What to buy 21 year old female

[EsmeraldaFudge]

DS1 and his relatively new GF will be spending Christmas with us. We've not met her yet and Christmas is likely to be the first time we do meet.
I want to get her a couple of gifts for Christmas Day but have no clue. My own DD is only 8 so not really up to speed with what 21 year olds are really into.
Any advice and ideas appreciated!

@wickedthemusical

I am 21 and buy myself things, might be helpful if I list a few things of what I got for my 21st?

-Zara/H&M gift card (all of my friends love these shops)
-Olaplex no.3 - this is a hair product which is absolutely amazing.
-wax melts
-lush gift set - snow fairy is an amazing range
-Filtr fake tan by Molly-Mae
-Beauty works products

Those are just a few things, I also like Zara perfumes but perfume can be very hit and miss cause everyone's tastes are different.

Keep us updated on what you get, can be inspiration!! X

I’m mid 20s and wouldn’t get anything on here except for the gift card . I wouldn’t even be able to use the other stuff listed on here . So you can’t generalise. Get to know her and get her something she will like or play safe and get her a gift set

Some really great ideas here. Thank you all!!

I’d ask to see a photo of her to suss out if she wears make up, jewellery etc? If she does it gives you tonnes of options.
Especially pandora.

You could ask your son what sort of perfumes she has too? And go from there?

Mine likes

Make up brushes
Soap and glory
Spiced rum
Nike socks
Water bottle
Perfume
Jewellery

Id make up a little hamper with some small versions of everything here so maybe a Xmas scented candle (not necessarily Yankee as they’re expensive), mini gin/Buck’s Fizz, posh chocolate, maybe some gingerbread coffee syrup etc and then at least if one or two are a miss she’ll still have lots that she likes and you can find out a bit more about her by what she seems excited by?!

I'd probably go with a bottle of champagne and some chocolates, something that can be regifted if she doesn't like champagne or chocolate.

Are they arriving before Xmas?

Another thing I would consider is buying a number of gifts, and then when you meet her decide which one(s) to give. Things that can be used / kept.

So

Alcohol
Earrings (check when she arrives if her ears are pierced)
Chocolates / nice sweets in a jar
A few sample perfumes
A mascara
A scarf

M&S do a beautiful light up box of chocolates for £20, I'd love to receive this. Not helpful if she's diabetic or dieting so text your son & ask him.

Text 'Hi was thinking of buying your gf xyz for Xmas, would these be suitable?
He might respond better to this than you asking what she'd like as he's likely to respond "anything".

Luxurious stationery is a good fail safe option.

What about a schuh Voucher?

My DSD is 21 - she and lots of her peers are very minded about the environment so are not into fast fashion (h&m, Zara etc) and would rather buy second hand better quality. On her (ridiculously expensive!!) wish list in your kind of price range would be turtledove cashmere wrist warmers (they are gorgeous and would be a lovely gift btw), good quality walking socks, dry bag for swimming. So far for her stocking got her nice candle, book on marine biology, sari eye mask, shower steamers, David Attenborough socks etc.
My point is to support what others have said lots of 21 year olds wouldn't be pleased with soap & glory kind of stuff so it's worth knowing a bit more about her.
I have three bf/gf of my stepkids - in the past I've got them vouchers for a restaurant I know they like. Not sure what I'll get them this year.

www.turtle-doves.co.uk/collections/cashmere-wrist-warmer-collection/products/black-grey-cashmere-wrist-warmer

I never buy my DD anything clothes related as the taste of young ones is very different to mine. I do buy her:
books
expensive makeup: MAC lipstick, mascara. Not everyone uses brushes.e
perfume
chocolates

My daughters are 20 and 22 (23 next week,) and would hate quite a lot of these things. Neither drink gin although would probably like those light up M&S bottles. Neither shop at Zara.

Pyjamas from somewhere like Next would go down well. Everyone likes new pyjamas don’t they? and socks? Mine like the Scion stuff at Next

I wouldn’t get bath bombs or anything for the bath, as she might not have a bath where she lives. If shes a student she might not be allowed candles.

I’d get pyjamas, socks, and chocolate. You can’t go wrong.

Wouldn't pyjamas be quite a personal present for someone you haven't met? A lot of DDS's friends don't wear pyjamas.

It is quite difficult to get something non generic if you don't know what she is like.

The type of things I buy for my ds's gf would be sketch pads, drawings pencils, anything stationery related as she is very arty. Although I have bought her clothing and a hat in the past.

My dd (who is not arty) I bought a paint by numbers set and that was a great gift for her.

Unless you get some info I would play it safe and get a few things, maybe something like a little mirror for a handbag, some neutral coloured lip balm, nail polish also in a neutral colour, some sweets or chocs and make it into what I call a goody bag present. Even a photo frame might be nice.

Girls are quite easy, I did get a message from gfs mum last year as she had no clue what to buy my ds 😀. I suggested a tshirt 😃

I will depend on what she is like really, so ask your son.. When my daughter was 21, but in the 1990's she went from liking pop music when younger and dancing around to it, she went into liking heavy metal music,, wanting leather jacket , fancy belts and clanky horrible jewellry and awful makeup.

I would not have attempted to buy her any clothes, or makeup or perfume then, she had to have her own style in most things.

But she did like writing a lot, so would get her some fancy note books and a nice diary and decent pens. and some warm pyjamas and some woolly socks etc, as she was at one time, in a shared house, that was always very cold in the winter..

I think that while pyjamas can be absolutely lovely you can also inadvertently go quite wrong with them - everyone has fabric, style and colour preferences, some people don't wear them at all, others have limited fabric options due to eczema or other things...

Choosing gifts is often difficult for people we do know well. For people we don't it is essentially just a total gamble!

My DSD is 21. Last year we bought her a wowcher for a prosecco afternoon tea in a very posh city centre hotel and that was without doubt her favourite present.

@happyavocado28

As a female in my 20s I would say can't go wrong with a Yankee candle gift set or a nice 'soap and glory' gift set!

[[https://www.boots.com/soap-and-glory-the-pink-pamper-collection-10299550?cm]]mmc=bmm-buk-google-ppccLIAsAs--CatchhAll--UKKSmartShoppinggLIAsCatchhAll&gclid=Cj0KCQiA4b2MBhD2ARIsAIrcB-TLG-6mW8dGWITIPBw1vWMUfklLZPD2fwrMmx1YFbnZOcFAzaKLYaArcKEALww_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds

Good God, I can't think of anything worse

@Welcometothejingles

M&S do a beautiful light up box of chocolates for £20, I'd love to receive this. Not helpful if she's diabetic or dieting so text your son & ask him.

Text 'Hi was thinking of buying your gf xyz for Xmas, would these be suitable?
He might respond better to this than you asking what she'd like as he's likely to respond "anything".

Luxurious stationery is a good fail safe option.

They also taste fucking incredible. I ate 4 of the houses yesterday. I felt like an evil giant, wrecking the village at Christmas time.

This post will look deranged if you have no idea what the box of chocolates is like.

I was also going to recommend this as a gift, BTW! I have some to give away next month

I'm late 20s but don't drink, don't wear makeup, only use a few select products for skincare and don't buy from fast fashion brands. I would text your son and say you'd like to get her something to open as she'll be with you on the day, maybe he can recommend a book she'd like, or a drink she enjoys, etc etc. Much better than trying to find something generic enough that most people would like it.

Benefit do some really nice makeup gift sets at christmas, normally not too expensive & it’s good quality!

If you’re going down the voucher route, your best bet is probably Asos because they stock so many other brands, she’ll have a massive choice.

A nice flavoured gin, or does she like coffee- a nice travel mug?
My DD is 21 and likes for generic presents- Revolution makeup vegan range, Glossier skin care products, Lush snow fairy, Costa or Lavazza coffee gift sets such as mugs or coffee, hotel chocolat vegan chocolates, flavoured gin or vodka, fluffy slipper socks, theatre tickets for a musical, candles that are sweet or fruity scented.
She is not a fan of perfume, soap and glory, Baylis and Harding, fake tan, anything Starbucks related, Christmas novelty stuff (jumpers etc) that can only be worn in December or any type of purple clothing, Thornton’s or Cadbury chocolate, wine, candles that are flowery or musk, anything leather such as purses or handbags.
Just shows how different everyone’s tastes are though! I would make a list of ideas and try to do a bit more detective work about her likes before you shop

When I first met my MIL when I was 23 she gave me clarins hand cream and body moisturiser and some lovely chocolates and I was gobsmacked it was such an amazing gift.

The wrist warmers / fingerless gloves @benjaminsniddlegrass suggested would be my go to gift for someone female I dont know well this year. They are practical, ethical, local and a touch of luxury without being personal. Such a good gift option.

Also you could message your ds and ask what her drink of choice is and a bottle of something she likes. He should be able to share what her fav drink is.

I really wouldn’t go for a Soap and Glory gift set!

I’d be tempted to send him a text saying, help me out here with a present for X-do any of those sound like they’d be well received..nice gin, scarf, posh candle, Fortnum chocolates, funky socks, stationery etc’

That might prompt him to give some specific info (eg oh no, she’s teetotal/scared of candles since her house burnt down/hates scarves/is gluten-free!) and then you can go from there!

I’d try and get some hint from your DS.
My 20yr old DD is getting a sword for Christmas....