How to Find the Perfect Gift

Decide on your budget; this will help to narrow your choice from the overwhelming to the manageable.

Consider the occasion; do you want to give something they will cherish forever, or something fun that will make them laugh?

Think about the personality of the recipient. Are they girly, elegant, flamboyant, quirky, eccentric, traditional? Do they like practical things they can use or would they appreciate something decorative?

Think about the colours they choose to wear, the accessories they like. Do they like chunky jewellery, fun prints, understated, classic styles?

Think about their circumstances. Perhaps they have just moved to a new home that needs decorating, or they have a stressful job and would benefit from some pampering products?

If the gift is something they might continue to use in future, such as skin care products, try to find some that work well as a gift but are also affordable enough to buy again. Expensive beauty products tend to get put in a drawer for special occasions because the recipient wouldn't necessarily treat themselves when buying something they use every day.

Get a gift you can personalize. A frame could hold a cherished photo or poem; a photo album could be filled with photos from a recent event. You could even put together a 'hamper' of gifts, for example if the recipient has just moved house, you could fill a box with relevant treats and useful products such as housewarming gifts.

Find out if the recipient has a hobby or particular interest. For example, if they like making jewelry, why not find them a book about it, and maybe include some pretty beads and jewelry making tools. If they like gardening, what about a trug full of things like gardening gloves, secateurs, gardener's hand cream and a book about plants? Or a specialist cookery class and apron for an aspiring chef? Their favorite art supplies for an artist?