Corporette.com

Updated: Oct 24, 2019 110 Comments · by

Gift Guide: For the BFF

Gift Ideas |

This post may contain affiliate links and Corporette® may earn commissions for purchases made through links in this post. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

best-friend-gift-guide 2017 Update: We still think these are some fun gift ideas for your best friend, but you may also want to check out our latest gift ideas for professionals. The best friend: another hard-to-gift person. This one will vary widely based on how “big” a gift you guys typically exchange — but here are some things that I would consider. Ladies, what are you getting for your best friend's gift this year? We've previously covered gifts for moms, MILs, and mom-like mentors (with the “live” Pinterest board here), as well as gifts for guys like husbands, fathers, brothers, and friends (with the live Pinterest board here). Full details on the suggestions, below the jump… note that as with other guides we'll keep updating the Pinterest board for best friend gift ideas if we find anything else on point or readers suggest something awesome.
  1. Here's the thing: I feel like after a certain age you want all.the.makeup but never have the time to test out new products or the space in the budget to indulge. So I say, get your BFF a giftcard to Nordstrom or Sephora, and then you two can go and make a day of it — picking colors, trying different products, etc. (Also good for gift cards: iTunes. You know her Kim Kardashian: Hollywood avatar totally needs a new hairstyle.)
  2. If she's like you, your BFF is probably crazy busy. Get her started on a virtual personal assistant service like Fancy Hands or Ask Sunday. (Readers, have you tried any of these? Which service is your favorite?)
  3. Getting workout-related stuff for friends or loved ones is always difficult, because you don't want to inadvertently insult them when you mean to bring them joy. Still: I like Sweaty Bands as a great stay-put-headband for the gym (that also perhaps looks cute while running errands on the way home). For bigger gifts, you of course can get her wearable tech like a Fitbit, some Fitbit jewelry, a ClassPass subscription, or, hey, just book a class for both of you for that underwater spinning or barre class she's been dying to try that you… really… haven't.
  4. Finding a good book to read is never my problem — just finding the time to read it. Still, if your BFF is the kind who needs suggestions, this Amy Poehler book has been getting great reviews. (Any brain candy favorites, ladies? I liked one of Sophie Kinsella's more recent books, I've Got Your Number…)
  5. Maybe your friend loves coffee… maybe she's got something stronger in her tumbler. Either way, this BPA-free tumbler (which is also microwave, freezer, and dishwasher-safe) looks great. (I'm also a huge fan of Anne Taintor stuff, whether for BFFs or, you know, yourself.)
  6. I defer to guest poster's Kanye East's guide on how to buy jewelry for women, but I will say: these earrings look fabulous for an (just guessing here) Accepting Unadorned Gold Demure kind of woman.
Ladies, what are you getting for your best friend this year? What have you gotten in the past that was a really awesome gift?

About Kat

Kat Griffin is the founder, publisher, and editor-in-chief of Corporette. You can read more about her here.

Comments

  1. Busybeez

    Thanks to all of the Corporettes who weighed in yesterday about my problem (trying to go temp to perm at an in-house gig and stymied by a corporate budget freeze)! I have finally calmed down today.

  2. Anonymous

    A gift card. For your best friend. Nothing says more clearly that you don’t know a person like a gift card.

    • E

      +1 i hate giving gift cards to anyone. i have my cousin in secret santa and shes broke and only wants Trader Joes gift cards. i think i’ll have to give in

    • Kat G

      Ha — I honestly am at the point in my life where that would make me happiest. Nothing to return or “explain” why I’m not wearing it, and it’s permission to indulge in something frivolous.

      • Wildkitten

        I think the Sephora favorite packs hit the same sweet spot without being gift cards.

          • AIMS

            I don’t love gift cards, but I am also not a huge fan of the Sephora favorites type gift. I have gotten some version of that every year and while they sometimes contain something useful, they usually also contain things I never use that just clutter my makeup box. The whole thing always strikes me as very “I had no idea what to get you but you wear makeup and this is close enough” and the type of gift I expect I expect from my stepfather, not someone who actually knows me well. Between that and a Sephora gift card, I’d prefer GC.

            I do like the idea of Birchbox or something along those lines because then at least it’s like a nice continuing present you get in the mail for 3 months.

            Just another perspective.

      • E

        But trading gift cards is just trading money. you might as well not gift each other anything. i guess im not like most women buying people useless gifts

        • Apples

          “i guess im not like most women buying people useless gifts”

          Really no need to make stereotypic generalizations about your fellow woman.

    • TO Lawyer

      FWIW, my friends have given me gift certificates to Sephora before and I’ve really appreciated it when it comes with a nice card saying that it’s to further fuel my sephora addiction. I’d much prefer being able to treat myself with something I choose than getting a gift that’s not perfect.

    • Kim

      I don’t know; sometimes getting a gift card for a store like Sephora gives the recipient “permission” to indulge herself in a way she wouldn’t without the gift card, or with one that could be used on her kids / family/ something “necessary.” The real gift isn’t the money equivalent of the card but the license to splurge on oneself. Maybe your friends already do that, though.

    • RLS

      I LOVE getting gift cards. I am really good at buying gifts for friends, but usually the (much appreciated) gifts given to me aren’t to my taste (I’m picky, and I readily admit it). So I prefer giving gifts and getting gift cards.

    • LilyStudent

      Anyone with a Kindle will love an Amazon giftcard. Especially if you get one of the ones with Kindle written on it so it’s obvious that it’s for books. (If you like to give a ‘thing,’ maybe get a book and tuck the gc inside)

  3. MNF

    I’d like to get my SIL the metallic jewelry temporary tattoos that are everywhere. Has anyone used a brand they recommend?

    • LilyB86

      I’d also be interested to know this- some of my girlfriends would love those tattoos and they’re so pretty!

    • kc

      Oh there’s some sold at anthropologie right now and maybe sephora that look good? Haven’t tried them but I sort of want to this summer (not at work, of course).

    • buffybot

      Flash tattoos — they’re available online and get shipped very quickly.

  4. Anonymous

    Fancy hands has a typo on the default gift message, which does not inspire confidence in their services.

  5. LilyB86

    Anyone wanna do some vicarious shopping for me?

    Looking to put together an outfit for Christmas Eve. I’ll be at my boyfriend’s family’s house pretty much the whole day, then church at night, then to their family friend’s Christmas party (all ages but more of a 20s crowd toward the end of the night). So, I’m looking for something holiday and family-appropriate, church-appropriate, but still cute, a little sexy (but again, church) and on-trend.

    Just ordered these boots (link to follow) (suggested in an earlier thread, yay) and hoping to make an outfit around them. Thoughts?

      • Susie

        Sorry but I would not wear those to church. Probably not to my in-laws house either.

        • LilyB86

          oh hmmm I hadn’t even considered that they weren’t appropriate! I would really rather not wear pumps or flats because of uncertain weather- any other suggestions?

          • Anon

            I think leather heeled boots would be fine. Particularly if you wore them with a nicer dress. I don’t think the issue is that they are boots, but rather that they are fairly casual boots.

          • E

            I wouldn’t wear them to church. Imo they’re okay for your in-laws but you’d have to go black jeans and a knee length skirt or just above the knee. In general, I’m envisioning heeled booties with a thick heel, skinny pants and a shiny sweater. Or same boots, sequin pencil skirt and a blouse.

          • June

            Maybe it’s just me but your post made me think of something that’s not too formal but also fairly fashionable. I’m not a big fan of the boots, would personally prefer leather in that style. Pumps would look nice but comfort or warmth might be an issue. If you stick with the boots, consider wearing dark colored pants that would blend in nicely with them. A skirt or dress would need to be short–not a good idea for church. Wear a vibrant colored top (see example below) or something with some sparkle–subtle, not over the top and some nice jewelry. I like layering so you could keep a sweater or cardigan handy that would fit under your coat. Alternatively have two looks–a top for the day and something else to change out into for the evening. I’m thinking with indoor heating sometimes you feel like you need to freshen up before going out.

          • LilyB86

            June- you hit the nail on the head with your description… I was hoping to wear more of a boots/tights/skirt or dress combo since pants could be tricky under those boots (unless I wear leggings which seems too casual)

        • ac

          OTK boots are a touchy subject — they remind a lot of us of Pretty Woman (and that profession), if I recall correctly from the last time they were discussed on this s*i*t*e. I had the same reaction as Susie that I don’t think these are necessarily church/in-law appropriate. Maybe OK with a skirt long enough to cover the OTK aspect?

      • Pro Boots!

        I think the boots + this dress is perfectly appropriate. I don’t think they’re inappropriate as long as you have tights/leggings on underneath. The flared skirt is a great way too keep it out of ‘too sexy’ territory.

        • June

          + 1 – if you really like the boots, wear them. I doubt people at these events are policing others’ outfits as much as some of the comments would make you believe.

    • LilyB86

      ok, seems like I should stay way from those boots. I also own ones similar to these, are they better? (link to follow)

    • kellyandthen

      Those boots are fine, plus maybe some opaque similarly colored tights, and that dress that Belle linked to over on CHS today? Add a festive scarf and you are warm, covered for all manner of things, and cute.

    • Must be Tuesday

      I think the Franco Sarto boots are fine if styled well. I like the dress MNF suggested, and I also think a not-too-clingy sweater dress could work too. Also, with the right proportions, a midi-length skirt can work with higher boots and be both warm and dressy enough.

    • Anonymous

      I would wear those boots with opaque tights and a dress that was not super conservative, and had a tiny bit of flair.

      Something like this:

      http://www.anthropologie.com/anthro/product/clothes-dresses/4130089172569.jsp#/

      (When I originally posted that dress, I did not notice that the model was wearing really similar boots!)

      I think those boots are fine for all the occasions you listed because while they are over the knee, they don’t have a huge heel or anything. They’re actually pretty great boots, and you’ll look stylish and put together.

      • Anonymous

        Also, I like that Loft dress posted above. Its a little more of a conservative, “older” look.

  6. anonymous

    Looking for a nice backpack recommendation…after years of patiently waiting for my now-husband to decide he can actually get rid of his old backpack (think LL Bean style, like the kind kids have with their monogram), he has finally indicated that he would be open to getting a new one. I would like to get him something nice for Christmas but have not found anything that I really love yet.

    Background: he’s an academic, bikes to campus everyday with his laptop and sometimes books, and he prefers his backpack to one-shoulder or messenger bag styles. He tends towards stylish, as opposed to more rugged/camping/northface/patagonia. I’d like to find a backpack that looks semi-professional-ish (at least in an academic setting) as he is no longer one of the undergrad students, but something that’s still practical enough for everyday use. Any suggestions??

    • Anonymous

      I received a Tumi one as a gift a few years back that was fantastic. Had a special sleeve for the laptop and was pretty sleek (as far as backpacks go). I somehow lost it in a move and have been totally bummed about it.

    • christineispink

      I’ve been seeing the Hershel backpacks everywhere lately (in NYC subways, on hipsters, students, and more professional types alike!) – just got my sister (2nd year med student) one for her birthday (well, let her pick it out and then I paid for it via Amazon). She also was able to see them in-person at an Urban Outfitters (or Anthropologie) near her to see whether it would fit all her stuff before purchasing on Amazon.

      • Wildkitten

        They are so popular – make sure they aren’t the it bag for undergrads at that school.

    • E

      My coworkers swear by Tumi but it’s so expensive. This might make him look too much like a student but an all black North Face backpack works for me. I’ve had the same one for the last 9 years and it’s held up wonderfully.

    • Wildkitten

      My bf has a good one from timbuk2 – they have a lot of different ones so it’s worth a look. His specific bag appears to have been discontinued.

      • Must be Tuesday

        I’ve seen a lot of people with the Timbuk2 bags lately, and I like the look of them. Mostly the messenger bags, though I know they carry backpacks as well.

        • Wildkitten

          They have really diversified beyond just the most recognizable tri-color bags. And they have excellent customer service.

    • Shayla

      I would recommend this 1,000 times over if I could, Tom Bihn bags!! There are so many options, but possibly the Brain Bag?

    • anon

      Saddleback Leather has some beautiful (in the manly sense of beautiful) ones.

    • anonymous

      thanks everyone!! so many great suggestions to check out. Now to try to get through today without spending the rest of my afternoon online shopping…

  7. Zelda

    I need carry-on gift suggestions. My bff is taking her first trip to Asia next month, and isn’t a great flyer in general. I was thinking of getting her a cosmetic bag with a variety of travel size items to take on-board with her. Objects that I’m considering include Evian face spray, face lotion, lip balm, amazon gift card (for books or music), headphone splitter (for her and her hubby), slipper socks, eye mask, earplugs, granola bar, etc. What else do you like to take on board for long flights (specific brands welcome)?

      • June

        + 1 Eyemasks are really good for long haul flights. Airlines sometimes supply them but they can be flimsy. I also like travel pillows. Suggest checking out the filling before you buy, some can feel really lumpy.

        Another travel gift idea:
        A travel iron, takes up little space and very functional. Obviously this depends on whether the person will care about ironing their clothes on the trip, (some people don’t mind the wrinkled look) and where they are staying. If in hostels it can be a life saver. Got a steam model by Black and Decker from Walmart years ago.

    • Sacha

      Gum, hand wipes, soap paper (more for the trip itself), eyeglass wipes (if applicable).

    • Anon

      Sleeping pills, eye mask, and one of those travel pillows that goes across your chest.

    • anon

      I like the inflatable C-shaped neck pillows. I have one from Lewis & Clark that is about 8 years old and still inflates. Also, I bring my own blanket for long flights – Lug Pillow and Blanket. The pillow is inflatable and the blanket stores inside a pillowcase made from the same fabric as the blanket. (I’m a travel geek…weirdo.) The have the Lug one at amazon or eBags.

      Edit: I have the inflatable pillow that goes across the chest and hate it.

    • AMB

      I like the facewipes from Say Yes to Carrots. Does she have noise cancelling headphones? They can make a BIG difference and Sony has some at reasonable prices.

    • AIMS

      Slipper socks! I hate wearing shoes on long flights and taking shoes off isn’t always an option, not to mention that planes are often cold.

    • West Coast

      #1 thing to bring for me on a long flight: sleeping pills. Those may not go over as a gift, so I would suggest a leather passport cover and a travel envelope for documents.

      Personally, liquids wouldn’t be a great gift. Space in the plastic bag is limited and I have a set of products that already fill it up–I would likely leave any gifted liquids behind.

      I would hesitate on the eye masks and neck pillows too (as well as anything that takes up space). I’m a frequent traveler and do not like to bring either.

    • "Allergies" PSA

      * latex gloves (one pair/flight)
      * travel pack of Clorox wipes
      * plastic bags (one bag/flight)

      So she when she boards, she can wear the gloves, while she wipes down the tray table/seatbelt buckle, arm rests/light button, and then put the wipe and the gloves in a bag as trash.

      It sounds insane. I know. But if I catch the flu or a cold now that I have asthma, it can be dangerous.

  8. hwr

    Do I need to wear sunscreen if I don’t ever get tan? In very pale and even though I tan/burn easily *in the sun,* I’ve noticed I haven’t tanned or burned all year despite not wearing sunscreen. Does that mean my daily schedule is keeping me out of the sun enough that I don’t need to wear sunscreen, or am I fooling myself?

    The reason I haven’t been wearing it is because I have skin issues and haven’t wanted to deal with the complexity of adding sunscreen to the mix (used to wear it everyday though).

    • SH

      Are you ever near a window in the daytime? Sunlight gets magnified through glass.

      Are you ever outside when it’s cloudy? The harmful rays get through the clouds.

      I am superduper fair. The only time my derm has specifically told me not to wear sunscreen was when I had a really terrible reaction to a drug that I was on, which resulted in a really terrible rash. But she also told me not to leave the house because I was to lie around covered in Aquaphor for weeks on end. As soon as the worst was over, it was back to the SPF 30.

    • hwr

      :( Thanks all! I had trouble googling this because all the results were about how a tan is not safe just because it’s not a sunburn. Then I finally found an article from NYT from 06/13 on a study in Australia comparing people who wore sunscreen occasionally/often to those who wore it every single day, and 4 years later, there was a significant difference in the appearance of aging of the skin. Very convincing, if anyone besides me still needs convincing!

  10. Frustrated Anon

    Thanks for all the replies and insight this morning. All the “NOPE” I got reminded me of this, and now I’m picturing myself walking away from “life is so complicated” guy like Godzilla in this comic. “A nice tall glass of NOPE.”

    http://imgur.com/Mhvzhvg

    Nope Nope Nope.

    Thanks everyone.

    • Wildkitten

      Tack this up in your office, frame it in your home, and carry it in your wallet! It’s great.

    • Anon for this

      I didn’t get any chance to reply on this morning’s thread but wanted to share: I was in a very similar situation a few years ago and I’m now very happily married to the steady, awesome guy. Life’s too short to spend time with people who don’t make you and your health and happiness a priority.

  11. AIMS

    Paging Casper from this morning’s thread. It’s been cold in NYC so if you’re visiting this weekend, dress warmly. NYC wind and rain is not fun. Otherwise, I agree – comfortable shoes (I wear low heeled/flat boots/booties most winter) and layers are good. Black skinny jeans are also good. You don’t need to dress up too much to go see a Broadway show but just because some people dress terribly in jeans and sweatshirts doesn’t mean that’s the way to go either.

    • Casper

      Thanks everyone for the advice. Unfortunately the trip got canceled due to the friend I was visiting’s unexpected work trip. I know all about cold though. It snowed here today

    • tesyaa

      I think she was banned about a week ago for an inappropriate comment (which was deleted before I got a chance to read it). Congratulations on your baby!

  14. Lolz

    Part of a lawyers association that is the largest in my city. Have been a board member for two years. It’s the “Bible Belt” and though religions are mixed people are Christian for the most part. For the last two years I’ve been trying to get our December dinner to be called a Holiday Party instead of a Christmas party and to remove prayer from the agenda (they invite a religious figure each year to lead prayer, always Christian). Both these things are very confusing to newcomers to our event and younger lawyers/students who don’t tend to come to our events.

    Are either of the things I’m trying to do unreasonable? No one on the board sees any issues with either prayer or the word Christmas.

    • Philanthropy Girl

      I’ve spent my whole life in the Bible Belt – and while I don’t think you’re being unreasonable, I’m not surprised your board doesn’t take issue with either of the items you mentioned. I haven’t been to an event in years that didn’t involve some sort of invocation – its an ingrained part of Bible Belt culture that isn’t likely to go away any time soon. Have you considered asking to add things from other faith traditions rather than asking for the removal of Christian references? Perhaps that would be a more welcomed approach?

    • Sacha

      If they won’t make those changes, maybe they could compromise by adding the word Christian to the organization’s name. If it is an exclusive club, they should be honest about it.

    • Wildkitten

      I’m not in the South, so my opinions may be off. I actually think the happens-to-be-Christian-invocation is less obtuse than the “Christmas Party.” I personally prefer Happy Holidays because even as a Christian, the Holidays include Thanksgiving to New Years. I bet they’d hate to offend someone but don’t think there is anyone who to offend. There must be non-Christians in the club, right? Can you point one out so they’d not want to offend him, or invite a few to be on the board?

      • Sounds Like Greek to Me

        I am that person! I would be standing respectfully during the invocation (as I have done scores of times in my life), with a smile on my face, saying “Amen” at the appropriate time(s) and no one would ever realize that the entire time I was wondering why everyone who organized the event didn’t care about making me feel like an unwanted intruder.

    • Sounds Like Greek to Me

      In May 2014, the Supreme Court held (in a divided opinion) that the town of Greece, New York, did not violate anyone’s First Amendment (establishment clause) rights by starting each meeting with a Christian prayer. Aside: if you want to read a powerful explanation for why we can all be proud to be Americans, check out Justice Kagan’s dissent, especially the first paragraph, at http://www.law.cornell.edu/supremecourt/text/12-696#writing-12-696_DISSENT_7

      If that is the way we are now interpreting the establishment clause, it seems unlikely that a Christian invocation at a not-government-controlled bar event is violating anyone’s rights. I disagree, but I am not a Supreme Court Justice.

      I am a very secular Reform Jew and have lived in Southern California (not LA), Manhattan and Boston. I have attended and worked at both private and public institutions. In my experience, many Christians do not fully appreciate how “other” the issues you are raising (title of party, mild invocation) make me feel. Every year, every time someone does what you are describing, I feel I am being told that I am not *really* American. And that feeling lingers forever once a particular group has staked out that position for me. My guess is that your colleagues at the bar just don’t understand how powerful their majority-ness makes them to us minority members. Thank you for your efforts — whether they are successful or not.

    • LilyStudent

      That’s interesting – in the UK it would be called a Christmas Party (Christmas has become an almost totally secular event here, with a minority of people who celebrate it doing anything religious, and many people of other religions also celebrating it) – but a prayer would cause shock. That would be the bit I focussed on.

    • Pippit

      Perhaps there could be someone from another religion who would like to volunteer to lead the invocation or prayer. Both the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster and various groups of Satanists have been active in making public religious displays more, shall we say, diverse?

  15. Wildkitten

    A good guy friend wants to propose with a black diamond. Is that a thing? Are they pretty? I don’t want to borrow trouble but don’t want him to be swindled.

    • Katie

      Does she want one? If yes, then there’s no problem. If she didn’t ask for one, then I’d say that choosing a black diamond is a risky choice.

      They aren’t my style for rings because they look opaque- I want some sparkle to my jewels! They are very inexpensive compared to uncolored diamonds. If you find out she didn’t ask for a black diamond, perhaps suggest some less expensive alternatives- her birthstone, moissanite, a modest traditional diamond. I have an aquamarine set in rose gold that is gorgeous and only cost a couple hundred dollars.

      • Katie

        Oh, and a sapphire could have the same dark effect with much more depth (and lasting value)!

      • Wildkitten

        Thanks Katie! That was exactly the information I was looking for. They didn’t look sparkly in the pictures, but I didn’t know if that was just the pictures. I’ll double-check these questions. He’s a great guy but not the type to thoroughly research things.

    • E

      Unless she specifically requested it, he should definitely not propose with a black diamond. I do know of girls that want that so you never know.

  16. Jordan

    This year was pretty rough on both of us financially so I am buying for her kids and they are making me stuff. BFF and I will be exchanging one (very hard) hug this year and spending a day together making cookies/gingerbread house. She is also expecting her second so that limits the $ and activities.

    • E

      I appreciate this. I got a job straight out of college three years ago and make good money. My best friends either went to grad school or struggled to find a full time job. The jobs they did find don’t pay very well. We don’t exchange gifts and one of the reasons is that money is tight for them. In past years, I still bought them small gifts that they loved but knowing and being okay with the fact that they weren’t getting me anything. I just hate that the holidays have made the prospect of gift giving stressful. “Oh she got me something so now I have to get her something.” That’s an unfortunate obligation and I’m only buying them something when I see a specific item that is affordable and really sticks out to me that they would like it.

Back to Top

About

Work with Corporette®

Serious Stuff

work fashion blog press mentions