The 15 Best Valentine’s Day Makeup Ideas And Hairstyles For Girls + Photos
Valentine’s Day Makeup Ideas: OK, so we’re going to assume you clicked on this link because you’re in need of some Valentine’s Day makeup inspiration, and you either have an at-home date with your significant other, some virtual plans with friends, or booked a reservation at your favorite restaurant. Keeping with that assumption, you’ve probably been preparing: A romantic dinner? Check.
The perfect gift? Check. A few spritzes of your favorite fragrance? Check, check, and check. Now, all you need is to pick the perfect hair-and-makeup combo for February 14, and you’re all set to get your romance on (safely, of course).
Valentine’s Day Makeup Ideas, Luckily, we’ve done the legwork for you and found 15 stunning beauty looks for you to choose from — courtesy of some of the industry’s top makeup artists. Keep scrolling to find a wealth of Valentine’s Day-inspired makeup looks, including smoky eyes, a monochromatic pastel pink look that’s positively dreamy, soft glam, celestial, metallic eyelids, and many, many more. One is sure to fit your aesthetic.
1. A Kiss of Pink
Valentine’s Day Makeup Ideas, Just because it’s Valentine’s Day doesn’t mean you have to go for a full glam moment. If minimalist makeup is more your vibe, try a simple one-shadow look, like this pretty pink number by makeup artist Vincent Oquendo.
“I created a subtle look using the Shiseido Kajal Ink Artist Shadow in Lilac Lotus, starting at the base of her lash line and blending from there,” he tells Allure. We’re also fans of Colourpop Cosmetics’s Lilac You a Lot Palette for this look.
Valentine’s Day Makeup Ideas, Then, just add a few coats of your favorite mascara, some clear lip gloss (we’re partial to Tower28’s ShineOn Jelly Lip Gloss), and a bit of tinted brow gel, and you’ll be good to go.
2. Classic Smoky Eye
Valentine’s Day Makeup Ideas, Fans of the classic smoky eye will want to take a page out of makeup artist Ash K. Holm’s book, who created this gorgeous look for actor Eva Longoria. To recreate this look on your own, Holm says to look for “softer, smoky tones like matte grays and taupes for the crease and foiled textures in gray or taupe on the eyelid to give the eyes a sexy, sultry feel.”
Valentine’s Day Makeup Ideas, She adds that the brushes you use are just as important as the shadows you choose. “Use brushes that have soft fibers to create the most flawless blend of shades,” she tells Allure. “The softer your brushes are, the easier it is to blend rich, smoky tones.” (We personally recommended the Lune+Aster Eye Shadow Duo Brush.)
Valentine’s Day Makeup Ideas, As for lining the eyes, Holm suggests reaching for “a long-wearing eye pencil in a smokey tone like a silvery gray, taupe, brown or black,” but she advises “working quickly because any long-wearing pencil will dry down fast. You will be amazed with the longevity of this look when using a long-wearing pencil to smoke out the rim of the eyes,” she says.
3. Soft Pink and Softer Waves
Valentine’s Day Makeup Ideas, When in doubt, wearing pink lipstick is always a good idea on Valentine’s Day. After all, just look to Lili Reinhart, who paired her Barbie-pink lips with soft, gray smoky eyes and a bombshell blowout for added glamour.
“This look was a modern take on old-Hollywood glam,” says makeup artist Jenna Kristina. “The pink lipstick has blue undertones, which can help make your teeth look brighter and whiter.”
Valentine’s Day Makeup Ideas, To score this sultry look at home, line your upper lash line with a chubby eye shadow stick (like Bobbi Brown’s Long-Wear Cream Shadow Stick in the shade Shadow). Then, smoke the pigment out with your finger or a cotton bud until everything looks seamless.
Valentine’s Day Makeup Ideas, Try a nourishing formula like Dior’s Addict Stellar Shine Lipstick in shade Be Dior (a gorgeous fuchsia) to make lips look extra juicy and kissable. And hair-wise, if you follow these pro tips for doing a blowout at home and you’ll master it in no time.
4. Shimmery Sunset Eyes
Valentine’s Day Makeup Ideas, Believe it or not, this high-voltage eye look isn’t as hard to recreate as it may seem. Makeup artist Hung Vanngo began by prepping eyes with MAC’s Paintpot in Layin’ Low (creamy beige) to give the shadow something to adhere to. He then used several shades from the NikkieTutorials x Beauty Bay Pressed Pigment Palette — including Blend & Snap! Zomer, Mikai, Aura, and Ivy — to achieve a stunning reddish-pink sunset effect on the lids. (Pro tip: Make sure you have some excellent blending brushes on hand, as it’ll make the process way easier.)
Valentine’s Day Makeup Ideas, Finish off the eye look with some black kohl liner on the top lash lines and blend it until it’s soft and smoky. Then, add several coats of mascara. For the lips, you can either go the neutral route or follow Vanngo’s lead with a vibrant coral. He reached for Rare Beauty’s Matte Lip Cream in Brave.
5. A Bold, Red Lip and Wispy Eyelashes
Valentine’s Day Makeup Ideas, Audrey Hepburn once said, “There is a shade of red for every woman,” so, of course, there’s bound to be a perfect shade of red lipstick for everyone. In fact, makeup artist Nydia Figueroa says that someone of any skin tone can nail this bold, red lip look.
She says that fair skin tones should look for a red lip “[with] cool-toned hues like blue and purple that will complement your natural pink undertones,” such as MAC’s Lipstick Matte in Russian Red.
Valentine’s Day Makeup Ideas, On the other hand, Figueroa finds that “reds with a touch of orange” should be the lip color of choice for medium skin tones, like the Enduring Lip Color in Candy Apple from Limelife By Alcone. “This shade has a beautiful orange undertone that suits medium skin tones and lasts all day,” she says.
Valentine’s Day Makeup Ideas, As for those with dark skin tones, she suggests looking for “bright reds” or “dark cherry” lip colors. “My favorite bright red for a darker skin tone is Fenty Beauty’s Stunna Lip Paint in Uncensored. This color is universal but looks particularly stunning on darker skin,” she explains. When it comes to the latter, she’s fond of Danessa Myricks’s Vision Flush in Black Cherry, which she says “can [also] be used on the eyes or cheeks.”
Valentine’s Day Makeup Ideas, Because this look is all about the lip, Figueroa advises taking a “less is more” approach with your eye makeup. “I would put minimal shadow on the eyes, adding a winged liner and or lots of mascara on the lashes,” she tells Allure.
6. Sleek Bun and Rosy Monochrome
Valentine’s Day Makeup Ideas, Don’t feel like doing anything with your hair? Copy our girl Selena Gomez and go for a fuss-free-yet-polished low bun. Not only will it take less than two minutes, but it’ll also let the makeup really stand out. Speaking of which: For this monochromatic look, all you need is some black eyeliner, a peachy blush that’ll double as eye shadow, and a pigmented lip gloss in a similar shade to tie everything together.
Rare Beauty’s Stay Vulnerable Melting Cream Blush in Nearly Neutral works beautifully on both cheeks and lids, while Fenty’s Gloss Bomb Cream in the shade Cookie Jar is a great option for the lips.
7. Pastel Pink Monochrome
Valentine’s Day Makeup Ideas, As far as monochromatic makeup goes, this look on Lucy Hale couldn’t be easier — or more romantic. Start by painting your lids in a shimmery pastel pink color, like Laura Mercier’s Caviar Stick Eye Shadow in Magnetic Pink. Then, tightline your upper waterline before sweeping on mascara for added definition. Finish off the look with a muted light-pink lipstick, such as Milk Makeup’s Lip + Cheek in Werk, which you can also dab on your cheekbones for a flirty flush.
“Because we went with a soft eye shadow, we could make this look really all about the eyelashes,” Kristina tells Allure. “I layered Ishimmer Individual Lashes in multiple sizes for a natural-looking lash.”
Valentine’s Day Makeup Ideas, Oh, and this hairstyle is just about as simple as it gets, too. Use a flatiron to add a few bends throughout the hair for beachy waves. Add a barrette on either side of your head, and you’re all set.
8. Natural Curls and Bubblegum Lips
Valentine’s Day Makeup Ideas, “For those who want to deviate from the norm, pink is the new red,” says makeup artist Yolonda Frederick, the mastermind behind this beautiful, soft glam look. Fenty Beauty’s Gloss Bomb Lip Cream in the shade Mauve Wive$ was the star of this romantic pink lip, as well as a shimmery dark pewter shadow on the lids for a seductive effect.
Marc Jacob’s Highliner Gel Eye Crayon Eyeliner in Pewter Please! is a perfect color match for this eye look that’ll blend out easily all over the lids. Simply dot the liner all over and then blend using your fingers or your favorite eye shadow brush.
9. Rosy Cheeks and Peachy Eyelids
Valentine’s Day Makeup Ideas, Valentine’s Day is a celebration of warmth and love, so what better way to express that than with this dreamy makeup beat featuring blushed cheeks and peachy eyes by Los Angeles-based makeup artist Robin Black. Even though this look was originally created on a fair-skinned complexion, Black says that those with medium and dark skin tones can give this look a try as well.
Valentine’s Day Makeup Ideas, “For medium-tan skin tones, try pairing a warm tangerine or copper eyeshadow color with a cool raspberry-colored cheek,” she tells Allure. Meanwhile, Black says those with deeper complexions should go with “a cool burgundy eyeshadow” and “[a] warm red cheek.”
10. Reverse Cat-Eye and Red Lips
Valentine’s Day Makeup Ideas, Bored of your basic winged eyeliner? Use Valentine’s Day as an excuse to experiment with a reverse cat-eye instead. “It lends a fresher touch to an otherwise timeless glam look,” says makeup artist Porsche Cooper. “Rather than lining the upper eyelid, I went for the lower lashline and flicked the eyeliner up and out once I reached her outer eye contour.” After, layer on your favorite true red lipstick, and you can call it a day.
11. Winged Liner and Popsicle Lips
Valentine’s Day Makeup Ideas, As long as you have some makeup fundamentals under your belt, you can master this look in under 15 minutes flat. “I combined this cat-eye with a candy-colored lip stain focused in the center of the lips,” says Kristina. Any of these Allure-approved lip stains will do the trick.
Valentine’s Day Makeup Ideas, Also, create a cat-eye with either a gel liner or black eye shadow rather than a liquid liner for a softer vibe. Maybelline New York’s EyeStudio Lasting Drama Gel Eyeliner is an excellent, affordable option that comes with a handy thin-tipped liner brush.
12. Soft Glam
Valentine’s Day Makeup Ideas, “My inspiration for this look was mainly focussed on neutral, golden makeup tones yet still glam,” says makeup artist Pauline Briscoe. “I went for soft smoky eyes with a nude lip.
Valentine’s Day Makeup Ideas, With a blend of brown shadows on the eyes, Briscoe created depth, followed by Lash Magnifique’s Bernice lashes for a doe-eyed feel. To let the eyes stand out, she kept the rest of the face slow-key with a clear glossy lip and warm terracotta-toned blush.
13. Gilded Lids and Fuchsia Lips
Valentine’s Day Makeup Ideas, “Pink and red are both beautiful colors to use this upcoming Valentine’s Day,” says makeup artist Delina Medhin. “Opt for a magenta pink to line the lips and give them a more defined look. Then, place a lighter pink on the inside to give the lips even more definition.”
Valentine’s Day Makeup Ideas, The Nars Velvet Matte Lipstick Pencil in Promiscuous is a spot-on color match for this look, plus it’s great for both lining and filling in lips. As for the eyes, simply apply a sparkly gold shadow all over the lids, stopping before you hit the crease, and then finish by creating a thin wing with whatever liquid liner you have on hand.
14. Dewy Skin and Loose Waves
Valentine’s Day Makeup Ideas, If you’re on Team Dewy Skin, then you’re sure gonna want to consider recreating this glowing look by New York City-based makeup artist Kasey Adams Spickard. He washed the eyes using the shadows of pink from the Natasha Denona Mini Love Eye Shadow Palette. For the cheeks, Spickard used Jouer Cosmetics’s Amelie Blush + Bloom Lip and Cheek, a dual-sided blush stick that he says has “a rich, rosy pink” on one side and “a beautiful, clear glow” on the other. Oh, and don’t forget to top it all off with a red lip.
15. Pin-Straight Hair and Metallic Eyelids
Valentine’s Day Makeup Ideas, A swipe of metallic eye shadow across your lids paired with a red lip can easily elevate your look for Valentine’s Day. Just ask Michael Anthony, the makeup artist who created this dazzling beat for singer-songwriter Ava Max. “I find it helpful to use a matte taupe shadow in the socket line to give the eye some definition,” he tells Allure about the look. “Then, if you use the Pat McGrath Labs IntensifEYES Artistry Wand with an iridescent holographic shadow (we’re fans of Danessa Myricks’s Twin Flames Liquid Eye Shadows) on top, it gives you a surreal light-catching finish!”
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