When it comes to gifting a can’t-fail present, grooming ranks highly for its many universal options. Think about it: We groom ourselves everyday, morning and night—and sometimes in between. Giving someone a nice product or device is almost always appreciated, seeing as it helps him look and feel his best. It might be an upgrade to a new razor or even a top-shelf cologne. Regardless, he will have you to thank for the confidence boost, and on a daily basis, no less.
There are two ways to nail a great grooming gift: as a stocking stuffer, or a more centerpiece gift. This will focus on the latter—that is, the presents that he’ll regard as the most generous and top-tier for the occasion.
Here are the best grooming gifts you can give him this year, and nothing so passive aggressive (like a hair loss subscription or teeth whitening kit).
A new shaving or trimming device
Whether he shaves or trims, chances are that his facial hair maintenance device is the one he gets the most mileage from. Pay close attention to his preference (a safety razor is vastly different than a cartridge razor shave, or from an electric shaver).
Birthdays and holidays are a terrific opportunity to upgrade his device to something with more oomph, heft, or technical features. A beard trimmer with a vacuum function is a life changer. An electrical shaver also saves him lots of time if he’s used to shaving daily; perhaps he has suggested shaving with a razor less, and an electric razor can eliminate the stubble every day between those shaves.
Some favorites of ours:
Philips Norelco vacuum beard trimmer
A high-quality fragrance
Even if he’s fragrance averse, he should have a personal scent that he wears on special occasions—or maybe because you’re his favorite +1 and you like how it smells (hey, some guys are that selfless that they want to make their loved ones happy even more than themselves). It can be fun to shop for the scent together, in which case, a subscription to a luxury fragrance service, like Luxury Scent Box, can make a terrific gift (and will allow you to test various options before committing).
Or, if you know what types of scents he likes, whether it’s woody or vanilla or spicy, you can take a gamble on a tried-and-true pick from one of the major fashion houses. Some universal wins include Hérmes Terre d’Hérmes, Dior Homme, and Tom Ford Beau de Jour. We also put together an entire guide to the best men’s fragrances to gift.
A high-tech toothbrush subscription
Having a high-powered, rechargeable toothbrush is already a win, but there’s something even greater about all of the subscription companies in this category: They send replacement heads at the ADA-recommended 3-month intervals, so that he never forgets to swap out his brush head at healthy, regular intervals. On top of that, they’ll make sure he brushes his teeth for the recommended amount of time, never cutting corners on the essential habit. Our top pick? Goby.
A skin care or hair care subscription
While a subscription to a hair loss company (like Hims or Keeps) makes a great gift, it also feels very passive aggressive; only proceed with that if he has expressed interest in restoring some lost hair. Ditto for an anti-acne regimen like Apostrophe. However, you can gift him a customized haircare subscription wherein he can go in and customize the ingredients in a shampoo, conditioner, and other products, all to his specific needs. For that, look to Function of Beauty and Prose.
For skin, look into Curology or Atolla for custom products that will allow him to select and achieve his own goals. It’ll feel way less passive aggressive, and instead positively personal.
A bath assortment
He probably rarely, if ever, bathes anymore. But a bath is peak luxury, peak slow self-care. And maybe what he needs is a strong nudge, with an assortment of terrific bath products—from bubbles to body scrubs, from bath salts to oils. Heck, even a pillow-soft bathrobe will make him feel like a king. Cleverly for the win!
An LED mask
If he’s already a grooming enthusiast, then he’ll appreciate this one. LED masks are an investment, yes, but they pay off over the years. They emit a blend of blue and red lights, which work to improve elasticity and resilience in the skin, while killing acne-causing bacteria. He’ll have you to thank for firmer, brighter, clearer complexion on the daily, and a more youthful tautness in the long run. Current Body’s is our pick.
A bidet attachment
Here’s a cheeky idea—literally—but one that he’ll appreciate on Day 1 (especially if he’s been to Asia or Europe, hehe). Gone are the days of painful wiping, ongoing itching, and unsightly stains—not to mention, he’ll save on TP, wipes, and the likes. It’s also a great talking point among house guests. Toto is tops in this category.
A shave brush
We already touched on shaving devices, but if he’s loyal to his shave regimen—and if he’s also loyal to his blade-of-choice already—then a shave brush makes for a terrific companion piece. It helps lift the hairs up while he lathers on the shave cream, and encourages a soothing, and slowed-down process (which is exactly how a shave should be). Get him an authentic badger brush for the task—like that from The Art of Shaving.
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