If you look at your friend group or even your family members, you’d be sure to notice that you can assign a specific trait to each of them.
Based on these traits, certain gifts could cater to them better. So, in a more lighthearted article, we’ve thought up 11 likely traits that strongly resonate with each person in your life, and matched them to certain types of gifts.
We’ve highlighted gifts in the forms of products and services by our very own Malaysian startups, since supporting local is always a nice sentiment and probably more important than ever too.
1. For The Clumsy One
This person is always falling over or spilling stuff, yet is never prepared with plasters or tissues for their issues.
If you know someone like this, there’s a startup catering to them, called In Case Of, which sells practical prep kits to overcome unforeseen alamak moments.
It was started by Bay Pui Ling, who realised that most people usually never knew what they needed to prepare themselves.
Their most basic kit (RM49.90) contains an emergency pod for small accidents, along with 3 surgical masks, 3 pocket mask clip holders, 1 sanitiser spray, and 1 soap stick to be relevant with the times.
2. For The Gamer
7PM is a horror game which you can get on Steam for your friend. It features 3 kids living in a low-cost Malaysian apartment block, all illustrated in a very unique paper cutout style.
It was developed by a Indie Malaysian Game Developer called Cellar Vault, who won the Grand Jury Award at Level Up KL this year. 7PM only costs RM14.90, which is a steal for an award-winning game.
For those who enjoy board games more, you can get them this free to print, fan-made Pandemic: Hot Zone Malaysian version featuring the current pandemic we’re going through in our country.
It was created by Nazmi Najib and Hafiz Safie, who were inspired by their favourite Pandemic: Hot Zone series. This took them 6 months to complete.
3. For The Boba Enthusiast
This person can’t go a few days without getting boba, probably, and is always usually getting it with single-use plastics.
If you know a boba enthusiast like this, perhaps it’s time to get them a reusable boba tumbler to spare our landfills this Christmas.
OneCup was founded by Sam Loh to address the plastic waste problem that boba is contributing to Malaysia, and the inadequacies of mason jars that doesn’t have accurate typical boba measurements.
It costs RM59.90 per cup, but this also comes along with a steel straw, cleaner brush and drawstring bag. You can even get a monogrammed name on it at an extra cost.
4. For The Person Who Prefers Experiences Over Products
Gifts like a short tour of the city on a bike with FreeW or a cute picnic with Daily Sparks could be more meaningful for those who prefer experiences over products.
FreeW is a bike tour company run by women who will take customers around KL’s hotspots and more for a half or full-day tour. Your giftee can hop onto the back of the tour guide’s Harley or rent one from the company to visit popular hotspots for RM290-RM500.
Daily Sparks, on the other hand, is a picnic startup with all kinds of cute indoor and outdoor picnic sets to rent. Different picnic themes such as an English-style picnic or a Boho set will cost RM100-RM150, but there are some as low as RM 70 too.
5. For Those Who Love A Hint Of Luxury
This gift is something your atas friend or family member won’t be able to turn down: a month’s subscription (RM49.90) to a perfume-trying service with Scentses + Co.
They’re founded by Sadira and Sabreena, who wanted to let Malaysians try out designer fragrances like Dolce & Gabbana, Marc Jacobs, Versace, and more in an atomiser of 8ml.
The subscription lets the giftee pick 1 fragrance of their liking for the month without being committed to an entire bottle.
6. For The DIY-er
Gifts are fun when you can put them together, like OiLilin’s scented candles and Delectable by Su’s DIY cake kit.
You can get OiLilin’s candle DIY kit for RM29, and fun fact: they upcycle used cooking oil collected from halal-certified restaurants around the Klang Valley to be used in the candle-making.
Meanwhile, for a more edible DIY gift, Delectable by Su’s cake kit comes with easy instructions that let you make cupcakes, pancakes or even a mini cake with their ingredients for RM25.
7. For The Person Who Always OTs
Whether your giftee is a workaholic, someone with bad time management, or working under an irresponsible boss, regularly OT-ing isn’t something that’s unheard of in a group.
Simply telling them to stop or relax may not work, so we can help in another way: by making sure their OT is as comfy as possible, with the right seat for their body.
Alterseat is a startup founded by a 20-year-old in 2017 that hand-makes all their chairs.
Though ergonomic chairs may not work for everyone and can cost over RM1,000, Alterseat makes their chairs customisable for free with costs as low as RM199.90 and as high as RM799, depending on the design.
8. For The Pet Lover
If your giftee’s world only revolves around their pets, you might want to get them a gift for their pets instead.
You can buy homemade dog treats, cookies (both 500g) and meatloaves (800g) that cost RM30-RM50 from A Pet’s Journal, whose profits go completely to the welfare of their self-funded shelter for paralysed and blind dogs.
Should you want something fancier for them, you can get bespoke pet jewellery from Haiwan, a startup that sells pretty accessories (RM99 for a bejewelled collar) to up a pet’s fashion game.
9. For The Gym Rat
Keeping up with the gym life means stocking up on chicken breasts or salmon fillet meals. It’s a strict diet that sometimes gets tiring if you have to keep doing the cooking yourself.
You could ease this weight off your giftee’s shoulders by getting them cooked and vacuum-sealed chicken breast meals from TearNEat.
Their ready-to-eat chicken breasts come in 5 flavours so far:
- Signature Shoryu
- Chinese Herbs
- Sichuan Ma La
- Spicy Paprika
- BBQ
These can be tossed in boiled water, microwaved or pan-fried for a few minutes before consumption. 10 individual 100g packs will cost RM90.
Editor’s Note: Information in the above paragraphs have been edited to reflect greater factual accuracy.
10. For The Activist
When you know someone who’s much more invested in social issues than others, it’s wise to pick your gift accordingly so that you aren’t getting them a brand they don’t support.
Sea Bells is a social enterprise that lets you adopt a coral in a Pulau Tioman coral nursery for every shirt you buy.
These corals will be cared for by Harris, the founder, and his team. Their shirts cost RM100 and currently come in 3 designs.
Once you purchase it, you’ll get a coral certificate, a picture of your coral and updates from their social media of the nursery monthly.
11. For Those Who Find It Hard To Relax
If there’s someone you know who enjoys relaxing activities, you could get them a paint-by-number kit from MeTime or even a massage session in their own homes from Sentuh.
MeTime was founded by Summer Chong, who saw the demand by people who wanted to pick up painting as a hobby but couldn’t because they didn’t have the skills for it. A canvas can cost RM20-RM220, depending on the size.
Sentuh was founded by Ahmad and Ain, who wanted to bring the convenience of a spa session in the comfort of one’s own home, which you can book online.
Their services cost RM140-RM180 according to the different packages like aromatherapy or traditional full-body massages.
- You can read more listicles we’ve written about here.
Featured Image Credit: Fun N’ Taste