Valentine's Day Make-up Essentials
Valentine's Day is just around the corner, and whether you're going out for a romantic dinner, hanging out with friends, or just treating yourself, it’s the perfect excuse to try a fun and flirty makeup look. From soft and natural to bold and glam, we’ve gathered some of the best makeup essentials to help you create a look that makes you feel amazing.
1. The Base
Any great makeup look starts with a solid base. Start by applying a primer to keep your skin smooth and glowing. Then, choose a foundation that suits your skin type and gives you the right amount of coverage.
By Terry | Brightening CC Serum
This radiance-boosting primer is infused with Rose Stem Cells to enhance luminosity while providing skincare benefits. Its Optical Glow technology combines light-reflecting prisms, soft-focus micro-spheres, and colour-correcting pigments to blur imperfections and even out skin tone. The sheer, lightweight serum texture glides on effortlessly, offering a natural glow without coverage.
Available at By Terry.
English Mineral Make-up | Fairy Godmother
This multi-tasking skin hero works as both a primer, illuminator, and finishing veil, giving your complexion a soft, illuminated glow.
Infused with powerful botanical ingredients, this formula nourishes while it perfects. Pearl powder brightens and enhances luminosity, Jojoba Oil deeply hydrates and balances the skin, while Tea Tree and Rosehip Oils provide antioxidant protection and support skin healing. Vitamin A works to smooth and refine, making this the perfect lightweight veil to keep skin looking fresh and healthy all day long.
Available at English Mineral Make-up.
Simon Ourian M.D. | Skin Perfecting Tint
This lightweight, adaptive tint blends seamlessly to provide buildable coverage while evening out skin tone. Formulated with Hyaluronic Acid Complex, it deeply hydrates and improves skin elasticity, ensuring a smooth and plump complexion. Jojoba Oil helps to balance natural oil production while keeping skin nourished, and Vitamin C works as a powerful antioxidant to protect against free radicals. The breathable formula leaves skin looking naturally perfected, with a uniform, radiant finish.
Available at Simon Ourian.
Erborian | Skin Hero Glow
Achieve the coveted "glass skin" effect - the skincare way. Skin Hero Glow is a non-tinted skin perfector that instantly smooths, illuminates, and enhances your natural radiance without colour coverage.
Powered by a White Ginseng Complex, this hybrid formula refines and smooths the skin’s texture while boosting moisture levels for long-lasting hydration. Exfoliating enzymes help retexturise the skin, while Mandarin Extract enhances radiance by improving skin translucency—allowing light to diffuse more evenly for a fresh, dewy glow.
Available at Erborian.
2. A Cheeky Moment
A pop of blush on your cheeks will give you a fresh and romantic glow. Pick a shade that complements your skin tone - soft pinks, warm peaches, or deeper rose shades all work beautifully. For an extra radiant touch, apply a bit of highlighter to your cheekbones, nose, and cupid’s bow. This will catch the light and make your skin look luminous all night long.
Barry M | Chisel Cheeks Blush Creams – Blushed & Rosy
This cream blush duo offers a natural, dewy finish, perfect for adding a subtle flush to your cheeks. Both shades are of a creamy texture that allows for easy blending, ensuring a seamless application. Ideal for achieving a fresh, long-lasting radiant look.
Available at Barry M.
Merit | Flush Balm (Multiple Shades)
MERIT's best-selling flush balms add a sheer touch of colour to your cheeks without masking your natural skin texture, creating a soft, lit-from-within glow. The long-lasting formula blends effortlessly, ensuring a seamless, non-cakey application that enhances rather than hides.
Infused with Vitamin E, the balm conditions and nourishes the skin while being free from acne-triggering ingredients, making it perfect for all skin types, including sensitive and breakout-prone complexions.
Available at MERIT.
Brulée Beauty | Multi Mousse (Multiple Shades)
A versatile mousse that can be used on both lips and cheeks, providing a soft, matte finish. Enriched with skin-loving ingredients, Multi Mousse does more than just add colour - it nourishes, hydrates, and protects. Olive Oil, Shea Butter, and Coconut Oil work together to moisturise, soften, and restore the skin’s hydrolipid barrier, ensuring a comfortable, non-drying feel.
Available at Brulée Beauty.
Sculpted by Aimee | Liquid Lights Highlighter
Achieve a radiant, lit-from-within glow with Liquid Lights, a weightless liquid highlighter that melts effortlessly into the skin for a seamless, natural finish. Infused with superfine light-catching pigments, this versatile formula enhances your complexion with a soft, dewy luminosity without looking glittery or heavy.
Designed for ultimate flexibility, Liquid Lights layers beautifully over cream, liquid, and powder products, making it the perfect addition to any makeup routine.
Available at Sculpted by Aimee.
3. Statement Lips
Valentine’s Day is the perfect excuse to wear a gorgeous lip color. A classic red is always a great choice if you want something bold, but if you prefer a more subtle look, go for rosy pinks, mauves, or a glossy nude. A touch of gloss in the centre of your lips can also make them look fuller and more kissable.
Glow For It | Watermelon Lip Oil
Drench your lips in hydration and nourishment with this refreshing, pink-tinted lip oil, infused with natural Watermelon and Peppermint Oil for a subtly sweet, cooling sensation. The lightweight, non-sticky formula melts effortlessly into the skin, leaving your lips feeling soft, smooth, and plump with a healthy, glossy finish.
Available at Glow For It.
Hydropeptide | Perfecting Lip Gloss
The Hydropeptide Perfecting Lip Gloss is a plumping and nourishing lip treatment designed to hydrate, soften, and smooth the lips. Infused with triple-weight hyaluronic acid, this sheer gloss attracts moisture, reducing the appearance of fine lines while supporting collagen production for a more youthful look over time. With an instant plumping effect and long-lasting hydration, it leaves lips feeling fuller, smoother, and beautifully conditioned throughout the day.
Available at Hydropeptide.
Charlotte Tilbury | Pillow Talk Iconic Lip & Cheek Set
The Charlotte Tilbury Pillow Talk Iconic Lip & Cheek Set is a must-have collection of universally flattering lip and cheek essentials. Featuring the iconic nude-pink Pillow Talk shades, this set includes a lip liner, matte lipstick, plumping gloss, and liquid highlighter-blush for a radiant, effortless glow. Designed for long-lasting wear and an instant beautifying effect, each product enhances your natural features for a soft-focus, kissable pout and luminous complexion.
Available at Charlotte Tilbury.
Urban Decay | Vice Matte Lipstick (Elote)
Find your vice with Urban Decay’s revamped Vice Lipstick, now featuring a vegan, hydrating formula that delivers high-impact, long-lasting color in a single swipe. Infused with aloe vera and avocado oil for a comfortable, non-drying feel, this lipstick comes in 35 Los Angeles-inspired shades across three finishes: cream, matte, and shine. The Elote shade offers bold, even coverage with a matte finish, perfect for any occasion. Apply directly for full intensity or dab on for a softer, tinted look.
Available at Urban Decay.
4. Sultry Eyes
If you're going for a soft and romantic vibe, try blending pinks, mauves, and champagne shades. A little shimmer on the lids will catch the light beautifully. If you prefer something more dramatic, a smoky eye using warm browns or deep plums can add a sultry touch. A winged liner will define your eyes even more, and don’t forget a couple of coats of mascara.
Ruby Hammer | Precision Liquid Eyeliner (Pitch Black)
Ruby Hammer’s Precision Liquid Eyeliner in Pitch Black, awarded Best Eyeliner at the 2022 Beauty Bible Beauty Awards, is designed to create ultra-fine or dramatic lines to suit your mood, thanks to its flexible, fine-tipped applicator that ensures a smooth, precise application without dragging. The quick-drying, long-lasting formula stays in place all day, without smudging, feathering, or running. Whether you're creating feline flicks, dramatic wings, or bold graphic lines, this vegan and cruelty-free eyeliner makes it easy to achieve sharp, defined looks.
Available at Ruby Hammer.
essence Cosmetics | bloom baby, bloom! eye & face palette
This is the ultimate multifunctional palette, featuring both eyeshadows and face products in one convenient compact. With four highly pigmented eyeshadows in matte and shimmer finishes, it allows you to create everything from natural to bold eye looks. The included highlighter, blush, and bronzer with silky-soft textures help you achieve a fresh, glowing complexion. Plus, the integrated mirror makes it perfect for touch-ups on the go.
Available at Essence Cosmetics.
KIKO Milano | Love at First Coat Instant Volume Mascara
KIKO Milano's Love at First Coat Instant Volume Mascara is your go-to for show-stopping lashes. Featuring a specially designed hourglass-shaped fibre brush, this ultra-black mascara delivers an immediate 180% increase in volume from the first stroke, effortlessly coating every lash for a multiplied, curled, and perfectly defined look. Its buildable formula allows for customisable intensity, from a natural enhancement to bold, dramatic lashes, without any clumping.
Available at KIKO Milano.
P Louise | A Brand New Chapter Palette (Chapter Three)
Featuring a range of richly pigmented shades, this palette is designed for creating diverse eye and face looks. This all-in-one hybrid palette combines P. Louise’s bestselling formulas into one beautifully curated book, offering everything you need for a flawless look.
Turn to page one for 18 richly pigmented eyeshadows, carefully selected to reflect a cohesive colour story, making it effortless to create both natural and bold styles.
Available at P Louise.
