Seeing as we have the month of love approaching, I thought I would do a bit of a Date Night Beauty Edit. My boyfriend and I don’t specifically celebrate Valentine’s Day, since we have a tradition of giving each other a monthly gift and basically every night of the weekend is a date night for us, whether it is a movie date, dinner date, or just an eat take-out and relax date. I think it is important to celebrate and appreciate the one you love everyday, not just once a year on a commercialised day.

So, whether you are celebrating Valentine’s Day or just want a bit of inspiration for a date night, these are my picks.

 I think the perfect date night look is glowing skin, blushing cheeks, a bright but not too bold lip, sultry eyes and bold brows. I like to strike a balance between effortless and put together. Too effortless and it might seem like you don’t care, and too put together and it might seem overdone.

 Prep: The most important part of applying makeup is the prep work. Start by cleansing the skin. If your skin is looking or feeling a bit dull, a quick chemical exfoliation or even using a face cloth to wipe your face can help remove dead skin cells and leave your skin looking brighter and fresher. After cleansing the skin, apply a light, quick absorbing oil to help plump up the skin, and then follow with your moisturiser. You can also add a few drops of oil into your moisturiser if you prefer one step. Don’t forget sun protection if it is a day date!

Face Base: To get glowing skin I like to use an illuminating primer like the Beautifying Primer from Catrice, followed by a light coverage foundation or CC cream with a dewy finish, such as the MAC Studio Moisture Tint. Only apply foundation where you need it, and blend well. I then try my best to disguise my dark circles, and The Body Shop Lightening Touch Concealer does quite a good job. Once again, only conceal where you need to. I mostly use a face powder or powder foundation under my eyes, to set the concealer, but if you have oily skin you may want to powder the t-zone, this Rice Powder from Palladio is so unexpectedly amazing! I also dust a tiny bit over my cheeks to ensure my blush and highlighter blend well without sticking to my skin.

Face Colour: Since you are on a date, and I doubt you will want to touch up your makeup often, I suggest a powder blush since it lasts longer. My favourite pick is a rusty coral shade, that looks natural and healthy, like MAC Linda. Now for my favourite product, the highlight. I like to apply my highlighter with a fan brush, as it picks up just enough product for a gorgeous glow, without packing it on too heavy. For an intense highlight, you can first apply a liquid or cream highlighter and then the powder highlighter over, I am currently loving Becca Opal in Spotlight and Pressed. You can also give your brush a bit of a spritz with water to intensify the highlight, I like to use the Avene Thermal Spring Water. Lastly is bronzer, like the Catrice Sun Glow, to add a warm glow to my skin. I apply it in the shape of a 3 from my forehead, to under my cheekbones, and lastly along my jawbone. I then give everything a light buffing with a powder brush to blend together and look seamless.

FYI: I never touch up my makeup when I am out, I might add another slick of lipstick, but in most cases I just apply a lip balm through the night.

Brows: Luckily my brows are pretty full, but toward the centre I have some sparseness. I like to fill them with a dark brown pencil like the one from Stila in light thin strokes, and then follow with a tinted brow gel, such as Make me Brow to further fill the sparseness and keep everything in place. To me, brows are one of the most important features as they frame the face and can really affect how you are perceived.

Eyes: Smudge free is the main thing I look out for when picking eye makeup, especially since I like my eyes dark. Gel pencils are really great as they stay put, even on the water line, and this essence Gel Pencil is amazing. My mascara needs to hold a curl and lengthen without flaking or smudging, and even though this pick from *Benefit is a mission to remove, it does not budge. Lastly, my eyeshadow and liner need to stay put without creasing, I am really loving the *L’Oreal Black n Sculpt Liner which makes lining very simple and the Catrice Lumiere Eyeshadow, which is soft and buttery, and brightens and lifts the eye area. If cream eyeshadow is more your thing, the essence and *Mii Cosmetics options are my favourite long-lasting picks.

Lips: Although liquid matte lipsticks last really long, they can sometimes be drying and make the lips look gross and crusty, especially after a meal. At the end of the day it depends on you and your lips. If you don’t have dry lips, then matte liquid is the way to go, I like the OFRA Liquid Lipstick in Charmed. For a more affordable choice, the NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream in Cannes is a stunning colour, although the formula is not the best, I much prefer the Liquid Suede Formula. If you do have dry lips, opt for a creamier lipstick, but blot with a tissue in between layers of application for a longer lasting effect. And if you do line your lips, please do not let it be darker than your lipstick colour.

Finish: To finish, check if there has been any fallout or smudges, (mine is usually from mascara) and clean it up with a cotton bud dipped in micellar water. Use a makeup setting spray, like this one from Avon to keep everything in place and to make sure nothing looks to cakey.

Swatches from Top-Bottom

essence Gel Liner

Catrice Lumiere Eye Shadow

OFRA Cosmetics Liquid Lipstick in Charmed

NYX Cosmetics Soft Matte Lip Cream in Cannes

Becca Shimmering Skin Perfector Spotlight Opal

Becca Shimmering Skin Perfector Pressed Opal

MAC Blush in Linda

Catrice Sun Glow

And you are good to go… But remember, the prettiest thing you can wear is a smile and a good heart.

Do you have any date night beauty favourites?

*Press Sample