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The top 5 last-minute gifts under $500 you can get today

Last-minute gift ideas: Don't let procrastination keep you from being the best gift giver

Shot of a handsome young man getting ready for Christmas.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

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Let’s face it, if you’re anything like us, then 48 hours before Christmas morning means that you still have 36 hours to get off the couch and go shipping. Most people like to do their Christmas shopping in June and have all of it out of the way before the Labor Day Sales are even announced. But you? No. You’re like us. Nothing beats the pressure of the last-minute buy.

The moment of creative inspiration that 363 days of preparation couldn’t produce but flashes like lightning the day before you’re due to pass over the expertly wrapped gift. You may have to brave the weather, the parking lots, the crowds, and the heavy-sitting grease of the food court pizza, but here are five great gift ideas for the man who likes to wait for the last minute but look like he thought about it all year.

Manscaped Lawn Mower 4.0

We know what you’re thinking; this is only available online. Nope, Manscaped was the best online trimmer for men over the past few years, and they made it easier for us procrastinators to still gift it in the waning moments of the Christmas season. You can now get the complete line-up of Manscaped products, including the Lawn Mower 4.0, at Target.

Give the guy in your life the gift of grooming with the easiest, fastest, non-nickiest trimmer on the market. It is ergonomic, waterproof, and won’t cut anything that isn’t supposed to be cut. When you’re trimming your body below the neck, that seems important to us.

Manscaped Lawn Mower 4.0
Manscaped Lawn Mower 4.0
last minute gifts under 500 cole haan
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Cole Haan ZeroGrand

Blending the worlds of formal and casual is now slamming into the fashion world with full force thanks to the pandemic. While you could already see the trends moving away from suits and ties and towards the business casual dress codes, COVID-19 forcing us all to work from home got us used to sweats and t-shirts.

Of course, now that we’ve beaten the pandemic and measures have been put into place to make it safe for the office, we have to be adults and get dressed again. That doesn’t mean we can’t be comfortable when we begrudgingly return to the cubicle. These Cole Haan ZeroGrand dress sneakers blend the casual and dress world better than most. And they are on the shelf at your local Nordstrom.

Zerogrand Stitchlite Wing Oxford
Cole Haan ZeroGrand

Citizen Watch and Bracelet Set

Guys, we need to normalize getting more jewelry for Christmas, Birthdays, and Father’s Day (let’s start by retiring the novelty ties, shall we?). Watches are some of the best gifts a man can get. They are classy and fashionable and look amazing with any outfit. Of course, there are too many brands to choose from, and it’s easy to give up.

Lucky for you that the local Kay Jewelers has done the work for you by putting together this watch combination set with a complimenting bracelet. Combining style, fashion, and the luxury of Citizen will make you the new favorite relative/partner. You might even be allowed to go first in the eggnog line as a thank you.

Citizen Watch and Bracelet Set
Citizen Watch and Bracelet Set

Suede Moto Jacket

For most of you, it is probably cold outside right now. Nothing is better than getting a gift on Christmas morning that you can use right now. Outerwear is something a lot of men don’t shop for themselves very often. As a matter of fact, most of us put it off until we don’t have a choice.

This suede moto jacket from Express looks excellent right off the rack and will complement almost any ensemble your guy pairs it with. Not only that, but if you pick up a jacket that looks great, you can ensure they don’t have to shop for a coat for years.

Faux Suede Moto Jacket
Suede Moto Jacket
last minute gifts under 500 tom ford
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Tom Ford Oud Wood Cologne

Just like outerwear, most men don’t shop for cologne. Many of them wear whatever they are gifted. I mean, the people gifting it are the people that have to smell it, right? While we can go into a whole field of weeds talking about colognes and getting the right scent for you, Tom Ford has already done much of that work for us. This is one of his signature scents and is popular with men, women, and bosses. It might even get you out of a ticket while you speed home after Christmas with the in-laws.

Tom Ford Oud Wood Cologne
Tom Ford Oud Wood Cologne
Mark cut his teeth in the men’s style world when he sold suits first at box stores such as Men’s Wearhouse and Jos. A. Bank. He then spent time as a style consultant, where he helped men find the image they were looking for through tailoring and confidence-building. He thrived when he began diving into the psychology of men’s style, developing the mindset that fashion is what you wear and style is how you wear it. He transitioned into style journalism writing for Real Men, Real Style before finding a home with The Manual, where he broadened his scope to travel, grooming, and mindset (where you can find his work on Gent’s Cafe). He is also working on novels in the thriller genre (bang, bang shoot ’em ups inspired by Vince Flynn, Kyle Mills, Brad Thor, and Jack Carr). He is a huge movie buff, and you can find his work in that space on Looper. And if you ever run into him on the street, you’re likely going to get pulled into conversations about style, movies, or his fanatic romanticism of the game of baseball.   Read Full Bio
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