Need a Gift for Your Bestie? Here Are 14 Gift Ideas for a Girl Best Friend

There are friends, and there are best friends, and there are things that only a bestie knows or will give as gift. Before you start stressing out about the stakes involved, this one should really be a no-brainer. You are her best friend and already know what she likes, dislikes, needs, wants and desperately wishes for! All you have to do is take your pick and decide which one of those things you will get for her.

For your part you want to make her day as special as possible, treat her to lovely goodies, buy her thoughtful presents and try making it the best birthday ever. Which is why it sometimes gets more and more challenging each year. She too has high expectations from you, not in terms of expensive or fancy gifts, but things that will show how well you understand her. She is so excited about her birthday and can’t wait to see what her best friend has for her this year! All in all, the perfect potboiler to set your nerves on edge, especially when you haven’t found the perfect gift yet.

The best gifts to give to a bestie are things she really needs. Why? Because you happen to be in a unique position to actually know what these things are. Others around her and close to her may also have a fairly decent inkling to her needs and wants, but you are the one she confides in, speaks her mind to. Best friends often know more about each other than even their closest family. Before things start spinning out of control and you are overwhelmed by all the fantastic things you could get her, how about you sit down and write what would be really useful to her.

What are the things you enjoy together the most? Those are the things that form the foundation of your friendship and most likely what first brought you together. Spending time with our loved ones, doing things we enjoy is the cement of any relationship. Buy her things you can use together, or an experience you can enjoy together. Even if they are things she uses on her own, she will be reminded of you whenever she reaches out for them. You love going over fashion magazines together? Buy her a subscription to her favourite magazine, make a cute gift voucher proudly declaring her to be the future recipient of those magazines and present it to her along with the current and past favourite editions. Include other things like some snack, coloured highlighters to mark your favourite things, or a scrapbook to hold cutouts from magazines - whatever you enjoy. Spa fans? Book a pampering spa session with her!

Every friendship has its history, shared secrets and important events that make it special. Like the way an innocent word or reference can make the two of you burst into hysterical laughter while everyone around wonders what’s so funny. Or a silent visual communication. Think back to all the things you value in your friendship and ways to commemorate them. Like the matching best friend pendant she gave you back in school, which you lost, making her feel upset but she never said anything to you. Find a similar pendant to show her you remember. Or make a calendar with the most memorable pictures of the two of you together as a daily reminder of all the good times you have shared.

You cannot put a price on a valuable friend, but what you can do is set aside a reasonable sum that will give you plenty of flexibility when it comes to buying her a gift. Her birthday is not a surprise, nor are the other important days in her life. If you tend to run low on cash, start saving up in advance so you don’t have to worry about not having enough money to buy her something nice. Alternatively, you can decide on the gift or what you want to make for her and start putting money away for it. Set a reasonable budget target and make a realistic plan to achieve it to avoid last minute hassle and worry.

Matching friendship bracelets are a time honoured tradition, honoured by generations of best friends. The idea of two friends having one part each of a two of a kind piece of jewellery is a rather sweet one, but it’s time to give this gift a modern twist. This adorable set of matching handcuff bracelets caught our eye for its unique design, literally implying that you two are partners in crime. Handmade with a metal alloy, the handcuffs are connected with a plated silver chain, with the bracelet measuring 7 inches, with an additional 1.5 inch extender. The set comes with a message on a card that can be personalised on request, and a gift wrap. Buy it on Etsy for Rs.1,550.

Beautiful bottles, moisturising lotions, exfoliating crystals, luxuriant face masks and intoxicating scents are the stuff dreams are made of. If you haven’t yet figured it out, we are talking about beauty and personal care products. Give your bestie a box of goodies she can pamper herself with. This Bodyherbals Lavender Collections Gift Set is a nice option, priced at Rs.1,450.

The pretty box comes with a 200 ml bottle of lavender shower gel which soothes and conditions the skin, a 200 gm jar of vanilla lavender body polisher, and a bottle of lavender and vanilla body massage oil made with cold pressed oils and herbs to induce relaxation and sleep. There is also a wooden massager included to helps tone targeted areas of the body, and a bath puff for daily, gentle exfoliation to remove tan and dead skin. 2 soothing tea lights scented with lavender complete the relaxing experience.

Staying hydrated is important but drinking plain water is so passe. Flavour infused water is the way to go. If she is into sport, goes to the gym, or just likes to carry her own drinking water where she goes, an infuser water bottle is a great gift. The Nutrocy Sport Fruit Infuser Water Bottle holds a liter of water, is made from BPA free tritan plastic and is toxin-free, is shatter and impact resistant, and leak proof. She can wash it by hand or throw it into the dishwasher. The great thing about this bottle is it serves three purposes - the infuser allows her to use fruit and herbs to flavour and fortify her water, the infuser can be removed and the bottle used as a sport water bottle with the shaker, or remove all fittings to use as a normal water bottle.

Buy it on Amazon for Rs.699 and you will also get a grey insulated sleeve, a cleaning brush, a stainless steel shaker ball and an e-book on nutrition.

How often have you wanted to tell her she is the Wonder Woman in your life, constantly swooping in to save you from boredom, allay your fears, brighten celebrations, soothe your emotionally fraught nerves after a breakup, and a hundred other things. Give her a superhero action figure to remind her of her powers, because even superheroes need positive reinforcement now and then. Besides, Wonder Woman is awesome, and this figurine of her is rather fierce.

A little backstory in case the movie has faded in your mind: raised as Princess Diana of the Amazons, she is the daughter of Queen Hippolyta and Zeus, making her a God. Known to the outer world as Wonder Woman, this 5 inch high pop action figure is made of Poly-resin material and will feed your friend’s superhero fantasies as it sits on her desk. Buy it for Rs.1,199 on Big Small.

Because you know exactly how much she likes her wine chilled to perfection and has contemplated more than once dropping ice in her glass. These stainless steel chillers will finally let her drink her wine at the perfect temperature without having to move around with an ice bucket. Pop the pearls in the freezer and simply drop as many as you wish in the glass - just like ice, the more pearls used, the colder the drink will be. Like if a red wine is served at room temperature, which isn’t ideal, because when it’s a tad warmer than supposed to be, you taste more of the alcohol and less of the fruity notes - in such a case, a single pearl is enough to bring it down to cellar temperature.

She can also use them any other drink. They will keep wine chilled for about 30 minutes and are dishwasher safe. Buy a set of 4 pearls for Rs.1,603 at Uncommon Goods.

She adores Frida Kahlo but you aren’t going to get her another print of one of her paintings. Besides, your bestie already has the ones she likes best and you know very how how much she dislikes having the face of her favourite symbol of feminism plastered on coffee mugs and mobile phone covers. This cool yet classy hardbound notebook is the way to go. The glossy and vibrant digital print on the cover, 96 pages of high quality paper with a rough finish, and thick board cover scream of elegance. Buy it for Rs.175 on Shop Scoop Whoop.

Girls love jewellery and beautiful stones and you must get her a set of agate coasters, because just wearing them in earrings and pendants is not enough. Every girl should have a few eye popping accessories for her coffee table and these blue agate coasters are just the thing she needs. For the uninitiated, agate is a natural stone, formed as a result of deposits by volcanoes. Ranging from bright, vivid hues to earthy tones, the ripple effect on these stones is unique to each piece. Greeks were the first to use them for decorative purposes and now your bestie should too.

Hand cut, these eSplanade Blue Agate Coasters measure between 3 to 4.5 inches across, and are encased in silicone to give them a uniform coat and sheen. The gold rim highlights the colour of the stone and adds a touch of elegance. The stone is also naturally rugged, and without the coating may damage furniture surfaces. Buy a set of 4 for Rs.1,499.

She loves her favourite sling bag as it is so easy to carry, goes with literally all her clothes and is the perfect size for daily use. Give her a new bag to love. Like this Hippie Owl Bucket Sling Bag by Chumbak. First things first, it is absolutely adorable! It has also the other useful features of sling bags, such as being lightweight (weighs only 300 gm!), has enough space for all the essentials, the bucket shape and metal chain strap is very trendy, adjustable shoulder strap makes it easy to use. Made with PU (Polyurethane), it is fairly easy to maintain and can be simply wiped clean. Buy it for Rs. 1,495.

Yes, there is Netflix and video libraries around every corner but a girl must be able to watch her favourite movie exactly when she wants to watch them! And that mean having a physical copy at home. Scour through all the romances, chick flicks, animated movies, adventure, dramas and what have you to find her favourites. Need a little help narrowing it down so you don’t end up having to give an entire shelf’s worth? Sneak in a casual little game of naming favourite films and discussing their best scenes! It’s a good way to update your own records on whether she still thinks Shahrukh is hot or she is over Ryan Gosling and if she has a new favourite kissing scene. You can go nuts and buy a whole bunch, but there is really no need to - two to five movie DVDs are fine.

Sure she still likes the Cadburys and the Kit Kats but she is also refining her flavours and tastes. She drinks wine and goes to social events in elegant dresses, even though her favourite T-shirt and jeans are waiting for her back home. And she has developed a taste for pretty, handmade chocolate with ingredients with names that are sometimes more than a mouthful. Get a box of gourmet chocolate to pander to her new sensibilities, where size and quantity matters less than quality and experience. Even if she is none of these things, she will enjoy these chocolates by The Gourmet Box. The chocolate box contains 12 bite sized artisan chocolates flavoured with roasted almond, caramel, sea salt, orange, coffee and crunch. They are completely vegetarian and the box is priced at Rs.499.

As you both get busy battling the daily nitty gritties of life you may not have as much time to spend together as you once did. Flying coffee breaks and a quick catch-up over drinks is fun, but you know there is a whole lot more you would like to say and discuss, and some things are not half as fun talked about over the phone. Gifts don’t have to be materialistic, you can plan and spend time with her instead. Go for a nice long, lazy brunch to catch up on each other’s lives; turn the phone to silent mode so home, family, work and chores don’t get in the way. Once you have had your fill of food and conversation, head for a movie. Make it a date with your best friend!

With the pace of daily life being what it is, sometimes all a girl wants to do is put away the mascara and high heels, slip into comfy pyjamas, grab a few bags of munchies and iced drink and settle down for a session of binge movie watching. What she would really like even more is having her bestie beside her to swap notes on the movie or something entirely unrelated, argue about whether to open the bag of chips first or the box of chocolate, and just be herself.

Timing this hang out well is the key to getting it right. She may have had a busy and tiring few weeks at work, or is home alone for a short spell, is feeling low and needs a pick-me-up or has just been feeling ignored by her best friend. Don’t plan a day on the couch if she is crazy busy with work or homework and the only thing on her mind will be how to throw you out without losing you as a friend. Without getting into specifics and letting her in on your plans, you can ask her when she is free for a day and wants to catch up. Collect the movies, buy the snacks, throw in whatever you think will be fun for such a day and surprise her.

Girls rely an awful lot on their best friends to give them an honest evaluation of their appearance, hair, clothes and accessories, safe in the knowledge that she will be fully honest, or know when a white lie is needed and that she is looking for encouragement instead. Discussing clothes and makeup and the latest fashion looks therefore is a big part of a friendship with a girl.

A great way to pamper her and shower her with attention is to give her a makeover - whether it is taking her for a new hairstyling, encouraging to colour her hair, or taking her shopping for clothes she would never buy on her own, or just doing her makeup. Girls love attention and being the center of attention of her best friend will make her feel wonderful. Go over what she likes, or what you think would look great on her and spend a fun afternoon being girly. She will love it!

What’s worse than daily chores is spring cleaning, especially if things have turned particularly messy. Offer to help her tidy her room or her home, she will greatly appreciate it. Girls are usually not comfortable allowing people into their personal space, but with a best friend things are different. She knows you won’t pry or judge but simply help her do a difficult task.

Being friends is not only about spending time together doing fun things, but being there for each other when they need you. Helping her with work, like cleaning up, or getting things organised if she is moving house is important too, and a wonderful way to show her you are there for her. There is a lot of work involved with cleaning, packing and unpacking, which will leave her mentally and physically exhausted, maybe even snap at you at times, but soldier through and the look of gratitude you get will have been worth it.