15 best Mother's Day gifts to treat the queen in your life
Although it's important to show appreciation for the most important woman in your life throughout the year, Mother's Day is a great excuse to treat her to something she'll love, whether it's your actual mum, your gran or that special matriarch in you life.
This year it falls on 22 March, so mark your calendars and start shopping.
Whether you're after a small gesture or something a bit more extravagant, it's hard to sift through the overly-sentimental gifts designed exclusively for the event that often hold little meaning.
Luckily we've done the hard work for you with our roundup of gifts she will genuinely love and use.
You won't find any mugs or teddy bears with "Happy Mother's Day" plastered over it here. Instead expect everything from art prints and hanging planters to handbags and English sparkling wines, at a range of price points.
There's something in our varied selection for every mum, no matter how fussy she may be.
You can trust our independent reviews. We may earn commission from some of the retailers, but we never allow this to influence selections, which are formed from real-world testing and expert advice. This revenue helps to fund journalism across The Independent.
Read More
8 best pasta makers that will turn out Nonna-worthy creations
Best beauty buys of the month: New launches that are worth the money
20 best wines by women to drink this International Women's Day
M&S checked ruffle yoke button through blouse
We love a frill on a shirt, or a dress, or a skirt quite frankly. It adds a bit of interest and texture to an otherwise rather plain shirt and we love how this one accentuates the shoulders too. With a crew collar, buttoned cuffs, slightly cropped sleeves (which make us feel like spring is coming) and covered buttons down the front, we love the detail, soft cotton material and tiny black and blue gingham print of this shirt. She’ll love to match it with black ankle-length jeans and pointy ankle boots for spring.
Buy now £35.00, M&S
Sass & Belle hanging planter
Owning plants is very similar to having children: they require a lot of attention and care. If your mum loves to show off her home botanics, she can showcase them in style with this cute hanging planter. Aptly named “queen bee”, the porcelain pot is adorned with gold bees that match the three point chain. Sass & Belle stocks other fun designs too, including a leopard print version. Whether she fills it with a trailing jade or string of pearls, this planter is sure to brighten her Mother’s Day.
Buy now £9.00, Sass & Belle
Charles & Keith wristlet handle bucket bag
This brand is giving us all the hand bag trends we love right now at a fraction of designer prices. If your fashion-conscious mum has been lusting over Jacquemus-inspired mini handbags or the classic bucket style that has made its return, we recommend bookmarking Charles & Keith as a gifting go-to. We love the clever detailing on this faux leather bucket bag, the wristlet handle can be replaced by the longer strap if you want to wear it across the body or over your shoulder, and the sturdy magnetic clasp and detachable pouch are nice additions. We love the angular design, with the geometric slit across the front of the leather that matches the cut of the handle. The cognac colourway is a little different to your standard brown hand bag, with gold details that complete the look. If you’re lucky, she might let you borrow it.
Buy now £55.00, Charles & Keith
Millie Amber mother print
Inspired by fashion, folk art and nature, we're obsessed with London-based artist Millie Amber's illustrations. Women are a central focus in her work, often adorned with stars, suns and moons, which are a lovely nod to their importance. Her use of colour is gorgeous too: muted pastels are contrasted with hot reds, oranges and pinks, while her celebration of women feels very fitting for Mother's Day, and there's no piece more suited to the occasion than this A3 print. A clear ode to Mother Nature, we love how the earth's landscape is painted across the body, from the roots in her feet to the star earrings. This would make a real statement in any modern space and is something a little bit different to gift this year.
Buy now £20.00, Millie Amber
Kiehl's powerful strength line-reducing and dark circled diminishing vitamin C eye serum, 15ml
Any mum would appreciate the gift of sleep, but this eye serum comes in at a close second, as it helps you look like you've had more shut-eye. A lot of anti-ageing products make the same old promises of reduced wrinkles, dark circles and crow's feet without the results to match, but this new eye serum, which feels more like a cream to us, really does offer results after just one use. Enriched with a powerful mix of hyaluronic acid and pure vitamin C, its soft texture feels like a real treat to apply and absorbs quickly. Our under eyes looked brighter and dark circles were noticeably reduced, it helped our make-up apply smoother too.
Buy now £41.00, Feel Unique
Chapel Down Bacchus 2018 with a touch of sparkle, 75cl
For any bacchus lover, this is the next step: the sparkling version. It’s so fruity, with wonderfully bright flavours of grapefruit coming through along with hints of pineapple. The 2018 floral vintage is crisp and light and also, just like its name, has the touch of bubbles and is incredibly drinkable. We’re eyeing up the cases for summer celebrations already, and there’s no better time to start those celebrations than now by raising a glass to your mum.
Buy now £17.99, Waitrose & Partners
Orelia open circle long necklace
Fine gold jewellery is still having its moment and this dainty offering from Orelia is a great way to rock the trend. With a 50mm chain, we love the longer length of this necklace as it's perfect for layering with other pieces, and the circle charm with its twisted finish is subtle enough for everyday wear. It looks and feels far more expensive than the price tag suggests and arrives in a pretty gift box and bag.
Buy now £15.00, Orelia
Chilly’s line art faces water bottle, 500ml
Help your mum do her bit for the planet with a chic reusable water bottle. Chilly’s were frontrunners in creating stylish vessels that we'd all hapilly swap a single-use bottle for, and you can't argue with the quality and style of its products. Made from stainless steel, it keeps cold drinks chilled for 24 hours, and hot drinks hot for 12. Our bottle lived up to these claims and didn’t leak at all, a key test for refillable bottles. They come in a wide range of colours, patterns and finishes, while other customisable extras like name engraving and coloured lids are available too. We love the line work design on this bottle, which is not only bang on trend but is rather apt for Mother’s Day as women are central to the print.
Buy now £25.00, Chilly's
ghd glide hot brush
If your mum takes pride in her hair do, treat her to this heated brush which gives the appearance of blow dried locks in a matter of minutes. Designed to tame and smooth hair while adding shine, we wouldn’t normally associate a heated tool with healthy looking hair, but a quick brush with this immediately makes hair appear glossier, giving your ends the sleek, just blow dried effect we all want. The varied sizes of the heated bristles means the brush can tackle both long and short styles, staying at an optimum 185C as you use it. We love this brush for revitalising second day hair as it’s a real game changer for when you can’t be bothered to wash it, bringing shine and smoothness back to unruly locks. It's real treat, but will gain you serious brownie points from the queen in your life.
Buy now £139.00, Look Fantastic
Sheridan lanham silk tailored pillowcase
What is Mother’s Day without little luxuries like this? And a silk pillowcase most certainly is one. From one of our favourite bed linen brands, Sheridan, this very large pillowcase (75cm x 50cm) offers more than just looking oh-so-silky and fab on her bed. It’s natural and the most hypoallergenic of all fabrics used for bed linen. Its biggest plus factors are that it helps reduce wrinkles on your face from sleeping awkwardly and is less likely to cause bed-hair if you toss and turn all night, so less breakages in your hair. But best of all, silk doesn't conduct heat, so you’ll always have the “cool side” of the pillow. This one comes in six colours, but we like the snow-white the best.
Buy now £45.50, Sheridan
Face Halo make-up remover pads, pack of three
If she’s not made the move from face wipes or cotton pads to these ingenious, reusable pads, she’ll most certainly thank you for introducing her to this brand. Using tiny fibres, the pads are incredibly soft and – even more incredibly – only use water to remove make-up. Yes, even the toughest make-up and waterproof mascara. We bend them in half to deal with delicate eye areas and don’t feel like we’re stretching the skin. The pads are also machine washable – up to 200 times, according to the brand, although we’ve not got that far yet – making them the best reusable solution we’ve tried.
Buy now £18.00, Amazon
Narciso Rodriguez fleur musc for Her eau de parfume, 100ml
If you’re a fan of the deep and musky original “for Her” perfume from 2004 by the New York brand Narcisoc Rodriguez, this is the floral version. With hints of rose, spices and the classic amber wood as its central scent, along with patchouli, it’s the lighter, day version of for Her that’s about as breezy as spring comes. We think it’s perfect for the change in season that’s just on the horizon and she’ll love an updated version of the classic perfume to welcome spring in with.
Buy now £81.50, John Lewis & Partners
Teatulia organic black loose leaf tea, 80g
âMother’s Day simply isn’t Mother’s Day if it doesn’t start off with a good brew. We’re not talking about your average tea bag here though, as your mum only deserves the best. Teatulia is a social enterprise which produced the first organic tea in Bangladesh, employs thousands of local women and runs a low lending scheme for local people, who get milk and look after the cow, which inturn provides manure for the tea plantation.
The black tea is made from camellia sinensis assamica bushes, which were planted on an area that was once a scrubland, regenerating the area. All of the brand’s tea is pesticide free, and instead of using harsh chemicals, the plantation is surrounded by neem trees, which act as a natural pesticide.
Since its beginnings in the late Nineties, Teatulia now employs a whopping 3,500 women who plant, nurture and pick the tea. The women are paid a better wage than other tea businesses and Teatulia also provides healthcare and education to the workers and their families, so you can know that enjoying your cup of tea did not mean someone in the supply chain was exploited.
The brand does refill packs as well, so you’re not left with lots of the same tin after being converted (as we know you will be). But if loose leaf isn’t for you, there’s also plastic free tea bags too.
Buy now £12.95, Teatulia
Superga sport Club S white animalier
Everyone loves a white trainer, and we all know it’s totally acceptable to own more than one pair. Enter the newest edition to the Club S line, the animalier. The Italian brand is one of our favourites, and constantly innovates. It’s been making shoes for more than 100 years and has everything from the canvas espadrilles plimsolls to its Nineties inspired chunky soles which the Spice Girls would have proudly worn. These trainers are more of a classic tennis shoe style with a rounded toe, soft leather uppers and just a touch of leopard print on the heel, which we love. They’re comfy, easy to wear shoes that go with everything.
Buy now £80.00, Superga
Wright Brothers half shell gin
A gin needs a USP in this wonderfully oversaturated market we now find ourselves in. And the mini-chain seafood London restaurant, Wright Brothers, has brought together two of the capital’s oldest exports into one: gin and oysters. Although gin needs no help, oysters were once a popular road-side snack in Dickensian times as they were cheaper than meat, and although seen as a luxury now, they’re not as widely loved as they could be. And this gin also answered an age-old problem for the restaurant – what to do with the endless amount of oyster shells they got through every year. Flavour gin with them, of course. The oysters are sustainably caught and come from Carlingford, Ireland, and the shells are cold-macerated in a neutral spirit before being distilled to bring the flavour out, which is balanced with kelp and has notes of Amalfi lemon and finishes with pink pepper corn. She’ll love this unique – and sustainable – addition to her collection.
Buy now £28.00, Wright Brothers restaurants
The verdict: Mother's Day gifts
Every mum will love getting new clothes that she’s not had to buy herself, and we think this pretty M&S checked ruffle blouse with a frill will be a great addition to her wardrobe for spring. But if she prefers consumables and loves to raise a glass, celebrate with the Bacchus sparkling wine, wihch will absolutely not disappoint anyone. For something a little bit different from an artist that celebrates women and mother's alike, go for Millie Amber's Mother Nature print.
