Valentines Gift Guide | What To Buy The Woman In Your Life

Valentines Day is such a mixed bag of a holiday with some people going all out with hearts, candies and flowers, and some not even making note of the corporate holiday. I sit somewhere in the middle. I think you should be showing someone you care and love them throughout the year and not just on the one day but I do also think it’s a nice time to make note of the people you love be it through going out and doing something, staying in with your favourite meal or a small gift of some sort.

Personally, I’m not one for huge gestures in financial value, but something a little more personal and thoughtful like a really nice and unusual card. These two origami cards I have are exactly that, a bit unusual and special. The pop-up rose card*(£7.45)  is really delicate and the heart box of soap roses* (£9.99)is just so pretty you could display it out after or pick off a petal at a time and use them as soap.

Moving on from a paper rose to a stunning silver-plated rose* (£24.99) why not go for a flower which is never going to die. There’s no need to invest in a bouquet which would cost just as much and only last a week or two when you can have a beautiful one for life. The petals have ornate patterning on them and you can even get a name engraved on the tag attached which gives it that really nice personal touch.

Not enough people print photos which I think is a great shame, so give a personal touch with some Printiki photos*. The fully customizable site allows you to choose from different sized and coloured borders, you can add filters to the images and add captions. I printed off a whole host of images so I can make a little scrapbook of all our adventures together including some images of places we’ve visited and some of us. The site itself is really easy to use and you can just connect it to your Facebook or Instagram if that’s where all your photos are.

If you’re feeling like splashing the cash then a portable photo printer like this HP Sprocket Printer (£119.95) from John Lewis would be perfect. I’ve been toying over the idea of buying something like this for ages as I love the idea of being able to print photos instantly from the palm of my hand and with this one you can connect it straight to your phone. There will be no excuse for missing out on photos with this as imagine being able to print off that epic photo your friend took of your gang there and then without having to wait until she uploads it to Facebook?!

I know I’m always happy to receive beauty gifts and they make for lovely Valentine’s gifts especially those that encourage people to relax and pamper themselves such as this beautiful Olverum Bath Oil* (£19+) which is a beautiful blend of essential oils designed to ease stress and tension within the mind and body. It’s so concentrated so you don’t need much in your bath, just lay back and relax. The travel set has enough for three baths per bottle ranging up to the large 250ml bottle which is enough for 50 baths.

You can’t go wrong with a sheet mask as I’m sure most ladies could do with a bit of a pamper and some downtime. These stunning mixed metal sheet masks (£4) from Urban Outfitters are metallic and come in silver, gold and rose gold which I think is so cool because who doesn’t want to look fashionable when they’re wearing a mask. My favourite is the rose gold which is designed to be moisturizing and hydrate the skin compared to the gold which is calming and soothing and the silver which is designed to give a natural glow.

A new fragrance is always a good present to go for as it shows how much you know someone’s tastes when you choose the right scent The new Ghost Sweetheart Forever Eau de Toilette* (£34) is a beautiful light floral fragrance with rose and floral scents mixed in with a woody after scent. This is layered with some fruity notes to create a perfume which will leave you feeling like you’re laying on a deserted sun-drenched beach.

Now it wouldn’t be a Valentines Day post if I didn’t mention the mighty Jo Malone. Now you don’t have to spend a fortune to buy something from the brand as some of the candles come in a handy travel size which I think is the perfect way to try out the brand and see if it’s worth shelling £45+ on a full size. There’s so many to choose from but Pomegranate Noir (£23) is the one I’d recommend.

Who wouldn’t love some new makeup brushes for Valentine’s day? I know I’d love some especially these stunning pink handled one’s from Look Good Feel Better. The Anti-Bacterial Brush Set* (£35) covers all bases with a large multi-tasking brush, round foundation brush, an eye shading brush and a lip brush alongside a protective pouch. What makes this set so unique is that it utilises the latest in antimicrobial technology to keep your bristles hygienically clean and help get rid of bacteria. The main thing I noticed about them was how super soft they were for synthetic cruelty-free brushes.

If you’re more of an eye kind of person then the So Eco Eye Kit* (£14.50) will be right up your street with five bamboo handled, eco-friendly and ethically sourced brushes. The kit is compact and houses everything you’d need for the perfect eye look including a fine liner brush, an eyeliner brush, a large eye shading brush, a small eye shading brush and a lash & brow comb.

To get yourself Valentine’s Day ready Sleek have a fantastic range of Matte Lip Creams* (£4.99) which are great value for their price point. Whether you want to stick to a muted nude shade or burst out a deep red or a bright pink there’s plenty of choice. The lipsticks are very light and comfortable and as long as prepped and moisturised your lips won’t be dry after the coat. Even compared to other lipsticks with a much higher price point they have great lasting power and for the price, you can afford to try out a few shades.

If you’re looking for more of an eye product then I couldn’t recommend the Stila Magnificent Metal Eye Shadows (£23) enough. I’ve mentioned them quite a few times on my blog already but I truly do think they’re one of, if not the best glittery eyeshadows out there. I’ve got quite a few of the rose gold and taupe shades but I absolutely love the mermaid shades which came out not too long ago which includes the lilac shimmer shade which I’ve linked above. It’s something really special and would look perfect for a night out.

Of course, the most traditional Valentine’s gift would be jewellery but you don’t have to spend a lot of money to get something really stunning like this sterling silver moon pendant* (£35) from Hersey & Son shows. The solid silver moon is really dainty at 10mm x 12mm which makes it absolutely perfect for everyday wear and you can choose the length of the chain ranging from a short 14-16″ right through to a heavy 31-33″ version. To make it really special you can personalise the necklace to include a mini letter charm or a birthstone.

Ever since I started re-discovering my watch collection before Christmas I have been obsessing over watches. You can’t go wrong with something which is two-tone and for now that’s silver and rose gold such as this stunning Ted Baker watch (£155) which has been on my wishlist now for a month or so. The watch is stunning with the mixed colours but isn’t too much to wear to work or for general everyday wear.

All this beautiful jewellery deserves somewhere to be kept in and this Beauty and the Beast Jewellery Box* is the perfect thing for a Disney lover. The hexagonal hard box has a mirror inside and an elastic loop fastener to keep all your little trinkets secure. It might only be small but it would sit perfectly on your dressing table reminding you that ‘Beauty is found within’.

How about gifting someone jewellery which gives back? You can buy some beautiful items such as a rose gold watch or a bracelet from the British Heart Foundation where all profits goes into funding life-saving heart research which is such a lovely idea and takes away from the overly corporate feel of Valentines Day just a little bit.

If you’re still not sure what to get you can’t go wrong with a Jenny Wren Chocolate Gift Box* (£6.49)  to show you care. These little boxes are stocked in Sainsbury’s and include twelve hand-finished Belgian chocolates and truffles with four of each milk, dark and white chocolate. The brand was set up by Mike Stainfield last year and he wanted to make chocolate boxes for under £10 that still had a wow factor and from the pretty designs on the outside to the way it opened the box certainly has that.

I am a huge lover of Nutella but since realising quite how much sugar was in it I tried to hold back as a small teaspoon just isn’t enough for me. But with 83% less sugar than Nutella, Jim Jams* (£2.60)have come to the rescue with a milk chocolate and hazelnut chocolate spread. The original chocolate spread is really smooth and creamy and I’d have never guessed it was low on sugar whereas the hazelnut version has a toasty flavour. Whether you’re buying for someone who’s trying to eat healthier or they just love Nutella it would make a great gift. You can buy it at Sainsbury’s, Morison’s, Holland & Barrett and more.