By Natalia, founder of Terréa · Updated October 2026
The short answer
A good Secret Santa gift is small, useful and pleasant to anyone, because you rarely know the person well. Something for the home works for almost everyone. At £12, a scented wardrobe card. At £18, Scented Ironing Water or Dish Calm. At £22, The Wardrobe Pair, two cards in two scents. At the top of a £25 budget, a 250 ml Home Fragrance Mist.
Secret Santa gifts under £25 at a glance
Under £15
£12
A scented card for a drawer or a rail, in Late Light or First Light.
For someone you barely know
Under £20
£18
250 ml fine mist, patchouli, sandalwood and rose.
For the colleague with the crisp shirts
Under £25
£22
Two scented cards: Late Light and First Light.
For when you cannot choose one scent
Up to £25
£25
A room and linen spray, First Light or Late Light.
For the desk that needs a lift
Prices as of October 2026. More small gifts in Sets and Gifts.
What makes a good Secret Santa gift?
Three things. It should suit someone whose taste you can only guess, it should be used rather than kept in a drawer, and it should look like a choice, not a grab from the till. Novelty gifts fail the second test by January. A good bottle or a scented card passes all three.
How much should you spend on Secret Santa?
Whatever the organiser sets, and no more. In UK offices the limit is usually somewhere between £10 and £25. Staying close to the limit matters more than going over it: a gift that is clearly more expensive than the rest can make the receiver feel awkward.
What do you buy for someone you do not know well?
Something neutral in scent and useful in any home. Of our two scents, First Light (citrus, cedar and vetiver) is the lighter, daytime choice and the safer one for a stranger. Late Light (bergamot, berries and amber, with vanilla) is warmer and suits the evening. If you cannot decide, The Wardrobe Pair gives both.
The gifts, one by one
£12: a Wardrobe Fragrance card
A single scented card to hang on the rail or lay flat in a drawer. It holds its scent for eight to twelve weeks, which carries it well into the new year.
£18: Scented Ironing Water
A fine mist for the cloth before pressing. It helps creases release with fewer passes of the iron, and the heat lifts patchouli, sandalwood and rose off warm cotton. It goes on the fabric, never into the iron.
£18: Dish Calm
Washing-up liquid in a 500 ml pump bottle handsome enough to leave by the sink. One pump in warm water, and the kitchen smells of patchouli, sandalwood and rose.
£22: The Wardrobe Pair
Two cards, one of each scent. Bought separately they are £24; together they are £22, which keeps you just under a £25 limit.
£25: a 250 ml Home Fragrance Mist
Two or three sprays into the room, or a light mist over cushions or curtains from arm's length. Right at the top of a £25 budget.
Christmas delivery
Order by Wednesday 16 December for UK Christmas delivery.
Questions people ask
What is a good unisex Secret Santa gift?
A home fragrance in a fresh, woody scent. First Light, with citrus, cedar and vetiver, is the one we would choose for anyone.
What is a good Secret Santa gift under £15?
A single Wardrobe Fragrance card at £12.
Is washing-up liquid a strange gift?
Not when the bottle is good enough to keep on show. It is the gift that gets used every day.
How long do scented wardrobe cards last?
Eight to twelve weeks each.
When should I order for Christmas?
Order by Wednesday 16 December for UK Christmas delivery. Office parties are often earlier, so allow for the date of yours.
