I could say it a million times, but I’d still get the question: “can you tell me how to choose a Valentine’s Day gift from [shop name] for my partner?”
How to choose a Valentine’s Day gift for the bedroom
If you want to choose a vibrator for your partner out of the blue, don’t. Instead, ask them what they want. The sexiest thing you can do for your partner is to ask them what they actually enjoy first, then take on the labour of researching, reading reviews, and finding the best deal so that you can surprise them with a toy they think they’ll love.
That being said, I always recommend a rumbly toy with a wide range of intensity for a first clitoral vibrator. And, here on theNotice, that toy is always the Je Joue Mimi Soft. With a soft finish, waterproof body, and rumbly motor, it’s the one toy that I find my partners and I universally love. You can read my review of the Je Joue Mimi Soft here.
This Valentine’s Day, I’m also crazy about the JimmyJane Intimate Lubricant ($28 USD; currently on sale for $14 USD). It’s perfectly slick, with great packaging that never clogs and makes it easy to get the right amount. Its water-based formula does contain glycerine and parabens, which not everyone prefers to use, but it’s my absolute favourite lube right now for texture, packaging, and experience.
Valentine’s Day sex toy gifts (luxury edition)
If you’re looking to spend a little more on a luxurious treat, I’m also enjoying the Crave Vesper and Womanizer Premium 2 right now. The Vesper 24K ($149 USD) is an interesting toy that I’ve had my eye on for a while. It’s a demi-fine vibrating necklace, which charges via USB and is plated in 24K gold. The vibrations themselves are very buzzy, and I’m not sure that they could get me off if I tried, but I just… love the idea of a discreet, stunning piece of jewelry that doubles as a sex toy. (Crave also offers silver and rose gold options, which are substantially more affordable. I am, however, and very boringly always will be, a gold person.)
And as for the Womanizer Premium 2? You know I love the Womanizer Premium — and this new version adds 2 new intensity levels and 2 new colours. Find it at Womanizer ($219 CAD, currently on sale for $208.05 CAD) and PinkCherry (USA/CAN).
How to choose a Valentine’s Day gift that smells & looks amazing
I can’t put together a Valentine’s Day feature without a few beauty products, so let’s talk about what I’ve been wearing on my lips recently. There are three products that stand out.
First, we have a classic on theNotice: the Maybelline SuperStay Matte Inks. This one is Voyager, a classic red that’s just so comfortable, vibrant, and long-wearing. It’s my Christmas lip; my Valentine’s lip; my Lunar New Year lip.
Then, we have a new favourite: Clarins Lip Comfort Oil in Blackberry. You have to go read that review — it’s quite possibly my favourite lip product of all time. The lip it delivers is hydrated, comfortable, and kissable, with a wonderful scent and a juicy, translucent finish that honestly even makes me want to kiss myself.
Finally, we wrap up this trio with a recent lip gloss that I’ve been loving: Sephora Collection Outrageous Plumping Lip Gloss ($16 CAD). It’s absolutely not plumping, but 05 Plump It up Red is a lovely, comfortable, minty-finish gloss in a very natural shade for my skintone. These glosses are comfortable on dry lips and easy to find at Sephora in sets and on sale.
Three Valentine’s-friendly fragrances I’ve been loving recently
The first is an old favourite. Serge Lutens Chergui is one of my go-to date fragrances, with a sultry, spicy scent that reels them in. (I also love Nest Indigo, which gets compliments every single time. I should have photographed it for this post, but couldn’t find it — I’m always slipping it into a purse or overnight bag for dates!)
My Burberry Blush is another date-friendly fragrance that I’ll spritz on for a light, sweet, daytime scent, and Anecdote Candles Snow Day is my current crowning jewel. Rather than a personal fragrance, it’s a gorgeous home fragrance in a candle: warm, cozy, and super sweet. (Right now, you can purchase Anecdote’s Candle with a Cause, which donates $5 per Cause Candle to the Loveland Foundation with a minimum donation of $5000. We love to see a minimum donation!!)
Zero-proof Valentine’s Day cocktails
The pandemic has been tough on all of us. For some, that’s meant mixing a few extra at-home cocktails every week; for others, it’s been the opposite, with a substantial cutback on alcohol consumption.
I’m not here to judge either way, but I love having the option to put together a zero-proof cocktail when the occasion calls for it. More and more, I’m finding that I reach for a glass of wine at the end of the day simply because I want a special little treat for myself, and Lyre’s has a really impressive range of alcohol-free spirits. They give you the option of putting together a nice, alcohol-free drink for yourself, and while they definitely don’t taste identical to alcoholic spirits, they’re lovely. You get to maintain the same ritual of measuring, mixing, serving, and enjoying while eliminating or cutting back on your alcohol consumption.
My first-ever non-alcoholic cocktail was at Meat & Pie Co. in Toronto, which I wholeheartedly recommend. Their BBQ and pies are out of this world (literally some of the best I’ve ever had), and the drinks were no different. After having a smokey old fashioned at their zero-proof bar, I was a convert.
Right now, I’m enjoying Lyre’s Apératif Rosso Style (pictured) and American Malt. I found the American Malt to be a little bitter and watery (like many nonalcoholic spirits), so it definitely needs to be served with bitters… but the Apératif Rosso Style is amazing. It’s sweet, tangy, flavourful, and very convincing.
You can find recipes using each on Lyre’s site here to mix up something special for your sweetheart this Valentine’s Day.
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Disclaimer: The products mentioned in this post were submitted by PR for editorial consideration only. This post contains affiliate links, which help keep theNotice running.
