Happy Valentine’s Day: Quick Gifts for Him or Her

If you’ve waited til the last minute and still have no idea what to give or get, here are a few quick thoughts for memorable gifts at every price point for your girl or your guy.

One Size Fits All Lingerie for His and Hers

I will never forget the first present my husband gave me when we were dating as teenagers. It was a giant, thick, fluffy white full-length cotton robe that I still have today.

These things fit anyone, male or female. In fact, you can share, plus they wash like iron and come in handy when you’re in a state of half-dressed, running around the house, trying to cook a meal and do your makeup at the same time. They’re great for lounging and come in a rainbow of saturated tones or baby pastels, but white is always right and looks super luxe.

You can find robes at all price points, from $10-$20 at JC Penney, below, to $395 from Frette, above, and monogramming is often available free or, in the case of JC Penney, for an extra five bucks, and gives a special personalized touch.

Between the Sheets

For more lingerie with a perfect fit every time, consider silk sheets. In gem-toned ruby red or glossy inky ebony, silk sheets make a spectacular visual statement and are a luxury to the senses.

Agent Provocateur sells them, and they can be quite costly for the set. You could always start with the Glossy Housewife Pillowcase, $180, and build from there, or just leave it at a single pillowcase so your sleeping beauty can rest like a queen, or king.

Beauty Sleep

A silk pillowcase is an actual, real, documented beauty product, believe it or not, and carries a host of skin- and hair-care benefits. Dermatologists say that silk contains amino acids found in moisturizers and hair-care products, plus pure silk resists mildew and repels dust mites–good for allergy sufferers.

BedHead Be Gone

Silk provides a cooler surface for the face, but more importantly a smoother surface, so it actually prevents creases that would develop from ordinary cotton. In addition, if you wake up with bedhead on a semi-regular basis, silk sheets will reduce that too.

The friction of follicles against gritty cotton is not a good thing. If you have one ounce of natural curl, your hair is going to frizz and tangle while you sleep. With silk, it’s not going to happen.

Also, remember, silk contains hair-healthy essential proteins, so you’re actually conditioning your mane while you sleep. For this reason, silk pillowcases are growing in popularity with men.

Pillow Talk

Silk is quite durable and should be machine washed gentle with a bit of mild detergent. It dries much more quickly than cotton.

Beware of beauty supply satin pillowcases. You need to read the label. You want 100% pure silk.

Table for Two

A lovely dinner out may seem romantic, but eating out can get really expensive and actually be a hassle, especially if you have to consider a babysitter. You can always make a home-cooked meal or buy some cold-cuts from the deli and pick up some fresh fruit, or a couple of chocolate-dipped strawberries, and enjoy them together with a single candle. Money is not the important factor; you’re together, and that’s all that matters.

So, Happy VD everyone. Spread the love.