Christmas Gift Guide: Everything for the Woman

Woman can be notoriously hard to shop for. Whether it’s your mother, sister, girlfriend, wife or any other relation, you’ll be negotiating a path of landmines. Take a few tips from us and there will be a little less chance of losing a limb.

We’re assuming nothing here in terms of who the woman is you’re shopping for or how much you’re willing to spend on them. The main thing to think about is the meaning behind the present. Why are you buying it for them and why would it be a special gift? At the end of the day, if there is one thing women always want, it’s a present with meaning, even if you grabbed it for free from a recycling bin.

We’re not going to suggest you do that though, but here are a few options that might stimulate some thought. For women, we think it’s better if we point you in a general direction rather than to a specific product, so here goes nothing:

Under $50
Lush Cosmetics

Made by hand in Australia, Lush stocks some of the best smelling, coolest looking cosmetics and beauty products women could want. Hell, even men will be keen on many of these products. Lush generally isn’t the cheapest place for cosmetics or beauty products, but for under $50 you can still pick up some really great stuff – and there is even a Christmas Gifts section of its website. For $49.95 you can grab the Under the Mistletoe pack that features So White ballistic, Avobath ballistic, Superstars bubble bar, 100g Snow Globe soap, 100g The Olive Branch shower gel, Each Peach massage bar and 10g Ultrabalm trial size. There is bound to be something in there a woman would love.

Web: Lush

Over $500
Singapore Airlines Early Bird Fares

If you’re looking for a gift for a very special woman, how about a flight of fancy? Singapore Airlines has begun advertising its early bird sale fares for flights in 2012. Book now and you could be off to Europe for less that $2,000 return per person (that’s for the flight only, of course). With Singapore Airlines you can be assured of first class service even in economy and first rate planes that make the journey to your destination half the fun. Singapore Airlines also does some great deals on stop overs in Singapore. Some of the destinations on offer include London, Milan, Barcelona and Zurich. None will cost you more than $2,000 in econo.

Web: Singapore Airlines

The Traditional Present
Tiffany & Co

If you don’t know what Tiffany’s is and you’re buying for a woman, you may as well give yourself an uppercut. Tiffany & Co will keep most woman happy this Christmas with its range of exquisite items, many of which are actually semi-affordable so long as you don’t get a diamond with it. Featured in countless movies and with stores in all the fashion capitals, you genuinely can’t go wrong with a classic Tiffany & Co piece, such as the Tiffany Keys Return to Tiffany necklace, retailing at $320. There’s also a handy section for Christmas (or Holiday) gifts on its website as well.

Web: Tiffany & Co

The Creative Present
Dinosaur Designs

There is a reason we have mentioned jewellery twice. It’s a safe bet and you can still pull off originality and thought with it. If the woman you’re buying for is more of a creative genius rather than a romantic traditional type, try Dinosaur Designs. They create some of the most appealing hand made jewellery around – and it’s done in Australia. You can also grab household items (like this bowl) as well if jewellery is not her thing (really? Are you sure it’s not her thing?). Cool small items like the Shifting Planes Wishbone go for just $55 while you can go all out with a Large Gold Plated Shifting Planes Bangle for $390. Still pretty reasonable if you ask us, and very original.

Web: Dinosaur Designs

The Useful Present
Apple Accessories

Woman are becoming seriously tech savvy, but even if the one you are buying for is not, chances are they have an iDevice of some kind. Lucky for you, Apple has that covered. You can now walk into an Apple store, not feel completely out of your depth, and walk out with a very suitable present for that special someone. For example, how about a Michael Kors Essential Zip Wallet for iPhone 4s, available in three different patterns? It will set you back $99.95. The Kate Spade Quilted Envelope for MacBook Air (pictured) is also quite cool, at $59.95.

Web: Apple

That should give you a good head start on  the thought process, if not an actual gift idea itself. Good luck!