7 Best Shaving Gifts For This Year
It’s time to shop for a guy in your life. If you’re a guy, you already have a good idea of what your male friends and family members will like. It’ll be a little easier for you to choose a shaving present that they’ll appreciate. If it’s something you know you’d love when you shave, they’ll probably love it too.
If you’re a woman shopping for a guy in your life, you’re probably looking for a foolproof solution. You’ve never had to shave your face, so you’ve never had a reason to develop a firsthand understanding of what makes a shave go smoothly. Pun intended.
There are plenty of one-and-done solutions for the perfect shaving gifts. There are prefabricated shaving kits that come with razors and creams, but guys tend to get a lot of those from more practical shoppers. If you want your present to really stand out, think outside of what’s easy and convenient. Off the beaten path, you’ll find some great gifts that will become huge game changers in his grooming routine.
1. Fancy Aftershave
Aftershave can be just as luxurious as cologne. If you’ve ever shopped for luxury perfume, you know they always try to upsell you on the lotion. The male equivalent to this upsell is the aftershave. You can usually buy it in a kit with a luxury fragrance. What most people don’t realize is that you can buy a full size of the aftershave all by itself.
Every expensive designer brand you’ve ever seen in a magazine with a cologne ad will also have that same fragrance in an aftershave. Brands that make an aftershave will often offer both a balm and a lotion, so you can get him exactly what he prefers to use.
The fragrance of luxury aftershave lasts just as long as the cologne, and here’s the kicker. It’s almost always half the price of the cologne. This makes luxury gift giving substantially more affordable. Instead of buying one person a cologne, get aftershave for two people. Your budget will go just as far and you’ll be making two people extremely happy.
There’s one important thing you’ll want to keep in mind. Men with very sensitive skin or skin conditions may not react well to fragranced aftershave products. Instead of leaving them smelling fresh and feeling pampered, it may leave them irritated. If you aren’t sure about the state of someone’s skin, take an alternative route.
2. A Post-Shave Moisturizer
If fragranced aftershave isn’t his thing, you can grab an aftershave balm with skincare benefits. These are universally agreeable products. If you choose something organic, fragrance free, and safe for sensitive skin, you can buy a bunch of them to use as stocking stuffers. You can also bring it to a white elephant exchange or as an office secret santa gift. Everyone will be able to use it.
If you’re buying the gift for someone you’re close to, like your husband or your brother, you’ll be able to find something targeted to his needs. If he always complains about razor bumps, itchy skin, redness, or dry patches, you can find him a post-shave moisturizer designed to fix the problem.
3. A Hot Lather Machine
A hot lather machine will completely change the at-home shaving experience. Warm lather is a barbershop staple. It’s one of the reasons people specifically seek a professional shave. When the lather is all heated up, the skin shaves down to a beautiful, soft, perfect complexion. Warm lather does more to penetrate the shaft of the hair, helping to gently lift it up off of the skin and cut it very close to the root. Most men can really tell the difference.
Why not get him a hot lather machine so he can give himself a professional shave in his own bathroom? He doesn’t have to get dressed and hop in the car. He can get up in the morning and start the day off with a deeply relaxing moment in his bathrobe. You can’t beat the perfect blend of convenience and luxury.
4. A Lather Brush and Bowl
A lather brush and bowl set is a great gift for a guy who already uses a warm lather machine, or a supplementary gift to accompany a warm lather machine. Lather is much easier to apply with a decent brush. Something with a wooden handle and natural bristles will hold up for years. They usually come with nice ceramic bowls that help to maintain the temperature of the lather while it’s being applied.
Lather brushes and bowls can technically be used with any kind of shaving cream or gel. Even if warm lather isn’t his thing, he still might appreciate the precision application of his favorite shaving product he can get when he chooses to brush it on, rather than swiping it on with his fingers.
5. A High-End Straight Razor
Most men use disposable razors or razors with refillable cartridges simply because they’re easier. They fall into the habit and keep purchasing them because they don’t realize they have other options. Straight razors are excellent gifts for so many reasons.
If the person you’re giving the gift to tries to be a little more eco-friendly, straight razors generate much less waste than plastic razors or disposable razors. Blades are replaced periodically, and that’s it. There’s no plastic sitting in a landfill.
Straight razors also allow for a much more precise shave. He can get closer to the skin and position his angle just right, picking up all the hair in a single pass and leaving behind a smooth and soft face. He might have to learn how to work with one if he’s never used a straight razor before, but once he’s mastered the art, he’ll never want to go back.
6. A Beard Grooming Kit
Beard maintenance is real work. A lot of people who don’t understand that will look at someone with a long beard and think exactly the opposite. They’ll get the impression that they allowed their beard to grow because it was easier than keeping up with the grooming work. Taking great care of a beard often takes longer than simply shaving it all down bare.
Sturdy combs, boar bristle brushes, oils, and pomades are all important tools for beard maintenance. Companies often bundle them all together in kits, sometimes with accessories like scissors and beard cleansers.
Men whose beards are here to stay go through these products rather quickly. Even if they already have a kit or two, they’ll always appreciate a spare that they can keep at work or the gym for on-the-go maintenance.
7. An Electric Multitool
Not every bit of facial hair responds well to traditional shaving methods. Electric multitools can help to complete the look. They often have attachments to tidy up sideburns, shape eyebrows, and trim nose hairs. A razor of any variety likely wouldn’t fare well under any of those scenarios. An electric multitool is perfect for tending to those specialized needs that give a good grooming session all of its finishing touches.
Conclusion
It’s almost impossible to go wrong with shaving stuff. Everyone needs it, and it’s a lot more special than other toiletries.
Shaving is a ritual. It’s a pampering experience that some men enjoy on a daily basis. For others, it’s a routine task that would be a lot more exciting if they loved the products they used. Show people how much you care about them by equipping them to care for themselves.
Sources:
https://www.self.com/story/sensitive-skin-tips
https://www.gq.com/story/how-to-shave-with-a-straight-razor
https://www.manscaped.com/blogs/grooming/why-you-need-to-trim-your-nose-hair