10 Last-Minute Valentine’s Day Gift Ideas

Valentine’s Day is upon us once again, and many people out there have yet to pick up a gift for their significant other.

Sure, flowers and candy are great, and signify thoughtfulness, but how thoughtful is it really when you’re just giving the same thing every year? For some, the tradition may be romantic, but for others it grows stale.

If you are one of those people who waited until the last minute to get a gift, or if that guy/girl you’ve been casually seeing waited until the morning of Valentine’s Day to text you that they got you a gift but you didn’t realize it was that serious and didn’t get them anything back… we have you covered.

Below, you will find items that are better than flowers and candy, but will still go over well when paired with them.

Scroll down for our list of great last-minute Valentine’s Day gift ideas!

Candles

Okay, candles seems like an easy one. You’re probably thinking to yourself, “I could have come up with that on my own.”

You are absolutely right, but we’re starting off easy. Besides, now you have confirmation that it was the right idea.

Everyone loves candles. They never do not come in handy. No one in the history of the world has ever said, “Yeah this room is great and all, but I wish it didn’t smell so delightful.”

Candles are also a great gift because you can literally buy them anywhere so it’s easy to pick one up on the way home from work.

Lotion

Lotion feels like a weird gift sometimes because, arguably, it is a toiletry product and you probably wouldn’t buy someone toothpaste or hairspray for Valentine’s Day, or at least you should definitely not do that.

However… lotion is a little different in that it suggests that you want the person you’re gifting it to to feel pampered.

While this is something that a woman would not normally buy for a guy, it is something a guy might consider buying for his wife or girlfriend.

Fellas, if you add a bottle of vanilla scented lotion to your gift of flowers and candy, maybe add that it’s so you can give her a foot rub because it shows that you prioritize her comfort. Also, much like candles, you can pick up a nice bottle of lotion from just about anywhere so it won’t be too hard to find.

Jewelry

This can be a tough one, because you have to consider the person you are buying for may not prefer certain types of jewelry.

You also don’t want to give the wrong impression, considering this is Valentine’s Day and the last thing you want to do is buy a ring for someone you’ve only dated for a few weeks. I think we all know how that is going to pan out…

Ladies, if you want to buy you man some kind of accessory, it’s tough to go wrong with a leather or braided bracelet. You can easily find them at stores like Macy’s and Kohl’s. Men, your best bet here is to go with a plain silver or gold earring. Hoops are usually a safe choice. A necklace with a heart pendant would also be a good option. You can find those at stores like Target or Kohl’s.

Electric blanket

This is the first really specific gift on our list, but it can have a huge impact.

Everyone gets cold, especially now that cold and rainy weather is lingering more around the country.

If your significant other is the kind of person who wears a sweatsuit to bed with three blankets, a comforter, and a space-heater on the nightstand (even though it’s terribly unsafe), then this just might also be a life-saving Valentine’s Day gift.

You can pick up a heating blanket at stores like Target and Walmart.

Perfume / Cologne

Much like buying jewelry, perfume can be a sensitive purchase since different scents work differently on people.

Some women love Chanel and yet others can’t stand it. Not that there’s anything wrong with that, per say, because everyone is entitled to their opinion even if it is the wrong opinion.

While you probably should avoid this one altogether if you’ve only been with your partner for a short amount of time, if you are someone who has an established relationship this could be a great option.

Take a glance at what your lady likes to wear and pick her up another bottle of it. Most perfumes are easy to find. Check out stores like Ulta, Belk, and Kohl’s.

Men are generally less picky about what cologne they were, and are usually happy smelling like whatever their partner enjoys. You could stop by any department store and check out a few scents to see what you like and pick up a bottle as a gift.

Gift cards

Gift cards can be a risky option because you don’t want to come across as if you weren’t really thinking about the person you gift it to, but some people are just tough to shop for.

This is one that would likely go over fine if you make sure to include some flowers, candy, and card with a personal message.

Ultimately, everyone loves gift cards, even if they aren’t considered “romantic.”

They are also an easy gift to pick up since you can get them anywhere you buy greeting cards.

Hit up Target or Walmart and put together a nice Valentine’s Day gift set that is rounded out with a Visa or Xbox Live membership gift card.

Concert Tickets

Concert tickets probably don’t seem like a very romantic thing to give someone on Valentine’s Day, but its sentiment is really all in the eye of the beholder.

If someone cares about you enough to get you tickets to see Maroon 5, knowing that you love them, and it committing to go to that concert with you which probably isn’t coming up for at least another few months, that seems pretty thoughtful.

Plus, concert tickets are very easy to purchase and gift. You can hop on Ticketmaster, Live Nation, or TicketFly and browse upcoming concerts in your area, buy the tickets, then pick up a card and write inside, “Happy Valentine’s day! We’re going to see Slayer!”

Obviously you don’t HAVE to see Slayer specifically, but they are touring later this year, as is the aforementioned Maroon 5, and Bruno Mars with Cardi B. So, you know, lots of options there for you and your favorite person to listen to music with.

Makeup

This slide is mostly aimed at guys who would never of think of this as an option.

Makeup is something that, overwhelmingly, women are going to buy for themselves, but… it doesn’t have to be that way.

If you have a chance to take a look at the eye shadow pallets your girlfriend/wife has on her vanity (they’re most likely square or rectangular) you can Google-search the brand and then look around their website for gift ideas.

If that’s not an option, it is generally fail-proof to go with something from Kylie Cosmetics or KKW Beauty.

Sure, you’ll have to wait for it to be delivered, but you will get major Valentine’s Day points for thinking outside your wheelhouse.

Netflix

Oh yes, you can now give Netflix as a gift and, frankly, anyone who wouldn’t love that clearly has their priorities out of whack.

You can pick up a Netflix gift card just about anywhere you can pick up other gift cards and the user can add the promo code to their account which will forgo their monthly cost for however many months the card was preloaded with.

If that isn’t love then nothing is.

Plus, you’re giving the gift of Stranger Things, Orange is the New Black, Fuller House, Daredevil, and Grace and Frankie, among countless other incredible series and movies.

Amazon Prime Now

All right, so you can’t GIVE Amazon Prime Now as a Valentine’s Day gift (unless you’re Jeff Bezos), but the service does offer a lot of last minute gifts that you can have delivered right to your door.

Many of the items we’ve mentioned already are available there, such as lotion gift sets, candles, and jewelry.

They also offer everything from Bluetooth speakers to affordable Echo Dot devices. Pull up the Amazon Prime Now website and see what last minute gifts are available in your area so that you don’t lose your Valentine.