Love is swirling in the air—and so are all sorts of fun beauty trends that lend themselves perfectly to makeup for Valentine’s Day. From ultra girlish vibes via coquette makeup or Barbiecore, to tapping the color of the year (that’d be peach fuzz), to classic techniques like velvet lips and sultry, smokey eyes, there’s a little something for everyone. We spoke with professional makeup artists about their favorite Valentine’s Day makeup looks this year and how to nail each.
1. Sweet In Strawberry
Want to look natural but elevated on Valentine’s Day? The strawberry milk makeup look from Ilia is the perfect “no makeup makeup” aesthetic. Start with a quarter-size amount of The Base Face Milk. Then, apply the Super Serum Skin Tint. Keep the foundation light and apply Multi Stick in Dear Ruby. Pro tip: warm it up on the back of your hand for the smoothest result and don’t forget to stash the Multi-Stick in your bag for post-smooch touch-ups. Finish by with Limitless Lash Mascara.
2. Smokey And Sexy
Brittany Lo, Founder of Beia and Beautini tells us she loves a Valentine's Day look with a simple smokey eye paired with blush and a red lip. “I find it creates highlights and definition that will make your eyes sparkle, without taking away from the pinks or reds in your blush and lipstick.”
To re-create the look in this post, Lo recommends using an eyeshadow palette with ombré shades such as Lune+Aster Kaleidoscopic Nudes Eyeshadow Palette.
3. Quick And Cute
No time to get pretty this Valentine’s Day? Try this quick and easy look from Purlisse. Best of all, it requires just a few products. After putting on primer, BB cream, and concealer, apply Blush Glow BB Cheek Color in Sweet Rose to the cheeks, lid, and lips for a cute all-over pink look.
4. Blushing In Love
Are you blushing in love? Play it out with The Creme Shop’s Cheekmate Powder Bush Trio Palette. First, apply the lightest blush to the inner corner of the cheeks, then the medium shade to the middle. Seal it by brushing the darkest hue to the outer corners.
5. Semi-Natural Yet Bold
According to Claudia Betancur, L’Oreal Paris League of Experts, this natural-faced, yet bold-lipped look isn’t too difficult to do “Start with a bare foundation like the L’Oreal Paris True Match Nude Hyaluronic Tinted Serum.” Try applying it with your fingertips instead of a brush or sponge.
Then outline the lips with an eyebrow pencil (yes, eyebrow pencil) in a natural color like Brow Stylist Definer. “Apply a little red tint in the center and a lot of gloss on top to achieve this strawberry lips look.”
6. Pretty In Pink
Sam Kyle, Creative Development, Design, and Makeup Artist at Mirabella is a fan of the pretty in pink look in this post. It takes a little bit of work, but it’s worth it. After using primer, concealer, and foundation, apply contour shades to the cheekbones, jawline, along the sides of the nose, and around the top of the forehead. “Using the highlight shade, dust onto the tip of the nose, cupid's bow, tops of the cheekbones, and middle of the forehead. The goal is to lift and accentuate your natural facial features.”
To create a pop of pink on the cheeks, Kyle suggests using Mirabella's Opulent Face Trio. “Apply the cream shade to the tops of the cheeks, blending up towards the temple before working the powder shade back onto the cheekbone for a natural, flushed finish.”
Finish with shimmery pink shadow and plenty of black liquid eyeliner.
7. Play With Color
Makeup artist and founder of Embellish Beauty Marcia Williams loves this fun look for Valentine’s Day. Start with the brows by brushing them in the direction they grow in and set with gel. “Use concealer to conceal the brow line and follow up with Danessa Myricks ColorFix in Nude all over the lid as a base,” she explains.
After applying berry-colored eye makeup, mascara, and adding lashes—spread translucent powder over the face.
Then apply foundation, liquid blush, concealer, and highlighter. Lastly, put on Embellish Beauty Beauty Drug Lipstick and complete with setting spray.
8. Gorgeous And Glowy
Nikki DeRoest, celebrity makeup artist and cofounder of Ciele Cosmetics touts this look for February 14th becasue it has a timeless appeal that draws attention to the eyes without feeling overly dramatic. Start by using Ciele Cosmetic’s Tint and Protect tinted serum. Then follow with Ciele’s Bush And Protect in June.
The makeup artist suggests applying gel eyeliner with a micro eyeliner brush, then adding a dark brown powdered matte eyeshadow over the top to blur and soften the edges. Add a little sparkle with some shadow in the corners of the eyes.
9. A Classic Red Lip
Ever want to experiment with a bold red lip? There isn’t a better time than Valentine’s Day. Celebrity makeup artist Emily Gray recommends using a nude lip liner for red lips (who would have thought?). Her pick is Catrice’s Plumping Lip Liner in Understated Chic. Then she applies Catrice's Scandalous Matte Lipstick in Blame the Night. “Use the bullet or take a lip brush to get the shape perfect and there you have it.”
10. Feminine And Pink
“Soft or bright pinks, with a bit of shimmer on the eyes, paired with a pink pout is to die for,” says Gray. Start with a shimmer shadow from Catrice’s Electric Rose Palette. Then add some definition to the crease and bottom lash line by taking a deeper rose shade and blending. Pair with a peachy pink blush.
Get the bold lip by outlining and slightly overdrawing the lipline using Plumping Lip Liner in Cheers to Life. Then place a vibrant pink in the center of the lips such as Scandalous Matte Lipstick in Casually Overdressed or Go Bold Or Go Home.
11. Coquette Makeup
Go ahead and channel your inner Bridgerton with coquette makeup this Valentine’s Day. “Coquette Makeup focuses on achieving a soft, romantic allure by using gentle eyeshadow colors, a rosy blush, and a luminous highlight,” notes Drita Paljevic, a professional makeup artist with Kevyn Aucoin Beauty. “The goal is to create a delicate and charming look, with subtle lip color and fluttery lashes, enhancing the overall appeal.”
Paljevic says to grab a dreamy eyeshadow palette—like Kevyn Aucoin Beauty Contour Eyeshadow Palette in Light ($39, Beautylish) to create your eye look. You’ll also want some rosy blush—we like Iconic London’s Sheer Blush in Powder Pink ($27, Nordstrom)—soft highlighter, and a sheer pink or berry lip gloss. Finish with dark mascara and/or some falsies.
12. Soft Peach Fuzz Makeup
Every year, pantone releases a “color of the year” that informs trends. This year’s pick was “peach fuzz,” which is perfect for a sweet and juicy Valentine’s Day makeup idea.
“Peach Fuzz inspired makeup is already taking the internet by storm,” says Dominique Lerma, an executive makeup artist at MODA Brush. “What I especially love about these hues is that they are universally flattering.”
For this look, Lerma loves the Viseart Petites Matte Warm Palette ($40, Viseart), using Cantaloupe on the eyelid and Cidre on the crease. Then, use a skin-toned eyeliner at the waterline to “wake up the eyes and give the appearance of doll-like, wide-awake eyes,” she says. Her go-to is Makeup Forever's Artist Color Pencil in Boundless Bisque ($22, Sephora). Add some peachy-toned liquid blush and lip gloss—try Bodyography Color Cassette Liquid Blush Lip in Soft Peach ($22, Bodyography)—and stick to soft, natural lashes via a brown or dark brown mascara.
13. Sultry, Smokey Eyes
When crafting the perfect Valentine’s Day makeup look, you can’t go wrong with an iconic smokey eye. This timeless and versatile eye makeup involves blending medium and dark eyeshadow to create a dramatic, sultry effect around the eyes.
Reach for a palette like Charlotte Tilbury’s Luxury Eyeshadow Palette in The Rock Chic or The Vintage Vamp ($55, Sephora) and make sure to define your eyes with either a dark brown or black eyeliner depending on how sultry you want to go. Smudge it out to prevent harsh lines, then add mascara.
“Choose soft, subtle tones for lips and cheeks to complete this captivating look, perfect for a romantic Valentine's Day date— whether you’re going out or staying in,” says Paljevic.
14. Velvet Lips
Is there any textile more appropriate for Valentine’s Day inspiration than velvet? OK, silk is up there, too, but velvet just feels exceptionally luxurious!
“Velvet Lips are a trend that OG makeup artists have been creating and formulating for years,” Lerma says. To get the look, she says that pros usually pack on MAC Pro Pigments over any lip color ($24, MAC Cosmetics). However, she says that there are some other ways to achieve this look.
“The Lisa Eldridge True Velvet Lip Colours ($36, Lisa Eldridge) are saturated and highly pigmented lipsticks with a true velvet effect on the surface of the bullet,” she says. “It looks exactly like velvet fabric—a longwearing, creamy, and hydrating matte. You can also achieve this look with the Fenty Icon Velvet Liquid Lipstick ($29, Sephora), which has a creamy whipped texture with a long wear time.”
15. Hot Pink Barbiecore
Barbie just keeps on giving, and she’s here to set you up for some very pink Valentine’s Day makeup. “Barbie Core is a bold and glamorous trend inspired by the iconic Barbie doll, reignited by the movie,” says Paljevic. “The look is all about embracing vibrant and playful colors for a fun and doll-like appearance.”
For this special occasion, she recommends making the look more wearable by incorporating light tones—like white, powder blue, or pale pink—on the eyes for a highlighted effect. Try ColourPop Super Shock Shadow in Dream Much, Ice Dream, or In the Saddle ($7, Ulta). Accentuate with an inky black —like Stila Stay All Day Waterproof Liquid Eye Liner ($24, Ulta) and mascara. For a bold link, go for a fuchsia lipstick, or keep it more subtle with a pale pink.
16. Ballet Chic Makeup
For a slightly softer take on Barbie—and one that reads more minimalist than coquette—consider trying balletcore makeup this Valentine’s Day.
“For balletcore makeup, you want to focus on doll-like pink flushed cheeks, various shades of pink lips, and iridescent ethereal washes of color on the eyelids,” Lerma says. You also want a super glowy base, which you can achieve using something like Saie’s Glowy Super Gel Lightweight Dewy Multipurpose Illuminator ($28, Sephora) and a sheer foundation or skin tint.
For eyes, Lerma loves the Half Magic Beauty Chromaddiction Shimmer Eye Paint + Liner ($25, Half Magic) in Baby Bunny for all-over color, and to create delicate, fun fairy wings.” Your cheeks should be perfectly flushed and catch the light in every direction. Try the Sephora Collection Colorful Powder Luminizer in Pink Flash or Rose Quartz ($14, Sephora). Finish with a nude lip and wispy lashes.
