I feel like I’ve only just started my New Year’s Resolutions and somehow it’s already February! With that means one special day in the calendar, where 31% of proposals take place in a single day.
But what do you buy that special someone? If you’re buying for her, maybe you want some more creative ideas than simply flowers and chocolates. If you’re buying for him, maybe you don’t know where to start, us guys are useless at dropping hints for gifts.
So read on for my top Valentine’s day gift ideas for 2023.
Food & Drink
Arguably the most low risk item you could get, getting something tasty or an alcoholic beverage is normally a winner, as long as you know their taste. Take a look through some of the highlights below:
Waterford The Cuvee Whisky
Whether we’re talking about my dad or 90% of my friends, the gift they always hope to get at different celebrations is a fine whisky. We’re talking about a lavish one that they would feel guilty paying for, that they can slowly sip on as a treat.
The Cuvee by Waterford is an Irish single malt whisky made from the world’s finest barley, oozing class and with tasting notes of grapefruit, lemon zest and dark chocolate.
The whisky also comes in a stunning box, meaning it’s easy to wrap and looks top quality, while you don’t have to worry about accidentally dropping it when bringing it over. At 50% volume, this will leave some hairs on his chest (or her chest)!
Royal British Legion Rose Champagne
Why not celebrate with poppy appeal this Valentine’s Day with a glass of the Royal British Legion RBL100 Champs de Fleurs Rosé Champagne and toast to peace and love, especially in these current climates.
The RBL launched a trio of champagnes to celebrate 100 years of the Royal British Legion. The trio of champagnes are Brut, Rosé, and Blanc de Blanc.
The rose – Champs de Fleurs – translates from French to ‘fields of flowers’, in reference to the fields of poppies that flourished on the Western Front following the First World War, which lead to the red poppy becoming a symbol of Remembrance and hope for a peaceful future. You can pick up a bottle for £55.00.
Think Prosecco & Rose
What better way to quick off Valentine’s than with a bit of fizz? This prosecco doc brut and pinot grigio sparkling rose are the ideal combination gift, costing £40.99 for the pair.
While many of us have spent January cutting back on our lavish ways, these drinks come without so much guilt, being just 62ckals per glass and 0.7g sugar, drastically lower than your average tipple of prosecco.
This award winning beverage is also vegan friendly and 100% organic, with low sulphites and a great taste.
June by G’Vine Peach Gin Liqueur
The Spirits Masters “Master of Category Award” for its “jammy fruitiness, but with a gin backbone”, offering “peach on the nose with some tea”, this is a multi award winning gin that tastes as good as it looks.
Perfect on its own, with tonic or lemonade, or potentially made into a cocktail (which they do provide some tips on cocktail recipes), this is a great gift for any gin lovers, including myself.
The peach flavour is sweet and aromatic, without being overpowering, with tasting notes of lemon, raspberry and juniper.
Lakrids Limited Edition Chocolate Liquorice
Turn back a year ago and I couldn’t image ever eating liquorice, but Lakrids have completely converted me. Largely because this isn’t that liquorice you used to get dipped into sherbert. No, this is coated in beautiful chocolate with rich flavours.
For Valentine’s, Lakrid’s have introduced the strawberry & cream as well as the fruity caramel packs, which can be bought for £20 each, or you can get a love selection box with a mix of different flavours.
My personal favourite is the strawberry & cream, which I gobbled up way too quickly, so much for the diet!
Beans Coffee Club
Beans Coffee Club is the UK’s largest subscription coffee club, providing a multi-roaster subscription service which tailors your coffee based on your taste buds.
Their intelligent matching process allows you to find the perfect beans tailored to personal taste in just 30 seconds, allowing you to confidently enjoy a variety of coffees.
Of course, if a subscription option isn’t the best, you can also order a pack of ground coffee beans, so this gift is suitable for all budgets.
Beach Blanket
With all your food and drink prepped, you could take your partner out to the beach or to the park for a romantic picnic.
The TicketToTheMoon beach blanket is easy to carry, sturdy and won’t tear, suitable for all ground types and the perfect item to carry along with you. There are pockets on each corner, so you can fill them with stones or sand to keep it down.
You also have the choice of 21 different colours, so you can find the perfect option for them.
Flowers
It would be a sin to write a guide on what to get your loved on for Valentine’s and not to mention flowers at all!
Velvet Romance
Serenata Flowers can deliver nationwide right to your door, so you don’t have to jog down to your local florist on the day in the hope that all of the roses haven’t already been taken.
They even do delivery orders at the last minute, so it doesn’t matter if you’re still scratching your head what to get. Nothing makes Raquel smile more than flowers, so this has become an absolute must.
They have a number of different options if you feel like mixing it up from the traditional roses, such as the little star, pretty pastels or strawberry sundae, all offering a beautiful blend of colours and aromas.
Beauty & Pampering
This wouldn’t be a beauty blog without mentioning some form of pampering, especially as some of the more high cost items people feel guilty about buying for themselves, so they work perfectly as a gift. Below are some of my top recommendations:
Wahl Beard Trimmer
Wahl are a world renowned shaving brand, while the Aqua Blade beard trimmer is top of the range, offering a close cut without any accidental snips.
With 180 minutes of cordless running time, it won’t cut out half way through the shave, something you annoyingly get with cheap models of beard trimmers. The 15 different cutting lengths means they can opt for the length they require as well as shaping their beard.
The extreme precision blade helps to offer the closest trimmer shave without the irritation of a traditional razor blade.
Machrie & Lochranza Men’s Bath & Shower Gel Gift Set
Inspired by the breathtaking coastlines and rugged landscapes which surround Arran’s island home, this gift set containing shower gels in ARRAN’s two flagship fragrances for men are sure to uplift, awaken and energise – whether you prefer Lochranza’s warming, wooded spice of patchouli and anise, or Machrie’s crisp, clean aromas of sea salt & rockrose.
The perfect Valentine’s gift to make him feel fresh and revitalised, this double header offers a great scent and a step up from the products he probably normally orders.
Magnitone SteamAhead Hydrating Micro Steamer
The moment I got this, Raquel’s eyes lit up, it’s something she has always wanted to try and has been fascinated by. Getting a home steam treatment will cut the cost of visiting a spa and help to clean up the pores or any residue or excess sebum.
I’d recommend doing the 10 minute treatment once a week, I’ll be going for Sundays, my little detox day where I prep for the week ahead. After a 10 minute steam, apply some serum and a moisturiser, as well as an SPF if you’re leaving the house.
This nifty gift costs £29 and comes in two colours, pink or silver.
Forever Smoothing Exfoliator
An exfoliator is one of the most underrated steps in a beauty regime, ideally performed once per week to clear off dead skin and excess sebum, before applying a serum and a moisturiser.
The issue is that many cheap exfoliators have harsh abrasive ingredients, which can actually do more harm than good, which is why you want to opt for a reputable brand with high quality ingredients, enter Forever, a brand I have used a number of times in the past and have been really impressed by.
The Smoothing Exfoliator combines ingredients that gently reveal healthy, glowing skin. Round jojoba beads massage the skin and penetrate hard-to-reach places for ultimate cleansing while sustainably sourced granules of bamboo delicately remove dead skin cells.
Palmer’s Length Retention Hair Treatment
Palmer’s Cocoa Butter Formula Length Retention collection all contain Biotin and are created for all curl patterns and textures, to strengthen your hair with fortifying protectants for optimal length.
Sulfate and silicone free, there are three products I’d love to highlight. First is the shampoo, which is colour safe and removes build-up, containing nourishing properties that shield the hair strand from damage.
Next is the conditioner, which deeply hydrates the scalp and detangles your hair, while enhancing the hair follicles strength, shine and manageability.
The final product is the Biotin Pack, which you apply immediately after shampooing, working through the hair from the roots, before rinsing off, to deeply penetrate the scalp and improve the shine, as well as repairing damaged hair cuticles.
Personalised Gifts
Sometimes it’s not about the amount you spend and more about the thought you put into the gift. Show them you really care with a personalised gift, whether that’s a pillow with your puppies face on it, or a mug of your first holiday together.
Personalised Jigsaw
Just to offer a little inspiration, the above photo was taken as I proposed to Raquel at the Golden Retriever Experience, surrounded by 32 dogs.
It was a special moment and Cewe can turn that photo into just about anything, including a 500 piece jigsaw, ideal to burn some time in the evening with a prosecco in hand.
They can also get it made into a 1,000 piece jigsaw, but this becomes a hell of a lot more challenging, so pick your battle wisely.
Gadgets
This might be the nerd in me and my other half, but we love a gadget! Whether it’s a kitchen tool that speeds up our prep time or a technical device to speed up the internet or to blast music throughout the house, electrical gadgets can be ideal if you find out what will enhance your partners life.
MP100 Plus Portable Bluetooth Speaker
Whether it’s sitting in the garden during the summer months, on a trip to the beach, on a country walk or even in the bathroom, the MP100 portable speaker is ideal.
It has a built-in lithium-ion polymer battery, meaning it will give you a solid nine hours of playing time. It can also easily connect to your phone or laptop via Bluetooth, meaning you can play your own tunes with ease.
It’s also waterproof, hence my mention of utilising it in the bathroom without fears of it being damaged easily, or carrying it on a rainy day, as it can be held one metre under water for up to 30 minutes! You can even take calls with a one-touch button and built-in microphone.
Samsung SmartTag+
Ever find yourself searching the house for the car keys? Never remember where you put your wallet? For that certain someone whose items go walkabout, the Samsung Galaxy SmartTag+ is the perfect Valentine’s Day gift.
Why not gift the must-have travel accessory for your upcoming couples gateway to make tracking luggage easy.
Simply attach and go, the Bluetooth device allows travellers to keep an eye on their luggage and valuables on the move, so there’s one less thing to worry about and more time to focus on packing the holiday essentials.
Toaster
Since we bought our house in August, we’ve become overly house proud, trying to make everything match up, getting rid of all the old junk and kitting out the house. One of those costs involved making all the kitchen items colour code, so having a black toaster, kettle, microwave, washing machine etc.
This brilliant toaster from Innoteck is one of many amazing kitchen products they sell, from air fryers to juicers and coffee makers.
If you have noticed something missing from your partners kitchen, or maybe something on the brink of collapse, then this could be a clever gift they won’t see coming. You can top it up by making them toast for breakfast!
Clothing & Style
If you know your partner well then you might have a good eye for what they’d like to wear, whether that’s a great pair of trainers or a beautiful summer dress. I love getting a new jacket as a gift as they tend to cost quite a bit so I won’t tend to buy them for myself.
Cotton Traders Clothing
Whether it’s for him or for her, Cotton Traders is a great clothing brand, a British company that was launched the year I was born (I’ll leave that a mystery for someone to find out).
In the picture below you can see their cotton v-neck jumper in a sea breeze blue, while it’s also available in pink coral or dark sky navy blue. This is very decently priced at £24, making it a perfect pricing option for your loved one.
Below them, I’m wearing the slate blue chino shorts, which are stretch material (perfect if you have a pint while out), while they’re wrinkle free, so you don’t have to worry about keeping them perfectly ironed at all times.
Another option below is the long sleeve Oxford shirt, priced at £30. You can opt for a short sleeve if you prefer, but I prefer the professionalism of a long sleeve and to roll them up in the summer months. If you don’t want a blue colour, you can get it in fuchsia pink.
A great option to complete the look would be to pick up some Cotton Traders chino trousers. Priced at £34, the material feels really high quality, they’re zip jeans rather than buttons (what should be normal but nowadays is oddly rare) and they feel great.
This is just a selection of some of the amazing options Cotton Traders have, so I’d strongly recommend having a look through their website, I can’t recommend them highly enough!
Bedsure Sherpa Fleece Throw
With the temperature remaining absolutely freezing and potentially to last until Spring, your partner may benefit from the perfect, practical gift of a Bedsure blanket this Valentine’s Day.
Made with fluffy fleece, Bedsure’s blanket range is highly recommended by Amazon users for comfort, softness and value for money.
Suitable for indoor and outdoor use, Bedsure blankets are great for any Valentine plans such as cuddling up on the sofa with a movie, to decorate the bedding or to take outside for an evening BBQ.
CrossFly Boxers
Help him ditch the Y in favour of the X-fly; a unique design from Crossfly that enables quick and easy access to the important bits.
He’ll love Crossfly’s super soft fabrics and its unique Coccoon system, a soft pocket designed to keeps things gently but firmly cradled while having the added benefit of rather enhancing one’s silhouette…a win-win.
With the average guy buying just 3.4 pairs of pants a year, Valentine’s day is the perfect time to help him drop the old pants and up the romance in a shiny new pair.
