7 Christmas Gift Ideas For Women That Aren’t Just Beauty Products

The best way to buy Christmas gifts for someone is to make a note in March of some vague reference to something they want, carry that knowledge with you for nine months, and then reap the gratitude harvest come December when even they had forgotten how much they wanted the item you’ve bought them.

Unfortunately, it’s already too late for that, but don’t despair: Boots has a fantastic range of cracking Christmas gifts for women to help you pick the best gift this year.

Camera

While the photos you take on your smartphone are all very well for posting on Facebook and Instagram, if you want to get your best shots blown up to A1 size and plaster your walls with them, you need a good-quality camera. If there’s a snap-happy woman in your life, a camera is a great Christmas gift, whether it’s a top-of-the-range DSLR with a lens as large as your front room or a compact cam that prints out photos as soon as you take them – ideal for capturing your festive celebrations.

Bluetooth Speakers

When was the last time you checked in on the world of Bluetooth speakers? If it’s been a couple of years, you’ll be amazed at what you can find nowadays. They come in all shapes and sizes – from tiny, pocket-sized options you could hang on your Christmas tree too chunky boom boxes that can soundtrack a street party. And there are now Bluetooth speakers you can take in your shower! Bluetooth speakers with 24 hours of battery life! Bluetooth speakers you can connect to from half a mile away! That last one might be a slight exaggeration, but the vast range on offer means they make for a great gift because you can show off how much you know about someone by picking the speaker that fits perfectly into their lifestyle.

Hairdryer

You rarely buy yourself the hairdryer you want, because there is always a cheaper one that does almost as good a job. This makes them a canny gift choice, because there is invariably an upgrade available on the hairdryer someone currently has. A little research will pay off bigtime here – or alternatively you can simply head straight to the top end of the market and pick a hair dryer that has tech wizardry like acoustic silencers and the ability the measure air temperature 20 times a second. Hairdryers have moved on even faster than speakers, it seems.

Experience Days

The gift that keeps on giving. Once your giftee gets past the initial delight of learning about the amazing experience you’ve got them, they still have weeks of anticipation before the big day, which they will almost certainly spend thinking about what a great guy you are. However, it all depends on you getting the right experience. Don’t opt for a chilli-tasting day with someone who adds yogurt to a korma, or a vineyard tour with a teetotaler. If you’re unsure of what to get, some destinations offer a choice package where the receiver gets to pick what they want. It’s the gift voucher of experience days.

Headphones

The gift of better-sounding music is always a surefire winner, but make sure you tailor your headphones choice wisely for your gift receiver. For sporty types, go for a wireless set of sweat proof headphones that won't fall out of their ears when they work out. For audiophiles, focus on the right kind of sound quality: for fans of dance music of all stripes, bone-shaking bass is an absolute must; lovers of pop, meanwhile, will appreciate precise accuracy in the higher ranges. Or buy a regular traveler a pair of noise-isolating headphones and they’ll think of you fondly every time they fly in complete peace and quiet.

Gift Sets

This is a time-honored present for women, and with good reason, but to show you didn’t just race into the shop five minutes before closing time on Christmas Eve and grab whatever was left, take your time, and select the right gift set – whether that’s cosmetics, skincare, or bath and shower products. Our top tip is to not necessarily try and replicate exactly what someone likes and uses already – unless you are sure that they hate any deviation from this norm – but to instead to give them the chance to try new things. Not too new, though – it’s probably wise not to take a chance on luminous green nail polish or metallic blue lipstick.

Candles

A candle is not as safe a pick as you might imagine, especially if you’re looking among the funkier scented options available, because some people really don’t like getting candles. Make sure your giftee is not one of those people either by constantly carrying a candle around and seeing how they react, or by knowing them well. Once you have settled on buying a candle, it’s time to dig deeper into the world of smelly wax. This is a rabbit hole even Alice would shy away from, so go in with a clear idea of the kind of scents they like. Or just get one of the Christmas ones – at least it will smell seasonably appropriate.