Top 10 Essentials for Surviving a Cold

Hey guys, sorry for the lack of videos, I hope you don't mind too much. I came down with a case of conjunctivitous last Monday, on top of the cold I already had, and so I wasn't able to film. I just assume no one wanted to see my horrible red eyes, and I still can't wear makeup yet for fear of contaminating it.. So hopefully some blog posts and non-makeup related videos will suffice for now!

For today's post, then, I thought it would be fitting to talk about some of my essentials when I'm sick, some are just for comfort, and some have more practical purposes, but all of them will hopefully get you feeling better faster, or make you a little happier on the (sometimes very long) road to recovery!

1. Cough Candies

If you're coughing or have a sore throat, or even if your nose and sinuses are just really plugged up, cough candies can help a lot, and since there's no drugs in them, you can keep popping them as frequently as you want to! My favourites are the original flavoured, extra strength Fisherman's Friend drops. They don't taste like anything aside from the menthol and eucalyptus, but when I'm sick I don't really care. These ones are strong, and work well and for a fairly long time. I find they're great for soothing a sore throat as well as helping to clear my nose thanks to that strong Vicks Vapo-rub-like scent!

If you just can't handle something that basic, I'd suggest flavoured Halls; I prefer the cherry ones, but pick whatever seems most appealing to you. There's also Lemon and Honey, if that's more your jam. Just make sure they have the "mentho-lyptus* thing listed on the package if you want them to clear your sinuses and soothe your throat! Those are the main ingredients I'd recommend looking out for in any cough drops.

2. Tea

Tea is great! It tastes good, comes in a variety of flavours and types: black, green, white, herbal... mint, chai, fruity... Any of them will do good things for you when you're sick. First of all, tea is liquid, and you need hydration even more when you're sick! Tea is at least as good as regular old water when you're sick as well; I find cold water harsh on a sore throat, but hot tea is soothing and relaxing! Also both black and green teas are full of antioxidants which could help speed your recovery. If you want even more health benefits, you can pop into a tea shop and ask for tea for sick people, I know DavidsTea has lots of good blends for colds with great ingredients like lemongrass, eucalyptus, ginsing, and chamomile, to name a couple.

3. Honey

Obviously pairs really well with whatever tea you are drinking, especially if you are sick enough that your sense of taste is dampened... when that happens and my throat is sore, I glob in the honey and the thick, syrupy honey coats and soothes my sore throat like nothing else! Also, honey is known to be antibacterial, so maybe it can help to clear up your cold a little faster as well? It can't hurt!

4. Soup

Just like tea, this is a great way to pack more hydration into your day. Also like tea, it's hot and comforting. An added benefit of soup, though, is the nutrition! You've got to take care and feed your body when you're sick so it will have the tools and the energy to fight off the virus, so I'd recommend homemade or canned soups with real ingredients, especially veggies! Chicken noodle soup is great, and I know that some people swear it will actually make you better, but packaged Lipton chicken noodle? I'm not sure there's actually food in there... Though if that's all you want to eat, by all means, go ahead. My favourite sick person soup, though, is the basic Campbell's Vegetable soup... probably because it tastes like my childhood, but it's also loaded with veggies. Oh, and soup is salty, so it's going to get you some good electrolytes to help hydrate you as well!

5. Spicy Foods and/or Foods with lots of Garlic and Ginger

Spicy food when you're sick can be super helpful! It wakes you up and clears your sinuses like nothing else, and you can taste it! Being sick and not being able to taste anything is awful, and spicy foods, as well as garlic and ginger can help. If you can't eat spicy foods for whatever reason, I'd still urge you to load up on garlicky, gingery foods; Chinese food can be a good way to do this, as Chinese cuisine uses lots of those flavours. I've also just ordered a pizza with roasted garlic, and that can help too. And if you like spicy food, add some hot peppers, hot italian sausage, or capicollo to that pizza, and you'll finally taste something! Another great spicy food is chilli... also kind of a soup! Finally, the Sriracha flavoured chips from Kettle Chips are fantastic as a sick-person snack. Because not all food can be healthy!

6. Cozy Things

Alright, time to take a break from ingesting things and make sure you're bundled up and warm! This is vague, but do whatever is most comfortable for you, the main objective is just to make sure you're comfortable and warm. Not only is being sick just super uncomfortable and draining, but if you have a fever you might be really cold as well, so bundle up as much as necessary. Stay in bed if you can, or cozy up on the couch with fuzzy slippers and blankets and your dog, or if you really must go out, fuzzy boots and a big old sweater. Comfort is key!

7. Tissues

This may seem like a no-brainer, but I mean an actual box of tissues. The good ones. So many sick people seem to make due with toilet paper, napkins, paper towels, and the cheap shitty tissues, and this makes noses that are really red, raw, and painful. Seriously, just invest in some good, soft tissues. You'll feel so much better when your nose is not raw and sore by the end of day 1. I recommend the Kleenex Lotion tissues with aloe and vitamin E. Don't worry, they aren't greasy, they're just so much more soothing. Though caution: some "lotion" tissues can be greasy, so don't say I didn't warn you; stick to the Kleenex.

8. A good book

I'm a reader, and nothing can turn my mind off of myself like a great book. If you're the same and love reading, just indulge in it. You're sick, you deserve the me-time. Pick up one you've been meaning to get to, or if you're feeling super indulgent go back to an old favourite and let those beloved words and characters take you away to some place where you aren't sick, because you don't even exist!

Of course, if you just aren't a reader, this isn't the trick for you. Instead I'd suggest going to Netflix and watching those movies on your list you never seem to get around to. Or binge watch a show. Whether you're reading or watching, though, this is a great way to get in some rest to let your body fight back the cold while staying entertained.

9. Take a hot shower or bath

Though the online beauty community will not agree, baths aren't for everyone. Not everyone can enjoy sitting naked in a tub of hot water, no matter how many candles are lit, or how much money is spent on colourful, scented, glittery bath bombs. If you are this type of person, then take a hot shower instead. Not so hot it's burning you, but hot enough it feels warmer than you do. Take as much or as little time as you want, but do try to breathe in that warm, steamy air created by the hot water.

Of course, if you are a bath person, now is the time! Use whatever bubbles, salts, and bath bombs you want, just make sure none of the fragrances upset your stuffy nose. I'd recommend something minty or eucalyptus or lavender, if you have it, though if you just want to take a basic, hot, steamy, unbesmirched bath in plain water, then you do you!

Either way, don't forget to clean your body. Just feeling clean and sliding into a clean pair of pyjamas or sweats will feel nicer than lounging around in the same clothes, getting dirtier and greasier until you recover.

10. Sleep!

Sleep is always important, but lots of us don't bother getting enough. However, sleep is even more important when we're sick, even if you feel like you did nothing but eat soup and watch Game of Thrones on the couch all day, your body has been hard at work fighting to get you back to healthy. The least you can do is try to get yourself a solid 8 hours of sleep! I know sleeping can be hard if your medicines wear off and you wake up with your head full of cotton, unable to breathe, or if you are startle awake by your own coughing, but do your best. Maybe prop up some pillows so you're a little more upright if you just start dripping or coughing every time you lay down flat. Maybe try a nighttime version of your cough medicine to help knock you out. Don't stress if you wake up during the night, either. At least rest when sleep evades you.

At the same time, try not to oversleep! It can be really hard to get out of bed when you're sick, but remember you will feel so much better if you get up after that 8 hours, and make sure to take more medicine when you need it, rehydrate with tea, hot water, juice, soup, nourish yourself, and take a shower or bath. Yes, I'm saying it again. Remember that hot steamy water will help you feel so much better, and so will feeling clean.

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Sorry there are no pictures for this one, but they would have just been for prettifying anyways for this post. I hope it helps someone out! Maybe I'll come back and add pictures later if there's time. Let me know in the comments some of your sick person essentials, or how you like to take care of yourself when you get sick!

Thanks for reading!

PR Haul || Pixi Beauty Canadian Launch Event Goodies

Hey guys! If you follow me on Instagram, you probably already saw the pictures I posted from the recent Pixi Beauty event here in Vancouver last week, where a bunch of Vancouver bloggers were invited to celebrate their launch at Shopper's Drugmart locations across Canada. Yep, that's right, Pixi is back in Canada, and surely much better stocked than it was at Target in that brief shining moment we were allowed our Target stores!

Anyways, as usual at these events, we were given bags full of goodies from the brand to take home and test out, so I thought I would share with you everything I got to try so you can ask for specific reviews of anything you're particularly interested in, and also so you can see some of the products that have already been included in my most recent makeup video.

I'm going to start with the makeup, because honestly that's always what interests me the most, but I did also receive plenty of nice skincare goodies, which will be featured below, and everything will have retail prices listed as well, for anyone curious. Where I've tried things, I'll try to pop in some early first impressions, but I do intend to do a larger review of these products in the future, so I'll save most of my thoughts for that post. So be sure to look forward to that!

The Makeup

Flawless & Poreless Primer — $30

Meant to smooth fine lines, disappear pores, and hydrate. My first use, I found it really comfortable, thick and hydrating, but easily blendable into the skin without feeling oily, greasy, or slippery (like silicone-y products). I like it so far, but am not sure if it really makes my foundation last or look better yet.

Lash Booster Mascara — $20

Curls, defines, lengthens, and thickens. Does it all, AND it's waterproof!! So far I have really liked this mascara. One coat is nice and natural and very black, and two or three coats adds tons of volume. Also, it does seem to last really well, and I didn't notice any flaking. The dense little brush is surprisingly good at defining the lashes.

Black Lacquer Lash Primer — $20

Plumps, preps, and protects lashes for your favourite mascara, or can be worn on it's own. The brush, or comb really, on this one is kind of weird. It's spiky on the concave and convex edges of the brush, but then there are two flat sides without teeth or bristles. The product can really collect here, and you can get tons of product on your lashes this way which really builds up a spiky, intense look that probably isn't most people's idea of a good look. Still, with a lighter hand, and care to use the toothed sides, not the flat edges, it does add an impressive amount of length, and is great under another mascara, especially one with a good defining brush.

Large Lash Mascara in Brown — $22

This mascara has a big bold brush that really works to volumize lashes. This isn't waterproof, but does claim to be smudge proof, and it did hold up surprisingly well when I went for a long walk the other day (playing Pokemon Go at the park... don't judge me!), though it did start to dissolve when the cool wind started my eyes tearing up, so I wouldn't wear this to anything that might be emotional! The colour is really nice, though; its a deep, dark rich brown that looks more natural than black on my golden lashes, but still adds some darkness, depth, and definition, so it's great for a more natural look. I'd actually love to try the Lash Booster in this shade!

Endless Brow Gel Pen in Medium — $11 USD (wasn't on my PR sheet! =S)

This pencil is meant to take the place of your pencil and brow gel in one step. It goes on ridiculously creamy and then sets itself into place, so I guess that is hypothetically possible. However, so far I've found it's much easier to over-do this product than it is to get the right amount in your brows. Maybe that's because I have to fill and reshape my thin, wimpy brows, but for me, it just isn't quite right. I like a firmer pencil that doesn't cake up as easily as this one does. It also needs to be resharpened more frequently because it goes down much quicker! That said, I have gotten some pretty, and fairly natural, hair-like looking brows with this pencil, so I'm going to keep trying it, but I do like to go over it with a brow gel to help set and break up some of the cakiness.

Book of Beauty Contour Creator — $34

They have several of these Book of Beauty palettes for different types of makeup, but I got to test out the contour palette. It has three bronzers or contour shades, and I guess you could call the other three highlighters, but one is a beatiful matte white, one is a slightly banana-like matte shade, and the other is a pale, sheer, shimmery pink that on me works as a beautiful soft blush, but could be a pretty pinktone highlighter on darker skintones.

The swatch of the white shade looks slightly chalky, but it blends beautifully on my pale skin and makes a beautiful matte highlight on my cheekbones, browbone, and inner corners! I like the yellow shade under the eyes, and the pinky blush shade is gorgeous. As for the bronzers, my favourite is actually the deepest one, which can be used with a light hand and blends easily into even my pale skin for a natural contour. It's a good cool tone, and doesn't go orange on me and I love it! The one under the white is also a good cool tone for a more subtle, natural highlight, or could be a good bronzer as well. For me at least, that middle shade is a touch too orange for contouring, but is still soft and blendable enough to make a good bronzer; it's very similar to the Too Faced Milk Chocolate Soleil.

Mattelustre Lipstick in Rose Naturelle — $16

This is supposed to be a full coverage lipstick with a plumping effect. I'm not sure I've personally noticed any plumping, there's certainly no sting or tingle. Also, this colour is pretty sheer, in my opinion, though it is a pretty close shade to my natural lips, so maybe it only appears sheer? As you can see from the swatch below, on my hand it looks like a warm, natural rose colour, as the name aptly suggests, and I think the colour would be flattering on many skintones, though it isn't a favourite shade for me. I love the smooth, comfortable finish on these lipsticks, though, and I'd love to give a brighter or deeper colour a shot!

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The Skincare

Peel & Polish — $34

This is an enzyme peel that promises to resurface for smoother, softer skin and a healthy glow. You pop it all over your face, leave it like a little mask for 5 minutes, then rinse it off. If you want a little more exfoliation, you can also massage it into the skin before rinsing, since there's the faintest bit of texture to this product. I haven't tried it out on myself yet, but it smells fantastic! It's all fresh and cucumber-y, and so good!

Glow Tonic — 100 ml $20 || 250 ml $38

Ah, Glow Tonic, an obsessive cult favourite of many bloggers and youtubers across the internet. This is an exfoliating, alcohol-free toner that promises smoother, brighter, clearer skin. It sounds like it should be harsh, but it's surprisingly gentle! So far I'm not sure I'm head over heels in love with this stuff, but it is a pretty nice product as far as toners go, and I will definitely keep trying it to see if it's really as good as everyone says. As you can see, this one is personalized for me with my name in pretty calligraphy on the label, since they were personalizing bottles for everyone, which is a super cute touch. I also grabbed one of the adorable mini bottles below, because they were just too mini to pass up!

By the way, these are not scent-free. They do contain perfumes, which is slightly disappointing, but at the same time, the smell doesn't seem to bother my sometimes sensitive nose. Even sick as I am now, the smell seems alright, kinda powdery, maybe? Let me know if you have a better idea of how to describe the smell of this stuff!

Hydrating Milky Mist — $20

This is a hydrating mist full of "skin-soothers" and would be great for dry skin. The bottle suggests using it as your first layer of hydration in your skincare, or any time to freshen up and add moisture to your skin. Maybe I'm doing it wrong, but I love moisturizing mists like this, especially used as the LAST step in my routine. It just feels so refreshing! And maybe also because I've trained myself that my makeup feels complete and finished when I spritz on a setting spray, so finishing my skincare with a spray also just feels like the cherry on top? This mist contains Hyaluronic Acid, so it really locks in moisture. The scent is fresh and a little perfumey, to me, but still light enough that it doesn't bug me. Also, the spray head on these Pixi mists is great, and spread a light, airy mist over your skin, instead of spurting droplets on your face.

Vitamin Wake Up Mist — $20

This is a toner mist that is meant to wake up and revitalize your skin, and contains citrus fruit extracts, lavender, and arginine. The bottle recommends using before moisturizer as a toner, after makeup to set and add hydration, or anytime to wake your skin up. This is one awesome, it smells so good! I love orange and citrus scents, and this one is great. It's light and refreshing and a definite pick-me-up!

24K Eye Elixir — $28

This is an anti-fatigue peptide serum to massage puffiness away, smooth, and refresh your eye area. It has a metal roller ball, so it glides over your undereyes cold and (I guess) refreshing. I've never been a huge fan of cold rollerballs on my eyes, but if that's your jam, maybe this is for you! It's cooling, and I do like that it is thin and absorbs quickly, instead of being weirdly thick or sticky like some other eye rollers I've tried. I don't know if it has any effects yet, but I usually feel like these types of products are more for how they make you feel than how they actually work. Oh, and as the name suggests, it does include gold for stimulating circulation, apparently?

Rose Oil Blend — $34

This is an oil meant to rejuvenate, restore, and renew skin's luminosity. I have not yet tested it myself because I still live at home and my mom is pretty allergic to roses and rose related things... so I haven't had a chance. I'm planning to take it to my boyfriend's house and maybe give it a go there. It does have a pretty nice scent for a rose product, though. I did inherit a little of my mom's sensitivity, but when I'm healthy I can stand better quality rose products, and this one seems to be gentle enough I could use it. This blend also contains jojoba and sweet almond oil, so I have no doubt it will be a great deep moisturizer when I get a chance to use it!

Nourishing Sleep Mask — $30

This is an intensive youth-preserving mask that deeply hydrates overnight. It's really hydrating, and it only meant to be used a couple of times a week. Also, I love it! It's probably one of my favourite things that I got to try out. It smells great, with the lavender and bergamot oils. It also had other great ingredients like jojoba, macadamia oil, and caffeine. But for as hydrating as it is, it isn't too thick or heavy on the skin, which is a huge plus for me! I can't stand when a cream feels weighty on my skin! It is actually more of a lotion consistency than a cream, and absorbs beautifully, with a little product going a long way.

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Final Thoughts

There are so many great products for Pixi, I can't believe I'd never tried any of them before now, but I'm glad they're now available at Shoppers Drug Mart for all us Canadians! I think I figured the Glow Tonic was so hyped up that nothing from the brand could be worth is, and aside from that, I'm not a huge fan of the soft green packaging, but what is housed in that packaging is pretty awesome.

If I had to pick favourite right now, I'd have to go with the Nourishing Sleep Mask, the Vitamin Wakeup Mist, and the Book of Beauty Contour Creator, but that may change or be added to as I give all the products a better test. I hope to come back to these things in a couple of weeks to give you some better reviews. I'm unsure yet if I'll break them up, or do a review dump in the same style of this post. Let me know if you have opinions, or if theres anything you'd like a really in depth review on, and I'll see what I can do. And don't forget to let me know what your favourite Pixi products are, if you've tried any!

Thanks for reading!

TUTORIAL || Soft, Matte Gothy Makeup

Today I have a soft, smudge-y, gothy look for you featuring matte eyes and almost entirely drugstore products!

Click here to watch in HD, or watch below:

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HAUL || Killstar Clothing, New Camera & Accessories, and Random Beauty Products!

Hi guys! I have a bunch of awesome new things to share with you in today's video. First, I bought a few things from KillStar -- a gothy online clothing store. Then I talk a little about my new camera, and things I bought to go with it, as well as a new game. Then I finish up with a couple of new beauty products I picked up.

I bounce around and hit a few different categories in this one, but hopefully at least some of it is interesting to you. As always, thanks for watching and supporting!

Click here to watch in HD, or watch below:

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TUTORIAL || Pink, Soft and Girly Valentine's Day Makeup

Click here to watch in HD, or watch below:

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TUTORIAL || Sexy, Smokey Valentine's Makeup

So today's video is the first of 2 Valentine's Day looks that I filmed this year. This one is smokey and sexy, using the Makeup Revolution Iconic 3 palette (a dupe for the Urban Decay Naked 3), and paired with a deep berry lip.

The second will be up on Monday and will be a much lighter, fun and girly look using the same palette and a bright pink lip, so make sure to check back for that!

Click here to watch in HD, or watch below:

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SKINCARE || Top 3 Favourite Body Moisturisers for Dry Winter Skin

Hey guys! I'll be the first to admit that I don't have a huge problem with dry skin, even in the winter months. Maybe I'm lucky, or maybe it's just that I don't spend a lot of time outside, but whatever it is, my skin stays pretty good on most of my body year round. That said, I do get dry patches on my face, hands, and legs. I could also moisturize A LOT more than I do... I hate the feeling of being sticky or greasy all over, so I very rarely moisturize my whole body at once, instead sticking to spot treatments on dry areas or just moisturizing my hands, legs, or arms. Oh, and since I got my tattoo, that left shoulder has been pretty nicely taken care of too...!

So with all of that in mind, I wanted to share with you some of my favourite, go-to moisturizers this winter. Some are great for spot treating dry patches, some are just great at moisturizing without feeling greasy, sticky, or heavy... but all of them are really good, hydrating products I think anyone could use! Now, without any more ado, let's get into the products:

1. Lubriderm Unscented Lotion for Normal to Dry Skin

Pretty basic stuff, I know, but so good at its job! I bought this for my tattoo's aftercare, but I've also taken to using this for any really dry spots. It's a water based lotion, so it isn't greasy, and it's thick and hydrating without being heavy or too much. Plus, it has no perfumes or fragrance, so you can use it anywhere, as much as you want. Aside from Vitamin B5, it doesn't boast any fancy, trendy ingredients, so I feel like many people might overlook this stuff as old-school or too basic, or whatever, but it honestly really does its job well. Apart from my tattoo, I've been using this mainly on my hands and knees, but I've also used it on my lips to great success, and it doesn't taste like anything! I mean, don't try to eat it, but it won't be end-of-the-world awful if you get some in your mouth!

2. Acure Ultra-Hydrating Body Lotion

I've loved both products I've tried from this company so far, and I love their cute, snarky packaging. This was sent to me to test out, but I've honestly fallen in love with it. This one is a fragrance-free lotion with loads of good ingredients like cocoa butter, CoQ10, evening primrose, argan oil, acai extract, chamomile, and aloe, to name a few. This stuff is kinda weird—in a great way!— because it comes out looking like a thick creamy lotion, but as soon as you start to rub it into your skin, it's like it dissolves into this water-like texture and absorbs immediately! And it's super hydrating, my skin feels immediately softer and healthy after using it. It's gentle and soothing, and again I love that it has no scent, so I have no problems using as much as needed anywhere on my body. Since it's healed, I've been using it to keep my tattoo'd skin soft, and to try to get some hydration back into my peeling palms. I think it makes a great hand lotion, also, because of how quickly it absorbs!

3. Jergens Green Tea After-Shower Moisturizer

I know I've mentioned this one before, but I had to include it in this post, since it's the only moisturizer I can make myself use on my whole body! It goes on right after the shower on your wet skin, so a little goes a long way, it seals the moisture right into your skin, and once it's all rubbed in, you gently pat away any excess water on your skin (don't rub or you'll be taking lotion off too!). It does stay a bit sheen-y and almost oily for a little while, but it isn't heavy and your skin will feel so good you won't mind. It does soak in quickly, though, as the rest of the excess water on your skin air dries. It isn't a heavy moisturizer, and I can even bring myself to use it in the summer because the green tea scent feels light and cooling, but any hydration you can add to your skin in the winter is good too, so I wanted to include this for anyone like me who hates moisturizing your whole body. Maybe this can work for you too! I did receive this product from an LDBeauty event, but the fact that I'm still using it, I think speaks for itself.

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To be honest, I was going to make this a Top 5 post and include 2 more products, but I realised as I was writing this that I really only had 3 I wanted to tell you about, and to add 2 more I would have been fishing around for products I don't truly love as much. There are a couple of lighter body lotions I really love, but I don't really feel like they're winter moisturizers; maybe I'll try to do another post like this in the summer! So I'm stopping here.

Let me what your favourite moisturizers are for the dry winter weather, especially if they feel light, absorb quickly, are fragrance free, or smell amazing.

Thanks for watching!

Tutorial || Pink & Purple Princess Makeup || ft. Unicorns Unite palette

Hey guys, today's makeup look is going to be a fun, princessy eye look paired with deep lips. The whole look could look a lot softer and princess-y if you paired it with a pink or nude lip, but I love this one for myself! I hope you like this pretty pink and purple eye look! It could be good for Valentine's day, or really any time! It's fairly soft and pretty, but fun because of the bright colours!

Click here to watch in HD, or watch below:

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My Current Skincare Favourites || 2017

Hey guys, thought I'd update you in today's video about my current go-tos for skincare, since it's been a while since I talked about that outside of my yearly favourites post. Nothing else really to say about the video, so here you go:

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10 Different Fun Valentine's Day Ideas For Anyone || Single, Friends, Couples, etc.

Hey guys! With Valentine's Day coming up in a couple of weeks, I thought it would be fun to make a post with a few ideas of what you can do to celebrate the day no matter your current relationship status! Valentine's Day is a holiday to celebrate love, but there are many different kinds of love that have nothing to do with romantic and sexual relationships, so anyone can celebrate Valentine's Day and have an awesome time with your favourite person or people!

I didn't want to do make separate lists of things for friends to do and things for couples to do, because I don't think there's any reasons to make such distinctions. Not in a romantic relationship? Still want to dress up fancy and go to a fancy restaurant for dinner? Make it a date with your best friend! So yeah, here are some of my ideas of how to have a fun Valentine's, no matter your relationship status, and no matter whether you want to do something fancy, fun, cute, low-key, romantic, or chill. I'm pretty sure I have at least one idea for you.

1. Date Night Out

Image from sobermomwrites.com

I'm clearly starting with the obvious here, but as I started to say above, this is not just for couples! Sure, you can go out with your significant other, but you could also go out with your friends! Whether everyone wants to dress up, or go casual is obviously up to you, as well as how fancy the restaurant you choose. That said, I might caution you to either try to make reservations ahead of time (if possible), or else, maybe schedule your Valentine's date for near the day, instead of right on the 14th, since it's going to be crazy busy at all the restaurants on February 14th, and some of the fancier ones will also have a special set menu for the occasion, so you'll want to be aware of that as well. So do your research, or just celebrate a little earlier or later in the week.

2. Date Night In

Image from huffingtonpost.com

Similar idea, but instead of going to a crowded restaurant, you can stay home or go to a friend's house and cook dinner with whoever you're celebrating with. This is more the plan that David and I will be doing this year, since it's less expensive and way easier to actually celebrate this way on Valentine's itself! You could do like we are planning to, and make a fancy steak dinner, or whatever your favourite food is. Fun drinks and dessert is another good addition, whether that's cocktails, wine, or a cutesy Valentine's themed drink is entirely up to you. I've pinned several cute and delicious looking dessert and drink ideas on my new Valentine's Day pinterest board, if you need inspiration.

3. A Pamper Night

Image from glendoick.com

This might seem like more of a girl's night type of idea, but depending on the type of pampering, I'm sure some guys would be into it too! This would also be a great Valentine's idea for you to do alone. Self-love and self-care is important too! Your pamper night might include facials, face masks, manicures, pedicures, hair treatments, massages, tea (or wine!), a good bath, or a good book. Pick and choose, or add your own ideas to make sense for who you'll be spending the day or night with!

4. Brunch!

Image from lovethispic.com

Who doesn't love a good brunch? It kind of suggests that you slept in long enough that breakfast didn't make sense, so you're already starting the day off well-rested, and then celebrating with loved ones over your favourite breakfast foods? Yeah, sounds pretty good to me! Again, I have brunch and breakfast ideas on that Pin board I've mentioned, but you can also head out to your favourite breakfast place, or try a cute new place, if you don't want to make the food yourself! The easiest thing to make at home that I can think of, though, would be pancakes (you can use a mix if you aren't a good cook), and top with strawberries and whipped cream!

5. Valentine's Day party

Image from valentinesday.quotesms.com

Here's a good justification for all of that valentine's decor you either already have or want to buy, or to make some fun Valentine's DIYs. Invite over all your friends, eat fun valentine's treats, and just have a good time with all of your favourite people. Or skip the valentine's decor and treats, and just have a regular party with chips and pizza. Whatever is more your style!

6. Netflix and chill -- Literally.

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I'm sorry, I couldn't help myself. But seriously, if you and your significant other (or friends) just aren't the valentine's day type of people, but you still want to celebrate somehow, then you really could just be at one of your houses, order food for delivery, and watch a movie, binge a show, or play some games together. Celebrating your love and friendships doesn't have to be extravagant or cutesy. Enjoy each other's company.

7. Go to a movie/play/concert/museum/art gallery/etc.

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Alright, concerts usually take more planning, but there's gotta be some kind of play or movie you're interested in going to see, so why not use the day as an excuse to go see one! Play's seem like a good choice if you have an interest and the funds, since they'll be seated, so it won't matter if it's busy because of the holiday. Movies could be good too, especially if you have a VIP cinema nearby that allows you to choose your seats ahead of time, instead of rushing to get seats together day-of. I thought I'd stick museum or gallery in this option as well, since plays are kinda artsy, and if you and your date(s) for the day are interested in those types of things, it could be really cool to take the day to go see whatever exhibits are on display!

8. Make silly/adorable Valentine's Day crafts

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You could easily include this in one of the above nights, or make it a thing unto itself. I think it could be really fun, though, to get together and do some fun DIYs and crafts like you're in elementary school again, when holidays like Valentine's Day were always the most fun anyways. Why? Stupid crafts! Get some paper, glue, scissors, paints, crayons, whatever you want, and make stuff! I've pinned some cute ideas to my Valentine's Day board, if you need inspiration, or you could search yourselves or just use your imaginations!

9. Karaoke

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This really doesn't have to have anything to do with Valentine's day, but it could! I just really like karaoke and singing in general. I mean, of course, the types of places that give your group a private room, so you aren't embarrassing yourself in front of strangers, but feel free to do whatever type of karaoke appeals to you most. If you don't like the idea of paying to sing stupid songs in a room for a couple hours at a business, you could always just sing and dance around to your favourite songs at home, even if you don't have a special karaoke app or machine. Just pop on songs you know—from CDs, radio, or your computer, wherever—and sing away! Again, no matter where or how you do this, it could easily be an activity for a whole group or for couples. And if you want to make it more valentine's-y, feel free to serenade your friends with your favourite ballads. =P

10. Coffee Date

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Again, this is super basic, but I wanted to conclude with something else that's low-key and easy to do, even if you don't have a lot of time. This is a great way to get together with your SO, best friend, or a family member and have a chat over a tasty hot drink for as long as you want or have. And it doesn't have to be expensive, you could do this anywhere from a fancy hipster coffee shop to Starbucks, McDonalds, Tim Horton's, or your house. At home, you could just make a couple cups of coffee from your Keurig (or whatever you use at home), or you could make cheap mochas (what's more Valentine's Day than chocolate?!) with whatever coffee you have and some hot chocolate mix! I like to use the coffee in place of water in the mix's recipe, add cream and sometimes sugar to taste. I recommend the Carnation hot chocolate mix, personally.

***

I mentioned above, but in case you missed it, I also made a little Pinterest board of crafts, treats, and cute Valentine's-y things to take inspiration from for any of the above ideas, in case you're interested. I hated Pinterest for so long, but since I went in most recently and started fresh without any interests and just slowly introducing searches for things I care about (tattoos, food, Overwatch, makeup, and dogs, for the most part) it's been so much more enjoyable. I also only use the app interface, which is far less chaotic and ugly than the full desktop site, so I'm sure that has something to do with it!

None of us is above the idea of love, so I think it's silly to look down on Valentine's Day as a stupid holiday. I'm sure you love someone, whether that's a significant other, best friend, dad, aunt, sister... so spend the day with them, or at least send them a cute text or an adorable cat gif to mark the day!

I'd love to hear about your plans for Valentine's, or what you did (if you're reading this afterwards), so let me know in the comments! I'll also have two very different Valentine's Day makeup looks coming up in the very near future, so look out for those.

Thanks for reading!