Women want pampering, jewelry

By Tatiana Zarnowski, November 27, 2004

Last updated: Saturday, November 27, 2004 10:23 AM EST

The latest gadgets aside, what Lisa Butler of Hampden Township really wants for Christmas is a chance to relax.

"I want a long, luxurious bubble bath/massage combo with a light but fulfilling dinner afterward," says the 36-year-old mother. Then she would like to get dressed up and go dancing.

But Butler says she'll probably get socks instead.

A pamper session is also on the holiday short list for Toni Berger of Carlisle, who says she usually doesn't specify what she wants for gifts. But this year, she asked for a reflexology session and a pedicure, two "extras" she enjoys but don't fit in her budget. "When you get to be my age, you like those little things," says Berger, 54.

Certificates work

Some women are likely to get gift certificates to stores or restaurants or for a day spa splurge this Christmas.

Laurie Kuenzie, front end manager of VIP Hair Studio and Day Spa in Carlisle, says people buying gift certificates for holiday gifts bring various requests to the studio.

Some want a massage, while others opt for a manicure, pedicure or makeup application. "They do tend to want to indulge themselves in the spa services and the facials."

Massages cost $10 and up and the hot stone treatment is popular this time of year among women, Kuenzie says. Facials also are popular in winter. "A lot of people get redness in the face over this time of year," she says.

People who want to give women something besides a gift certificate may turn to jewelry, health products or electronics, retailers say.

But husbands, fiances and boyfriends can't go wrong with gold and diamonds -- or, for that matter, silver and cubic zirconium.

"Circle jewelry" is expected to be hot this year, says Bill Bailey, owner of Bailey's Diamond Center in Carlisle. Intertwined circles hanging from necklaces or earrings appear in every jewelry magazine Bailey sees this season, he says. The jewelry goes for between $50 and $200.

"If you had the Olympic sign and held it up by one of the ends," that's the idea behind circle jewelry, Bailey says.

Health-related items are expected to be popular for women at Radio Shack, says company spokeswoman Kristin Peaks.

Cool camera hot

Small digital cameras designed for women are also likely to be a hot item, says Peaks. The FlatFOTO 2 MP camera is "basically the size of a credit card."

Metallic blue and silver, "it's got a really cool look to it and it's perfect for women," who can just slip the tiny camera in their purses, Peaks says. It retails for $90.

Not all women want serious presents. Mindy Skelton of Upper Mifflin Township hopes for eight hours of laughs with a six-DVD collection from Warner Brothers featuring Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck cartoons from the 1930s and '40s. And she wants the "Lord of the Rings" movies.

"I'm such a geek when it comes to those movies," she says.