I've always been a fan of Valentines Day, even when I was young my Mum and Dad would buy us little boxes of love hearts and other Valentines chocolates, it was always just a little bit of fun. As I went through school I still loved to celebrate, before I was into boys and all that jazz I would always do something with my girls. For a few years before any of us had boyfriends we would all go to one persons house for a Valentines dinner and do the Valentines equivalent of 'secret santa'.
Its easy to get overwhelmed with Valentines Day when every store is pushing pink fluffy toys and stacks of cards plastered in red hearts, which is why it's a great opportunity to reflect on the people in your life that you love - especially your girlfriends. It's a chance to celebrate those friends that always have your back and will be there for you when you need them. Unfortunately, now that we are all away at university and have boyfriends, this tradition has slowly faded away, but I thought I would write this post for anyone looking for something else to do this Valentines Day.
So, if you're thinking of doing something like this, set a budget with everyone taking part, pick names at random and scroll down for some Galentines gift inspiration.
Right: Feather Gold Plated Necklace, Z for Accessorize, £15 (Similar)
Jewellery is the perfect little gift if you don't want to spend too much, you can also make it really personal by getting initials, star signs and chakra signs, which make the gift extra special for the person receiving it. Personally, I love everything with an Aries on it, literally stick it on a mug, jewellery, notebook, anything and I'll buy it.
Cosmetics are an easy go to for small budget gifts, but you can get items that are still great quality but on a budget. Avon is a prime example of this, I've been using their nail wear for years, and when I say years I literally mean it's been about seven or eight years that I've been buying from them. These colours make such a lovely Galentines Day gift, in the shades Mauve (left) and Rosie Gold (right), available online. The Body Shop is also a favourite of mine for little gifts, as near the tills they sell minis of some of their most popular products, hand creams and lip balms for under £10.
Stationary is always a winner among myself and my friends, there's something so satisfying about pretty stationary I swear. I never tend to buy fancy pens and notebooks for myself so I know how nice it is to receive these as a gift instead. My favourite place to get stationary gifts is Paperchase and Homesense. Also if its rose gold or has aesthetic calligraphy in it, its bound to go down well with my friends.
The bright pink packaging of Soap and Glory products fits right in with the Valentines colour scheme, making them great little gifts for your Galentine. The Righteous Butter is one of my absolute favourite body butters, I am stocked up with large tubs of it so I know that these minis would make a good filler gift for one of the girls. Also face masks are an inexpensive gift if you are on a budget, and as well as being a nice thing to receive, it encourages that person to take some time to relax and pamper themselves.
Last but definitely not least, Valentines chocolates, sweets and well doughnuts, always go down a treat. I picked these up in Krispy Kreme, they have a whole Valentines range on for a limited time, available in gift boxes, always useful if you need to pick up a last minute gift on Tuesday morning!
I hope this has inspired some of you to get involved in Galentines Day and have a bit of fun with it! Does anyone else celebrate Valentines Day with their friends like this already? Let me know in the comments!
- Amelia x
