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7:00am Saturday 6th February 2010
Get kissable for date night with our romantic-themed products.
Think your Valentine's gift ideas might be pushing the boat out?
Try hiring a private jet for a dinner reservation, ordering 69 red roses with a hand-written message on every stem, or flying 101 tulips to Paris for a proposal - just some of the Valentine's Day extravagances arranged by concierge service, Ten Lifestyle.
But forget the air fares and grand gestures and give the gift of your beautiful self on February 14th.
Whether you're cuddling up on the sofa for a cosy night in or planning an indulgent night on the town, treat your beloved with a smouldering look and captivating scents he will find irresistible.
Recreate those first date butterflies and lip-locking moments. We've got all the beauty tactics you need to seduce your man all over again.
:: Pampered to perfection Bring some romance to the bathroom. Put up the 'do not disturb' sign and envelop your body with rose-scented products to get you in the mood for hearts and flowers with your beau. Layering complementary products on your skin will make your scent even more alluring.
"The appeal of rose dates back to Cleopatra's time when she was said to seduce Mark Anthony with her bedroom knee-deep in petals," explains Geraldine Howard, co-founder of Aromatherapy Associates.
"Rose essential oil is renowned for its euphoric, feel-good factor, as well as its skin enhancing properties."
Lather up in the tub with Lush's Love heart soap containing aphrodisiac oils, £2.50, and surround yourself with rose petals and candles. While you're soaking give your face the glowing look of love with Montagne Jeunesse's Passion Peel Off mask, 99p.
Keep skin touchably soft with Aromatherapy Associates' Renew Rose Massage & Body Oil, £33.75, or slather on Philosophy's Unconditional Love Firming Body Emulsion, £27.20, to keep love handles in check.
:: Seductive scent Get those attraction pheromones buzzing. With a quarter of men buying fragrance as a Valentine's gift, a sensual scent is clearly a priority for the opposite sex.
"Imagine lying naked in bed wearing only your fragrance, waiting for your lover, and think of the scent's impact," suggests Ruth Mastenbroek, perfumer (www.ruthmastenbroek.com).
"Choose a fragrance that you know will make him want to pounce. Woody, spicy, and musky notes are very alluring. But whatever your choice of fragrance, remember not to be too overpowering - you want him to be seduced, not knocked out!"
If you do everything together as Mr & Mrs and want your scents to harmonise with each other try Oriflame's Intense Embrace for him and her, from £11.95 for 50ml.
For a scent that's romantic yet feminine and playful, spritz on Lacoste's Love of Pink, £34 for 50ml.
Want something unique to spellbind him? Create your own signature scent especially for Valentine's night with Jo Malone's luxurious Red Rose Fragrance Chronicle, £64.
:: Kiss 'n' make-up Unless your name is Alex Reid and you're dating Jordan, no man would choose a full-on glamour look over natural gorgeousness. Keep your date night make-up sultry but subtle.
"Think candle light when it comes to skin," advises make-up artist Victoria Bond (www.victoriabond.co.uk).
"Romantic make-up is all about dewy gorgeous skin. Your eyes are the windows to a romantic's soul so keep them soft but dramatic.
"Open them up with eyelash curlers and two coats of Max Factor Lash Extension Effect mascara, £10.99, in black - all the intensity of falsies without the hassle."
Give your pout some attention with some conditioning treatment. Pucker up with Sealed With a Kiss cherry lip gloss, £3.95 from What's About Town. For a lip product that withstands snogging marathons, try Clinique's I Love Kisses Long Last Glosswear SPF15, £13, available at House of Fraser stores throughout February.
Finally, don't forget to tease your locks before you meet your man. Think bed-head hair and whip up some sexy backcombing techniques with Denman's D3 Kiss Brush, £7.16.
:: Stockists Aromatherapy Associates: 020 8569 7030/www.aromatherapyassociates.com Denman: 0800 262509/www.denmanbrush.com House of Fraser: www.houseoffraser.co.uk Jo Malone: 0870 034 2411/www.jomalone.co.uk Lacoste: Available nationwide Lush: 01202 668 545/www.lush.co.uk Max Factor: Available nationwide Montagne Jeunesse: 01639 861 550/www.montagnejeunesse.com Oriflame: 0845 230 2255/www.oriflame.co.uk Philosophy: 0870 990 8542/www.philosophy.com What's About Town: www.whatsabouttown.com :: Tried & tested :: Schwarzkopf Igora Color10, price varies nationwide. For your nearest Schwarzkopf Professional salon, call 01296 314 000.
Kate Moss recently set tongues wagging sporting obvious 'grey' streaks in her hair. New trend or too short on time to nip to the salon? Perhaps the supermodel hasn't heard about Schwarzkopf's new Igora Color10, so called because it's the first salon 10-minute colour to deliver permanent coverage in less time than it takes to drink a coffee! In reality, it's more of a speedy lunchbreak treatment with consultation and drying time factored in. My colour at Cox McMillan salon in London (www.coxmcmillansalons.co.uk) still involved talking over preferred shades and the desired effect that I wanted, but the actual processing time was impressively quick with barely time to become engrossed in my Vogue mag. The end result was glossy, shiny hair in enough time for me to slip away from my desk unnoticed.
:: Buy it now Keep your favourite moisturiser close to your heart with Nivea's limited edition love-themed tins, £1.35 each. There are four to collect, available in diamonds, bubbles or starshine hearts, from February 9 at Boots.
:: Recessionista alert Make a date with Superdrug. Fragrance lovers will be tempted to stray away from their signature scent with the big Valentine's Day savings available in store from February 10-14. Early birds can bag the fragrance offers first online from February 1-7 (www.superdrug.com).
:: Beauty bulletin :: Top of the shops Follow the lead of fellow shoppers to bag the best beauty. More than 10,000 consumers have voted in the annual Product of the Year survey highlighting the products everyone's talking about. In the beauty category, Boots Protect & Perfect Intense Beauty Serum came out on top, Venus Embrace scooped best hair removal, and Clairol Nice n Easy was voted best hair colour. For a full list of winning products visit www.productoftheyear.co.uk.
:: Hair raising event For a haircut with added feel-good factor go for the snip on National Hair Day. Hairdressers from Toni&Guy and Essensuals salons nationwide have teamed up to cut and style the nation's hair on Sunday 7 February to help raise funds for a new ward for critically ill children at King's College Hospital. To join the hair-raising charitable event visit www.toniandguy.com or call 0800 731 2396 to find your nearest salon.Be a Valentine's Day beauty Last update: 01 February 2010 Word count: 1125 Get kissable for date night with our romantic-themed products.
By Lisa Haynes Think your Valentine's gift ideas might be pushing the boat out?
Try hiring a private jet for a dinner reservation, ordering 69 red roses with a hand-written message on every stem, or flying 101 tulips to Paris for a proposal - just some of the Valentine's Day extravagances arranged by concierge service, Ten Lifestyle.
But forget the air fares and grand gestures and give the gift of your beautiful self on February 14th.
Whether you're cuddling up on the sofa for a cosy night in or planning an indulgent night on the town, treat your beloved with a smouldering look and captivating scents he will find irresistible.
Recreate those first date butterflies and lip-locking moments. We've got all the beauty tactics you need to seduce your man all over again.
:: Pampered to perfection Bring some romance to the bathroom. Put up the 'do not disturb' sign and envelop your body with rose-scented products to get you in the mood for hearts and flowers with your beau. Layering complementary products on your skin will make your scent even more alluring.
"The appeal of rose dates back to Cleopatra's time when she was said to seduce Mark Anthony with her bedroom knee-deep in petals," explains Geraldine Howard, co-founder of Aromatherapy Associates.
"Rose essential oil is renowned for its euphoric, feel-good factor, as well as its skin enhancing properties."
Lather up in the tub with Lush's Love heart soap containing aphrodisiac oils, £2.50, and surround yourself with rose petals and candles. While you're soaking give your face the glowing look of love with Montagne Jeunesse's Passion Peel Off mask, 99p.
Keep skin touchably soft with Aromatherapy Associates' Renew Rose Massage & Body Oil, £33.75, or slather on Philosophy's Unconditional Love Firming Body Emulsion, £27.20, to keep love handles in check.
:: Seductive scent Get those attraction pheromones buzzing. With a quarter of men buying fragrance as a Valentine's gift, a sensual scent is clearly a priority for the opposite sex.
"Imagine lying naked in bed wearing only your fragrance, waiting for your lover, and think of the scent's impact," suggests Ruth Mastenbroek, perfumer (www.ruthmastenbroek.com).
"Choose a fragrance that you know will make him want to pounce. Woody, spicy, and musky notes are very alluring. But whatever your choice of fragrance, remember not to be too overpowering - you want him to be seduced, not knocked out!"
If you do everything together as Mr & Mrs and want your scents to harmonise with each other try Oriflame's Intense Embrace for him and her, from £11.95 for 50ml.
For a scent that's romantic yet feminine and playful, spritz on Lacoste's Love of Pink, £34 for 50ml.
Want something unique to spellbind him? Create your own signature scent especially for Valentine's night with Jo Malone's luxurious Red Rose Fragrance Chronicle, £64.
:: Kiss 'n' make-up Unless your name is Alex Reid and you're dating Jordan, no man would choose a full-on glamour look over natural gorgeousness. Keep your date night make-up sultry but subtle.
"Think candle light when it comes to skin," advises make-up artist Victoria Bond (www.victoriabond.co.uk).
"Romantic make-up is all about dewy gorgeous skin. Your eyes are the windows to a romantic's soul so keep them soft but dramatic.
"Open them up with eyelash curlers and two coats of Max Factor Lash Extension Effect mascara, £10.99, in black - all the intensity of falsies without the hassle."
Give your pout some attention with some conditioning treatment. Pucker up with Sealed With a Kiss cherry lip gloss, £3.95 from What's About Town. For a lip product that withstands snogging marathons, try Clinique's I Love Kisses Long Last Glosswear SPF15, £13, available at House of Fraser stores throughout February.
Finally, don't forget to tease your locks before you meet your man. Think bed-head hair and whip up some sexy backcombing techniques with Denman's D3 Kiss Brush, £7.16.
:: Stockists Aromatherapy Associates: 020 8569 7030/www.aromatherapyassociates.com Denman: 0800 262509/www.denmanbrush.com House of Fraser: www.houseoffraser.co.uk Jo Malone: 0870 034 2411/www.jomalone.co.uk Lacoste: Available nationwide Lush: 01202 668 545/www.lush.co.uk Max Factor: Available nationwide Montagne Jeunesse: 01639 861 550/www.montagnejeunesse.com Oriflame: 0845 230 2255/www.oriflame.co.uk Philosophy: 0870 990 8542/www.philosophy.com What's About Town: www.whatsabouttown.com :: Tried & tested :: Schwarzkopf Igora Color10, price varies nationwide. For your nearest Schwarzkopf Professional salon, call 01296 314 000.
Kate Moss recently set tongues wagging sporting obvious 'grey' streaks in her hair. New trend or too short on time to nip to the salon? Perhaps the supermodel hasn't heard about Schwarzkopf's new Igora Color10, so called because it's the first salon 10-minute colour to deliver permanent coverage in less time than it takes to drink a coffee! In reality, it's more of a speedy lunchbreak treatment with consultation and drying time factored in. My colour at Cox McMillan salon in London (www.coxmcmillansalons.co.uk) still involved talking over preferred shades and the desired effect that I wanted, but the actual processing time was impressively quick with barely time to become engrossed in my Vogue mag. The end result was glossy, shiny hair in enough time for me to slip away from my desk unnoticed.
:: Buy it now Keep your favourite moisturiser close to your heart with Nivea's limited edition love-themed tins, £1.35 each. There are four to collect, available in diamonds, bubbles or starshine hearts, from February 9 at Boots.
:: Recessionista alert Make a date with Superdrug. Fragrance lovers will be tempted to stray away from their signature scent with the big Valentine's Day savings available in store from February 10-14. Early birds can bag the fragrance offers first online from February 1-7 (www.superdrug.com).
:: Beauty bulletin :: Top of the shops Follow the lead of fellow shoppers to bag the best beauty. More than 10,000 consumers have voted in the annual Product of the Year survey highlighting the products everyone's talking about. In the beauty category, Boots Protect & Perfect Intense Beauty Serum came out on top, Venus Embrace scooped best hair removal, and Clairol Nice n Easy was voted best hair colour. For a full list of winning products visit www.productoftheyear.co.uk.
:: Hair raising event For a haircut with added feel-good factor go for the snip on National Hair Day. Hairdressers from Toni&Guy and Essensuals salons nationwide have teamed up to cut and style the nation's hair on Sunday 7 February to help raise funds for a new ward for critically ill children at King's College Hospital. To join the hair-raising charitable event visit www.toniandguy.com or call 0800 731 2396 to find your nearest salon.
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