I am so excited! It’s July, which means I get to buy birthday gifts for teenage girls – two of my nieces. But, as they are getting older, I’m finding it harder and harder to pick the perfect gift. I know everyone says to just get them a gift card, but I really don’t like being that gift card person, even though I have been over and over again for a variety of reasons. If I do resort to this gift though, I try hard to include a little something special with it. But, I am done with that!
So, this year, I have decided to start with the high school sophomore. I talked to friends, my own daughter, and looked through some magazines and here’s some great ideas that I came up with…
The Top 5 Perfect Gifts for the Cool Aunt to Give Her High School Niece!
- Make-Up Brush Set. There are two options I love. The first, from EcoTools, is great for a lower price and the ease to travel with. I recommend getting 2 sets; the Complexion Collection Bundle and the Mini- Essentials. Combined they should be about $32. Watch Ulta and other stores for coupons as well. If you are ready and she is ready for a bit more high end, then go for the Bobbie Brown Brush Set. This is one of those gifts that you just never buy yourself, but with proper care can last a really long time. I got my daughter her set in high school and she takes very good care of them and they still look wonderful. This set is upwards of $195.
- Want to be a Super Cool Aunt and spend under $100? Then, check out the Fujifilm Instax Mini 8 Instant Film Camera (Pink). Granted, you will need to get her some film, too, but, this is a very cool gift. I know, we all have cell phone cameras. But, with this one, you get an old school picture instantly, that is really fun to share with friends. I actually want one, too.
- A Diary. Yes, I said a diary. And, yes, people still use pen and paper these days. Teenage girls haven’t changed all that much over the years! Take your time and heart on this one and pick out either a very pretty one to match her personality or one that reminds you of something you shared together or she loves. For my daughter, I got a beautiful leather bound journal and she loved the look, so she used it. There are also diary’s with prompts like music you listened to or what you wore and why. I would pair this with a gift card or pretty pen.
- Pop-Sugar or FabFitFun Subscription. You can pick one month or a few months subscription starting around $39.95, depending on your budget. Both Pop-Sugar and FabFitFun curate awesome products and it is a lot of fun to get the box. Pop-Sugar does mostly full-size beauty products and FabFitFun also does fashion, fitness, and home products.
- Jewelry. Even the tomboy girl loves a little bling. There is so much to choose from with jewelry. I recommend heading to a local boutique and find the shop clerk who looks most like your niece and ask for a recommendation. Just make sure you know if she has pierced ears or not! If you need to ship, a trusty go to for me is Anthropology. Another thing you can start to do is pick something up on your travels. How nice to get a bracelet from St. Croix that none of her friends will have!
So, to all you aunts out there…Let’s stop with the gift card giving. Put some extra thought into it and give a little something special. You know your niece is worth the extra effort!
Sherry is one of the TriWivesClub and LifeDoneWell co-founders and contributes to multiple blogs. She is a former co-owner of the California Apparel News and had a career in the healthcare industry. Her passions include traveling, real food, the environment, and animal rescue/welfare. She lives a healthy lifestyle and has been a vegetarian since 1987. She and her husband are parents to two rescue pups and reside in Connecticut.
