Forget the flowers. How about a pair of luscious lips for St Valentine's night? Advanced Cosmetic Surgery is booked out for St Valentine's Day as perfect pouts are imparted to those forward-thinking women who know what they want for this most romantic of nights.
One treatment is sufficient to give you that extra fullness, according to Ms Catherine Mullen, who manages the non-surgical clinic in Leeson Street, Dublin. A 0.4 ml syringe of restylane, a manmade substance, is enough for you to notice the difference but will leave your friends guessing. The larger syringe (0.7 ml) will dispel any doubts as your upper lip blossoms dramatically.
It's not cheap, at £225 for the small dose and £450 for the larger. "People usually just have the top lip done as the bottom lip is fuller. Results are immediate. There is no bruising. You may be red for a couple of hours or swollen for a time," Ms Mullen said.
There is no pain as you will be given a local anaesthetic. But it's all beginning to sound depressingly like a trip to the dentist. So why subject yourself to the syringe?
Ms Mullen said: "Everybody likes a full pout, a sexier pout, more kissable lips. It has no effect on sensation. You can kiss away". The larger lips will last between eight and 12 months. So far, only women have availed of the fuller lip treatment, but there have been a number of inquiries from men in the past three months. Meanwhile, most people will have resorted to the more traditional rites of the day, buying cards, flowers and chocolates.
Men buy more cards for St Valentine's Day than for any other day of the year, according to a spokeswoman for Hallmark. More than 22 million Valentine cards, worth over £38.8 million sterling, were sold in the UK last year.
St Valentine's cards sales are second only to Christmas, according to Ms Ronnie Fagan, card manager in Easons, of O'Connell Street, Dublin. Prices range from £1.20 to £7.99. "It's not just a boyfriend-girlfriend occasion any more. We now stock cards addressed to sons, daughters, grandchildren and friends," she said.
As for flowers, St Valentine's Day lags behind Christmas and Mother's Day, according to a spokesman for Interflora. The Irish spend more than £333,000 on Interflora flowers for the day.
"The Irish are pretty romantic, with 40 per cent spending more on their bouquet than the average £25 sterling spent in the UK," he said.
The red rose is still the most popular floral offering for February 14th.
An Post is advising customers to post early today for St Valentine's Day delivery. Love-struck customers are advised not to use lipstick to decorate envelopes. "It makes a terrible mess and can transfer to other letters in the postbox (e.g. job applications, business letters). The same goes for perfume," according to An Post.