It’s officially the first Sunday of February and you all know what that means — Valentine’s Day is just around the corner. For some, this is met with excitement, but for others this holiday just leads to a lot of dread. Those of us who are single (and yes, I can definitely relate) often end up feeling lonely around this time of year — when really, being single is something I personally think should be celebrated! (In the wise words of Cher — a man is a luxury, not a necessity).
Over the years, I’ve really come to dislike negative attitudes that persist around February and being single. I really do grow tired of hearing complaints and the term “Singles Awareness Day” — when really, there’s nothing wrong with being single. While I’ll admit, I used to be a little bitter about it, I’ve recently realized just how important being single is to me right now — I have gone through so much growth and so many changes lately, I wouldn’t want anyone else defining my life right now or limiting my options of what comes next. This isn’t to say that I never want to be in a relationship, but this current time in my life is rather crazy, revolutionary and just straight up busy — and I’m hoping to come out the other side as the best possible version of myself. Then — and only then — will I really feel ready to settle down.
But for those of us focusing on ourselves right now — that doesn’t mean we have to miss out on feeling the love this February! And besides — who better to plan out and execute your perfect Valentine’s Day other than yourself, right? So whether you’re single and loving it, a little bitter about your relationship status, or fresh out of a relationship and unsure what comes next, I’ve got plenty of ideas for how you can treat yourself this 14th and have your best Self-Love Valentine’s Day yet!
The winter months are a busy and often stressful time for all of us — I’m sure I’m not the only one who starts to feel a little burnt out whenever February rolls around. Take this Valentine’s Day as the perfect excuse to treat yourself to a day off! Plan yourself out a full spa day, complete with a massage, a facial, a mani-pedi, or whatever else your heart desires. Not only is this a fantastic way to treat yourself, it really helps your to focus on yourself and your needs for a day. Plus, you get to come back to work on Monday feeling refreshed — you’ll be glowing from the inside out!
This Valentine’s Day, why not take yourself out on a date? After all, no one knows your perfect date better than yourself! Book a reso at your fave restaurant, buy tickets to that movie you’ve been dying to see, take yourself on a little shopping spree or go visit the local art gallery or park! If you decide to take yourself out to dinner, order your favourite meal and a nice drink or two — treat yourself! After all, it’s Valentine’s Day, and you deserve it.
If going out to dinner by yourself isn’t really your thing, take a night in to yourself! Take the time to plan out your perfect self care night — whatever that means for you. Buy a single useface mask, a bottle of wine (sparkling even — go all out!), and plan an activity that you know you’ll love. If you need more ideas, check out my post on how to plan your perfect self-care night for more ways to make it the perfect night for yourself!
Have A Girls Night In
Have a couple friends who are also single this February? Plan a night in together! Buy a couple bottles of wine, a pizza, plan a charcuterie board and a movie — or anything else you guys love to do! You can even plan a group self-care night, complete with some all-natural Lush face masks to share, some candles and a little treat like group hand massages. No matter what you guys end up planning, it’ll be a great way to show your love for each other and have a great night in this Valentine’s Day.
For those of you looking to celebrate this Valentine’s Day with a night out — you’re in luck! Valentine’s Day is on a Friday this year, making it the perfect night to go all-our for a night out on the town with your friends. Grab all your closest single friends and take a night to celebrate yourself, being single and figuring out who you are and what you want your life to be! (Or if you’re a little bitter about being single, go ahead and drink to that as well — I won’t judge!). It is a Friday after all, so hit that bar or club you’ve been dying to try and go all out!
Happy February everyone, I hope you’ve all had a great week! No matter what your plans are this Valentine’s Day, I hope you have an amazing time — whether it’s a date night out with your SO, your friends, or a night in by yourself! Drop a comment below if you already have something fun planned — I’d love to hear it! And just remember, in the wise words of Ru Paul, “if you can’t love yourself, how in the hell are you going to love somebody else” — can I get an Amen?
Happy December, and welcome officially to the Holiday season! This week I’m going to be sharing the second instalment of my Holiday Gift Guide series — Skincare Edition! For anyone who follows my blog regularly, you’ll already know I’m huge on skincare. Not only does it have the obvious benefits of giving you a clear, smooth complexion — it can also be an act of self-care, a nighttime routine, and a way to boost your confidence.
This is exactly why skincare makes such a great gift — it can have so many purposes! Whether its splurging on something someone else wants but doesn’t want to spend loads of money on, putting together an at-home spa night, or just sharing a product you love with others, there’s a skincare product out there that will make a great gift for anyone in your life.
All of the products below are some of my tried-and-true, all time favourite products. Many of these I use every day, and none of them have ever failed me before. As well, all these products are generally suited for all skin types, so if you don’t know the specifics of the person you’re gifting for, that’s okay! You may already recognize a few of these from my weekly “Favourites” segment, but I’ve also incorporated some products I haven’t gotten the chance to post about yet. Either way, I hope this post helps give you some great gift ideas, or inspire new ideas for gifts you’d like to gift to others in your life! (Or, you know, just products you want to try out for yourself. There’s no shame in that!).
For Someone Looking To Moisturize And Rebuild Their Skin’s Natural Barrier
Biossance Squalene + Vitamin C Rose Oil
This product right here is probably my all-time favourite skincare product. For those of you who’ve been following my blog since the beginning, you’ll probably remember that this serum was my very first ever product featured in my weekly Favourites segment. The Biossance Squalene + Vitamin C Rose Oil is a great product for almost everyone, as it both helps to hydrate and firm the skin — as well as rebuild it’s natural barrier. Squalene, an ingredient found in every Biossance product, it vital to the skin’s protective barrier that keeps pollution and dirt from entering into our skin. However, as you age, your body begins to produce less and less squalene naturally, which is why it’s important to reintroduce it via your routine. Don’t let its price deter you — one bottle lasted me an entire year. While this product is pretty universal in terms of skin types it works for (as it is a rather lightweight oil formula), Biossance has a whole line of products that contain Squalene. If you’re looking for something a little better suited to the person you’re gifting for’s personal needs, be sure to check out their whole line for more inspo! (I’ve tried twoother products from their skin care line that I personally adored, so I’d say no matter what you end up purchasing it’ll likely make a fantastic gift).
Feeling inspired? Check out the Biossance Rose Vitamin C + Squalene Oil here! You can also check out the entire Biossance line at Sephora here.
For Someone Who Wants To Add A Little Brightness To Their Complexion
Caudalie Beauty Elixir
Know someone hoping to add a little brightness to their complexion? The Caudalie Beauty Elixir spray is the absolute perfect gift. This spray makes a great addition to any skin care routine, and can also be used periodically throughout the day to help freshen up your skin! I’ve been using this product for years now and love how fresh it keeps my skin feeling and how simple it is to use. Dull skin has never been much of an issue for me, and I definitely have this spray to thank for it. As well, this spray works on all skin types (even sensitive) so if you’re worried about not knowing the specific skin type of the person you’re gifting it to, it shouldn’t be a problem. As well, this product can double as a makeup setting spray for anyone trying to avoid harsh chemicals in their makeup routine!
Feeling inspired? Check out the Caudalie Beauty Elixir at Sephora here!
For Someone Looking For A Gentle Toner
Fresh Rose Deep Hydration Facial Toner
While toner is a vital step in many skin care routines, a lot of toners can include alcohol or other ingredients in their formulation that causes them to dry out skin. If you have someone in your life who’s totally over toners only causing them to break out, consider gifting them to Fresh Rose Deep Hydration Toner! This toner is incredibly gentle and super moisturizing, making it a great solution for just about any skin type. This toner is formulated with so many fantastic ingredients that help moisturize your face, rather than irritate and strip the skin of it’s natural oils. Some of these include Rose Fruit Extract (known for its toning abilities), soothing and nourishing Rosewater, and Angelica Leaf Extract to help retain moisture. If you want to know more, be sure to check out the Favourites post I wrote on this product!
Feeling inspired? Check out the Fresh Rose Deep Hydration Toner at Sephora here!
For Someone Who May Be A Little Tired After The Holiday Season
Wander Beauty Baggage Claim Gold Eye Masks
Look, while the Holiday season is an incredibly fun time full of joy, giving, and family, it can also be incredibly exhausting. The month of December is often jam-packed with travel, shopping, exams, deadlines, and more — it can really take it’s toll bay the time January rolls around. For those of us (since I definitely relate to this) who struggle with dark circles and under-eye bags, we can end up looking a little rough by the time we arrive back to school and work. If you know someone who’s got a lot coming up this month, consider the Wander Beauty Baggage Claim Gold Eye Masks as a gift! I received these in my fall FabFitFun box this year, and I instantly fell in love. These little masks do absolute wonders for brightening your eye area, so if you know anyone who’s going through it this Holiday season, treat them to a little self-care with these masks to help get them through this month looking their best.
Feeling inspired? Check out the Wander Beauty Baggage Claim Gold Eye Masks at Sephora here!
For Someone Who Wants An All-Natural Spa Night
Lush BB Seaweed and Brazened Honey Masks
For the environmentally conscious/vegan lovers in your life, look to further than Lush for the perfect face mask gift. Not only are these masks formulated all-natural (and truly stellar) ingredients, they absolutely work wonders on your skin. For a few years, I avoided purchasing these masks due to my busy student lifestyle and the inconvenience of these masks short shelf-lives, but when I reintroduced them into my skincare routine I was really blown away by the results. Not only do these products pack all-natural, vegan ingredients — they have serious results too. These masks come in all kinds of different formulas for every skin type, but my personal favourites are the Brazen Honey and BB Seaweed. The best part about these masks is that if you save up five containers, you can take them back to Lush for recycling and they’ll gift you a free mask! What more could you ask for?
As a quick side note — these masks DO require refrigeration, which is something to keep in mind before you gift them. (So don’t wrap them up and leave them under the tree for weeks before Christmas!)
Feeling inspired? Check out Lush’s face mask line on their website here!
For Someone Who Wants To Try A New Skincare Trend
Dr Jart+ Rubber Lover and Shake and Shot Masks
As far as single-use face masks go, the Dr Jart+ Rubber Lover and Shake and Shot masks are hands-down my favourite of all time. Now, I don’t wanna give away TOO much info on these products, since I have upcoming Favourites posts scheduled for both of these coming soon. However, I will say these make incredible gifts because between the two of them, there’s a formula for every skin type and skincare concern. As well, no other single-use mask, or really any mask for that matter, has given me as strong and immediate results as these two have. These masks will make a perfect gift for just about anyone in your life, as they’re super on-trend (who doesn’t love a good rubber mask?), effective, and fun. Plus, they’re a bit of a splurge, so I personally never really buy them for myself without a big event coming up — making them a great gift for anyone who needs a little extra pampering who wouldn’t indulge in something like this for themselves regularly.
Origins A Perfect World SPF 40 Age-Defense Moisturizer With White Tea
I only just recently purchased this product, but it too already has a Favourites post being released soon. However, I still wanted to share it in this post because I believe it would make a FANTASTIC gift. The Origins A Perfect World SPF 40 Age-Defense Moisturizer with White Tea makes a pretty great present as it really helps add a little SPF to your morning skincare routine, which is something all of us need. It can be a challenge to remember to wear sunscreen every day, especially since it can be easy to fall into the trap of thinking we don’t need it during the cloudier months. However, UV rays can cause a lot of damage to our skin, causing premature aging and hyperpigmentation; and of course, some very serious health concerns. For anyone in your life who hates face sunscreen, or needs a way to incorporate sun protection into their daily routine — look no further! This cream is also super luxurious and moisturizing; it feels lovely, smells amazing, and is guaranteed to make anyone excited to apply it every morning!
Feeling inspired? Check out the Origins A Perfect World SPF 40 Age-Defense Moisturizer with White Tea at Sephora here!
For Someone Who Knows Healthy Skin Comes From Within
Active Collagen Supplements
For anyone really looking to up their skincare game, consider gifting some collagen supplements! While many skin care products contain collagen, the best way to boost your body’s collagen production is to ingest it, rather than let it absorb through your skin. For anyone who doesn’t know, collagen is one of the most important components in retaining our skin’s elasticity. With time and aging, wrinkles begin form from decreased collagen production. Therefore, collagen intake is vital to retaining youthful skin, avoiding wrinkles, and any anti-aging skincare routine. However, these pills do tend to be a little pricey, which can deter people from purchasing them for themselves. If you know someone who’s been considering trying them out but a little put off by the cost, they can make an amazing gift! As well, they really help to add to the routine for anyone who’s all about adding skincare to every aspect of their life.
Feeling inspired? Check out some Collagen Supplements online here! Alternatively, you can find them at your local health and wellness pharmacy or food store.
And that’s it for this week’s ideas! Hopefully you all got a little something out of it — whether it’s for others or yourself (once again, no judgement here). Skincare can be a tricky gift to give as it’s obviously all super personal and varies hugely from person to person. However, all the ideas I’ve shared here are gentle on the skin and work for all skin types — so they should make a great gift for just about everyone. As well, if you didn’t find the inspo you were looking for from this post, you can always check out my first Holiday Gift Guide: Skincare Edition!
Happy December guys, I hope you all have a great month ahead of you! It’s the last one until we start the new year, so be sure to hustle towards finishing any goals you have left for the year before it ends. You can do it!