I call Valentine’s Day the Christmas for couples. Gift-giving, dates, flowers, truffles, the extra-thoughtfulness…indeed, love is in the air! Granting you celebrate V-day, I have few tips to make it your best yet!
1) Do something unique and skip the restaurant. An antithesis to what you may have already planned, dining out on Feb 14 is passé. Don’t get me wrong, if you find that a sweet gesture then proceed as you wish. But how’s the idea of tackling outdoor adventure this time? Try ATV, go-kart, zipline, or play tourists in your locale. Unlike the sit-and-talk vibe inside a fancy restaurant, these activities make you and your partner engage in real conversation, develop camaraderie, and possibly discover new things about each other.
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| Some of our fave hangouts in Oahu, Hawaii: Go-Kart at GrooveHawaii; ATV at Kualoa Ranch Byodo-in Temple; Ko’olina Beach |
2) Fine dining at home. If you can’t squash the idea of dining but still want it extra special, why not do it at home? For one, you don’t have to deal with traffic, slow service, irate customers and whatnot. Less stress means you get to spend more quality time with your loved one. Light candles, serve food in nice plates, play your favorite songs softly, the ideas are endless.
Try my mango salad recipe! Toss spring greens, cherry tomatoes, almonds and diced mango together. Add Oriental Sesame dressing (optional: replace sesame dressing with balsamic vinaigrette).
For main course, serve baked cheese salmon. Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees. Place salmon fillets in baking dish, season with salt, pepper, dried basil, top with cheddar, italian or mozzarella cheese. Cover with foil and bake for one hour. Serve with buttered asparagus on the side.
Vegetarian like me? Try teriyaki portobello mushroom burger (full recipe here).
Still have room for dessert? chocolate fondue it is! Melt dark chocolate or truffle in a microwave-safe bowl and 1 tbsp butter for two minutes. Transfer to a fondue pot with flame underneath. Serve with strawberries, marshmallow or biscotti.
3) Pamper, bubble bath, massage, bring intimacy to the next level! Honestly, when was the last time you cuddled up? I say get un-ready together zilla! In time for Hearts Day, Lush brings whimsical and romantic products to amp up your tub time! I received Unicorn Horn Bubble Bar ($7.95) and Floating Flower Bomb ($6.95), can we just stop for a sec and admire their cuteness? Both smell so good I don’t even want to use ’em.
So while in the tub together, reminisce fun times. Laugh at each other’s naiveté. Whenever I tell hub I used to be shy and conservative, he would laugh in disbelief because he doesn’t see an ounce. At the risk of revealing too much info, my point is to revisit that stage in your relationship when you talk about each other, what makes you happy, not your job or how much you hate your colleague. Of course you know where this will lead to so I’ll just leave it to the deepest recesses of your imagination.
Now for the makeup part! I seriously had fun with these Lush goodies so I thought of using them as inspiration for my makeup: purple-lined eyes and two-toned (orange/pink) puckers. #theydoexist
The photos below are very straight-forward, how I did my eye makeup and lips. Before those, I applied black|up CC cream on my face, NARS eye concealer to camouflage dark circles (custard medium 1), set with Tarte Smooth Operator Tinted Pressed Powder (medium), finished with Guerlain Meterorites Compact (medium).
1. After priming my eyes, I applied Diorshow Fusion Mono 821 Chimere on my eyelids.
2. With small angled brush, I lined (and subtly flicked) my upper lash line with Givenchy Ombre Couture 8 Prune Taffetas then set with purple eyeshadow (MAC Mineralize Pretty and Prim).
3. To define my eyes more, I tightlined using Marc Jacobs Highliner Gel Eye Crayon Blacquer.
4. After curling my eyelashes, I applied Clinique Lash Power Feathering Mascara.
5. For my cheek color, I applied and buffed Diorblush Mimi Bronze.
6. For smoother lip color application, I exfoliated and moisturized my lips first using Teadora Nourishing Lip Butter.
7. Next step is optional but I used Marc Jacobs lip liner (Nude)ist to line and fill-in my lips.
8. With a lip brush, I applied hot pink lipstick from the corners of my mouth mid-way (MAC Girl About Town)
9. For transition color, I applied matte orange lipstick (MAC So Chaud).
*Lush goodies provided for feature consideration*
This is a collaborative post with select members of The Beauty Council, check out my blogger friends and spread the lurveeee!
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Love your ideas! And seriously, girl, you're so creative, I love how your makeup turned out. That purple liner is everything!
I love the idea of going out and doing something other than going to dinner. You are an adventurous woman! Love your makeup look too.
My husband would LOVE for me to get on a 4 wheeler with him. I love your lipstick combo.
Love the purple eyeliner – one of my fave liner colors! As usual, you're chock full of great ideas!
You always look so flawless and amazing! We talked about going to dinner but with me being pregnant, I'd much rather order Chinese and just watch tv!
I love all your ideas, especially the salmon!
I absolutely love your idea of doing something out of the ordinary, rather than the predictable for Valentine's Day!
I absolutely love that purple eyeliner on you, and of course you rock that red lipstick fiercely!
Flawless makeup look, as always! Beautiful. I love your ideas, but since we do fine dining at home all the time and seldom go to restaurants, it's a restaurant for me for Vday. And Indian food, my favorite!
Your ideas are wonderful but my hubs will never eat salmon or portabellos. Tho I certainly would. If someone cooled them for me. #lousycook Your eye look is so pretty.
Those lush products keep popping up and they are so darn cute!
Great ideas!
I freaking love the flower bomb it's just amazing 😀
Your ideas are so awesome!! I need these products in my life
You look simply amazing!!! Seriously ever lipstick looks amazingness on you girl. And these are great tips!! Love it!! xoxox
Adam and I went go karting one year and it was a blast!
First of all, you are gorgeous. 2nd of all, I LOVE 4wheelers. We have a couple 😀
ah… Ahiamanu is my favorite place to go to relax and charge my batteries… I miss the temple and hope I can find my way back again. <3 Love you different ways… I'm all about off road and buggies… I would have a blast.
The Lush is pretty, but OH MAN, I love the way you did your lips!!! LOVE!
I love your V-Day pucker! Can you please take me on a date?! Because your activities and eats look amazing. DATE ME KATH lol
Taking notes on all your fabulous ideas!
Absolutely love the two-toned lips! Such a great post.
That makeup look is KILLER! Wow!
Love your ideas for fine-dining at home & all the LUSH goodies!
What a pretty look you created. Riding on an ATV sounds FUN!
That mango salad looks divine!!!!!! I'm also totes jealous of your surroundings!! The lip look you created is perfection!!!
What a beautiful lip look! I swear you make anything look classy and beautiful!! Love your mango salad recipe. definitely going to give that a try! Hope you guys have a fun Vday!
Oops I thought I had commented on this but I guess it never went through!! Anyway, I'm so jealous you live in Hawaii! I am dying to go. And I love that red lip on you!!