Birthday present for designer-loving, childless friend?

[Thedragon55]

Every birthday my friend spoils me with designer handbags, purses, beautiful jewellery. She is single, childless and enjoys spending more money than she can afford. Absolutely no judgement from me for that, she enjoys it and shes so generous with it.
However, I struggle massively when it comes to her birthday. She loves all things designer and I just dont have designer money as I have 2 kids, a mortgage and not much disposable income.
I know she won't judge but I'd like to buy her something special that she will like... any ideas?

Alternatively you could go vintage and get her a designer scarf (they vary widely on size, cost and condition) but are really thoughtful gifts for the right person. Here’s a Gucci example.

www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Gucci-Scarf/132820936114?hash=item1eecbea5b2:g:NnQAAOSwi-dbxOET

Look fantastic do some lovely make up gift sets I have just ordered this on for sil

Are you in london? Get her tickets (or an IOU for tickets) to the Dior exhibition at the V&A, which starts in February

Or look for a beautiful coffee table fashion book

Subscription to vogue?

And this one too

Hourglass Dangerous Curves mascara is meant to be amazing - and about £20. Or a silk & lavender sleep mask for travelling?

My BIL is a designer lover but everything is way outside what we normally spend on family birthdays.....

We buy him Selfridges or Harrods vouchers which he then puts towards something "designer" that he wants!

If she likes to travel, maybe get her a designer passport case? Or you get pick up lovely Ted Baker toiletry cases in Boots for a reasonable price.

For the record, I’m childless, and love to receive a picture of my best friend’s son. He gives me a school picture as part of my Christmas gift each year. I love his little face brightening up my front room.

I'm childless, not offended in the least by the word, totally understood what you meant, and would ADORE a framed photo of my friends' children especially if they had done something handmade to the frame/something else with it! Get a cheapy frame and get them to thumbprint paint it?

I'm in a similar but opposite situation of buying for my best friend who has children and earns much more than me. I've found some gorgeous smellies in TK Maxx for her today, I'd really recommend having a look in there at their non-clothing stuff, lots of high end brands at nice friendly prices :)

Please don’t go with the Katie Loxton suggestions. I’m very similar to your friend and really not meaning to sound ungrateful but would never use a cheap clutch bag over one of my designer ones. I second the suggestions to buy a smaller product from a decent designer. Chanel do lovely soaps!

A Chanel lipstick in classic red. They have some new matte ones out in sleek matte black packaging that are to die for.

A Chanel compact mirror is £30 and makes a good gift. I have bought them for my sister and friends in the past.

www.johnlewis.com/chanel-miroir-double-facettes-miroir-duo/p1725387

White company cashmere socks

(Make sure you use a discount code for your purchase)

Totally disagree on the "childless" thing. It just means she has more disposable income surely. It's not a slur.

Sometimes TK Max is worth a look for little designer pieces especially cosmetics (if they've been looked after well) often they are in cases to protect them.

thatmustbenigelwiththebrie I think the point is that the reference to her being childless is completely irrelevant to the post. You could say 'I have a friend who loves designer everything, she also has a habit of spending more on gifts than she can afford and I really struggle finding something to buy for her birthday each year'. There is literally nothing that referencing the fact she's childless changes about the question being asked therefore, it is isn't relevant (and a bit weird to point out in the subject header but that's just me).

I had a friend like this and I got her a voucher with a lunch date in her card. We ended up having a really lovely day out together and it didn't cost too much. I think she appreciated it more than a material gift.

OP I think you said ‘childless’ as an expression of simply saying she ‘doesn’t do kids’ and that her life is so different to how yours is now? I can totally relate to you.

In my experience, I bought her a Jo Malone candle or a discounted White Company throw from Bicester Village, or a voucher for afternoon tea.

It's 'childfree' not that it matters

'My friend has more money than me to spend' would suffice.

And no, a picture of your kids is an awful idea.

I have a dc I still am able to spend on nice gifts.

If she likes designer bits and bobs I'd go for a nice accessory or perfume you know she likes.

I would probably go down the cosmetics route. Maybe as a PP suggested, a Chanel nail varnish, or similar. A Tom Ford lipstick possibly. There are some really nice things on the Katie Loxton website or Sara Miller has lovely mugs. I'd avoid the homemade stuff like the plague. That's just a personal pet hate.

Agonyauntagatha I still don't get what it brings to the post. And if that's what it was meant to mean then it would have been helpful to elaborate rather than just randomly throwing the fact she's childless in there. Because not all childless women just 'don't do kids'. And what does that have to do with someone's birthday present anyway?

It's things like this that make childfree women feel like they are constantly alienated by women who aren't as if having children has any bearing on what kind of person you are.

But anyway I won't steer further from the original post.

Totally disagree on the "childless" thing. It just means she has more disposable income surely.

If doesn’t necessarily mean that.

Why not just buy something in a similar vein to what you’ve bought her in previous years?

She sounds like a close friend - you must know what she would like by now.

@Thedragon55

My best friend doesn't have and doesn't want children she's married has a home and likes to spend her money (her and her husband have much more they me and mine) on clothes, things for the house, luxuries etc and is massively generous when buying gifts

I go over what my budget would be for other friends gifts so that I buy something that is her taste and also because I'm aware she spends much more on me over the year with her generosity and buys for my son too.

Cosmetics is a good idea, surely you know her favourite brands. If she gets her nails done I wouldn't bother with nail polish though,

If she travels a lot a luxury eye mask could be nice

Have you heard of space masks they're quite 'in' at the moment too

www.spacemasks.com