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When it comes to shopping for your BFF, sometimes gift inspiration hits like lightning. Other times, not so much — maybe they have more than enough chic pajamas, and you want to give something truly unique. If the big day — be it a holiday, birthday, or another milestone occasion — has crept closer and the perfect gift has not made itself known, fear not. We’re rounding up the top gift ideas for best friends to help you pick a more personalized present than, say, a gift card.
Don’t forget to consider their interests and hobbies, plus the occasion for the gift. For example, your plant-loving pal who is starting their own business would get a kick out of a potted money tree in one of The Sill’s stylish planters. For the friend who loves the finer things in life, a lush robe will let them luxuriate in style. And for the bestie who’s an astrology aficionado, a personalized scented candle inspired by their exact date of birth will prove exactly how well you know them.
Read on for more of the top best friend gift ideas, including a unique long-distance lamp set, thoughtful custom moon jewelry, sweet treats and more.
1. Sephora Favorites Sparkly Clean Makeup Set
Beauty gifts can be tricky. Skin type, undertones, and personal preferences make gifting full-size products risky — even if it’s your fave, it might not work for them. Sephora offers a great selection of gift sets starting at $8. This under $50 set is a sampling of the best clean makeup brands, including Milk, Ilia, and Saie.
2. Long Distance Friendship Lamps, Set of Two
This sentimental gift is a great pick for far-away friends. You each get a Wi-Fi-connected lamp that lights up on both ends when tapped. Missing your pal? Tap your light and theirs will blink on. You can connect additional lamps so this works for a group as well!
3. Birthday Co. Candles
These personalized Birthday Co. candles are a no-brainer when it comes to birthday gifts for friends —especially if they’re into astrology, tarot or numerology. Each date of the year has a designated candle featuring a personality description, ruling planet, ruling number and more. Every candle has a custom scent “crafted with expert perfumers to match your inner spirit,” and who isn’t a bit curious about how that might smell?
4. La Maison du Chocolat Coffret Maison
Sometimes the best gifts for friends are tired and true classics. Chocolate can help lift the spirit, and handmade French chocolates intensify that truth. The perfect pick for congratulations gifts as well as condolences, La Maison du Chocolate’s assortment of dark and milk chocolates has something for everyone.
5. The Sill Money Tree
Plant gifts are great because they’ll continue to grow with your friend. The so-called “Money Tree” is representative of financial luck, so it’s a great gift for a graduation, a new job, or the launch of a fresh venture. Pair with the Planet Parent Gift Bundle for added success!
6. Skims Cozy Knit Robe
A quality robe is a great friend gift for any occasion, but especially if they’re going to be homebound for a while, like recovering from an injury or welcoming a new baby. This cozy Skims knit robe will make them feel put together even when life is not, and has generous patch pockets to keep their phone, keys, and other essentials close by.
MORE BUYING OPTIONS: Skims | Net-A-Porter
7. FabFitFun Subscription Box
For a gift that keeps on giving, some of the best subscription boxes for women and men deliver goodies straight to their door every few months. FabFitFun’s quarterly subscription is perfect for pals who love fashion, beauty, home decor and other stylish surprises. Boxes start at $50 each (when you gift them an annual membership for $200) and gift cards are available in increments of $25.
8. Casetify Large Custom PVC Clutch
Your tech-obsessed pal will appreciate this custom PVC clutch that’s large enough to hold their MacBook Pro. Available in iridescent or black, this waterproof sleeve can fit 13- to 16-inch devices and can be personalized with up to eight characters. Other sizes available.
9. BaubleBar Custom Tennis Bracelet
While BFF heart pendant necklaces are always a classic gift, a custom piece of jewelry is another thoughtful option. BaubleBar’s range of custom gifts (ranging from cozy blankets and ornaments to phone cases and accessories) includes this chic tennis bracelet that can be personalized by size, gemstone color and nine-character name or phrase. Plus, custom gifts are 20 percent off for a limited time with code HURRY.
10. Wild One Dog Toy Kit
If you’re really stumped on what to give your friend, you can always treat their beloved furry friend. This attractive three-piece toy set from Wild One comes in beautiful colors that coordinate with modern decor, like trendy lilac and a warm tan that would look at home in Kim Kardashian’s mellow mansion.
11. Artifact Uprising Pressed Glass Frame
Remind them of all your favorite moments together with a custom pressed glass frame by Artifact Uprising, which offers a ton of other thoughtful printed gifts such as photo books, framed prints, calendars and more. Choose from graphite or brass frame finishes and prints with or without borders in quantities of 10, 25 or 50 so giftees can swap out photos whenever they please.
12. Goody Curated Gifts
Gifting app Goody is perfect for procrastinators. Easily browse gifts across home, food, clothing, and more from cool brands like Brooklinen, Graza, Otherland, and Lunya to select a gift, pick a digital card, and enter your recipient’s email or phone number. They can then confirm the gift or swap for something of equal value, enter their shipping info and off it goes!
13. Moonglow Wholesome Heart Necklace
Whether it’s a birthday, anniversary, or graduation, mark the occasion with Moonglow jewelry. They will recreate the image of the moon on your special day so your friend can keep the memory close as a necklace, bracelet, earring, even an anklet.
14. Golden Coil Personalized Planners
This isn’t a gift for everyone, but for the population of type A aesthetes who love paper goods, a personalized planner will make their eyes go wide. Golden Coil allows your friend to customize a 200+ page planner from the cover to the page layout and add dedicated pages for goals, budgets, meal planning, and tons more. Since the whole point is to let them go crazy designing their dream planner, send a gift card and let them enjoy the creation process.
