Single on V-Day? Become your bestie’s Valentine by gifting her something from this list!
Just because you aren’t dating anyone doesn’t mean you have to avoid Valentine’s Day festivities like the plague. The desire to change the narrative around Valentine’s Day resulted in the creation of Galentine’s Day—a celebration of female friendship. The concept stems from an episode of the situational comedy TV show Parks and Recreation in 2010 where a character gathered with her closest female friends for brunch every February 13.
Since then, the day has made its way into the average person’s vocabulary. If you are hosting your own Galentine’s Day celebrations or have been invited to one by a friend and don’t want to show up empty-handed, here are some cool gifts you can choose from.
Mid-century friendship lamp
If you live far away from your bestie and want to gift them something that reminds them of you, this might be the best pick. Created by a U.S.-based company called “The Friendship Lamp”, these WiFi-enabled lamps come in a set of two that light up when you tap them, letting your friend know you’re thinking of them. At a price point of US$99, these are certainly an expensive but a truly memorable gift.
Apple Watch bands
If your fitness-conscious friends have an Apple Watch, you can gift them a brand-new band for their watch. One of the tech accessory sellers to check out is Hong Kong-based Caestify, whose products are endorsed or used by many celebrities.
Casetify’s watch bands, costing around US$50, come in various designs. The company also runs a sustainability program called ReCaestify, where old phone cases were recycled to make newer products. By budign a watch band from the ReCasetify range, you can get a new product without the guilt of adversely affecting the environment.
Ember Mug
Every coffee lover knows the heartbreak of going in for that last sip of coffee only for it to be cold. If any of your friends are coffee drinkers, gift them an Ember mug—a temperature-controlled mug that keeps your drinks warm throughout the day. The base of the mug is a dial that you can rotate to adjust the temperature anywhere between 120-145°F.
You can also pair the mug with the Ember app to monitor the battery life of the mug and customize temperature for different drinks or an LED light to tell you when the mug has reached your desired temperature.
Paper Shoot camera
If your friend loves vintage-looking pictures, consider gifting them a Paper Shoot camera. Created by Taiwanese inventor George Lin, these cameras are made from stone paper and come with four distinct filters and interchangeable exterior cases to match your friend’s aesthetic.
Both environmentally friendly and sleek, these cameras have 32 GB internal storage space and offer you film-like quality photos in a digital format. With a cost around US$120, the Paper Shoot camera is a unique and practical gift for any vintage-photography lover.
Gua Shas and jade rollers
If your friends are skincare enthusiasts, a Gua Sha or jade roller would be the perfect gift. Gua Sha was one of the biggest skincare trends of 2022 and is considered extremely beneficial for getting a contoured face. Similarly, jade rollers are known to help boost blood circulation and reduce puffiness. They also help improve the effectiveness of skin care in that using them to apply the product helps it penetrate the skin barrier a lot better.
Party games
This would be a great gift for the person hosting a Galentine’s Day party. You have a lot of different games you can pick from, such as the “RomCom Team Trivia” game, particularly if your friend group is obsessed with romantic comedy films. You could even go for a game like “Cards Against Humanity” if you want to have a good laugh. It is a game where the group uses the cards they have been dealt to choose the meanest and darkest one to answer a question. Or, if your friends are obsessed with true crime, you could even purchase a “Hunt A Killer” set for them to get together and solve a fictional murder.
Bath bombs and candles
You can give your friend a luxurious bathing experience by gifting them bath bombs. Bath bombs, especially the ones that come packed with essential oils and bath salts, are great for de-stressing after a rough day. To show your Galentines that they are always on your mind, you can even customize the gift by choosing scents they like!
Some of the brands to consider purchasing bath bombs from include Lush and Bath and Body Works. They can pair them with some fun scented candles to make the experience even more therapeutic and spa-like.
Manicure kit
If your friend cares about her nails always looking perfect, a manicure kit would be the best gift for them. For instance, the American nail care company Dazzle Dry sells a bundle containing a nail prep primer, a base coat, a nail lacquer, a top coat and a revive polish thinner. But you can go a step further by creating a more extensive manicure kit containing cuticle trimmers, polishes and fake nails all by yourself.
Friendship rings/ bracelets
While you may have grown past the age of exchanging the old-timey rubber and string friendship bracelets, that doesn’t mean you can’t have a symbol of your friendship. You can get your friends matching rings or bracelets as tangible proof of your bond.
You can pick these up from a small business on websites like Etsy or can even go to a standard jewelry store like Pandora. Pandora currently has a lot of cute designs depicting hearts and daises for you to choose from. You can customize this gift by getting them each a ring with their birthstone or a personalized engraving on it.
Arts supplies
If your friend’s new year’s resolution is to be more creative, then art supplies might be the way to go. You can go many ways with this gift. For instance, if they have shown an interest in learning watercolor, you can gift them a watercolor guide like Everyday Watercolor: Learn to Paint Watercolor in 30 Days by Jenna Rainey.
If they want to relax and unwind while pursuing their creative interests, you can get them an adult coloring book. We highly recommend looking at the coloring books by Johanna Basford, whose illustrations are beautifully detailed and are a real delight to color in.
Another option is to get them a paint-by-the-numbers kit. These have numbered spaces and tell you exactly what color goes where so that the final result is a sure-shot masterpiece. A good one to try for this is the as seen on Shark Tank brand Pink Picasso.
Hopefully one or more than one of these items end up on your Galentine’s shopping list. But ultimately, the most important aspect of Galentine’s Day is to let the women in your life know how much they mean to you. So, make sure that whatever you choose conveys that message to your loved ones.
Also read:
- The Coolest Non-Traditional Gifts for This Valentine’s Day
- Ditch the Flowers, NFTs Are the New “It” Thing of Romance in 2022
Header image courtesy of Envato
