Valentine's Day Gift Guide... The Last Minute Luxe Edition

If you're like me, Valentine's Day is a cultural enigma. I've never quite understood the purpose. I thought we were supposed to love every day and show/tell our loved ones all the time... show them how much we love them with our actions, reacting and those occasional tokens of love?! The idea of reducing it to one major commercial holiday has never made it to my logical mental space. But that's just me! I won't spoil it for you. It is a fun day, filled with tons of red, pink, roses, and chocolate.

I do love how we all throw ourselves into the romantic realm and go batty trying to find our loved ones something super special. I'll forgo chocolates and roses for the more unique gifts that aren't necessarily considered for every day.

Here are some perfect last minute gifts for the discerning woman in your life. Your mom, your sister, your sister-cousin, your best friend, grandma and even mother in law! If you're a guy reading this, think no more! Pick any one of these and your woman will be content! I've spent some time with all but two (5 & 6), and happily recommend as bona fide lovely tokens of affection... even beyond lovers' day this weekend!


1. Because everything Bobbi Brown makes is pretty. This newly released brightening brick seems like could highlight her blushing cheeks. $46. All counters.

2. Cashmere Slippers with Crystal Stars will relax her all the way. $158, Bluefly.

3. Chocolate on my face?? Yes, please! This is sexy right here. The chocolate soufflé mask is super creamy, not too aromatic (otherwise that would be too cheesy), and leave skin feeling incredibly supple. Not a great cleanser, but definitely feels great. $25, Farm House Fresh.

4. Aerin Rose de Grasse Parfum. This here. The best rose-smelling perfume ever. Not a garden whif, rather a perfect balance of floral, sensual and mature. Aerin has arrived on the scene of fine fragrances with this one. New this month. $185. Aerin.com or Nordstrom.

5. Diamond and Ruby Earrings. No woman will ever turn these down. Perfection. Bryant and Sons. Call for price.

6. Concorde Jet Plane. For the professional jet-setter, this sexy piece is a great homage to the retired craft which is so elegant in design and structure. $359, Restoration Hardware.

7. Vogue and MET book. Fashionistas and fashion history lovers need this on their coffee table. Replete with beautiful images and anecdotes to appreciate for decades to come. $55, Olive & Cocoa.

8. Oats Cashmere Poncho. Simply yummy on the body. Not much else to say. I have it in black and swear by it. $238, Neiman Marcus or Last Call.

9. Neroli & Orchideé Parfume. The simplicity of the Provence scent makes it lovely for every day wear. The orange notes are well-suited for any occasion. $75, L'Occitane.

10. Mink & Shearling Throw. Another yummy-to-the body must-have for getting cozy with your boo... or book! Soft, big enough for full coverage and really warm. A great deal on Tanga.com. $25 from $85.

11. Agave Nectar Body Oil will make any woman feel right. Work, kids, stress, etc... will do us in. The smell alone will relax her. Love it on my hair, too! $16, Farm House Fresh.

12. Volupsa Champagne Rose Candle. Can we just have a life long amounts of this? This needs to have an internal flame! It's seductive but feminine, making it really special. A glass of rosé would pair well! Comes in a lovely packaged wooden birch box with pretty wrapping. $45, Olive & Cocoa.

13. ARAMA Oxfords. I just bought these 'Florian' shoes while in Tel-Aviv two weeks ago and just love. Classy, sturdy and really attractive makes for a great shoe. They're hand-made locally once the fashion graduate designer turns them in. These are timeless. $238, ARAMA.com (only $7 to the US!)

14. 50 Shades of Gray OPI collection. I'm not a fan of the cult classic, but these colors are it. Go smokey to seductive in one hand! Bold and smooth colors are in this season. $9.50/each, OPI/ major department stores.

See my other gift guides for inspiration!

B! Inspired Luxe V-day, 2014
B! Inspired Holiday Luxe Gift Guide, 2013
B! Inspired Holiday Luxe Gift Guide, 2014
B! Inspired Mother's Day Luxe Gift Guide, 2014

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B! Inspired Valentine's Luxe Gift Guide, 2013

I'm a lover. I love to love. I love to share my affection with people that have earned it. You know, love shouldn't be dished out so casually. It's the strongest feeling God's given us to enjoy, so it has to be protected. While I'm very precautious when it comes to falling in love,  I enjoy developing affectious feelings for like-minded people. They say you attract who you are, right?! I'm thankful for having some amazing people in my life, both near and far, that make my life so full of happy!

And since Valentine's is just a few days away, I thought I'd share with you my suggestions for gifting the special people in your life --- the ones you love most. When you read my intro in the my 2nd B! Inspired issue -- the Love issue -- you'll learn my real feelings about Valentine's Day and the meaning of saying 'I Love You.'

These gift ideas in the eMag above (click to flip through) are for the more discerning person, but anyone can enjoy them! I've tried most of the items and will attest to their awesomeness. I'm particularly obsessed with luscious lipsticks and glosses this season. Anything I can easily carry and apply when I need to. The prettier the color, the happier I am. Lancome's lipglosses are gorgeous while Laura Mercier's lipsticks are plush. A great combo. I'm also addicted to anything and everything L'Occitane. Check out what I think would be nice to wrap for someone sweet. And, the few I haven't tried are on my personal wish list.... hmmm.

And that's what Valentine's is for!

I hope you enjoy a beautiful V-day with your loved ones. Tell your friends you love them. Your siblings. Even your frenemy... they deserve to be loved. Plus, it's the right thing to do!

B! Inspired this Friday!

And if you're staying in and enjoying a romantic dinner, entice your boo with this decadent nutella and rosewater flan! Recipe on my blog, Flanboyant Eats!

xoxo

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Love in a Frame... {And of Support in Haiti}

Heart paperweight holding down birthday & Christmas cards from '12

By now you've taken pictures and documented the most loving day filled with roses, chocolate, wine, dinner, pink notes and red hearts. I took a picture today, but it was of a young college girl zipping past me with a handful of 30 balloons. Not sure where she was headed to, but I asked her for a quick pose. The colossol bunch was too pretty to up staring at.

But, if you're into printing pictures the "old school" way, I have the perfect picture frame to curate in. The fantastic artists in Haiti, in conjunction with the Heart of Haiti organization have come up a sturdy, rustic and subtly heated frame to hold still in time a picture of your luvie.

Not only can you place it in your fave spot to relish in the moment you snapped the pic, but you'd be helping the charitable cause Macy's supports. Every dollar made from HOH purchases to directly to supporting the artists and allow them to continue chasing their dreams.

My friend Monique shared how she used her picture frame! Isn't she and her hubby just too adorable!?! I've not printed any recent pictures, but I'm thinking of this one... taken while on a serenity hike last weekend in the Virginia mountains.

Jumping for Joy in Virginia, via my Instagram

It represents my passionate love affair with life and all the fabulous and delicious things I'm able to do!

And...while on the topic of hearts, I'm cheating by owning this heart paperweight from Heart of Haiti as well. I started collecting heart-shaped rocks I'd find at beaches and shores abroad back in 2007. The best one I've found is a stunning purplish one in the South of Italy. I've polished it just a tad bit and use it as a paperweight.

But, since I've not been able to find another heart rock recently, I have no shame using this lovely soapstone paperweight designed and handmade in Leogane, Haiti. It does the job! And puts a smile on my face.

It's actually a great fun hobby to pick up..heart rock collecting that is.. you know how the heart is... one of the  most beautiful things we can all have and share with special people.

So, after all is said and done tonight, after all the "I Love You"s are tired and wine bottles empty, move on to the next amore phase of remembering tonight! Frame a pic and hold down all the cards you got with the weights!

Did you take pictures tonight of you and your S/O? Are any of them framable?! Share if you wish!

Hope you had a lovely Valentine's Day!

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* I was offered both the weight and the frame in exchange for a review. I was not compensated otherwise. All opinions are my own, always.

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Pink & Red...Do it up on Valentine's Day

“I love pink and red together— it’s a very modern mix"
-Bobbi Brown

If you're a quasi procrastinator like me, you are scrambling trying to decide on the perfect love gift to hand to your honey tomorrow. The options are, so, well, limited. And since I've established in a  post (either here or on Flanboyant Eats) that I shy far away from the standard chocolate box, sexy panties, and even a dinner date, I dive deep into finding awesome tokens of love.

No matter what you're doing on Valentine's Day, the idea of feeling special is pretty important. I like to get dolled up and look the part of the girl behind that successful man. 

And the dolling up process finishes with a touch of sparkly sass on the puckers, a seductive scent on the neck line and love mani for him to enjoy (I've dated men that had an obsession with pretty manicures!). 

These four lovely pink and red goodies are the absolutely perfect accouterments to any ensemble you with. 

My favorite lip gloss of all time has to be Artistry's lighted stick. This is genius technology in the beauty industry. Not only is the actual gloss well-made (not sticky or gooey), but it gives us a mirror and a soft blu-ish light to make the application process fun and totally practical. The 'confetti' color is neutral with lot of sparkle and perfect to use as a top layer on a matte lip. But my fave is 'passion.' I've gone through one tube already and working on my second. It's the perfect sexy red color for carrying everywhere (like now as I travel in Wisconsin). 

If you're into bolder colors, Bobbi Brown, lip color innovator, recently launched a simple Red & Pink Collection which personifies her approach to this season's palette: deliberately mismatching lips, cheeks and nails. 

I'm loving the idea of brining bold color-blocking to our sweet spots. A strong red mani against a pretty matte pink just works. 

No coincidence the red polish is dubbed 'Valentine Red.' And the 'cherry' sheer lip gloss is wearable alone or as a nice sealing layer. 

And then, a nice and sexy perfume to top it all, is the way to catch anyone's attention. I've featured the POLO sporty collection before, but I've loving the pink one the most. It's every day wearable and has  subtle yet seductive floral tones. 

And it's pink!

Go red. Wear pink. Mix match. Sparkle on. 

For you because you love yourself first! 

Happy Valentine's Day, lovelies. 

*Artistry lip gloss avail on their site for $16. 

*Bobbi Brown nail color and lip gloss avail on counters now for $18 and $23, respectively.

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* I was provided with a portion of the collection to offer this review. All opinions and expressions are my own, always. 

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My True Love... Leopard Anything. And Chanel, Too.

Keyshia  Cole donning perfect red lips

Playing on Instagram while still in jammies http://instagr.am/p/G9bQFmMxpv/

If Valentine's Day weren't defined by all things red, or if the lovers' day was calendared in Spring, I'd be wearing this tomorrow for my pretend date, in which I'd be eating sushi with fancy chopsticks. The lovely white lace frock is the perfect piece to entice the man opposite my frame. And leopard booties, with a skinny heel creates a perfect contrast. Unexpected lock of texture, fabric and pattern. And of course, a solid statement piece by way of the most fabulous gold chain I've seen, would complete the look. It has to be Chanel. Because it's just so fancy, so classic, so chic and so ooh-la-la. 

Almost. Red lips say "Besame, Papi." It's the quintessential vixen and sexy look.  I love a variety of shades, but really loving "Ruby Woo" by M.A.C. and "Hot Passion" by CoverGirl which has a yummy taste of coconut and lasts about 5 hours! Fabulous. 

Tomorrow will just be a normal day, but a girl can dream, right! 

Lilly Pulitzer white lace dress via FTS; L.A.M.B. "Noss" booties; Chanel necklace; M.A.C. lipstick via Sarah ; My lips with "Hot Passion" c/o CoveGirl ;) 

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