The Color Red
With Valentine’s approaching, I thought this would be the perfect time to share a Valentine’s make up guide for those who are wanting to add an extra pop on date night. This is great for even my single ladies who decide to take themselves out for a special evening. Remember, Love is all year round and you also deserve to Love yourself.
All it takes is one simple color, Red. The color red is significant in many cultures. It is associated with Love in Western culture, and it symbolizes good fortune and joy in Asian cultures.
Many leaders have worn red to symbolize their power. In Chinese philosophy, red is associated with fire and connected to aggression, confidence and leadership. I’m a woman who is always down for an all black outfit and adding the red lip just pulls everything together in a beautiful, feminine, bold and sexy way.
“BEAUTY, TO ME, IS ABOUT BEING COMFORTABLE IN YOUR OWN SKIN. THAT, OR A KICK-ASS RED LIPSTICK.” – GWENYTH PALTROW
My Valentine’s Products
Step 1: Primer
Charlotte Tilbury Wonderglow Face Primer has been a favorite for the last few years. Its gives a beautiful and natural glow. You can add this alone or mix with your foundation/tinted moisturizer.
Step 2: Tinted Moisturizer
Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer Oil Free Natural Skin Perfector Broad Spectrum SPF 20 is great for those who can’t tolerate a regular foundation and/or don’t want a heavy makeup feel. It provides light to medium coverage and makes your skin look healthier.
Step 3: Concealer
Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Concealer works great at both coverage and adding highlight depending on the areas you place this. I use this for under my eyes and the redness around my nose.
Step 4: Brow Bone Highlighter
Maybelline Brow Precise Perfecting Eyebrow Highlighter is great to add a little pop to your brow bone. More so to create separation before you apply any eye shadow.
Step 5: Cream Bronzer
Chanel LES BEIGES Healthy Glow Bronzing Cream is a lightweight cream-gel face bronzer with a velvet-matte finish that enhances skin with a sun-kissed glow. Great for those who aren’t into harsh contouring, but still want a natural-looking definition.
Step 6: Cream Blush
HAN Skincare Cosmetics 3-in-1 Multi stick is my favorite cream blush of all time. I have different colors, but ‘Innocence’ is one of my favorites for that light hint of color for a natural look or whenever I want to wear a bold lip. It’s Vegan and Cruelty Free.
Step 7: Powder Blush
Milani Tea Rose Powder Blush is beautiful on the cheeks. A great topper to add over a cream blush for longevity and perfect for natural looks or a slight hint of color on the cheeks for bolder looks.
Step 8: Face Powder
Laura Mercier Translucent Setting Powder is a favorite. I hadn’t used a powder in such a long time and this has been a game changer for me to reduce creasing under my eyes and also the look of pores.
Step 9: Highlighter
Hourglass Ambient Strobe Lighting Powder is a must to add a beautiful glow above the cheek bone. It’s not too much and not glittery. More of a soft shimmer which I appreciate.
Step 10: Brow
Ulta Eye Shadow in Coffee Bean is perfect to fill in my brows. I know some like to use the pencil or products specifically made for brows, but any product can be used for more than just one purpose and this holds out perfectly throughout the day and at a much lower cost.
“I GOT THAT RED LIP, CLASSIC THING YOU LIKE.” – TAYLOR SWIFT
Step 11: Brow Mascara
Maybelline Great Lash Clear Mascara is perfect to keep the brows in place. Again, a product that can have more than one purpose. Super affordable and does the job just as well as any other high end product in the market.
Step 12: Waterline
Pixi Crayon Combo is an amazing product and a shame they no longer sell it. One end is to brighten and the other is to lighten. I use this for my waterline to make my eyes appear more wide open, but any nude crayon will work just fine. NYX is another great brand.
Step 13: Eye Shadow Base Primer
MAC Prep + Prime 24-Hour Extend Eye Base is great to make your eye shadow last throughout the day/night. I’m someone who has oily lids, and this product has helped me so much to keep my eye shadows in place and not crease.
Step 14: Eye Shadow Palette
MAC Art Library Nude Eye Shadow Palette is a favorite and the perfect set to travel with. It has a lot of great neutral tones. If you can’t get your hands on this palette, I’d recommend to look into their Connect in Colour palette as it also has beautiful colors as well.
Step 15: Liquid Eye Liner
Neogen Extra Tinted Edgeliner creates the perfect eyeliner. The flat tip is perfect to make thin lines as well as thick lines with one stroke. It also stays in place for quite a while.
Step 16: Mascara
Benefit Fan Fest Mascara last all day long! I haven’t dealt with any smudging, even during rainy days. If you’re looking for dramatic lashes, this is it.
Step 17: Lip Primer
MAC Prep + Prime Lip Primer is great to wear underneath your lipstick to reduce feathering. This makes my lips smoother and a game changer if you’re not using this already.
Step 18: Liquid Lipstick No. 1
Maybelline Super Stay Vinyl Ink Liquid Lipstick is the new rave right now. It leaves a satin finish and is even great for those who have dry/chapped lips (which I suggest using a scrub prior to adding any lipstick). The color ‘Royal’ is a beautiful deep Pinot Noir color.
Step 19: Liquid Lipstick No. 2
Revlon Ultra HD Vinyl Lip Polish is a high shine liquid lipstick. The color ‘Cherry on Top’ is the perfect red. A beautiful color that will compliment any skin tone.
Step 20: Lipstick No. 3
Chanel Coco Flash Rouge Lipstick in ’92 Amour’ is fitting. It’s almost like a balm and very hydrating on the lips. It’s build-able.
Step 21: Setting Spray
Urban Decay De-slick Oil Control Setting Spray is one that I use at the end of my makeup routine. I have oily to combination skin and this is really good to hold my makeup in place.
“SHE HAS A WAY WITH WORDS, RED LIPSTICK, AND MAKING AN ENTRANCE.” – KATE SPADE
I hope you enjoyed this Valentine’s Make Up Guide. Be sure to check out the rest of my beauty blog posts. Hope you have an amazing Valentine’s or Galentines for my fierce women out there!
