Giving presents is a great thing. Giving presents when you know you’ll get to enjoy them too is even better. Whether it’s the meal kit from their favourite restaurant that you’ll also get to tuck into, the designer jumper they might let you borrow occasionally, or the fancy multigroomer that protects you from tache rash, smart gifters choose presents with benefits.
Here are eight gifts that are secretly for you too. Because sharing is caring.
Nespresso The WFH coffee machine
If they’re still dividing their work week between the office and home, then a decent coffee machine is pretty much essential. Buy them a stylish pod machine, such as the Nespresso Vertuo Next Coffee Maker, and you’re also securing your own steady caffeine supply, whether you live together or just want to know you’ll get a decent latte when you stay over.
If you’ve ever queued on a cold, rainy Sunday morning for Dishoom’s famous brunch with its signature naan rolls, then you’ll know what all the fuss is about. Skip the queue and order one of the restaurant’s meal kits to make at home instead. Choose between the bacon or vegan sausage breakfast naan or the delicious biryani feast. It’s up to you whether you do the cooking or let your other half be chef, but either way, you’re their plus one.
If bae loves a close shave, or they want to cultivate a hipster beard to go with their love of IPA, treat them to the slick Wahl Stainless Steel 11-in-1 Multigroomer. Used by professional barbers and rated the ‘best long-lasting groomer’ by Esquire, it can do full haircuts, beard grooming, body grooming, or an ultra-close detail shave. Basically, it has everything your significant other needs to stay groomed and gorgeous. (And if you need to use it to remove those random toe hairs, that’s okay too.)
One of the under-appreciated benefits of being in a relationship is that you sometimes get to raid their wardrobe. Treat them to this oversized jacquard jumper and not only can it do smart-casual, but you might get to borrow it for the odd lazy brunch.
Buy them a Nintendo Switch Lite and they’ll love you forever: isn’t that the saying? The handheld gadget is perfect for all those plane trips you’ll be taking next year and if you’ve bought it for them, they’ll be required to share. Which means you get to play that game with the goose that goes around annoying farmers for no reason. When you know, you know.
Escentric Molecules The custom fragrance
You may have heard people talking about this cult fragrance. Based around a single note (Iso E Super), it’s designed to react to the wearer’s natural pheromones to create a scent that’s totally unique. Which also means that if you happen to treat yourself to a spritz in the morning, it will smell completely different.
Get them in the mood for romance with Natasha Lunn’s Conversations on Love, where she looks at love in all its forms: romantic, plutonic, familial, unrequited and lost, with the help of writers including Dolly Alderton, Juno Dawson and Candice Carty-Williams. Even better, you can read it when they’re done.
Wahl's mix of stylish multigroomers and precision stubble and beard trimmers will help even the laziest lumberjacks get back into shape after lockdown. Buy them this sleek Stainless Steel Face and Body Grooming Gift Set, which comes with some gentle moisturising beard oil, and you won’t have to worry about tache rash or beard burn ever again.
Give them the gift of grooming this Christmas with Wahl’s range of beard and body trimmers
Alison is head of content for the Good Housekeeping Institute, responsible for product reviews across homes, beauty, wellness, family and food & drink. She lives by the William Morris quote that you should “have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful.”
Alison has over 15 years' experience as a lifestyle editor and has written features on everything from misophonia to how to dress like Claudia on The Traitors. She has also interviewed everyone from Dame Joanna Lumley to the Kardashians.
In her spare time, you'll find her hanging out with Monty the cocker spaniel and refreshing the Sezane website every five seconds.
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