Whether you’re in a relationship or single and looking for love, Valentine’s Day remains a day of loaded expectations. Either you expect to have the most romantic night of your life with the man you adore, or you have wishful thoughts of meeting the guy of your dreams where you least expect it.
As you sit around and daydream about all the possible plans for your perfect night, one detail remains prominent in your mind: You must look flawless at all costs.
Most women in relationships are hopeful that their significant other has taken the initiative when it comes to making plans for that memorable night. But relying on your man to plan the date creates a problem. How are you going to prepare your look so it fits with whatever surprises he has in store?
As for all you single ladies out there, you owe it to yourself to go out and have a good time on Valentine’s Day. Who knows? Mr. Right might be out and about just waiting to find a girl like you. The pressure is on to feel and look your best no matter where you are.
While some girls opt to spend the entire day at the beauty salon in preparation for a night out on the town, I propose saving money and spending more time celebrating. It is Valentine’s DAY, after all.
These classic makeup looks and corresponding hair styles are easy to DIY and just what you need to feel romantic, sexy and comfortable in your own skin.
Inspired by the Hollywood starlets who walked the red carpet this past month at the Golden Globe awards, I have picked out some up and coming trends in hair and makeup that are sure to make that special guy fall head over heels for you (that is, if he isn’t already).
Makeup:
Overall, one of the most popular looks this season was soft eye makeup with a dramatic lip color in either a red, pink or peach hue. Some stars did opt for a smoky eye, but chose a nude lip color to finish the look in order to avoid looking too intense. A light pink blush and some mascara for statement lashes finished both looks. My personal opinion is that eye makeup can be more forgiving than lip color, especially when going for a nude shade on certain skin tones. Sometimes nude lips on a particular complexion can make a woman look like she has no lips at all, or bring unwanted attention to blemishes or redness in her face. My suggestion is to see if you can pull off the nude lip color before deciding on an eye makeup look to avoid any setbacks while getting ready.
Look #1: Lea Michele picked a very light pink lip shade that not many people could pull off, which really worked well with her clear complexion. She had a light pink shimmer shadow dusted onto her lids and along her lower lash line.
Look #2: Emma Stone proved that less is more with barely there eye makeup and a soft peach lip. The look is so minimalist it’s hard to tell that she is even wearing makeup at all.
Hair:
Some of the more popular hairstyles I saw on the red carpet included the high bun, sleek side ponytails, stick straight blowouts and curls pinned close to the face. Wispy face framing bangs were also a nice touch that complemented the looks very nicely. All these hairstyles are quick and easy to do. My suggestion is that if you aren’t sure what kind of date you’re going on, pick a hairstyle that closely aligns with your natural hair type. For example, if your hair is naturally curly, just use some styling mousse to cancel out frizz and pin the curls close to your face. If your hair is naturally straight, either leave it that way or put it into a ponytail. This way, your hairstyle has a better chance of lasting throughout the entire date.
Look #1: Olivia Wilde’s look is the perfect example of how straight hair can be just as sophisticated as an updo. If your hair is not already pretty straight to begin with, getting it to lie as flat as Olivia’s might be a bit of a challenge. Try using a shampoo and conditioner for straight hair as well as a smoothing cream, then blow dry hair straight before following up with a flat iron and a shine mist.
Look #2: January Jones channeled a 1920’s pin-up girl for her hairstyle. The soft curls framing her face are both sensual and sweet. However, this particular hair style might be hard to emulate in terms of it keeping its definition all night long. Keep that in mind when thinking about what your guy might have planned for the evening.
Additional fashion tips:
Embrace romantic colors like soft pastel pinks, peaches, lavenders and red hues. Studies show that men find women more attractive when they are wearing red.
Don’t go overboard choosing an expensive outfit that is only appropriate for a single activity. You want to be comfortable enough in your outfit (shoes included) so that you can be spontaneous and do a variety of activities together.
Women have a tendency to want to avoid lace and ruffles for fear of looking like a tacky over-decorated valentine card. But ruffles can be sweet and appealing, if you don’t go overboard.
Dress for the weather. Yes, that dress you picked out is eye-catching and you think your boyfriend would love it, but remember that it’s February! Temperatures are already hovering just above freezing and the weather has a tendency to shift. Even if you step outside in the morning and think it is going to be a nice day, remember that the temperature drops as the sun sets and you don’t want to have to go home early because of the cold.