Valentine's shmalentines...

Valentine's Day. I will save the rant about hallmark and rip off roses, I'm sure it wouldn't be welcome. I'm not a massive fan of Valentine's Day. It's crowded with tat, overpriced roses, nasty fluffy underwear and the pressure to be the perfect lover...oops, sorry, that rant sort of sneaked in the back door. I'm a wee bit too matter of fact for such things and in my quieter moments would have to admit that I have always liked to think if you love someone, you should tell them on a regular basis. Life is too short to save that stuff for one day in the year. Be kind, thoughtful, generous with your love...why the hell not? Does it cost anything? Nope.

So, what do I do on Valentine's Day? I guess it depends. I have been subjected to all of the above and while I would never expect such things, I promise I would never be so ungracious as to refuse a beautiful bouquet or box of chocs. To me, flowers and chocolates do not symbolise romance. This year I am hoping to get out into the mountains on my bike, preferably with my mountain man. Maybe the sun will shine and we'll catch the view from the top all the way out to sea and over the Wicklow mountains. Maybe I'll fall off (again) and have my bloody knees wiped clean while I wait for my breath to return. In my world, that is romance.

The truth? I like the idea of Valentine's Day. Does it have to be expensive? No. Does it need to include dinner, surrounded by roses and red balloons? Not at all. Should there be some sparkley trinket on your wrist by the end of the day? This is a tough one, I do love a bit of sparkle, but the answer is no.

If you do fancy marking the event with some small inexpensive but personal gesture, why not try this!

Make your favourite person a loved up scent for their skin. Skip the nasty perfumes, they're overpriced chemical soups that just pile on the toxins for your liver to deal with. Admittedly, even the recipe below will mean a little more work for your liver, but it will be a hell of sight less challenging than anything you might buy in a fancy department store.

So, to begin, find a small glass vial, ideally dark glass with a screw on lid. I recently discovered that the 10ml shots of royal jelly sold in health food shops (like my favourite, The Hopsack) offer the perfect container. Hooray! Soak for half an hour to get the label off, make sure it's dry & start experimenting...

3/4 fill the vial with almond or jojoba oil.
Add a few drops of your chosen essential oils. Atlantic Aromatics are a lovely Irish company who make the most beautiful oils, again you'll find them in a good health food shop.
If you're making this for your girl, try some rose, ylang ylang & geranium. Rose is emotionally nourising, ylang ylang super sensual and geranium lifts mood & stimulates all over.
For guys, try some benzoin, sandalwood and juniper. Benzoin lifts the mood, while sandalwood calms and harmonises and juniper relieves anxiety. The combination is a lovely musky, gentle sexy scent.
Get into your local health food shop and sniff a few little bottles, buy the ones that take your fancy and get mixing. You'll only need a few drops, the rest you can use to scent your bedroom or add to bath water, depending on your mood.
p.s. make sure that you don't apply neat essential oil to your skin, most oils are best applied in a base oil like almond!

Whatever you get up to this Valentine's Day, enjoy yourself and if you have no significant other, show yourself some love, you're worth it!