I have made my love of Christmas very clear on many occasions over my last 4 years of being a blogger, and for me, nothing screams "yes bloody yes, Santa's on his way, get those mince pies, milk and carrot sticks ready even though I'm 23 and not 3 years old" like a good old gift guide.
They're kinda just the perfect post. They allow you to spend days hours online searching for the most perfect present for Mum/Dad/Boyfriend etc. whilst also giving everyone else ideas for what to get said person when the chocolates/booze/slippers etc. no longer cut it. So today, not only do I have one of my all time favourite gift guides in the form of a gift guide for Men - god dammit, why men so hard to buy for? - I also have a very special guest in this post, my big brother (give him some love because he's the biggest babe of all time and definitely felt like such a muppet posing for this but was the best sport ever! [insert cry laughter/"soz bro, I owe you" emoji here]).
The first gift wasn't difficult to figure out because it's so darn good that it absolutely just speaks for itself. Said babe'in product? The Philips Beard Trimmer 7000. Now, I have many bugbears when it comes to men (lol, don't worry this isn't turning into some major feminist rant) but my biggest, by far, is finding little beard hairs all over my sink, toothpaste, floor, just everywhere. And this ladies, is mine - and yours because I know this is a lot of my friends bugbears too - complete and utter saviour because it has a built in vacuum that catches hair as you go - 90% of the hair actually [insert hallelujah emoji here] - giving guys a mess free trim, and girls a mess free sink. #ThankMeLater
It also features an advanced lift and trim system that raises hairs, then guides them to the double-sharpened stainless steel blades giving an even trim in just one go. They even sharpen their own blades by lightly brushing against each other during shaving. You can choose between 20 length settings ranging from 0.5 - 10mm and it's also super easy to clean. Basically, it's your guy/dad/brother/uncle/friend's, best friend (and also yours too because HEY CLEAN BATHROOM SINK!)
Now that the man in your life has his beard on fleek - *gags and punches self in face for using the phrase fleek* - it's time to get their skin in gear and after doing a little research (i.e asking some male bloggers opinions) the Loreal Men Expert Hydra energetic daily moisturiser seemed to be an out and out winner. The thing about men and skincare is that most of them just can't really be bothered, or they think it's girly and they're too macho - I'm aware that I'm massively generalising here. Sorry man pals - but men's skin needs just as much love and attention as ours, if not more if they're shaving etc. So the Loreal Men expert is a bit of a winner here because it's still kinda manly but does a really amazing job at moisturising and hydrating the skin. Spoiler secret that will definitely get me a few evils; both my brother and boyfriend love and use this daily. Just saying... So Christmas is the perfect time to gently nudge the males into skincare whilst not shoving it in their faces and saying "you need it sunshine".
Now you know that I take the crown for Jo Malone fangirl of the century but one thing I adore about the brand is that it's pretty much completely unisex. Nothing is targeted specifically for men or women, there are just a lot of scents that are a lot more masculine and would work perfect for them. My favourite "omg you smell so good and I love it so now I'm wearing it too and lols, matching smelling couple alert" is Jo Malone Oud and Bergamot. I first discovered it when I went for my bridal scent consultation and Dan picked it out for his scent and I have adored it ever since. So basically, it's kinda a "to you and me, from me" gift but hey, they're the best ones right ;)
Now, I'm not a fit person, so when I first received a Fitbit myself, it kinda felt like the best present ever because it motivated me to actually move more (you know, 3 more extra walks to the kitchen and back). I was also chatting to a annoyingly super duper fit and effortless friend of mine the other day and it's one of her favourite gadgety pieces too. So I really do think that whether the man in your life is fit or, well, not, it's such an awesome gift and one that they'll definitely appreciate and find really useful.
Unless they think you're getting it because their unfit and need to move more. Then that's a bit awks. Soz in advance. Lol.
A belt, I know what you're thinking "and the award for the lamest present known to man goes to the unorigin'elle next door" but it's one of those essentials that we all need and use but if you're like me, hate buying. A trusty, well made, leather belt will be something they use constantly and will last them forever too. Plus, belts for me are a little like shoes, it's one of the things I notice straight away and if it ain't nice, it ain't happening. This one is a classic brown and silver belt from Marks and Spencer and goes with everything.
Let's talk shoes. I've already mentioned how important shoes are for first impressions - and before you christen me a shallow sally, I think you'd be surprised how many girls feel the same - but the thing is, every man's style is different. I honestly think a classic chelsea boot, desert boot etc. can never do you wrong but I went for a pair of boat shoes in this post as it's much more my brother's style. And that's the thing about these posts, their meant for inspiration, not to tell you what to buy. These boat shoes from Sperry, I absolutely love because they're so well made, they look really smart and chic and are apparently super comfortable too. A winner in my eyes!
There's not too much to say about this scarf other than it's an absolute classic, an absolute necessity in winter and nobody does scarves like Barbour. Perfect winter colours and stylish to boot, it's the piece that tops off an outfit and always adds that little somethin somethin. Plus, let's be honest, we all know we're going to steal it off them at some point or the other #whatsyoursismine.
And that brings me to the end of this year's Gift guide for men. I've absolutely loved putting this together because apart from the obvious classics, there are some pieces that I absolutely couldn't recommend enough (err, hello Philips Beard trimmer that saves your bathroom looking like a forest). As always, I would love to know what you are planning to buy for the men in your life? Does the beard trimmer sound like the best thing ever to you too? I love hearing your thoughts :)
P.S a big thanks to David Gandy my big bro James for being a part of this, I'm sure the modelling contracts will come rolling through soon [insert cry laughter emoji here].
As always, thanks so much for reading!
xx
This post is sponsored by Philips but all thoughts, photos and love of finding the perfect presents, my own.
Labels: Lifestyle
