My Ultimate Valentine's Gift Picks

My ideal Valentine’s day involves steak, gin and a sh*t load of chocolate. Oh and some Fleetwood Mac on the go. It doesn’t matter whether you’re single,  coupled up or meeting up with friends – Valentine’s Day is a great day to treat yourself. I’ve pulled together a few ideas for some gifts I think you’re going to love, whatever your romantic situation.

Kiko’s 'Matte for You' Valentine's collection is what actually makeup dreams are made of. There’s a very definitely pink and heart them going on, right through from the super soft face brush (which has a red heart in the centre) to the ridiculously pretty heart shaped lipsticks. The lipsticks are the highlight for me. Not only are they rich in pigment and lovely to wear, but the heart shape gets so many cute points it’s not even funny. There are five shades in total, with each one costing £6.90. I’d recommend grabbing a spare or two as you might want to keep one just to look at. Ahem.

Chocolates are a failsafe for any occasion, but especially on Valentine’s Day. Hotel Chocolat is always one of my favourites as they have a great selection for all budgets. If you want a box big enough to share, the Valentine’s Sleekster is a great option. It has 27 heart shaped truffles inside, in a mix of nine flavours. The Salted Caramel Kiss is my favourite, closely followed up by Passionfruit Cream and Illegal Gianduja. There are three of each chocolate, so if you’re feeling charitable, you could share 50:50 or using my preferred method: 2 for me, 1 for you.

Following on with the food theme, Crabtree and Evelyn’s Rose & White Chocolate biscuits are the perfect accompaniment to a post-dinner film on the sofa. The rose stops the white chocolate from being too sweet, while giving just a hint of the Turkish delight taste I always get when I eat rose-flavoured food. Yum. £5

I spotted these Ban.Do pens when I was killing time in John Lewis at St Pancras while waiting for a train (they have such a good stationery selection!). They cost £12 for three, which makes me want to do a *little* cry, but with slogans like ‘you're better than unicorns’ and ‘you rule so hard’ on them, they’re basically the motivational pickup everyone needs from time to time. Plus they look great in flat lays, so bonus points there.

For an indulgent bath and body treat, I urge you to get some Lola's Apothecary products in your life. This beautiful range is handmade in small batches and features lots of natural ingredients and rich essential oils. The duo you can see here is from their 'Delicate Romance' collection, which as you might be able to guess from the rose petals inside the (very Instagrammable) bottles, is rose infused (along with lots of other good stuff). The dry body oil is amazing for all skin types and works well as a Massage Oil, and the Bath & Shower Oil gives off the most amazing aroma and is one you'll really want to savour. The special Valentine's gift set contains both of these products, plus a small bar of luxury chocolate, for a special price of £75. 

Finally, is it even Valentine’s Day if there’s not at least one scented candle involved? Liz Earle’s Rosemary & Rock Rose candle blends subtle rose with fragrant rosemary and I was surprised at how well these two combine. If you steer clear of rose scents because they’re too floral, I think this would be perfect for you as it has a lovely herby note to help balance out all that rose.

What are your plans this Valentine's Day?

*contains PR samples