Love Thyself

You love yourself.
You think you’re grand.
You go to the movies and you hold your hand.
You wrap your arms around your waste.
And when you get fresh, you smack your face.

That, my friends, is a twisted nursery rhyme that I picked up in my formative years and can still able cite from memory today. With a ditty like that kicking around in my noggin since girlhood, it’s no wonder I’ve had trouble embracing the whole love yourself movement touted by the Oprahs of the world. Sure, I recognize the light within me but sometimes I hate how my butt looks in Capris or how I can rattle off a silly childhood poem but suffer from inexplicable memory loss whenever I play Trivial Pursuit. But does that mean I don’t love myself? While I figure it all out, I give you these more tangible ways to hold your own hand this Valentine’s Day.

Spa

Practice the fine art of navel-gazing with a solo spa experience. For an opening course, try the Strawberry Chocolate Delight Body Treatment at The Spa at the Arizona Biltmore. This limited-time treatment starts with a foamy strawberry exfoliating cleanser, followed by a 50-minute massage with rich chocolate oil. Enjoy fresh strawberries and chocolate treats during your treatment (80 minutes, $195).

Soak

By now you’ve heard tell of a fairytale store that oozes with lushness tucked deep within the forest of Scottsdale Fashion Square. LUSH Fresh Handmade Cosmetics is no fairytale and with V-Day looming on the calendar, there’s no better time to sniff it out. The new soak for the season is the French Kiss Bubble Bar, loaded with lavender and rosemary and shaped like a candy kiss. But don’t overlook best-sellers like the heart-shaped Tisty Tosty bath bomb, the intoxicating Sex Bomb and the Ma Bubble Bar, which unleashes a tubful of chocolate-scented bubbles. Get them at a LUSH store near you or online at www.lush.com.

Sniff

Speaking of chocolate, legend has it that the Mayan Emperor Montezuma tossed back some 50 cups of chocolate a day. My question is: What did he have for dessert? Today, the good news about chocolate, especially the dark variety, keeps on coming. Not only does the scent kick up the feel-good brain juices, but chocolate is loaded with anti-aging vitamins and minerals good for both your inside and out. Treat your sniffer to these feel-good treats:

• Shower away negative vibes with Phillip B. Chocolate Milk Body Wash
• Restore your natural glow with Sephora Indulgences Body Scrub in Chocolate Raspberry
• Seal it with a kiss with Ganache for Lips, All-Natural Gourmet Lip Balm
• And finally, feed your inner beauty with Dagoba Organic Chocolate with lavender essence and blueberries