When questioning a group of friends about what they associate with the colour red, love was surprisingly low on the list. However, power, danger, passion and stop were all words that were brought up several times over.

With Valentine's Day in full swing this weekend and smug couples looking even more in love than the day before, any shade of red (and a sprinkling of pink) is hard to avoid. Hearts emblazoned on almost everything and anything and plenty of cheap tat can easily be found to show your partner how much you love them. For me, it takes more than a box of Lindt balls and a token "love you" card. My husband has been taught well over the years we've been together. Less kitsch and more chic is how to win my heart and probably yours too!

Being a strong fan of red, I adore this time of the year especially as fashion and beauty brands have jumped on board with special limited edition "Valentine" buys that are classier than any cutesy mug and have a longer lifespan than a bunch of roses. So ladies, I urge you to subtly leave open this feature in view of your partner's pathway (next to an iPad is probably your best bet!) and hope he reads between the lines and spoils you with a splash of something red that you will actually want to keep. Alternatively, make life easier for him and simply send him a link or two with some ideas (and tell him you love him for bonus points).

You're only being helpful after all.