Beauty, Bodycare, Brands I Love - Beauty, Fragrance, Gift Guides, Home & Family, Home Decor, SkincareMlle JulesFebruary 09, 2021cream, verso, salt and stone, august and monroe, doers of london, candles, valentines day, gift guideComment

BLACK & WHITE FOR VALENTINE

Everyone is always searching for unique ways to celebrate their loved one on Valentine’s Day. Who am I kidding? I use any excuse to buy gifts for my loved ones!

Whenever I find a product I love, I spend some time researching the entire product line, the brand, the history, the competition. I can immediately be drawn by a brand, but when I love all the offerings, my love just goes up exponentially. I had a little fun putting together my own collection of gifts this for this Valentine’s Day. I was inspired by the black and white monochromatic products that I’ve been exploring recently. It felt super yin and yang, super masculine and feminine, super fun for a his and hers to celebrate love! Here’s a little gift from me to you, a highly curated gift guide of some of my fave precious products that are both incredible in terms of function, and also just so visually pleasing for your countertop.

So many of these beauties are from a new local favorite of mine, Routine Heroes. An amazing site with an insaaaanely large selection of products that are always a hit… yes please! Hand picked by the founder, Natalia, I’m so excited to introduce some awesome skincare to you guys.. from her selects, of course!

A little nod to Agent Nateur, their natural deodorants are such a find – I have a full post on my favourite natural deodorants coming soon, but this is a standout product. You may be thinking, um, deodorant for Valentine’s Day, but couple with Salt & Stone Premium sunscreen which is also unisex and just such a beautiful product to the touch.

Doers of London is a recent discovery from the UK. Their formula is enriching and super clean and I love the original packaging. It seems simple: a hydration cream that is lightweight and nourishing. I love the idea of gifting utilitarian products that are just a notch above what people would typically buy for themselves.

Supporting local is on all of our minds lately and that’s where Etymologie comes into play. A fellow Montrealer, Raquela is a scientist by trade and developed this line to address her own sensitive skin needs. Similar to me, I have sensitive and dry skin, especially in winter, and these fragrance-free products are just so sumptuous and decadent. I really love the clay cleanser, hydration serum, probiotic vitamin C serum and Bakuchiol serum – how amazing would that unisex gift bag be!?

Gifting nourishing cream has metaphoric waves. What better way is there to tell someone that they deserve some “me time” than a clean, ultra-hydrating cream. Verso is a Swedish brand that has a signature ingredient for their retinol 8 formula. Whether it’s daytime or nighttime, the Verso collection has great unisex gift ideas, so whatever you buy for your partner, you know you can use too!

Another local fave is August + Monroe. They have a unisex blemish stick that is legit magic. It’s a 3-in-1 formula that treat, heals and conceals blemishes, yes please! They have Insta tutorials so we can all become pros. I love how versatile and easy this product is. Here’s my personal pro-tip: add a drop of serum to the concealer to help blend more easily.

Well that’s a wrap on yin and yang unisex Valentine’s Day gift guide. Lately, it’s all about the online shopping and having gifts delivered to people’s homes, so spend some time perusing some sites and see what feels right for you when you click checkout. I hope my guide helped you on your quest to gift ideas for your special someone… or your special self. xx

Mlle Jules