Best Valentine’s Day Gift Ideas for Him and Her
Celebrate Valentine’s Day with a fabulous gift for that special someone! Be creative this year…there’s no need to rely on old standbys. These hand-picked gifts for him and her are sure to delight any of the loves in your life.
T. Anthony Kent Slim Messenger, BUY NOW, $450
The T. Anthony Kent Slim Messenger bag is a perfect gift for the guy on the move. The super slim and stylish messenger is lightweight and made from scratch resistant pebble grain leather that will keep during the most rugged of wear. I bought one for my husband recently and he loves it for every day and for travel. You can also have the bag gold stamped with your man’s initials–love a personalized gift! T. Anthony bags have been featured in O Magazine, Allure and Bazaar.
Michael Kors Men’s Chronograph Stainless Steel Watch, BUY NOW, $225
A signature timepiece is an important part of every man’s wardrobe. This sleek design by Michael Kors is impeccably chic, and offers a lot of look for the price. Oversized chronograph styles are my favorite…this one looks hip and cool without trying too hard.
Johnnie Walker Engraved Blue Label Whisky, BUY NOW, $225
Personalization makes a gift extra special. The whisky aficionado will relish in owning an engraved bottle of Johnnie Walker Blue Label! The 200 year old brewer is known for their consistency and flavor quality, perfect for the man who has everything.
Molton Brown Echo Bath and Body Gift Set, BUY NOW, $109
If your Valentine could use a little rest and relaxation (can’t we all?), indulge them with the Molton Brown Echo yuan zhi Gift Set, complete with bath and shower gel, body cream, and medio candela. Molton Brown has been a leader in the best quality body, skin, hair and home products since the 70’s. All of their materials are sourced from natural and sustainable ingredients and the blend of yuan zhi root, ylang ylang and vanilla makes a great scent for both sexes. Fans include Leighton Meester and Kristen Chenoweth.
Brookstone Bluetooth Keyboard for Ipad 2 Tablet, BUY NOW, $99
Every iPad2 tablet owner will be delighted with the Brookstone Bluetooth Keyboard. The sleek portfolio case is made out of a rubberized material with a built in wireless keyboard that lets you type with ease at laptop speed and has full access to the device’s camera and port capabilities. It’s available in fun shades like pink, orange and green as well as basic colors so it makes a great gift for anyone with an iPad2. This is the nicest one I have seen–it’s not bulky and the keyboard is super comfortable and easy to use.
Jacks & Jokers “King’s Head” Graphic Tee, BUY NOW, $60
These ultra hip t-shirts are incredibly soft and detailed with authentic graphics and logos from decks of playing cards. A totally fresh take on a tee, the fun designs are great for the King of your Heart. It’s a perfect present for the downtown guy, and the uptown one who needs to revamp his preppy collared shirt look. Jacks and Jokers tees have been spotted on celebs Adrian Grenier and Kevin Dillon, New York Yankee Nick Swisher and were featured in Hamptons Magazine.
Edit New York: Melissa’s Fave Upper East Side Shopping Spot (and one of Leighton and Blake’s, too!)
One of my fave places to shop on the Upper East Side is Edit New York – I live in all the clothes I buy there! They carefully “edit” the best styles from designer brands like Alexander Wang, Rag and Bone and Phillip Lim and offer great personalized service. One of my favorite go-to dresses is a T by Alexander Wang black dress that I bought there last season. I paired it with a the cutest fur vest by Rebecca Taylor, also from Edit. For fall, I love this gorgeous Proenza Schouler dress and the sand-washed ruffle side dress from Thakoon, two of my favorite designers. Shopping in Edit’s gorgeous and townhouse is just divine. I am not alone here–Gossip Girls Blake Lively and Leighton Meester were just spotted shopping there recently!
Vera Wang Launches New Fragrance with Leighton Meester
Vera Wang celebrated the launch of her latest fragrance, Lovestruck, with Gossip Girl star Leighton Meester at the fabulous James Hotel. Vera was there to tell us about Lovestruck:
“Lovestruck is about the emotion and rush you feel when you are falling in love and going for it…those heart-pounding moments of spontaneity,” Vera said of her new scent creation, which has notes of florals, woods and musk.
Lovestruck comes in a gorgeous and feminine flower bottle. Vera, who wore a black jumpsuit, added that Lovestruck was inspired by a modern day twist on Romeo & Juliet. It captures the feeling of a woman who is struck by love, captivated by passion. It represents an irresistible romance.
Leighton, who is featured in the fragrance’s ad campaign, stopped by later after a filming of Gossip Girl looking gorgeous in a white dress with a leather belt and some of the highest heels we’ve ever seen. Her hair was swept into an elegant messy updo with an edgy studded barette. Leighton was super friendly and smiled for the cameras as they caught her getting her palm read.
The chic event was held at Jimmy, the hotel’s scenic rooftop venue. Bartenders mixed up signature Lovestruck cocktails and a palm and tarot card reader was on hand to see if love was in your future. You could even send a love note to a friend or special someone from one of the laptops there.
Buy Now, Vera Wang Lovestruck, $68
Mother’s Day Gifts for Every Mom
Mother’s day is approaching fast which brings with it the task of finding the perfect gift for Mom. There are plenty of new products out there that are sure to suit even the pickiest of mothers. I have something unique and special for every type of mom:
1. Foodie Mom Gwyneth Paltrow’s New Cookbook – “My Father’s Daughter”
I went to Gwyneth’s book signing at Barnes and Noble a few weeks ago to pick up a copy of her new cook book to review. Thanks to Glee, we all know superstar celeb Gwyneth can sing, but did you know she can cook? In “My Father’s Daughter” she shares her recipes that celebrate family and togetherness. With a foreword by master chef Mario Batali, you know the recipes must be delicious! They are also remarkably easy for even the most gastronomically challenged Mom. Plus, there’s something for every palatte from the exotic tuna and ginger burgers to chicken and dumplings to wood oven pizza. I literally want to try every recipe in this book.
Buy Now – $30
2. Fashionable Mom
Rich Rocks Jewelry
Rich Rocks is a fabulous costume jewelry line with a celebrity following that appeals to women of all ages. The cast of Gossip Girl certainly loves their baubles–Blake Lively, Leighton Meester and Kelly Rutherford to name a few. The selection is carefully edited and there is something for everyone. For the classic mom, I love the elegant pair of silver clover hoops (very Van Cleef). The boho Mom will adore the leaf earrings with champagne crystals and the hip Mom would enjoy the oversized hanging smokey dangle earrings. Also, all of the jewelry looks luxe and the pieces have a nice weight to them.
Buy Now – Clover hoops – $75
Buy Now – Leaf earrings – $40
Buy Now – Smokey dangle earrings – $75
Jennifer Miller Jewelry
Another great costume jewelry line and designer who is always on trend is Jennifer Miller. I am crazy about their dog tag necklace engraved with the sentiment, “LUV U MOM.” I like this one for the cool Mom who lives in jeans and t-shirts. It also has a yellow gold-plated cut out heart charm disk to add to the style. Made of sterling silver on a 30” stainless ball chain, the necklace looks very substantial and is the perfect Mother’s Day gift for Mom from the kids.
Buy Now – $175
3. Pampered Mom L’Occitane Sparkling Verbena Skin Care Set
If you’re mom loves the spa, pamper her this Mother’s Day with this Sparkling Verbena set from L’Occitane. This kit has everything Mom needs to relax including shower gel, body lotion, a delicious verbena scented sachet, shea butter hand cream and shea butter soap in milk and verbena scent. It even comes with a Mother’s Day card. I am a huge fan of these products and use them regularly. It is SO nice when someone buys them for you!
Buy Now – $55
4. Beauty Junkie Mom “All About My Mother” Make-up Gift Pack
Celebrity make-up artist Napoleon Perdis “All About My Mother” gift pack comes wrapped and ready to go in a lovely gift box. The make-up kit includes a cute vintage-inspired coin case with universally flattering shades of eyeshadow, cream blush and lip color. I love the lip color because it is shiny but not sticky and the four color eye shadow palette has the hottest colors of the season. Cream blush is super easy to use and all of the makeup in the kit comes with “how to” instructions (available in two different color palettes).
Buy Now – $49 ($100 value)
5. Techie Mom PhotoOp Ipad Case
If your Mom is anything like me, she never goes anywhere without her iPad. Luckily, PhotoOp makes an iPad case that you can personalize with an adorable photo of the kids. All moms appreciate personalized gifts! Just email PhotoOp the picture you would like to use as a jpeg, and they will send you the ipad case. Available in leather or fabric.
Buy Now – Leather – $150, Fabric – $120 (Call the studio at 212-362-1911 to place an order)
6. Eco-Conscious Mom Recycled Windshield White Wine Decanter from Gifts.com
A sophisticated and modern wine decanter made from recycled auto-glass is the ideal gift for the eco-conscious Mom. What’s really cool about this decanter is that it has an open ice chamber that chills wine without diluting it. Every decanter is unique and handmade in Colombia making it a special gift that any Earth-friendly mother will love to have in her home. I would use it as a decorative piece and for chilling ice tea or lemonade!
Buy Now – $55
7. Sentimental Mom TinyPrints.com Personalized Mother’s Day Cards
A refreshing break from the ordinary drugstore greeting card, TinyPrints.com offers personalized cards that they even send for you. No need to remember to mail a card on time or waste time trying to choose the right card. TinyPrints custom-made cards are heartfelt and special. Choose the photos, colors, fonts and text to create a card Mom will cherish. Tiny Prints also offers personalized stationary as a gift for Mom. Celebrity fans of TinyPrints include Gwyneth Paltrow, Kelly Ripa, Rachel Zoe, Reese Witherspoon and Brooke Shields.
Buy Now – $1.99 – $3.99 per card
8. Organized Mom (or one who wants to be) PurseN Purse Organizers
Whether your Mom loves to be organized or if your Mom is the type who can’t find anything in her purse (sound familiar?), the PurseN purse inserts are a fashionable and functional gift. These organizers make it easy to change from purse to purse without leaving behind any of your go-to items and keep bags clean. The inserts make Mom’s life easier with compartments for everything from her phone to her lipstick and wallet–and the rest of the “stuff.” Good-bye black hole!
Buy Now – $58
9. Charitable Mom Love Quotes Scarves
Loved by celebs like Sarah Jessica Parker, Kate Hudson, and Jennifer Aniston for their luxe fabric, chic colors and charitable cause, Phyllis Wiener’s “Love Quotes” scarves make a perfect gift for the chic Mom who wants to give back. The scarves, available at lovequotesnyc.com, come in an array of gorgeous colors and can be worn around your neck, as a shawl, or on the beach as a cover up. They also happen to be the perfect size and are amazingly soft. I want them in every color! Plus, 10% of the proceeds are donated to international children’s charities. Each scarf comes with its own special quote, making it a truly heartfelt gift. P.S. Did you see Sofia Vergara in the new Pepsi commercial sporting the Regatta blue one as a pareo?
Buy Now – $75
