IPSY: 7 Stunning Valentine’s Day Makeup Looks
Posted by Christina Kelmon on
There are a handful of reasons why you might want to keep your Valentine's Day makeup low-key this year. Maybe you're running straight to your Valentine's Day date dinner after work and don't have a ton of time to freshen up. Or maybe you're skipping the Feb. 14 fuss entirely and staying in for wine and movies with friends (who says Galentine's Day can only be one day a year?).
Regardless, simple doesn't have to mean plain. It only takes a few minutes and a few products to transform your everyday makeup look into a colorful V-Day statement.
Continue reading below for some makeup idea inspiration (plus our product picks and tips) for creating a Cupid-approved Valentine's Day makeup look in 15 minutes or less.
Look #1: Pretty in Pink
Why We Love It: When in doubt, keep it candy-colored. A bright pink lip with a razor-thin line of liquid eyeliner is the definition of sweet.
How to Get the Look: Apply foundation and lightly fill in any sparse areas in your eyebrows. Draw on a teeny tiny cat-eye and follow it with two coats of mascara (not sure which to pick? Try one of our fave volumizing mascaras here). Next, swipe on SMASHBOX COSMETICS Be Legendary Lipstick in Mandarin, a beautiful lavender-pink lipstick, and blend it with your fingertips or a lip brush. Top it off with SMASHBOX COSMETICS Gloss Angeles Surf Bunny for soft, kissable lips.
Look #2: Passionate Purple
Why We Love it: This plummy berry lip is the perfect intersection between sweet and sultry. Paired with super long lashes and natural, dewy skin, this simple makeup look is ready in 10 minutes but looks effortlessly glam and perfect for date night.
How to Get the Look: Use a tinted moisturizer to keep your skin hydrated and smooth. Brush your eyebrows up and out (go in with an eyebrow gel for extra definition if you want). Then, use BELLE EN ARGENT Avant Garde 3D Lip Kit to create a multidimensional dark lip with liner, lipstick, and gloss. For your lashes, hold your mascara brush vertically and use the tip to coat small clusters, section by section. We like using THRIVE CAUSEMETICS Liquid Lash Extensions Mascara for that extra-long, spidery false lash effect.
Look #3: Classic & Chic
Why We Love it: Vamp it up with the OG date night makeup look: winged eyeliner and a bright red lip. Reminiscent of film-noir movie stars or Hollywood celebrities, it's impossible not to feel confident and romantic when you rock a red lipstick like this. Plus, this classic makeup look looks amazing on all skin tones.
How to Get the Look: After applying your concealer and foundation, go in with your contour to carve out your cheekbones. Next, draw on a cat-eye with EM COSMETICS Black Brush Tip liquid eyeliner. Use OFRA COSMETICS Delicious Red Lipliner to define the borders of your lips, then fill them in with FINDING FERDINAND Go Red Lipstick. To keep your lip color intact longer, blot your lips with a tissue and then dab on another thin layer of lipstick. This will also keep your lipstick from smudging and smearing throughout the night.
Look 4: Flirty Fuschia
Why We Love it: Nothing ups the "come-hither" factor like a dramatic strip of false lashes and a bright pink lip. Paired with a warm bronzer, this is one look you'll want to break out on Valentine's Day and every day after.
How to Get the Look: Use bronzer to accentuate your face shapeand warm up your complexion (we like THE BEAUTY CROP Staycation Bronzer Powder, but check out other Ipsters' picks for their favorite bronzers here). Next, line your lips with a pink berry lip color of your choice, and go over them with SMASHBOX COSMETICS Gloss Angeles in Acai You Girl. Finish it off with ILLAMASQUA False Eye Lashes in Intoxicate. For even more impact, draw a thick stripe of black eyeliner onto your lash line before going in with the falsies, and wing it out to a subtle cat-eye for an even more sophisticated look.
Look 5: Matte Mauve
Why We Love it: Monochromatic makeup looks are très chic, easy, and oh-so-perfect for Valentine's Day. Plus, in most cases you only need one multitasking product to create a makeup artist-worthy look in minutes.
How to Get the Look: STEVE LAURANT Beauty Dusty Rose Lip Tint is a makeup bag essential—you can use it as a lip stain, eyeshadow, or blush. If you have more time or want to play with more product, go for a differently-textured product in one of those areas to add extra dimension and polish. We like a swipe of BEAUTY JUNKIES Mauve Mist Powder Blush to create a natural, subtle flush.
Look 6: Glossy Glamor
Why We Love it: This washed shimmery look is like the more mature, older cousin of the frosty makeup looks we couldn't get enough of in the early 2000s. It's sparkly and fun, and the rose gold hue keeps it modern and perfect for V-Day.
How to Get the Look: The goal of this lip is to go as light as possible without making your skin look washed out. Try BUXOM COSMETICS Full-On™ Plumping Lip Cream Gloss in White Russian, a pale pink shade with neutral undertones that's perfect for a variety of different skin tones (and that can be layered on top of a darker lip for added shimmer). Then use CIATÉ LONDON Marbled Metals Metallic Glitter Eyeshadow in Entwine all over your eyelids.
Look 7: Romantic Rose
Why We Love it: This ethereal look lets your natural beauty shine. It's light and fresh, and emphasizes the high points of your face without complicated contouring or bronzing. Wear it with darker eye makeup for a more dramatic effect, or pair with just a few coats of mascara for an easy glow.
How to Get the Look: Dot WANDER BEAUTY Catch the Light Highlighter & Glowtion across your brow bone, the top of your cheekbones, and your temples, then blend it out with a damp makeup sponge. For a reverse contour effect, you can also highlight the area between your jawline and the hollows of your cheeks. Blend BELLE EN ARGENT I’ll Bring Dessert Auteur Creme Lip Color onto your lips for a soft, natural finish, and voila! All you need for a simple, stunning Valentine's Day makeup look.