There are few days out of the year where I really go all out to look my very best in every single way; this Valentine’s Day was one of those such occasions. As the first Valentine’s Day I get to actually spend with my boyfriend [in person], I wanted to pamper and primp myself to the nines. Even though we didn’t (and didn’t intend to) go out, I still wanted to work hard to be at my prettiest! (But those are my flowers pictured above!)

Temptalia’s Pampering & Primping Routine

• Cleansed, exfoliated, and soft from head to toe. My usual shower is ten to fifteen minutes, but today I was in there for at least a half hour. I shampooed and conditioned my hair (with Herbal Essences Long Term Relationship), exfoliated my body (with cake’s sweet cheeks scrub), and shaved (with Every Man Jack Shave Gel). Oh, plus took a loofah to every inch (with philosophy’s raspberry sorbet shower gel).
• Moisturized from head to toe. Pretty standard, but I chose a scent I knew my boy would really enjoy, which meant I pulled out bliss’ vanilla+bergamot body butter. I hate feeling cold lotion on warm skin, so I always make sure to whip the body butter between my palms to help warm it up before I apply it to my skin.
• Thoroughly prepped the face ’til it was baby soft. Although I’d like to think I pay a lot of attention to my face on a day to day basis, I made sure not to miss a pore. I exfoliated (with Prescriptives’ Instant Gratification, my love) first, and then I followed with a healthy layer of moisturizer (Estee Lauder’s Re-Nutriv Ultimate Youth Creme).
• Blow dried my hair for five minutes at a time inbetween steps. I don’t particularly like standing around blow drying my hair, so I tend to do it in shorter intervals while I’m getting ready, but I definitely did this!
• Highlighted my decolletage. Really! I dusted MAC’s Daisylight beauty powder on my shoulders and cleavage for subtle highlighting and some shimmer.
• Get polished with makeup (everyone’s favorite part). I already posted the look I wore for Valentine’s Day earlier this afternoon, but I want to tell you why I chose to do that look. My boyfriend doesn’t hate on bright looks, but he does prefer more natural ones, so that was a definite factor that weighed into my decision. Secondly, I think it’s important to enhance natural beauty on an occasion like Valentine’s Day, which is about loving and appreciating each other. I wanted to go for a look that was subtle, but eye-catching, and something that would suit my skintone and incorporate a touch of color. I opted for darker pink-red lips rather than a brighter pink or a deep red, because my boyfriend loves me in pink lips (and hates me in red lips!). I also made sure to properly contour and highlight my cheeks so they would be more prominent.
• Total Pampering & Primping Time: 1 hour, 10 minutes

What’s your ultimate pampering and primping routine? What do you do when you want to look your very, very best?