I have rounded up some of my favourite hair and beauty products to help you look and feel your best this Valentine’s Day, whether you are spending it with your partner, friend, family member or even by yourself! (You never know when Adnan Januzaj’s around right?!)
Let’s start with Bath & Body…
Run yourself a hot bubble bath using the Cafe de Bain Tarte au Citron Indulgent Bath Creme and RELAX! Relaxing is important as no-one wants to look and feel totally stressed out on a romantic date, and this gorgeous scented Bath Creme is insane – it smells exactly of a lemon tart encased in a crisp, buttery pastry. Cafe de Bain also have their Softening Shower Creme in this exact fragrance, so you smell doubly delicious! As well as smelling yummy, it will also leave your skin feeling soft and well-nourished. You can check out Cafe de Bain here.
Once you have stepped out of the bath, be sure to smooth the SBC Cotton Body Oil all over your skin. This versatile oil is designed to create a light protective barrier, locking in moisture, leaving your skin satin-smooth and delicately scented. The subtle blend of moisture-boosting Cotton Seed, soothing Oat Kernal and smoothing Wheat Germ oils unite with refining Vitamin E to unveil a smoother, ultra-supple skin any man or woman won’t be able to resist. The SBC Cotton Body Oil costs £29.50 for 250ml here.
Facial Skincare…(No-one wants to kiss someone who’s skin resembles a brillo pad)
I love trying out new skincare and recently I have been loving Eloquence Skincare, who offer natural, premium skincare products at such great prices. They also produce products which contain no artificial perfume or colour along with no harsh chemicals, making them suitable for all skin types. The five products I have recently been trying and loving are;
Step 1: Purifying Facial Cleanser £7.99 – During the colder months I tend to suffer from quite dry skin, which can sometimes feel tight, and this cleanser contains cucumber and coconut extracts to ensure skin is left feeling cleansed and refreshed without giving that tightness to the skin that I hate.
Step 2: Firm & Tone Serum £19.99 – This fab serum uses glycerin and coconut oil to help brighten your complexion to give a flawless appearance. It also contains hyaluronic acid to give a boost of collagen, helping the skin to feel plump, smooth and supple.
Step 3: Firming & Moisturising Eye Gel £19.99 – No-one loves dark circles and puffy eyes and this Eye Gel works wonders at targeting these problem areas, and also has the Hyaluronic Acid to add plumpness to the area and reduce the appearance of fine lines.
Step 4: Protect & Repair 24HR Cream £14.99 – This moisturising cream has added Hyaluronic Acid and can be used morning and evening to condition the skin during the day and provide hydration and helps replenish the skin during the night whilst you are fast asleep. I love the fact that you can use it day and night instead of having separate creams.
Step 5: Nourishing Treatment Oil £29.99 – I used to be a little wary of using oil on my face or in my hair, but using it results in wonders for your skin and hair! This Treatment Oil has been specifically blended with Coconut and Sweet Almond Oil to help renew, repair and revitalise skin, hair and nails – yes that’s right, another multi-use product! I also like to add a splash to my baths too!
You can check out Eloquence Skincare online here.
Sensio Spa Deep Pore Cleanser
I suffer from pretty large pores, which I really dislike the look of, and sometimes primers work and sometimes they don’t depending how clogged up my pores are. Sensio Spa’s Deep Pore Cleanser is a bit of a beauty at dealing with this kind of problem. It is a little innovative silicone cleanser that is suitable for all skin types, and gently pulsates to remove impurities, clean out clogged pores, help remove any residual make-up and enable better skin care absorption, therefore getting better use of your skin care products. It can be used in the bath, in the shower, morning, night or noon, and gives 6000 pulsations per minute, as well as shutting itself down after 15 minutes.
It includes three silicone brush types – the front side brushes are used on normal or sensitive skin, the tip of the front side brushes are used on the T-Zone, around the eyes and nose, and the back brushes are to be used on oily skin. It has adjustable intensity levels, from gentle, delicate cleansing to deep and powerful. Once fully charged, it provides up to two hours of usage, and as it includes a charger, there is no need to keep buying batteries. It is super easy to use, but does come with a full, easy-to-read instruction manual if you are unsure and gives you the most beautiful skin, perfect for those up-close moments!
The Sensio Spa Deep Pore Cleanser costs £45 and is available online here.
Onto the Barnet… (or Hair)
Lee Stafford is one of my favourite haircare brands, as their products do exactly what they say, and one of my favourites is the Hair Growth range, but they recently released their Coco Loco collection and they are perfect for creating gorgeous looking and scented hair for your Valentine’s date.
Start off by popping on the Coco Loco Coconut Mask (£6.99) – now it says to leave for five minutes, but leaving it longer will really help the mask to set into the hair follicles to bring your hair back to life, don’t forget to rinse it off though before using the Coco Loco Shampoo (£5.99) and Conditioner (£5.99) – it smells SO good!! I love the scent of coconut, as I find it really fresh and clean smelling, and the Coco Loco collection has been released to put life back into dry, lacklustre hair. There are also three products you can use to accompany the mask, shampoo and conditioner, which include the Coconut Balm (£6.99), Blow & Go Genius Lotion (£6.99) and the Coconut Spritz (£5.99). The moisturising Balm can be used on wet or dry hair and melts to an oil to protect, smooth and style the hair. Genius Lotion manages to do a whopping 11 things at once – improve shine, adds softness, conditions, smooths, strengthens, nourishes, improve combability, help repair damaged hair, protects against humidity, protects against colour fade and protects against heat – so this is probably a good product to use regardless of your hair problem as it pretty much covers everything! The Coconut Spritz looks like a milk but acts like an oil to help take your hair from straw to silk – it detangles, refreshes and revitalises to leave hair feeling silky soft and giving off Princess-worthy shine. You can find out more about Lee Stafford here, and the Coco Loco range is available instore and online at Boots here.
After drying your hair, mist some of the Toni & Guy 3D Volumiser Volume Boost throughout the hair, to create body and fullness from root to tip, with a touch of shine to make it look extra healthy. I love this product because it gives volume without you looking like you are sporting a beehive. The 3D Volumiser costs £7.49 at Boots instore or online here.
Next, take the Babyliss Diamond Waves Wand to add lots of luscious curls to your hair. I always find curls and waves more of a romantic style and the Diamond Waves is super easy to use! It features the Diamond Radiance Shine System along with luxuriously smooth diamond infused ceramic to totally transform your hair date-style. You can create flawless styles by wrapping your hair around the specially designed, diamond infused ceramic barrel, resulting in glamorous curls and waves that are kink free and have brilliant shine. The Diamond Waves has a top salon temperature of 210 degrees centigrade, with five digital temperature settings making it ideal for all hair types and the Advanced Ceramics deliver professional, fast heat up and is ready to use in 40 seconds! For those of you who are wondering how on earth I haven’t burnt my fingers using this – it includes an amazing black glove which you slip onto the hand you are using to curl your hair around the wand, which totally protects your skin. The Babyliss Diamond Waves Wand is available online at ASOS here for just £30.
To keep those curls and waves in place, I recommend finishing them off with the Toni & Guy Firm Hold Hairspray. It provides definitive hold and control that can take you from day to night, as well as being anti-static and anti-humidity – therefore if you are lucky enough to be enjoying Valentine’s Day abroad this year, you definitely won’t be suffering from that frizzbomb which hot weather can result in. I love that it provides reliable hold without feeling sticky or stiff and will finish off your hairstyle beautifully. You can purchase the Toni & Guy Firm Hold Hairspray instore or online at Boots here, where it costs £7.49.
Tantruth Self-Tanning
I know many people love a spray tan or a sunbed session, but I have quite fair skin and I personally don’t think sunbeds are any good at all, as they can cause all kinds of complications to our health, therefore if I am wanting to give myself a boost of colour, particularly at this dreary time of year, I love to apply false tan, and I have recently been trying out the Tantruth collection. Tantruth have a selection of luxurious, professional tanning products that give a beautiful natural glow as well as staying power. I have been trying out their ‘The Ultimate’ Self-Tan Lotion with Colour Guide – it is tinted to ensure you don’t miss any patches of skin, and is enriched with shea butter and avocado to leave the skin moisturised, nourished and perfectly tanned. To ensure I have an all-over glow, without nasty looking orange palms and feet, I also use The Protector – this amazing product creates an invisible barrier to protect the areas that are prone to staining such as the palms of hands and soles of feet. The Protector is infused with jojoba and coconut oil to help soothe and moisturise the skin, which helps to prolong the tan and give a flawless finish. Your skin will look gorgeous and sun kissed – who can resist that?
The Tantruth collection can be viewed here, and is available for purchase at Salon Services here – but the best bit is that the range is totally affordable – costing just £3.99 for The Protector and £8.49 for ‘The Ultimate’. I will be doing a full review on this product in the near future so look out for that.
Wearing Your Heart on Your Sleeve…Or Arm…
Lottie London have a fab range of body tattoos (fake, obvs) and their Splash Tatts collection is full of gorgeous multi-coloured designs to adorn your skin with. The collection includes love hearts, roses, birds, feathers, leaves and much more! They’re a really fun way to show your romantic side and cost just £5.40 in the sale at ASOS here – RRP is £10 so that’s nearly a 50% saving! I think they would also make a cute gift for Valentine’s Day.
Nails
If tattoos aren’t your thing, show your love for Valentine’s Day by sporting pink or red nails! Here are some of my favourites…
Red Carpet Manicure Nail Lacquer in I Simply Love Your Nails and Red Carpet Pose
I Simply Love Your Nails is a really pretty pale pink which has gorgeous pink iridescent glitter running through it.
Red Carpet Pose is a dark luxurious red, perfect for showing your sultry side!
Morgan Taylor Nail Lacquer in New Romance, Lip Service and Pretty Woman
New Romance is a soft baby pink, which I think would also look lovely with a tan.
Lip Service is a real Barbie pink and as with all Morgan Taylor polishes, this one provides really good coverage.
Pretty Woman is your classic postbox red, and definitely a Valentine’s Day winner for fingers or toes!
Red Carpet Manicure Polishes are available here for £15.95 each and Morgan Taylor Polishes are available here for £9.95 each.
If false nails are more your thing, Elegant Touch have an amazing selection of fabulous press-on nails, varying by length, style, adornments, colours and much more! Three of my favourites for Valentine’s Day are…
Glimmer (£7.95) – These nails are pre-glued, therefore if you don’t have long to do your nails, these are the perfect option! Glimmer is a squoval design, and not too long either, which for me is a good thing (I wear contact lenses, and long nails can often poke me right in the eye – not a good look for V-Day!). They are a pretty sheer nude colour adorned with lots and lots of sparkly glitter – perfect for having shimmer without being over the top.
Polished in Power Trip (£6.59) – The Polished in Power Trip nails are false nails that are to be glued on (the packet includes glue, a buffer and an instruction leaflet so do not fear!), and are quite a rounded design. Power Trip is a gorgeous mauve shade, but in the light is quite shimmery, with tiny golden glitter particles running through the colour.
Constellation (£7.95) – I think these are definitely my favourites!! They are rose gold metallic (YES – ROSE GOLD METALLIC NAILS!!) which are slightly rounded, similar to the shape of Polished in Power Trip. Again, these are the glue-on nails, but you do receive everything you need to create gorgeous nails in minutes!! The glue is truly fab too, and after trying some of the Elegant Touch nails before, I know that they really do last for quite a while without the odd one popping off into your dinner!
You can check out Elegant Touch online here, but they do sell them instore at Boots and Superdrug.
Flutter Those Lashes…
You may have noticed by now in other blog posts that I love KISS eyelashes – they are really natural looking false eyelashes that add a bit of oomph to your natural lashes. These are the ‘Pretty’ lashes and look so pretty, as well as being super easy to apply. I also find with KISS lashes that they have really good staying power, so you won’t get that half on-half off lash look! You can find them instore and online at Boots here for just £4.99.
Make-up wise, I have been obsessed with Urban Decay lately – you will find their gorgeous Naked Palettes in my Valentine’s Guide here, and to ensure your peepers are looking on point, a couple of my favourite products include the Naked Skin Concealer and the Eyeshadow Primer Potion Anti-Ageing. I recently discovered the Concealer whilst watching one of Zoella’s Favourites You Tube videos – I suffer from incredibly dark circles under my eyes, and so to banish these I love the Naked Skin Concealer as it isn’t at all thick around my delicate eye area, just sits weightlessly under my eyes, with fabulous coverage. It is also light diffusing, therefore it detracts any unflattering light away from those nasty dark circles.
I have always been taught that if your make-up base isn’t right, then it doesn’t matter how much you spend on cosmetics, they won’t look as good as they could. Obviously this is mainly directed at the whole face base, but it is super important to use an eyeshadow primer – for many reasons. Firstly it adds moisture to the eyes, and with the Anti-Ageing Eyeshadow Primer Potion, this can help fight ageing, secondly, it provides a smooth, natural coloured base to the eyelids, to give even eyeshadow colour and thirdly, it makes those eyeshadow creams and powders stay on a whole lot longer!
You can check out Urban Decay here, where the Naked Skin Concealer costs £17.50 and the Eyeshadow Primer Potion Anti-Ageing costs £18.
Pucker Up!
Whether you are lucky enough to be receiving some kisses on Valentine’s Day or not, here is my favourite lip product for Valentines’s Day…
Pixi Mattelustre Lipstick in Petal Pink £14
I love Pixi products and received some of their eyeliners for Christmas, which by the way are fab!! The Mattelustre Lipstick collection give a really good matte finish, but are also really moisturising on the lips, providing a long-lasting, intense colour. Petal Pink is a really pretty, natural pink that will suit most skin tones. The Mattelustre range are enriched with peptides, hyaluronic acid and vitamins to help create fuller, smoother looking lips, perfect for puckering up. You can find the Petal Pink shade at ASOS here.
Feeling Flirty?
Lastly, spritz on some of the So…? Kiss Me fragrance and you will be looking and smelling good for your Valentine. So…? Kiss Me is a gorgeous floral fragrance, full of fresh blackcurrant, pineapple and citron before revealing layers of kissably sweet vanilla and a floral heart rounded by musks and woods – the perfect Valentine’s Day scent.
You can find the full range of So…? Fragrances here and So…? Kiss Me costs just £10.49 for 50ml at Boots instore and online here, where you also currently receive a free So…? In Love fragrance.
With all of these fail-safe beauty tips, you can ensure you are looking your best this Valentine’s Day, whether you are spending it with your loved one, family or friends. If you are still looking for that perfect Valentine’s Day gift, you can check out my Gift Guide here.
Love,
Kathryn xxx