Christmas Gift Guide: What to Buy My Boyfriend

It can be a struggle to pick gifts for the boys in our life, so today's post is dedicated to sharing some gift ideas for your boyfriends and boy-friends. Everything comes in at a range of prices, so hopefully they'll be something for every budget. 

Men's Skincare and Bodycare from Beauty Crowd - RRP £4.99*, £15* & £16*

Beauty Crowd is a website that stocks new and upcoming beauty brands that you might not find on other websites. They have a whole host of gorgeous products suitable for the men in your life. I've chosen three of my top picks from their range to share with you today. First up is Latherly's Shower Experience, a gorgeous foaming shower gel with added skin conditioning vitamins. If you haven't tried a foaming shower product yet then this is a great one to start with and its unisex scent means that you might buy it for your other half but anyone can enjoy using it! Next up are two products from Gentle Man, the Lemongrass Shave Cream and Post Shave Balm - both are perfect for stubbly faced loved ones. The Post Shave Balm is especially good for those with sensitive skin as it doesn't contain any added fragrance. I love the packaging and I think that these would make really lovely gifts. I'm passing all three of these products along to my best friend to put to the test and he'll be writing up full reviews of all these products - look out for this post, it'll hopefully be coming to my blog soon(ish).

Men's Skincare and Bodycare from BRYT - RRP £12.50 - 16.00* 
(or the 4 products are available as part of a gift set for £65)

I was seriously impressed with how these BRYT products were packaged when they arrived, and I'm also a big fan of the packaging. It's jazzy enough to catch your eye but you won't be embarrassed to keep them in your bathroom or shower. All these products are designed with young and sensitive skin types in mind. It's free from Parabens, Sulphates, Petrochemicals and other skin irritants and is instead packed full of skin-friendly oils and any fragrance comes from the inclusion of essential oils. BRYT is a new brand on my radar but I'm really happy to have discovered them. I love their ethos and everything about the look and feel of the products - I don't think anyone interested in beauty would be disappointed receiving these as gifts. Again, my best friend (his name's Tom and he's featured in my About Me page) is going to be doing full reviews on his experience with these products and I'm really looking forward to sharing how he gets along with them.

Guerlain Paris' L'Homme Ideal Eau de Toilette from Debenhams - RRP £48*

I think that a fragrance always makes a lovely gift. I actually won this Guerlain Eau de Toilette in a giveaway so it's just here to illustrate my point more than anything. This is something else I'm giving Tom to try out - he's a seriously lucky chap isn't he, haha! but if you're struggling for a gift idea then try and casually find out what scent or what kinds of scents your partner or friend likes wearing. Then head down to your local department store and ask shopping assistants for some advice, you're not obligated to buy anything but it can be really helpful to test out fragrances in person. My dad is a loyal devotee to Dior's Eau Sauvage but I am always on the mission to find something similar that he might actually prefer. I'd love to know which are scents that the men in your life love to wear.

Did any of these products strike your fancy? What beauty themed presents are you going to be purchasing for the men in your life?

What to Buy My Girlfriend: Christmas Gift Guide (Part One)

We've made it to December and I have to admit that I'm already getting pumped about Christmas! It's so close, only a couple of weeks away now. If you've still got any Christmas shopping to do then I've got a couple of posts to share with you featuring some gift ideas. Today's post is all about products for women - whether that be a girlfriend, girl-friend or your best gal pal. They come in at a range of prices so they'll almost certainly be one to fit your budget. 

Tales From the Earth "A Life Filled With Adventure" Message Bangle - RRP £45*
(available from their online store and online from Not on The High Street)

Jewellery is a great gift option at any time of year and these message bangles from Tales From the Earth are really quite lovely. I loved the message "a life filled with adventure" because it acts as a daily reminder to seize life by the coat tails and make the most of every day. There are a few messages to choose between, including "always with you", "an ocean of love", "an abundance of happiness" and "a lifetime of luck". If you know someone who'd appreciate jewellery with a meaning - and one that can be kept secret, just between the giver and receiver - then these message bangles would be a wonderful gift. 

Balance Me Rose Otto Bath and Body Set - RRP £10* 
(available exclusively from Waitrose or online)

This is the most affordable option in today's gift guide but it doesn't represent a lack of quality! Balance Me is a well established and much loved beauty brand. I've been using the Rose Otto Body Wash for the last month and it's such a luxurious product to reach for daily. The scent is noticeable but still delicate and because of its high quality ingredients it doesn't irritate or dry out my skin. This gift set would make a perfect gift for anyone who likes rose scents, or a wonderful stocking filler if you're looking to spoil someone you care about.

Ruby Red Soothe and Nourish Bath and Body Set - RRP £28*
(available from Fortnum and Mason, Harvey Nichols, Planet Organic and John & Bell Croydon)

Ruby Red is an award winning natural body care range rich in plant nutrients and vitamins, combined with aromatic blends that are designed to revitalise your skin. Their products are great for sensitive and dry skin as they're free from skin irritants such as SLS, parabens, synthetic aromas and dyes - and none of the products are tested on animals. The Soothe and Nourish bath set is packaged really wonderfully and the products have a gorgeous, natural scent. The Body Cleanser reminds me of warming ginger beer, whilst the moisturiser has a lighter and slightly more refreshing scent. If you know someone who's a sucker for great packaging, wonderful fragrances and loves to pamper themselves with luxurious and natural body care then this would make a perfect gift set. 

Lola's Apothecary Rose and Geranium Body Oil - RRP £32*

(available online from Beauty Crowd)

Made in Devon, Lola's Apothecary make delightful British body care products full of nourishing, natural ingredients. The brand set out to marry effective natural ingredients with what they call "the perfumed glamour" of conventional, chemical ridden body care. Their Rose and Geranium Body Oil would make a a wonderful gift for anyone who likes luxurious body care products - not only is this oil incredibly beautiful (hosted in a heavy glass bottle filled with flower petals) but it also has the most wonderful, natural scent. It's certainly an indulgent choice but it will leave a lasting impression!

What do you think of the gift ideas that I've shared today? Which one would you be most happy receiving as a gift?