Happy Valentine’s Day!
If you’re in the mood for loving (or being loved) make today extra special by showering that special someone (even if that “someone” is your very self, single ladies!) with gifts and tokens of your appreciation. Here, a few last-minute gifts to fill hearts with joy.
Havaianas Love Sandals, $28. Available at US.Havianas.com
Feel like you’re floating on air, on a cloud of fluttering hearts, with these limited-edition Havaianas sandals. The classic Slim flip-flop style features metallic bronze straps and a charming print along the sole, with deep red, honeysuckle pink, and golden caramel heart shapes floating against a white backdrop.
Vera Wang Princess Night Eau de Toilette Spray, $60 for 1.7 oz. Available at Sephora and Sephora.com, and Macy’s and Macys.com
As if the sparkle-covered bottle weren’t enough of an indication, the Vera Wang Princess Night fragrance stands as the glam rock member of the Princess family — sophisticated and feminine but with an edge, a mischievous streak, and a slightly rebellious feel. The fragrance opens with juicy wild berries, watermelon, and raspberry notes, all ushering the way for the floral heart, which includes notes of jasmine petals, orange flower, passion rose, and plumeria base. These velvety, opulent, intoxicating floral notes are then given a sensual twist with the sweet, woody, and creamy base notes which include wood, musk, vanilla, and crushed sugar. Since the fruity top notes tend to have a bit of a tangy quality, the vanilla and crushed sugar base notes help to give the fragrance an overall sense of harmony. If the princess in your life is a creature of the night, chances are she’ll appreciate this risqué but ravishing and regal scent.
Jouer Cosmetic Blushing Beauty Collection, $60. Available at Henri Bendel and JouerCosmetics.com
Just in time for Valentine’s Day, Jouer Cosmetics has unveiled its new Blushing Beauty Palette, a gorgeous set that includes everything you need for a natural, I-just-woke-up-looking-this-gorgeous look. The collection includes: a Mattifying Bronzer/Powder, a slim flip-top face color duo incorporating a translucent face powder to control any oiliness and set your look, along with the mattifying bronzer in Sunswept, a subtle caramel bronze color; a Powder Eyeshadow Duo in Chocolate/Peach, a deep bronze with golden glimmer and a velvety pale golden peach pink; a Tint/Highlighter Duo that incorporates a creamy, ethereal bronze-tinged champagne gold hue (the Feather Highlighter) and a golden coral color with pink micro pearls (the Whisper Tint); and a tube of Cherish Lip Gloss, a nectarine-worthy pink with pink and golden shimmer.
All the products are paraben-free and include soothing and moisturizing botanical extracts that not only nourish the skin, but also give the cosmetics a silky texture and allow them to look more radiant and to glide smoothly onto the face, lids, or pout. The Matte Touch Powder & Bronzer Duo, for example, includes gingko biloba leaf extract, aloe vera extract, and vitamins A and E, while the Powder Eyeshadow Duo features green tea leaf extract and vitamin E to both hydrate the skin and protect it from free radical damage. Our personal favorite is the lip gloss, which includes conditioning and moisturizing shea butter, jojoba seed oil, and vitamin E.
Best of all, the different compacts all fit together thanks to clever notches along their back surface (or a grooved piece along the side of the gloss tube), so that you can snap or slide all the items to create one big cube and then snap each piece out as needed.
Sponge Lavender Aromatherapy Mist, $45. Available at Barneys.com
Is the object of your affection feeling a bit stressed these days? Give her the gift of relaxation with the Sponge Lavender Aromatherapy Mist which, not only calms irritated, dry, or outbreak-prone skin, but also soothes the senses, leaving you feeling centered and balanced. The paraben-free mist is formulated with lavender extract, which balances the skin’s moisture level and boasts excellent antiseptic properties; olive leaf extract, which is rich in flavonoids and oleanolic acid, thereby helping to boost the skin’s immune system and promote cellular turnover for younger-looking skin, while also conditioning the upper layers of skin; thyme extract, which works as a natural toner, helping to improve skin tone; and linden extract, a natural anti-inflammatory. All of these plants and herbs were grown exclusively in Greece and blended by hand , ensuring that each Sponge Aromatherapy Mist boasts the highest quality ingredients. You can spritz this onto your cleansed skin for an instant boost or apply at any point throughout the day for a nice pick-me-up. Another great idea: spritz onto a hot damp towel and place the towel over your face to give yourself a spa-like mini facial.
Josie Natori for Target Valentine’s Day Short/Cami Pajama Set in Black Snake Print, $24.99. Available at Target stores and on Target.com
This snake print cami and brief set will raise any man’s bilirrubina and yet it’s comfortable enough for a peaceful night’s sleep (as opposed to all those tight corsets, push-up bustiers, and pinch-prone thongs). The cami top features bright pink lace trim along the V-shaped neckline and spaghetti straps for a fun and feminine twist, while the boy shorts also feature a lace trim along the waistline and sexy drawstrings on either side.
X-Rated Fusion Liqueur, $24.99. Available at liquor stores nationwide.
Anyone would be tickled pink with a single sip of this tropical-feeling liqueur, which fuses ultra-premium French vodka, rich blood oranges, and hints of mango and passion fruit. You can drink it on the rocks or, for a quick cocktail, mix it with some pineapple juice. But, if you want a fancier cocktail, try whipping up a couple of Hopeless Romantic drinks. To do so, muddle fresh orange, lemon, and pineapple until you have 0.25 oz. of each juice. Next, add 2 oz. of champagne and 1.5 oz. of X-Rated liquor. Mix everything together and serve with ice in a highball glass.
