We’ve all been there…you know, those nights your long-term boyfriend says, “Let’s go eat” or, “Let’s go to the movies,” then you agree with a simple shrug of the shoulders — and put on a casual outfit without thinking twice about trying to outdo yourself this time. Well, I’m here to save you from the drastic mistake of letting the burning fire die in your date night escapades. Pull out that red lipstick, dust off the hair spray and grab that sexy dress from the back of your closet, girl! It’s obvious that the amount, colors and theme of your makeup should correspond with the event at hand. You don’t want a “candle lit dinner” face while sitting in a pitch black theater stuffing your face with popcorn. So, I’ll give you a wide range of looks for a wide range of venues. Let’s get started…
The Red Lip (Night Out on the Town): Nothing screams “sexy” better than a bold red lip. Red will draw his attention to your lips and if it’s a good red lip, his attention will stay there for more than a few seconds — like a bull in an arena! If you’re going out during the evening go for a bolder shade of red versus if you’re going out during the day, settle with a softer shade. Avoid deep reds like burgundy or brick if you have thin lips as this tends to make your lips appear smaller. The good thing about red lipstick is you don’t need to add a lot of extra makeup. The brightness of your lips will work perfectly with a sheer, bronze shadow or beige color depending on skin tone — add a little mascara paired with a winged liner and you’re golden!
Tips:
- To prevent the lipstick from smudging or “bleeding” and looking like you just ate a rare t-bone steak, apply concealer around the creases of your lips to make nice crisp lines.
- Check your teeth — red lipstick stuck on your teeth is just as bad as lettuce.
- X-out the lip liner, unless you bought the lipstick and liner in a set and it matches perfectly, don’t use it.
Bronze Beauty (Casual Date): When you want to be able to say, “I woke up like this,” you can go with the bronze look. A little shimmer goes a long way when you want to be subtle but still noticeable. You can buy bronzer in a liquid form that just squirts out of the bottle and applies like lotion. It will make you look very J-Lo-esque. Or, you can go with the powder bronzer. Try Estee Lauder Bronze Goddess Soft Matte Bronzer. Lightly dust the powder on your temples, just below your cheekbones and under your jawline. This look is perfectly executed with a bold liner in either black or brown, soft pink or light brown blush on the apples of your cheeks and a neutral or light pink lip-glass with only a tad bit of gold shimmer. This is sure to make you the twinkle of his eye!
The Kim-K Smokey Eye (Exclusive Restaurant): The smokey eye is the classic look that keeps on giving. You can never go wrong with this one if you do it right. Apply a matte shadow in a deep brown (if you’re going for a chocolate smokey) or a very dark black and smudge it out with your finger. Use a black eye pencil and draw a semi-thick line along the upper lashes — now smudge outwards towards the crease. Apply liner to your bottom water line as well and smudge sideways. Your eyes should start with the black shadow and fade out to slate, blending is essential in making this look come together. With the smokey eye it is best to leave the rest of your face bare because it can become over-bearing very easily. Sometimes, you can pair a smokey eye with a red lip and look absolutely stunning, but if this is your first time at the rodeo just go with a neutral lip. If you think you might have used too much black shadow, simply dust some off with a slightly damp napkin and apply a little gold or white to the inside of your eye and blend out — easy fix!
Flushed Cheeks (Day Date): This look says “girl next door” without any effort. If you wear foundation and concealer, apply them first. Keep eyes light and flirty with a soft pink or icy white shadow and a very thin winged liner. With your ring finger, dot color on the apples of your cheeks and blend back toward your ear. When it comes to blush, picking the right shade can either make or break the entire look. Use rosy pinks for fair skin, corals for fair-to-medium, terra-cotta shades for medium-to-tan and blushes with hints of plum for darker tones. Pair with a pink lip. Put hair into a style that makes your cheeks visible and make him speechless without saying a word.