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Is pig fat the next big thing in beauty?

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Is pig fat the next big thing in beauty?

Animal fats are everywhere right now – but not in the way you might expect.

Beef tallow has exploded across TikTok, filling feeds with whipped balms, glowing testimonials and bold claims about “ancestral skincare”. Yet just as the beauty world starts to wrap its head around tallow, another ingredient is quietly stepping into the spotlight and challenging even more deeply held beliefs: pig fat. Yes, pig fat.

Long dismissed, culturally loaded, and often misunderstood, lard is now being re-examined as a serious cosmetic ingredient – and it is sparking some of the most provocative conversations the beauty industry has heard in years.

In this episode of Green Beauty Conversations, Formula Botanica CEO Lorraine Dallmeier sits down with Charles Mayfield, founder of Farrow, to explore why pig fat is making a comeback in modern skincare and why it is causing so much debate.

Drawing on his background in regenerative farming, health and wellness coaching and the culinary world, Charles explains how lard behaves on the skin, why its biology matters, and how his SmartLard technology is designed to protect both skin health and ingredient integrity.

If you want to understand where the animal fat trend is really heading – and whether pig fat has a place in beauty’s future – this is an episode you won’t want to skip.

Listen here

“We abandoned animal fats long before we understood what we were replacing them with, and now our skin is paying the price.”  — Charles Mayfield

In this episode with Charles Mayfield, you will hear:

  • How animal fats made their way back into beauty: Charles explains why animal fats such as tallow and lard are resurging after decades of being pushed aside by plant oils and synthetics. He explores how social media, curiosity-driven DIY culture and a broader return to ancestral health practices have reignited interest.
  • The difference between tallow and lard in skincare: This episode breaks down the biological and functional differences between fats derived from ruminant animals and pigs. Charles explains where these fats come from in the animal, how they behave on the skin and why they are not interchangeable.
  • Why pig fat surprised everyone – including its founder: Charles shares the personal story that sparked Farrow Skincare, beginning with a severe sunburn and an unexpected experiment with rendered pig fat. What followed challenged everything he thought he knew about topical skin support. This experience ultimately laid the groundwork for his brand, Farrow Skincare.
  • Regenerative agriculture and uncomfortable conversations: The episode explores the sustainability claims behind animal-derived ingredients and the ethical discomfort they raise. Charles explains how regenerative farming, by-product use and thoughtful sourcing fit into his brand philosophy.

Key takeaways include:

  • Pig fat is not a novelty ingredient & is biologically compatible: Lard shares a lipid profile that closely mirrors human sebum, which helps explain its skin affinity and performance. Charles highlights how pig fat helped his own skin, and how it led him to create his lard-inspired skincare brand.
  • Not all animal fats are created equal: The episode makes clear distinctions between different types of fats and why sourcing matters far more for some fats than others. Charles explains that subcutaneous pig fat reflects the animal’s environment and diet, making regenerative practices essential.
  • Formulating with lard demands restraint, not excess: Early mistakes with water-based formulations and overuse of essential oils demonstrate why simplicity is critical when working with animal fats. Charles explains how removing water and respecting fat chemistry improved the stability and safety of his lard-based skincare products.
  • Sustainability is complex, not binary: This conversation challenges the idea that plant-based automatically equals sustainable and animal-based automatically does not. By framing lard as an upcycled by-product of food systems, this sometimes controversial episode introduces a more layered sustainability discussion.

Meet our guest: Charles Mayfield, Founder of Farrow Skincare

Podcast 303: Is pig fat the next big thing in beauty?Podcast 303: Is pig fat the next big thing in beauty?Charles Mayfield is the founder of Farrow Skincare and brings together experience in regenerative farming, health and wellness coaching, and the culinary world.

Based in Tennessee, Charles spent years raising beef, pork and chicken using regenerative practices before translating his understanding of whole-fat nutrition into skincare.

His work champions animal fat as a modern cosmetic ingredient, refined through what he calls SmartLard technology, with a focus on simplicity, thoughtful sourcing and skin health that mirrors how we nourish our bodies and the land.

Find out more about Charles Mayfield and Farrow Skincare:

Special offer for listeners: Get 25% off your first order from Farrow Skincare using the code BOTANY.

Related episodes:

Thank you for joining us for this episode of the Formula Botanica Green Beauty Conversations podcast. If you enjoyed listening, please share, subscribe and review this episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or Youtube so that more people can enjoy the show. Don’t forget to follow and connect with us on Facebook and Instagram.

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You Need To Try The Inkey List Bio-Active Ceramide Moisturizer

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You Need To Try The Inkey List Bio-Active Ceramide Moisturizer

Today, I want to quickly share my thoughts on The Inkey List Bio-Active Ceramide Repairing and Plumping Moisturizer. I may only battle dry(ish) skin this time of year, but skin-firming goals are always front and center in my year-round plan. This one sounds both exciting and promising. And if your plant is to be more mindful of your skincare budget, you’ll be happy you’ve kept reading. Let’s dive into the details.

New Inkey List Bio-Active Ceramide moisturizer.

What is the new Inkey List moisturizer about?

First impressions matter (because we all do judge a book by its cover) and The Inkey List delivers with its sleek and minimalist packaging. It’s giving cool on a budget. The goal of this Bio-Active Ceramide Repairing formula is to ‘visibly smooth and firm the skin, whilst strengthening skin barrier’ per its front-facing product label. It’s suitable for all skin types but if your desert-dry skin needs a rich, creamy balm–this one may actually be too lightweight. It’s rich. Just not Kardashian rich.

The Inkey List Bio-Active Ceramide Moisturizer ingredients.

What’s in it?

The star of the INCI list (that was too easy) is, of course, the bio-active Ceramide-NP. Ceramides are essential lipids that make up the skin’s natural barrier, and this moisturizer boasts the one most prevalent to our bodies. Bio-active means that an ingredient can increase collagen production and decrease inflammation of the skin. Most importantly, it helps repair and fortify compromised skin barrier.

Additionally, the formula includes Peptides, Hyaluronic Acid, and a combination of emollients such as Shea Butter and Glycerin, all of which contribute to overall plumping and moisturizing effects. It is also completely fragrance-free.

Inkey List Bio-Active moisturizer texture.

User experience, etc.

One of the standout features of this moisturizer is its whipped, creamy texture. It feels rich without being heavy. It also glides smoothly onto the skin. Upon application, the product takes a minute or two to absorb but it doesn’t leave behind unwelcome greasy residue. This makes it an ideal choice for both morning and evening use, seamlessly integrating into any skincare routine as your post-serum step.

Inkey List Ceramide Moisturizer texture on skin.

First and foremost, The Inkey List Bio-Active Ceramide Moisturizer has noticeably improved my skin’s hydration levels. The formula effectively combats dryness and has left my skin feeling soft, supple, and nourished. It’s too early to discuss the change in fine lines but keep in mind that comfortably moisturized skin always looks fresher, and more youthful.

New Bio-Active Ceramide Repairing And Plumping Moisturizer by The Inkey List review.

Final thoughts

The Inkey List Bio-Active Ceramide Repairing and Plumping Moisturizer is a great option for anyone seeking intense hydration and skin barrier repair. The carefully crafted formula is possibly the most elegant from the brand thus far. Yet, it remains at their trademark accessible price point. If you’re dealing with dryness, dehydration, or simply want to enhance your skin’s overall health, this moisturizer deserves a spot in your routine.

$21.50 (50ml) at theinkeylist.com, sephora.com, ulta.com, boots.com, and lookfantastic.com

OPI’s Bubble Bunny Bottles Your Go-To Milky Nail Combo

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OPI’s Bubble Bunny Bottles Your Go-To Milky Nail Combo

Key Takeaways

  • OPI is celebrating their 45th anniversary with a new collection of upgraded favorites—including a long-awaited mixture of Funny Bunny and Bubble Bath.
  • OPI I’m A Bubble Bunny is exactly what it sounds like: a perfect mix of the two iconic shades.

At the pool last summer, I overheard someone asking a sunbather if their mani color was Funny Bunny or Bubble Bath. Though some of us are fully trained to know the difference, it’s a fair question—they are two of the most popular nail polish colors of our day and age, after all. And most of the time, the answer is… both. They love to be layered.

This summer, curious poolgoers won’t even have to ask, because OPI’m A Bubble Bunny is here. Yes: Bubble Bunny. Keep reading to discover everything there is to know about the brand-new, perfectly pre-mixed shade.

OPI


The Inspiration

To celebrate their 45th anniversary this spring, OPI is launching the OPIcons Collection. The lineup features remixed versions of some of their most iconic colors, including Bubble Bath and Funny Bunny. The color is called OPI’m A Bubble Bunny, and the brand describes it as “Funny Bunny hopped into Bubble Bath and inspired this milky, light pink sheer.”

“We saw you layering Funny Bunny over Bubble Bath for the perfect milky pink, so we bottled the magic—no mixing required. Sheer, airy, and instantly an iconic nail polish,” they wrote.

The Collection

The shade is arriving in OPI’s classic and beloved polish formula. It’s been tested to provide up to seven days of wear, and leaves behind a smooth, glossy finish. It’s also available in gel if you prefer a salon experience.

And while it’s arguably the most exciting addition, this isn’t the only shade getting a remix. Big Apple Red has a new Big Apple Green to hang out with (there’s also a shimmery version called Big Apple Energy), and Cajun Shrimp got creamy with Shrimp Cocktail.

@opi/instagram


Seriously: I can’t stress how important this is to the nail community. Hailey Bieber’s original glazed nails would be nothing without Funny Bunny, but those who prefer the same look with a warmer hue have often opted for Bubble Bath. And everyone who frequents the nail salon has at least tried the combo.

It’s big excitement in a perfectly-sized-for-a-nail-polish package.

The Winter Olympics Has Its Own Heated Rivalry Couple

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The Winter Olympics Has Its Own Heated Rivalry Couple

Welcome to your go-to guide to the 2026 Winter Olympics. We’re tracking everything—from real-life heated rivalries (yes, they exist) to under-the-radar sports and surprise standouts—so you can catch up on all of our coverage in one place.

If you binge-watched Heated Rivalry, you’re familiar with the grab-the-popcorn heady romance between Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov, both rising stars in Major League Hockey—but on opposing teams. They’re pretty hot and fiercely competitive. It’s all incredibly steamy, and it’s on ice.

The story seems like it could only be fodder for novels and a scripted TV show, but fans of the series may be delighted to learn that the 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Olympics has a real heated rivalry of its own.

Meet Anna Kjellbin and Ronja Savolainen, a couple competing on opposing hockey teams in Italy this month. Kjellbin is representing team Sweden, while Savolainen plays for team Finland. Their love story started while both were part of the Swedish Women’s Hockey League, and after five years of dating, they’ve been engaged since 2024.

But don’t let their love story fool you. They remain fierce competitors on the rink.

“I don’t care who’s in front of me…if it’s going to be her, I’m going to hit her,” Savolainen told the Ottawa Citizen in 2024. “When you play, you just play. You don’t really think about who’s there. You’re friends after. On the ice, she’s my enemy. That’s how it goes.”

Savolainen is a veteran Olympian, who won two bronze medals with Team Finland in 2018 and 2022. This year’s Games will be her third, while her fiancé Kjellbin returns for her second Olympic games. Finland and Sweden are not scheduled to play each other in the Olympic preliminary rounds, but the couple will most likely face off in a medal round.

Julie Mennano, LMFT, a couples therapist and author of Secure Love: Create a Relationship That Lasts a Lifetime tells SELF it is possible to put aside your love and care for a partner, yet still maintain a healthy relationship, as you both fight for the same dream.

“Partners competing against each other will undoubtedly bring up complex feelings that can all co-exist, like jealousy, pride, disappointment, and admiration,” says Mennano. “The relationship gold medal goes to couples who can manage these feelings with health instead of letting them contaminate the relationship.”

Summer Fridays SoftLine Lip Liners + Flushed Lip Stains

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Summer Fridays SoftLine Lip Liners + Flushed Lip Stains

Summer Fridays added a few new makeup launches to their lineup with lip pencils! They launched a SoftLine Lip Liner Long-Lasting Lip Pencil ($20 each) and Flushed Lip Stain ($22). These are available now at Sephora and Summer Fridays. I received the full set to try and review and as someone who struggles with lip liners showing on my pigmented lips, I am 10/10 thrilled with this launch!

SoftLine Lip Liner Long-Lasting Lip Pencil

Summer Fridays SoftLine Lip Liners

nail polish: Stunn N Done

The standout for me is definitely the SoftLine Lip Liner Long-Lasting Lip Pencil. This is available in 8 shades and what I love about these is that they are really like a traditional lip liner pencil. Lasting power is very good but I appreciate that these aren’t like the gel pencils that are completely budge proof because those tend to look dry on my lips as the day wears on. A more traditional pencil like this one is easier on my lips, especially if they are dry.

Formula is smooth but they don’t glide on like the ones from Merit (which is more glossy). Love the pigment, even the lighter tones show up on my pigmented lips with very good coverage. Love the shade range in this formula. I think every color is flattering!

Summer Fridays SoftLine Lip Liners

Summer Fridays SoftLine Lip Liners

Summer Fridays SoftLine Lip Liners

I swatched these on my entire lip for shade reference although normally I would just line the outer rims and then find a matching gloss or lipstick to coordinate.

Flushed Lip Stain

Summer Fridays Flushed Lip Stains

The Flushed Lip Stains are beautiful and the pigment is exceptionally good. I personally do not like stains because there’s something about my lips that makes liquid lipsticks and lip stains darken to an unrecognizable color. What I see on my lips rarely matches a swatch or what I see in the applicator.

I think the product is excellent and the lasting power is definitely there. I tried to remove the swatches from my arm and the stain lingers even with a bi-phase makeup remover. I wasn’t able to lip swatch all of them because the stain adhered so well to my lips I felt like swatching more would mix colors.

Overall love. I think the combination pairings with the Lip Butter Balms are also fun. I haven’t played around extensively layering different shades together but I think the colors they created are so beautiful.

Summer Fridays Flushed Lip Stains

Summer Fridays Flushed Lip Stains

Summer Fridays Flushed Lip Stains

There are some bundles available at Summer Fridays if you’re looking to save, they do offer a discount for some Pick Your Shade Combo Sets like the Essential Lip Kit, Stain + Sculpt Duo, and Effortless Lip Combo.

Available now at Sephora and Summer Fridays.

Paris Fashion Week 2026 – Iles Formula

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Paris Fashion Week 2026 – Iles Formula

Paris this January delivered a confident, pared-back masculinity. Hair felt intentional, tactile, and quietly luxurious—nothing forced, nothing overly styled. The common thread: hair that looks lived-in, healthy, and touchable.

Texture Takes the Spotlight — Not Just Length

While super-short cuts and dramatic trims appeared here and there on the runways, the bigger story was texture first. Whether the hair was cropped close or kept longer at the top, designers and stylists emphasized how texture can elevate a look: loose waves, slight scruff, and soft natural curl were celebrated as much as slick backs and precise bangs.
This aligns with the overall 2026 hair narrative, which champions shapes that feel personal — not generic — and styles that work with hair’s natural tendencies.

•    Textured movement with effortless length and natural waves
•    Punk-infused undone styles with raw edges
•    Sleek couture polish with gloss and refinement
•    Shape-focused cuts, emphasizing structure and flow

Here are the major runway shows that defined the week and where you’ll want to look for hair inspiration and styling product cues:

Louis Vuitton – Kickoff Show

Pharrell Williams’ debut men’s collection opened the week with understated elegance and minimalist silhouettes — a great backdrop for clean, refined, textured hair looks that balance polish with natural movement.

Hair wasn’t just an accessory to the clothes — it was an extension of attitude. From deconstructed shapes to intentionally “unfinished” textures, messy silhouettes added personality to traditional tailoring and streetwear alike.
This resonated with broader 2026 hair forecasts that highlight a return of playful silhouettes — a nod to both retro and future-leaning aesthetics — proving that modern men are embracing freedom and texture.

Boy with touseled curls walking paris runway

Dior Men’s Fall/Winter 2026/27

Jonathan Anderson’s collection continues to experiment with silhouette and structure — ideal for exploring edgy cuts, sculptural shapes, and intentional texture contrasts that mirror couture precision.

Sleek, Glossy Finishes Against Couture Outerwear.
Balancing out the rawer textures were runway moments of sleek precision, particularly on the more refined silhouettes — hair was styled closer to the head with a high-shine, polished finish. This modern contrast gave hair a couture sensibility without feeling stiff or contrived.
Hair professionals backstage mixed controlled styling with just enough fluidity to avoid rigidity, offering a fresh take on classic sophistication. Loved by most backstage artists  was the Iles Formula Hair + Beard Balm used for its perfect supple styling hold and high lusrtous shine.

2 boys wearing black Dior suits .One has a black blindfold

two men with differnt hair styles slick and groomed

Hermès – Final Collection by Véronique Nichanian 26/27

A seminal moment in fashion history, this show emphasized subtle luxury and craftsmanship — a perfect runway for sleek finishes and classic, well-groomed hair with personality.

Grooming as Expression — Beyond the Cut
Paris demonstrated that men’s hair is no longer just a haircut — it’s a form of self-expression. From undone waves to carefully polished shapes, there was a palpable sense that grooming can communicate identity as clearly as clothing.

3 men wearing Hermes clothes with soft natural hair
2 mens with soft natural hair

Sacai & Jacquemus 20/27

This designer delivered playful tailoring and expressive layers — great sources for textured, lived-in looks on models with versatile lengths and movement.

The Iles Formula Balm was a hot favorite for this year’s backstage artists.
This translates to the salon and home routines alike: grooming isn’t about covering flaws but working with what’s already there — celebrating uniqueness while enhancing health, shine, and resilience.

boy in white shirt and black skirt with balmed hair
Boy with balmed blonde hair wearing a black suit

Professional tip

Takeaway: Encourage clients to explore lived-in textures with natural movement — whether it’s a tousled finish after a trim or an intentional shaggy-fringe statement.

Use a light, conditioning styling product like Iles Formula Finishing Serum to enhance natural shine while maintaining touchable softness — perfect for tailored looks or evening wear

Client advice:

Grooming as Expression — Beyond the Cut
Paris demonstrated that men’s hair is no longer just a haircut — it’s a form of self-expression. From rugged undone waves to carefully polished shapes, there was a palpable sense that grooming can communicate identity as clearly as clothing.
This translates to the salon and home routines alike: grooming isn’t about covering flaws but working with what’s already there — celebrating uniqueness while enhancing health, shine, and resilience.

Embrace your hair’s natural movement. A tailored haircut that respects texture will look more intentional than forcing a uniform shape.

What This Means for 2026 Haircare

Across the Men Paris runways, one message was clear: healthy, expressive hair defines modern masculine style. Gone are the days of one-note cuts — today’s trends favor character, versatility, and texture.

7 New Beauty Launches I’m Excited to Try

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7 New Beauty Launches I’m Excited to Try

One unexpected side effect of living abroad is how clearly your beauty priorities come into focus. When products aren’t constantly landing on your doorstep, you stop chasing everything and start noticing what actually lingers in your mind.

Also, all PR mailers come with an unspoken amount of pressure.

We may be heading back to the U.S. later this spring. Plans are loose, but the wishlist is not. This is less about what’s new and more about what feels worth the effort of tracking down, packing, and bringing back across the Atlantic.

These are the beauty products that have stayed on my radar. Thoughtful launches from brands I trust, with textures, ingredients, or performance claims that feel genuinely compelling. If you’ve tested any of them and want to talk me in or out of a purchase, I’m listening.

Le Prunier new oil-to-foam face wash.

The Plum Plum Cleanse

Le Prunier is one of those skincare brands that doesn’t release anything unless it feels fully thought through, which immediately makes a new launch worth paying attention to. Their lineup is cohesive, intentional, and developed with both skin and environment in mind.

Since I genuinely love Plumscreen SPF, I’d be lying if I said this new cleansing oil didn’t catch my attention. Between the ad creative and early reviews, the oil-to-foam texture sounds like exactly what’s missing from my cleanser rotation. Detoxifying yet nourishing is a hard combination to resist.

$60 (100 ml) at leprunier.com, beauty-heroes.com or credobeauty.com

New Paula's Choice advanced anti-aging serum.

Paula’s Choice Cellular Youth Serum

This is one of the perks of being a long-term Paula’s Choice user. I’ve watched the brand evolve while aging right alongside its product timeline. I may have started with a lightweight gel cleanser over 20 years ago, but now I’m firmly in my peptide era in my mid-40s.

Their retinol formulas remain some of the best on the market, so expectations are high. With a focus on cellular repair and collagen support, this anti-aging serum already feels like a two-bottle situation.

$72 (30 ml) at paulaschoice.com

True Botanicals most advanced eye cream launch.

True Botanicals Pure Radiance Supreme Eye Cream

True Botanicals is one of the few clean beauty brands I genuinely miss having easy access to in Europe. And if I’m being honest, I really miss the Chebula Extreme Cream.

This new eye cream sounds right up my alley. Not just because it comes in a pump, though that doesn’t hurt. Based on texture visuals and ingredient highlights, it reads as protective, hydrating, plumping, and firming. Anything that makes me look more rested immediately has my attention.

$95 (15 ml) at truebotanicals.com or thedetoxmarket.com

Beau Domaine the rich cream facial moisturizer for mature skin.

Beau Domaine The Rich Cream

My appreciation for Beau Domaine started with the Cleansing Emulsion and expanded quickly through every leave-on step that followed. The Fluid Cream is excellent, but I’ve learned that rich overnight moisturizers are where my skin is happiest lately.

The new Rich Cream focuses on antioxidant protection while supporting the water-lipid balance, which is exactly what my skin craves at night. When a moisturizer works this hard, I’m perfectly comfortable skipping a serum on low-effort evenings.

$99 (50 ml) at beau-domaine.com

RMS new eye brightener with SPF

RMS ReFresh Eye Brightener SPF 30

After tinted moisturizers, eye brighteners are easily my most explored makeup category. RMS really nailed complexion products last year with their concealers, so this launch was bound to catch my attention.

Available in four adaptable shades, the formula promises hydration, illumination, and a more awake look in one step. As a consistently terrible sleeper, I rely heavily on anything that helps in the eye area. I’m very close to a blind buy here.

$49 (11.5 ml) at rmsbeauty.com, bluemercury.com, or beauty-heroes.com

Necessaire new rosemay hair mask

Nécessaire The Rosemary Leave-In Mask

I can never have enough hair masks. I actually prefer using a hair mask over conditioner, even if that means fully buying into the marketing.

Since Necessary excels at unfussy but sensorial hair care formulas, I have high expectations for this one. If it lives up to the rosemary shampoo and conditioner, it may end up being their strongest hair launch yet. It does feel pricey, but curiosity is winning.

$60 (60 ml) at necessaire.com, thedetoxmarket.com or sephora.com

Tower 28 new body wash for dry irritated skin.

Tower 28 SOS Rescue Body Wash

I go through body wash at an impressive rate, which means I’m always open to adding another into rotation.

Since I loved the Tower 28 face mist, dispenser issues aside, this new body wash feels promising. Designed to soothe, hydrate, and cleanse, it sounds ideal for someone who showers more than once a day. The inclusion of sodium hypochlorite is especially interesting. It’s an effective anti-inflammatory and antibacterial ingredient, and I like the idea of incorporating it into a daily shower routine.

$22 (250 ml) at tower28beauty.com, credobeauty.com, or sephora.com

Affiliate disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. If you choose to make a purchase through one of these links, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. As always, all opinions are my own.

These 57+ Valentine’s Day Gifts for her are full of green flags

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These 57+ Valentine’s Day Gifts for her are full of green flags

I warned you once, pestered you twice, but V Day is almost here, and so the time to track down the best Valentine’s Day gifts for her is now. And because we’re tight on time, I’ll say it straight: some of us find the sweet and sentimental a little icky. That’s not to say personalised gifts packed with meaning aren’t the perfect gift. Perhaps, you know, we’d just prefer one that makes us cackle with laughter rather than sob uncontrollably in public.

So what do we want? Think chic interior accessories like wine glasses and unique trinkets, cosy pyjama sets, new-in Jellycats and personalised wall art themed around my other love — Miss Olivia Dean. Also acceptable would be letterbox flowers (just no red rose bouquets, please), a luxury gift hamper, or a gift experience that offers the chance to make new memories together, please.

Thankfully for you, I’ve rounded up the best romantic gifts to make your Valentine’s (or Galentine’s) Day shopping swift and easy. And yes, all are guaranteed to arrive ahead of February 14th.

So, whether shopping for your wife, girlfriend or boyfriend (yep, we’ve got these loved ones covered too, with our round-up of the best Valentine’s Day gifts for him), I’ve found unique gifts that aren’t at all cringeworthy or cliché. And before you ask, yes, we’re still skipping gift cards.

So, read on for my edit of failsafe Valentine’s Day gifts for 2026 — including gifts under £50 and gifts under £100, because blowing your budget doesn’t show you love me more.

SKIP TO:

How I choose the best Valentine’s Day gifts for her:

When reviewing products — this includes TikTok-acclaimed beauty, new-in clothing, aesthetic homeware and AI-powered sex toys — I consider them all against the following criteria:

Essentially, you can also be reassured that only products and brands I genuinely love and would recommend to friends make it into the Glamour Gift Shop.

Why you can trust me:

It’s been my job to review new launches and best-selling products for the last two years — that’s 14 months at Glamour and a year elsewhere — meaning I’ve tested everything from new sexual wellness launches to running trainers, menstrual products (AKA period pants) and literally thousands of gifts. The reason? To create easy-to-shop edits that spare you hours of doom-scrolling.

Givaudan to expand compounding capabilities for fragrances in Mexico

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Givaudan to expand compounding capabilities for fragrances in Mexico

The manufacturer of fragrances and beauty ingredients is strengthening its presence in Latin America with additional capabilities. Givaudan has announced a 110 million USD investment to build a new fragrances manufacturing facility in Pedro Escobedo, Mexico.

The new compounding facility will have a capacity up to 20,000–25,000 tons as customer demand grows and will be operational during 2029.

The company said the project is part of its so-called ‘in the region, for the region’ supply strategy, enhancing agility, shortening lead times, and reducing transport-related costs and emissions by bringing production closer to customers in Mexico and Latin America

“Latin America continues to show strong market momentum. This new investment is a strong statement of our commitment to customers in the whole Latin America region with very important markets like Mexico, Central America, the Caribbean area and the Andean region and will enable us to meet this increasing demand by offering faster, more flexible service to customers, thereby supporting our local and regional ambitions,” commented Maurizio Volpi, President of Givaudan Fragrance & Beauty.

“The Pedro Escobedo facility has been designed to combine automation, scalability, and efficiency. This new site will reinforce our supply infrastructure in Latin America and allow us to optimise production flows while reducing our environmental footprint,” added Andy Stedman, Global Head of Operations for Givaudan Fragrance & Beauty.

The project also builds upon Givaudan’s 2024 announcement to expand its Fragrance & Beauty production capacity for encapsulation technologies in Pedro Escobedo, further demonstrating the site’s growing strategic importance within Givaudan Fragrance & Beauty’s global network.

The Rivals Season 2 Trailer & Release Date Just Dropped

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The Rivals Season 2 Trailer & Release Date Just Dropped

The series begins as a long-standing rivalry between charismatic ex-Olympic rider-turned-Tory MP Rupert Campbell-Black and somewhat sinister TV station controller Lord Tony Baddingham comes to a head. Tony expands Corinium Television, bringing on new chat-show host Declan O’Hara.

Things finally come to a head (spoiler alert!) at the British Television Awards. Corinium Television wins an award at the event, but there is a whole lot going on behind the scenes. Tony ends up proposing to Cameron (Nafessa Williams), a former NBC producer who moved from the US to the UK to work for Tony, promising to leave his wife for her. However, when she reveals that she has been having a relationship with Rupert — and that she wants that relationship to continue — he slaps her. Cameron ends up hitting Tony over the head with their award and we are left with a shot of Tony bleeding on the floor in a tantalising cliffhanger.

Robert Viglasky/Disney+

In a Radio Times interview, cast member Danny Dyer – who plays Freddie Jones in the show – said: “We might be busy on the second series of Rivals so you know, Walford or Rivals – maybe I can do both.”

Likewise, Victoria Smurfit, who portrays Maud O’Hara, told Radio Times: “I’d want a season three and four. You’ve got so many glorious characters to follow.”

Given the fact that Rivals is based on one novel of 11 books in Dame Jilly Cooper’s Rutshire Chronicles, there’s certainly plenty of content for future seasons to work with.

Rivals season 2 plot

The synopsis for season 2 reads as follows: “Set in the stunning Cotswolds countryside and against the backdrop of the glamorous, high-stakes world of 1980s British television, the second instalment reunites the all-star cast who captivated fans and critics, while introducing some exciting new faces. Following last season’s dramatic cliffhanger with Tony’s fate hanging in the balance, Lord Baddingham is back and out for vengeance ready to stop at nothing to keep Corinium’s empire unrivalled.

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