CHY Gift Guide :: For The Guys
Last year I wanted to create a gift guide for the guys in your life, but never got around to it. I think the more I see gift guides for men, the more I agree with the content of them and finally thought enough to curate my own. Of course the pieces I selected are probably geared more for my boyfriend, T, and things that I know my guy friends would like. I’ve gone on a few trips with T and some of his friends and it’s always interesting to see what they have and use. For the most part, guys are pretty simple humans (and I hope nobody out there takes offense to that), so I think as long as it’s a semi-thoughtful gift, you’re in the clear.
Accessories are probably one of my favorite items to gift. Like I said, I feel like guys are simple and have good taste. They tend to have fewer things, but they do not skimp on quality. If you’re a long time follower, you probably know that Daniel Wellington is one of my all time favorite watch brands. I picked up my first watch back in 2014 and still have it to this day. Obviously T loved the simplicity of the watch and ended up getting the same one so we matched on our Euro trip back in 2016 ☺️. This year I have been so fortunate to partner with Daniel Wellington and even luckier because they were kind enough to provide T with a watch as well. Watches make the best gifts and DW has great sets! The bands are interchangeable so you can build your collection of faces and bands and mix and match. They often have deals where you can get a free strap with the purchase of a watch. DW was kind enough to give me my own discount code which is ‘ CHYISM ’ and gives you 15% on top of any order - even if there is a promotion going on. That is seriously such a steal. Another good accessory gift would be a quality wallet (or passport holder). T has had a card holder for as long as I’ve known him and I have to admit it’s nice that he only carries the bare necessities. It also means his pants pockets have a longer life since they aren’t constantly getting pulled and stretched by a bulky wallet. He previously had one from Mulberry but after about 3-4 years, the threads started fraying and he ended up picking up a tanned wallet that would uniquely age over the years. My brother did something similar to this and they are both so proud of how well they’ve aged over time lol. Regardless where you go, I think guys truly appreciate accessories and watches and wallets are two great places to start.
Fashion can be a super finicky thing, but personally I think a good jacket is always a good idea. Between my boyfriend and I, I think we own about 8 or 9 Patagonias. Patagonia sweaters/jackets are super comfortable, warm, and can easily be thrown on for work or casual wear. T and I ended up buying my dad a matching Patagonia with us (and showed up wearing them to his bday dinner LOL). My brother and sister-in-law also bought blue Patagonia’s too and now we just need my mom to buy one (mom - if you’re reading this. just go buy the blue vest version). There are various styles - half zip up, full zip up, fuzzy fleece, puff jacket, you name it.
I think gifting some grooming/hygiene care pieces are always nice as they’re practical and necessary. I know there are a ton of products I'd love to pick up for my boyfriend but there's a lot to cover. The first would definitely be a Quip Toothbrush - they have sets and auto-fill deliveries which make it easy to remember to switch out your products. I was kindly sent one last year and loved how sleek it was. T was quite envious of mine and ended up picking up one with a subscription for himself (lol). I ended up not photographing it cause used toothbrushes are a tad gross and we didn’t have a replacement head / need to replace one anytime soon. Along the lines of oral hygiene, a super luxury treat would be the Aesop Mouthwash and Toothpaste. Bathroom counters can look cluttered but with some aesthetically pleasing products that work well, it’s always a nice pick-me-up for all parties involved. * T and I actually re-fill our old Aesop bottle with Listerine mouthwash now lol. #BougieWannabes. On the continuation of subscription themed products, there’s Harry’s Razors. A while back I was sent a Harry’s Razor and actually loved how close of a shave it gave. (I’ve since moved onto My Billie razors since they’re a touch girlier and hug my curves a little easier.) But this was another enabled product as I suggested to T that he should give it a try - especially since he loves using a classic razor and not an electric razor. If you have a guy that is into shaving with a regular razor but tends to be too lazy to buy new blades, these subscription services are great since they’ll send new razors to their doorstep. On the topic of grooming/hygiene, getting the guys a toiletry bag is a fantastic idea. Funnily, T and I think 1 or 2 of his friends all have this same bag from Target. It’s stylish, practical, and helps keep everything in 1 place. As we get older, we definitely travel more and it’s nice to have a grown up bag rather than a giant ziplock bag (yes - people STILL use these in their 20s. Please stop lol). A great option is the Tooletries bag which is now available at Urban Outfitters - it’s HUGE, a thick plastic/waterproof material which makes it extremely easy to clean. I got one for T and we use it when we travel and I tend to throw things in his liquid carry-on space hehe. An honorary mention would go to the Away mini toiletry bags which they bring back once a year. I did see them on IG and thought about getting a set for me and T, but I snoozed and I missed it. Bookmark their page and be sure to check back next year in November!
Another easy thing to pick up for a guy would be new hair products or fragrances. Encourage the guys to try some new things and stay away from things they’ve been using since middle school (lol). If the guy in your life is still into scents that they buy from Target, help upgrade him. If they’re unsure what they like, pick up a sampler set from Sephora so they can test out various cologne scents. Personally one of my all time favorite scents on guys is YSL L’Homme and I wish every guy would wear it tbh. I was recently sent Urban Outfitter’s in-house created fragrance Mx Fresh Eau de Parfum (which is unisex) and should be coming out soon. I’d say it’s a good dupe to YSL L’Homme and is a perfect musky scent just gives you the warm feeling inside. For hair, most guys have moved past the gel phase into using wax pomades. With that little extra effort, guys can really learn to enjoy having a haircare/skincare routine.
If the person you’re shopping for is into techy things, I cannot better recommend the Apple AirPods. I also feel like T would be furious if I didn’t put this in because this is hands down his favorite Apple product lol. If the person is not Team Apple, I suppose you could pick up some other wireless headphones but seriously AirPods are THE best and 100% worth the cost. An alternative would be some Sudio headphones which are wireless and give you the option for earbuds or over-the-head earphones. You can use my code ‘ CHYISM ’ and score 15% off your Sudio order. If you’re looking more for some other home musical devices, I would say either a HomePod or Marshall speakers would suffice! Both have great music quality and can BlueTooth sync to any device to give an extra oomph of sound.
If the person you’re shopping for is into their drinks and cocktails, there’s a huge variety of products you could pick up for them. It always pays to be green and we should try and help our environment as best as we can. Keep Cup is probably one of my favorite purchases this year as it comes in a little glass tumbler with a cork cozy to prevent your fingers from burning. I ended up getting this medium size but low key regret not just getting the large size for my daily coffee. Lately I’ve been making myself an espresso/latte in the morning so the medium Keep Cup is the perfect size for what I need. I just need to be better about *not* finishing it on my drive to work. Hands down my favorite water bottle brand has to be BKR. My issue with many water bottles has to be the metal taste of metal bottles / stale/muddled taste of old water in plastic bottles. When the idea of glass bottles came out, I was obsessed - this one keeps your water tasting clean at all times. I had seen many YouTubers talking about their bottle and them breaking when they drop, but honestly I’ve never had an issue with any of my BKR bottles. I did have another glass bottle from Target but T flipped his backpack upside down on accident when we were at Corgi Con last year and that bottle slipped out and shattered in the parking lot 🙃. Yikes. The silicone sleeve on the BKR bottles gives protection so there’s little risk of it breaking when you hit it against something or inevitably drop it. BKR bottles come in 3 different sizes so you’re bound to find the perfect one for the person in need. T guzzles water like no other so I previously got him the 1L bottle (which someone STOLE off of his desk at work - ugh). I went to the BKR holiday party last month and in their gift bag was a 1L bottle so you can bet I’ve already given him this new one 😌. For the coffee lovers, I would recommend buying them some fun coffee making gadgets if they don’t already have them. I’ve pretty much used all varieties of coffee makers and actually have them all 🤭 - pour-over dripper, moka pot (I have one from Bialetti), French press (Bodum is my fav), and chemex. I’ve always wanted to be able to make the perfect cup of coffee at home and it’s actually been a fun challenge for me to avoid buying coffee and just make it myself at home. It’s fun and definitely helps me save $$$. If they already have their favorite coffee making device, buy them some new accessories - a coffee grinder, scale for measurement, gooseneck pourover kettle, measuring spoons, or coffee grinds canister. A lot of stores have sales around the holidays and offer 20% off items - now is the perfect time to start watching sales and snagging them up! If you’re not picky on colors, you' can likely always find weird off colors for a super good deal.
For the cocktail lovers out there, you probably already know their favorite type of poison - whiskey, vodka, tequila, gin - you name it. T is a big Moscow mule fan so I bought us some copper mugs last year and he gets really excited to use them whenever we make ourselves a drink. Same goes for other drinks, but I don’t think anybody would turn down a nice glass for their pricey drinks! If someone is building up their alcohol collection or bar cart, you could pick them up tools for mixing, coasters, storage racks. The options here are endless as well! And if all else fails, pick them up a nice bottle of something. This is one thing a lot of my guy friends have started doing and since we host a lot of friend gatherings, they tend to bring over a fancy bottle of something each time. For Friendsgiving, one of my friends brought over this Nikka Coffee Malt Whiskey which was super smooth. Even my brother was eyeing the bottle when he was over the other day, but unfortunately he had to drive so he was responsible and did not have a shot lol. Personally I love browsing online sites that rate alcohol - it’s easy to get lost in there but it’s nice to be well educated for when you do go alcohol shopping and are overwhelmed with options.
Hopefully this gave you some good ideas of presents you could buy for the guys in your life! Let me know what you end up picking up / your favorite products to pick up for your loved ones!
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Products marked with (*) were gifted to me, but all opinions remain my own.
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