If you're wondering what my day job actually involves, it's tracking down the best gifts for 2026, whoever the recipient and whatever the occasion. This means, for the last six months, I've attended countless press days, spoken to various shopping experts and have personally tested hundreds of products to see which are actually worth giving (and receiving).

When reviewing potential presents, I consider them all against the following criteria:

Of course, when pulling together these edits, I also keep in mind trending products, viral hits and brands I genuinely repeatedly purchase from myself. As such, you can also be reassured that only products I genuinely love are featured in the Glamour Gift Shop. Learn more about how we test and choose products here.

For years, my four older siblings have turned to me for recommendations when it comes to birthday and Christmas gifts — and then it became my corporate job. For the last three years — that's one year at Hearst, writing for titles like Cosmopolitan and Women's Health, followed by two years at Glamour — my 9 to 5 has involved drafting guides on the best gifts for everyone on your list, from your mum and dad to your boyfriend, best friend and their newborn baby.

Every week, I attend multiple press days to learn about new launches, plus chat one-on-one with experts, be they gifting pros, retail buyers or seasoned personal shoppers, asking for their gifting and shopping tips ahead of the festive season. I also try to personally test as many products as possible, checking for their suitability, quality and value.

As a result, you could say I am more of an expert on the subject of shopping and gift-giving than your average online shopper. So much so that last Christmas I was asked to share my tips live on Radio 4, where I suggested we collectively skip a restock of socks in exchange for a DIY gift hamper or bucket list experience gift.

In terms of my experience shopping for Christmas gifts on a budget, I rarely opt for luxury gifts. That's not to say I don't encourage splurging on the people you love, but rather an acknowledgement that you can get great gifts for less than £100 (and even gifts under £50) each. In fact, one of the best gifts I ever received was a custom painting from my sister-in-law, inspired by my favourite Olivia Dean song, and which cost her no more than £14.