I have a confession: I actually love Valentine's Day. Yes, it's horribly over-commercialized, and I am violently opposed to the consumerist, heteronormative* approach to love it encourages (if you don't get expensive shiny things, he doesn't really love you, ladies––and the receipt of said shiny things obligates you to show your appreciation, puke), but still, I find myself with a skip in my step every Valentine's Day. My family celebrates it, not as a romantic holiday, but as yet another occasion to show each other our love, and I have always enjoyed the sappy cards and chocolates and abundance of red that infuses our house around the holiday. I think the focus on romantic love is a detriment to the holiday, so I hope you take this day to recognize all the loved ones in your life, regardless of what form that love takes.
I also like Valentine's Day because it's an occasion to wear red lipstick! Not that I need an occasion, per se, but it's always nice to have more opportunities to whip out the bold reds. I'll be rocking NARS Mascate (review to come!), but see below for a selection of other excellent reds.
Roses are a quintessentially Valentine's Day flower, but I find that many rose perfumes don't work on me, they're too sharp or too sweet or too powdery. Exceptions to that are L'Artisan Safran Troublant (I have finally used up my small sample, and I need more), Diptyque L'Ombre Dans l'Eau (purchased a full bottle of this on Hautelook for 50% off, supposed to arrive today, talk about timing), By Kilian Rose Oud, and Parfums de Rosine Rose Praline (which, with its chocolatey notes, is a rather obvious choice for the day).
I really wanted to paint my nails with Zoya Blaze, especially since it would go with Mascate so nicely, but with my statistics take-home midterm due at 10:00 am today, I just did not have the time, le sigh. Story of my life! (Also, hi, sorry I've been neglecting you all something terrible. I miss you! Grad school is busy, who knew.)
How do you feel about Valentine's Day? Do you have any special plans/makeup?
*Blogger's spellcheck evidently never attended Swarthmore, further confirmed by the further wavy red line underneath "Swarthmore". What, my school isn't worth adding to your dictionary, Google?!
Taken from the Facebook page of Sweet Life, the local dessert mecca. See why I love Valentine's Day?!
I also like Valentine's Day because it's an occasion to wear red lipstick! Not that I need an occasion, per se, but it's always nice to have more opportunities to whip out the bold reds. I'll be rocking NARS Mascate (review to come!), but see below for a selection of other excellent reds.
left to right: Lipstick Queen Thriller, Lipstick Queen Cosmos, L'Oreal Endless Red, Le Métier de Beauté Fraise Crème, Dior Rouge Favori, Chanel Dragon, NARS Mascate
Roses are a quintessentially Valentine's Day flower, but I find that many rose perfumes don't work on me, they're too sharp or too sweet or too powdery. Exceptions to that are L'Artisan Safran Troublant (I have finally used up my small sample, and I need more), Diptyque L'Ombre Dans l'Eau (purchased a full bottle of this on Hautelook for 50% off, supposed to arrive today, talk about timing), By Kilian Rose Oud, and Parfums de Rosine Rose Praline (which, with its chocolatey notes, is a rather obvious choice for the day).
I really wanted to paint my nails with Zoya Blaze, especially since it would go with Mascate so nicely, but with my statistics take-home midterm due at 10:00 am today, I just did not have the time, le sigh. Story of my life! (Also, hi, sorry I've been neglecting you all something terrible. I miss you! Grad school is busy, who knew.)
How do you feel about Valentine's Day? Do you have any special plans/makeup?
*Blogger's spellcheck evidently never attended Swarthmore, further confirmed by the further wavy red line underneath "Swarthmore". What, my school isn't worth adding to your dictionary, Google?!
