For us here in the UK, turning 21 isn’t necessarily treated with the same song and dance as it is by our friends across the pond.
By the time our 21st orbit around the sun comes to pass, we’ve already been legally drinking for a good while – especially if you count the supervised beer-and-roast situation that’s permitted from age 16 (thank you, Licencing Act 2003).
However, we think the big two-one deserves just as much attention as the all-important 18th. A girl’s 21st birthday marks her first, gingerly taken foray into the bustling world of her twenties. A time for doing, creating, and wearing all the things her teenage self would’ve dreamt for the independence to pull together.
The vast majority of girls spend their teen years expertly crafting and curating a level of taste that can only be fully experienced once the true beginning of adulthood rolls around. Picture this: it’s the evening after your 21st birthday, you sip a wonderfully crafted G&T from a brand-new cut-crystal tumbler. You cosy up on the sofa with a weighted blanket, wearing a set from Pangaia, turn on your salt lamp, and sigh contentedly. This is exactly where you’re supposed to be.
We’ve put together a round-up featuring 21 of the best gifts for the all the girls who are turning 21 this year. Whether you’re a best friend, parent, grandparent, or a birthday girl to-be looking for inspo – keep scrolling for all the good stuff.
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Orno large signet ring
We adore this funky take on the traditional signet ring by Judith Peterhoff. For a classic 21st gift with a Gen-Z approved design twist, we couldn’t think of a better option. This highly durable, nine karat ring features a brushed surface to give it a more organic look. Though it’ll get shinier with natural wear and tear, it can be brushed up again later if you fancy a more matte finish.
Judith Peterhoff’s jewellery is all handmade in London, crafted from recycled precious materials and sourced from local, reputable suppliers – making it an even better present for the eco-conscious birthday girl.
Buy now £960.00, Finematter
The 101 set by Jones Road
Jones Road is the second business venture by world-renowned make-up artist and entrepreneur, Bobbi Brown. With a focus on the bare beauty essentials, Jones Road has perfected all the products you could possibly want or need for a daily, no-makeup makeup look. With the 101 bundle, you’ll be able to choose two Everything Sticks (we recommended grabbing a concealer shade and a bronzing shade), a shade of the rightfully viral miracle balm, and the all-important curl accentuating mascara in black. Major model-off-duty vibes.
Buy now £91.80, Jones Road
Diptyque Tubereuse Scented Candle Limited Edition 190g
Since you only turn 21 once, why not scoop up a stunning, limited-edition Diptyque candle? Though Tubereuse is rightly one of Diptyque’s best-selling scents, the special blue glass jar differentiates this from any old prezzie from the luxury parfumerie.
Inspired by the scent of tuberose in the fields of Southern India, this candle includes a single wick that has an approximate burn time of 60 hours. Plus, the gorgeous jar can be repurposed time and time again once the candle is all used up.
Buy now £65.00, Space NK
Soho Home Livorno Rocks Glasses (Set of 4)
Spice up your bar cart with these stunning Livorno Rocks tumblers by Soho Home. The mouth-blown glass design is an homage to the retro pops of colour at Soho House’s flagship, White City House.
Featuring delicately vibrant streaks of blue and yellow to add some colour to your chosen drink, the design is also highly reminiscent of the flash of fireworks on a darkening winter night. These glasses are sure to add a sense of romance and drama to your growing glassware collection – two essential vibes that should join you in your 21st year.
Buy now £120.00, Harrods
Leaf Cocktail shaker
This Matisse-inspired, hand-painted cocktail shaker would make an incredibly unique addition to your cocktail cabinet. If your giftee finds the classic, metallic and garishly reflected shakers tired, boy is this the solution for you. Just don’t forget to hand-wash it, we beg of you.
Buy now £45.00, NOTHS
Pangaia 365 Hoodie – Baby Blue
An extra-comfy, yet chic, tracksuit set is an essential for any young woman - especially with the advent of working from home. Feel stylish and cosy in this adorable baby blue hoodie from Pangaia. Made from 100 per cent organic cotton and made to be worn year-round, the real show-stopper in this design is the fact that it’s treated with natural peppermint oil to keep it fresh for longer. Now that’s luxury. Pick up the matching track pants for a full set.
Buy now £130.00, Pangaia
Rouge Coco
We don’t know about you, but we think it’s just plain wrong to turn 21 without owning a Rouge lipstick by Chanel. We’re particularly obsessed with the Ultra-Hydrating Rouge Coco in the designer’s namesake shade, Gabrielle. Whether applied to the max for a bold red lip, or dabbed delicately on the lips and cheeks for a simple blushed look, Rouge Coco is the ultimate all-rounder.
Rouge Coco is merely the iconic, original Chanel lipstick re-mixed and mastered. With a new formula prioritising rich hydration and a whole range of shades if a red lip isn’t your thing, you’d be remiss not to add this to your makeup arsenal.
Buy now £35.00, Chanel
Le Labo Thé Matcha 26 Eau de Parfum 100ml
If you’re entering your 21st year in search for a signature scent, we’ve got you covered. Le Labo’s spanking new fragrance Thé Matcha 26 is fresh on the market, and the perfect accompaniment to your birthday look now and forevermore. Certainly a fragrance to be treasured, Thé Matcha 26 carries notes of matcha tea, creamy fig and bitter orange.
Buy now £216.00, Liberty
Ottolenghi Test Kitchen: Shelf Love
A true marker of adulthood is experimenting in the kitchen. Indeed, following the last few years of covid-fuelled birthdays, it’s a field many of us have become budding experts in. If your dream 21st birthday has become an intimate night-in with ever-flowing wine and delicious food cooked by yours truly – scoop up a copy of Ottolenghi’s Test Kitchen: Shelf Love and prepare to impress.
Buy now £14.00, Amazon
Manolo Blahnik Hangisli 70 embellished satin slingback pumps
You’ve heard of the LBD, but have you heard of the LBP? Little black pumps, an essential luxury item for the Blair Waldorf-inspired 21-year-old.
When it comes to satin pumps, it truly doesn’t get any more special than a pair of Manolo’s. Featured here in a signature black with a slingback design, these pumps are made in Italy from black satin and are topped with the iconic crystal-embellished buckles. We truly couldn’t think of something more appropriate for a 21st birthday queen.
Buy now £945.00, Net-a-Porter
9-12KG Natural Healing IONES Therapeutic 100% Pure Himalayan Pink Crystal Salt Lamp
Believed to help boost blood flow, improve sleep, and even increase levels of serotonin in the brain, this extra-large, chakra-balancing salt lamp is a perfect gift for our meditative and holistic birthday beauties out there. Not only does a salt lamp produce a gorgeous, warm pink hue that elevates the cosy vibes by at least 1000 per cent, but it also supposedly helps to purify the air around it. An essential homeware accessory for your early twenties, we think.
Buy now £29.99, Amazon
&Klevering Zigzag Mirror
If there’s one thing that’s totally in vogue when it comes to homeware, it’s the statement mirror. This take on the often DIY-ified trend features a blue zigzag design which encircles a rectangular mirror. It measures a sizeable 40cm x 24cm, making it perfect for mirror selfies (which you’re never too old for, by the way).
Buy now £69.00, END. Clothing
Dior Saddle Bag
The Dior Saddle bag originally debuted on the runway in John Galliano’s spring/summer 2000 collection, but has seen a renaissance as of late with a focus on all things Nineties and Noughties. As such, the luxury atelier has listened to the public and brought back the iconic silhouette.
A perfect 21st birthday gift for the luxury-loving and vintage-inspired fashion queen in your life, this blue oblique jacquard design is absolutely to-die-for.
Buy now £3250.00, Dior
WOLF Zoe Travel Zip Case, Navy Blue
We don’t think you can ever go wrong with purchasing something beautiful to house all your precious jewellery in. This portable, feminine, and functional travel case by WOLF is featured here in a soft velvet indigo with some gorgeous floral embroidery. Panic not, for there’s also an internal mirror for all those pesky clasp problems.
Buy now £170.00, F&M
16ARLINGTON Cynthia feather-trim halterneck mini dress
Thus far we’ve featured an iconic pair of shoes, a timeless luxury bag – now let’s have a moment for the dress. The Cynthia feather-trim halter neck mini dress by 16Arlington is a flapper-inspired dream. Made from a sequinned nylon blend and boasting a stunning feather trim, this dress is a true heritage piece that the daughters and granddaughters will be fighting over when it’s their time to turn 21.
Buy now £1065.00, MatchesFashion
Baggu Puffy Laptop Sleeve 13"/14" in Marigold Newt
Whether you’re still a student or have made your first step into the world of work, having a decent (and aesthetically pleasing) laptop case is an essential. A simple, but wonderfully effective addition to any 21st birthday gift list, this laptop sleeve by cult-favourite accessory brand Baggu is a proper dopamine-booster.
Buy now, Baggu
Brentfords Teddy Fleece Heavy Weighted Blanket for Adults
As we mentioned at the beginning of this article, there’s nothing quite like a solo night in with a good old cocktail and – yes – a weighted blanket. Designed to help calm anxiety with evenly distributed, mild pressure – weighted blankets are a true godsend. This one is 150 x 200 cm and 8kg in weight, making it perfect for a king-size bed or cosy use on the sofa.
Buy now £32.99, Amazon
Initial & Birthstone Necklace - Gold
“Thanks, I got it for my 21st” will be a token phrase for the wearer of this spectacular initial and birthstone necklace from Edge of Ember. Combining an 18k gold plated initial letter necklace with a delicate birthstone, this is an utterly showstopping marker of such a special birthday.
Buy now £145.00, Edge of Ember
Embroidered Table Runner
If your 21st year is set to be full of dinner parties with friends, this is the gift for you. We’re particularly big fans of table runners, since they are less likely to get incredibly messy – simply by virtue of taking up less surface area on a table. This lime green hue with contrast embroidery is a beauty and will look good at any table-scaping master’s dinner party.
Buy now £17.99, Zara
We're Not Really Strangers Self-Love Edition
Practicing self-love only becomes more important as we enter our twenties. We think this delightful set of cards by We’re Not Really Strangers is honestly like having a therapist in a box, without the hefty bill. Every now and then when you’re feeling low, pick up one of the 51 prompts and give yourself a nice warm hug. This is 21, truly.
Buy now £12.00, Urban Outfitters
SEVENTY ONE Gin Engraved
Another gift with a personalised touch, this engravable bottle from luxury gin company SEVENTY ONE Gin is not only incredibly chic, but goes down pretty easy too.
Buy now £173.00, INKD
