Go small and beautiful with these little gifts that will put a smile on any man's face.

Sometimes it’s the little things that make the biggest difference. This is a sentiment that should be remembered as we enter the business end of the gift-buying season, especially when you’re pulling together presents for those you love the most (or at least want to impress). There is a skill to bearing well-received gifts. The first thing to address is the main present. This is the big-ticket item that absolutely, in no uncertain terms, has to go down well. So much pressure is riding on this that you may well want to ditch the element of surprise. Hey, romance is dead. Getting your nearest and dearest to send a couple of links by email is far better than gambling on a pair of shoes and buying them in the wrong colour (and size).

This is where stocking fillers come in. They may be small, but they need not be underwhelming, especially if they are bringing the element of surprise a successful present exchange requires. Choose wisely, and they could well overshadow the Big One. Below, we pick out the presents that may be small, but are perfectly formed.

We’re in the thick of party season and, well, you know that hangover you have? It’s going to be there until about 3 January. Because you are going to be perpetually topping it up with the daily social event that the festive season seems to warrant. Not to mention all the drinking you will have to do with your family. So you’re going to need some time out. There can’t be a better present to give than the gift of peace and quiet, of solitude and relaxation. In the shape of in-ear music and soothing candle aromas, which is exactly what these two presents offer.

Christmas presents are often unwanted. And there is no more common genre than the unwanted grooming set. You know the sort – luminescent body wash, deodorant that smells like a 14-year-old’s bedroom. Buck the trend and get the man in your life some things that will improve his bathroom cabinet, rather than desecrate it. Have him smell super sophisticated with this Comme des Garçons Parfums eau de toilette, and feel extra smooth of face with this Aesop post-shaving lotion.

There are two things that almost every man needs, without fail, every year. One is a new pair of socks (go big or go home with a pair from Gucci). The other is a wallet. It is hardwired into our brains to feel the need for a new wallet every year, whether we actually do or not. It is part of the essence of being a man. No one can explain it, but come 1 December, an uncontrollable urge for a new wallet will grow, and continue to grow, until it is satisfied with the receipt of said new wallet on 25 December. Why not satisfy this innate desire with this slim and sleek cardholder by Prada?

Shop more stocking fillers here

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