In the depths of cold, white wintertime, it’s essential that we immerse ourselves in the gorgeous warmths of the universe—glistening fireside cocktails, fragrant candles, layers of luxurious cashmere, early evenings in bed spent under the covers, hot cups of matcha and coffee and scented, imported teas, and, most importantly, the warmth of LOVE.
Valentine’s Day is an ancient tribute to adoration—a day to exchange gifts, notes, and kisses, a day to honor the most important thing in life. And we’re here for it. We’re not, however, here for drugstore boxes of horrific candies or boring arrangements of flowers. This year, gift yourself, your significant other, your parents, and your best friends with stunning, thoughtful, and cool gifts that they’ll adore all year long.
Whether you’re spending the day alone, wrapped in your warmest and most luxurious cashmere uniform cooking, watching movies, and speaking to yourself out loud, with family, at a galentine’s event, or going to the nines with your other half (amazing wine, a long and dressed up dinner out, cocktails, and perhaps some slow dancing), or have your very own agenda, take time to slow down. Take time to inhale the love that surrounds you and radiates from you. This is what life is for.
Here’s to looking at you, Valentine, and here are a few amazing gifts to give and receive this year:
Learning to Love You
When we think of true romance—and of a perfect date night—we’re transported to the Carlyle Hotel. Think perfectly chilled, briny martinis in a cozy booth at Bemelmans Bar, a piano serenade, caviar, oysters, and Wagyu Beef Carpaccio, golden velvet, a fabulous hotel room with views of the city lights, room service, and blackout curtains. Take yourself—and your Valentine there—with Assouline’s new ode to the iconic hotel. The coffee table book is timeless and gorgeous. Not in New York right now? Tuck a note inside of the book that asks, “rain check?”
Shady Lane
Baby, it’s cold outside, but the sun is still shining—and spring is just around the corner. Keep your Valentine’s eyes protected from harmful UV rays—and keep all eyes on them—with a gorgeous, handcrafted pair of blush pink sunglasses. Our Iris frames are on our Valentine’s Day wish list, but you can’t go wrong with gifting your significant other—or yourself—with any of our sunglasses. Pair this ever perfect gift with a long, incredible lunch outside, a visit to the farmer’s market or botanical gardens, or a neighborhood stroll to the coffee shop for a cinnamon-y winter drink. Consider their heart stolen again. Love shines even brighter than the sun.
Tote of Gold
There’s no one on earth who can’t make use of a great tote bag, and this one by Kule is, in a word, cool. We love the contrast between the sweet heart prints and the black and gold fur. It’s perfect for schlepping around Valentine’s Day flowers, daily essentials (read our article on the subject here), a bottle of sparkling water, clean snacks, and everything else that your Valentine “needs” to have with them at all times.
The Scent of Something Sweet
If your heart doesn’t already have a signature scent—one that is, surely, part of what made you fall for them in the first place—elevate their life with a sweet, subtle scent: think something with notes of tonka vanilla, rose, and jasmine. Mizensir, the ultimate valentine Tom Ford, and Creed all make sultry, rich, and elegant scents that will elevate their day and year. This one is a gift for you, too—inhale the scent of a stunning new fragrance on her silk dress or your own jacket that she borrowed, and you’ll have a hard time focusing on anything but your true love.
Tea Party
Make your Valentine’s mornings—and kitchen, endlessly more beautiful with a gorgeous new set of assorted, imported teas. We’re major fans of Kusmi Tea and Tea Forte. Not only are the teas by both of these houses fragrant and delicious, but their packaging schemes are magnificent. Bring them a cup in bed or return home from date night and brew two cups to warm up before going to sleep. Consider their mornings made better, more elegant, and steeped in love.
Le Classique:
Forgo the bodega flowers and present your Valentine—or anyone who you love—with a thoughtful arrangement of fresh, sophisticated roses. The fragrance will elevate their day, and the sight of the flowers will make their life more gorgeous for weeks to come.
We’re also major fans of arrangements of peonies, orchids, calla lilies, and other flowers—find an arrangement that speaks to your heart, tie a handwritten note onto the vase with a golden string, and touch hearts with this cliché-for-a-reason token of adoration.
You can get a great, simple arrangement from Ode la Rose. For the most fresh, personalized, and gorgeous flowers, find a fabulous florist in your hometown and arrange something with their help.
Don’t forget the greens—they add a vibrancy and lusciousness to any and every arrangement and will make it a bit more cool.
Cozy Hearts
Warm your Valentine’s Heart with a bag of cozy essentials. Think a great heated and//or Weighted Blanket (we love the blankets by Baloo and Bearaby), a cashmere scarf, some CBD or CALM powder by Natural Vitality, a clean hot cocoa elixir mix like those by Addictive Wellness, elevated fuzzy slippers, and a plush bathrobe that’s reminiscent of a spa or incredible hotel room. If your Valentine has a favorite hotel, call them and ask if their robes are for sale.
This is a great gift for those who want to forgo a stuffy price-fixed dinner—or those who adore to be home and warm—luxuriously.
Love is a Puzzle
And there’s no denying that. Gift your Valentine with a stunning, artful puzzle like this one or this one, both of which are by Piecework Puzzles. These are sultry and beautiful—it’s a perfect activity for the two of you to engage with on Valentine’s Day and during quiet work days and days off at home. The finished works are so beautiful, you’ll want to keep them—and your relationship—assembled for good.
Kicks of Love
We’ll never get tired of the classic and utterly adorable Comme des Garcons PLAY Converse sneakers. With the signature PLAY heart, these are a perfect gift for anyone you love. And they’re great when worn with literally any outfit. These are timeless shoes that your Valentine will wear again and again.
Heart Dish
Transport your one true love—or self—to Paris with a fabulous Astier de Villatte Little Peggy Heart Dish. It’s a great ring dish or salt bowl (we really like salt [link to salt article]), it’s gorgeous, handmade, and special. This is a perfect gift for those who know that quality is better than quantity and appreciate the finest of little luxuries. Gifting your Valentine with a piece of jewelry this year? Serve it in this and you’ll win their heart forever.
Best Fish in the Sea
Seafood is the best food and you’ve caught the best fish in the sea. Staying in this year? Make a gorgeous, clean, delicious, and totally luxurious Valentine’s Day meal for your one true love with a box of incredible provisions—think Luke’s Lobster and Joe’s Stone Crab from Goldbelly, and Petrossian caviar. These institutions are adored, and now we can enjoy their fresh, incredible gifts from the sea at home.
Get a bag of lobster claws—it comes with a wooden mallet—and serve with fresh lemon, some herbs, and flakey sea salt. Serve the lobster with a bibb lettuce salad. Make some incredible vegetable sides with fabulous ingredients sourced from the farmer’s market, and make a great cocktail—think tequila with ginger and lime—and voila, you’ve officially created the most perfect Valentine’s Day dinner in the universe.
You also can literally never go wrong with caviar. Bring the classic Petrossian to your home—yes, they ship—and you’ll experience the salty, incredible gold of life one taste at a time.
It being Valentine’s Day, make sure that the scene is romantic. Use real linens and your most beautiful dishes, dim the lights, set some candles aglow, and let the romantic oldies sift through the air. We know that this is probably a dinner for two, but can we come?
A Garden Affair
Elevate the chef and//or gardener in your life’s kitchen with a trio of vegetable garden-scented candles, a gorgeous coffee table book, bars of earthy and fragrant soap, a bottle of flavorful fuyu persimmon vinegar, wasabi mustard, a fresh-from-the farm arrangement of seasonal flowers, an exquisite box of artisanal mushrooms, herby shampoo and conditioner, and a produce box from the very hip and happening Flamingo Estate. The packaging is beautiful, the products are thoughtful and lovely, and your Valentine will actually use everything in the box.
From Japan, with Love
For the minimalist Valentine, the artist, or the Valentine who adores sashimi and is patiently awaiting your next romantic getaway to Japan, look no further than POJ Studio. The small company makes gorgeous gifts—incense, amazing kits (think an indigo dying kit, a Kintsugi Kit, an incense kit, a Fuki Urushi Kit, and Chochin Lantern Kit). POJ also has an incredible selection of home wares, like exquisite Japanese dishes, lanterns, and vases. Piece together a selection of these gorgeous imported gifts and your heart’s heart. We suggest pairing this gift with an incredible sashimi dinner. And then repeating it at least once per week.
The Golden Buzz of Love
Raise a gold leaf glass to your love and your ongoing companionship. Find a great set of glasses—we like these—and order a bottle of fabulous, small batch tequila like that by Lalo or a bottle of their favorite tequila—Casamigos never fails. Pair these with some fresh rose petals, a bottle of Pellegrino, chile flakes, fresh lime, stevia, and flakey sea salt—along with a few romantic garnish options like raspberries and pomegranate peel.
Celebrate your loved one, the Day of Love, and love itself with one of these gorgeous gifts, perfectly chilled oysters on the halfshell, and a romantic evening. Love is in the air—now and always.
Be our Valentine?
XX, SALT
Written by Alexandra Malmed for SALT.