumables, you're not stuck with some awful ornament or necklace that the giver might expect to see again ;0)

I appreciate the kindness of anyone who bothers to get me a gift, but these, I just don't see the point.

[Dozer]

No no no more toiletries.

[HoldMeCloserTonyDanza]

Ugh a million bottles of shite cluttering up the bathroom.

Put something in the bath, you have glittery scum to clean up afterwards.

And then you smell weird and it rubs off on the baby.

FUCK NO BUY ME GIN!

[ClippedPhoenix]

I can't be doing with "lush"

I personally dont want to wash myself with a piece of pizza, neither do I want to wash myself with a lump of coconut. I want a bloody bar of soap.

[pigletmania]

Oh and lush too

[pigletmania]

I dnt mind unless it's cheap tat. Sanctuary, soap and glory, body shop are all good

[BusyLittleSpider]

I'm with BrianButterfield here, I'm quite shocked at some of the responses here!

I love nice bath and body stuff but can't justify the expense so would be enormously grateful to receive a nice Boots gift set, let alone Clarins!

[cashmere]

In the interest of saving money we've ploughed through all our sets this year and haven't bought any ourselves (Boots, Next, M and S etc). It's not felt like a treat though!

A treat for me is Molton Brown bubble bath, or their handsoap Rose Granati has a gorgeous smell and great with a newborn when you wash your hands ++. I'd love that with the matching handcream as I'd never usually buy posh handsoap but the smell really lasts.

I also like handcream and the hard lemon verbena soap from L'Ocittane- the soaps are about £4 and I use in shower/to shave legs. Much prefer to the proper Verbena shower gel.
Oh I also love their Almond body oil. I've always wanted to try the Elemis body oil and Papaya face exfoliator too.

[BrianButterfield]

God, I'll take all of yours. I love getting posh stuff like Clinique and Clarins - ask DH for it even - Lush, S&G and Sanctuary are all very nice and anything else is fine too (what's honestly wrong with a Dove or Nivea shower gel? Honestly?).

This thread just can't be representative for the world at large. Most people I know buy supermarket smellies for themselves and are pleased to get branded stuff for presents, never mind any of this "I only use XYZ (v expensive) brand".

[MadameCreeper]

I'm not a massive fan but have got some nice stuff from my sill. I think it has to be a big bottle of something and to travel bottle size. They'd tend to hang around the house for a few years and don't even make it into my weekend bag.

[vamosbebe]

I'm not a fan of them myself. I have just moved house and chucked out a bin bag's worth of stuff I'd received over the years (some was given away). Some was cheap, some was Bodyshop, some Clinique, some Clarins, some Lancome - out it all went

[TigerseyeMum]

Oh it's not just stretch mark cream, fear not. It goes on cracked nipples from breast feeding too, so no need to worry about causing offence :)

[choccyp1g]

Unless it's Elle McPherson, no thanks it will go straight to the school fair.

[kiwigirl42]

I am snobby and ungrateful of thoughtless, cheap shit presents. Would rather have nought.

[BoerWarKids]

TigerseyeCream Is it wise to buy a new mum stretch mark cream, she might take it the wrong way? Depends on how close the relationship is, I suppose.

I hate, hate, hate receiving smellies. I only use particular brands; Weleda, Lavera, Trilogy and John Masters Organics, so I hate all that Boots 3 for 2 crap. Every year without fail, my well-meaning relatives get me bath salts or bombs when I only have a shower, no bath tub :(

I would love it if people actually asked me what I'd like and I'd tell them specifically. If I want something I just go out and buy it, so I approach Christmas without many wants and certainly no needs. I'd be happy to cease all gift exchanging tbh.

Yes, I'm a miserable, ungrateful cow

[HoldMeCloserTonyDanza]

FUCK NO

[BikeRunSki]

I hate it. I never have baths, unless in labour, and am particular about what I put on my skin. I love Origins face skin care , but have an untouched 2 yo Origins presentation box of bath products. Seems such a waste...

[Mrsjay]

TBH i do panic buy 3for2 at boots when i cant think what else to get folk it is easy

[Laquitar]

Imo the sets from boots, body shop etc have a big sign on them: 'Unwanted, Recycled Present'. Everybody seems to recycle the last year's ones.

[neverputasockinatoaster]

I'm not a huge fan. Most scented stuff makes me sneeze and I have exzema (which you'd think I'd be able to spell wouldn't you? Having had it for the last 45 years and all!) so have to be careful what I use.

However, I did bath when DS was little - I had a cs and was advised to have a bath rather than a shower as I was having issues with my scar. I used to put DS in his bouncy chair and sing to him while I showered - he inevitably went to sleep. Could I do that with DD? No I bloody could not!

My favourite present when I had DD was a bag that velocroed onto the handle of her pram. It had a matching water bottle holder. I'm strange.

[Mrsrobertduvallsaysboo]

I have just ticketed the tombola for our school fair.
There were lots and lots of boxed toiletries, sets, soaps. Body Shop, Sanctuary, Ted Baker.
Plus a spectacularly hideous mug and coaster some poor sod will win next week

[DumSpiroSpero]

No. Almost all give me eczema. Always give them to school raffles.

I organised our school raffle this summer, and the amount of gift sets of toiletries that were donated was unreal.

We ended up having a 'Pamper Tombola' as we literally couldn't have given it all away.