It’s that time of year again, when we wind down work, gear up for the holidays and start making and crossing items off our gift-giving lists. To help you plan yours, we’ve pulled together eight of our favourite grooming gifting ideas—all are ideal for the men in your life. Heck, they’re even great for you, after all, you may as well feel and look your best for the festive season too. So treat yourself or wrap them up for the ones you love, with these present-perfect products you can’t go wrong.
For: The bearded gent
Boston King C. Gillette Beard Trimmer Kit: 1 Timmer, 3 Combs, 1 Brush and 1 Pouch
(From $59.49, available online at www.amazon.ca)
The Boston King C. Gillette Beard Trimmer Kit will have him covered courtesy of its cordless trimmer. With three interchangeable combs, he can trim, shave and sculpt his facial hair according to his stylish taste. And with its handy dandy pouch, he can also pack this trimming kit to go and take wherever he needs to be. Depending on your relationship, you will also appreciate each style, as up close and personal as you desire.
For: The handyman
Weleda Skin Food Hand Mask Experience Limited Edition Holiday Set
($22.99, available online at www.well.ca)
Perfect for the guy in your life who works with his hands, this TLC-infused hand-care kit may be small but it packs a mighty punch. Loaded with do-good natural ingredients such as water, sweet almond oil, beeswax, rosemary, chamomile and calendula flower extracts and glycerine, Weleda’s Skin Food hand lotion/mask hydrates cuticles, repairs cracked fingers and nourishes dry skin. Weather-worn and chapped hands will appreciate the extra infusion of moisture the kit’s ultra-soft, 100 per cent cotton gloves can give when worn overnight after a applying a dime-sized dollop to the skin.
For: The clock-watcher
MadeMan The Re(Set) Collection: The Refresher and The Resetter
($84.99 subscription; $99.99 one-time purchase, available online at www.getmademan.com)
Maybe it’s your dad, brother, BFF, SO or maybe it’s you, but this guy is so busy he doesn’t have time to take care of his facial skin. This is where your expert gift-giving comes in. With MadeMan’s The Re(Set) Collection consisting of an all-in-one moisturizer, The Refresher, and a two-in-one shaving cream/face wash, The ReSetter, making face time has never been easier. Crafted from chicory root, castor seed oil, vitamin C and Indian ginseng extract, the moisturizer hydrates, brightens and balances the skin, while preventing acne and protecting skin cells from the blue lights emanating from your smart phone and electronic screens. The shaving cream/face wash contains glycerin-infused coconut oil, quilaja soap bark extract and sunflower seed oil to cleanse and purify skin without stripping it of its natural oils and can act as a protective barrier when shaving.
For: The sports fan
Gillette Labs With Exfoliating Bar: 1 Razor, 2 Cartridges and 1 Razor Stand
(From $34.99, available at Shoppers Drug Mart)
For all the B-ball Raptors fan in your life, Gillette Lab’s game-face making shave kit is the gift to give. For starters it is the official razor of the Toronto Raptors. That’s right. O.G. Anunoby and Fred VanVleet use it too. Plus, as the name on the box suggests, it isn’t just any razor. Rather, it’s one with an exfoliating bar to ensure each and every shave is not only comfortably achieved, but one that simultaneously and gently exfoliates dead skin cells along with removing unwanted facial hair. Then, there’s the two extra cartridges, plus a razor stand—all to minimize waste and maximize organization. But maybe the best part of all is that he can use it on game day and feel like a real player.
For: The bad boy
Carolina Herrera Bad Boy Fantasy EDT Limited Collector Edition
($132 for 100 ml, available at Hudson’s Bay)
This one is for the man whose name is definitely noted on your official naughty list. But since everyone loves a bad boy, gifting him with Carolina Herrera’s limited collector edition of Bad Boy Fantasy Eau de Toilette is only fitting. And it smells sinfully good to boot. Sensual and sophisticated, the fragrance is a blend of tart grapefruit with hot, white pepper swirled into notes of crisp green vetiver and soothing clary sage before being absorbed into a pool of warm tonka beans and decadent cocoa. The overall effect is confident, pleasing and more than a little mysterious.
For: The music man
JBL CLIP 4 Ultra-portable Waterproof Speaker
($99, available at Shoppers Drug Mart)
If he loves singing in the shower, then he needs JBL’s CLIP 4 Ultra-portable Waterproof Speaker. Compact and cool looking, the small speaker can be easily clipped onto a shower head, towel rack, shower rod and door handle, making listening to favourite bands, ’80s hits, soft rock and everything in between easy peasey, all while sudsing up in the shower. Like the name suggests the waterproof, Bluetooth-powered sound system is ideal for bathroom time. Plus, your music man can take his tunes with him for ten hours of play time, as the lightweight speaker is so portable it can be attached to the strap of a gym bag, belt buckle or backpack.
For: The mane man
Phyto Paris Novathrix Gift Set: Fortifying Energizing Shampoo and 3 Treatment Serums
($100, available at Shoppers Drug Mart)
Give him the gift of better hair days with this clinically tested hair-loss starter kit. The Fortifying Energizing Shampoo is gentle enough to use daily and paired with three Treatment serums for him to use three times a week for three months. All combined, this gift is sure to empower your mane man and fuel him with confidence. The products’ 99 per cent botanical formulations are also key, as they work double time to protect hair follicles, while stimulating new growth to diminish hair loss and increase hair density, thickness and strength. Additionally, the Parisian-made formulas are sulfate, paraben, phenoxyethanol, silicone, alcohol and cruelty-free, so equally good for him and for the planet.
For: The sleepless
I Love Cosmetics Wellness Sleep Bath Soak and Bath Salts
($9.99 and $13.99 each, respectively, available at Shoppers Drug Mart)
Know someone who counts endless numbers of sheep at night? This dreamy bath soak and bath salts duo can help him drift off into la-la-land just a little quicker—all to get a coveted eight hours of shut-eye to best enjoy the holiday season. While both products are fuelled with pure lavender and chamomile essential oils to kick-start the relaxation process, the Bath Soak is formulated with skin soothing and moisturizing aloe vera, and the Bath Salts include mineral rich seas salt to help release tension.
