I know a thing or two about male grooming and I'd like to think I know what a man needs when it comes to choosing products. However, although I know what a guy needs, I don't know what a guy wants. So, with Father's Day fast approaching, I've handed my gift-selecting responsibilities to my fabulous GBF Doug, because no one knows how to select grooming gifts quite like a gay guy, trust me. So, if you are stressing over what to get your dad this Sunday, I suggest you check out Doug's picks below...
Patsy from Ab Fab famously declared, "You
can never have enough hats, coats or shoes". However, when it comes to men, the necessary
requirements are a little different. One of the most important things a man needs to master is his hair; luckily there are some great products out there to help him.
I love the Toni & Guy haircare range - one of my particular favourite products is the Messy Salt Spray 200ml (£7.49 Superdrug). Not only does it help provide great texture to the hair, it smells gorgeously of salty sea and beach holidays. Another hero in the range is the Styling Putty 75ml (£7.00 Boots), aka the perfect product for taming and shaping unruly hair! Like the Messy Salt Spray, the Styling Putty is a great gift if you're limited to a small budget; your dad will appreciate the hair help and you won't have to break the bank.
For the anti-ageing obsessed dad, I would recommend a good eye cream. Eyes are often the first feature to show signs of aging so, if your dad is rocking crows feet or big bags, he will appreciate a nourishing eye treatment. I’ve fallen for the Kiehl’s Facial Fuel Eye De-Puffer ($20.00 kiehls.com). You just have to roll this cooling agent under your eyes to instantly perk up those red, puffy and tired peepers!
If you have a generous budget for gifting this Father's Day, I really recommend a fragrance. I’ve recently discovered two incredible scents; Issey Miyake Nuit d’Issey and Liquid Imaginaires Fortis. Issey Miyake’s Nuit d’Issey 125ml (£59.50 theperfumeshop.com / $89.00 Sephora) is a hypnotic masculine scent, with a spicy-woody composition. It includes top notes of bergamot and grapefruit, middle notes of leather, black pepper and vetiver and base notes of tonka bean, patchouli and incense. I only got my hands on this fragrance a couple of weeks ago and it has already taken pride of place in my bathroom cabinet.
Liquid Imaginaires Fortis 100ml (£150.00 Selfridges / $210.00 Barneys) is a precious assembly of rare woods and spices - notes include saffron, gaiac wood, amyris, vetiver, sandalwood and vanilla. Only two pumps of this eaux de parfum is needed per use and its smokey, sweet scent lasts several hours. It is the most expensive gift on the list, however it's a real must-have for dads who deserve an extra special treat this year.