Secret Santa Gifts for Women That Don't Look Last-Minute

You've drawn a woman you barely know, perhaps someone from accounts or a friend of a friend. Now you need one of those Secret Santa gifts for women that doesn't look like a petrol station grab and isn't the third scented candle set she's had this year. The good news: women are as different as everyone else, and a few simple questions will point you towards something that fits. Here are ideas up to around €15, from the bathroom to the desk.

First, think: what do you know about her?

• Is she always on the move? Then go for something small that fits in any bag.
• Tea or coffee? The mug on her desk often tells you more than asking would.
• What's her style? Minimal, colourful, playful? That mostly decides the colour.

If you know nothing at all, choose something neutral that gets used every day rather than something very personal. Perfume, jewellery and clothing sizes are risky territory for Secret Santa.

Secret Santa gifts for women: bathroom ideas

Bath and wellness gifts are the classic choice for a reason: most people appreciate a little evening downtime. To avoid the last-minute look, it's all in the choice.

A lovely bar of soap with a holder

A good bar of solid soap is a small luxury people rarely buy for themselves. But almost everyone knows the problem: after a few days it's sitting in a soggy puddle in the dish. The Soapi sorts that out. A bottle cap goes halfway into the soap, and the soap hangs from a magnet on the wall. It dries all the way round, and the sink stays clean. The Soapi costs €12.95 and comes in 10 colours. For a Secret Santa gift, lavender, peach and mint work especially well. For a more understated taste, go for cream white or grey.

Ready to give, there's the Starter Kit for €14.95: 1 Soapi in a colour of your choice, a lavender soap from Marseille (100 g, handmade in Marseille) and a cleaned bottle cap. Unwrap, stick, hang the soap straight away. The adhesive pad is waterproof and needs no drilling, so it suits rented flats too. More than 1,600 reviews averaging 4.88 out of 5 stars suggest it does the job in everyday life.

Special soaps that stand out

If you want something that impresses the moment it's unwrapped: our soaps and shampoos collection includes stone soaps by Stone Soap Spa, a brand from Norway, made in Thailand. They're shaped and marbled by hand and look like polished stones, so no two are alike. Rainbow is scented with lemongrass and lavender and comes in colourful marbling, while Beetroot gets its rosy violet swirls from beetroot. From €13, so still within budget. Stock is small, so it's worth looking early.

More bathroom ideas

• A good hand cream for dry, central-heated winter air.
• A soft guest towel in her favourite colour.
• A velvet scrunchie or headband.
• A solid shampoo such as Skargard Birch, for hair and body. Handy for travel, because nothing can leak.

A Secret Santa gift for a woman who isn't into bath stuff

Not everyone wants something for the shower. These ideas work just as well:

• Cosy socks for working from home and the sofa.
• A special tea in a nice tin.
• A hardback notebook for lists, ideas or plans.
• A small plant, such as a pot of herbs for the kitchen.
• A paperback you enjoyed yourself, with a short note saying why.
• Lip balm and hand warmers as a pair, for the commute in December.

A little bathroom set with Mix & Match

If you're shopping for several Secret Santas or want to put a small set together, Mix & Match is handy: pick 5 products, pay €50, with free delivery in Germany. That's €10 per item. For example, a lavender Soapi with a soap from Marseille for a colleague, a peach Soapi with a soap by Grete Manufaktur for your sister-in-law, and the fifth spot saved for the next swap, perhaps a shower soap by KLAR or a soap by Blaull. For tips on wrapping solid soap so it doesn't look like it came straight off the chemist's shelf, read how to give solid soap as a gift.

FAQ

What do you get a woman you hardly know for Secret Santa?

Something useful that looks nice and isn't too personal: a bar of soap with a holder, a good hand cream, a notebook or a special tea. At work especially, neutral gifts are safer than perfume or jewellery. More office ideas are in small Christmas gifts for colleagues.

Isn't solid soap a bit boring as a gift?

On its own, maybe. With a holder that keeps the soap floating on the wall, it becomes a talking point. And a marbled stone soap looks more like decoration than something off a supermarket shelf.

Will the Soapi stick in her bathroom?

It holds securely on smooth surfaces such as tiles, glass, mirrors or stainless steel, and comes off tiles and glass without leaving residue. It shouldn't go on painted or wallpapered walls. If she moves, she can stick it up again in the new place with the replacement adhesive for €1.

The bottom line: useful beats random

The best Secret Santa gift for a woman is one she'll actually use and might not have bought for herself. A lovely bar of soap that dries on the wall instead of in a dish fits that brief. For ideas by budget, see Secret Santa gifts under €15, and for several gifts in one go there's Mix & Match: 5 items for €50.