Last-minute Christmas gift guide for men - tried and tested

There are plenty of gifts out there for the men in your life - from the totally useful to the utterly wacky.

Have a Very PERi Christmas - six pack - £9.95 - https://www.nandos.co.uk/eat/products - 5/5

This delicious sauce set is perfect for those who like to spice up their life.

It's not just for those who like it hot either, as a range of flavours are available in the customisable set - lemon and herb, mango and lime, garlic, medium, hot and extra hot.

These sauces are great as marinades, or for sauces with hot or cold food.

For £9.95 we thought this present was excellent - packaged in a stunning box and suitable for such a broad audience. After all, who doesn't like food??

Man's Stuff Six Pack - Technic, £5 from Tofs

3 out of 5

I gave my partner, who is a harsh critic when it comes to health and beauty products, this kooky men's product to try. It includes everything you need - face and body products in the discrete outfit of a six pack of beers, if you don't want your friends to know you want to smell nice.

The face scrub works expertly to leave your skin a smooth surface before applying the face lotion for an immediate tight and fresh feeling.

All of the bottles have a non-perfumed, natural scent that feels light on the skin and is ideal for those with sensitive skin.

The body scrub, shower gel and body wash aim to do the same thing, but with one small problem - there just simply isn't enough in the bottles to wash a fully grown man.

Despite this, the Man's Stuff Six Pack is a perfect little gift to put a smile on the recipients face.

The Man's Stuff Six Pack from Technic is available on offer for £5 from Tofs.

BRYT Skincare – Boys Cleanser Foaming Facial Cleanser – £12.99 from www.brytskincare.co.uk – 2/5

Confusion surrounds a lot of this product, mainly what it is supposed to be doing and, indeed, how you do it.

You follow the instructions on the side, 'pump a walnut sized amount' into your hand. Rub gently on your face and then massage in. But, it barely seems to last long enough to do this. It vanishes from your skin almost immediately, leaving very little trace of what just existed and the skin feels untouched.

The packaging suggests using a mitt to exfoliate, two in fact (for hygiene reasons apparently), so perhaps it would make more sense if one was to hand.

As it is, it can only feel like you are rubbing oxygen into your face and that not only are you gaining little from the experience, but you also feel like a right prat doing so.

BRYT Skincare – Boys Wash Hair & Body - £14.50 from www.brytskincare.co.uk - 5/5

You know that feeling when a smell associates to some time in your life you remember being really happy and excited?

Well this is what happens with this oil-based wash that uses 'Phytoscience' to cleanse, nourish and protect the skin upon leaving its capsule. Using this particular product, upon pouring the gel into your hand you are immediately hit by a smell resembling that of walking into a leisure centre as a child.

Far from recoiling, it immediately brings back that feeling of excitement at throwing yourself down the slides at what feels like 100mph.

The experience doesn't stop there either, as the product does leave your skin feeling fresh and well-cleansed giving you an extra spring in your step as you tackle yet another day in the office.

While there may be a range of options on the market to use in your hygiene regime, few have ever left me feeling quite as empowered upon drying.

> Those looking for a full Bryt set, can purchase the full gift set for £65 from www.brytskincare.com

Bulldog Shaving Kit - £15 from Boots - 4/5

Ironically for a Christmas gift, the best thing about Bulldog's original shave cream is that it doesn't give you a face like Father Christmas after you rub the cream onto your muzzly chops.

Almost all shave foams leave far too much excess product to sear your razor through and can make shaving a far more awkward (and messy) process than it needs to be.

But this was an easy and comfortable shave that left next-to-no irritation afterwards. That'll be all that aloe vera and camelina oil then.

The aftershave balm smells good and feels natural. Exactly what you want.

There are a plethora of shaving firms that all claim to top each other but for me Bulldog is just about the best out there.

Help For Heroes Xtreme Secret Atomiser Pen - £20 from www.shop.helpforheroes.org.uk - 5/5

This gift is perfect for any chap who fancies himself as a man of mystery - or just a gadget geek.

It is an attractive silver pen, which has a secret compartment in the top, inside which fits a small atomiser filled with Help For Heroes' fragrance Extreme.

The Xtreme cologne itself is lovely too - a rugged smell infused with hot spice, smoky woods, amber and black leather. It also has a hint of lemon and basil, giving it an added freshness. And, though the atomiser contains just 3ml of cologne, the Xtreme fragrance is available for purchase from the Help For Heroes website at £30 - and a small pipette which comes with the set makes the atomiser easy to fill.

The scent was actually designed by five ex-servicemen.

Better yet, at least £2 from the sale of every pen goes back to the charity - so what's not to love?

Ralph Lauren Big Pony Wool-Blend Scarf - £65 from House Of Fraser or from here - 2/5

This large black scarf is very attractive, with an under-stated and sophisticated logo of the trademark Ralph Lauren Polo pony - perfect for the men in your life who love a good designer.

It is very warm and thick, however the material was found to be very itchy and uncomfortable to wear against the skin on the neck. So maybe this would be best suited to those without sensitive skin.

The material is what let the product down for me - and, at £65, it's hardly a bargain.

Lovely looking scarf - but not as practical as we had hoped.

National Trust Double Gift Set with Rigger Gloves - £24.99 from www.buydirect4u.co.uk - 4/5

This gift set is absolutely perfect for the keen gardener and those with a love of the outdoors.

It is an attractive set, which contains a hand fork, hand trowel and a pair of soft cotton gardening gloves. The rigger gloves have a double stitched palm and fingertip panels that protect the hand reducing the risk of injury. They're soft and thick too, proving to be both practical and comfortable - aided by the soft fleece lining on the palm.

The National Trust also claims the gloves have an open cuff and ergonomic wing thumb help reduce hand fatigue - though at this time of year, this was difficult to test, given the wetness of the garden.

The tools included are also made of what appears to be high quality stainless steel - so will more than likely also be a present which lasts.

Maui Jim Mavericks Aviator sunglasses - £235 from www.uk.mauijim.com - 4/5

These sunglasses, though perhaps a little over-budget for many, are absolutely stunning.

The lenses are made from a blue mirror coating, which looks fabulous - and the aviator style makes them a timeless fashion statement.

The lens material is MauiPure, which the firm says the lightest weight choice for long days in the sun. This is incredibly beneficial for summers or holidays, as they are so light it could be easy to forget you were even wearing them.

Despite this, the lenses provide a lovely clear and crisp filter - enhanced by the company's PolarizedPlus2®, which uses color-infused lens technology that wipes out 99.9% of glare, 100% harmful UV and boosts color via specially designed lens treatments.

A real treat for the fashion-conscious man in your life - particularly if they're into their designers.

The only reason this product was given 4/5 was because of the price - but with the price comes the expected quality.

Star Wars Deathstar Colour-Changing LED Light - £6.99 from Debenhams or B&Q - 3/5

This battery-operated light is a perfect stocking filler for any Star Wars and scifi fans - young and old.

The detail on the small light is impressive and, though the light it gives off is relatively weak, the colour changing feature makes it a lovely nightlight or atmospheric light for an evening in front of the TV.

For £6.99, however, I would have liked to have seen the lamp give off more light. The product itself is also rather small.

It stands alone though, which takes away any need to fit the light or organise a stand.

DC Comics The Joker Poker Set - £11.99 - www.paladoneshop.com - 5/5

This quirky set is the perfect stocking filler for comic and gambling fans alike.

The gift is packaged in a stunning black metal box, decorated with clubs, diamonds, spades and hearts - with a picture of Batman's most notorious nemesis on the front.

This superb design is carried through - and sees each of the six different chip types decorated with The Joker's face.

The cards themselves are stunning too, with suitably dark colour schemes and the words Ho! and Ha! forming the background.

A wonderful, unusual gift - and great value for money.

DC Comics Batman Hero Light - £19.99 - www.paladoneshop.com - 4/5

This light is unusual in design, as it is made up of a laser-etched acrylic Batman with a base that can be powered either by battery or micro USB.

We loved this option, as we're forever running out of batteries - and it makes the lamp perfect for a desk light. Given the product costs nearly £20 we would have liked the USB port to have provided a charging option.

Though the light isn't too bright, the design itself is very visually pleasing due to the level of detail on the acrylic.

This would make a great feature light in a bedroom or games room - or indeed a night light for a little Batman fan.

A great gift.

See a video of the light here:

Noki Viking Egg Cup and Toast Cutter - £6.99 - www.paladoneshop.com - 4/5

This quirky gift is the perfect nutty stocking filler for those with a sense of humour - especially if the man in your life fancies himself as a bit of a Viking.

The cup itself is decorated like the body of a Viking, complete with an axe in its hand and a horned helmet to place on top of the egg.

It also comes with a toast cutter, enabling breakfast conquerors to dip toast shaped like axes, daggers and blades into their yolky snack.

The only reason this was given 4/5 instead of full marks is due to the price, which we felt may be a tad steep. It's so unusual though; I'd buy it.