£20 gift for woman with expensive tastes

[NovemberShiv]

I need to buy a gift with approx £20 for a friend of my Mum's (who gives my Mum a lift to church each week).

The woman in question is always well dressed, wearing expensive accessories etc. She has a dog and gets involved in Am Dram but I don't know much about her.

Mum doesn't want to buy cake / biscuits as she knows her friend doesn't have a sweet tooth / eats like a bird.

What would you get?!?

Maybe instead of trying to match fancy taste, go for something personal?

A thoughtful dog centred gift? A nice wooden water bowl with the name carved in?
Or I loved the idea of a book. Maybe one paired with some nice fancy tea's to cosy up!

Dior lip oil. Can get it gift wrapped beautifully online

You might be gutted by nice tea and you might think figs are wanky. Perhaps you just need to get out a bit more and experience the finer things in life. A £20 candle is going to be either a tiny votive or something a la supermarket variety. Not something a wealthy woman of taste would use. She's more likely to give it to her local charity shop.

I bought a small bottle of Chambord raspberry liqueur for £6 Sainsbury's - pretty bottle. I noticed a mini Charlotte Tilbury pillow talk lipstick gift for about £11 at John Lewis

l’Occitane hand cream.

Another vote for a plant. You'd get a nice orchid or so for that money.

I wouldn't buy skin products as you never know if she's allergic or has a skin problem.

A good notebook.

quality paper is always appealing and you can buy things in a variety of sizes.

in addition to the brands mentioned above, leuchtturm is another easy to find brand.

A plant, or flowers.
Not a scented candle!

Do you roughly know her foot size op? Hush have cosy cashmere lounge socks for around the £20 mark. Cozy to slip into boots or wellies for the chilly late night dog walk too.

What about plant?

Maybe some lovely orchid?

If this lady is older, well maintained and has money, she will doubtless be buying herself most things she wants, and is likely to be particular (ie with expensive tastes)
My MIL (who fits the above description) used to comment 'at my age, I have acquired more nice scarves than I could ever wear'. She was grateful when people bought expensive gifts, but also felt guilty when she didn't really value them and knew they were pricey.
Think about it - if you need gloves, you buy yourself gloves. If you are well off, you buy decent quality ones. And you keep your old ones as spares in the car/ for dog walks. You don't need an additional third pair of £20 average gloves as well.

Therefore I would go with consumables a la nice chocolates, nice wine, nice bath oil or hand cream, or a Waterstones voucher. The thought is there but any of those can be appreciated and easily regifted if she's not keen herself. If you want to make the gift personal, take the time to write a more meaningful line in a card ie: i've really enjoyed getting to know you this year and appreciate you ferrying me around' etc.

I really wouldn't buy a silk pillowcase. It will be terrible quality and a strange thing to buy an acquaintance.

You can't go wrong with a nice houseplant for £20 in my book.

Agree with pp. These are just so good.

Agreed. 'silk' pillowcase would be pretty odd for a close friend never mind an acquaintance

A poinsettia and a good book.

Yes I was just thinking maybe a Christmas book. I love discovering new books set at Christmas time

these were very popular a few years back. I recently did a clear out and had 15 mini tubes of the stuff. not to mention the various marks and Spencer’s versions. They all give me small itchy bumps on my fingers.

women of a certain age get awful presents - hand cream and scented candles are firm favourites.

i actually like scented candles (I know a lot of people hate them) but there are only one or two scents and brands that I would burn in the house. I do however have dozens I have been given as gifts.

I agree with those saying chocolates, books or notebooks.

at least I would use those

DM always wanted a National Trust tea towel calendar, no other brand would do. The previous year’s went into daily use. About £15 nowadays I suppose, but pure linen.

I have expensive taste too. I second the white company candle. Its just such a treat present . The other thing I'd love is a nice panettone or some beautiful dark choc figs or clementines from an Italian deli but if she doesn't have a sweet tooth, maybe not.

Me too. I would love this gift myself 😊

a bottle of balsamic vinegar.

carluccios do a lovely thick treacle-y one which is delicious with a wedge of Parmesan.

consumables all the way…

I absolutely agree. I wouldn’t buy flowers by the way but a good bottle of wine or gin is always a good present.

John Lewis sell leather gloves at that price and are not to be sniffed at.

You can't go wrong with flowers.
Wine - I have a lot of un drunk red wine so be a bit careful with that ( and will probably get more this year).