I am a sucker for a bit of cheek.
I mean, c’mon? I’m British. This is pretty much a given.
We are the nation that produced the Ministry of Silly Walks and regularly show our love through ‘banter’ (otherwise known as insulting the fuck out of each other).
I may be a Doctor, but I’m also about as mature as my plush toy selection (among which several of my cuddly bunnies and teddies come sporting cocks, just for good measure).
It’s because of this that I was nothing short of delighted when I found out that Love Layla existed…and that they have a Christmas card selection.
About Love Layla
Love Layla reached out to me asking if I might have an interest in their products, and I’m so glad they did, because the answer to that was a firm ‘Yes. Yes I am’.
For those unfamiliar with this company (as I was for, arguably, far too long), Love Layla is an adult novelty companies which specializes in high-grade gift-giving accessories, such as cards, wrapping paper, and balloons. They also offer bottles of wine, and calendars, among other things, offering various ways to show those you love that you care (while also telling them that they’re a bit of a twat).
It’s fair to say that not everyone with love Love Layla. Their sense of humor may be hit and miss, and just won’t land at all for those who avoid the ‘vulgar’, but where’s the fun in that?
Having browsed Love Layla’s incredibly responsive, and beautifully designed site, I was awed by the comprehensive nature of their collection, which covers everything from Birthdays, to baby showers, to coming out (and all that in between). Their delivery is free in the UK and my parcel arrived with incredibly speed (we’re talking the next day).
And, thankfully for us, Love Layla also does themed products for different times of year, such as Christmas.
The Love Layla Christmas Card Selection
Love Layla currently have 94 different Christmas Cards from you to choose from, meaning that (chances are) there’s probably at least one that you love in the collection.
What’s more, some of these cards are even cross-considering people – such as the poor sods who have their Birthday in Christmas (my unfortunate dad being one of them), dog lovers, cards for loved ones, or new mothers who are feeling the Christmas stress as well as the season’s greetings.
Given my mental health had enjoyed a roller coaster ride this year I’m personally partial to this card and, given how we’ve all been on an emotional roller coaster ride this year, I think we can all appreciate this one:
As I found myself scrolling through Love Layla’s Christmas selection, not only was I incredibly impressed by the smooth designs, the aesthetic simplicity, and the beauty and clarity of the selected fonts, but I also realized just how much I enjoyed the simple act of shopping with Love Layla.
Here is my usual experience of looking for Chirstmas cards:
-Wander in to a card shop and head to the front (because, let’s face it, the only good part about this process is that the cards are easy to find).
-Eye up the extensive crowds of people already in the section and logistically consider how I’m going to slide in to the aisle myself.
-Execute the shuffle and realize that the only reason I got in to the aisle was because I located the barren section, where all the cards are cheesy and uninspiring.
-Look awkwardly at the other cards (which inevitably means getting too close to other people’s personal bubbles and inadvertently making too much eye contact with strangers who are also doing the same).
-Say ‘excuse me’ and do the awkward shuffle again, butting in to other people’s line of sight to look at a particular card closer.
-Either decide to buy and then face the prospect of getting the many others I need (so rinse and repeat) or end up doing something cumbersome like having to shove the card back semi-presentably or accidentally tipping a bundle of pre-poorly wedged cards on the ground.
All-in-all, the process is a nightmare at the best of times, and I consider myself to be quite socially adept. I weep for those poor individuals among the population that are socially awkward, introverted, or have social anxiety. It’s just impossible!
Comparatively, being on Love Layla and doing my card shopping online felt amazing. Because the site is so responsive and visually appealing, I was able to just happily browse through the selection at my own pace, in a comfortable environment, and with everything I needed to know easily presented.
It was the dream.
Every part of the Love Layla process (browsing, ordering, delivery) is smooth and responsive, eliminating stress further, and I am so happy to see such a responsive and approachable site design.
But, of course, these cards aren’t cheap, and so quality does matter. This is where the cards Love Layla sent me come in handy.
As soon as my cards arrived, I knew that they were up-to-scratch. And not just up to scratch, but ‘next level’.
Each of the Love Layla envelopes is a beautiful shade of bright festive red and has a silver embossed Love Layla logo on it, adding a sense of luxury and high-quality that will let loved one’s know that you really did care about them (even if that envelope’s contents might playfully suggest otherwise).
The cards come wrapped in plastic, which isn’t going to make eco-warriors happy, but the rest of the packaging was cardboard and recyclable, so swings and roundabouts.
The cards are printed on a thick, sturdy card, and have a slight sheen to their printed design. The rest of the card is matte and the surface does feel lovely when handled, which I do think is important. This matte design also means that you can easily write inside this card with your pen of choice – so if you use a fountain pen then you won’t be left weeping, as with some glossy cards. The inside of these cards is typically blank, which means that you can choose to play on the card’s joke with your own wit if you’d like too (and there’s plenty of room to write).
Lastly, the envelope is thick enough that the card’s design doesn’t show through at any point, thus your Christmas punchline won’t be detected early. I do have to admit, thin envelopes is a bit of a bugbear of mine, so I’m glad Love Layla avoided this.
So, are there any real downsides to these cards?
I guess you could say that the price makes it so that you can’t really bulk buy them, but Love Layla does have an offer on to mitigate this aspect of their products. Besides, these are very clearly luxury cards, intended for a select few, not something you’ll be sending to every distant cousin-three-times-removed or your vast rota of mailmen.
Some of the jokes really won’t be appropriate for certain people too. As a vegan, I feel like any of the turkey one’s are a clear no-go for me but, perhaps more problematically on a personal level, are all the ones talking about getting fat, or not eating too much. Yes, I can see the humor but, for me, it would be in poor taste if I got one myself.
But, hey, think of Love Layla like the South Park of cards – they’re offending everyone but it’s all in jest and it’s just a case of whether or not that joke resonates with you. Knowing your family and friends will make the difference here, and if you’re a responsible and thoughtful person then Love Layla has cards that hit that sweet spot of ‘funny insult’ rather than ‘Darold, what the fuck?’
Final Thoughts
Overall, I am thoroughly impressed with the Love Layla Christmas Card Selection and Love Layla in general.
I was going to put together a few images of my favourite cards from their selection to show you but, truth be told, there were so many that it would have left no room for photos of the products I received. Plus the amount of tags I opened doing this crashed my browser, which says something.
Love Layla is going to be the Marmite of the gift giving world, but I tend to love them more than anything else, and find their cards to be a great offering without all the hassle of brick and mortar holiday shopping (because I am not about that life).
