Men are tricky. For any given holiday where gifts are socially appropriate, they’re virtually trained to say one of the following: A) I don’t want anything. B) Just buy me socks. and/or C) Anything edible. However, when the heart-wrenching, childish looks of disappointment paint their faces as they peruse their Facebook feed, you can’t help but feel bad… and feel like an inadequate gift giver. My dad is notorious for just plain not liking the gifts I give him– regardless of the cost, the thoughtfulness put into the gift, or the creativity; we just don’t click on a mutually gratifying gift giving level. Therefore, this year I’ve committed to getting him something he simply cannot dislike: manly hair maintenance and styling products that smell awesome from Old Spice. Sure, I may face immediate resistance, but I know he’ll never buy them for himself, and he’ll end up thanking me when all of his patients compliment his manly new smell and freshly molded hair style.

Old Spice styling products deliver awesome looking hair with the least amount of effort, which is key for men. Since my last attempt to give my dad a sentimental gift {in the form of a candle} resorted in, “Is this a joke?”, my dad and brothers now only receive what I consider to be the manliest of gifts. Think swords, bullets, and body care. For my dad’s most recent Manly Man Gift Basket, which could easily double as a birthday or Father’s Day gift, I rounded up five Old Spice styling products that offer an idiot-proof description and visual silhouette on the packing to help educate him, as well as the rest of his gender, about the styler that best fits their specific hair type.

The Old Spice must-haves for men, especial for creating a well-rounded Manly Man Gift Basket, are:

1. Deadlock Spiking Glue that gives the perfect amount of hold and shine for those masculine muscle men who want their hair’s hold to reflect their body strength. | 2. Cruise Control Forming Crème for natural hold and shine. Best for those guys who just don’t care and under no circumstances can look like they’re trying hard. | 3. Forge Molding Putty to get a high hold and matte finish for those mohawk-loving dudes that need sturdy and shapeable hair. | 4. Unruly Texturing Paste for a medium hold and textured finish for rocking playfully tousled hair. | 5. Spiffy Sculpting Pomade, which gives moderate hold with a matte finish, for hair’ that’s reworkable– again and again. Obviously ideal for those who aren’t fond of washing their hair (gross). 

Oh, and in addition to styling products,  you can’t go wrong with including a solid hair care product lineup in your package. Men, aside from what their stylist at Hair Cuttery recommends, have no idea what to buy, so nudging them in a particular direction via the art of a crafty and subtle Manly Man Gift Basket is never a bad thing.

Old Spice shampoos and conditioners are specifically formulated for guys with differing hair types and feature easy 2-in-1 shampoo and conditioners in some of the brand’s most popular scents. My personal favorites? Timber 2-in-1 shampoo and conditioner smells like forests and nobility; the staples of a Ron Burgundy-level gentlemen, and Swagger 2-in-1 shampoo and conditioner in one of the brand’s three most popular, subtle yet supremely confident scents.

And since this particular approach has been a sure-fire gift pleaser even in the midst of my hard-to-please male circle (there are too many men in my family), Old Spice has graciously offered to give away a free Old Spice Manly Man Gift Basket– or any occasion gift basket, really– to one of you guys! Enter via the Gleam widget below. Giveaway ends Wednesday, July 8th at midnight, so in the event that you’ll be gifting to your dad, you can personalize or design it however you see fit! A basket and confetti go a long way.

Old Spice Manly Man Gift Basket Giveaway

Good luck, loves!

^{Thank you, Old Spice, for sponsoring this post.}