As a girl, I can understand that we are difficult. Our moods change for no reason at all, we take a long time to get ready and the words “I’m fine” never actually mean that we are- in fact- fine. However, I think we are pretty easy to shop for, especially for Valentine’s Day.
As I mentioned in an earlier post this week, most women typically like the 3 main gifts for this holiday: flowers (roses), chocolate and jewelry. Now knowing which type of jewelry, flowers and chocolates she likes may take a bit of investigation, but that’s what her friends are for, right? And you should really know most of that just by dating her, anyway.
However, sometimes guys still mess up. Although most of my Valentine’s Day gifts have been wonderful (thanks James for this gorgeous Tiffany’s necklace last year), I’ve heard many horror stories from my girl friends. So guys, here is a list of what NOT to get a girl for Valentine’s Day.
Candles. Unless your girlfriend/wive/fiance collects candles or she has a particular favorite scent, candles are a very impersonal gift. First of all, they’re incredibly overpriced and you could easily buy something more worthwhile with that money. Second of all, she probably already has tons of candles, so will this one be any different? Candles are something you should be buying your mother-in-law or your female boss, not someone you share your deepest thoughts with.
Body wash/spray. Giving your girlfriend that new Givenchy perfume for V-Day? Totally acceptable. Buying her that cupcake-scented body wash set that’s on sale for $19.99 at Bath & Body Works? Not acceptable. Body wash is another form of an impersonal gift- it’s something girls can get for each other during the holidays, but a man shouldn’t give to his partner. A lot of those scents are extremely overpowering- especially on your skin- and might give her a headache. Also, some of us women have sensitive skin and we can only use certain brands of soap, body washes and perfumes. So your best bet is to stay away from those sugary-smelling gels with glitter in them- save it for your 13-year-old sister instead.
Lingerie. We get it- you want to see us wearing this. But buying a girl lingerie is essentially giving yourself a gift- not her. Spending $80 on a bra and panty set at Victoria’s Secret with crazy fur and leopard will probably only get worn once anyway. If you’re gonna go the lingerie route, pick something she can get a lot of use out of and could be worn outside of the bedroom. Then there’s the issue with sizes. If you get her panties that are too big, she’s incredibly insulted that you think she’s “fat”. If you get a bra that’s too small, she’ll worry that you think her breasts aren’t large enough and that she needs implants. Us girls are crazy. So just skip the lingerie and you’ll avoid that nasty argument.
What is on your list of things men shouldn’t get women for Valentine’s Day?
