50th Birthday Gift Ideas For Her

By Ali + Julie on 8 Mar 2024

So Julie and I have both hit this milestone with both trepidation and a sense of relief in accepting that we are who we are, take it or leave it. I was actually dreading turning 50 and wanted no celebration at all. The upside was in the acts of love and friendship shown my my friends. Gifts are a beautiful part of that. It’s the thoughtfulness, the kind words, the acknowledgement of friendship, that made it wonderful.

Gifts Under $50

Letters of Great Women - $39 at booktopia

Over 2,000 years of history seen through the eyes of 50 extraordinary women.

Was Jane Austen a fan of her own work?
What did Harriet Tubman want to tell Abraham Lincoln?
And how did Greta Thunberg respond to her critics?
Each entry includes images and transcripts of the letters themselves along with a biography by celebrated historian Lucinda Hawksley exploring the lives and writings of each woman.

Collect money for a group gift - FREE at GroupTogether.com

Want your friend to feel the love from all the gang? Send them all a link to add a message and pic to a printable card. GroupTogether lets you add as many people as you like. It’s free and super easy. If you want them to chip in for a special gift too, there’s that option too. It’s safe and used by millions of people in Australia (and yes, friends from around the world can chip in too). Want to withdraw the cash? You’ll just need an Aussie bank account and mobile phone number. There’s a tiny fee to withdraw the money. If you’re happy to use the money for a gift card or gift from their range of flowers and hampers, then it’s fee free too.

Personalised fluffy slippers - $29 at Cotton On

Just pure fun. This is comfy made cute. If she’s a glam home body, this is it. And they’re washable so they’ll stay fresh. Nice.

Kirsten Ash gold ear cuff - $49 at Kirstin Ash

The best 50th birthday gift for her should be something she’d love but can’t or wouldn’t buy for herself. This ear cuff feels youthful but still refined for a woman of fifty. She doesn’t need a new piercing. It just slides on firmly and comfortably. We love that it comes in a proper pink pouch with gold embossing in a beautiful pink box so it feels special and valuable too.

ClassPass voucher - from $50 at classpass.com

For the fitness lover, ClassPass is a way to try new places and new teachers who are highly rated. It’s fitness and wellness membership that gives access to thousands of fitness studios, gyms, salons and spas locally and around the globe. Give a gift voucher (digitally or print the PDF). Nice!

Sun Visor - $45 at Arms Of Eve

At first you wonder about these visors as a 50th gift but people LOVE them because it doesn’t give you “hat head”, it protects your skin (which you’ve realised at 50 needs protecting) and you can roll it up and whip it out of your bag when you need it. Genius!

Monogrammed Tote - $49 at Cotton On

Look again. This monogram is actually personalised to their name. Choose your letter, and zap, it’s embroidered in a beautiful way that looks like a luxury label.

Gifts $50-$100

Melbourne Comedy Festival Tickets - $34pp (best to buy two) at ticketmaster

Getting older can be radically UN-funny but a good laugh is worth a lot any time. Why not go with your friend to the Melbourne Comedy Festival or any tickets for that matter. Check out Ticketek to see what’s on. The festival is on from March 27 to April 21, 2024. I like the idea of the “Best of the Edinburgh Festival”. You can choose, let her choose with a voucher or roll the dice with what’s on the night you can go.

Daily Blooms Flowers and cake - $99 at Daily Blooms

If you can’t be there to kiss the birthday gift yourself, this is like sending a kiss and a hug! It’s just so pink and heaven. BTW, the cake is white chocolate raspberry mud cake, hand piped with a scalloped edge and topped with a delicate daisy. Yum!

Perfume - Chanel No. 5 $198 at Myer or Who is Elijah? $70 for 3 x 10ml at Adore Beauty

At age 50 you either want to go classic and classy or stay in touch with what’s trending. So, here’s two options to make her feel (and smell) like she’s made it. Chanel No. 5 needs no explanation. It’s the “can’t go wrong” perfume. “Who is Elijah?”, on the other hand is a brand that is vegan and cruelty-free, and hand-filled in Sydney with locally sourced, ethically conscious ingredients. The three little vials are perfect to pop into an evening bag or a yoga bag to feel fresh and fashionable.

Cheesemaking class - $99 at Redballoon

Sometimes it just takes one class to give you the confidence to dive into a new hobby or interest. This 2 hour cheese making class let’s you make one kilo of your own burrata and bocconcini to take home, drink bottomless bubbles as well as the recipes to recreate these cheeses at home. You can choose to buy a specific experience like this or leave it to her with a Redballoon voucher. They have everything from food experiences to kayaking!

Arms of Eve Sylvia Gold Snake Chain necklace - $89 at Arms of Eve

There’s something so stylish about the subtlety of this minimalist gold necklace. It sits so flat and yet catches the light to add a finishing touch. It can be worn stacked or solo, day or night.
It’s 14k gold plate on a sterling silver base so it can stay on for swimming and pilates.

The Dairy Custom phone case - $70 at The Dairy

A personalised phone case isn’t something you’d splurge on for yourself but for someone who likes beautiful things it’s a source of constant joy. It’s also easier to find in your handbag! We love the simple bold colours with the monogram initials but there’s a massive range of artist designs as well as customised AirPod and headphone cases.

Gifts $100-$200

Blys one hour Massage or treatment - $119 at Blys

It’s the ultimate self care and pampering and most women just don’t or can’t splurge like this. So, having a therapist come to your home and spend an hour looking after her could be the best thing ever! She can choose if she wants a massage or facial or beauty or hair treatment. There’s lots of options and they offer their services nationally across Australia. A one hour massage costs $119 but you can give a voucher and let her choose.

Kirsten Ash hoops - $149 at Kirstin Ash

Now that the fashion for earrings is chunkier, these little cuties have that impact but with a classic feel. I also like that they’re light to wear because they’re hollow and because they’re 18k gold plated, she shouldn’t be allergic. She can change them if she doesn’t love them but they’re a pretty safe bet and timeless.

Mud Australia tea cup and saucer - $110 at Mud Australia

It’s the little luxuries. A good cup of tea in bed tastes all the better out of a beautiful tea cup and saucer. Don’t worry, it’s machine washable so you’re not enslaving your friend to hand washing either. And it’ll taste extra good because she’ll know it’s Australian made by a female created, artisanal company Mud Australia. The world will look better peering over the top of this cup. If you feel like splashing out, buy two or even the gorgy tea pot. If she prefers a different colour, she can always swap it.

Mecca Make Up consultation and make up - $120 for 60min (redeemable for make up) at MECCA

Mum still wearing the same makeup from when she was a teenager? Sometimes a mum feels like she needs a refresh. This is a great way to get professional advice, try new products and then go home with the loot! The price is redeemable for products on the day.

Nobu for 2 - $159 at WeWander

Lunch for two at Nobu in Sydney is just one of over 50 gourmet experiences to choose from in this WeWander Gift Box. Your friend can choose from experiences nationally (without knowing the price). It’s all included. Some of the most popular experiences are a vineyard picnic, Japanese masterclass and a matched food and wine experience.

Cross Body Bag - $129 at P.E Nation

Perfect for your walking companion. This is soo convenient for carrying the phone, chapstick and keys and much more stylish than shoving them into legging pockets. It makes you hands free. It’s a best-seller because it makes all your flattering black gear look a little more chic. designed to work back with everything else in your wardrobe. It has one zippered main compartment, smaller front zip pocket and detachable strap.

Ancestry DNA - $129 at ancestry

This is so cool! You take a finger prick of blood and they use your DNA to reveal the people and places deep in your past, where records can't always take you. Discover your ethnic mix, and the countries, cities and towns that your ancestors called home. Get suggestions of new ancestors based on the connections in your DNA. Find new living relatives around the world (or not if you prefer).

Gifts $200-$500

Moments for 2 experiences - $210 at WeWander

It’s finally time to start on that bucket list again. No babysitters to rush back for! And maybe she doesn’t need another vase or makeup bag. Let her choose an experience she’ll treasure. It’s a box with over 200 experiences to choose from, local and nationally. Whether it’s photography classes, an oyster farm tour, wine tasting or a couples massage class, there’s something that will delight her.

Cashmere wrap - $299 at hardtofind

Who doesn’t LOVE cashmere everything. And this beauty doesn’t need to be tried on, can be used as a blanky on the plane or a pillow as well as a generous scarf or even a throw. It’s 100% Pure Mongolian Deluxe Cashmere Wrap but still light enough to easily slip into your handbag. It comes in lots of colours from bright pink, to this classic neutral.

Kirsten Ash Engravable 9k gold necklace - $480 at Kirstin Ash

Being real gold means it’s beautiful, timeless and practical (swim and shower). Add engraving to make it personal too; perhaps her name or a message from her friends for something that will warm her heart. It comes beautifully packaged in a pink pouch and box to make it feel special as a gift too.

Gifts over $500

SAINT LAURENT Uptown Pouch - $795 at parlourx

This seems to be on every fashionistas “must have” list. It’s described as a “foundational piece” as well as an “investment” and a “classic”. It’s just a classic for both evening and day. It’s 27cm long so it can actually hold what you need. If you want the one with the gold shoulder chain (also a classic), you’ll be spending closer to $2000. Both will be loved by someone who loves French fashion.

A weekend away - $500+ at Luxury Escapes

It’s hard to know exactly where someone else dreams of going but at least with a gift card like this, they’ll enjoy the choice as well as the destination. We’re dreaming of a weekend at The Calile in Brisbane or even a city hotel stay.

Organising a group gift for her 50th? GroupTogether for one great group gift and card

Prefer to pool resources and get one great gift like an artwork or a designer handbag but don’t want the nightmare of chasing and keeping track? Check out GroupTogether.com. Used by over 1m Australians to make it EASY. Create and share a link with everyone. They just click to pay safely online and add a personal message and pic to the card. Sooo easy. You can either withdraw the money or give a gift card so your friend can choose themselves.

Ali Julie Square

Ali + Julie

Co-Founders, GroupTogether

Life’s busy. That’s why we’re here to make it easy for you to collect money from a group. Less wasted time, less packaging waste, and spending a little less but giving a lot better!

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