"Is your figure less than Greek? Is your mouth a little weak?" Love isn't about perfection—it's about cherishing the quirks, the laughter, the way they make the world feel just right. Like the song itself, the best gifts aren't about grandeur but the thoughtfulness and knowing exactly what makes your Valentines smile. For the one who makes your heart sing, here's a list as timeless and tender as My Funny Valentine itself.
If you're looking for a gift that captures the depth of your love, why not choose a romance novel (heartbreaking or not...)? Giovanni's Room is a love letter straight to the heart. Author James Baldwin's hauntingly beautiful novel is as heart-wrenching as it is powerful, capturing the complexities of love, longing, and identity. Filled with passion and heartbreak, at its core, the book is a testament to how deeply and fiercely we can love. Give this to your lover, not just as a story, but as a reflection of how much love you hold for them.
“Somebody, your father or mine, should have told us that not many people have ever died of love. But multitudes have perished, and are perishing every hour—and in the oddest places!—for the lack of it.” The love between the two protagonists isn't defined by labels like "homosexual love" or "same-sex love"—it's simply love. Baldwin reminds us that love doesn't need qualifiers to be real; it just is.
Get a copy at Kinokuniya
The Smokehouse (Whisky Smoker)
For the partner who already knows his way around a good whisky, why not turn up the heat—literally? The Smokehouse Whisky Kit transforms an ordinary whiskey into a smoky masterpiece. It comes with an oak smoker top, wood chips, and a torch. Just add a pinch of wood flakes, light it up, and let the magic happen. Perfect for crafting an Old Fashioned for Valentine or giving his go-to bourbon that extra edge—if he loves whisky, he'll really love it with a little smoke.
For the one who believes love sounds better on vinyl, the AT-LP60XBT Fully Automatic Wireless Belt-Drive Turntable is the perfect gift. Combining the charm of analogue with the ease of modern tech, this sleek turntable offers all the classic features of the redesigned AT-LP60X, plus the freedom of Bluetooth connectivity. It's not just about playing records—it's about setting the perfect soundtrack for your Valentine's Day love story, one record at a time.
Suggested first vinyl: "High" by The Cure. Because what better way to say I love you than with the words, "And when I see you happy as a girl that lives in a world of make-believe it makes me pull my hair all out to think I could've let you leave."
Crossbody Baby Heart Tote Bag
(COPERNI)
What better way to wear your heart on your sleeve—or rather, in her hands—than with a bag? The Baby Heart Tote, crafted from soft, tactile Italian leather, is as charming as it is versatile. Designed with an integrated arched shoulder loop, it can be effortlessly hand-held, taking her from a casual daytime look to an elegant evening ensemble. Available in red, pink and black—this little beauty might just steal her heart.
Diamonds by the Yard® Pendant and Earrings Set in Sterling Silver
Elsa Peretti®
(TIFFANY&CO.)
A kiss on the hand may be quite continental, but if you really want to win her heart, diamonds are a girl's best friend... Ms Monroe sung it best and this offering from Tiffanny & Co might be what she was crooning about. The dazzling Diamonds by the Yard® set pairs a delicate diamond pendant with matching earrings, both crafted in sterling silver. If you're looking to impress on Valentine, skip the flowers and bring the sparkle—because nothing says "I adore you" quite like a little luxury.
Baies (Berries) and Roses DuoClassic Candles (Valentine’s Day Edition)
(DIPTYQUE)
Set the mood with a gift that lingers in the air—the Baies (Berries) and Roses DuoClassic Candles (Valentine’s Day Edition) are the perfect pair—fruity and floral, fresh and romantic. The tangy green notes of Baies meet the soft, floral tones of Roses. Like intertwining hearts. This limited-edition duo burns in perfect harmony, filling the room with a romantic ambience. It's a scented declaration of love—for that special someone, or even yourself because self-love—even on a day like Valentine—deserves just as much glow.
When it comes to V-day, chocolates are (almost) as iconic as roses—so of course, we had to explore the most luxurious options. Enter Giorgio Armani’s Dolci line (Italian for sweets), a decadent collection offering everything from artisanal jams to chocolates.
This season, they’re releasing a special tin box of chocolates containing two limited-edition pralines, milk chocolate with hazelnut rittlea and white chocolate with salted pistachio. The box itself is nothing to sneeze at either, featuring geometric shapes reminiscent of Japanese architecture em-bossed onto its casing. It even comes with a grosgrain ribbon to complement that bouquet you’re getting for your partner.
The Dolci pop-up cart will be available at the Giorgio Armani Takashimaya storefront till the end of February 2025.
When was the last time you've seen someone wearing oval-shaped sunglasses? Probably only in sepia photographs. Modelled after the '90s, these Oliver Peoples Sirry frames are constructed of lightweight titanium that threads delicately between that line of fashion and vintage charm. A custom filigree is also etched along the arms of the frame to really drill home that retro flair. Good for the fashion-savvy partner, or anyone who hates the sun.
We are sat in a private salon towards the back of Diptyque’s latest store in Singapore. It’s the third standalone Diptyque store on the island, and it is ensconced in Ion Orchard’s revamped beauty-centric B2 level, flanked by multi-label Escentials and Jo Malone London—the former would officially open the next day.
For a small city and market like Singapore, opening a third standalone store seems excessive, especially since they are all concentrated within the central region. Eric Cauvin concedes. “We do have three stores here, which is quite a lot. But if we’ve opened this third store, it’s because the first two been successful. We have had a love story with Singapore for many, many years,” reasons Diptyque’s international commercial director.
That love story is perhaps the most apparent in this latest Ion Orchard outpost. Cauvin politely asks for the door of the room to be opened—the brand was getting ready to host a lavish opening party here a few hours later—and raises his arms towards the fresco that envelops the given space outside. Pastel green walls have been handpainted with a plethora of random blooms that extend to the ceiling—the work of one Jacky Mak. The Singaporean artist has also lent his hand to the walls at the front of the store, creating a monochromatic teaser to the floral burst at the back.
“Did you also see the ropes as you walked through the store? Those are by another Singaporean artist, Natalia Tan,” Cauvin tells us. “This is our way of forming a connection with the local population, through its own artists, and we decided to make it really unique.” Mak’s murals and Tan’s braided rope knots are not the only Singaporean works that are contributing to the new store’s eclectic aesthetic. Furniture pieces—the likes of an orange lacquered table that was crafted in Singapore, as well as a mirror trimmed with wooden components by Singapore-based Studio Kallang—fill the space. The latter’s pieces have also found their way into a number of other Diptyque stores at home and abroad. The studio’s latest contribution is fixed atop a central fireplace akin to what you’d find in a typical Haussmann apartment in Paris.
“Every Diptyque store is unique; you wouldn’t find any two having the same look,” says Cauvin. “If you go to Japan, and then Paris, you’ll see some very nice stores but they’re all completely different from one another. But they’ll all have the same spirit and the same chemistry of local artistic collaboration. Our founders were artists, all three of them, so it’s really important that we keep that spirit.”
While many are familiar with Diptyque’s fragrances and candles that are almost always adorned with a playful arrangement of its typeface, its origin story is often left undiscussed.
Diptyque didn’t start out with what it’s now categorically known for. The brand’s founders—three friends with a passion for the arts and craftsmanship—launched Diptyque in 1961 at 34 boulevard Saint-Germain in Paris’ fifth arrondissement. It was a multi-label concept space with a selection of objects sourced from all over the world, or as Cauvin tells us, “It was the Colette before Colette” (referencing the now-defunct multi-label boutique that was the style and design space of Paris from 1997 to 2017). The candles were conceived in 1963, and fragrances introduced five years later.
It is precisely this heritage of being enthralled by artistry—not just French but also of many different cultures—and collecting and presenting them in a unique way that Diptyque continues to embody throughout its expanding range. Modernism is always at the forefront of the brand, and that extends to the design of all its products.
Les Mondes de Diptyque refillable candles, for example, are a revolution for the brand, both in concept and design. Instead of the maximalist labels, the glass vessel in itself is a work of art, comprising three stacked oval-shaped tiers with “Diptyque” elegantly spelt out at the bottom centre and the brand’s original address in its usual layout at the top. A glass cap features Diptyque’s fragrance burner emblem. Every design element—save for the Diptyque branding on the vessel’s body—is shaped from the glass itself, creating a seamless and minimalist look.
“The refillable candle is an evolutive version of the candle, but if you know our range, there are electric diffusers, and some new products that will come that are totally different. We need to keep being innovative in the way we scent the home, so you may be surprised at some of the new things coming but it’s important for us to make sure that we’re still the ones driving and creating,” explains Cauvin. There is a constant need to evolve and innovate, yes. But at the same time, as Cauvin reiterates throughout our conversation, it’s necessary for everything to make sense and tied to the origins of Diptyque.
Stepping back into Diptyque’s Ion store, it feels like entering the home of a collector—not just of art, but also of craft-centric pieces as though from a lifetime of travelling the world. Certainly, the foundations are Parisian and undeniably chic, but every element is a careful curation of experiences and stories. And as you smell each of the candles, you are transported to the exact moment they were designed to encapsulate—a magic that still permeates our spaces more than 60 years later.