Gift Guide- Dunhill

It's now less than two weeks to Christmas and if you're anything like me you may have left the hardest people to buy for last on your list. Here are a few more gift ideas for the men in your life, all of the items shown below are from the classic Men's brand Dunhill. 

 

All of these gifts are based on what I have heard the men in my life say that they would like to receive as gifts. My little brother is constantly talking about how much he wants his own lighter even though he doesn't smoke and a nice fountain pen for school. This Turbo Wood Lighter is a great gift for the man who aspires to be one of the Sterling Cooper Draper Price boys on Mad Men. I am a huge lover of stationary, speciafically pens. I adore fountain pens and used one all through school as it was easier on my fingers than a ball point. I'm sure this beautiful Sentryman Black Resin Fountain Pen would be a dream to write with and I can imagine it might make writing those long essays a bit more bearable for my brother, or anyone who does a lot of writing in their daily life. 

This gorgeous Tan Leather Ipad Case is the perfect accessory for the man who is into his gadgets. If you're carrying around an expensive ipad, you might as well have the best cover to go with it. 

Another scarf you say? You may have noticed my obsession. I love buying people scarves because I love them, I always find it easier to shop for people when I'm interested in what shopping for. This Block Stripe Scarf is yet another men's scarf that I would love myself. The colour palette of tan, navy and grey makes it so versatile and the fact that it's 100% cashmere gives it that little bit of luxury and cosiness on those freezing Winter days in December and January. A perfect accompaniment to the scarf would be these Club Dark Havana Sunglasses for those bright days in Winter when the sun is low in the sky. 

Lastly is this set of Mini Stereo Speakers in their own case. These can link to Smart Phones, mp3 players and laptops and they have a rechargeable internal battery. I think they are amazing and I kind of want them myself.

I hope these gift guides have been helpful! I've definitely gotten a lot of ideas while researching for them.

Emma x

***This post was written on behalf of dunhill.co.uk.

Gift Guide- Jules B

Today I have another gift guide for you from Julesb.co.uk. If there was nothing that caught your eye in the last gift guide, you might like some of the lovely things in this one. 

If you're really stuck for gift ideas for the woman in your life just get her a nice candle. I have one burning every single night during the Winter. It immediately adds a cosy feeling to the room. This Nicole Fahri candle might seem a bit expensive for a candle, but think how impressed she'll be when she sees it's a designer candle! 

I was looking through the homeware on the site and came across FS Home Collections. I really love their cushions. These are definitely a gift for someone who likes something a bit different. If your friend or sister likes Marilyn Monroe, Audrey Hepburn, Dogs, Bears or Zebras, these cushions would be the perfect gift. I love this Greta Garbo one. 

I love this bracelet from Nouv-elle. If you want to get her jewellery but you're unsure if she prefers silver or gold then this is a great idea since it has both. 

Like I said in my previous gift guide, every woman needs a pair of Winter gloves so what better present to get her than a gorgeous leather pair from Vivienne Westwood. These won't be to everyone's taste but if you're feeling brave these would make an amazing present. If you're feeling extra brave, they also come in a red/pink combination. 

You all probably know by now how much I love sunglasses and these ones from Retro Super Future are such a universally flattering shape. 

Have you got all your Christmas shopping done yet?

Emma x

***This post was written on behalf on JulesB.co.uk

Gift Guide- Cruise Fashion

Since I put together a Gift Guide for Men, I felt it was only right to do the same for the Ladies. I found lot's of goodies on cruisefashion.co.uk that I thought would be great Christmas presents. 

If you have been reading blogs for the past few years you'll probably know that everyone seems to be obsessed with Michael Kors, more specifically his bags and watches. There are some gorgeous gold, silver and rose gold watches on the site but this Tortoise one is my absolute favourite of his watches. If you know someone really well, a watch is a great present, but be careful to pick something you know the person will love because it could be easy to get it wrong.

Let's face it, women love shoes, and I don't know who anyone could not love these Sam Edelman ankle boots. I adore these, they are the perfect winter shoe and would really go with anything. 

Gloves, another present that's hard to get wrong. If you know someone's style well and want to treat them to something they probably would never get for themselves I really think these Ted Baker fur lines gloves would make such a great present. Everyone needs gloves for Winter, but these are just a bit more special than your average pair and will last you for years.

Another item that every woman needs is a make up bag. Most women I know would never spend too much on a make up bag, so to get a really gorgeous designer make up bag like this Anya Hindmarch one would be a real treat. It's the perfect size for keeping in your bag to bring to college or work or for a weekend away. 

Lastly, this scarf is for someone who is really into bright colours and loves beautiful accessories. This silk Sonia by Sonia Rykiel scarf is so beautiful and would be the perfect accompaniment to brighten up a Winter outfit or to wear on Christmas day. 

What do you think? Are there any of my choices that you would like to receive as a gift?

Emma x

Gift Guide- Why Not Ask Her Friends?

It's now just 5 weeks to Christmas and let's face it, there's always at least one person on our gift buying list who we struggle to come up with ideas for every year. I find that if you don't know someone very well or don't get to spend a lot of time with them, it's much more difficult to come up with gift ideas for them. Whether it's an aunt, brother, mother-in-law, grandmother, father or sister sometimes we just need some inspiration instead of getting them the same boring present we get them every year.

So when I heard about Ask Her Friends, a site that helps you to find the perfect gift for the women in your life I was intrigued to see if it would actually help to give me gift ideas. Ask Her Friends was founded by a man who once bought his ex-girlfriend a worm farm and I don't think he is the only one guilty of giving bad presents.

I decided to try out the Idea Map with the answers relating to my mother and I was actually quite surprised to see the results it gave. There were some really great ideas that I don't think I ever would have thought of including a gorgeous mirror and a magazine subscription. Donnacha also tried it out answering questions about me and found a few things he thought I would really like. You just follow the steps answering questions about the person you are looking to buy a present for and it gives you ideas according to your budget.  

One thing that really struck me about the Idea Map was asking yourself what life changes has the person gone through recently. Have they lost their job or gotten a new job? Have they recently moved house or had a baby or gotten married? It got me thinking outside the box and considering new possibilities. 

You can also search by budget and by category so if you have a general idea of how much you can afford to spend and the kind of present you want, maybe you heard the person say they wanted some new make up or homeware, you can search for ideas under those categories. 

I decided to show you some of my picks from the site for between £5 and £50 since most people have had to cut back on gifts in recent years, this shows the variety of gifts you can find for a small to medium budget.

Maybe you've gotten you mam or sister or girlfriend some perfume and you want to get her some other smaller presents too, then this perfume atomiser is a great present for under £10 because it allows her to dispense the perfume into a more handbag friendly container. 

I just love this chalk photo frame! I would love this as a gift and there are a few people I know would love it too. It's such a great change from an ordinary photo frame. I love giving photos as gifts, it's something I think everyone likes to get. There's lot of other great gift ideas on the Dutch by Design site, especially for anyone who is newly married or has just moved house. 

If you really can't think of anything to buy for someone, why not get them your favourite show on DVD. Something like Breaking Bad, Mad Men or Homeland. Great shows that they can watch through on a DVD box-set over Christmas. I really want to see the recent BBC drama series The Hour. Amazon have some great deals on at the moment and you could get most of your shopping done without even having to step outside into the cold! 

This Retro Sweet Box could be a really great gift for your younger brother or sister (although I'd love it too).  

These next two things would be great for the woman in your life that's make up and skincare obsessed. If you know they love make up but you have no idea where to start. This Nails Inc minis set is great because you have lots of different colours so you don't have to choose the colour, they get to decide themselves!

Like with the Nail polishes, this GlossyBox subscription is perfect for when you know what the person's interests are but you haven't a clue about those interests yourself. This is the more modern version of a magazine subscription and let's them try out loads of new products each month. I can't think of any woman who wouldn't love to receive this present. 

There is also a great blog on the site which discusses gift ideas and new online shops that you may not have heard of as well as a James Bond themed gift guide and a giveaway. One of my favourite parts of the site however is a section where women have shared stories of the best and worst presents they have received. This is a really great place to get ideas of what she'll like and what she really won't like! It's definitely worth a read if you're looking for good advice from real women, there are some really great ideas if you have a read through them.

What do you think? Would you try out this site or one like it? All we need now is a site like this for the men in our lives!

Check out the AskHerFriends Facebook Page for more regular updates.

Emma x

***Disclaimer- I was compensated for writing this post, however all opinions are honest and my own. It's a great site!

Gift Guide- Tartan, Leather and Tweed

I know I'm not the only one who finds it difficult to come up with gift ideas for the men in my life, I always struggle when it comes to buying presents for my brothers, dad and grandad. I wanted to put together a little Men's Gift Guide with something in it for every age and every budget.

Okay so you may be thinking "socks? seriously?" but let me finish, these socks are Ted Baker socks and they are in a nice gift box. If you are going to buy someone the most mundane of presents at least get them ones that are in a fancy box.

This Tartan Barbour Scarf and these Ted Baker Sheepskin Gloves, like the socks, are a bit more practical because they will keep you warm and cosy but they are also quite stylish. To be honest, I love this scarf and I will totally be adding it to my Christmas list!

The Ted Baker Notebook and Dubarry Leather Wallet were chosen inspired by the men in my life. I know a few guys who carry around notebooks to write down ideas at a moment's notice and what better to store you thoughts in than this graphic fly print sturdy notebook. I've also seen way too many wallets that are falling apart so this durable walnut leather wallet would be the perfect gift for someone who is constantly losing change from all the holes in their wallet.

Lastly, another gift I would also love to receive is this Joules Hip Flask with tweed and leather trim. It would be the perfect gift for any wannabe Don Draper.

So what do you think of my picks? Have you any ideas for gifts for men?

Emma x

*** This post was written on behalf of Number Eight Clothing. 

Gift Guide- Silver and Gold

I picked out some of my favourite items from British Designer Jewellery site Wharton Goldsmith and put together a Christmas gift guide of sorts.

The watch is from Juicy Couture and although it's not a brand I'm usually attracted to, I adore the simplicity of this gold plated watch. Watches are always a great gift to get because it's something you don't tend to buy for yourself, my sister and I got one for my Dad for his birthday this year because his last one was broken and he never bought a new one. This one is great because it's a classic design that's never going to be out of style.

The Ring and Earrings are from Linda MacDonald, a brand I admit I had never heard of before, but I really liked how simple but cute these pieces are. I love Daisys, they are probably one of my favourite flowers and I think these would make a great present for someone who loves flowers, especially daisies. I could totally see myself wearing both of these pieces to death.

The Infinity Ring and Silver Charm Bracelet from Links of London are a bit more expensive, but if you have the budget, they would make a great gift for someone who likes classic pieces of jewellery that will last for years and that they can wear with almost everything. I think the ring would make a really great alternative (and budget friendly) engagement/wedding ring. Links of London also so charms for the silver bracelet so you could customise it depending on the person's style.

The Trollbeads bracelet comes in both gold and silver and you can add your own charms and beads depending on who you are buying it for. I'm not a huge fan of the charm bracelet trend but I think it's really nice with maybe one of two simple charms so you don't feel like you've got the kitchen sink on your wrist.

What do you think? Is jewellery a gift you would like to receive or give to someone?

Emma x

***This post was written on behalf of Wharton Goldsmith.