Valentine's Day Looks

Though Halloween is the holiday most people think of for bold makeup looks, Valentine’s Day is the best time of the year to go all out. From softer, romantic hues to more bold statement styles, the 14th is the perfect excuse to experiment with your style.

Whether you’re having a casual night with friends or hitting the clubs tonight, the right makeup will bring your look together. Here’s three simple and creative looks to spice up any of your Valentine’s day plans.

This look has all the quintessential elements of Valentine’s day— pink and red, a bold heart, and even sequins. It’s the perfect vibe for a Galentine’s Day dinner or for a nice quiet lunch out. It’s a little bold, but super easy to dress down or up! 

How to recreate: Cut out a paper heart, place it on the corner of your eye, and trace over the edges with hot pink or red eyeshadow. Use lash adhesive to attach sequins along the inside lines of the heart. Take a sparkly gold or pink eyeshadow (or highlighter for a look with even more depth!) and brush it along the other half of your eyelid and your inner corners.

Another variation by @jessicarosemakeup on Instagram places the sequins on the outside of the heart.

 To recreate this version, it follows much of the same directions. take a small square of paper, cut a heart out of it ( You can reuse the one from the last look!), and place the square on the edge of your eye. Trace the edges of the heart with a dark red or pink eyeshadow using a denser brush. Go over it a few more times but lead the middle of the heart empty. Take a fluffier eyeshadow brush and blend out some of the harsher lines on the inside of the heart to give you a gradient look. Line the outside of the heart with sequins and apply some randomly to your eyelid. Finish with eyeliner and some bold lashes. 

I tested both looks using Juvia’s Place’s The Berries Palette in the shade Black Rose for the hearts and the Too Faced palette The Natural Nudes in the shade Rose Gold for the shimmer.

Another look that’s bold and eye-catching, but can be dressed up and down however you like. With a sleek ponytail, it would be perfect to attend a nice morning brunch and catch a lecture right after! 

How to recreate: 

This look may require some items not as easily available— red mascara and a red eyeliner. To start with, though, you only need a red eyeshadow and a baby pink eyeshadow. Apply a pink eyeshadow across your eyelid. I used a primer for a more pigmented look. Taking a denser eyeshadow brush, apply some red shadow on the underside of your eye, following the line of your waterline. Using a liquid red eyeliner, do a sharp cat’s eye liner look. Once dry, follow up with a lash curler and some red mascara on the bottom lash line!

I tested this look with Juvia’s Place’s The Berries Palette in the shade Monza for the undereye and L’oréal’s Voluminous Original Mascara in the shade Deep Burgundy. I also used Colourpop’s Coast to Coral palette in the shade Anemone for the eyelid and their Try Me BFF red liquid eyeliner.

@meicrosoft on TikTok

This look is the simplest to do, but it’s definitely bolder than the rest. This would go perfectly styled with a sequin dress for a night at the club!

How to recreate:

 While you could ask a friend and save yourself some time, this look is not impossible to do by yourself. Start with a dark, bold lipstick. Think of what colors would show up best against your skin! While you can use liquid lipstick, I tested this and found that traditional wax-based had the best results for me. Apply generously and go over your lips multiple times. Take a piece of cling wrap or a plastic bag and press your lips down onto it as firmly and evenly as possible. Then, line it up carefully on where you want the lip print on your face and apply even pressure. If you’re feeling eco-friendly, you can also use the back of your hand. 

This look has a lot of flexibility! You can add as many kisses as you want. Maybe one bold one on the corner of your eyelid is enough for you, or maybe you want to layer them on like blush. Each piece of plastic is good for about 2-3 applications before you need to move onto another piece, and it creates a gradient effect to the prints that couldn’t be more artful if you tried. 

I tested this look with MAC’s Silky Matte Lipstick in the shade Natural Born Leader!