Most researchers seem to be pretty busy with conducting medical studies and making valuable scientific discoveries for society's gain, but this latest survey really takes it to the next level.
Bloom & Wildhave worked with London Metropolitan University to undergo an experiment to figure out when the 'love hormone', AKA oxytocin, is released.
The anti-anxiety and stress reducing hormone is pretty special, the chemicals are made when you're in love, and having some KICK-ASS sex. We heart it.
The study measured how the brain reacts to receiving certain gifts, and it's led to some pretty interesting, and useful, results. We're not hugely surprised at what topped the list, they're all unreal.
Research also suggests that people in the first three stages of love reported higher oxytocin levels that last for roughly six months to a year. At a chemical level, can presents recreate this high of lovestruck heartbeats?
Scientists reported that the subjects of the study showed an average increase of 73pg/ml in the hormone oxytocin after getting chocolates, and 62pg/ml after receiving flowers. Feeling loved comes in all shapes and sizes, it would seem.
The official top five items or experiences included on the list which trumped having sex were; chocolate winning the number one spot, then flowers, food, shopping and booking a holiday.
Receiving chocolate apparently creates a high increase in oxytocin the same rise in oxytocin comes from sex, so a quick nip down to Butlers could solve your stress issues.
Flowers can spark the same feeling as love, relationships and sexy times, and a study by Havas Worldwiderevealed that 57 percent of millennials think that food is better than sex. Damn.
Retail therapy also made the list, according to the experiment. The neurologist David Linden, in his book The Compass Of Pleasure, explains that the experience of shopping triggers dopamine circuitry in the brain's mesolimbic pathway.
In plain-old-English, the mesolimbic pathway is a key part of how we experience entertainment and happiness, so having a sneaky online shop at ASOS is good for you. Thank God we have a valid excuse to do this now…
Booking a holiday is better than having some intimate. alone time with a partner, according to research. 16% of Brits claim to support this, so those Aer Lingus January sales must have had people feelin' pretty damn euphoric.
To carry out their research, Bloom & Wildand London Metropolitan University split 30 volunteers into three groups.
Each were to receive a gift of flowers, chocolate, or water, and took saliva samples before the gift arrived, and then again 10 minutes after delivery, and finally 40 minutes after receiving the gift.
It just goes to show, chocolate should always be cherished. We're in a loving relationship with Cadbury's Dairy Milk, and there are zero signs of a break-up coming our way.
Having fresh flowers in your house makes such a big difference. The beautiful blooms never fail to put a smile on your face so why not pop down to your local Aldi?
Aldi’s seasonal bouquets are great for adding a touch of colour and occasion to your home this Christmas. They make amazing gifts for your friends and family too!
Nothing says Christmas better than Aldi’s Specially Selected Deck the Halls Bouquet €9.99. This delightful selection of seasonal fresh foliage is on sale from today, December 12.
Aldi’s Specially Selected Christmas Tulips in Zinc Jug €12.99 are the perfect gift or decoration – a lively bunch of tulips in a zinc jug. On sale from today, December 12.
Aldi’s Specially Selected Yuletide Joy Bouquet €14.99 is a beautifully presented bouquet of flowers, which comes complete with water bubble. On sale from December 19.
If you are looking for a double the value, Aldi’s Specially Selected Christmas Tulips in Ceramic Jug €14.99 mean you get beautiful flowers, and a gorgeous jug you can use again and again! The jug contains 18 stems of tulips and goes on sale from December 19.
Aldi’s Specially Selected Christmas Cheer Bouquet €19.99 is a hand-tied bouquet beautifully created using a range of select flowers in sumptuous tones topped off with some festive foliage. Perfect for a special occasion. On sale from December 19.
For a stunning bouquet to brighten any home, Aldi’s Specially Selected Winter Wonderland Bouquet €19.99 is on sale from December 19.
The Specially Selected Festive Elegance Bouquet €29.99 features premium flowers such as Naomi Roses, Anastasia Blooms and LA Lilies. On sale from December 19.
Finally, for the pièce de résistance, Aldi’s Specially Selected Exquisite ‘The Showstopper’ €39.99 is back for 2019. This bouquet has been designed using a variety of beautiful flowers, the most impressive being the Naomi Roses which are a smooth and velvety shade of red. Their scent is both subtle and sweet. Hand tied by our team of florists in Naas, Co. Kildare and delicately gift wrapped in an Exquisite Collection Gift Box. On sale from December 21.
The above products and more will be on sale in 140 Aldi stores nationwide from dates specified.
This week, Tesco Ireland is calling on locals to join festive fun in-store nationwide to help raise vital funds for sick children this Christmas tomorrow Friday and Saturday, to join Tesco colleagues for a series of ‘Festive Fun Days’ in aid of charity partner, Temple Street Children’s University Hospital. Seasonal cheer is set to top the shopping list as customers are treated to a selection of festive fun including Christmassy cake sale, fun face painters, and limited edition festive floral bouquets, all in aid of raising much needed funds for sick children this Christmas.
Hosted by Tesco colleagues across Ireland, this year’s series of ‘Festive Fun Days’ aim to raise €150,000 for the little heroes of Temple Street, with all of the vital funds raised going towards purchasing an advanced Retinal Camera for the Theatre ward, needed for Temple Street to ensure that each child receives the best care possible. Using this new equipment, an Ophthalmologist can ensure timely intervention, which can prevent loss of sight and in the case of Retinal cancer can cure many cases.
You can give your host the perfect gift this festive season with Tesco’s Christmas themed floral bouquet in aid of Temple Street. The beautiful bouquet is an ideal gift for your host this festive season and contains a combination of happy pink mini gerbera, with a mix of purple, pink and white chrysanthemums with some beautiful touches of frosted pinecones, decorative scented cinnamon sticks and glittered foliage.
These bouquets are available in stores nationwide priced at €10.00 and a donation of €1.00 per bouquet sold will be made to Temple Street.
Each year Temple Street treats over 150,000 children from across the country and for thousands of children, Temple Street is the only hospital in Ireland in which they can be treated. Temple Street has been Tesco Ireland’s charity partner since October 2014 and to-date Tesco Ireland has raised €4.7 million in aid of the little heroes of Temple Street.
Want to make an attention-grabbing bouquet for a festival, hen do, wedding or party? Bloom & Wild's floral stylist Rowan Blossom and author of bestselling book Living With Flowers, is here to show you how.
And good news. It's not as hard as you'd think. Everyone can do this. You just need to allow about an hour to make it on the day you want to wear it so it's lovely and fresh. But if you really, really won't have time on the day? Just make it the day before and fill it in a big bowl of cold water overnight.
What you'll need:
– Measuring tape
– Floristry wire
– Green floristry tape
– Floristry scissors
– Ribbon of your choice
– 1 Bloom & Wild letterbox bouquet, we've used The Rebecca
Top tip:
Choose a bouquet with woody or rigid stems as they last longer out of water. Roses, carnations, leucospermum, celosia, and foliage like ruscus and eucalyptus are all great choices.
Steps:
1. Measure your head then cut your floristry wire to size
2. Twist each end of wire to create loops. Hold them in place by tightly wrapping them with floristry tape. You'll pop your ribbon through these later.
3. Trim each flower down so there's only 1-2 inches of stem left. Cut down your foliage into sprigs this long as well.
4. Start by placing a piece of foliage at one end of the floral wire, keeping it as close to the loop as you can without covering it.
5. To hold it in place, grab your floristry tape. Keep it on the reel, but hold the open end over the stem wire, pull the tape until it turns clear then tightly wrap it around. Do this one or twice until it feels securely held.
6. Repeat with a flower. You want to pop your flower as close to the foliage as possible to hide any signs of tape.
7. Then keep repeating steps 6 and 7, alternating between foliage and flower, until your crown is full. Remember to keep pulling your tape tightly and to keep your stems lined up in the same direction as you go. Try saving some of your bigger, focal stems for the front where they'll be most seen.
8. If any stems poke out of line, just trim them at the edge of the tape as you go along.
9 When you reach the end of your crown, secure the last piece of foliage in place by tightly wrapping it with floristry tape.
Breaking up is hard to do, and it can be easy to wonder what you could have done differently, or drag yourself over the hot coals of your memory cringing over each and every bad relationship moment.
OR you could do as Demi Lovato has done, and invest in a little self love and self care.
Days after news broke that she had split from boyfriend Henry Levy, the singer took to her Instagram story to share a snap of some flowers.
However, the sender was the singer herself.
The pink bouquet was accompanied by a quote, illustrated in a card with some stunning penmanship.
‘You're beautiful, you're loved and you're worthy of a happy and healthy life,’ it read.
Valentine's Day can put a LOT of pressure on our shoulders (or those of our boyfriends/husbands) when it comes to gifts.
Whether it's the classic present of roses, chocolates or more elaborate ideas like a hotel getaway; you're going to need some good offers because the holiday brings some expenses alongside it.
We've created a list of our top Valentine's Day gifts you can find at the moment, get them before they're gone.
1. Jo Malone London Valentine's Day Floral Box
What better treat to give than the iconic Jo Malone glamorous glass bottle, containing a scent inspired by "seven of the world's finest roses", with a hint of lemon and crushed violet leaves.
Positively dreamy, a little bit like everlasting love. The special floral box is available exclusively from February 7 until Valentine's Day, and we advise pre-ordering because these will absolutely fly out the door.
Some of us need something stronger for Valentine's Day, and Absolut really is the perfect choice. They've created the Drop of Love bottle; an ink message fed from signs of hatred around the world and turned into a message of love. Pretty inspiring.
The action has been used by the company to show the ability to recycle hatred and create something better from it; for example some UNREAL vodka with natural ingredients and no added sugar.
The Swedish vodka brand love coming up with campaigns with artists, designers and aid organisations, and this Valentine's Day bottle is the best one yet.
Jo Malone have partnered up their most loved scents to curate the Jo Malone London Power Couples; layer the fragrant duos to create an irresistible pairing on your skin.
Trust us when we say…they smell AMAZING. The New Romantics feature peony and blush suede and wild bluebell for a softly sensual scent, The Sweethearts combine the English pear and freesia with nectarine blossom and honey for a golden pair.
Seaside Soulmates bring together zesty citrus nots with lime basil and mandarin and wood sage and sea salt for a dynamic duo. Lastly, Star-Crossed Lovers pair jasmine sambac and marigold with wood sage and sea salt for a heavenly experience.
We can't gush enough about these, what a beautiful Valentine's treat these would be.
5. Limited Edition Red Caps & Keepsake Heart-Shaped Box from Jo Malone London
Limited edition red caps are only €5 each along with a free heart-shaped box when you make a purchase between February 1 and February 14, and you can even add a free embossed message, date or initials to the box as an added extra.
It's the first time that the veteran brand are offering a romantic take on Jo Malone London’s signature cream and black packaging; you can acquire the gorgeous heart-shaped box when you buy two or more products in select boutiques in Ireland.
We're heading straight to the shop, we can't let this offer go.
For Valentine's Day, it's only too important to smell and feel your best. We've found the ideal scent for the eve: ROSE. French powerhouse brand L'Occitane have gifted us with a set, that we all both need and deserve.
The gorgeous and elegant fragrance set includes: Rose Eau de Toilette, Rose Shower Gel, Rose Body Lotion and Rose Hand Cream.
L'Occitane 'Romantic Rose' collection is priced at €69 from the L'Occitane website.
7. Bia Beauty facial oil
We are LUSTING after Bia Beauty at the moment; the emerging Irish brand use Mother Nature to deliver 100 percent natural, highly effective, ethically sourced and excellently-packaged products.
Owner Tracey Ryan is a herbal scientist based in Cork, so she has an abundance of fresh ingredients on her doorstep to use, which helped her to create their facial oil.
The nutritious skin product contains rose hip seed oil which is full of anti-oxidants, vitamins and essential fatty acids. Wear it at night to repair and soothe the skin or during the day to boost hydration and plump the skin.
Give it as a gift this Valentine's Day for a woman who desires reduced scarring and increased cell rejuvenation. Gorgeous, Irish and cruelty free: Award-winning Bia Beauty products are definitely made with love.
8. Solid Fragrance Combining Palette by Jo Malone London
A sleek, travel-ready palette is absolutely genius from Jo Malone; it effortlessly encases two solid perfumes for on-the-go scents.
Customers can fill their palette with their choice of two Jo Malone London scents from a selection of ten of the brand’s most-loved, to curate their own pair.
Choose from; Lime Basil & Mandarin, Basil & Neroli, Pomegranate Noir, English Pear & Freesia, Blackberry & Bay, Nectarine Blossom & Honey, Peony & Blush Suede, Mimosa & Cardamom, Wood Sage & Sea Salt and Oud & Bergamot.
The Palette and Refills are available now at Brown Thomas Dublin, get your hands on a pair ASAP before they sell out for Valentine's Day. The cologne's are basically unisex, so they can be bought for man or woman.
Buy: Jo Malone London
Price: Palette: €27
Perfume/Cologne: €16
Perfume/Cologne Intense: €18
9. The Clean Beauty Edit haircare essentials gift-set
Time to go clean and green in 2019; the Clean Beauty Edit are bringing cult, clean beauty brands to Ireland through their gorgeous online boutique.
Olio E Osso, Ilia Beauty, Evolve Organic Beauty, Warpaint, Lily Lolo, Ere Perez and Sun Potion are the brands which Clean Beauty Edit are importing to Ireland,
All products are natural, cruelty-free, toxin-free and sustainably produced and packaged, and their haircare gift-set is GORGEOUS for Valentine's Day. The set includes luxury travel sizes of their Superfood Shine Shampoo, Superfood Shine Conditioner, and Nourishing Hair Elixir.
Their luscious shampoo is formulated with natural cleansers from sugar and coconut which gently cleanse scalp and hair without stripping natural oils. The Baobab proteins boost the shine and organic pomegranate extract rehydrates and protect the hair; what a stunning, thoughtful gift.
10. CraicPack Valentine's Day box for Irish Expats
CraicPack bring some chocolate Irish goodness to everyone at home and abroad. This year they're making a new Valentine's Day box with up to 50 sweets that Irish people living far away miss the most; such nostalgia.
Items included in the adorable box are 10 different types of Dairy Milk, 15 other Cadbury items, Butlers and Love Hearts. Oh, and they even add a box of tea to every pack, because what else would you pair with a chocolate bar? Nothing, that's what.
To help the local community, CraicPack donate up to €5 from every box sold to Focus Ireland to aid the on-going homeless crisis in Ireland. Hon the lads.
Buy: CraicPack
Price: CraicPack (13 sweets + tea): €45 Mighty CraicPack (25 sweets + tea and crisps): €66 The Craic is 90 (50 sweets + tea, crisps, Butlers and Oatfields): €99
11. ÉminenceChocolate Mousse Hydration Masque, Apricot Body Oil and Firm Skin Acai Exfoliating Peel.
Éminence organic skincare is a luxury spa brand that you NEED to hear about, especially for the romance of Valentine's Day. They plant a tree for every product sold; over 10 MILLION to date, and use wind and solar energy for production.
Their peanut inner packing is even made from cornstarch, so it can be composted and is water dissolvable; they really do care about the environment, and their skincare range reflects that.
Not only are they ethical, their newest Valentine's Day products are the perfect present to treat a loved one with.
The Chocolate Mousse Hydration Masque fights the visible signs of ageing. Containing a healthy dose of antioxidant-rich cocoa, which is great for your skin, it's macadamia, almond and jojoba oils also provide deep hydration.
The luxurious Apricot Body Oil is blended with an assortment of essential oils, such as grape seed and jojoba, to create a luscious massage oil that leaves skin feeling irresistibly soft.
Last but not least, the Éminence Firm Skin Acai Exfoliating Peel is an at-home peel that can easily be done before a romantic meal.
Valentine's Day always brings an onslaught of great hotel offers, but how can you choose the best one for the most practical price? The Westbury has been voted Ireland's number one hotel by Condé Nast Traveler Readers, and for a good reason.
Enjoy some lavish indulgence in the heart of Dublin by retreating to The Westbury's romance experience. This includes an overnight stay for couples with a romantic rose petal turndown, bottle of chilled champagne, strawberries and delicious chocolates, and a delicious full Irish breakfast in bed in the morning.
‘Romance at the Heart of the Dublin’ with The Westbury is available to book from €450 per room; a great offer considering the prestigious location. Treat yourselves to a trip, you deserve it.
13. Aldi's Valentine's Day alcohol offers: G-in Love
Aldi are offering us something MAJORLY special this Valentine's Day, whether you're waking up to champagne in bed, or heading on a dinner date with gin in mind.
They're giving us the exclusive Boyle’s Alchemy Colour Changing Gin, infused with petals of the Asian butterfly flower, which shifts colour from blue to pale pink with the addition of tonic. Yep, actual. real-life COLOUR-CHANGING GIN.
It’s all to do with the movements in pH, but we can guarantee that this is some magical science.
Buy: Aldi
Price: Boyle’s Alchemy Colour Changing Gin: €24.99
That's not all they've got up their sleeve; Aldi's DV8 Pink Gin Cream Liqueur is BY FAR the perfect gift. Made by the Irish producers of multi-award-winning Brennan’s Old House Gin, this gorgeous liquor will make anyone's day special.
Aldi have some unique sale offers especially for the most loving day of the year; Veuve Monsigny Champagne Brut NV, the best-selling and award-winning wine from Philizot and Fils is reduced to only €19.99.
Giotti Spumante Rosé, Sparkling Rosé Blosson, Beaujolais Rosé 2018, Fairtrade Moscato Rosé 2018 have each had their prices cut so that love can blossom with a bit of alcohol to help. Even if it's self-love…
CND are changing the GAME when it comes to nails. For Valentine's Day, why not treat yourself or your significant other to some gorgeous new shades from the iconic brand.
Their new range has stunning pinks, dark berry, ravishing reds and blush tones; show off your romantic side.
Mambo Beat, Rose Bud, Hot Pop Pink, Tinted Love, Wildfire and Dark Lava are ideal for a hot date, or pretty much anything the night has in store. There's a colour for every kind of date.
All of these romantic shades are available in both CND SHELLAC and CND VINYLUX, for longer-lasting looks.
Literally everyone in the audience of Valentino's revolutionary Paris Fashion Week haute couture show bawled like a baby.
For one, the iconic supermodel who has been slaying the game for three decades returned to the iconic house of fashion after FOURTEEN YEARS to close the show- Her Royal Highness Naomi Campbell.
Celine Dion is moved to tears by haute couture relatively often, she's an appreciator of art. However, this show moved both Dion and Campbell to tears for it's celebration of black beauty.
Valentino’s Pierpaolo Piccioli designed the stunning collection, which saw each model inspired by a beautiful flower, and featured bold and bright colours, diversity and petal eyelashes.
Celine Dion is an ebullient presence at every fashion week she attends, giving thumbs up to paparazzi when she's impressed and occasionally jumping for joy.
She couldn't help the tears from falling watching Piccioli's work, modelled by women of every ethnicity, but when Naomi walked down the catwalk in a sheer black dress, Dion WEPT.
It was one of couture's most diverse line-ups ever, with 39 black women walking. Picciolo said of his collection;
“Couture is the way that you can evaluate the uniqueness of life, but it was never meant to be for black women. It was meant for just white women. This is a celebration of black beauty.”
Campbell wept silently as Picciolo was given a standing ovation at the finale, she has witnessed the inherent racism in the industry since she began.
The iconic supermodel broke down barriers, and was one of the first black women on the covers of high fashion magazines and on their runways.
The billowing gowns were modelled by Alek Wek, Liya Kebede, Adut Akech, Duckie Thot, Akiima, Sabah Koj and Ayak Veronica, among other powerful, high fashion faces.
The soundtrack was soul icon Roberta Flack’s The First Time I Ever Saw Your Face, which matched the emotional ambience perfectly.
The subversion of the racial norm was clearly hugely important to Naomi Campbell, who praised the designer on her Instagram;
“Congratulations on a historical moment, done in such an elegant manner no words needed to be said. Blessed to be part of such an incredible, spellbinding moment.”
Paris fashion week has one of the worst records when it comes to casting diverse models.
Data gathered by The Fashion Spotrevealed that just 15.6 percent of models in the Spring 2015 shows were women of colour, making Paris the least inclusive of any fashion week.
It's easy to see why both Celine and Naomi were overcome with emotion, given the immense occasion.
From 12th–14th February, Dublin’s most fashionable florist The Crate will be popping up in Penneys flagship store on Mary Street, selling unique wildflower-style bunches.
Just in time for Valentine’s Day, the pop-up will offer Penneys customers a chance to get their hands on a medium or large bunch of fragrant blooms for their home, office, or that special person in their life.
Speaking about the pop-up, partners of The Crate, Claire Ryan and Steph Hutch, commented, “Being huge fans of Penneys, we are so excited to have the chance to bring The Crate flowers to the Mary Street store. It’s been such a pleasure collaborating on this project and we hope that many people’s days are made with the flowers they receive from the pop-up.”
Made In Chelsea’s Millie Mackintosh has given us so many relationship goals in the last few months it’s hard to even remember life before her reunion with Hugo Taylor.
And while she may only have finalised her divorce with Professor Green back in May, it looks like the 27-year-old lifestyle guru could already be looking for a ring from Mr Taylor.
Over the weekend the couple – who both rose to fame in the early seasons of MIC – attended the wedding of a friend in Italy and – if tradition is anything to go by – Millie’s attempt at catching the bride’s bouquet would suggest she wouldn’t exactly be opposed to a proposal of her own.
A photo posted by Millie Mackintosh (@milliemackintoshofficial) on
Nestled among Hugo’s Instagram snaps of the big day is an epic slow motion video of Millie desperately leaping to catch the bride’s thrown flowers.
The clip – which is jokingly captioned “next time my love” – shows the trained makeup artist reaching across her competition only to miss the cream and pink bunch by a couple of centimetres.
A video posted by Hugo Taylor (@hugotaylorlondon) on
Since the post was quickly followed by a loved-up photo of Hugo and Millie kissing, it seems like these two could be for keeps even if the model’s love has yet to put a ring on it.
