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10 Valentine’s Day gifts that you'll probably want to gift yourself
Ayesha Muttucumaru 6 February 2019
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10 Valentine’s Day gifts worth adding to your wishlist
Flowers, chocolates, a card...if you’re hoping to break up the monotony of previous Valentine’s Days, you’re in luck, because this year’s line-up offers up a wealth of creative gifting and self-gifting options.
Whether you’re looking to treat yourself, a gift idea to send to your other half (so that they get the not-so-subtle hint), or the best date night makeup, we’ve done the homework so you don’t have to. Here are our top picks.
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lookfantastic, The Rose Collection Beauty Box, £60
If you’re looking for the beauty equivalent of a box of chocolates, this is it. But to be honest with you, we’d prefer it over a tin of Quality Street any day. Inside its heart-shaped packaging, you’ll find seven rose scented and infused full-size products from some of GTG’s go-to brands - an Aurelia Miracle Cleanser, Pixi Rose Tonic, Elemis Gentle Rose Exfoliator, Christophe Robin Cleansing Volumizing Paste, Caudalie Vinosource Moisturising Sorbet, Korres Japanese Rose Shower Gel and Omorovicza Queen of Hungary Mist. Worth over £150 but coming in at a much more budget-friendly £60, it provides spa-like pampering, without the price tag. We’ll be gifting it to ourselves regardless of whether or not anyone gets the hint we're dropping.
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Benefit Roller Liner Liquid Eyeliner, £18.50
If you love a feline flick, this liquid liner is your perfect match. Available in Black and Brown, it has everything you’d want - a long flexible nib, a fine tip for creating delicate accents and a great level of pigment to serve up some incredible colour payoff. Plus, its waterproof formula ensures that it’ll last you from day to dusk to dancefloor. It’s also super soft rather than scratchy, so ideal for creating smooth sharp lines from inner to outer corners with zero dragging or tugging. Trust us, you’ll love it as much as we do - it’s an essential in our date night makeup artillery.
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Ann Summers Azealia Body, £60
With red and deep purple lace embroidery and suspender ties to pair with stockings, this lace and mesh panelled bodysuit provides the perfect way to step outside of your lingerie comfort zone. Available in a wide array of sizes, its peek-a-boo cut-outs make a subtle statement, while its supportive underwire cups and adjustable shoulder straps keep things all in place. An ideal balance.
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Emporio Armani Because It’s You Perfume, £89 for 100ml
Floral and fruity but with a mixture of notes that give it a sophisticated level of depth, this multifaceted fragrance will appeal to a range of noses. Top notes of raspberry, blackcurrant and neroli essence are mixed with a heart of violet leaves, rose absolute and jasmine sambac absolute and a base of patchouli essence, vanilla extract and musks, to create something that’s both heady and smooth at the same time. If you like your perfumes sweet (but not sickly so), it’ll be right up your street.
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HelloFresh Recipe Box for Two, £5 per meal
Fancy the night off cooking? Then ask your loved one to whip up one of the meals inside these ingenious recipe boxes. If time is of the essence, try the Rapid Box option - recipes can be made in 20 minutes or less. If you have a few more minutes to spare, pick the Classic Box option instead which allows you to choose from 19 different recipes each week. Created to suit kitchen novices and culinary whizzes alike, there’s something for every cooking competence and taste.
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BOD Prosecco Bath Salts, £5.99
Think of these bath salts as a bottle of bubbly without the hangover. Not only do they infuse your bath with the most luscious of lathers, but also biodegradable illuminating gold flakes for a dose of luxury. Leaving limbs subtly shimmered and scented with a soft floral and fruity fragrance, they also work to reduce water retention and bloating, so you can go to bed feeling lighter both mentally and physically after a long hard day at work.
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Diptyque Damascena Candle, £53
Talking of baths, this blissfully scented candle creates the perfect de-stressing atmosphere. Not only does its floral print emit a beautiful rosy glow, but its scent of Damascena roses brings the freshness of a garden in bloom to the warmth of your bathroom. A joy for all the senses.
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Virgin Experiences Spa Break for Two at The Lifehouse Spa & Hotel, £279
On reading the description for this particular getaway, my first thought was, “Take me there now.” It’s pretty incredible and ideal if city life has left you in need of some much-deserved R&R. Along with an overnight stay in a contemporary twin or double room (complete with robe and slippers btw), you’ll be able to enjoy a wide range of amenities designed to reset body and mind - full use of the spa facilities, including a hydrotherapy pool, gym, sauna, steam and salt inhalation room, and 25-minute facial or massage. The hotel is also based among 12 acres of beautiful historical gardens too, in case you fancy a stroll to take in the views. The three-course dinner in the hotel dining room and full English buffet breakfast (with loads of healthy options) included also offer up treats for the tastebuds too.
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YSL Rouge Volupté Shine Hearts & Arrows in 45 Rouge Tuxedo, £29
I know they say that you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover, but can we just take a second to appreciate the packaging here? It’s a delight to behold (and hold) and as well as style, it’s also packed with substance. An ‘oil-in-stick’ formula that provides the feel of a lipstick but the look of a gloss, it offers both care and colour in equal measure, to leave parched lips suitably prepped for your date night plans.
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Elizabeth Arden My Fifth Avenue Eau de Parfum, £45 for 100ml
Fresh and woody at the same time, this scent’s roster of contrasting but complementary notes has proven a hit with us. Its base of musks, oris flower and cedarwood is subtly balanced out by a heart of lotus flower and jasmine and top notes of lemon, mandarin and violet leaves, for a spritz that’s bright, vibrant and goes with anything.
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