Health & Fitness
Gift Giving: When Holiday Gifts Send the Wrong Message
A gift certificate to a hair salon or spa can sometimes be, shall we say, misconstrued? Here's how to give the gift of beauty without insulting your recipient.
A sweater that's two sizes too small? A subscription to Women's Health Magazine? So what are you saying?
A spa treatment gift card and a stress ball? So I looked stressed, do I?
A gift certificate to the grocery store with a stipulation that it can't be used for alcohol or cigarettes? What exactly are you trying to say?
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We've all been on one side or the other of this kind of gift. While the giver's intentions are 99.9% good, sometimes a gift recipient just doesn't take it that way. After all, we're all stressed, emotional and on edge during the holidays. A gift can, shall we say, sometimes send the wrong message.
For example, here at Jyl Craven Hair Design, we just completed a popular promotion where we gave away a $25 gift card for every $75 gift card sold. Many of our clients said they planned to use the cards as gifts, but one client's offhand comment got us thinking.
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She said, "I should give this to my son’s teacher as a gift. She never seems to take time for herself. Oh… but I hope she doesn’t take it the wrong way."
And she made a valid point. Sometimes "Here, pamper yourself!" is read as, "I need to get my roots touched up and everyone notices!"
So before you hand over that gift, take these three gift giving tips from us:
1.) Leave Looks Out of It - A Jyl Craven gift card, a massage gift certificate - these gifts are about getting away and pampering yourself. Make sure you let your recipient know that your intentions are about relaxation and joy, not roots and wrinkles.
2.) Tie Your Gift Giving to a Special Occasion - Everybody has special events where they want to look and feel theri best. On your card, mention that "I thought you might want your makeup done for your special day!" or "Your up-do's at our office parties are always so elegant. Your next one's on me!"
3.) Make it a Group Outing - A trip to the salon is always better with friends, so why not make the present an event rather than just a gift card? Give your gift then have fun with your friend picking your date and, when the day comes, relaxing with some pre-paid pampering!
Have you ever given or a received a gift that just didn't go over well? Tell us about it in the comments!
And for more about the gift of beauty, 2013 fashion trends, and hairstyle tutorials, head over the Jyl Craven blog, or follow us on Twitter and Facebook.
