Men are most definitely the harder sex to buy for, no question. A women will hint from as far back as June as to what she would like for Christmas, 'ohhh, I like that ring, its so Christmasy!' So keep your ears peeled, lads I know walking and talking is hard but you actually have to listen to her once in a while to know what to buy her.....

Now gents are a bit harder, although we do love the mountain of socks we have acquired over the years sometimes we do like something a bit nicer and a bit more special.

So wives, girlfriends, sisters and cousins listen up because here are a few ideas for your man depending on his personalty.

These are some gifts I got last year that I loved and some I picked up throughout the year that may just be a good stocking filler.

The 'I love myself' Guy

There is one in every family. That one brother or cousin who thinks he is god's gift to earth and that he should have been the one lying in that manger many years ago. But he isn't. So what do you get these guys? Easy beauty products. Men's grooming products have changed over the last couple of decades from just a wet shave and a splash of cold water. There are now treatments for men that pluck, trim and wax in areas that shouldn't be touched.

Here are a couple of my daily products that I use and a couple are running dry "erghhum", Mother.


Let's start top left.

Hair Product: I use Soho Fish Texturising cream. I like it because I can put it into my wet hair and let it dry itself causing my hair to have a nice back flow when scraped back and it doesn't dry so I can keep re-working it. It doesn't pompadour too much either but gives it just enough bounce to make my hair looks fresh and healthy. £4.99

Alternatives: American Crew, Fudge, Kevin Murphy, Aveda, My Natty Pomade

Aftershave: Aftershave is a crucial point of a man's outfit. If he smells bad or cheap it can be a real turn off. You shouldn't be afraid to splash out on a good bottle of aftershave. One normal bottle should last 6-8 months. Now I must admit this isn't actually my favourite aftershave this is my back up. I was using Bleu de Chanel until I ran out and came across this Hugo Boss The Boss and do really like it. It's a real winter aftershave with the woody, gingery spice sort of smell definitely worth buying BUT I have asked for more Blue de Chanel this year. £36-£68 (depending on ml)

Alternatives: Chanel, Tom Ford, Acqua Di Parma, Dior, Hemers, Aramis Classic, Ralph Lauren

Moisturiser/Face washes: Moisturisers are a very important product, so important in fact I use two. I use the BullDog (£3.50) as a night cream as it is made of 8 natural ingredients that stops my face drying out but doesn't make it oily. Bulldog is good for tough, irritative skin as they only use natural products that don't harm the skin. The Neutrogena cream   (£4.19) is used as my day to day cream as it's oil free and it smooths and hydrates my skin for the day. For in the shower and bath I swear by Liz Earles Clean and Polish. Made of Eucalyptus Oil and Rosemary, its a quick facial scrub that cleans away dirt and excess oil that can block pores. This stuff is magic. (£15.50)

Alternatives: Khiels, Molton Brown, Baxter of California, Clinique, Lab Series

The 'Stylish' Guy

This brother, cousin or father is by far the hardest to buy for because the product has to be just right. My advise is look at something he wears a lot and see if it's wearing thin, see if his watch strap is starting to look tatty or his wallet is falling apart. Does he only have a couple of belts and needs a few more to chop up some different looks?



The Wallet: A crucial accessory to any man as he needs to somewhere to keep the hard earned cash he is going to spend on you this year. At the moment card holders are all the rage due to the sleek design that older wallets don't have that used to result in a brick-like shape bulging from his pocket. Yeah, he ain't happy to see you, that's his Christmas shopping receipts making that bulge! Shown is a classic Mulberry Card holder that has a thin, sleek design to it with a 2 split card holder that can hold 4-6 cards and a space on the other side to carry a couple of notes. (£95)

Best wallets to buy at the moment are by: Mulberry, Aspinal, Commes De Garcon, Lotuff, Corter  

The Watch: I love a good watch, an outfit is not complete without one These are my two everyday watches, the brown Hugo Boss - I have worn the strap down to within an inch of its life - and the black one I bring out on more special occasions or nights out. Now some watches can be very expensive, especially dress watches but everyday wear watches and sports watches aren't so much. So if I were to pick the top 5 watches to buy this Christmas they would be : Larsson and Jennings, Shore, Daniel Wellington, Komono and Timex.

Now obviously if you do have the money or it is a special occasion then look at Omega, Rolex, Patek Philippe, Tag Heur, Hublot, Panerai Rodiomir but if you do buy one of these look at it as an investment and buy either a vintage or one that is expected to increase in value over the next decade or so.

Jewellery: This can be a hard department to buy for because some can, let's face it, look tacky. Unless you have a signet ring you are passing down, rings can be a sensitive area but I have found a bit of a loop hole. The one shown in the photo is actually a women's ring I wear on my pinky. I bought it from an online store called LVNDR that is run by fellow blogger Em Sheldon. She does some great jewellery so, boys, if you're reading check it out. If your man does wear rings, I found that women's rings are less heavy and brash, they are more subtle plus they are a little cheaper sometimes.

Jewellery to buy for men are mainly bracelets, rings and necklaces. The best stores to buy from are: Miansai, Thomas Sabo, Acne Studios, MKI, Le Gramme.

For the businessman or older gentleman a good old pair of cufflinks is always a good shout. Nothing brash maybe just some plain silver or gold ones like these from Kingsman.

Sunglasses: Maybe not the time of the year to be wearing them but they should all be on a nice little sale rack somewhere. Also for any skiers out there a pair is a must. I find sunglasses are like dogs, not just for Christmas but for life. I good pair will last forever and the right style will be timeless meaning you can wear them now or in 2020.

Best sunglasses to buy are: RayBan, Taylor and Morris, Carrera, Persol, Spitfire, Oliver Spence, Prada, Saint Laurent

The 'Sports' Guy