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

WelshMaenad what an idiot haha, yes I do mean Soap and Glory!

Maybe it was just wishful thinking on my part

I love getting the Soap and Glory hat boxes from DH for Christmas.

I'm quite particular about toiletries (I'm allergic to some stuff) so most of it ends up being donated to the school summer fete

Depends who buys them for me. My DSIS/DM know exactly what to get (stuff like REN, White Company, l'Occitane), but my MIL gets stuff like Lush/random economy brands which bring me out in a rash.
So basically depends how well you know her. That isn't necessarily helpful, is it?

I really like it - but not flouncy flowery gift sets. Lush or Body Shop is always a good choice or just some nice normal stuff like Radox shower gels or bubble baths. I got so many shower gels last year for Christmas that I've not had to buy any at all this year (and still have 2 full bottles).

I like all the lush sets.

So any of those or a really luxurious brand that I wouldn't buy myself would be nice.

I love these sorts of pressies

Dislike gift sets such as sanctuary, dove etc. Love anything from clarins. SIL bought me the benefit eyecream when ds2 was born and it's lovely.

Only do it if you know without a shadow of a doubt which brands she likes. And don't buy cheaper versions.

YES I LOVE THEM. Poundland or Harvey Nicks, it's all blissikins to me.

I hate them - I'm really not interested in body lotion/moisturiser etc and hate having baths so bath lotion is a really crap gift. Every birthday and Christmas without fail I end up with some, which then gets binned or re-gifted onto someone else.

I think it depends, if your SIL is the type of person who likes spa days, long baths and is into beauty routines then she would probably love getting some nice toiletries, if she is like me and picks up whatever is cheapest quite happily then she probably won't. Only you can judge if she is likely to be interested or not.

I really like getting bath stuff because it's something I don't usually buy for myself and getting it makes me want to use it therefore ensuring I get an hour of peace and quiet now and then.

I personally hate them, I buy the stuff I like, and some smells set me off sneezing. I would in her position prefer an offer of babysitting and cinema voucher (as long as fairly long expiry date if bf).

I'm in the don't really want to receive these camp.

I love them as long as they are good quality - ren, philosophy, aromatherapy associates & lush would be my favourites.

Instant response to OP: No. Hate it. Gets sent to the local hospice present amnesty every time.

I will now go back and read other responses and see how abnormal I am.

no not unless it is something i really like. i prefer to be bought an item or items that i will use so have been thought about, do not care if it is 3 for 2 offers from boots (i love soap and glory) the cost in irrelevant

often it is lazy present buying

Yes.

Ideally posh, but happy with own brand. I love radox shower smoothies, they're cheap as chips.

Hand cream, skin care, whatever. Bring it on!

I love it, if it's something I use (or would like to). I'm fussy, basically. So only buy generic smellies, or things that you know she'd use. I also think that facial skincare and makeup are really too personal, you'd have to know EXACTLY what to get...

EG I never have baths, only showers. So bubble bath would be wasted on me. I hate 'cheap smellies', which writing it down sounds really snobbish! My sister loves it as she gets all my unwanted smellies after Xmas. Hand/foot cream is usually a pretty safe bet?

Not really no. I'm quite fussy about fragrances and rarely use moisturisers so they often end up being passed on to other friends (or tombola etc). However, if it's something someone knows I use, then that's lovely :)

IMO Clarins hand lotion is a good gift, it's not heavily scented & it's not greasy and when you have a baby your hands seem to be in water a lot.

No, i don't like it.

Have skin issues and have gone SLS and paraben free to try and improve my skin so wouldn't use anything that doesn't fit this.

I love smellies as presents, but ideally not body lotion, as I'm fussy about that. I like the Soap and Glory stuff, Sanctuary stuff and anything above that in price range. Not marks and spencer own brand or that Baylis and Harding stuff that is just a Molton Brown knock off.

They are useful to regift. We don't have a bath, only a shower, so gift boxes which include bath salts and bubble bath are wasted on me anyway. And I have loads of body creams and perfmes which have been gifts over the years and just can't get through them all even if I were to use them several times a day. I had a clear out when I last moved house, and in the future everything along those lines will go to my local women's refuge if its decent stuff, and the bin if it's shite.

I a now a sahm so can't even regift with secret santa like I used to

I love it- especially lush. Pre dc one of my favorite Christmas day activities was to have a bubble bath with my new toiletries.

I have eczema so a lot of stuff would just be a waste - expense is definitely not necessarily a guarantee of good ingredients IME and often if you read the list it's the same crap as is in Dove or own brand stuff.

But I have had lovely toiletry presents, like a really gorgeous cleanser from Lush (their cleansers are second to none IMO, especially UltraBland and Angels On Bare Skin) and a small set of different perfumes that I could try, and also really a nice expensive set of shampoo and conditioner - I think it was the ginger one from Origins. So in answer I'd say something you reckon she uses anyway but in a nicer, more luxurious type.

NOOOOO to the Boots gift boxes, I hate HATE then, expecially if they have a pink sponge included

anything M&S, ditto
Bodyshop, ditto

Yes to Clarins, and that ilk, even Chanel dare I say

but noone ever get me Clarins do they lets face it

I get a fucking Sanctuary bubble bath, shit mousturiser and shower gel

hey ho

ooh Clarins hand cream is bliss and one of the few that I'm not allergic too (although wonder if infrequent application may have something to do with that).

TeWi can you recommend any SLS free brands?