We all know those people…they’re impossible to shop for. Be it because they buy themselves everything they want, or they’re just that particular – we all love someone who is difficult to buy for. Can you relate?
Hopefully this 2023 gift guide can be your guiding light. A collection of gifts that are perfect for those hard-to-shop-for folks! We’ve researched, reviewed, trialed + error’ed…and came out on the other end to confidently present to you this very specific list of gifts. Enjoy!
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Unique Gift Ideas for the Person Who is Hard to Shop For
1. Best Gift Idea for Someone Who Wants to Learn a New Skill: Masterclass Gift Card
If they’re obsessed with Ina Garten and Martha Stewart as much as we are, then all you need to get them is a gift card from MasterClass so they can take Gordon Ramsay’s classes or world-renowned pastry chef Dominique Ansel’s baking class. Or, they can brush up on their interior design skills with Kelly Wearstler or improve their photography from Annie Leibovitz. Something for everyone here!
2. Best Gift for a Foodie: Boarderie Cheese & Charcuterie Board
Who doesn’t love a cheeseboard? This company makes the prettiest cheese and charcuterie boards and you can select from numerous sizes and options. A great gift for someone who is hard to shop for since everyone loves a food gift!
We even tried one of their boards here at the GWS office and can share that the quality of cheeses and meats as well as nuts was top-notch. Plus that presentation? Gorgeous.
3. Best Gift Idea for Someone Who Loves Their Sleep: Pure Silk Pillowcase
It’s the gift of great skin and hair! This silk pillowcase is pure magic – just let them feeeel the difference.
4. Best Gift for Someone Who Loves Traveling: A Travel Gift Card
We are ALL ABOUT the experiences. And travel is right up there for us. We love this idea for someone who is hard to shop for. With a Tinggly travel gift card, it allows the recipient to choose from 100s of thrilling experiences in more than 100 countries, according to their own passions and interests. And with no expiry dates to worry about, they’re amazingly convenient too.
5. Best Gift For the Astrology Lover: Birthdate Candle
Let’s be honest, candles always make a great gift (who doesn’t love a candle… and you can never have too many!), but these birthdate candles are truly unique! The candle is personalized for the day you were born. Truly a one-of-a-kind unique gift. Great for someone who loves candles and astrology.
6. Best Gift Idea for the Newbie Home Cook: Our Place Always Pan
One thing many of us could use? Updated cookware for our kitchen! With everyone cooking a lot more lately, this is a great time to upgrade some things in your kitchen. This pan is the PRETTIEST pan (comes in 11 gorgeous colors) and works amazingly well. Jen loves hers, in the ‘spice’ color! Bonus? It’s currently on sale for Black Friday for only $99!! (Regular price is $150)
7. Best Gift Idea for the Sentimental Person: A Hardcover Custom Photo Book
This Hardcover Photo Book touts premium fabric binding, display-worthy dust jackets, and minimalist layouts for durability and timelessness. Share your best experiences, from travel to family celebrations, in one of their many different album sizes. We love that this book can be kept on display to spark the telling of your stories.
8. Best Gift Idea for the Puzzle Lover: This Puzzle with a Magic Surprise at the End!
Does your giftee love puzzles? This is one of the most unique puzzles in that there is a surprise magic trick when you are done! The illustrations are done really well also and would make a great gift for the hard-to-shop person.
Jen’s family loves these puzzles and has done three of them in the series – there are 9 different unique designs!
9. Best Gift Idea for the Person Who is Hard to Shop For : Gift an Experience Gift
Gifting an experience was one of the most popular responses when we polled you all to ask for feedback on this topic. We LOVE this as well. Who doesn’t love learning something new? Uncommon experiences offers lots of different experiences you can gift including learning how to make cocktails, pasta, flower arranging, tie-dye, tarot reading, painting and more!
10. Best Gift Idea for a Nature Lover: A Plant Subscription
Add mood-boosting plants to your life to enjoy the energy, creativity, and calm that comes with a home filled with plants. The Sill (a female-founded company) has lots of different gift options where you’re sure to find something for that hard person to shop for! A green thumb is not required!
11. Best Gift Idea for a Creative Friend: Lego Flower Bouquet
It’s not just a gift – it’s a creative experience wrapped up in a beautiful bouquet. This unique lego set is a delightful blend of art and play that will captivate even the most discerning individuals. It’s a thoughtful and unique present that allows your giftee to unwind, tap into their inner artist, and arrange stunning flowers that will never wilt.
Plus, it adds a touch of vibrant color to any room, making it a stylish decor piece as well. So, whether you’re shopping for your BFF, your mom, or that person who has everything, the LEGO Flower Bouquet set is sure to bring joy and creativity into their life!
12. Best Gift idea for the person who needs to try the latest : Spicy Strawberry Fruit Snack
Flamingo Estate takes the lushest, ripest strawberries from iconic family-run farm Harry’s Berries (2 pounds of fresh berries in every jar!!) and dusts them with the mild, deep heat of California-grown Guajillo Chile from legendary, women-owned Boonville Barn Collective. Then they add a squeeze of Key Lime with a pinch of Himalayan Pink Salt before they gently dehydrate them to preserve their juiciness and concentrate all of that quintessential Strawberry flavor. The result is these small dried wonders. Insanely addictive, sweet, tart, and spicy with a delectable chew.
This year, the hail and rain really impacted the harvest and the yield was significantly lower, making these Strawberries that much more precious. They only make about 40 jars per week and sell out every year, but their seasonality and time-honored process is exactly what makes them worth their weight in gold. Truly nature’s candy.
13. Best Gift Idea for the Boba Lover: DIY Boba Tea Kit
Perfect for your fave boba-loving friend! Make bubble tea at home with this handy kit – it has 5 stars with over 190 reviews! If boba isn’t your thing, there are lots of other really great food + drink gifts from Uncommon Goods
14. Best Gift Idea for a Housewarming Gift: Brightland Gift Set
You’d be ahem hard-pressed to find a more lovingly crafted (or strikingly-packaged) olive oil. Consciously produced in California, these oils come in a glass bottle that’s been UV-powder coated to protect its precious contents from damaging light. This also means you can display it for all to admire on your countertop…The Mini Essentials include Brightland’s bestsellers in petite, easy-to-share sizes for everyone on your list: AWAKE, ALIVE, RAPTURE and PARASOL
15: Lululemon Everywhere Belt Bag
The ever popular Everywhere Belt Bag from Lululemon makes a great gift for anyone who loves being able to carry a few things with them at all times and not have their hands holding them. This bag comes in lots of different colors and has over 20,o00 5 star reviews so you know it will be a hit!
16. Best Gift Idea for Someone Who Loves Snacks: Japanese Snack Box
Who doesn’t love fun Japanese snacks?! Bokksu delivers to your door the experience of tasting authentic Japanese snacks, candies, and teas sourced directly from centuries-old family makers. Every box you purchase comes with 20-24 snacks and supports a family-run businesses in Japan and helps keep their traditions alive.
17. For the Schitt’s Creek Fan: Limited Edition Schitt’s Creek Monopoly Game
Missing our friends from Schitt’s Creek? This limited edition Monopoly game was just released and is the perfect gift for the Schitt’s Creek fan!
If they are a fan, another idea is this newest released book: Best Wishes, Warmest Regards: The Story of Schitt’s Creek
18. Best Gift Idea for the Girly Girl: Tocca Perfume
This Tocca Perfume in the Florence scent is our editor Jen’s favorite. She shares that she gets asks about it everytime she wears it. It’s the perfect light scent and would make a great gift for someone who would like a perfume, but isn’t sure what scent is for them. This is a winner for sure.
If you are considering perfume, and want some other suggestions, there are SO many options to choose from! We’re helping you narrow it down with this list of the best fragrances for women, as rated by our GWS readers.
19. Best Gift Idea for the Newlyweds: Intersection of Love Print
Perfect for newlyweds or your favorite couple! Commemorate the moment their paths first crossed with this personalized art.
20. For the friend who takes their water bottle everywhere: Chic Water Bottle Bag
We all know we need to drink more water but carrying around a bottle all day can be hard. This chic bag is the answer to those problems! Stay hydrated and never forget or lose your expensive reusable water bottles with this stylish WanderFull water bottle bag. Perfect for a day in the city, sightseeing, festivals, concerts, or the dog park. Fits a large water bottle and space for keys, id, etc. Comes in 5 different colors.
21. For the Friend Who Loves Their Seasonings: Jennifer Fisher Salt Trio
For the friend who loves to cook, these salts from Jennifer Fisher add the perfect finishing touch to your meals! The curry salt is our personal fave, but these make such a great gift idea for that hard to shop for friend!
22. Best Gift Idea For the Skincare Lover: Sunday Riley Evening Routine Set
If she loves skincare, this would make a great gift. Sunday Riley is one of our editors favorite brands and this set includes lots of their best sellers. Perfect for a newbie to skincare or a longtime fan.
23. Best Gift Idea for the Friend Who Loves Their Apple Watch: Chic Apple Watch Band
Give your Apple watch an extra earthy detail with these stone bands from Cape Diablo. Made in partnership with independent artisans, this is a unique gift idea for a friend who can’t survive without her Apple Watch. Turn your watch band into jewelry!
Now that you’ve found the best gift ideas for those hard-to-shop people, it’s time to check off everyone else on your list! And we’ve rounded up the perfect gift guides to help.
If you’re prepping for the holidays, don’t miss our mega guide of unique Christmas gifts — we’ve found one-of-a-kind ideas for everyone, from travelers to homebodies. And for your favorite love birds, also check out this special holiday gift guide just for couples!
For more unique ideas, we also created a gift guide for parents and a round-up for Swifties, because you can’t go wrong with a Taylor Swift-themed present this year!