a woman wearing a valentine's day makeup look for date night and a purple print dress
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This Valentine’s Day is one for the books: We’ll have to get creative with how we’re going to make our special someones feel even more special. Whether your V-Day consists of outdoor dining or a date night in, looking your best helps you feel your best, so take the time to change out of your sweatpants and into a look that makes you feel sexy. Indulging in a self-care routine is also mandatory.

Ahead, I’m giving you a step-by-step Valentine’s Day makeup tutorial to simplify your holiday. Date night never looked so good!

Date Night Makeup:

Step 1:  The better your skin is, the better your makeup is going to look. Start with a mist that will saturate your skin with hydration. This transforms dull winter skin to plump and hydrated skin where makeup can blend like a dream. Lock in the hydration with a moisturizer. This along with the mist will give you the perfect base for makeup application.

Step 2: Use light to medium coverage foundations and blend with a buffing brush or sponge. Use the romantic evening candlelight to your advantage here and focus on your eyes and lips. Also, the less foundation you use, the lower your chances of a smudge!  Cover spots and the under-eye area with concealer after blending in your foundation. Strategic placement of powder in the T-zone is key and will give you a more flawless finish.

Step 3: Nestle a warm brown in your crease with a sweeping motion using a fluffy eyeshadow brush. Run that same color in your lower lashline to intensify the eyes. Pop a shimmery gold or copper on your lid (the best way is to use your index finger). Deepen your eyes by running a dark matte brown or black eyeshadow all through the top lash line. The goal is to have a well-blended gradient that enhances your eye shape with no harsh edges. Apply the first coat of mascara and then a second after two minutes. This will add depth and length to your lashes!

Step 4: A red pout is classic but I wanted to switch it up with a beautiful rich pink. First step to a lasting pout is to dab the lipstick on your lips directly from the tube perfecting the edges. Next,  grab a kleenex and blot your lips. Take another kleenex and lay it over your lips and dab some translucent powder over repeating the first step until you get your desired opacity. This will ensure your lips are stained and last all night.

Step 5: Pick a blush color similar to your lips for a polished and modern flush. Place the color on the apples of your cheek sweeping towards the temple. Now take some blush across the bridge of your nose. Bronze the contours of the face– cheekbones, jawline, and forehead, and highlight the tops of your cheekbones, bridge of the nose, and the inner corners of your eyes. Finally, mist your face with a setting spray.

Did you try this date night makeup? Show us your Valentine’s Day makeup look on Instagram @Lulus using #lovelulus–and score more pretty looks from our Spring Fashion shop!

Sadhvi Babu is a New York City-based professional makeup artist whose work includes editorials, fashion photoshoots, shows, and lookbooks.

(Images by Ramon Martinez, Hair by Cassandra Normil, Model: Laura Bensadun)