MUM’S THE WORD
Avoid the 11th-hour search with Emma Henderson’s pick of the best Christmas gifts that more than just mothers will love
She’ll always say she doesn’t want anything, or doesn’t “need” anything. It may well be true, but it’s not the point of Christmas gifting, really, is it?
No matter who the matriarchal figure in your life is, whether it’s a step mum, an aunt, your granny, someone of no blood relation
or just someone very wise you look up to, we’re sure she needs thanking for all she does for you. And that doesn’t just mean a bunch of flowers from the petrol station, FYI.
If that’s what you might be leaning towards, listen up now and take note. Leaving present buying for one of the most important people in your life to the last minute is nothing short of a cardinal sin, in our eyes.
Instead, think about what she really likes – be it reading, cosy slippers, incredible chocolates, stationery, beauty, great scents or really luxe PJs, we’ve got you (and her).
Gifting is always very subjective, but we’ve tried to choose brands that have real longevity about them, and offer reliable products. So, even if our selection from the brand isn’t quite right, we’re sure you’ll still find something from it that will suit your giftee.
How we tested
We love brands, and we know a good one when we find one. Plenty of those we’ve featured here are ones we return to time and time again, which we love for their great designs, reliable products and sustainability credentials, and are just overall classics. Everything on the list has been tested over a long period of time, loved and given to many of our friends and family, who have also shared our joy in them. We think it’s safe to say, we know they’re winners.
Byredo bal d’Afrique perfume, 50ml: £130.00, Byredo
Every now and again, a new perfume brand or scent comes along and almost immediately gains cult status. Here, we’ve been huge fans of Swedish brand Byredo, founded by Ben Gorham, since first spritzing its gypsy water scent years ago, which is now firmly in the modern-classic category for us.
Your mum will absolutely love to add bal d’Afrique to her collection of perfumes. The scent is inspired by the founder’s father’s time spent in Africa. It’s transitional, working for summer evenings as well as cooler days, with notes of African marigold, bergamot and buchu that give it sophistication, while warmth comes from the Moroccan cedarwood and vetiver base. There’s also a creaminess to it that you just want to wrap yourself in.
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Onaie milk slippers: £42.00, Onaie
Slippers at Christmas represent a ubiquitous gift, but that doesn’t mean it’s unwelcomed – the slippers in question just need to be great. Onaie’s milk slippers are just that. The company was set up in 2014 by Eve and Justine, who wanted to promote Polish folk heritage with their handmade slippers, and they’ve since moved into clothing, socks and homewares too.
There’s a huge range of slippers, including moccasins, but these milk slippers are our pick. They’re handmade, using Merino wool, which makes them soft, cosy and really quite luxurious. There’s also a 2cm inside sole made from memory foam, so they’re really bouncy, and mum will feel like she’s walking on clouds. We think it’s best to size up too.
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Charlotte Tilbury pillowtalk lipstick: £26.00, Charlotte Tilbury
Queen of make-up Charlotte Tilbury is one of our absolute favourite go-to brands when it comes to everything from mascara to bronzers, but it’s her cult lipstick we think every mum needs in her beauty arsenal.
Pillow talk is the ultimate nude lipstick and, thanks to its rosegold coloured casing, it makes for a really lovely gift too. We recommend using the matching liner too, for longer-lasting colour.
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M&S 14ct gold plated cubic zirconia hoop earrings: £22.50, Marks and Spencer
A great gift often looks far more expensive than it actually is, and that’s one of the secrets to nailing good present buying, in our eyes. These glitzy yet chic mini hoops look far more expensive than they actually are. They’re gold-plated and feature baguette cubic zirconia stones. Perfect for jazzing up her usual little gold hoops look.
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Villa Sandi prosecco DOC organic :£15.99, Selfridges
Who doesn’t love Italy’s greatest sparkling export? Coming from the Treviso region of northern Italy, the home of prosecco and the DOC (Controlled Designation of Origin), this is about as good as it gets. Made using 100 per cent glera grapes, the Villa Sandi vineyard also promotes biodiversity and is certified by the World Biodiversity Association. It’s one of our favourite proseccos and is wonderfully floral, with notes of apple, and will make an excellent aperitif over the festive period. Mum is sure to love it.
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Rococo Chocolates, small truffle and chocolate box: £26.95, Rococo Chocolates
Rococo is one of London’s best chocolatiers and is absolutely one of our favourites – who could resist the delicately flavoured chocolate bars, boxes of circular thins or the decadent boxes of little surprises? The latter make for an excellent luxurious gift, a box unlike no other. With a selection of 36 milk, dark and white truffles, we think mum will be wise to keep these for herself. If you’re feeling particularly generous, you could even sign her up to the brand’s subscription service, Rococo Fresh.
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Bamford geranium duo gift set, 250ml each: £48.00, Bamford
Bamford is the beauty arm from the same team behind the Daylesford brand, so it’s every bit as luxurious as you’d expect. The geranium range is one of our all-time favourite scents, so this duo gift set, made up of hand and body lotion and hand and body wash, will make an excellent gift for mums who love a little bit of luxurious beauty. The scent is a little earthy, while still floral, and the moisturiser is delicate and instantly melts into hands.
The sustainability thread of Daylesford also runs through this brand, as both products are certified Cosmos Natural by the Soil Association, which assures you the ingredients really are of natural origin. It also means the products were made using sustainable processes, and the packaging was made using recycled content.
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Whistles cashmere scarf: £79.20, Whistles
If you want to impress, cashmere is without doubt one of the most luxurious materials going, so it just screams “present” to us. It’s an all-out gift, but it’s certainly one she’ll remember and love to use.
It’s understated, thanks to a simple design, and we love the ribbed ends of the scarf, which give it a little edge and make it different to traditional tassels. It’s super soft, as expected, and can be comfortably wrapped around the neck twice, while still having some of the scarf loose.
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Zara Home’s candles are incredibly affordable, with a fabulous range of sophisticated scents. But what’s most impressive is the throw. In our experience, it’s far better than many brands that are much more expensive. The scent is a smooth, well-rounded mix of sandalwood and amber with hints of vanilla, and we’re sure it will be mum’s go-to candle as the evenings draw in.
It’s also made from vegetable wax, so it’s non-toxic and designed to burn for longer. The jars can be reused for storing beauty minis. At just under £20 for 620g, it’s a real steal compared with other candles of this size. Or there’s a single-wick version, which is £15.99 for 200g.
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Papier monogram rick rack notecards, set of 10: £25.00, Papier
We love putting pen to paper and indulging in the ancient art of letter-writing. We’re sure the stationery-loving mum in your life will appreciate these notecards, and will love to send them too. With pink and green squiggles and her initials in the middle, they will make a lovely, thoughtful gift for your mum. Printed on warm-white Mohawk 324gsm paper, they can also be personalised in a range of fonts and colours and come with plain white envelopes. Hopefully, you’ll get one as a thank you, too.
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Sleeper party pyjamas: £245.00, The Sleeper
If your mum loves to get glammed up, she will absolutely revel in the queen of all nightwear and daywear brands: Sleeper. It’s best known for its ultimate loungewear creation – the party pyjamas. Everyone loves getting new jammies at this time of year, but these really take things up a gear, or three. New for this season, the brand has elevated its classic feather PJs, and given the people more of what they want: feathers. This set has the feather trim on both the cuffs of the shirt, as well as the bottom of the trousers.
Made from soft cotton, each set comes in a lovely little linen bag, along with a card that’s been signed by the person who made them. It’s absolutely perfect for gifting, as it looks really special.
The fit is relaxed, so they’re comfy and won’t get too tight. We’re sure she’ll want to wear them as soon as she unwraps them. Or perhaps she’ll save them for new year, whether that’s staying in or going to a party, where she can jazz it up with glittery slingbacks and some big earrings.
You can currently get 25 per cent off with the code "25OFFALL".
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The festive period is the best time to open a bottle you’ve been saving, especially if it’s a limited release like this one from East Sussex vineyard Ridgeview.
A 2015 vintage makes for a special gift for any mum who is a fan of bubbles, and this sparkling wine is made using the traditional champagne method, which differs from prosecco. It’s a 50/50 blend of pinot noir and pinot meunier grapes, making it a deliciously full-bodied wine. With notes of sweet spices, it has a slight earthiness, partnered with rich fruit, such as cherry, as well as a hint of apricot, making it quite a unique bottle. Cheers to that.
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The verdict
We love everything on our list so much, it’s so hard to choose just one as our best buy. When we really think about it, Byredo’s perfume is just so delicious, we’d pick that. Meanwhile, we also really love Sleeper’s OG feather PJs, which we’ve seen copies of everywhere this season. For something more affordable, we think you cannot go wrong with Villa Sandi’s organic prosecco DOC, nor Papier’s personalised notecards or Zara Home’s wonderful scented candle.
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