Christmas | Toys For The Boys

When it comes to gift options for guys, 2019 has delivered one of the best years yet. Whether the man in your life - brother, friend, husband, father, or lover - is into grooming, tech, fashion, or just plain fun, you'll be able to find something perfect for him this Christmas, trust me. Below are just a handful of my favourites...

For the men that like to maintain their mane, I recommend the Paul Mitchell Mr. Strong Holiday Gift Set (£21.49 treatyourskin.com). It features two of the brand's hero hair products, the Double Hitter® 2-In-1 Shampoo & Conditioner, that washes and conditions in one step, and the Reformer®, a pliable putty styler with a powerful hold that bulks up fine or thin hair to create a gritty texture and matte finish. It contains thickening ingredients to create fuller and healthier-looking hair, as well as powerful fixatives to lock any style in place.

For the bearded boys, you can't go wrong with the Braun Beard Trimmer BT3040 (£41.99 Boots). A perfect tool for facial styling, this trimmer comes with two comb attachments (0.5 to 20mm) and a precision dial that enables 39 length settings! Whether your man rocks stubble or a short, medium, or long beard, he'll be able to style his facial hair with precision. The box includes a free Gillette Fusion ProGlide razor with FlexBall technology to help tidy up the edges of beard contours (or let you shave the whole beard off if the styling goes tits-up). The device is easy to clean, has a lifetime of lasting power and sharp blades, and a built-in battery that is so good that a single charging session provides 60 minutes of use.

For the fragrance fans, I recommend the Le Couvent des Minimes Botanical Aqua Mysteri Duo (£40 lookfantastic.com). This scented set features the Aqua Mysteri Cologne (50ml) and Aqua Mysteri Soap (150g). Aqua Mysteri is an intoxicating fresh and floral fragrance that contains notes of grapefruit essence, orange blossom essence, almarose essence, and cedarwood essence. It is a long-lasting layered fragrance that has great projection and a unique scent that will amp up attention. Containing the same unique scent, the luxe botanical soap effectively lifts away dirt and impurities to leave skin feeling clean and refreshed.

Now every man loves booze, so a bottle of his favourite spirit will always be a winner! Palmers Gin (£28 masterofmalt.com) is an excellent choice. Created from an original 300 year old recipe, Palmers Gin contains seven carefully selected botanicals, each expertly weighed out by hand and placed in a specific order, along with water and British wheat spirit. This dry gin comprises of juniper berries, coriander seeds, cassia bark, liquorice root, angelica root, orris root, and grapefruit, which are left to infuse overnight before being gently warmed to allow the botanicals to release their essential oils. And what better way to serve a G&T than in a Dartington Crystal cut crystal glass. Hand-made at the Dartington Crystal factory in Devon, the new Limelight Cut Glass Highballs (£42 John Lewis) make for the perfect gift as they add serious finesse to any drinks cabinet. They feature polished vertical cuts at the base, reminiscent of the roaring twenties and, whether filled with cocktails, G&Ts or straight squash, they are guaranteed to serve a drink in style.

For the gadget guys, I recommend a dash cam. Nextbase - the UK’s top-selling and multi award-winning dash cam manufacturer, recently launched its newest entry-level camera, the 122 (£39.99 currys.co.uk). This new dash cam captures high quality footage (720p HD) that is filmed through a five layer glass lens and a 120° viewing angle. This footage can be used as evidence in an insurance claim or evidence of dangerous driving - giving your man a chance to play cop. The camera itself is super lightweight at 78g and boast a 2" screen. Impressively, it also features Intelligent Parking Mode that automatically records any bump or physical movement on the vehicle when left unattended. Pretty impressive, huh?

If the man in your life is prone to bad hangovers, you can't go wrong with 'The I'm So Hungover Cookbook' (£16.99 firebox.com). There is nothing worse than being seriously hungover and hungry and not knowing what you want to eat, let alone how you're going to cook it. Luckily this book has the answer - it is rammed with many mouthwatering recipes that require little effort for maximum reward. Some of the best recipes include Bacon Hash, Jager(meister) Schnitzel, Dank Breakfast Burrito, and Garlicky Tomato Tart.

For the boys who love getting lost in a good book, I recommend Spencer Brown’s hilarious debut novel, The Rebuilding of Tom Cooper (£7.99 amazon.co.uk). Tom Cooper's life has basically fallen apart. His wife has left, he's now a single dad, he’s stuck in an accountancy job he hates, and the grandparents aren't even around to offer much-needed support. This new novel is a heart-warming comedy about life, loss, love, and 21st century manhood, and it will go down well with just about anybody. For the men who love a thriller, The Hunting Party (£8.99 amazon.co.uk) could be a better option. The book focuses on a group of old university friends that spend New Year in a remote Scottish hunting lodge. It is the first time they have got together for years, however it doesn't take long for old tensions to resurface... and someone to end up dead. It is a chilling, unputdownable read that I can't recommend enough.

Finally, for the tech-lovers, gifting the new SanDisk iXpand™ Wireless Charger (£54.99 amazon.co.uk) won't go unappreciated. This handy device provides fast wireless charging for Qi™-compatible phones (including iPhones and Samsung) while automatically backing up full resolution photos and videos from your device. It is super simple to use - you just pop your phone on the device and leave it to charge, safe in the knowledge your photos are being backed up at the same time. The device also enables multiple backup profiles, allowing it to be shared with others. It is the gift that keeps on giving!