One of the smoothest ways to start a hookup date (or any first date) is by giving the girl you’re seeing a little gift. We’ve talked about what gifts are too small and too large, but yes, there are some gifts that are just right. You don’t even have to be rich to pull off these gifts, although having a little money certainly helps in the dating scene. Here are some of our favorite gifts for a hookup date that are just the right size:

Flowers

“Flowers make an excellent gift for the first date”

Yes, flowers. They’re boring, and they’ve been done a million times – but they work. The catch here that most men miss is that you don’t want to give a big bouquet of cut flowers. You want to bring her a little pot with a live flower inside – orchids are fantastic for this kind of thing, but make sure you get a low-maintenance one. Cut flowers may be beautiful, but they’re also hard to maintain. You’re basically saying, “Here’s something pretty. Now go find a vase and put it in water.” It’s also a lot easier to find a good place to put a potted plant that won’t clash with someone’s décor. Even better (although you might not want to hear it), she’ll be happier to get something that she can re-gift instead of just throwing away if the date goes sour. Either way, a live flower is the way to go.

High-End Candy

Do not bring your date a pack of Reese’s Pieces. However, getting her chocolate or other sweets definitely isn’t out of the question. Get her something nice like a high-end chocolate bar with ginger or hazelnuts or something in it, and that’s a nice little gift. Make sure she’s not allergic to certain foods – asking before you go to a restaurant whether she has a food allergy is always a good idea, and should let you know what you can and can’t get her for that first little gift. Other high-end candies that you can get her include covered almonds or raisins, or anything that you can buy in a clear bag with a ribbon tied around the top.

Bath and Body Products

“Give her some personal hygiene products”

The only bath and beauty products that won’t work are soap, and even those can be a great gift as long as they’re nice soaps. Here’s a great idea, though: find a shop on Etsy that makes something special like whipped body butter or something that sounds exotic. Send a message to the owner asking if they’ll do a bulk discount or give you free bulk shipping. Buy like 20 jars (or bars or containers) of the stuff, and keep it in your closet. Now you have 20 great first date gifts that you don’t have to worry about, and bath and body products rarely go bad except in extreme heat. This is a stress-free way to make sure you’re always starting a date off on the right foot with just about any woman.