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The Best Men's Grooming Gifts to Buy This Christmas
Not all CBD-infused beard oils are created equal
Oh, thanks: another unpronounceable deodorant set from the bottom shelf of TK Maxx. It doesn't look particularly safe, nor will it likely come out of the plastic. Because, despite the good intention, the second word of 'stocking filler' seems underlined with these such gifts. Everybody wants more to unwrap. They don't want a pine-scented Christmas themed moisturiser.
That's not to say all grooming gifts are off the table. We need a solid rotation on Christmas Day, and every other day. But it's about quality, not quantity, and sure enough, you can get good lotions, serums and all the bits that fall in-between. Some won't break the bank either. What's more, we want it. The good stuff, that is, not a bumper gift set of unknown name and origin.
Don't just get him any old grooming gifts for Christmas. Get him one of these, instead.
Triumph & Disaster
Normal soap does too much of a good job on your face: it'll get rid of all the nice stuff too. That makes a cleanser essential. It is gentler, kinder and designed to boost natural oils, as opposed to leaching them entirely – especially when it's Triumph & Disaster's blend of peppermint oil and willow bark extract.
Ritual Face Cleanser, £20, triumphanddisasteruk.com
Horace
Beard oil isn't an add-on if you actually have a beard. That skin, covered by a lustrous, viking beard, is slowly dehydrating under said lustrous, viking beard, and Horace's remedy – a natural mix based on nourishing Jamaican black castor oil – will keep things well-watered.
Natural Beard Oil, £10, horace.co/en
Heist of London
Borrowing your significant other's hair dryer is fine, but know that it's specially built for your significant other's hair. Heist of London has engineered a bit of kit that's for guys and guys only with a smaller concentrator to mould shorter styles into shape.
Men's Hair Dryer, £89, heistof.london.com
Heath London
One whole year of coronavirus; two very dry hands. 42 daily applications of alcohol-based sanitiser will do that, and Heath London's non-greasy, shea butter hand salve counter that.
Hand Salve, £10, heathlondon.co.uk
UpCircle
Sunday nights are for hangovers and face masks – and UpCircle's vegan, natural, cruelty-free options are some of the best. They'll probably rid your usual dread of some guilt too, and the restorative effects of white kaolin clay, coconut powder and baobab oil will be written all over your face come Monday morning.
Clarifying Face Mask, £18.99, upcirclebeauty.com
Vitruvian Man
It's a cut above the usual price tags, but Vitruvian Man's Supreme Eye Cream does exactly what it says on the very unassuming tin: it uses a premium formula of paracress extract (also known as 'botanical botox') to unload the grocery bags your eyes have been lumbered with for most of 2020.
Supreme Eye Cream, £63, vitruvian-man.com
Le Labo
It's still mild, but when winter comes, it'll show off big time. So your lips, often neglected in usual grooming rotations, will take a battering from the reduction in air moisture and colder winds. Le Labo's colourless lip balm is the most effective (and most inconspicuous) protection you can gift.
Colourless Lip Balm, £11, mrporter.com
Acqua di Parma
For a face scrub that smells like your cancelled holiday to Sorrento, try Acqua di Parma. It's loaded with natural pumice, packed with rosemary scents and guaranteed to give you the glowy finish of a young Milanese manufacturing tycoon.
Pumice Face Scrub, £30, acquadiparma.com
The Ordinary
Now we're getting into the granular stuff. Hyaluronic acid – a molecule that holds water, and thus plumps out those fine lines – is becoming an increasingly popular anti-aging choice, and with The Ordinary, you've a no-frills, no-fuss, no-financial burden option to be used every single day.
Hyaluronic Acid, £6.20, lookfantastic.com
Aesop
Aesop's the sort of brand that'll impress visitors who nip to the loo. It'll impress you as well because Aesop continues to operate at the peak of men's grooming using natural ingredients that smell great, and will leave you feeling even greater. Go for the Citrus Melange body wash for a long-lasting aroma.
Citrus Melange Body Wash, £33, johnlewis.com
Sachajuan
You're struggling, but that doesn't matter! Sachajuan formulates shampoo to specific hair types, and Ocean Mist will create a bit of a volume and a lot of nice, clean smells. Every guy wants those things.
Colourless Ocean Mist Shampoo, £18, mrporter.com
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