While beauty departments are stuffed, capon-like, with too many great present ideas, men are frequently sold short with faux vintage razor and bowl sets, or grooming products corralled incongruously into a mug. But in my experience men love a quality grooming gift, provided it’s not of the novelty variety (step away from the hilarious moustache care kits).
Clarins Men and Clinique For Men are reliable hits (the latter has a great-value sonic-cleansing gadget and three-step product set for £79 this year). But if you’ve been there, done that, do consider CO Bigelow, a solid, good-quality and traditionally packaged apothecary brand from New York. There are no duds, but Cold And Flu Soak (£22) and Chapped Hands Cleanser Soap Free (£16) are unusual and suitably special-looking.
Almost all men love Tom Ford’s Neroli Portofino, and I certainly agree with them; but in the same olfactory ballpark, and just as wonderful in its own way, is 4711, among the world’s oldest colognes and well over 100 quid cheaper at just £7.66. I love this, and am as happy to wear it myself as to sniff it on him indoors. That said, he’s hoping for Le Labo’s Santal 33, an admittedly gorgeous (and, at £115, extremely expensive) smoky, spicy, but not too macho scent that I can at least steal for myself.
For gadget lovers, the Philips OneBlade (£34.99) is excellent. It’s a razor/shaver hybrid that needs a new blade every four months and a battery recharge about once a week. It doesn’t shave as close as a blade, but is exceptionally gentle on sensitive skins, and close enough for men who don’t like to be as smooth as an egg (it also has trimming attachments for beards, ’taches and sideburns).
If he can’t be tempted to leave the basin, then Italian barbershop shaving cream Proraso (£5.95) usually goes down a storm. The old-fashioned metal tube looks great on the shelf, and men seem to love the rich, creamy formula. If your budget could stretch to it, you could pop it in a Herschel washbag (£25). Simple, nicely made and cool without being agonisingly so (a grandad would be as appreciative as a teen), these canvas travel pouches seem to sell out every Christmas, so do get a wiggle on if you’d like one.
