Cupid\'s bow

By Emine Ali Rushton 

Fed up with the standard red roses and chocolates? Point him towards these Valentine\'s beauty fixes for a delightful beauty-boosting treat for the girls...

1. CRABTREE & EVELYN FRAGRANCE 

It\'s rather refreshing to see a beauty shop that isn\'t marking up merchandise just before the Valentine\'s rush - in fact,  from the 1^st - 15^th February, good old C&E are giving anyone who buys a women\'s fragrance a half-price body lotion or cream, or any ladies buying for fellas, a half price hair or body wash. Now, when you consider that the new scents include treats such as Lost and Found Eau de Parfum, from £15.95 and India Hicks divine Spider Lily fragrance, £29, this offer\'s not to be sniffed at.

crabtree-evelyn.co.uk

2. JO MALONE RED ROSES COLLECTION

We\'d hate to think of ourselves as demanding, but, well, even those of us with the lowest expectations for this most romantic of days, can\'t help but hope for a pleasant surprise - something other than a last-minute bouquet from the local petrol station.

We say, bypass a wilting bunch of roses in favour of a more imaginative, enduring gesture. Our ideal? Jo Malone\'s Red Roses Cologne, £30 for 50ml and Red Roses Bath Oil, £38 - gift-wrapped and delivered via Jo Malone Express (020 7720 0202). You\'ll earn enough Brownie points to last you till Christmas.

jomalone.co.uk 

3. THE BODY SHOP CHERRY BLOSSOM RANGE

Within Japanese tradition, the new buds upon the Cherry Blossom tree symbolize spring\'s arrival and, aptly, the beginning of new love. While we may not have a beautiful bough planted in our arbor (or, even potted on the balcony), it\'s nice to know that we can still indulge our Crouching Tiger-esque romantic fantasies with the pretty exoticism of the new range. Our favourite? The Cherry Blossom Body Butter, £14 - smells as good as it looks.

thebodyshop.co.uk

4. REMINGTON CONFIDENCE CORDLESS BIKINI TRIMMER,

This little gadget may not be new, but we can think of no better time to dust it off and give it another whirl. While we\'ve got nothing against going au naturel, there\'s nothing like, ahem, a new haircut to turn his head. All Carry On-style innuendo aside, it\'s far niftier and easier than using a razor - not to mention, more creative... well, who said you had to reserve the wearing of a heart for your sleeve?

£19.99, available at Argos or 0800 212 438

5. GIVENCHY ANGE OU DEMON TENDRE

If ‘Saint\' Valentine leaves you feeling a bit self-conscious about your devilish heels and minxy make-up, it might be wise to opt for something a bit more subtle - perhaps even sweet - just for a day. Thankfully, Givenchy is one step ahead, launching a new version of their latest fragrance, Ange ou Demon, that indulges the angelic, rather than the darker side of the sensory sphere. So, even if there\'s a bad gal underneath, he\'ll have to impress the goody-two-shoes in you first... and we reckon this scent is a good way to start.

£30, available from 14^th Feb

6. SOAP & GLORY STEAMY SHOWERS GIFTSET

While we hate a presumptuous Valentine\'s gift (err, see-through panties anyone?), we\'re suckers for saucy offerings when they\'re accompanied by lashings of good humour. Our favourite rib tickler? This affordable offering from Soap & Glory that includes everything you need to have a bit of cheeky fun. Just be sure to pop the enclosed ‘Do Not Disturb\' sign onto the bathroom door first - especially if he still lives with his mum.

£15, boots.com

7. NATURAL MAGIC PERSONALISED CANDLES

Candles are a notoriously obvious gift at this time of year, but to avoid an apathetic response, we recommend one that is a cut above the competition - a 100% Organic Treatment Candle, from Natural Magic -  which comes with a choice of personalised messages, all engraved in elegant silver lettering.

£75 (£35 for candle and £40 for engraving), naturalmagicuk.com

8. TOM FORD BLACK ORCHID COFFRET

If you\'re tired of receiving scents that do little to fire your imagination, point your partner in Tom Ford\'s direction. His iconic Black Orchid fragrance comes in a sexy, ribbed black bottle - a deep, dark, rich scent with a smoky underbelly - with matching Body Emulsion. Not only will the scent look divine on your dressing table, but the Emulsion will leave skin scented and silky all day long.

£58, 0870 034 2566

9. EVE LOM TRAVEL GIFT SET

For those men with poor track records in romance (you know who you are), a skincare gift might seem like the riskiest of all choices. Worst case scenario? Your girlfriend reads your actions as an indictment on her complexion, bursts into tears, dumps you and throws your clothes out of the window. But... and bear with me, opt for a beautiful, luxury travel set, delivered with a note that reads, ‘Keep this weekend free - we\'re going away,\' and there you have it - the ultimate get-out-jail-free card. Just make sure you\'re not taking her to your mum\'s... or the local pub. You\'ve been warned.

£50, spacenk.com

LANCÔME BAFTA COLLECTION

While a trip to the local cinema might be as close as any of us will get to actual red carpet, it doesn\'t hurt to pull out all the stops once in a while and indulge our inner glamour-pusses. Luckily, just 4 days after the BAFTAs, Valentine\'s Day provides the perfect excuse to skip along to your local Lancôme counter, where the expert artists will indulge you in a free BAFTA-style makeover, using products exclusive to the uber-glam BAFTA beauty collection (and those that are used on the stars themselves on the night). Even better, leave your leading man outside, waiting in a cab, ready to whisk you away for a romantic dinner... we can\'t think of a happier ending.

lancome.co.uk

And don\'t miss our fabulous Valentine\'s competition with Selfridges - you could win a luxury gift pack of everything a gal could ever wish for...