You know the one. She's not your mum's sister, and she's not quite the aunt you grew up with. She's the one who turns up at weddings and funerals, remembers your name about 70% of the time, and sends a card every Christmas with a ยฃ5 note in it that you suspect she found in a coat pocket.
And now it's December, there's a Secret Santa, or the family has decided "we're all getting something for everyone this year," and you're standing in a shop at 5pm on a Friday holding a scented candle shaped like a hedgehog, wondering what you've become.
Let's fix that.
The Rules of Distant Auntie Gifting
Before we get to the good stuff, a few things we've learned (the hard way) about buying for this particular person:
1. It has to look like you tried. Nothing says "I forgot until this morning" like a gift bag that's been through a petrol station. A nicely boxed present reads as thoughtful, even if the thought took ten minutes.
2. It can't cost a fortune. You see this person twice a year. Spending ยฃ50 on her is how you end up in a worse mood than she is when you open her present and it's a tin of shortbread.
3. It can't be personal. You don't know her favourite colour, her shoe size, or whether the "Gareth" she keeps mentioning is a husband, a dog or a plumber. Nothing too intimate, nothing too weird.
4. It has to work for any version of her. Is she a bold-lipstick-and-gold-hoops auntie? A cardigan-and-crossword auntie? A "lives in Spain now and has opinions about the British" auntie? You don't know. Your gift needs to cover all bases.
Which, conveniently, is where fragrance comes in.
Why Perfume Is the Safe Bet
It's the one gift that works for almost any woman, at almost any age, and almost any level of closeness. Nobody has ever opened a boxed perfume and thought "what on earth is this?" It's also something people tend to hold back from buying for themselves, so it feels like a treat.
The other bonus: the box does a lot of the talking. A nicely presented fragrance looks like you've spent proper money, even when you haven't. Our fragrances are inspired by designer scents you'll already recognise, and they're priced at a fraction of the original. She doesn't need to know that. She'll just know it smells good and looks the part.
Here are four ways to go, depending on which auntie you've got.
The Classic Auntie
She likes things to be "nice." She'd describe herself as "not fussy." She has a particular handbag for church, weddings and Marks & Spencer.
For her, you want something elegant and unobjectionable. Elegance Paris is inspired by Miss Dior: soft iris and peony up top, rose and peach in the middle, and a warm vanilla-musk finish. It's pretty, polished and very hard to dislike. If she has a signature scent she's worn since 1994, this one still won't offend her.
[product: elegance-paris-inspired-by-miss-d]
The Glamorous Auntie
Big earrings. Big laugh. Has been "the life of the party" at every family event since your parents' wedding, and will be sat at the end of the table telling a story that you've heard four times.
She needs something with a bit of personality. Bella Bella is inspired by La Vie Est Belle: pear and blackcurrant, an iris and jasmine heart, then a sweet, warm base of vanilla and praline. It's cheerful, a bit gourmand, and feels like a gift for someone who enjoys being a little extra. Perfect for her.
[product: bella-bella-inspired-by-la-vie-est-belle]
The "I Want a Proper Present" Auntie
She has opinions about how you wrap things. She'll look at the size of the box before she opens it. If she gets a single bottle, she'll smile politely and say "oh, lovely," and then you'll never hear the end of it.
Give her a gift set. Floral Scent Giftset is inspired by Daisy and comes with a 100ml Eau de Toilette and a matching 120ml Shower Gel. Light, fresh and floral, it works for just about any age, and the set means it looks like a proper gift rather than an afterthought.
[product: floral-scent-giftset-inspired-by-daisy]
The "Cosy and Sweet" Auntie
She bakes. She has a drawer full of Tupperware that isn't hers. Her house always smells slightly of toast, and she's the sort of person who will give you a plate of food to take home whether you asked or not.
Dreamy is inspired by Cloud, a soft, sweet scent with lavender, pear, whipped cream, coconut and vanilla. It's comforting, warm and a little dessert-like. It's exactly the kind of present she'd say "you shouldn't have" about, and actually mean.
[product: dreamy-inspired-by-cloud]
The Verdict
If you're really stuck, here's the cheat sheet:
- No idea who she is? Elegance Paris.
- Loves a party? Bella Bella.
- Wants a "proper" gift? Floral Scent Giftset.
- Soft, sweet and cosy? Dreamy.
None of them will break the bank, all of them look the part, and with any luck she'll pass this gift on to nobody. Which, with distant aunties, is the best result you can hope for.
Next up in the series: what to get your uncle who says he "doesn't want anything" (he does).