I read Viva Woman’s post last week about whether her readers liked to gift beauty products, where the comments were quite a mixed bag; and I was surprised to see it was mostly no.
I, however, personally do. I love giving nice beauty items I like or that the recipient may not normally buy for themselves, because I feel that beauty items are an self indulgence. It’s a way to spoil someone because it’s for them and them alone, unlike a box of chocolates that is usually shared 🙂 That said, like everything else, gift giving and the reasons behind it are a personal thing so there’s no right or wrong way.
However my question to you is, do you like RECEIVING beauty products as gifts?
I do (naturally!) 😀 It’s always fun to play with something new or perhaps something you’ve been wanting to try but didn’t get round to. Bath and body products are always nice, as is something tailored to your likes; like a nail polish or lipstick colour you like, or something that pushes you out of your comfort zone.
Of course they aren’t the only gifts I like receiving. To me, a gift is something personal so anything at all is a good gift because it means the giver thought enough of you to give you something at all! 🙂
Your say: Do you like receiving beauty products as gifts? Or perhaps you think it too personal because of scent, ingredients, colour preference etc and would prefer receiving non beauty items?
Paris B
LeGeeque says
I’m a little selective (brat, in other words) There are a handful of people out there who know me really well and will know EXACTLY what to get for me. (e.g. Bee, you, Tine and a few others) For others, I’m happy with techy toys 😀 What a fusspot, eh? 😀
Paris B says
Wouldn’t it be nice if someone gave me a techy toy! 😉 I think overall gifting beauty products is easier (on the wallet too) hehe 😉
xin says
I do! So I can try out products that I may never buy for myself 😀 but of course, if its a non beauty item but the sender knows what I need or want, double happiness!
Paris B says
yes! There are stuff out there that I may have overlooked or sometimes, I’m given items that I may never look at or colours I think I may never use so its always fun to be pushed out of the comfort zone 🙂
rinnah says
I like gifts and I love to give them. It’s a challenge for me (one that I like!) to find gifts that would perfectly suit the recipient (hopefully!).
Paris B says
Thoughtful gifts are the best 🙂
thy says
Anything will do!^^
Sue says
i do! i think it’s such a fun surprise to receive beauty gifts.
Paris B says
Especially when I know its just for me! 😉 Its a nice way to be spoilt 😉
peach_ says
I love gifts, beauty or otherwise! Of course I love to receive ones on my mental wish list, but it’s fun when it’s a product that the giver really loves that I’ve never tried. I more or less like practical gifts, and beauty gifts are definitely practical.
Paris B says
I like the idea of practical gifts, and I don’t have a wish list (because I tend to just buy what I am wishing for rather than wait for it to be gifted LOL!) But yeah, don’t we all love gifts and being surprised eh? 😉
sleepdeprived91 says
personally, i would love to actually get beauty products as a gift… so far though, never happened to me… 🙁
Paris B says
Time to start dropping the hints and you may be surprised? 🙂
sleepdeprived91 says
ahaha… if only… hints were dropped… even tried asking outright… ha~ lol…
Paris B says
Maybe just say “I don’t want/need anything else, really! Just that body lotion” 😉
sleepdeprived91 says
haha… i’ll try that, thnks 🙂
Isabel says
I LOVE receiving beauty products as gifts! There is so much out there to experiment with / try out! In fact, I’m ridiculously envious of countries where beauty box monthly subscriptions are available.
Paris B says
Heads up Isabel! You may get your wish soon enough re: beauty boxes 🙂 And yes, there is something fun and decadent about receiving beauty products – its not essential, but it’s a little bit of personal luxury 🙂
jen says
gifts are gifts!whatever it may be, it should be appreciated 🙂 for a beauty product as a gift? of course i would love to! but if anybody would give an iPhone 4s as a gift, I will be forever grateful.. haha!
Paris B says
Well said – gifts are indeed to be appreciated, whatever they are 🙂 You’d appreciate the iPhone 4S even more were they to queue for it on launch day yes? 😉
nicoles mirror says
I love beauty products as a gift from friends.. From special someone I would rather he buy me jewellery or gadgets. hhahaha
Paris B says
I’m not fussy – I’ll take gifts from anyone! hehe… 😉 But yes, from a special someone jewellery is probably a much better idea
Cas says
If by beauty products you mean makeup then yes I wouldnt mind. But as for skincare products then no coz I have sensitive skin and would rather stick to what I’m used to, unless they shower me with the same brand 🙂 But like most said, a gift is a gift, if I dont like it then I’ll just pass it to my mom or sis.
Paris B says
I think gifting skincare is hard – I don’t because you just never know! So I stick to cosmetics or bath and body products which are more universally well received 🙂
Juan says
I do I do!!!
Paris B says
Me too! 😀
Issa says
Of course I do! Most especially if it is something that I will not buy for myself, hahaha! Besides, it is always good to try out new beauty products for me 🙂 But of course, what’s important is the thought of the giver to give me something!
Paris B says
I think receiving a gift is half the fun, nevermind what’s inside eh? 😉
Swati says
I would love to receive beauty gifts but giving depends on the recipient as beauty gifts are really not on the list and lot of times, they are a personal choice!!!
Paris B says
The latter is true too, but if we all thought that way, we’d never receive any beauty products as gifts either 🙂 I think if it isn’t too personal e.g. skincare, its usually quite well received.
Swati says
yeah…that’s so true…its a never-ending cycle 🙂
gio says
I do! It’s always nice to have some new beauty products to play with!
Paris B says
You said it! 😀
Ling says
I do!!! But not if it’s bath stuff…I don’t do baths because I get sea-sick
Paris B says
I hope you meant a bath tub bath vs a bath (shower) 😉 I like bath products specifically shower gels (I don’t do baths either because of the water wastage and cleaning plus, I don’t own one 😛 )
Ling says
bahahaha…that’s right…Malaysian’s say “bathe” when it means “shower” to us, Brits. I get confused when my in-laws use “bathe”. And “shows” when it’s “movies”.
But anyway, yes, I meant bubble bath…I dont mind shower gels though 😀
I got Lush bubble bath set the other week and I was like, “Thanks” but secretly, “Yikes! What to do with this smelly thing eh?” LOL
Paris B says
hehe yes for us, body cleansing is bathe maybe because a bath is quite a foreign concept – sitting around in dirty bath water… ermmm…. 😛 And I don’t like Lush anything 😛 The only thing I like from Lush is the Happy Hippy shower gel. If you get to try it, do. It smells lovely and citrusy, light and its a shower gel so none of those bath bomb thingys that I don’t know what to do with them either since I couldn’t possibly just drop it into a pail and watch it fizz?
Ling says
LOL…yes, I get the sitting in dirty bathtub water is SO yukky!!! I dont know why people relax in bubble bath. EW!!!
And I hate walking past the Lush shop cos it’s headache-inducing fumes!!! I don’t get soap either…like bars of soap…*shudders* Glad I’m not the only one who doesnt know what to do with a Lush bath bomb thingy jiggy…lol
Paris B says
I shower first, THEN sit in a bath – its lovely and relaxing if the water is hot but not too long or I feel like puking. I’d never get into a bath without showering first 😛 We don’t have a Lush store here so my last visit was in the UK to run some errands and oh boy! headache indeed! I do like the occasional bar soap of the herbal kind. But otherwise am still a shower gel fan all the way.
Bell says
I do love getting beauty product as a gift. I LOVE getting anything as a gift anyway. But sometimes, people would introduce new stuff that is new to me or would not buy because I am afraid of regretting buying it.
My boyfie once gave me a Revlon eyeliner in a Parker pen box (which I think is quite funny). I think it is odd for him to give me an eyeliner all of a sudden. It wasn’t even my birthday to begin with. Then I asked him if someone told him to buy one for me. He said nobody told him to. It just he saw my eyeliner pencil is getting short and sharpening it seems a hassle. So he remembered his sister have this kind of (he said) “mechanical” type eyeliner which she kept bragging about to her friends in school. Just twist the wand to let out the crayon. Isn’t it handy?
For one moment, I thought my boyfie is a makeup artist but pretending not to be. LoL! But thanks to him a learn a few of make up items that worth trying.
Paris B says
That’s a cute and sweet story. Its nice receiving something new and different because it may just turn out to be something we like!
Syen says
Heck ya! *hehe* But of course, other stuff like books, camera related stuff etc are always appreciated too. Not many people I know know what kind of beauty stuff to get me (apart from the evurl girls) so I’m fine with whatever I can get.. =P
Paris B says
Camera related stuff = pricey! LOL 😀 But I would appreciate that too 😀 I’m pickier about books than I am about cosmetics, believe it or not. I don’t read a lot of regular fiction or godforbid self-help urgh! 😛 So those aren’t appreciated hehe… 😉
Jue says
I love beauty gift.
I usually give it to my sisters because I knew they don’t have resources to spend on it.
I love perfume as a gift and one time I gave it to my previous bf and he thought it’s because he smelled bad *ugh* talking about misconception
Paris B says
I find perfumes tricky so I try not to gift perfumes too hehe… but its sweet of you to spread the joy to your sisters – I’m sure you make them very happy!
Connie De Alwis says
It depends on who’s giving. From people who know beauty, yes. I never want the boy to get me beauty stuff. If it was a surprise, he might pick something weird or get conned by the salesgirl. Even if his taste is probably better now with all the passive learning, it gives me some odd sense of empowerment for not needing a man to buy me makeup. I’d prefer to receive tech stuff or books…
Paris B says
LOL Yeah I get what you mean 🙂 But wouldn’t it be a nice accomplishment if he actually picked out stuff you liked? 😀