What happened to Valentine’s Day?

I’m not a fan of Valentine’s Day. It’s a Hallmark Holiday designed to make you feel guilty for not buying lots of unnecessarily pink/red/heart-shaped tat in order to show someone you care about them. Because, how could you possibly really care about someone if you don’t buy them gifts on an arbitrary date, right? As the High Tea Cast pointed out on Hoxton Radio at the weekend, if you’re in a relationship you should be nice to your partner all year round, not just on 14th February. Unexpected treats are always better than gifts purchased because of a sense of obligation. I have a bit of an obsession with greetings cards, so I’ll always give people I care about a card with a handwritten note on this apparently ‘special’ day, but I’m definitely not going to fork out more than usual for a Valentine-themed meal in a restaurant or a gift that’s not really needed. Mind you, even us cynics have long realised that there is one person it’s worth treating on V-Day. Someone who you really should love and probably don’t pamper nearly often enough. Yourself.

If you like costume jewellery as much as I do, you could treat yourself to a Tatty Devine I love You or enamel heart necklace. For those of you who love unleashing your inner glamour puss, the Kiss Me Deadly ‘Elle’ robe is an absolute must for swooshing around your flat like a pampered movie star. Of course, if you want to venture out of the house, perhaps something like the Glamour Bunny ‘Dita’ dress would be a better plan? Maybe with some gorgeous classic leopard print shoes. Depends on how daring you are! If you’d rather lock yourself away for a bit of sensual fun instead, the LELO Adore Me Pleasure Set is the only ‘red especially for Valentine’s Day’ gift that I will be endorsing. This is because the box contains one of their amazing Mia vibrators – which looks like it belongs in your make-up bag, is waterproof, charges via USB and has some really intense vibrations! It also comes with a gorgeous 100% silk blindfold and a pair of silk, suede and chain restraints. Treat yourself and share it with someone special… or buy it between you and start planning a fun night in.

I suspect I only remember this because of my age, but Valentine’s Day always used to be about sending a (perhaps anonymous) message to someone you fancy. Maybe we should do that again this year? If you have a short message you’d like to pass on to someone wonderful, email it to me and I’ll post it on Rarely Wears Lipstick on 14th February. Anonymous messages of admiration, an invite to go on a date or a declaration of undying love – anything goes, just keep it legal!