Our story
A one-person gift shop that started with a pair of socks
Face Gift began in Huddersfield in 2022 selling one thing: socks printed with somebody's face. 4 years on there are 261 personalised gifts across 23 kinds of product — and it is still run by one person.
- Started
- 2022
- Based in
- Huddersfield
- People running it
- Just 1
- First product
- Face socks
Since 2022
From socks to 23 kinds of gift
Face Gift was built to do one thing well: let you upload a photo, see exactly what your gift will look like, and have it made and posted to you. Here is how it got from one pair of socks to today.
-
2022
It starts with socks
Face Gift opens in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, as a trading name of JRT Innovations Limited. There is one product: personalised face socks, with a face or a pet printed all over them. James builds the website, the photo cropper and the checkout himself.
-
2023
Cushions, then mugs, t-shirts and more
In the spring the second product arrives: face cushions. The shop is rebuilt so every new kind of gift can share the same personalise-and-preview steps, and over the following months face mugs, t-shirts, blankets and keyrings join them.
-
2024
Specialist print partners
Printing moves to a network of specialist print partners, so each gift is made by people who make that one thing every day. Mugs, socks, t-shirts, blankets and keyrings all move over that summer and autumn.
-
2025
Downloads, and lessons from a busy Christmas
Digital artwork downloads are added for people who want to print their design at home. After a hectic Christmas, James sets up a check that runs every morning to make sure every paid order has reached its maker, so nothing can slip through unnoticed.
-
2026
The biggest year for new gifts so far
Framed and poster prints, canvases, water bottles, tumblers, mugs with a coloured handle, embroidered caps and beanies, and tote bags all join the range. A programme for creators and affiliates launches, and the website now shows a live preview of almost every gift before you buy it.
The founder
Meet James Taylor
James grew up in West Yorkshire and studied at the University of Huddersfield from 2011 to 2015, graduating with a first-class honours degree in Interactive Multimedia. While at university he worked at Buckingham Palace, where in 2014 he built a royal website in WordPress.
He spent the years after that building software as a web developer, and became a certified Laravel developer in 2019 — Laravel is the framework Face Gift runs on. He started Face Gift in 2022, and he still builds every part of the website himself: the photo cropper, the live previews, the basket and the checkout.
Because the business is just him, the person who designed your gift, wrote its page and checked that it reached the printer is the same person who replies when you get in touch.
Face Gift isn't James's only shop. He also runs Mirrors Direct, which sells ready-made and bespoke mirrors online.
- First-class honours degree in Interactive Multimedia, University of Huddersfield (2011–2015)
- Founder and director of JRT Innovations Limited, running Face Gift since 2022
- Built a royal website while working at Buckingham Palace (2014)
- Certified Laravel developer (2019) and CompTIA Network+ certified
- Has personally handled the customer service for every order since the first pair of socks
- Writes our personalised gift guides
What James works on day to day:
- Personalised gifts
- Print on demand
- Dye-sublimation printing
- Direct-to-garment printing
- Photo editing and cropping for print
- Web development
- Laravel
- E-commerce
- Customer service
Find James online:
How it works today
Still one person, with a little help from the printers
Face Gift has no office full of staff and no call centre. It is James, a laptop and a small group of print partners who make and post each gift. Here is who does what.
What James does
- Designs the gifts and writes the words on every page, including the gift guides
- Builds and looks after the website, including the live previews
- Checks that every order has been sent to be made
- Reads and answers every customer message himself
What our print partners do
- Print, stitch or press your design onto the gift
- Pack it carefully and hand it to the courier
- Send tracking details as soon as it is on its way
- Some are in the UK and some are overseas, including China
Every gift is made to order, so nothing is printed until you buy it. Gifts made overseas can take longer to reach you, so check the estimated delivery date before you order.
Customer service
If something goes wrong, you'll talk to James
Every email and contact form message is read and answered by James Taylor — not a chatbot and not an outsourced help desk. If a gift arrives damaged, a parcel goes missing or a print isn't what you expected, he'll look into it and put it right.
It shows in the reviews: 42 of the written reviews customers have left us talk about the service or the communication, not just the gift.
When things went wrong, in customers' own words
“Brilliant company to purchase from. Even when the courier (Evri) lost my original order, I contacted the seller and they very kindly replaced my order. They kept in communication with me right up until my order arrived. Would have no hesitation in ordering from them again in the future. Item was also well packaged on arrival and im more than happy with my mug with my little furbaby on it ❤️”
“My mug didn't arrive in spite of Evri stating they had received it. I emailed this amazing company and they answered immediately saying they would contact courier. Next day said they had been unable to contact them so would dispatch another mug to me which they did and I received it two days later. Can't ask for a better service than that. The mug is exactly what I wanted.”
“I was pleased with the service I received from facegift. I got prompt service after receiving a damaged mug and they sent me a replacement mug right away. Thankyou Alison x”
What to do if there's a problem with your order
- Use our contact form and add your order number.
- If something arrived damaged, attach a photo so James can sort it straight away.
- If your parcel is lost in the post, we'll send a replacement. How delivery works
What you can count on
Our promises
See it before you pay
Almost every gift shows a live preview of your own photo and words before it goes in the basket.
Lost in the post? We'll replace it
If a parcel goes missing we chase the courier and send a new one. How delivery works
Damaged or faulty? We'll put it right
Send a photo through our contact form and we'll send a replacement or a refund.
30 days to change your mind
Not happy with your order? You can return it within 30 days of delivery for a refund. Read our terms
Secure payment
Payments, including Apple Pay, are handled by Stripe, so your card details never reach us.
Your details stay yours
We only use them to make and deliver your order, and you can ask us to delete them. Privacy policy
Good questions
Questions people ask about Face Gift
Is Face Gift a real company?
Yes. Face Gift is the trading name of JRT Innovations Limited, a private limited company registered in England and Wales (company number 11979688, VAT number GB 482177082). You can look the company up on Companies House and read what customers say on Google and Trustpilot.
Who owns Face Gift?
James Taylor founded Face Gift in 2022 and owns and runs it. He is the director of JRT Innovations Limited, the company behind it, and the only person who works on the business.
Where is Face Gift based?
Face Gift is run from Huddersfield, West Yorkshire. The company's registered office is 71-75 Shelton Street, Covent Garden, London, WC2H 9JQ, which is a registered address rather than a shop, so please get in touch before posting anything to it.
Where are Face Gift's gifts made?
Every gift is made to order by a specialist print partner. Some partners are in the UK and some are overseas, including China, Germany and the United States. Gifts made overseas take longer to arrive, so check the estimated delivery date on the product page before you order.
How long does Face Gift take to deliver?
Every gift is made to order, so it depends on what you choose: despatch usually takes between 1 and 12 working days, then the courier delivers it. Each product page shows an estimated delivery date before you buy.
How do I contact Face Gift?
Use the contact form on the website or email [email protected]. Every message is read and answered by James Taylor himself, not a chatbot or an outsourced help desk. If it is about an order, include your order number.
What is Face Gift's returns policy?
If you are not happy with your order you can return it, unused, within 30 days of delivery for a refund. Please get in touch before sending anything back. If a gift arrives damaged or faulty, send a photo through the contact form and you will be sent a replacement or helped through a return. Because every gift is made to your design, an order cannot be changed once it is paid for, so check the photo and spelling first.
What happens if my Face Gift order is lost in the post?
If a parcel goes missing in the post, Face Gift chases the courier and sends you a replacement, as long as the delivery address was entered correctly.
Can I see my gift before I pay?
Yes. Almost every gift shows a live preview made from your own photo and words before it goes in the basket, so you can check the crop and the spelling first.
Is it safe to pay on Face Gift?
Payments, including Apple Pay, are taken by Stripe, so your card details are never seen or stored by Face Gift.
What are Face Gift's reviews like?
Customers have left 130 reviews on the site, averaging 5.0 out of 5, and Face Gift is rated Excellent on Trustpilot. You can read the reviews on Google and Trustpilot yourself.
Are Face Gift, FaceGift and facegift.co.uk the same shop?
Yes. Face Gift, FaceGift, Facegift (as Trustpilot lists it) and facegift.co.uk are all the same business, run by James Taylor and trading as JRT Innovations Limited.
When did Face Gift start?
Face Gift started trading in 2022 with one product, personalised face socks. The company behind it, JRT Innovations Limited, was incorporated on 3 May 2019.
The company
Company details
Face Gift is a trading name of JRT Innovations Limited, a private limited company registered in England and Wales. James Taylor is its founder and director.
- Trading name
- Face Gift (facegift.co.uk)
- Also trades as
- Mirrors Direct (mirrorsdirect.co.uk)
- Company
- JRT Innovations Limited (jrtinnovations.co.uk)
- Company number
- 11979688 (registered in England and Wales)
- Incorporated
- 3 May 2019, as Cashback Today Limited. Renamed JRT Innovations Limited in February 2023, after Face Gift started trading.
- Nature of business
-
Retail sale via mail order houses or via the internet (SIC 47910)
Business and domestic software development (SIC 62012)
Web portals (SIC 63120) - VAT number
- GB 482177082
- Registered office
- 71-75 Shelton Street, Covent Garden, London, WC2H 9JQ
- Run from
- Huddersfield, West Yorkshire
- Director
- James Taylor
- Get in touch
- Contact form or [email protected]
Check us out for yourself
Our company record, our reviews and our social accounts, all in one place: