With Valentines Day quickly approaching, I wanted to put together a gift guide again, as I have done in previous years (here and here) featuring some of products that not I think my better half would love, though I am sure he would be just as happy with a bed chair for his fishing Bivvy! But until we find one that works, I have come up with a few different ideas to share.
Anyone who knows the mister or reads his blog will know he has grown a beard, a full beard and I actually quite like it, I think it suits him. With that in mind and knowing he loves a bit of a pamper, Beard Balm and Oils are a current product of choice. From Brisk Grooming, which is available in Boots stores, I have the Brisk Beard Oil and Balm.
The one question I am asked a lot about his beard is whether or not it irritates my skin, well it doesn't because like the hair on your head, if you condition and look after it, then it is lovely and soft. In this case the Beard Balm which is made using Hemp, Argan Oil, Jojoba Oil and superfood Cacao seed butter. When used, ideally after an oil, you need a really small amount to be applied and then you simply massage it into your beard and allow it to work its magic.
The Beard Oil that we have is a Citrus and its role is to soften, tame and hydrate. This Citrus Beard Oil is made with 100% natural oils and vitamin E, it also combines nourishing almond, avocado, argan and jojoba oils as well as a fresh and uplifting combination of grapefruit and lemon essential oils for a zesty fragrance. This is an oil which isn't oily when used, it doesn't leave the hair feeling greasy when used.
All of the products available from Brisk cost less than £10.
From Ted Baker, we have the Katchup Brown Leather Belt (£55 here) and no matter how many time we measure and try on trousers and jeans, a belt is always needed. Over time I am sure the mister has been through a lot of high street branded belts and after a few months wear and tear sets in and they become redundant.
A 100% Grain Bovine Leather belt which is described as being a high shine brown leather belt strap with a silver metal prong buckle with the signature Ted Baker logo embossed on the belt loop in silver. What I love about this belt is how well it works with jeans as much as it does with a more formal attire and it is made with such superior quality that we have ordered the same belt in black too and both will work well with these jeans.
Fragrances always seem to be popular with my hubby, again if you read his blog you will see he has been slowly making his way through reviewing quite a few fragrances. New to his collection is Bespoke London EDP, a brand neither of us had come across. Available in Superdrug for under £10, this fragrance is one which is fresh and citrusy with a slight hint of spice and we are both huge fans.
With notes of mandarin, fresh ginger, apple and black pepper, it opens with quite the punch as the mandarin and apple work with the slight hint of pepper but oddly, that scent of ginger doesn't become that noticeable until the fragrance begins to dry down. Then we have the notes of lavender, clary sage and vetiver floral notes which really settle the fragrance down and allow for the citrus notes to take a back seat and not be overpowering. Finally, we have the notes of amber, dry woods, patchouli, moss and musk which give the fragrance that day to night feel, making it perfect for either occasion.
If you can get your mister to wear a facemask, perhaps enjoying a pamper night in for two, then there is a great range of masks by Bandito. I have a huge facemask collection and I try to ensure I use one at least once a week.
As part of the Masquebar range, a Korean brand I am a huge fan of, there are four different masks to choose from and the mister has got two which are:
- Chill for a minute or 30 - This is a cream mask which is designed to help minimise the appearance of pores for a more even complexion. To be used on freshly cleansed skin and left for up to 29 minutes, this mask should leave your skin feeling balanced and looking more radiant.
- Pimped out no more - This is a mud mask which is said to help soothe irritated skin and bumps. It works to purify and balance the complexion which in doing so, leaves your skin feeling calm and looking clearer. Again to be applied to freshly cleansed skin and left on the face for up to 20 minutes.
These facemasks can be found via ASOS and they retail for £3.99 per mask and I think they are such a good idea and I've been tempted to try them out for myself.
If we had the space in a garden, then both of us would love to have a Hammock, especially one which comes with a stand rather than being tied to something with ropes. A place to relax on a hot sunny day with a book or to have an afternoon snooze in the outdoors would be brilliant.
We both like to read, I have my challenge all set up on Goodreads as I love to keep a record as to what it is I have read and when. The mister takes a much more relaxed approach to reading and is usually engrossed in something about the second world war. However, knowing how much he has enjoyed going fishing since he rediscovered his love for the sport after a weekend with my Dad, I came across 'Gone Fishing' by Paul Whitehouse and Bob Mortimer, a follow on to the BBC show.
The synopsis is what caught my attention and it reads "Paul is an experienced angler. Bob last fished as a child. Paul will attempt to teach, Bob will attempt to listen. Both are old, both are ill, they are slightly cynical: so can they still find pleasure in something that gave them so much when they were young? Will they have a heart attack while trying to do so?" Thankfully he has so far found it to be a pretty funny read, so I made a good choice. Priced at £7.99 via Amazon, it ticks both boxes of humour and the sport of Fishing.
Then finally we have a lovely brand called Raw Naturals, exclusively available to Superdrug with prices starting around £5 as it is currently on offer and this brand is in the midst of being fully reviewed for its own post shortly.
The brand is manufactured in Sweden in the Raw Naturals brewing facilities in Falun and the philosophy is simple: logical skin care and no ‘fuzz’. The Swedish logic is that if a grooming product can perform well in the harsh Scandinavian climate, it’s more than fit for purpose right here! All Raw Naturals products are tested in weather conditions that your skin hates – demonstrating that what works in Sweden, works anywhere. Raw Naturals is the brainchild of 3 Alpine skiers from Sweden who sought to find a moisturiser that only needed to be applied once a day whilst out on the cold, windswept slopes. The Mister has the Goof Proof Deodorant, Beard Oil and Pale Ale Shower Gel to test and try out.
Naturally, finding gifts for my other half is a bit of an easy task, he has been fairly chuffed with everything he has in this gift guide and there is one extra present he won't find out about until Valentines Day itself! Have you bought anything for your other half?
*this post contains PR samples and/or Affiliate Links unless indicated otherwise - you can learn more on my Disclaimer page.
