Since I have been working here at Escentual, I have been told in no uncertain terms that I am not allowed to leave by my family! Such is their love for the presents they get – along with all of the beauty and grooming advice I can now provide. Not that I can complain, I always used to struggle with gifting ideas (especially for the females in my life), however I now have a plethora of ideas right under my nose! So here are my musings for this year…

Sister and Brother-in-Law
These are the easiest two members of the family, Sarah provides me with a list of fragrances as long as my arm that she loves herself and loves on her man. For herself she tends to go for light delicate fragrances for daily use, such as Issey Miyake L’Eau d’Issey or the soft, spicy florals of Paco Rabanne Ultraviolet. Then in the evening she loves a deeper, richer scent that gives a more sensual feeling. Dior Pure Poison has been a long-term favourite, but this year I was thinking of giving her something new – Nuit pour Femme by Hugo Boss. It has lots of similar notes to her other favourites, with extra depth in the base that that I hope she will love. If not a fragrance, I know I cannot go wrong with some sweet smelling shampoo – Tigi always goes down a treat. Or perhaps a delicate eyeshadow palette , nothing too garish, just nice pastel colours. Dior or Clarins will always be well received. As for my brother-in-law, he has pretty similar tastes to me in fragrance, enjoying Jean Paul Gaultier Le Male amongst others. However he normally goes for lighter, fresher scents whereas I normally edge toward the spicy. This year I was thinking of going for something different, maybe a bit bolder, like Diesel Only The Brave.

Dad
Well getting a gift for my dad always provides a difficult theorem. I mean what do you get for the man who doesn’t want a gift? The mind discombobulates. Well I normally start by thinking about what things he likes in his life. Firstly, he loves being outdoors – be it out with the dogs on the moors, or in the garden pottering about, so I can’t really go wrong with part of the Crabtree &Evelyn Gardeners range. Even manly hands need caring for! I think this year I will go for the Hand Scrub, probably the least threatening to his manhood and it will help him clean and care for those worn, mistreated hands.

Gran
Last year I got my Gran the Marc Jacobs Daisy Eau de Parfum in its limited edition Silver bottle and I could not have got it more right, she is still talking about it now. I hear at length how her friends are always complimenting her so I have a lot to live up to this year. I know I can’t go wrong with a rich floral so I am thinking along the lines of Miss Dior Eau Fraiche or Givenchy Organza hopefully their floral undertones can live up to the Daisy! I always like to get her a little something extra as she has always been there for me through a lot of difficult times, so a pampering treat is a must! I am thinking of going for something to pamper her feet this time around – Crabtree and Evelyn’s La Source foot care range have some great options like the Sea Salt Foot Soak or the Reviving Mist but I think I am going to go for the Warming Foot Smoother, to help relax and warm her toes on those cold winter nights – you never know, the massaging effect may even prevent gout in her old age.

Nephews
These two are my favourite to buy for, obviously I have to move outside of the comfort of the work place as Jack is 6 months old and Luke is 5 and a half years old. With Jack I have to go for something bright, colourful and noisy – preferably without an off switch. I can cope for the few days over the Christmas period I get to see the family (it is never enough), but it has to entertain my sister all year round :). As for Luke, my inner child comes out and I gift him all the things I wanted at that age but could never get. Well now I get to be cool uncle Matthew, not just a human climbing frame but the giver of great gifts, ranging from Scaletrix, to Lego batman and this year maybe just maybe an Nerf gun (or 2 – I will need one to fight back with)! May have to get permission for that one first!