Your Valentine’s Day Beauty Look Sorted!

Every year for Valentine’s Day my partner and I have a competition to see who can find the lamest/tackiest/cringe-worthiest piece of Valentine’s paraphernalia. We present our “gift” to each other over a home cooked meal, and then proceed to laugh at how hilarious we are. And after losing abysmally two years in a row (what can I say? The dude just knows how take tackiness to the next level. It’s a talent) I really need a win. So you if you can think of anything, let me know in the comments!

Anyhoo, whether you’ve planned a romantic night out with your partner or you’re chilling with your besties (or blatantly twisting a romantic occasion into a competition like us), there’s a chance you’re keen to put your best foot forward. Next week we’ll look at hair-spiration, but this week it’s about the face. Here are three classic beauty looks from three of Hollywood’s biggest stars; Lucy Liu, Angelina Jolie and Kerry Washington.

The Blushing Beauty

What to do: Aside from a little shimmer around her eyes, Lucy has gone for the matte look. Make sure you have a good face powder to keep the shine to a minimum, and only apply a small amount of plush to the apple of your cheeks. A little colour goes a long way. When it is a special occasion we’re often tempted to slather on the lip gloss, but Lucy has kept the rosy matted look for her lips as well. If you love your gloss, dull it down a little by pursing your lips onto a tissue, or use a subtle gloss such as The Body Shop’s Born Lippy Stick in “Pink Berry.”

What to use: Loose Face Powder ($29.95 from The Body Shop), All-In-One Cheek Colour in “Flushed” ($26.95 from The Body Shop), Born Lippy Stick in “Pink Berry” ($10.95 from The Body Shop).

The Smoky Eye

What to do: The key to a smoky eye is starting small and building on (and, of course, a great mascara). It is much easier to decide you want to go darker and put a little more on, than realising you’ve applied way too much and having to wipe it off and start again. As you can see with Angelina, keeping the rest of your makeup neutral will make your eyes pop. Additionally, do your foundation/bronzer/lips after applying your smoky-eyed look, so any excess dark eye powder or cream doesn’t drift down and smudge on other areas of your face.

What to use: Beauty Bar Eyeshadow in “Smoky” ($17.95 from Prestige Cosmetics), Amplif-Eye Mascara ($19.95 from Prestige Cosmetics), Khol Blend Eye Pencil in “Jet Black” ($14.95 from Prestige Cosmetics).

The Classic Red Lip

What to do: Sigh. The red lip. I don’t know what it is, but it reels me in every time. Kerry has nailed it, has she not? To get the most out of this look, use a lip primer to ensure that bright red lipstick doesn’t budge! As well as finding yourself an excellent red coloured lippy (obviously), also invest in lip liner – it’s not just so you can “colour in between the lines,” it’s there to prevent the lipstick from seeping outside your lip line. And don’t forget to blend! A little lip brush will work perfectly.

What to use: Auto Pilot Lip Service Lip Primer ($25 from Napoleon), DeVine Goddess Lipstick in “Xenia” ($24 from Napoleon), Lip Pencil in “Rococco Red” ($20 from Napoleon).