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Gift Ideas for Your Graduating Friend

This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Augustana chapter.

 

 

     It is finally, finally, the end of spring term, which means, we’re waving goodbye to our seniors, who I am sure, are very happy to start a new chapter of their lives. But with graduation comes the question of what to get your graduating friend. The key to finding the perfect graduation gift for is to first ask yourself what your friend is absolutely obsessed with.

For the bookworm:

     If your friend is a true bookworm, then you know that a book means just as much as a million dollars to them. Whether they are into prose or poetry, there are thousands of great books to get your friends.

     You can’t go wrong with Rupi Kaur’s poetry books, Milk and Honey and The Sun and Her Flowers. Kaur writes beautiful poetry about love, life’s struggles, and her own personal experiences. Her poetry is raw and heart-wrenching, so much so that you could probably finish an entire book in one sitting.

  

 Fredrik Backman’s A Man Called Ove is another great read! A beautiful tale about a cranky old man who has been hiding a kind heart and a sad past, this story is heartwarming and beautiful. It’s a story your bookworm won’t be able to put down!

For the chef:

     We all have that one friend that is an absolutely amazing cook and create great dishes despite being on a college gal’s budget. For this friend, a cookbook will give her lots of great inspiration for dinners or some fun kitchen supplies will make her cooking experience even better.

     When it comes to cooking, we can all agree that Chrissy Teigen is the queen of amazing recipes. Her new cookbook, Cravings: Recipes for All the Food You Want to Eat, is the perfect gift for your friend to try some amazing recipes!

     Personalized kitchen items are really fun gifts. An apron with your friend’s name on it in a cute design would be absolutely perfect! They are also pretty easy to get a hold of. There are tons of Etsy shops that will personalize aprons for decent prices. 

For the makeup guru:

     For the friend that is absolutely obsessed with makeup, there are so many great options for them. Sephora and Ulta offer a great array of cosmetics. One of the best and universal makeup gifts are eyeshadows and multi-purpose products.

     For instance, Huda Beauty came out with two new palettes in their Obsessions collection: Coral Obsessions and Gemstone Obsessions. The Coral Obsessions is great if your friend loves creating fiery, warm looks, and the Gemstone Obsessions is perfect for the friend that is all about glitter. The older palettes in the collection (Warm, Mauve, Electric, and Smokey Obsessions) are also great gifts. Their small size is perfect for travel, and at $27, they won’t completely break the bank.

     You could also opt for something that can be used on the eyes, lips, and face, like the Fenty Beauty Match Stix Shimmer Skinsticks. Despite the name, these Match Stix can be used for different things. With colors ranging from opal, bronze, rose golds, and even oranges and purples, the Match Stix will look great as cream eyeshadows, lipsticks, and—for the more iridescent shades—as highlighters. They’ll give your friend the opportunity to get really creative!

For the fashionista:

     Our fashionista friends are truly enviable for their amazing fashion sense and ultra-cute outfits.

     Graphic tees are all the rage right now. They go with pants, shorts, and skirts and are absolutely perfect for summer! Forever 21 has some great options for graphic t-shirts that are sure to make your friend laugh and bring a new edge to her closet.

     Kimonos are another great fashion piece that would be a great gift for a summer of fun at the pool! They’re light and breezy, and they come in an array of different colors that go with all sorts of great outfits!

For the musician: 

     For your musically talented friend, you can’t go wrong with an iTunes gift card. A $20 gift card will give your friend the chance to download anywhere from 15 to 20 songs. It may seem a little basic to just get an iTunes gift card, but your friend will love the chance to jam out to their favorite songs.

     You could also get your friend some music-related jewelry. There are some beautiful treble clef necklaces. They’re a great homage to your friend’s love of music, and it’s a great everyday accessory as well!

     It may be time to say goodbye to our senior friends, but they can always remember you and their time at Augie with these great gift ideas!

Ila Mostafa is currently a Neuroscience major and Biology minor at Augustana College in Rock Island, Illinois. She enjoys reading, writing, and spending time with her family. She is usually either starting a new story without finishing an older one or studying. Ila hopes to go to graduate school and eventually do research on Parkinson's Disease.
Augustana Contributor