Whoa mama, it’s gift-buying time and top of the Christmas shopping list is none other than Mother Dearest.
In theory, it should be easy to shop for the woman you’ve known all your life, but the strange thing about present-giving is that the closer you are to the recipient, the harder the task seems to get.
Whether she's the one you run to in times of trouble, can be trusted for sound counsel, or you inherited her belly laugh, most of us can all agree that mums are the MVPs in our lives.
So, no pressure then.
We’re not just talking mums either. This shopping tussle applies to any matriarchal figure who’s mothered, cuddled, cooked or advised you: think grandmothers, stepmums, aunts, family friends, and mentors. There's often little point in asking what they want outright. Most will probably bat you away, telling you to save your money.
Obey this directive at your peril, especially on those occasions when a perfectly wrapped gift is an unspoken essential.
Luckily, we’re here to help with an edit of the best mum-friendly gifts to help you nail the brief. We've got the lowdown on the very best gifts to spoil the deserving rotten, from tech that promises to make her life easier, personalised accessories made just for her, and luxury fashion and beauty we all know she would never dream of splashing out on for herself.
If you’re still not sure, a hamper jostling with indulgent treats or gourmet snacky bits always gets the right reaction.
Mother may know best, but we’ve got the ideas and inspo to bring her pure joy this Christmas.
Shop the best gifts for mums below
Mulberry Bayswater Brighton Blue Small Classic Grain
An icon for your icon, Mulberry's Bayswater design is our top pick for the mum you want to spoil beyond her wildest dreams. Made from classic grain leather and finished in a joyful Brighton blue hue, there's ample room for all her essentials inside, secured with the label's signture Postman's Lock.
Was: £1,095
Buy now £875.00, Mulberry
Anya Hindmarch Eyes Card Case
If they appreciate luxury design with a playful edge, Anya Hindmarch's Eyes series hits all the right notes. This card case finished with the motif is perfect for keeping their plastic safe while the central slot can hold a few folded banknotes too. Made from capra leather, it comes in matte black and metallic silver.
Buy now £150.00, Anya Hindmarch
Liberty Patricia Silk-Satin Cotton Pyjama Set
A pair of PJs lovely enough to go out in, Liberty has always known how to nail sleepwear. This long-sleeve set comes in sizes XS - 2XL and features the brand's Patricia print on silk satin.
Buy now £425.00, Liberty
Jones Road The Hero Kit
For mums who favour natural-looking makeup, Jones Road is the place to go. The brand was founded by MUA extraordinaire Bobbi Brown and continues her ethos of you-but-better prodcts. The Hero Kit comes in two colour options, each packing five award-winning staples (two mini Miracle Balms, a brown pencril liner, eye cream and mascara) into a paper bag-style bag that can easily be slipped into a tote or overnight bag. Now's the perfect time to lock it down - it's currently on sale.
Was: £122
Buy now £84.00, Jones Road
Kate Somerville ExfoliKate on The Glow Kit
Combining medical skin science with spa-like products, we are continually impressed with Kate Somerville's line of products. This bundle showcases three of her glowing best: travel-size versions of ExfoliKate Intensive Exfoliating Treatment, ExfoliKate Cleanser Daily Foaming Wash and ExfoliKate Glow Moisturiser.
Each delivers fast results, even more so when used together; glowing, refined skin will be yours before you know it. Use together, love forever.
Buy now £29.00, Lookfantastic
Creed Candle Porcelain Vanisia
Creed may be best known for its Aventus aroma but don’t sleep on the luxury fragrance house’s opulent candle collection housed in quietly luxurious porcelain vessels. There are five scents that comprise the range but the most suitably seasonal is the Vanisia, a contemporary vanilla aroma that turns the signature sugary ingredient on its head by combining it with musky amber.
Buy now £105.00, Cult Beauty
Addison Ross Block Bobbin LED lamp
The demand for cordless lamps shows no sign of dimming, and now luxury homewares brand Addison Ross has thrown its hat into the ring.
The offering? A 30cm tall model that echoes the playful curves of its bobbin shakers with an LED light at the top and a simple USB-C port for charging at the base.
A full charge offers 10 hours of light, which you can adjust through three light levels to help you create the right mood, and it comes with some charge straight out of the box, so you can set it up right away instead of waiting for it to power up in the dark.
It's perfect for illuminating twilight feasts or making your space feel more inviting without running wires everywhere.
Buy now £125.00, Addison Ross
Monica Vinader Amy Powney Keshi Pearl T-Bar Necklace 18'
Buying jewellery as a gift can be tricky, but a trinket from Monica Vinader is always a good idea. This T-bar necklace combines 18K gold vermeil with asymmetrical keshi pearls highlighting their beauty, even in their flaws. An instant outfit-elevater.
Buy now £325.00, Monica Vinader
Smythson 2026 Panama Weekly Diary
A leopard never changes her spots, but when they're as chic as this - why would she ever want to? Manifest a wild and stylish year for 2026 with Smythson's limited edition Panama diary, now in a statement animal print.
Buy now £90.00, Smythson
Clase Azul Reposado tequila 700ml
Long gone are the days of tequila with a worm at the bottom of the bottle or a sombrero-themed bottle top.
Modern iterations of the Mexican spirit are designed to be savoured, not chased with a wedge of lime. With tequila reigning supreme in the drinks world, now is your excuse to try something really special.
From artisan producer Clase Azul comes this white and blue ceramic decanter, its beauty rivalled only by the liquid within. Smooth and full-bodied, the spirit, made from pure Weber blue agave, slips smoothly down the throat, imparting undertones of vanilla and toffee caramel along the way.
We had no idea that tequila could be this good. A triumph.
Buy now £176.00, The Whisky Exchange
Dr Dennis Gross SpectraLite FaceWare Pro
Legendary dermatologist Dr Dennis Gross is the expert behind this LED face mask that was created with acne sufferers in mind.
Bringing the in-clinic experience to the comfort of your own home, you need not travel to Dr Gross’ Manhattan establishment to get the results. In just three minutes, the combination of 100 red collagen-boosting and 62 blue bacteria-busting lights will work their magic to bring you a clearer, plumper and more youthful complexion. It’s a powerful treatment that encourages cell turnover, so it is ideal for healing those red raw blemishes.
You will notice the control button on the forehead that is pressed to activate a different mode. After the allotted time, it turns itself off but while in use, the cordless design means you’re free to get on with other things.
We suggest popping it on during one of the many Zoom meetings you may have on a work-from-home day - just don’t forget to turn your camera off. Results are not immediate but gradual with consistent daily use over the course of 10 or so weeks.
Available with a luxe-looking white and gold exterior or a sleek black iteration.
There are over 140 five-star reviews with customers raving about the effects. One said: “Results are amazing - last week a friend I've not seen in a while asked me if I got botox or anything else done to my face”, while another praised its impact on blemishes, “It has helped hugely with acne - the number of spots has reduced, and the ones which still come up aren’t nearly as angry and seem to clear much faster”.
Buy now £465.00, Cult Beauty
Peep Club Heated Eye Wand LED+
With five modes, including light therapy and a warm compress that goes up to a toasty 45°C, Peep Club’s eye wand is an excellent tool for anyone suffering from dry eyes.
The heat should be applied to closed eyes along the lash line, gliding so slowly that it takes around 15 seconds to go from the inner corner to the outer eye. Done correctly, eyes feel hydrated and twinkly after a session, which should only be a few minutes in total.
It’s small enough to keep in your bag for fast relief from hot, tired eyes when you’re on the go or travelling and is USB-C rechargeable.
Buy now £85.00, Victoria Health
Drowsy Breakfast at Drowsy Eyelash Protecting Mask
Theatre at 35,000ft? That's exactly what sleep brand Drowsy is serving with its latest launch, modelled on the mask famously worn in the classic film Breakfast at Tiffany's.
The teal design is party at the front and business at the back with fringing and sequins creating an appealing look on the exterior and eyelash-protecting 3D technology on the skin-facing side.
If you want to make every flight feel like you're flying First, this is a great way to go about it.
Buy now £79.00, Drowsy
Coravin Timeless Six+ Wine Preservation System
How many times have you wanted just one glass of wine but wound up drinking the whole bottle for fear it will ‘go off’ from oxidation? We’ve all been there.
Thanks to the innovative wine tool Coravin Pivot though, your mum can enjoy as much or as little as she likes without removing the cork. The rest will keep for years with a new glass tasting fresh every time. Not only does it preserve wine, but it aerates as it pours too, so her vino will taste just as the producers intended.
There’s also the Coravin Sparkling, which can preserve Champagne and other sparkling wines for up to four weeks. No longer will she have the excuse of waiting for a special occasion to sip something extraordinary. This little gadget will allow her to enjoy a little luxury, every day.
Buy now £399.99, Amazon
Roberts Revival iStream 3L DAB+/FM Internet Smart Radio with Bluetooth
A retro design with contemporary functions, this Roberts radio is the perfect gadget to keep around the house or office.
The vintage 50s-look body is armed to the teeth with the latest tech, including a smart radio that can broadcast web radio as well as DAB+ and FM stations. It can transform into a Bluetooth speaker and play your favourite tracks from Spotify and Deezer, all with crystal-clear audio.
Available in a range of bright and muted shades.
Buy now £189.00, Amazon
Weatherman Travel Umbrella
Best: overall
Built to last, the Weatherman umbrella was designed by - you guessed it - a real-life weatherman. Fed up with umbrellas collapsing on him while doing live weather reports, US meteorologist Rick Reichmuth designed his own.
Amongst the collection is this travel umbrella, tested to withstand wind speeds of up to 45mph. Available in a variety of colours, including can’t-miss-it neon yellow, fibreglass poles and ribs hold open a strong, water-repellant canopy made from recycled materials.
It’s light, it’s compact, and it will keep you dry. As far as brollies go, I’d say that’s all boxes ticked.
Buy now £60.00, Weatherman
Moshulu Colourful metallic leather mule slippers
Slippers are a failsafe gift for mums, but give them a disco makeover with this metallic silver pair from Moshulu. They're as comfortable as they are glitzy and come with a cushioned heel and faux fur collar, ensuring comfort with each step. Lightweight Moshulu patterned EVA soles mean you can run outside for the post or bins without fear of getting them soggy.
Buy now £49.00, Moshulu
ABBA Voyage
It's one of the most talked-about productions in town, with streams of sequinned-speckled party-goers flooding the DLR’s Pudding Mill station for every performance.
Set in a purpose-built cathedral to one of Sweden's greatest musical exports, ABBA Voyage is the party every disco-lover must experience. With incredible lightwork and avatars that will leave you rubbing your eyes to believe aren't real, this is a peek at what the future of gigs could look like.
If your mum is up for dancing, standing tickets are most budget-friendly (nudge your way back to take it all in) while seated options mean you can see the 40-years-in-the-making production in all its glory.
Want to make it extra special? Add lounge access for bubbly and nibbles before the show takes off.
Bookings are available from £104.50.
Buy now £104.50, ABBA Voyage
