With Barbie being snubbed by the Academy Awards this year, it feels more important than ever to show our fellow women the utmost love and support.
From acts of service to quality time, the ways in which we express our love are wide-ranging. However, here at ES Best, there’s one love language which trumps them all: gift-giving.
Of course, by the time Valentine’s Day rolls around, it’s easy to feel gifted out. But we should always find the time to celebrate the wonderful women in our lives who aren’t blood relatives and shower them with the presents and delights they deserve.
Enter: Galentine’s Day. Whether you’re in a relationship or not, the importance of celebrating Galentine’s as a woman cannot be understated. The origins of this wondrous day, usually celebrated on February 13th, lie in the iconic American sitcom Parks and Recreation. Thank you, Leslie Knope.
Yet it’s one particular 21st-century, record-breaking global blockbuster that we’re looking to for inspiration this Galentine’s Day. One of the many lessons Greta Gerwig’s Barbie reminded us of is the power of female friendships. While romance is certainly a lovely thing, platonic soulmates are no myth – and treating our best pals with the same grateful affection as we would family and partners remains of the utmost importance. After all, Blair and Serena always found their way back to each other.
Show your bestie just how special they are to you this Galentine’s Day with a hand-written card, a girl’s night out, or the perfect gift. Whatever your preferred method of demonstrating affection, we’ve got you covered. Keep scrolling for a round-up of the best gifts for the girls this Galentine’s.
Think: pink.
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Dirty Shirley Four Pack Canned Cocktails
What did you just call me? Start Galentine’s off right with a crisp yet sweet blend of vodka, cherry, ginger and lemon. Otherwise referred to as Shirley Temple’s devilish alter ego, this 5 per cent canned cocktail will certainly come February 13th.
Buy now £15.00, NOTHS
Cleopatra and Frankenstein by Coco Mellors
Instantly devourable, Coco Mellors’ debut novel explores the breakdown of a relationship that was doomed from the start. Effortlessly beautiful, young and unbearably talented artist Cleo marries a much older, much richer and incredibly charming Frank – whom she meets on a stairwell following a New York party.
An exploration of the effects of intense, spontaneous romantic entanglement – not just on respective lovers, but on the family and friends they gain and lose along the way – Mellors constructs a biting novel which effortlessly charges through concepts of identity, derealisation, mental illness and human connection with silky-smooth ease.
Buy now £8.49, Waterstones
Anna + Nina Jazzy Champagne Glass
Enjoy a Galentine’s tipple together with a set of these gorgeous, dopamine-boosting champagne glasses by Anna + Nina.
Buy now £15.00, Selfridges
LouLou Love Bug Jellycat
Let’s face it, women don’t want men – they want Jellycats. Share the love with LouLou Love Bug this Galentine’s Day.
Buy now £18.00, Selfridges
Les Filles en Rouje Petal Glow Set
Give the gift of French It Girl glam is Galentine’s with a delightful beauty set by Les Filles En Rouje. With natural, glowing no-makeup looks ever on the rise, this ‘petal glow’ set includes a brightening face oil and a palette filed with a combination of highlighters and blushers. Both items come in a vintage-inspired floral pouch.
Buy now £98.00, Rouje
Straand XL Satin Scrunchie
In case you haven’t heard, big hair accessories are in. Treat your bestie to an oversized, jumbo satin scrunchie which will protect their barnet and look good while doing it.
Buy now £8.00, Straand
Owala FreeSip
Who needs a boyfriend when you have an emotional support water bottle? Match with your girls this Galentine’s and treat yourselves to a colourful Owala FreeSip that matches your personality.
Buy now £34.79, Amazon
Helen Moore Hot Water Bottle Pistachio
If there’s one universal truth for womankind, it’s that we all adore a hot water bottle. Whether it’s that time of the month or the height of winter, nothing beats a new, extra fluffy bedtime warmer.
Buy now £49.00, Glassette
Green Elephants Long Matches
A value-for-money, effortlessly stylish present – extra-large safety matches which feature unique and chic designs make lighting your favourite candle that much more exciting.
Buy now £11.96, Graham & Green
Nadine Merabi Darcie Black Pyjamas
Turn your Galentine’s celebrations into the ultimate Blair Waldorf-approved sleepover with some matching feather pyjamas from Nadine Merabi. If the night evolves from movies and popcorn to a dance at your local bar, simply pop on a pair of sparkly heels and you’re good to go.
Buy now £180.02, Nadine Merabi
Olivia Burton Linear Silver Necklace
Gift your bestie a brand-new signature necklace with the help of Olivia Burton this Galentine’s Day. With all the trend forecasts predicting silver to make a comeback, get ahead of the curve with this elegant piece. If your pal has already had their colours expertly analysed and refuse to wear anything else, it’s also available in gold.
Buy now £75.00, Olivia Burton
Domaine du Météore Van Gogh Sunflowers Blanc
What could possibly make a delicious bottle of crisp, organic wine any better? A label featuring one of Van Gogh’s most iconic paintings, that’s what. In classic London interiors style, pop a tapered candle in this bottle when you’re done and enjoy the fruits of its aesthetically pleasing nature for years to come.
Buy now £20.00, Gnarly Vines
Loop Earplugs Quiet Equinox
From busy London streets making noise below London flats throughout the night to the Camden screecher on the Northern Line – the sounds of the City can be overstimulating, to say the least. Rather than risking losing an AirPod in your duvet cover or – worse – between the carriage and the platform, treat yourself or a pal to a stylish pair of earbuds from Loop to experience new heights of calm.
Buy now £19.95, Loop
Drowsy Blue Belle Silk Sleep Mask
There’s nothing worse than struggling to sleep on a flight, especially under stress. Drowsy’s sumptuous silk sleep mask features a total black-out effect, a pure mulberry silk fabric, a fully adjustable head strap and a hypoallergenic, breathable design. The wrap-around fit and cloud-like plushness ensure all surroundings are effortlessly blocked out.
Buy now £69.00, Drowsy
Cacao + Collagen
Every friendship group has a health fanatic, and if you can’t think of anyone else – then it’s probably you. Show your gut some love this Galentine’s by trying out a spanking new nutritional blend from Ancient + Brave. A chocolatey blend of raw South American cacao blended with highly absorbable, hydrolysed bovine collagen peptides, simply mix with hot water, stir into a place and top with your favourite plant-based milk for your best morning latte yet.
Buy now £24.00, Ancient + Brave
Little Box of Love
You and your platonic soulmate deserve a gorgeous meal come Galentine’s just as much as romantic couples. Sort the final course by purchasing this adorable, artisan wine and cheese hamper from Paxton & Whitfield.
Buy now £50.00, Paxton & Whitfield
Pomello and Elderflower aperitif
What do you get the drinks aficionado that seems to have every bottle of booze going? A Swedish aperitif that will heighten their favourite mixes, ofc. Made from grapefruit’s gentler cousin pomello with notes of elderflower added to the mix, the delicate pink blend tastes great on its own but even better when recruited for a spritz, marg and sour recipes. 18 per cent ABV.
Buy now £42.99, Selfridges
111SKIN Rose Gold Illuminating eye mask
Enter your skin soothing quick fix. Luxury skincare label 111SKIN’s Rose Gold range patches are formulated with active ingredients like natriance, pomegranate seed cell culture, colloidal gold and rose extract that provide brightening, anti-inflammatory and hydrating benefits. Apply for 20 minutes.
Buy now £12.00, Selfridges
Glossier Sandstone Scented Candle
There’s a new Glossier candle to add to your mantelpiece. The brand’s third signature scent, Sandstone, takes inspiration from California's Big Sur and is now available to fill your home with its notes of sandalwood, clary sage and fig leaf.
The fragrance joins the Orange Blossom and Glossier You with a green vessel that can be reused long after it has been burnt. Speaking of the latter, the bougie is made from a non-paraffin, soy-and-coconut wax blend and should last for about 45 hours.
Buy now £45.00, Glossier
Le Labo Lip Balm
Tell me you’re chic, without telling me you’re chic. Well, to do this, all you need to do is show me a Le Labo lip balm. A cult favourite brand famous for its delicious fragrances, the lip balm is a buttery, non-sticky, non-glossy balm made using plant-derived oils and nut butters to nourish your lips and protect them from the elements. Wave goodbye to chapped smackers with this dream product - you can even use it on your cuticles or knuckles too.
Buy now £14.00, Cult Beauty
Heapwell Superfoods Japanese Matcha Green Tea Powder
Heapwell Superfoods offers everything green tea is most lauded for with some stylish packaging and impressive flavours at the same time. Sourcing its tea from Shizuoka, Japan, this Japanese Matcha Green Tea Powder is easy to mix with just about anything and promises a large boost of goodness in each mug.
Unlike most teas, with Matcha you're not drinking a tea-infused water-based concoction, you're actually consuming tea leaves in a powdered form. So if you're looking to get the most benefits from each spoonful, this is the best option.
Buy now £8.99, Amazon
