Christmas Gifts for Men

Let’s face it we all know how difficult it is to find that perfect man gift. Every year struggle offering the same things: Aftershave, watches, ties or even socks! This year at The Amazing Blog we've had enough of the mundane and have a few more unusual gifts ideas to suggest...

Question: Who loves a well-groomed man with a smooth and perfectly shaved face? Answer: We do!  That's why we think that the Cornerstone personalised gift set is the perfect gift for those who like to step up their shaving game. The £30 Shaving Gift Set includes a face scrub, a shave gel, a personalised razor with engraved initials (an added bonus) and a post-shave balm.

Before shaving, the Face Scrub gently exfoliates the skin removing dirt and impurities which helps for a smoother shaving. Enriched with eucalyptus oil and ginger extracts the Sensitive Shave Gel is formulated to protect sensitive skin from irritation and shaving cuts. Eucalyptus works as a highly protecting ingredient with its antiseptic and anti-inflammatory properties. The gel enables a smooth and comfortable shaving experience. The Aluminium Razor is made with five high-quality fine blades. Each blade is made from Japanese chromium steel and designed to reduce the risk of burns and clogging. The razor has an Aloe Vera strip that helps the blades glide smoothly. Finish the shaving in apotheosis with the Sensitive Cooling Post-Shave Balm. Infused with mint and honey, this refreshing balm instantly replenishes, hydrates and cools the skin. This set also comes with a £10 gift card - bonus! Purchase the Cornerstone gift set here for £30. They also have a Cornerstone subscription club - see website for details.

Christmas means gifts, wine and good food. It’s the time of the year when we do our best to be an aspiring 'Nigella' cooking gourmet meals for our loved ones, made with delicious, rich and luxurious ingredients. When January comes its time for a slowdown generally with a detox and rather boring food. However, this year why not make the whole year feel like Christmas with the L’Atelier Des Chefs Cooking Classes.

L’Atelier Des Chefs is one of UK’s best cookery schools it offers classes from a quick 30 minutes to an intense 4 hours tuition for anyone wanting to learn more about creating great food. The school provides a great and diverse range of class themes including French, Thai and Asian cuisine. They offer a diverse selection of Seasonal and Healthy Eating, Pastry and Sweet Things, Greek, Moroccan, Burger Making, Street Food and of course British food.

The classes are run by professional chefs that are passionate about sharing their expert tips. These classes are the opportunity to expand your recipe repertoire and learn new techniques in a fun environment. These culinary courses are the ideal gift offering the opportunity for your man to don his chefs hat and become the latest cooking maestro! For a  90 minutes cooking classes, a gift card is available here for £58.

This year we have found the perfect gift for gin lovers. It is the Gin Tasting Experience for Two, at Brennen & Brown distillery. This unique olfactory experience will take you through a voyage of sensorial discovery guaranteed to tantalise the taste buds. There will be demonstrations of their innovative distilling techniques where you will also glean more about the history of Gin. During the tasting class, you will not only drink and taste fabulous gins but also learn more about the different botanicals which create the individual gin flavours. It is a an experience for two, which always makes it more fun to share. The experiences starts at 5.30pm and run on a Thursday and Friday with occasional Saturday. You can buy a Gin Tasting Gift Card here for £35.

Interflora’s Gentleman's Indulgent Mini Hamper is a real treat for anyone with a sweet tooth. This luxurious gourmet hamper has everything your man could need for a quick snack. The basket includes Cartwright & Butler Chocolate Peanut Cookies, Bespoke Pickle by Blue Writing, and Thomas J.Fudge's Tangy Stilton Wafers. In fact, there are a plethora of treats including Cambrook Brilliantly Baked Salted Mixed Nuts, Copperpot Caramel & Sea Salt Butter Fudge, Yorkshire Popcorn Salted, Fair & Square Milk Chocolate, Haribo Jelly Beans with Blue Ribbon and Green & Pleasant Natural Cider. All very tempting, not only that but Interflora also includes two bottles of refreshing artisan cider to boot! Perfect for your chap, we're sure he'll bless you as he sits back, relaxes and enjoys these in front of the TV. You can purchase the hamper here for £35.

Wallets are a Christmas gifts classic, and so last but not least, we thought we'd include our favourite one.  We love this beautiful Gentlemen’s Hardware Bi-Fold Leather Wallet. Made with hard-wearing tan leather this stylish and sophisticated wallet is a must-have man accessory. Designed with multiple compartments and card slots this wallet enables the owner to have a well-organised wallet that is fast and easy to use. It has an advanced RFID lining that blocks any unwanted contactless payments. The wallet comes in an elegant, smart branded tin box. Apart from its great quality what we particularly like is the embossed words on the inside seam: “Fortune Favours the Brave”. What a great motto for that special man in your life. The wallet can be purchased here for £40.

Male Exclusive Skincare Travel Set By Regentiv

Travel kits are always handy to have in the stash, as you never know when you're going to need to take your skincare regime in transit with you. For all the men out there, don't think The Amazing Blog has forgotten about you. We fully appreciate that men need to keep their regime going, even while travelling. That's why Regentiv's Male Exclusive Travel Set is on our radar and now on yours.

Regentiv works alongside leading Harley Street Skin Specialists to combine science with nature. The result is unique formulas with highly effective and active ingredients. Their products are cruelty-free and paraben free, which is always an added plus. Regentiv has created a skincare travel set of their Male Exclusive skincare range which includes their Deep Cleansing Wash, Vitalising Freshener, Specialist Serum With Retinol and Oxygenating Moisturiser With Vitamin E. Together they tackle tired, dull and dry complexions, lines and wrinkles, blocked pores, acne, skin irritations and uneven pigmentation. This little set is perfect as a gift, to sample the range or for travel.

The Deep Cleansing Wash exfoliates and cleanses the pores with fine natural grains. This is ideal for sloughing away dead skin for fresh and smooth skin. The Vitalising Freshener further works to exfoliate the skin of impurities, while also refining open pores for clarity and tone. To help reduce the signs of ageing, such as fine lines, wrinkles, uneven pigmentation and puffiness, apply the Specialist Serum. This serum also works wonders to soothe the skin post-shave, helping to prevent shaving rashes and blocked follicles. If you suffer from acne scarring, the serum also helps to diminish old marks. Finish the regime off with the Oxygenating Moisturiser to quench the skin and give it some life, preventing any tightness that can happen after using exfoliators and toners. The moisturiser has a bonus SPF15, which is always important!

Purchase the Male Exclusive Travel Set here for £59.95.

Friday Favourites - Father's Day Gifts

We here at The Amazing Blog think men should be pampered just as much as women are. Dads work hard and are definitely in need of some spoiling. See our top picks to make your dad feel special this Father's Day.

First on our list is the Body Wash and Eau de Toilette by Milano Cento. Inspired by aromatic plants of Italy, the Milano Cento Him range is bound to make your dad feel like a Don. The range is based on the classic sophistication of all things Italian, for a man wanting a somewhat unusual, unique and understated scent. The Him body wash and eau de toilette are formed from the same scent, which opens with zesty notes of lemon, bergamot and petitgrain. The middle notes are herbaceous, of lavender, intense basil, rosemary and sage, followed by base notes of rich, sensual sandalwood, patchouli, spicy cloves, cinnamon and warm amber. You will be left with an overall citrus and woody aroma, which is, in itself, a gift to yourself if you get to smell it on the regular.

Milano Cento does not sell online, but you can find their nationwide stockists here. Purchase the Eau de Toilette for £29.50 for 50ml or £49.50 for 100ml. Purchase the Body Wash for £12.50.

If you thought candles were just for women, then think again. LEGNA London has created candles especially for men, with the philosophy that candles shouldn’t be marketed solely to women. By creating a non-obvious manly product, LEGNA dedicates their candles to anyone of any sex, to couples and to friends. They draw their inspiration from an array of cultures from around the world which celebrate manhood.

Hand poured in the UK, made of biodegradable, natural, blended wax. The ingredients are composed of non-petroleum renewable resources and therefore burn clean. There are three signature scents; Strength, Unity and Wisdom, made from classic masculine ingredients, such as musk, tobacco and leather. Strength gives off a delicate smoky and woody, yet sweet, aroma. Strength was created to celebrate the physical and spiritual strength of men. Unity is composed of comforting spicy ingredients with woody notes, designed to celebrate the brotherhood of man. Wisdom is comprised of musky leather notes, creating a warm and luxurious fragrance for people to relax around and share their experiences.

Having been featured in and receiving raving reviews from The Independent, GQ, Elle Man, Country & Town House, the lucky gentleman is sure to enjoy the aroma of these heady scents.

Purchase the candles separately for £40 each (220g) or together in a gift set for £50 (3x 75g) here.

If your dad boasts a full beard, The Scottish Fine Soaps Company's Face & Beard Care Kit is the ideal gift. Men’s grooming is serious business, and should be an indulgent experience from time to time, or even every day! Blending luxurious ingredients with contemporary Scottish style, The Scottish Fine Soaps Company have created a kit with a face and beard soap, beard oil, aftershave balm and a hardwood beard comb.

This grooming kit is in their Thistle & Black Pepper range. With this kit, you can care for your beard and pamper your skin with the invigorating scent of thistle and black pepper. All products are made and packed in Stirlingshire, Scotland. Scotland has one of the most beautiful natural environments, so it only makes sense to draw inspiration from it. So as to not damage it, The Scottish Fine Soaps Company practices sustainable and environmentally-friendly production. Even more, the products are cruelty-free, paraben-free and use natural ingredients wherever humanly possible.

Purchase the Face & Beard Care Kit here for £19.99.

Bentley released their newest fragrance for men, Bentley Momentum, earlier this year. This bold eau de toilette was made for the discernible man who appreciates beautiful craftsmanship and quality. If your gentleman in mind is a fan of the finer things in life and wants his signature scent to meet the standards of Bentley cars, then you must give Momentum a sniff.

Momentum is a forceful composition that contrasts aromatic freshness with potent woods. The primary notes are a splash of aquatic aromas, closely followed by energising bergamot and cooling violet. Underneath this refreshing concoction is herbaceous and aromatic sage, adding a sensuous warmth and depth. The final notes are striking ambergris and cashmere wood. The dry-down of the scent reveals a deep blend of smooth sandalwood, dusky tonka bean and a lingering trail of sensuous musk and moss. This scent certainly gains momentum, all encapsulated in a sleek, geometric bottle.

Currently, Bentley Momentum eau de toilette can only be purchased exclusively at Harrods in-store, for £59 (50ml).

We clearly think men should smell marvelous, which is why we are continuing our scent search with L:A BRUKET's Perfume Oils. This product is for the man that is partial to aromatherapy. With each spritz you are administering a mind-strengthening aroma. The perfumes are made purely from organic and natural oils. There are three scents to choose from, each with differing properties. Petitgrain, with its bittersweet notes, is calming and relaxing. It is said to improve memory and help you work well under pressure and stress. Perfect for those workaholic dads. Myrrh, paired beautifully with cedarwood, is sweet and woody. This oil will help with concentration and trigger a focusing effect. Lastly, Hinoki is also woody but with fresh notes. Hinoki is known for its mentally-strengething and energising properties. Ideal when paired with an outdoorsy man.

Purchase the L:A BRUKET Perfume Oils from their UK stockist here for £46 each (10ml).

Whether your dad is a beard-guy, a fragrance-connoisseur, or enjoys a scented candle, with these exciting products to choose from there will surely be some lucky dads this Father's Day. They most definitely deserve it so use this opportunity to spoil your dad, but remember that you can treat your dad to these gorgeous gifts any day of the year.

It's A Man's World!

Since my first time I had the responsibility to buy a present for my brother’s birthday, I have dreaded buying presents for men. It always seems so much more difficult to decide if something too simple or too unneccesary. Once again this week as I am in need of a gift, I am approached by the impossible decision of what to choose for a present. Thankfully, I have found a brand that combines simple and classy into one fabulous gift.

Otis Batterbee is a men’s accessory brand based in London that designs a large range of products made in England. All the products are created with quality construction, good design and use of the best possible materials. There is no way to go wrong when buying a man a smart pair of cufflinks or a quality wash bag. These gifts always fit the occasion and the man.

The available products include grooming accessories, fine pocket squares, fabric covered cufflinks, lavender filled eye masks, travel cushions and the item I like the most, durable wash bags. Specifically, the Medium Waxed Grand Tour in Navy is going to be my next gift!

Next time you are searching frantically for a gift for your occasion, tone down your stresses and browse the ‘Made in England’ products of Otis Batterbee.