Mr AMR would rather repeatedly stick a screwdriver into his eye sockets than do anything for Valentine’s, but I, for one, think that it’s the perfect excuse to receive a little treat. Something beautifully scented, something flirty and pink, or pale and expensive and understated. Here are my own picks for Valentine’s Day presents – a mini gift guide, if you will…
(I threw in the cashmere socks from The White Company (top right of photo) at the very last minute, because – well – why not? You can find them here, they’re £35. The Love notebook, shown throughout, is £7.95 from Ohh Deer.)
The standout Valentine’s candle: Rosa Mundi by Diptyque. Do you recall me talking about the Parisian print atelier, Antoinette Poisson? They design beautiful things for high-end clients such as Darphin (see recent post here) and they’ve created the print for this Diptyque limited edition candle – it’s just gorgeous. Scent-wise, Rosa Mundi is an avalanche of fresh, almost fruity rose – not at all overbearing or chintzy, very modern and crisp. I love it. Find it at Space NK – it’s £48, and you can get £15 back on a spend of £60 and over, at time of publishing.
The sweet-as-candy sweater: Hush’s neon pink cashmere, with a bar of (amazingly addictive) rose chocolate thrown into the gift box for good measure. Yes, the jumper is that bright in real life – if you feel as though you want to inject some easy colour into your wardrobe to lift these grey days, this is the perfect investment! £127 online here.
The non-standard non-rose fragrance: Atkinsons’ Love In Idleness. I have a full review of this waiting in the wings (should have put it out this week, really, but I’ve been rather sleep-deprived and everything has gone to pot!) but for now, concisely, this is a violet-packed perfume with a candied, lightweight sort of feel to it. Nothing serious about it whatsoever – if fairies wore fragrance (or indeed existed) then this is what they’d be spritzing. Find it at Selfridges; it’s £105 for a huge hip-flask-style bottle of scent.
The oh-so-cute lipsticks: matte, heart-shaped and just £6.90 from KIKO. These keep on selling out online, but you can grab one in-store if you have one nearby…
The completely-unromantic-but-good-excuse-to-buy-it-because-it’s-rose face mask: Rose Stem Cell from Peter Thomas Roth. I really, really like this mask for toning and firming – you’ve got your cleansing masks and your moisturising masks and this one feels as though it’s the “missing peg”. Instant freshness and hydration, brilliant pre-makeup or for revitalising hungover skin. Read about more benefits/how to use at Cult Beauty – it’s £34.50 for a hefty 150ml.
The boots! Oh man, the boots. I have never, ever been so excited to put on a pair of boots – roll on post-partum recovery when I have stomach muscles back and can actually stand upright without clinging onto something! The Serafina from LK Bennett are the height of retro cool – look at those disco stripes! I’ll be wearing these with the darkest skinny jeans and something appropriately drapey (read baggy!) on the top half. Serafina are £350 here – they also come in black, equally amazing but not so Valentine’s-flatlay-friendly.
The cult-buy lipsticks: Pillow Talk and Valentine from Charlotte Tilbury. Pillow Talk, a dark nude matte, is getting raved about here there and everywhere, but I have to say that it’s “Valentine” that floats my boat – it has a warmth to it that suits my skintone far better and I love the creamy texture. Both shades can be found at Charlotte Tilbury online – the luxe packaging makes this small gift feel really special.
Oh – you can just about see Jo Malone’s Red Roses bath oil peeking into shot here, too – always a crowd-pleaser. Find it here. Though if you wanted something more “lifestyle” and less “beauty”, I can highly recommend the Scent Surround diffuser sticks in the same rose fragrance (here) – I’ve still not found “sticks in a jar” that last longer than this particular version…
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