Amayzine’s Valentine Top 10

Images: Emily McDowell, Elly Elle, youmumrang

Valentine’s day. It remains a tricky phenomenon that’s fun for no one. Because every shop and magazine highlights your being single with a big fat marker. And you’ve got to deal with expectations if you’re in a relationship. Can I expect something from him? Does he expect something from me? It still hurts a bit when your colleague receives a dozen roses at the office if you decided on “not partaking in that commercial nonsense”.

If you’re in an it’s complicated phase with someone, a day like this, which revolves around love and romance, adds a lot of pressure. It might just be the shove you need, but perhaps not. Difficult, difficult, difficult. Here are Amayzine’s 10 Valentine tips for lovers, singles, and those in between:

• 1. Lovers: Surrender to the red, pink sweetness that goes by the name of Valentine’s day, and create a big, romantic spectacle including presents, a love dinner, and racy outfits in bed.
• 2. Lovers: Write a love letter. There are few things as romantic as a handwritten love letter. Few letters are still written in this age of apps and texts, so you’ll come across as incredibly original. Besides, it’s free but still something valuable you can keep for the rest of your life only to read back when you’re sitting in a rocking chair old and shriveled.
• 3. Lovers: Breakfast in bed. The little things count, Saskia & Serge already sang years ago, and they’ve managed to stay together for over 40 years. So take this advice to heart, and surprise your lover with something simple as breakfast in bed.
• 4.  Lovers: Spoil him. If he deserves it and you’ve got enough to spare then why not really spoil him. Buy him that new iPad he’s been eyeing at for weeks, or a lovely Hermès tie he wouldn’t ever buy himself. You (probably) live only once.
• 5. Singles: Celebrate life. Have dinner with all your single friends and girlfriends. Drink champagne, order dessert, dance till the sun comes up.
• 6. Singles: Try it. There are so many dating sites and apps these days, and now that everyone’s doing it there are also a lot more success stories. Look around whether you like one of these sites.
• 7. Singles: Spoil yourself. Book a massage, facial or pedicure treatment. Fill your house with flowers. Visit that patisserie for a box of petit fours or why not that Febo croquette. Nobody has to know.
• 8. It’s complicated: Dare the leap. It’s incredibly scary, and perhaps a bit cheesy, but if your intuition says it feels right then Valentine’s day might be the day to tell him.
• 9. It’s complicated: Laugh it off. If you’ve got a bit of humour, and you think your fling has too, then there are quite a lot of pranks to do. There are numerous hilarious cards you can only gain points with.
• 10. Lovers, singles & it’s complicated: Pretend like nothing has happened. Some things in life just go away if you ignore them, and Valentine’s day is one of them. So if Valentine’s day doesn’t have great timing this year. Just ignore, focus on other things, and before you know it, it’s Saturday and all those hearts have found their way into the bin.