Valentine’s Gift Ideas Review
Valentine’s Gift Ideas
Reviewed by Louise Watts
With Valentine’s Day fast approaching, the question that comes to my mind every year is “What do I buy for my husband?” With finances under pressure in the majority of people’s homes, what is out there for us to buy that is good value for money but also will put a smile on our loved ones faces at this special time of year when we spend time and money telling them how important they are to us. I have looked at a gift for the man in your life, a gift for the woman in your life and a neutral gift that would be sure to put a smile on anyone’s face at this time of year, so let’s have a look at what these items are and how they fare in the ratings!
Wilkinson Sword Hydro 5 Razor for Men
My husband like many others, has to shave daily in order to keep a clean appearance for work and also because of the speed at which his facial hair grows! He has over the years tried many cheap and expensive razors, some wet shaves and some electric shavers. He has settled for now on buying cheap disposable razors as he says they are as good as any other… bearing this in mind, he has for the past 2 weeks been using the Wilkinson Sword Hydro 5. He was initially very sceptical but was willing to put it to the test. The Hydro 5 is a wet shave razor with replaceable blades. It is marketed as featuring a water activated gel reservoir which is designed to deliver 40% less friction than a lubrication strip. It has 5 ultra-glide blades which are designed to deliver a closer shave and is said to be for the man who is looking for skin protection against irritation, high performance and quality. The RRP for the razor and one blade is £9.99 and a 4 pack of replacement blades will cost you £9.99 also. So what did my husband think. Well, the first time he used it he said it felt lovely and glided beautifully across his face. The shave was far closer than any disposable razor I have ever seen him use and his face was left feeling far softer and smoother than I am used to! His next comment (in true man fashion) was that he didn’t believe the blade would last very long and his experience has taught him that when the blade starts to wear out, it ends up cutting his face badly and then he gives up and goes back to cheapies again. He has been using this razor with the same blade now for 2 weeks and despite his initial reservations, the shave is still as close and as smooth as it was the first time he used it, therefore dispelling his beliefs that it would be a short-lived blade. He has even agreed to let me buy some replacement blades so that we have some in stock for when the current one does eventually wear out.
The good news is that I have a happy husband and from my perspective, the Hydro 5 looks nice and feels nice to touch. It is quite heavy but it is easy to get a nice grip on it and certainly delivers a lovely smooth shave. I personally hope my husband sticks with this now as I am getting quite used to him having a baby soft face. The Hydro 5 also comes in a sensitive variety which retails slightly higher at £11.99 for those men who have extra sensitive skin. I think this is a nice gift for any man and it has a few added perks for the ladies too.
Daisy Blue Plum & Rhubarb Candle
When buying gifts for any occasion, I personally think men have it easier than women. I always struggle with what to buy men but ladies seem a little easier. But what is available for ladies that is nice, a fair price and will make her happy? I received a bespoke valentines candle from “Daisy Blue” in the fragrance plum and rhubarb. I have over the years used candles a lot at times and then gone for ages not using any. I haven’t actually had a candle for a long while now and so was very excited to be given the opportunity to try and test this one. When it arrived, it was nicely boxed and wrapped with bubble wrap and clearly marked as fragile (a must if your item is being delivered). The candle itself comes in a beautiful, thick clear glass with a silver lid. I particularly like this as when the candle has been used, the glass can still be functional and reused as a container with a lovely lid. Daisy Blue sell a variety of different fragrances and the candles come in either a tin, a glass or a glass with a silver lid. The price varies depending on which option you choose. The candle I received retails at £18 (prices start from £8.50). On the glass was a beautiful bespoke Valentine’s message with red hearts on. When opening the lid, you get a lovely waft of fragrance. Initially when lighting the candle, the fragrance was very subtle, however after it had been lit for a while it became stronger. It is an absolutely delightful smell and was certainly not over powering or too much. I think it had just the right balance – the scent is strong enough to be a constant presence but subtle enough that you can leave it burning all evening and it does not become too intense.
The wax burned evenly which is the sign of a good quality candle and means that you should achieve maximum burn time. The glass and the glass with lid candles are marketed as having a burn time of 45 hours and the tin candle has a burn time of 25 hours. This is reflected in the difference in price between the containers. I have yet to use the whole of my candle but I am certainly enjoying sitting down of an evening with this absolutely gorgeous smell surrounding me. This is an absolute must have item for the lady in your life!
Personalised Bottle of Prosecco Gift Box with Rose
There are various websites around nowadays to find gifts that are slightly different and many have the opportunity to personalise items. One of these websites is findmeagift.co.uk. I was lucky enough to receive a neutral gift for either the lady or man in your life in the form of a Personalised Bottle of Prosecco Gift Box with Rose. This item arrived in the post and again was packaged perfectly. Inside the cardboard box was a beautiful black gift box with “Just for you” embossed in gold on the lid. The gift box felt good quality and was certainly sturdy enough for its purpose. Inside the box, it has a lovely black lining and is split into 2 compartments. One holds the bottle of Prosecco and the other holds the artificial red rose and the gift card. The Prosecco has a personalised label which my children thought was amazing. A bottle of fizz with Mummy’s name on! The red rose is a good quality artificial rose and a couple of my friends actually felt the need to ask whether it was real or artificial as it looked so nice. The joy with this gift is that you can actually enjoy it as a couple (if the recipient is willing to share!!) and therefore it can be a nice gift that will bring you both together socially which is always a challenge with work commitments and busy lives! This gift retails at £37.50 which on face value is fairly expensive and significantly pricier than if you bought the bottle and rose separately, a general poll of my friends felt it was worth the extra money for the gift box, the personalisation and the feeling that the gift giver had made the extra effort when purchasing a gift. It would not be possible to write a fair review on Prosecco without tasting the product. I had my prosecco chilling nicely in the fridge for 24 hours before myself and my husband decided to sit down with a film and share a romantic evening. I am pleased to say that the bottle we shared was a delight. The flavour was light and fresh and had just the right mix of sparkles so that it was not too fizzy. We thoroughly enjoyed our evening drinking the Prosecco and I would definitely recommend this gift for a couple who want an excuse to sit down together and enjoy some quality time.
So having looked at a few different products, it is easy to conclude that there are many items around that are not too expensive but a delight to receive on Valentine’s Day. The only decision left to make is which one/s you are going to purchase for your Valentine!