Christmas Gift Ideas For Him*

Now, I know what you're thinking... Megan, it's only October, why are you posting Christmas gift guides now!? But if you're anything like me, you'll have been thinking about Christmas for a long time now. Heck, I started thinking about it before July was even over. What I want, the theme for my bedroom, all the cheese I'm going to eat, wine I'm going to drink, my plans with friends and family and most importantly, what I'm going to buy for other people. And as much as I absolutely love going out and getting gifts for other people, wrapping them and seeing the looks on their faces when they open them, I have to admit that I seriously struggle with choosing presents, especially when it comes to the men in my life. You'd think after knowing my brother for 23 years and even sharing a womb with him I'd know what he'd like for Christmas but no, I don't have a clue. So, to help out anyone else who struggles with buying for their fathers, brothers, boyfriends, etc, I've put together a comprehensive gift guide to help you this festive period. Hopefully with any luck, there's a little something for everyone in here somewhere. Huge shoutout to Sam and Robbie for their help with this one, not sure I could have come up with half of this by myself so seriously go check these lads out if you haven't already.

The One Who's Into Grooming

Though I might be massively into my own makeup and beauty regime, I have no idea where to start when it comes to male grooming. I think the closest my brother has come to a hair and skincare routine is a classic Lynx giftset, a little bit of moisturiser and some hair gel (think primary school disco spikes). But if you want to get something a little classier than Lynx, maybe find out what their favourite scent is or if it's your boyfriend, your favourite scent on them. Try Aventus by Creed or Jean Paul Gaultier. Personally I love Paco Rabanne 1 Million. You could pick up a new washbag and pack it with a few products like some aftershave,  a Kiehl's moisturiser and some hair products. One brand with a huge selection of christmas gift ideas for men is L'Occitane. They have a new range inspired by the rays of Southern France covering everything from moisturisers to essential oils, shaving creams to colognes and more, with a little something for most budgets. They also come beautifully packaged so they're perfect for gifting to that someone special.

The One Who's Into Gadgets

Buying gadgets might seem like an expensive option but it's really only as expensive as you make it and there's loads of different options depending on your budget. If you've got a lot of cash to spend and fancy going the whole hog you could pick up the new iPhone or an iPad. Or if your budget isn't quite that high, maybe a mobile lens kit, perfect for the guy who's into his photography but maybe not looking to invest in anything too fancy. If he's into his cameras and photography maybe try a Go Pro or a Polaroid camera, both cheaper alternatives to a proper DSLR but just as much fun. Is he a bit of a bookworm? Try a kindle. A new watch is also a pretty safe option, whether that's something advanced like an Apple watch or Fossil Smartwatch or something a little more classic like a Timex. Wireless headphones and speakers are also great techy gifts and perfect for most people. Everyone loves music, right? My brother has the UE Megaboom and it was a great gadget for taking on holiday. Waterproof, so great for by the pool and the sound quality was excellent, perfect for that upcoming New Years Eve party. Of course there are loads more cheaper alternatives if that's a little on the expensive size. 

The Fanboy

I'm a big fan of buying for someone with a known hobby or interest. It always makes it 1000 times easier to find things that they might enjoy when you know exactly what they like, whether that be a favourite band or TV series, gardening or cooking, having a point to work from makes gift buying that little less daunting. I guess one of the easiest gift choices here is a DVD boxset of their favourite film or TV series. Star Wars? Lord of The Rings? Harry Potter? Most of them have really nice collectors editions or special extended editions perfect for any fan. Any good franchise will have all sorts of novelty gifts too. T-Shirts, mugs, wall art, etc. I absolutely love this Stormtrooper decanter, just fill it full of their favourite alcohol, sorted. Tickets and experiences are also a great present. Is their favourite band touring soon? Do they love super cars? Easy. 

The Fallback Options

And sometimes there's that one person where you just have absolutely no idea. They don't have any big hobbies or interests, you don't know what gadgets or activities they're into and you don't want to spoil the surprise by asking. For that person, you have the fallback options. Some novelty underwear or socks always go down a treat. Socks might seem like the most boring present when you're younger but I promise you, they're a welcome surprise when you reach adulthood.  Winter warmers are also the perfect Christmas gifts. Scarves, hats, gloves or a festive jumper. Maybe a novelty onesie for lying around in your Christmas dinner food coma. You could try a hip flask, wallet or cuff links. A bottle of alcohol will make anyone happy (even better if you know their tipple of choice), you could even get them some nice personalised glasses to go along with it. Or maybe games that you can play on Christmas Day, a big favourite of mine is Cards Against Humanity. If you've got a slightly dark, twisted sense of humour this one is a winner. 

At the end of the day. It's the thought that counts. I may spend most of my time present shopping stressing out about whether it's the right gift or whether they'll like it but I can guarantee that 9 times out of 10 the person receiving the present will absolutely love it. Or they'll at least pretend they do. And if you're really struggling, just remind them that your company is a gift in itself.

What are your go to presents for the men in your life?

*This post contains sponsored content but as always, all opinions are my own.

The Festive Makeup Menu

I just love makeup at this time of year, the colours, sparkles, reds, deep berries and dark smoky eyes. Everything screams Winter and festive, I mean, just looking at this picture I get some serious party vibes. Throughout the year generally my base remains pretty consistent. Primer, foundation, concealer and powder all stay very similar month in, month out, even in the Summer months I tend to opt for a medium buildable coverage with serious staying power. But my eyes, lips and cheeks are a completely different story. I've pulled together a few of my picks for this season that are sure to glam up any Winter/Christmas Party look.

My First Christmas in Manchester

A couple of months ago I took the big step of finally moving out of my parents house and into rented accommodation. (Bonus points if you recognise the Jack Whitehall reference there). And though I will be spending actual Christmas Day and the various other days surrounding it with my family and loved ones, this will be my first ever festive season living entirely away from home, not just at university. And with this comes changes, new experiences, new purchases and of course new wish lists. So as part of the Debenhams Win Your Wishlist Competition, I thought I'd share a few of the things I will be doing this year and a few things on my wishlist to make my new apartment a home away from home.

Debenhams Christmas in July Show

I love Christmas. Like, a lot. And though we may only be coming to the end of August, there's nothing more exciting to me than the idea of seeing all the A/W and Christmas releases in the middle of July and this is exactly what happened at the latest Debenhams Press Show. I was flattered again to be invited down to London by Vanessa and the rest of the team to another beautiful event held in a stunning townhouse in Fitzroy Square, full of fashion, accessories, homeware, gifts and my personal favourite, makeup.

What I Got For Christmas 2015

First, let me say, I hope those of you who celebrate had a wonderful Christmas, I hope you stuffed yourselves silly with delicious food, were surrounded by friends and family and got positively spoilt! For those who don't celebrate, I hope you had a lovely day regardless! I had Christmas at home this year (last year we spent it abroad in Florida) and I had such a lovely time being surrounded by my family, I feel it's one the main times we're all together all day long and it's such a special day. Plus I know a lot of other members of my family love Christmas just as much as me, so it's always a really nice, happy day. Unfortunately I've been pretty ill the last week or so, so I did end up in bed by 8pm but regardless, I still had such a really nice day. We started off the day by opening presents and having a couple of croissants before the big dinner at 2pm. I was well and truly stuffed by the end of it, we still have some leftovers in the fridge now!

Christmas Face Of The Day

I don't know about you but I've had my Christmas Day makeup planned for at least two weeks now. What can I say... I'm organised (or just mad, I'll let you decide). This will be the first year that I'm going all out with my makeup, normally you'll find me bare faced in my pyjamas but since we're having lots of family and friends round and possibly off visiting others, I thought I'd make a special effort. I wanted something that was going to give me a flawless finish, last all day and still be massively festive. So a gold eye and red lips was the obvious choice for me!

The Christmas Tag

Christmas for me really is the most wonderful time of the year. The music, the weather, the general sense of joy that this time of year brings, everything about it just makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. I've always been more of a home bird, I thrive off spending time with my family and loved ones, stuffing our faces with amazing food and sitting in front of the fire watching all the Christmas specials on TV. I found a few of these tags floating around the internet but I much preferred the questions in this one so I thought I'd go ahead and answer them and maybe give you a little more insight into the person behind the blog.

White Chocolate & Malteaser Cheesecake

When it comes to baking, I tend to stick with what I know, mainly cupcakes and cakes of some sort as the flavours are so easy to mix up and decorating is always fun. But for Christmas I wanted to try out something a little different, as I'm personally not a fan of the usual Christmas dessert options like mince pies, Christmas pudding or Christmas cake. Having not made a cheesecake in years, I thought it was time to try one out again This recipe is super easy to follow and make, mainly consisting of just mixing up ingredients, whacking them in a cake tin and leaving them to set. No baking involved whatsoever!

My Favourite Festive Nail Polishes

Christmas and New Years is the time of year for me when I feel it's totally acceptable to crack out just about every sequin dress or glittery accessory that I can get my mitts on and nail varnishes are no exception. Whether used as a top coat, an all over finish or as an accent nail, glitter or metallic polishes are the perfect way to add a pop of sparkle to your nails. I'm more of an all over the nail girl myself. I've gathered up a handful of the ones I own to share with you today ranging from the more subtle to full on sparkle. A few of these are really old and difficult if not impossible to get your hands on now but there's a massive selection of similar or duplicate shades out there. This is just to give you a little nailspiration this year!

Festive Lips, Cheeks and Eyes

It's officially party season and what better time to crack out the super shimmery eyeshadows, glitter, intense highlight and red lips. If you're anything like me, you'll already have your Christmas day makeup planned. (Is it way too early?) But I wanted to put together a few different bits that I think will work across the festive season up until the New Year, including some adorable antlers from Asda. how cute are these? They're a nice festive addition for parties for those of you who don't feel like going the whole hog with a Christmas jumper.

Gingerbread & Cream Cheese Cupcakes

Baking posts are some of my absolute favourites to write on my blog and not just because I end up with a batch of cupcakes or brownies at the end of them! I love spending a morning baking and decorating, I find it incredibly relaxing and I always get such positive feedback with these kinds of posts. Since we're heading towards Christmas, the time of year when I can stuff my face full of calorie laden goodies and not feel guilty about it, I though I'd do one or two festive themed bakes for you to tempt your taste buds with. I've gone for a very stereotypical yet delicious flavour, gingerbread. Mixed with a cream cheese frosting these are incredibly moist, rich and delicious.

Things To Do This Winter

For my first December blogging, I decided that I want to up my posts to every other day from the 1st to the 25th, it's sort of my attempt to do Blogmas without completely bogging myself down. If I didn't have a dissertation to write, pints to pour and projects to finish, I'd probably push myself to post every day. But unfortunately, life gets in the way sometimes. I've still got a ton of festive posts coming your way, with all sorts covering beauty and lifestyle. The first thing I wanted to do was something a little bit different for me, a list of things to try out or do this Winter season.

Christmas Gift Guides

Christmas shopping can be really difficult if you don't know where to start. Me and my sister are so similar that I could spend hundreds picking bits up for her because they're normally bits I like too, but I find it particularly difficult to shop for the men in my family. It's always made even harder by just getting a "don't know" when you ask what they want. (JUST TELL ME SOMETHING!). It's the same for me too, as I've got older I find it a lot harder to make a list of things that I want without handing over a massive list of lipsticks, eyeshadow palettes and blushers. Gone are the days of sitting with an Argos catalogue and cutting out the pictures of all the toys I wanted to send off to Santa. With a month or so left until the big day I thought I'd throw together a few ideas for those of you who may be struggling, with a little something for everyone, from the beauty obsessives to the gadget lovers and a price to suit everyone's budget. Here are a few of my picks for Christmas presents this year! (I have a feeling this might be a long post, brace yourselves.)