Almost 1 in 5 women under 30 are more likely to buy or do something for themselves in 2020, to “treat themselves” (23%) or to “feel empowered” (18%) according to a new survey by Mills and Boon. So, we asked five authors what they will be indluging in this year...
Valentine's Day on Female First
CHOCOLATE:
Chocolate is my favourite food…and my favourite Valentine’s Day gift to myself. There are some (misguided) people who might call it a cliché, but those are people who obviously don’t understand chocolate. In my biased opinion, a box of champagne truffles is a thing of beauty.
Buying chocolate for yourself can sometimes feel a bit decadent and self-indulgent, but Valentine’s Day is the perfect opportunity to treat yourself. Calories don’t count when they’re given with love, right? It would be unromantic not to eat them. At least this way you know you’ll get your favourites!
– Jenni Fletcher
PAMPERING PRODUCTS:
It doesn’t matter if you’re single or in a relationship. Valentine’s Day is the perfect excuse to practice a little self-care. How often do we tell ourselves Tonight I’m going to run that bath, add that gorgeous essence and light that luxury candle…have some me time? If like me, and judging by the dust that has gathered over all mine, not often enough!
We should take better care ourselves, but in a world that’s switched on 24/7 we rarely get around to it—and that’s plain depressing. Even as I write this I’m telling myself off.
So why not dust off that bath oil, light that candle, pull out that book you treated yourself to months ago, get the mood music playing and sink into that inviting bath? Buy yourself that super-cosy robe, snuggle down inside it and slap on that guilty pleasure movie you’ve wanted to watch for ages but haven’t found the time?
The possibilities are truly endless, and now I’ve written this I have my Valentine’s Day sorted. What about you?
– Rachael Stewart
CLOTHES:
When we choose what to wear in the morning, it isn’t really about what we look like. The clothes we pick tell us who we want to be today. Every new outfit is an opportunity to decide all over again who that person is—whether that’s trying out something new or sticking with what you know makes you happy.
So, whether you buy yourself the fluffy cosy pyjamas you’ll wear to bed at nine p.m. with a romance novel, the vampy little black dress for a martini at a swanky bar, or something sequinned and outrageous to dance the night away, Valentine’s Day is the perfect excuse to buy something that makes you feel like the perfect version of you.
– Ellie Darkins
FLOWERS:
If you love flowers, Valentine’s Day is the day to go for it, especially if you’re buying them for yourself. Be extravagant and buy the most exotic blooms, or more traditional with a dozen roses or the minimalist single rose. But do it with style. Maybe go to a wholesaler to choose some flowers and arrange them yourself? Or perhaps make your Valentine’s Day gift to yourself one that keeps on giving. How about a hanging basket? Or a chilli plant? Or a rose bush that reminds you of this special occasion year after year?
– Nina Milne
A BOOK:
Let me tell you a little secret… It’s going to change your Valentine’s Day.
I put the wine in the fridge, have chocolates at the ready, dim the lighting, fire up the wood-burner. And then I reach for the treat I’ve bought myself.
It’s not consumed in a single sugary hit, it’s not binge-watched, drunk in one go, or used once and done. It doesn’t have to be brand-new, it could even be borrowed, sometimes old, and there are definitely some that were once blue. Whether you’ve saved for it, waited for it, or come upon it by accident…if it’s an old friend or a surprising new love—a book is the best Valentine’s Day treat.
Lifting back the cover is the start of an out-of-this-world adventure, a thrilling international escapade, or a glorious romance that will take you far from your sitting room and into a whole new world. In a matter of hours you’ll have lived different lives, travelled to far distant countries and made new friends—perhaps even fallen in love.
Is there any better gift on Valentine’s Day?
– Pippa Roscoe
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