Have you ever fallen in love?
No, but I’ve stepped in it a few times.
Peter’s Friends.

Hello, hello.

Perhaps not the most romantic of romantics, I’m on tenterhooks this year. The Mister of a couple I’ve been treating for a good 3 years, is going to pop the question today (Valentine’s Day.)

My lips are obviously sealed but their story has me absolutely captivated as they are hopelessly well suited, and I know they will achieve amazing things together. This is the kind of heart-warming stuff that steadies the soul as the wider world wobbles.

I’ve seen a photo of the amazing ring Mister is going to present, and the whole thing fills me with hope and with happiness. Also, with a desire for diamonds.

Now firmly placed on my manifestations list, I’m prettying up my hands, ready to receive.

Our hands are just as exposed as our face, get more wear and tear, yet less nourishment and protection. It’s no wonder they suddenly start looking a bit battered.

What we want is well volumised and hydrated hands, clear from brown spots and free of sun damage and prominent veins.

Here’s how you get them.

Profhilo – hyaluronic acid in its purest form. Injected delicately into the hands is a quick and effective treatment to hydrate the skin and restore subtle volume for a nourished and luminescent finish.  Treatment: 2 sessions, 3 – 4 weeks apart with a ½ yearly maintenance treatment.
Fee: £350 per session.

Filler – Where more significant volume is needed to soften the appearance of prominent veins, a more stable filler is required. This will reinstate a youthful and hydrated appearance. Treatment: 1 session, 2 syringes, Teosyal RHA 4 (1 per hand) with local anaesthetic cover for optimum comfort.
Fee: £650
Maintenance: 9 months +

VIPeel: To significantly improve the tone and texture of the skin. By applying a tailored tincture of medical grade ingredients, VIPeels remove signs ageing, such as pigment and sun damage, to replenish fresh, clear skin.
Treatment: 1-3 sessions – £350 per treatment

Obagi Nu derm: If you’d rather treat your hands, in an ongoing fashion at home, pick up the travel size prescription only Obagi Nu Derm kit. With prescription hydroquinone and prescription Retinol, it clears brown spots and stimulates fresh collagen, making for much improved tone and texture.
Nu Derm Starter kit with Retinol: £300 (at home medical grade treatment).

SPF: It’s just as important to protect your hands from UV as it is your face. I use Ultra Sun, factor 50. We don’t stock this, but you can easily pick it up online for around £25 It’s a robust sunscreen, designed as a one-time application. With repeated handwashing, I’d recommend a few applications throughout the day to keep your mitts protected.

So… happy Valentines to all you hopeless, and hopeful, romantics (and to all the “tut-tut-ers” too).

As a somewhat cynical badger (with young looking paws, ready for diamonds) I met my Mister, by an odd set of circumstances, on Valentine’s Day 2006.

In the spirit of love and inspiration, below are some recommendations for a cosy night on the sofa, whether solo, or saturated with friends and lovers.

Good luck Mister.

Lots of love to one and all. Make it count….

Lucy XxX

Watch: The Rescue, Disney + (Shout out to Lady S)
One of the best documentaries I’ve ever seen. Remember the kids who got stuck in the caves in Northern Thailand? Well, this is the i-n-c-r-e-d-i-b-l-e story of their rescue. Such an interesting alchemy of characters. From the cast of misfit cavers (I say that with affection) who are thrust into leading the mission, to overseas medics who could pay with prison time in a Thai jail for any cock ups. Nail-biting, incredulous, and so heart-warming. Everybody is bound by a moral code of empathy and responsibility to fellow human beings. Inspiring stuff and stick around for the closing track too – normally a bit “musical theatre” for my liking, but the icing on the cake after such a glorious experience. “Believe”, Aloe Blacc.

Palm Springs – Amazon Prime (Shout out to Mister B) 
Looking for quirky romance? How about a never-ending wedding with a cast of dysfunctional characters and a healthy dose of crazy? One of the more original films I’ve seen of late, which is massively endearing and revealing about the human condition in all its glory and destabilised states.

Listen to: 
I’ll Follow you – Melody’s Echo Chamber. A sweetly laid sentiment of the head trip that being a star-crossed lover can trigger.

Work It Out – Jurassic Five, Dave Matthews Band – a melodic piece of positivity, to be played on loop on those mornings of struggle.

Harder Than You Think – Public Enemy – just because…