So it is that time of year again, where the lovers of the world show each other how they feel. Gift buying can be a nightmare so Frost has put together a guide.
You cannot go wrong with The Body Shop. They do not test on animals and always have great products. They do excellent gift sets and underwear may be a cliche but most women love something from La Senza.
Perfume is something that pretty much all women love. Get some at halfpriceperfumes.co.uk and then take your other half out for a meal with the money you save.
Shoes are the way to a women’s heart, and men are partial to them too. There are some beautiful shoes at zalando.co.uk
Get some excellent grooming products for the man in your life from mankind.co.uk
uk.loccitane.com products are classy and smell divine. I buy their hand creams for the people I love in my life.
Fifty Shades of Grey is still selling like hotcakes and it might get your women in the mood. No, not that one, the good one. You can get her the book on Christian Grey or some other erotic books from Amazon.co.uk.
Benefit Cosmetics are sassy, cool and well packaged, and that is before you even use the product. Perfect for the wow factor.
Forget the Valentine’s Day clichés, if you’re looking to ignite your lover’s imagination this year, then the Kobo Mini eReader is the perfect gift, at just £59.99 from WH Smith.
Proving that great gifts come in small packages, the Kobo Mini is the world’s smallest and most stylish eReader currently on the market. Preload your lover’s Kobo Mini with romantic poetry and love stories to truly get hearts racing – and with over 3 million ebooks to choose from and one million that are absolutely FREE, the Kobo Mini is a thoughtful gift that’s sure to seal the deal.
Coming with a 5” screen and device that holds over 1,000 ebooks, the Kobo Mini perfectly slips into a clutch bag or jacket pocket. Available in either black or white, you can customise your eReader by choosing from Kobo’s selection of signature quilted back interchangeable back covers that come in a selection of colours, designed for comfort.
Other great gifts include the Kobo Glo eReader – which comes with front-light, and Kobo Arc – Kobo’s new tablet which comes with tapestries to hold all your favourites so you can easily find them on the interface.
The Kobo Mini is available from WH Smith at £59.99 and all good retailers.
With Valentine’s Day coming up, award winning online marketplace notonthehighstreet.com is helping people make a truly meaningful romantic gesture this February with their innovative #Tweetheart campaign.
From today, anyone can tweet a romantic message (or comment on the notonthehighstreet.com Facebook page) using the #Tweetheart tag, along with their declaration of love, and notonthehighstreet.com will select five messages to bring to life with teams of musicians and artists in London.
• Five winners will receive a bespoke ‘live gift’ sent wherever in London the lucky recipient is to be found, whether in their office, at a restaurant or walking in the park.
• Specially selected acts will work with notonthehighstreet.com to create a surprise tailored to the content of the selected tweet or Facebook entry.
• notonthehighstreet.com will record the ‘live gift’ to create a lasting, romantic memento for the winers.
• #tweetheart follows on from 2012’s successful campaign with popular duo The Coopers.
The Itchy Feet Dance Academy: Thursday 14th February, Valentine’s event at Concrete, Shoreditch
WHAT: An evening of vintage dance lessons, pizza and cocktails to the sound of rock n roll, rhythm and blues and swing. Sure to get your feet moving, Itchy Feet dance instructors will be on site to teach you toe-tapping moves to dance the night away without the pressure of bright lights and the dreaded dance studio. Professional cocktail makers will be on hand to help you pluck up the courage to take what you’ve learnt to the floor and let your moves do the talking. You can also win prizes through a series of dance competitions during the night and raid a giant dressing up box to get you into the spirit.
WHERE: Concrete (under Pizza East), 56 Shoreditch High Street, East London, E1 6JJ
WHEN: Thursday 14th February 2013, 7.30pm till 1am
WHO: Itchy Feet’s resident DJ, Leo Bedford, will be playing a mix of rock n roll, blues and swing throughout the night. Itchy Feet dance instructors will be hosting a 90-minute dance lesson in a laidback venue to get hips swinging and souls beating.
TICKETS: Tickets are priced at £14 each or £25 per couple, which includes buffet pizza and dance lesson. For those wanting to just join the after party, post dance lessons and food, tickets cost £5. Buy tickets at http://buytickets.at/itchyfeet/7104.
Set Hearts Racing this Valentine’s with Sumptuous Sharing Steaks and Flirty Cocktails at Gillray’s Steakhouse & Bar
This Valentine’s Day satisfy your and your loved one’s heart’s desires with a unique Sharing Steaks menu and selection of bespoke, amorous ~Ish Gin cocktails available at Gillray’s Steakhouse & Bar. Located on the banks of the river Thames it is the perfect spot for romance.
Gillray’s own Executive Chef Gareth Bowen will be lovingly preparing a trio of 1kg, hand selected sharing steaks for you and your loved one to choose from and devour, all served with roasted cherry vine tomatoes, Portobello mushrooms and a choice of sauces.
Choose from the Chateaubriand 35 day dry aged Angus Beef Fillet steak, priced at £90 for two, Skirt Steak servedsliced from 35 day dry aged Angus Beef Plate steak, renowned for its flavour and priced at £40, or Gillray’s own signature Bull’s Head double rib chop, priced at £55. A selection of sides sourced from the finest producers in England including truffle and Old Winchester chips, Purple Sprouting Broccoli, Hazelnuts and Yorkshire Blue and Chili Roasted Local Squash.
The team at Gillray’s Bar has partnered with the London Dry ~Ish Gin to create an exclusive collection of cocktails – the prefect libations to inspire an evening of flirty romance, either as an aperitif or nightcap.
The selection includes:
Provocative – £10
~Ish Gin lusciously combined with velvet falernum and elderflower cordial, served with a scoop of champagne and elderflower sorbet
Stiletto – £10
~Ish Gin in a naughty combination with apple liqueur, fresh lemon juice a scoop of bramley apple sorbet
Chocolat~Ish £20 (to share)
A spicy combination of ~Ish Gin, red chilli tincture, dark & milk chocolate liqueurs and a touch of cayenne pepper, served in a tall martini glass
The Sharing Steaks Menu is available from Monday 11 – Sunday 17 February.
The ~Ish Gin collection of cocktails is available throughout February.
An English steakhouse of the finest design, Gillray’s Steakhouse & Bar pays homage to top quality beef. The menu features nine cuts of steak, with the Bull’s Head – weighing in at an incredible 1000g – at its helm, whilst the bar offers a selection of no less than 39 English gins.
Also available are a range of in-house gin infusions and tinctures including blood orange, cardamom and mandarin and fennel seed. Non-gin drinkers can choose from ten English beers, six English vodkas and a selection of the finest English wines.
Offering a sophisticated and stylish Thames-side destination, with stunning views over the illuminated Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament, there is simply no better place to enjoy English gin with a touch of vintage glamour.
Want a testosterone boost without an expensive injection?
Nature’s Plus T MALE puts the ‘super’ back into man
It’s all over the news – an increasing number of men are looking to Testosterone Replacement Therapy (TRT) to boost their flagging sex drives and inject some energy into their day.
Stressful careers, overindulgence and poor nutrition are all contributing to burnt out men, leading many to go to the extreme of having expensive testosterone injections. If you are looking for a injection of testosterone without a needle then why not try Nature’s Plus T MALE? The unique formula can be taken in tablet form and the all-natural ingredients mean you don’t have to worry about any of the unwanted side effects that can be associated with TRT.
High potency zinc found in Nature’s Plus T MALE aids maintenance of healthy, natural testosterone concentrations in men. Zinc supports fertility, while vitamin B6 reduces tiredness and fatigue and assists the regulation of hormonal activity. T MALE also provides the body with selenium, which offers nutritional support for normal sperm production (spermatogenesis) and calcium, another key mineral for the production of testosterone.
“GO ON, BREAK UP THIS VALENTINE’S DAY” – IT’S THE ANTI-VALENTINE’S DAY!
One in ten (15%) people have broken up with a loved one around Valentine’s Day, according to new research by Nationwide Building Society*. But the Society says “breaking up is not always a bad thing.”
“It all depends on the relationship and what you want to get out of it. If your relationship is not working, then change is not always a bad thing. For example, this Valentine’s Day we are encouraging those who have been let down by their bank or have a bad financial services relationship, to make the split and switch their current account to us, as we are a building society we do not have shareholders to satisfy we can focus on our customers.
Løv Organic loose leaf Rose tea, packaged in an eye-catching pink reusable tin, is the ideal blend of luxury, fun and romance this Valentine’s Day. The black China tea is lightly scented with organic rose blossoms for a wonderfully delicate flavour. The perfect present, it is available at John Lewis and Selfridges priced from £8.99.
www.lov-organic.com
Celebrate the 14th by indulging in a selection of Cocomaya’s exquisite chocolates and artisan cakes and biscuits. Heart-shaped all-butter shortbread biscuits (from £2.50-£3.00 apiece) come wrapped in beautiful packaging to make for the perfect present. For an intimate gift, create a bespoke Name Bar with white, milk or dark chocolate and finish it off with a sprinkle of glitter or personalised decoration, a quirky way to spell out your love. www.cocomaya.co.uk.
Give Your Man Morning Glory this Valentine’s Day
Make Your Valentine’s Day Go With a Bang with Rude Health’s Naughty Breakfast Range
Recent health studies show that when it comes to getting your man in the mood this Valentine’s Day it really is all about having your oats, and leading cereal maker Rude Health has the perfect recipe to put the passion into your Valentine’s Day breakfast.
The most common cause for not having sex is because people are too tired, with one in three married Brits even saying sex has become a chore. Well, top independent food producer Rude Health, which is stocked in Waitrose and Sainsbury’s, has come up with the perfect solution to keep Britain in the mood this Valentine’s Day with its energy boosting Morning Glory porridge.
Porridge oats are rich in a variety of vitamins and minerals that are known to affect how we feel. These include: zinc, vitamin B6, iron, folic acid, calcium and magnesium to name a few. It is reported that a single serving of porridge oats contains 17% of the required daily intake of zinc, therefore making porridge the perfect answer for sustaining you for longer in bed.
So forget the champagne, oysters and chocolate, make sure you feed your man a hearty bowl of Rude Health’s porridge to make your Valentine’s Day go with a bang.
Rude Health founder, Nick Barnard said: “At Rude Health we produce food that gives you enough energy to stay in rude health all day.
“We’ve always maintained that you should breakfast like a king and it’s interesting to see that most Britons now cite being too tired to have sex. Start your day with a bowl of porridge and you’ll get all the energy you need for morning activities of any kind.”
Pixengo: New iPhone App helps men deliver on Valentine’s Day
Looking for the perfect way to say “I love you” to your girlfriend or wife this Valentine’s Day? Are you too skint to buy a card or just too lazy to drive to the shop and buy one? Perhaps you’re inept enough to forget the date completely and spend the day frantically trying to arrange that ‘surprise’ gift or trip.
Fortunately, there is now a new way to send your loved one a Valentine’s Day message. It takes just a few minutes and doesn’t cost a penny.
Pixengo, an innovative new App for the iPhone available to download from iTunes, is FREE and allows you to add thoughts and emotions to still images by fusing them with 30 second sound bites. Record a funny message, whisper sweet nothings or even propose if you are brave. Let your photos do the talking!
Pixengo means you can send personalised Valentine’s Day greetings to your partner. Capture a photo using the App or select an existing one from your camera roll – perhaps one of you, a screenshot of the flowers you forgot to buy or the necklace you ‘definitely’ ordered that hasn’t turned up yet. If you want to enhance the image Pixengo comes complete with special creative tools and filters.
Add a recording and share privately (or publicly!) via your Pixengo stream, email, Facebook or Twitter with the one you love. If you mess up you can rerecord, simple.
Lucky recipients see the photo, click on a play button to listen to the sound clip and have the option to like or comment. They can view ‘Pixengos’ in a web browser on their mobile or a computer; they do not need the App.
Although some might see Pixengo as a get out of jail free card it actually complements traditional gifts brilliantly, earning brownie points for gentlemen who remember and prepare for Valentine’s Day in advance.
For instance, if you’ve arranged a surprise trip why not send your partner a Pixengo clue? Or a picture of the intimate dinner you’ve laid out for when they return from work, complete with a seductive message? Pixengo allows you to add the finishing touch to what will hopefully be a perfect Valentine’s Day.
Check out our examples (click on the play icon in the top left hand corner to hear the clip):
The mankini (it’s exactly how it sounds): http://new.pixengo.com/p/18GD7CM
A romantic dinner (not a brilliant effort!): http://new.pixengo.com/p/18GD5PA
Sealed with a kiss this Valentines at Flavour No5 Cavendish Sq
London’s hottest new restaurant offering
Wine, dine and impress your Valentine at the exclusive restaurant, Flavour at the beautiful and opulent No5 Cavendish Sq overlooking the picturesque views of Cavendish Square – the perfect backdrop for a romantic evening.
Exclusively for Valentine’s Day, Flavour at No5 Cavendish Sq are offering an exceptional Valentine’s dining package which includes a six course tasting menu lovingly prepared by Jamie Oliver trained chefs and a complimentary glass of prosecco complete with romantic background music to get you in the mood for love!
Pre-booking is recommended – for reservations please call Flavour at No5 Cavendish Sq on 0207 079 5003. Price per person is £35. For more information visit www.no5cavendishsq.com
Valentine’s Day Set 6 Course Dinner Menu 2013
Starters
Bruschetta of buffalo Mozzarella with smashed peas and broad beans in fused with lemon and mint dressing
Warm salad of wood pigeon with frisée, mâché, cranberries and raspberry and thyme dressing
Mains
Six hour porchetta with roast onion purée confit baby carrots, grilled baby leeks and fennel with calvados jus
Gnocchi with shiitake, oyster and portobello mushrooms in thyme cream sauce
Deserts
Wild strawberry fool
Chocolate, orange and pistachio semifreddo with candied orange
No5 Cavendish Sq are also offering diners who wish to continue the romance into the night a special room rate of £208 including breakfast and complimentary upgrade subject to availability.
On 14th, 15th and 16th February No5 Cavendish Sq are including a bottle of prosecco and chocolate covered strawberries with any hotel room bookings.
YOU MAKE ME FEEL LIKE A…. NATURAL APHRODISIAC
ONE of the last remaining tea producers in Britain, Higher Living is described as ‘the Rolls-Royce of tea’ and has firmly established itself as a leading expert in the world of herbal tea.
So much so in fact, that not only are the 23 blends 100% organic and extremely tasty, but three of them possess the natural ingredients needed to light up your Valentine’s night.
While some turn to alcohol to accompany a romantic evening, the health conscious and tee-total may have been lacking in assistance with sensual gusto… Well not anymore.
One for the ladies, Fennel is notably high in phytoestrogens, natural estrogen-like chemicals found in plants. In fact, in the 1930’s, fennel was considered to be used as a source for synthetic estrogen*. Ladies’, slip into something more comfortable and get the kettle on!
Chillies can fire you up in more ways than one. They contain the chemical capsaicin that can induce the release of endorphins to create a temporary high. Capsaicin also speeds up the metabolism and increases circulation, responses that are similar to those experienced when being intimate*.
One for the guys, Licorice has been used in ancient China for its love and lust provoking properties*. Research has revealed that the secret to Licorice could be the smell itself as it has shown to stimulate the male libido in a number of scientific studies**.
Higher Living Tea is priced from £1.99 RRP and available to buy from Asda, Tesco, Waitrose, Holland & Barrett, Planet Organic and Whole Foods.
Cornish Red mugs for Valentine’s Day
A pair of personalised Cornishware striped mugs make an unusual gift to say ‘I love you’ on Valentine’s Day. The two mugs come in a handsome striped gift box for £30 including p&p (+ £1.00 per letter for up to 12 characters on each mug) from Cornishware makers T.G.Green’s online shop. www.tggreen.co.uk Last orders for bespoke mugs is 10th February.
Sexy, Fun and Outright Awesome Valentines Day Gift ideas from Desire and Pleasure
Valentines Day is a time to show the one you love just how much you love them and what better way than getting up close and personal and taking things into the bedroom for some after hours fun!
This Valentines Day, unleash your inner sexual desires with the help of Desire and Pleasure and this range of sexy, fun products to try…
Dim the lights, start the fire and keep warm this winter whilst making signature Belvedere cocktails in the comfort of your own home.
Cosy up with your loved one and induce your creative juices this Valentine’s Day by making and drinking your very own Belvedere Cupid’s Bow. Served in a classic Martini glass, the easy to make cocktail is made with delightful splashes of simple syrup, lemon juice and half a dozen fresh raspberries – a real boost of sweet ingredient’s that can be enjoyed in true Belvedere style.
Belvedere Cupid’s Bow Recipe
50ml / 2 oz Belvedere Pure Vodka
15ml / ¼ oz Simple Syrup
20ml / ½ oz Lemon Juice
6 Raspberries
Dash Egg White
Shake vigorously and strain into a chilled martini glass. Garnish with a raspberry.
To push your mixology skills even further, try your luck at also making the Belvedere Skinny Swizzle and Belvedere Grapefruit Caipiroska. Please find images and recipes attached for your use (further Belvedere bottle imagery available on request).
For the full range of signature Belvedere cocktail recipes, please visit http://www.belvederevodka.com/browse-drinks.
What’s more, all profits made from sales on Desire and Pleasure are used to support the invaluable sexual health charity work of the FPA (Family Planning Association).
Check out these amazing umbrellas from Fulton. My favourite are the ones from Cath Kidston and Lulu Guinness
Palmes d’Or Rosé 2005 vintage, £120
Champagne Palmes d’Or Rosé 2005 was created more than 25 years ago by Mr Nicolas Feuillatte, as a tribute to an opera diva he once met in New York, where he was living at the time. With its sensual shape and honeycombed sides that capture the light to magnificent effect, Palmes d’Or Rosé 2005 Vintage makes the perfect drink to celebrate Valentine’s Day with extravagance and lavishness.
Available at John Lewis online.
Champagne Brut Rosé, £30
Salmon pink with silver tints, this sublime Champagne works from starter to dessert. Thanks to the large proportion of Pinot Noir grapes in the blend it offers up aromas of blueberry, blackcurrant and raspberry. Refreshingly dry, but with enough flavour to pair it with food, a chilled bottle of Nicolas Feuillatte Brut Rosé will be the ideal Champagne offer or to simply enjoy with friends on 14th February 2013.
Available at John Lewis Stores and John Lewis online.
The historical shopping store Selfridges has some excellent gifts. Clothes, make up and perfume all under one roof. There is nothing they do not sell, even fridges. (boom, boom)
Handmade from QVC this Valentine’s Day
“Spread a little bit of love on Valentine’s day and send all of your favourite people a Valentines card to let them know how much they mean to you. Happy Crafting!” – Stephanie Weightman, QVC’s Craft Expert
Fed up with the usual roses and shop-bought cards on Valentine’s Day? Why not get crafty to show your loved one just how special they are? Decorate the house, a card or simply create individual jewellery with love. Be thoughtful and creative this Valentine’s Day with QVC.
Martha Stewart Enchanted Heart Large Double Punch
Item number, 501115, QVC price £17.75
This upright punch creates crisp, perfectly shaped cut-outs. Great for decorating Valentine’s Day cards, scrapbook pages, party favours, or custom gift tags.
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Martha Stewart Set of 12 Glitter Paints
Item number, 590909, QVC price £23.25
Features a collection of glitter paints in a variety of vibrant colours. Perfect for all craft painting techniques, including brush painting and detailing, sponging, stencilling, stamping and lots more.
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Set of 5 Hearts & Sentiments Stencils
Item number, 590488. QVC price, £13.00
These stainless steel stencils are ideal for use as dry embossing templates for embossing on paper, scrapbook embossing and embossing with paste, as well as using for tracing and stencilling. Add another dimension to your paper crafts with this set.
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Set of 60 Mini Rose Buds
Item number, 502148. QVC price, £9.50
Features bunches of mini rose buds in beige, peach, red, dusky pink and raspberry shades. Add a beautiful dimension to your Valentine’s Card making with these stunning fabric rosebuds, wire stemmed to allow perfect positioning.
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Onboard the speedboat we popped a bottle of fizz and tried to drink it sedately whilst the wind whipped our hair into a frizz and the fizz into a mini whirlpool in the glass. It was a relaxed end to a thought provoking day.
Before we left Kanchanabhuri we of course had to go down to the famous bridge for photo opportunities. It was hard to think of the trauma and misery of those times, and to feel that we were walking in the footsteps of so much suffering. We looked at the river, at the way it was alive, and vibrant again. We thought of the train journey we had taken on the railway and enjoyed, but it was a railway line, which accounted for the lives of so many captives, of so many nationalities.
