My Christmas gift ideas 2021 for him is here. In all honestly, Mr AMR chose a lot of this but I think that’s probably a good thing. I tend to find oddities such as “coasters that cost £71” and he finds coffee machines that look like a Makita drill… Remember to pass this guide on to anyone who might need some gift-buying inspiration!

Featured above:

top left DIESEL LIVING WITH SELETTI ‘Culture Skulture’ – Bison Skull. For those who want the ultimate mountain ranch aesthetic but aren’t keen on having an actual dead head on their wall. Just add cedar cladding and an open fire… Buy for £281 from Amara*.

Top middle TOM FORD – Floral Print Boxers. Excellent prints, just don’t let the dog chew them… Buy for £90 from Selfridges & Co*.

Far right MONKEY – 47 Schwarzwald Dry Gin. If you’re going to gift booze then make it special. I have it on good authority that this is a nice one and I find it very aesthetically pleasing. Buy for £35.40 from Amazon.

Bottom middle NATIVE UNION – Heritage Airpod Pro Case – Forest Green. Jazz up the Airpod case. Not sure whether this will make Airpods any less easy to lose – someone should make a GPS tracker for airpods! Buy for £40 from Amara*.

Bottom left JONATHAN ADLER – Full Dose Coaster – Set of 4. Yes this was one of my brilliant suggestions. Cue eye roll from Mr AMR, but lots of people are house proud and want cool stuff and like to set out coasters when they have visitors and… Buy for £71 from Amara*.

POLS POTTEN – Plate with Gun. When is a plate not a plate? When there’s no room for any food? I don’t know. Obviously this is art, darling. Buy for £100*.

JONATHAN ADLER – Rocket Vodka Decanter. I’m sure I’ve included these decanters from Jonathan Adler before – I think they’re a lot of fun. More ornament than decanter, because you wouldn’t want to drop this, but it would look excellent on a retro bar cart. Buy for £163 from Amara*.

FRED PERRY – M12 Twin-Tipped Shirt. I’m very into forest green at the moment, it’s a very smart kind of colour. And you can’t go wrong with a bit of Fred Perry – old school classics at reasonable prices. Price reduced from £85.00 to £59.50 from Liberty*.

CASA BUGATTI – Diva Coffee Machine – Orange. Go big or go home – you can’t get bolder than this Bugatti coffee machine. If you were ever looking for a centrepiece for the kitchen… Buy for £799 from Amara*.

Featured above, gifts for men who are ‘foodies’:

top left KAMADO JOE – Portable Charcoal Grill, Blaze Red. ’tis a good one. Great for camping enthusiasts, beach-BBQ-lovers and those who like to do a bit of al fresco cooking at home. It’s small and convenient enough to make it the sort of gadget that will get loads of use. Buy for £336.99 from Amazon.

Top middle MAKITA – Cordless Coffee Maker. Ah, the coffee maker disguised as a Makita drill. And it’s cordless – one for the camper who thinks he has everything. Buy for £56.95 from Amazon.

Far right STANLEY 1L Stainless Steel Thermos Flask. Can a flask look more rugged? Asking for a friend. Buy for £36.14 from Amazon.

Bottom middle PERFECTLY SALTED PORK CRACKLING 300g. This stocking filler is pretty self-explanatory and I have nothing to add. Don’t crack a molar. Buy for  £14.99 from Selfridges & Co.

Bottom left PSYCHO JUICE 70% – Ghost Pepper Hot Chilli Sauce. Now hot sauces are things I can get on board with: I love them! You can find some with brilliant names and labels but I liked Psycho Juice for its 90s slasher horror movie undertones. Buy for £7.45 from Amazon.

Featured above, gifts for men who are tech-lovers:

top left PHILIPS SONICARE – Advanced Whitening Toothbrush – Gum Pressure Sensor & Bluetooth. Sleek looks, amazing performance. It’s not the most glamorous sort of gift, but there’s a luxurious touch to this toothbrush. Buy for £89.99 from Amazon.

Top middle APPLE AIRPODS PRO – with MagSafe charging case (2021). I’ve waxed lyrical about these in the women’s gift guide: the noise cancelling element is just outstanding, especially if you’re trying to work from home and block out unwanted bustle. Buy for £189 from Amazon.

Far right DJI POCKET 2 CREATOR COMBO – 3 Axis Handheld Gimbal Stabilizer with 4K Camera. A tech pick from Mr AMR, this is one for enthusiastic film makers who’d like to produce smooth, professional content. Buy for £469 from Amazon.

Bottom middle TELESCOPIC LADDER. I said we needed a clever ladder in this guide. Something spacesaving that looked futuristic. Mr AMR was doubtful but then look: telescopic action and good looks. Buy for £78.99 from Amazon.

Bottom left LEDLENSER – Professional LED Torch, Black. Take it from a torch obsessive (Mr AMR, not me!): this is a nifty little number. Compact but with incredible range (apparently, I had started snoozing by this point) Lenser is a solid brand for, er, torches. Buy for £51.02 from Amazon.

MUCK BOOTS – Unisex Adults Derwent II Rain Boot. These boots mean business. Mr AMR has three different pairs and he is picky as you like when it comes to wellies. They keep your feet slightly warmer than other brands when it’s chilly and they’re incredibly durable. Oh and comfy! With bouncy soles and a good lining. Buy for £109.99 from Amazon.

Featured above, gifts for the home:

left KLEVERING Purfect Orange Mirror. I had no idea what this was when I looked back at the photo! A mirror. It’s a mirror. I think I chose it because the colour matched the coffee machine. Well, at least I’m honest… Buy for £28 from Liberty*.

Right PRICKLDN Stetsonia Coryne £10 for plant (pot sold separately). Prick is a great plant shop in London with a massive selection of cacti, some hilariously phallic. I almost think it’s the rule that you have to buy one that looks like a spiky penis when you’re shopping at a shop called Prick, but maybe that’s just me. Buy from Prickldn.

LIBERTY Thorpe Tana Lawn Cotton Pyjama Set. I know you’re thinking that this has crept in from the women’s guide but you’d be wrong. The cut is different. And I will not apologise for my Liberty print obsession… Price reduced from £225.00 to £180.00*.

ASSOULINE French Riviera Book. My “books and chocolate” guide will be out soon. Mostly smaller (far less expensive!) picks in that, but if you wanted to splash out on something more special for a posh coffee table then Assouline is your brand. Buy for £150 from Amara*.

Featured above, gifts for men who love their tools:

left TOOENJOY Car Door Step – Easy Access to Car Roof. This is genius! Take a look at the link to see how it works, but it will honestly intrigue and delight anyone who loves faffing with gadgets. It’s an instant step so that you can reach up high onto the car roof, maybe to pack a roof box or secure a surf board. It’s a practical person’s joy. Buy for £45.99 from Amazon.

Right GERBER DIME Mini Multi Tool – Black. Toolkit in your pocket, anyone? Buy for £39 from Amazon.

BOND – Photographed by Terry O’Neill – The Definitive Collection Hardcover. Again, book post coming soon but this is a cool (and relatively inexpensive) buy for Bond-lovers and photography fans. Buy for £35.45 from Amazon.

Read my Ultimate Christmas Gift Guide For Women | 2021

The post Christmas Gift Ideas for Him | 2021 appeared first on Ruth Crilly.

The quarterly, seasonal peep into my makeup bag with all of its wondrous contents. And what a makeup bag it is! How had I not heard of the Flat Lay Co? Or seen this type of makeup bag before? It’s utterly genius! If you, like me, don’t have a permanent, dedicated place to do your makeup then you probably have a large toiletries bag that you tip out onto the bed or rug or car seat or bathroom unit every morning and then pack it all up again once you’ve finished.

What a frustrating waste of time.

And you have to tip it all out because otherwise you can’t ever find that once tiny, elusive thing that you always need, whether it’s a Q-Tip or a hair grip or a pair of needle-sharp tweezers for getting rid of your chin hairs. Well begone, frustration, for the Flat Lay bag simply spreads out all of your wares quickly and easily and, with the pull of the cord, gathers them all back up again once you’re done.

I discovered this absolute game-changer through Emily Johnston on Instagram – I’d clicked and ordered a leopard print version within around twenty seconds! You can find loads of versions of it on ASOS here* and FeelUnique here*. Oh my God, I’ve just seen the tiger one*! Why didn’t I buy the tiger one?

Sorry, lots of exclamation marks already in this post and I like to limit my displays of enthusiasm – I’ll move to deadpan mode now. Do take a look at the nifty makeup/toiletries bags from Flat Lay though, I’m so pleased with mine. And may just be about to order the one with the tigers…

So what’s in the bag? A couple of usual suspects, including the Code8 Radiate Balm* and Chanel’s excellent Les Beiges foundation*, but then a brand new bronzer discovery (I test it for the first time in the video) and another appearance from my latest mascara love. Two absolutely brilliant cream makeup products too: Trinny London’s eye2eye shadow* and Beauty Pie’s cream blush*. I cannot recommend these enough; both are soft and forgiving in texture, don’t crease or sit in lines, feel comfortable on the skin and last all day.

The Trinny shadow I show in the video is in “Fortune”, but there are so many flattering shades that it’s hard to really pick one. I like the versions with a little sheen and sparkle rather than the matte, because in one swipe they illuminate and sort of sculpt the lids and application skill needed is really very minimal. You can find the cream shadows online here* – they’re £18 and a makeup bag staple.

The cream blush in Freshfaced could be one of my all time favourite blushers; a soft, cloudy cream it works just as well applied sparingly with a small brush as it does smoothed on with fingertips. Both give a beautiful wash of bright but light coral-pink blush and it’s the most amazing antidote to tired-looking skin. There are a few shades if this one wouldn’t be right for you – you can find them all online here*. Remember to use the code RUTHSENTME for an extra £50 spending allowance* if you’re thinking of signing up to Beauty Pie – the code (and my relationship) is ongoing. The members’ price for the cream blushers is £7.32.

Watch the video to see the rest of the products in action – there’s also a spoiler list of what I’ve used further down the page. Enjoy, especially the bonus red lip at the end…

Flatlay Bags at ASOS*: https://bit.ly/3o1UwWh

Code Eight Radiate Balm (this was in W20)*: https://bit.ly/3o39fQA

Chanel Les Beiges Foundation in B30*: https://bit.ly/3i9DjqN

Hourglass Vanish Concealer*: https://bit.ly/3xZ37xs

Chantecaille Face Powder Brush*: https://bit.ly/2SF8hfq

Marc Jacobs Bronzer in 104 Tan-Tastic*: https://bit.ly/2QZnwlv

Trinny Shadow in Fortune*: https://bit.ly/33wuLUw

Kevyn Aucoin Mascara*: https://bit.ly/3xuA30D

Benefit Gimme Brow in 01*: https://bit.ly/3nN0WYY

Beauty Pie Cream Blush in Freshfaced* – get an extra £50 spending allowance at Beauty Pie with the code RUTHSENTME: https://bit.ly/3ezNTan

Clinique Lipliner Intense shade 01 Sassafrass*: https://bit.ly/3eyNk0L

Bloom and Blossom Lip Balm*: https://bit.ly/33hSHuI

Tom Ford Lipstick in Neotropic*: https://bit.ly/2RE85yT

The post What’s In My Makeup Bag? Spring 2021 appeared first on A Model Recommends.