It’s almost time for Valentine’s Day and it does not have to cost a lot to get a useful gift for a loved one (whether it be a hubby/wife, partner, friend or relative). I think that a V-Day gift does not just have to be for someone that you have romantic ties to! Here are a few quick picks all under $200! Maybe team one of them up with flowers to make a real impact! It goes without saying that flowers are a Valentine’s “go to” gift that both ladies and men love! Everything shown here is easy to order online and even get next day delivery if you need it!
When buying natural skincare as a Valentine’s gift there is only one brand that has been genderless since its beginnings in the East Village almost 170 years ago! I am speaking of Kiehl’s! This has always been the ultimate crowd pleasing brand with simple packaging, easy instructions, the aforementioned natural ingredients, great customer support and very reasonable prices despite being available in chic stores like Bloomingdale’s and Neiman Marcus! Here is a list of current Kiehl’s products that are truly synergetic and would make a fabulous Valentine’s gift for anyone with relatively normal skin but who also wants to ward off aging (maybe you can put them together in a gift basket for your significant other): Deep Cleansing Foaming Face Wash which cleans deeply without over drying, Midnight Recovery Concentrate which I swear gives skin instant smoothness, Ultra Facial Cream which gives 24 hydration but also balances out combo skin, Clearly Corrective Dark Spot Solution for visible correction and clarity (even on redness), Ultra Facial Cleanser which leaves skin soft but clean via the “magic ingredients” Kernel Oil, Avocado Oil and Vitamin E, Hydro-Plumping Re-Texturizing Serum Concentrate which smooths the appear of fine lines and reduces dullness, Powerful-Strength Line-Reducing Concentrate which reduces lines on both face and neck with Vitamin C and Hyaluronic Acid and Creamy Eye Treatment with avocado to moisturize the delicate under eye area. All items are priced from $34 to $70 and there is a 15 to 20 per cent on the official site as we go to press. For more info or to order, go to www.Kiehls.com.
Valentine’s Day is the perfect time to splurge on a luxe fragrance, shampoo, conditioner or even a gift card for home hair styling, so head over to www.Rose1845byLazarus.com for a truly unique and indulgent experience. Lazarus Douvos is an internationally renowned hair stylist who has been on the edge of hair innovation for over three decades and has made house calls for celebs and socialites—but now you can book him to make a private “house call”! I am impressed that Douvos designed his own luxury haircare line and fragrances (all in chic hand blown glass bottles) and in case you’re curious, his Rose 1845 Hair Oil ($90) is the superstar product—it is a lightweight natural-smelling oil that protects and tames all textures of hair. By the way, you would like to get styled by Douvos in his own salon at 107 East 35th Street in NYC instead of at your home, call (347) 982-4894 or email [email protected].
The legendary Ole Henriksen’s “latest and greatest” is Lemonade Soothing Scrub. Even if you live in a cold climate and have not seen the sun in weeks, this will definitely bring a sunshine vibe into your life! I really enjoyed the this morning’s online press event that launched this product. We online press guests had a workout session with Beyonce’s dance captain Ashley Everett (I could only do the warmup and cool down, though)! I loved that during the virtual event, all participants could do their own selfies with lemon backgrounds that later made social media–and of course the more creative journalists/influencers made “sour lemon” facial expressions! The Lemonade Soothing Scrub not only puts you in a summery mood but it really cleans out your pores through both chemical and physical exfoliation. Its most powerful ingredients are 10% AHAs (glycolic and lactic acids), ultra-fine sugar exfoliants and lemon peel extract. You can purchase it at www.olehenriksen.com; it’s $32 for a three ounce tube that lasts for several months.
LovePop cards are one of Shark Tank’s greatest success stories and for good reason–they make stunning three-dimensional cards that the recipients want to keep forever. They are priced at $13-$24 with gift tags being a little lower but the cost is oh-so-worth-it! LovePop cards are all handmade after all! The Valentine’s Day Flower Bouquet ($24, pictured above) is my absolute favorite and works for your special someone as well as mom, sis or grandma (there is actually no one who would not love this card! The Valentine’s Day Floral Bouquet comes with a Lovepop Note and is packaged in a love-filled sleeve that really protects it. There are plenty other great LovePop V-Day cards including one shaped like a red pickup truck called Truckloads Of Love ($13) and one shaped like a teddy bear called Love Bear ($13) that would be lovely to send to a special niece or nephew! For more info or to order, go to www.lovepop.com. (There is a special deal where you can get five of the $13 for $50 right now. You can also order LovePop cards on Amazon and get free shipping if you are a Prime member.)
If you are a nail fanatic and have not yet discovered Color Street, you are in for a pleasant surprise. The Color Street story is all about dry nail strips made with real nail polish that apply in seconds, don’t require tools, and involve no drying time! Each Color Street nail strip consists of a base coat, rich color, and top coat made of top quality, 100% nail polish. You can apply a whole set in under three minutes and each pack contains not just 10 but 16 strips! You will wish that Valentine’s Day comes more than just once per year with the great Color Street assortment of designs for this most romantic of holidays. You can see all nine V-Day designs in the photo above—they range from a solid slightly glimmery light pink (Blushing In Flushing) to a bold glittery red with both darker and lighter shades of red metallic and glitter hearts (Heart Of The Matter).
I’ve had a five-year love affair with Sugar Wish and I am celebrating with one of the famous four candy colorful compartmented boxes for myself this Valentine’s Day! I love this brand because you can send your Sugar Wish gift online in about a minute! The form is super easy to fill out and you get to select a really cute colorful message card as well. The only hard part is picking out your candy because there are over 100 choices! If you have a gummy lovin’ significant other, Sugar Wish is the ultimate way to indulge your beloved as you won’t find a candy brand with more gummy choices. Many new Valentine’s Day themed candies have been added recently, including Valentine Mellocreme Hearts, Valentine Hot Tamales, Valentine Chocolate Covered Marshmallows, Valentine Jordan Almonds and more (as you may guess, all these treats are red and there are dozens more where they came from)! The standard and most popular Sugar Wish gift is called the “4 Pick” and features four 4 ounce candy choices (for $29.98 including postage) but you also have the option of getting bigger or smaller boxes, as well gifting cookies and popcorn. To peruse all the aforementioned treats and more, let your mouth water a little bit and then order, go to www.sugarwish.com.
I am a big fan of FACTORFIVE products because thanks to being developed by a doctor super knowledgeable in the use of stem cells, they really work. The latest FACTORFIVE product—their Eye/Lash Cream—retails for $149 but online reviews prove that it really works. If your Valentine lives for eye products, this is the one that they need to be gifted with! The highly acclaimed FACTORFIVE line promotes cell renewal, boosts the production of collagen and elastin, restores aging cells, and, ultimately, generates more youthful looking skin. All stem cells used by FACTORFIVE come from adipose tissue (fat), which has a higher density of adult (mesenchymal) stem cells than any tissue in the human body—including bone marrow, cord blood and placenta tissue. We won’t get too scientific here, as we know that you just want to know about results. You will be impressed as you see lines, redness and puffiness start to disappear after a few weeks of use. The three product FACTORFIVE line—which also includes the amazing Regenerative Serum ($199) and Anti-Aging Cream ($189)—is available at over 800 physicians’ offices in the US and on www.factorfiveskin.com.
So you have a practical guy who only wants things he will “use forever” and who always tells you not to spend a lot of money on him? Then K recommed the Small Camo umbrella by Certain Standard–who have very high standards when it comes to both style and durability. A stylishly modern take on camo, this umbrella will have your guy standing out as you move around town or the world. I love the way the camo here is actually done in a bold “color block” style! Features include a black Anodized aluminum steel shaft, a natural cork handle, and a UV rated up to 40 UPF. I love Certain Standard’s motto which is: “We believe that color and design bring brightness to people’s lives.” You can purchase the Small Camo umbrella for $55 at www.wolfandbadger.com.
I am a new fan of jewelry designer Mignonne Gavigan’s chic yet classic earrings and I cannot get enough of them. I am currently loving the all-gold Fiona style shown above but you can actually choose several finishes. Handcrafted in 18-karat gold-plated brass, these lightweight earrings are wrapped in tonal cotton thread, giving them a gleaming, tactile finish that works just as well with crisp professional separates as it does with casual styles. The cotton thread makes them so light that you forget that you have them on, making them a top flight Valentine’s gift for the lady who equally values comfort and style! (You won’t even know that you have these on!)The Each earring measures 1.18″ long by 1.18” wide and weighs only 1/18th of an ounce. You can order these earrings for $75 at www.mignonnegavigan.com.
What is Valentine’s Day without a box of chocolates? Not much fun, that’s what! I recently discovered Milkboy Swiss Chocolate which is extremely creamy and as a result, I am addicted to it. This 2018 Sofi Award winning brand based out of Brooklyn has a great black and white logo gift box for Valentine’s Day—each order contains five of their individually wrapped 3.5-ounce bars of gourmet Swiss chocolate for sharing, gift-giving, or even gifting to yourself. Here are the five remarkable flavors that you’ll get: Milk Chocolate, Alpine Milk Chocolate with Crunchy Caramel & Sea Salt (the aforementioned Sofi Award winning flavor), Extra Dark 85% Cocoa, White Chocolate with Bourbon Vanilla, and Alpine Milk Chocolate with Roasted Almonds. Everyone is sure to find a favorite with this remarkable mix. The price is only $25.95 which is remarkable for over a pound of high end chocolate, and shipping is only $4.95. You can order here: https://milkboy.com/discount/LUXELIFENYC. Use this code when checking out to get a 15 per cent rebate: LUXELIFENYC.
It goes without saying that lingerie is a classic gift for Valentine’s Day! One of the premiere lingerie sites that features a huge diversity of items from teddies to chic satin chemises with matching wrap style robes is www.3wishes.com. This is a shopping site that has something for everyone from size XS to 6X and they even have cute costumes, accessories and shoes! They ship at warped speed so you know your items will arrive on time for the big day and have free returns. You can see their curated Valentine’s collection on this link and everything is under $70 (this just might be the biggest collection of red lingerie on the web): https://www.3wishes.com/sexy-costumes/holidays-events/valentines-day/. While perusing this link be sure check out 3Wishes’ fabulous Satin Robe With Ostrich Feather Trim which not only has a matching slip style nightie but which will work over a multitude of other items available! (I consider this robe to be one of their superstar products for all year round, not just Valentine’s Day!) If you prefer to purchase more modest and comfy bedroom attire, there are plenty of adorable sleep shirts including one with “cold shoulders” that reads “Wine Is My Valentine” and a simple one with a lot of X’s and O’s on the front NZ Sign up for their mailing list on the home page and get 10 per cent off!
I am a lash serum maniac and I know that a lot of my influencer friends are as well–wait, pretty much every woman wants to get longer lashes as simply and quickly as possible. The time is now to give up the muss, fuss and discomfort of gluing on false lashes and try Rapid Glam Lash Enhancing Mascserum from the makers of the legendary Rapid Lash! Mascserum is growth serum, primer and black mascara all put together into one magical formula that will give you longer, thicker and fuller lashes in six weeks–and make your lashes look great while they are growing! You will be amazed at what your lashes look like with just a quick coat of Mascserum–it’s gives a high drama look and it stays on all day! The “magic” part of the Mascserum formula is their Hexatein 7 complex which consists of Peptides & Amino Acids, Panthenol, Biotin, Punpkin Seed Extract, Kaolin (Clay) and Fiber. A .14 ounce tube is only $34.95 and lasts for two or three months. Order it www.rapidlash.com.
