The Ultimate Gift Guide for a College Girl
Are you stumped when it comes to finding a gift for a college age girl? Do you want to give her something practical she can use on a daily basis at school? Or would you rather find a gift that will help keep her comfortable even when she’s studying in the library? Thankfully we have all that and more in this gift guide for a college girl. It can be notoriously hard to shop for college girls, because they tend to really like particular brands or items that you might not even be aware of.
Before you purchase anything, think about what she might really need while she’s away from home. You can also take into account her interests and preferences, and then go from there. You could also consider reaching out to her parents, to see if there’s anything she’s mentioned needing!
In our guide, you’ll find a variety of gifts perfect for any budget including:
Must-have skincare and beauty items
A clothing gift guide for college girls
Gift cards she can use when she wants
And accessories she’ll definitely use daily
Get a gift card from Perfect Gift
Consider getting a college girl a gift card and let her choose!
One of the best gifts you can give to a college girl (or anyone for that matter) is a gift card from Perfect Gift! Choose from all your favorite brands like:
Target
Ulta
Baskin Robbins
Dunkin’
Uber Eats
And so many more!
Or you can choose to get a PerfectGift+, which allows you to purchase a specific amount, but allow the recipient to choose the merchant they want! Giving someone you love the choice to pick out not only exactly what they want, but where they want to redeem it has to be one of the best gifts ever. You may say, it’s the Perfect Gift!
Additionally, you can always opt to send a college girl a Visa gift card that you can personalize with a photo and a message. Whether you choose to send a physical gift card, or would rather text it to her, you can never go wrong with Visa.
Skincare/beauty gifts
1. Sol de Janeiro perfume mist or body essentials
Every college girl needs to have hydrated skin and a signature fragrance, and Sol de Janeiro can help you out with both. Image courtesy of Sol De Janeiro.
College girls everywhere approve of the brand Sol de Janeiro, and once you try one of their products, it’s easy to see why! If you’re having a hard time narrowing your options down, consider going with the Sol de Janeiro Perfume Mist set. This set has all their best selling fragrances, so if you’re unsure which one she’ll like, you can let her choose on a daily basis! Each set includes:
Pistachio, salted caramel, vanilla
Pink dragon fruit, Brazilian jasmine, ocean air
Vanilla orchid, sugared violet, sheer sandalwood
Midnight jasmine, black currant, amber woods
Or if you’d rather get a little bit of each of their popular products, snag the Sol tote and body essentials. This package will give you:
Limited edition canvas tote bag
Bum Bum cream
Bum Bum body firmeza oil
Cheirosa 62 perfume mist
2. Beauty Box subscription
Give the gift of skincare and makeup all year long with a subscription to the Beauty Box. Image courtesy of Allure.
If the college girl you know absolutely loves to try out the latest in fragrance, skincare, makeup, and haircare, consider getting her a subscription to the Allure Beauty Box. This is your one stop shop for all the latest trends that she can try out in her dorm room. Just pick out a plan (either monthly, quarterly, or annually) and she’ll receive a curated beauty box each month filled with items handpicked by the editors at Allure. Each product that goes into the box has been tested and approved by an experienced editor, which means you’re only getting the best of the best—no need to worry about having to try tons of products to find one you actually like!
This would make a great gift for a college girl who likes to experiment with her style. She’ll have easy access to all her favorite brands in one simple box that’s delivered right to her dorm each month!
3. Makeup brush cleaner
All those brushes need to be cleaned, so why not make it easy on her with a brush cleaner that she can use anywhere? Image courtesy of Amazon.
College girls love to experiment with makeup (see the gift idea above!), which means they have a lot of brushes that need to be cleaned and sanitized. Afterall, brushes that aren’t cleaned can easily harbor lots of dirt and bacteria, which can then get transferred to their face. This could lead to more frequent breakouts, which no college girl wants! That’s why an electronic makeup brush cleaner would be a much-appreciated gift she will definitely get a lot of use out of.
This brush cleaner features a silicone cleaner that rotates as it cleans all shapes and sizes of brushes. She’ll simply need to add the cleaning solution and hold the brush in place as it removes all the makeup. This cleaner easily plugs into a USB port, so no need to worry about running out of batteries. Once the brushes have been thoroughly cleaned, just lay them flat to dry—and repeat every two weeks!
Clothing gift guide for college girls
4. Two piece PJ set
College girls can never have enough PJs, so finding her a cute set that she can sleep in and lounge around her dorm room in is a great gift idea. Image courtesy of Aerie.
College girls want to be comfortable when they’re sleeping or lounging around their dorm or apartment. One of the top places to pick up comfortable loungewear that can easily double as sleepwear is at Aerie. This cute set is a part of their Superchill Modal collection, that allows you to mix and match boxers, tees, tanks, pants, and long sleeve tees to create a combination she’s sure to love. Each piece is made out of their ultra-soft ribbed fabric that is sure to feel comfortable and relaxed. This lightweight fabric is designed for comfort and to increase airflow, so you can rest assured that they’ll keep her comfortable even when the temperatures get warm.
This collection at Aerie comes in a variety of colors and patterns, which can all also be mixed and matched. College girls spend lots of time either studying or relaxing in their dorms, which means they’re always going to want something comfortable and soft to wear. Pick them up this PJ set and you can also ensure they’ll be studying or relaxing in style!
5. Cozy sweatshirt or hoodie
College girls will always appreciate a gift that they can wear anywhere around campus. Image courtesy of Free People.
Keeping with the comfortable and cozy (but also stylish) theme, you could also opt to give a college girl a soft sweatshirt that she can wear and take with her almost anywhere. This Intercept Pullover sweatshirt from Free People hits all the marks when it comes to a fantastic gift. Made with a blend of cotton and polyester, it features drop shoulders, a boxy fit, a slightly cropped length, and seam detailing at the hem and cuffs. Available in 12 colors, you may want to consider picking up two for her! Sweatshirts like this are something she can not only wear while lounging around the dorm, but she can wear it to class or to long study sessions in the library—especially when it might be cold!
In addition to this cute cropped sweatshirt, consider picking up a hoodie or another sweatshirt that features the logo of her school. College girls could always use more school swag, and sometimes she might not have the funds to pick something up at the bookstore. Instead, give her the chance to show her school pride, and stay cozy at the same time.
6. Bombas socks
Because a college girl can never have too many socks, give her a brand that you know she’ll love. Image courtesy of Bombas.
Bombas socks are some of the most comfortable and stylish around. They offer socks in all kinds of lengths, from no-show socks perfect to wear below her Adidas Gazelles, to boot socks ideal for her leather knee-high boots. Not only do Bombas socks look good and come in a variety of colors, but they also have some serious tech behind them. Each of their socks features a:
Sure-fit cuff
Seamless toe
Y-stitch heal
Honeycomb arch support
Airflow venting
Hex tech
So no matter which type you decide to get her, you know she’s absolutely going to live in them. You can get her a few different pairs at various lengths, or take advantage of their 3-pack or 6-pack options. You can also build a pack yourself and get a discount!
In addition to making comfortable, supportive socks, Bombas has made it its mission to donate an essential clothing item for every pair of socks purchased, so now you can feel good about choosing to go with this well-made brand.
Accessories any college girl would love
7. Stanley tumbler in her favorite color
No gift guide for a college girl would be complete without a Stanley tumbler! Image courtesy of Stanley.
One of the most popular beverage holders is the Stanley tumbler, and we’re 100% confident that a college girl you know would love to have one of her very own. It’s so important for her to stay hydrated during the day, especially when she’s busy going from class to class, taking time in between to eat, hang out, or catch up on homework. She needs a cup that will keep her water cool for the whole day, without having to return to her room or refill it along the way.
Stanley offers tumblers in five sizes, so choose the one you think will work best for her, as well as the color she’d prefer. The one above is a Pink Mesa Sunset, but they have all kinds of options, including some limited edition ones and others that may be in her school colors!
8. Wristlet for her essentials
A well-made wristlet from a brand like Coach will last her for years to come. Image courtesy of Coach.
Does the college girl in your life need something to help keep her essentials organized, but she doesn’t need another bag or purse? Then she’d love to have a Coach wristlet. These small pouches are designed to keep her credit cards, license, school ID, phone, and lip gloss with her at all times, without having to bring an entire bag. They slip easily over the wrist, so she won’t have to worry about leaving it on a table somewhere. Available in all kinds of colors and in leather as well as synthetic fabric, you’re sure to find something she loves.
9. Self-warming coffee mug
Because college girls always need to make sure they have hot coffee. Image courtesy of Amazon.
College students are known for their intake of copious amounts of coffee, but that doesn’t mean it has to be cold! If a college girl in your life loves to have her coffee warm, then she’d really appreciate this heated coffee mug warmer. Just plug it in and put the included ceramic mug on top and enjoy warm coffee that never gets cold. You can control the temperature of the heater as well, ensuring she always has the ideal temperature, not too hot or cool, but just right. This is safe for dorms as the infrared sensors will shut off after no cup is detected, or there are 2 hours of inactivity.
Which one of these amazing gifts from our guide will you give to a college girl?
Don’t stress out if you’re a little unsure about what a college girl could want as a gift. We have enough options on our gift guide to ensure you’ll find something that she’ll absolutely love. So whether she’d be into a Beauty Box subscription, needs a new PJ set, or could use an upgrade to her water bottle, any of these items on our gift guide for a college girl are sure to make her day!