Royal Hair - The Mystique of Mason Pearson Brushes & Combs

Mason Pearson's iconic boar bristle brush and hand polished combs.

I can remember visiting my grandmother and going to her bedroom to play at her vanity. Among the fragrant little perfume bottles and powder puffs was a brush set in sterling silver. The bristles were of natural hair otherwise known as boar bristle. My mother had a similar brush and her hair always had a beautiful shine. England based Mason Pearson and Kent & Sons brushes are two of the oldest, heirloom quality brush makers who still produce them to this day. In fact Princess Diana was said to keep a Mason Pearson Brush in her handbag. I have a travel sized Kent Boar Bristle brush in my bag!

Top NEVER FAIL Valentine's Day Gifts Us Ladies Will Love

Yes, something in a little teal box from Tiffany & Co.!

If you are at a loss for what to get your girl for Valentine's Day, here's my short list of the TOP NEVER FAIL gifts us ladies love. Pay attention! These are the top winners in both the romance and thoughtfulness categories. If your guy drops the ball, go and get a few from this list YOURSELF. So here we go:

Valentine's Day Gifts that are both thoughtful and romantic

Trendy Fragrances
Usually perfume is a bit of roll of the dice. Still us girls appreciate that you think we are sensuous enough to pull off wearing something a bit daring. Trending now are creations from pop artists like Katy Perry and Lady Gaga as well as fashion houses like Tom Ford and Juicy Couture. This is not your Mom's Chanel No. 5! Keep it new, keep it fresh.

Malibu by Juicy Couture says "Beach me".

MAC-BollyDoll Makeup Brushes and Bag Collection
Here's a new collaborative release between MAC Cosmetics and BollyDoll featuring Moghul era inspired designs by artist-singer Amrita Sen. Choose between Pink or Blue Indian motifs. Set of 5 limited edition MAC Makeup Brushes is sold separately but fits neatly inside the bags. Get both! See them at MACCosmetics.com

MAC-BollyDoll Makeup Bags and 5 Piece Brush Set

Chocolates
This may seem trite but NO. Get these especially if you KNOW the girl likes chocolate. My favorites are Godiva, Russel Stover and Whitman for their All Milk Chocolate Sampler. Reusable heart shaped boxes and tins gain you extra points! 

Godiva Chocolates...the bigger the box, the better!

Fine Wine
Now you should pretty much know what we like by what we order at dinner such as a Riesling, Chardonnay or Zinfandel white or red, etc. Get something you will also enjoy as we don't like to drink alone!

South African wines from Kaia Wine Bar

Wine Charms
Cate & Chloe's delightful Wine Charms are perfect for a date night or toasting with others for Valentine's Day. Delicate heart shaped wine charms let you know which wine glass is yours when placed around the stem! The February Perk of the Month from Cate & Chloe.

Lovely Heart Shaped Wine Charms from Cate & Chloe

Jewelry
This is another area where your powers of observation are going to help. Does she like big bold statement pieces or small demure chains and stones? One caveat. If she has been hinting about setting a wedding date, skip this one all together unless you are ready to present the serious ROCK. That is what she will be expecting so don't go there. 


TrueFacet
You can find a lot of new, never worn & vintage pieces at TrueFacet. This is especially wonderful if a certain piece is no longer being made or you simply want something a bit "off menu". Here is a lovely Tiffany and Co. "Return to Tiffany" round charm bracelet in sterling silver. Simple yet exquisite. Visit TrueFacet.com for more fine designer jewelry selections.

Tiffany & Co. Sterling Silver Charm Bracelet

Cate & Chloe have a great Monthly Jewelry Subscription that will deliver new pieces to her every 30 days. Chances are she will find something she loves in the subscription. You can also purchase pieces "a la carte" such as this set I made with these stunning Danielle "God Like" Earrings and Layla"Beauty" Bracelet. White gold plated with cupid cut CZ stones and Austrian Crystal embellishments. Shown here with my designer Isaac Mizrahi cocktail watch, get ready to wow her. Visit Cate and Chloe online.

Danielle "God Like" Earrings and Layla "Beauty" Bracelet by Cate and Chloe.

Lingerie
This can be a bit tricky but when you get it right, SO worth the effort. Check out GaveThat.com's Lingerie Buying Guide: On Giving Lingerie first. Otherwise, just keep the receipt and include it with your gift. That way she can swap out for something else. Most of the time we will feel flattered that you took the time to purchase something sensuous for us and will wear it for you. Ta dah! That's a Valentine's Day gift for you!

Lingerie from Victoria's Secret and Donna Karen, NYC

Young&ng Lingerie Gift Sets: Two Sheer Boxed Panties,  Dinha Marie Bra & Brief

Loungewear-Zooops Designer Adult Onesies
Perfect for snuggling up by the fire are these super comfy Zooops are made of 80% cotton/ 20% Polyester with a super soft fleecy lining. Shown here in the Classic American Flag, they come in lots of designs with sizes from XXSmall-XXXXLarge. Two hand pockets up front with two zippered pockets on the side. They are unisex adult onesies so get a set for yourself too! Visit Zooops Online 

Zooops Designer Adult Onesies-Classic American Flag Design.

Manicure Travel Kit
While you may not know what color nail polish to get, you can't go wrong with a really well made manicure travel kit. This one is from Crabtree and Evelyn, London and has everything she'll need to keep up her mani on the go.

Manicure Travel Set from Crabtree and Evelyn

A Mason Pearson Hairbrush & Rake Comb
An iconic, luxury hairbrush that Lady Diana was said to have kept in her handbag. Mason Pearson has been making these beautiful brushes in London, England since the 1800's. The natural boar hair bristles likewise clean the scalp and distribute sebum from the oil glands. The Mason Pearson Handy 100% Boar Bristle Brush below has 6 rings of stiff bristle tuffs and should last for many years. Likewise the Rake Comb is made of one piece and highly polished. Available at Neiman Marcus and Nordstrom as well as online. 

Mason Pearson Pure Bristle Brush, Rake Comb and Brush Cleaner

Salon Gift Certificates
Salons such as Christo Fifth Avenue offer many beauty services as well as hair care products to take home. If you know where we go, why not give a gift certificate for our favorite place?

A day at the salon! Christo himself of Christo Fifth Avenue

Our Favorite Store Gift Certificates
You most likely already know our favorite stores because we've probably dragged you to quite a few! Gift cards or certificates are a great way to let us pick something out that we'd like, be it shoes, jackets, dresses or tops which might otherwise be hard to size for us.

Store Gift Certificates make a great gift. Pineda Covalin - Soho, NYC

A Night In
Valentine's Day evening is often the busiest restaurant night of the year. Added to that, Valentine's Night falls on a SATURDAY this year. With crowds like that you can expect long waits and rushed service. Why not cook something yourself or grab some exotic take-away and bring it over? This way you both can enjoy the wine, chocolates and presents with a cozy dinner. Now THAT is a romantic Valentine's Day!

A night in. Asian Take-away!

A Sensual Massage
One of the best oils to use for massage is Sweet Almond Oil. It is light, nourishing and easily absorbed. This delicious blend by Sublime Beauty contains this plus: aloe oil, sesame oil, argan oil jojoba oil and vitamin E. Give the Mini Face Brush Set and Daily Body Oil together for the ultimate skin pampering treat. The perfect way to end (or start) the evening! Find both at SublimeBeautyShop.com

Going away for Valentine's Day Weekend? Pack this Natural Body Oil for the: bath and massage.

Godiva & Whitman Chocolates - Mine
South African Wines - Mine
Mason Pearson Cleaner Brush - Mine
Victoria's Secret & Donna Karen Lingerie Sets - Mine
Clothing, jewelry,fragrances and accessories c/o the designers so mentioned herewith.