5 Alluring Looks To Try This Valentine’s Day
Valentine’s day is just a week away and for, some of us we are pretty occupied with the perfect gift search for our special someone if not, eyeballing on the best beauty stash to sass up this special occasion! And if you’re single, nobody ever said Valentine’s was exclusively for couples - look good, feel good, and celebrate YOU because who needs a lover when you’re a strong independent woman?!
For this special occasion, we’ve joined forces with Vaniday, an online beauty platform to put together five stunning looks guaranteed to make you feel super sassy this Valentine’s. Let’s get our makeup and hair on fleek!
The Gorgeous Look: Smokey makeup, Loose curls
This look is the go-to look if you are putting on a little black dress and letting your hair down with those subtle waves. Like Pony, a smokey makeup will make you look timelessly sexy and all glamorous in an instant. The idea here is to create a cat eye smoky look with a cherry pink lip. Here’s how you can create the look.
To achieve a luminous and natural complexion, the IOPE Air Cushion XP Cover with SPF50 does a perfect job in covering all imperfections without looking overdone. Make sure you hydrate your skin before layer on the foundation to prevent patchiness.
The focus of this look falls on the eyes, the Chanel La Ligne Professional Eyeliner Duo combines two shades in one compact: black and navy. With easy application and gives the eyes depth and expression. To create the smokey eye look, you can layer a black eyeshadow using an eyeshadow brush or for a less drastic effect, smear the outer edges of the eyeliner. Now, let your eyes do the talking ~ As seen on Pony, you can also layer a pink eyeshadow to create a softer and feminine look. Try the MAC Eyeshadow in Frost Pink and go for a cherry pink shade by Chanel Rouge Allure Velvet in shade 54 L’indomptable instead of a bold red lip to match your eyeshadow.
Complete the look with Loose curls
A moment of silence for those that have been cursed with flat, stubborn hair and have wasted money on a bunch of hairstyling products that do absolutely nothing. Girl, we feel you, and you don’t want to be caught dead with lifeless hair on date night. Trust us when we say a perm is probably your best bet. Loose curls are perfect for adding volume to your mane without overdramatizing. It’s what we call the ‘messy hair, don’t care’ look that ironically takes a lot of effort to achieve - you better master the art of hair teasing and blow drying if you’re going to do it every morning. If not, do the smart thing and get the right perm for effortlessly chic, loose tresses. Perm techniques like Digital Perm and Korean Wave Perm are great options for this natural look.
Our Salon Pick: Picasso Hair Studio
Located just next to Haji Lane, this quaint, contemporary salon is known for its creative and upbeat hairstyling. Every woman likes her curls done a certain way, and Picasso makes sure they deliver just what you want with a wide range of advanced perm techniques. We can never decide which looks best when we look through their perm styles, and you’ll probably have the same dilemma soon - they’re all drop dead gorgeous.
The Romantic Look: Soft Makeup and Balayage curls
The focus for this look is the use of light colours like pink and orange coupled with highlighting to create a soft and sweet look. Here’s how you can create the look.
Dramatic fan-out lashes are necessary to bring out the girly and sweet look. Try this YSL Mascara Volume Effet Faux Cils Shocking for a thick and lustrous fringe. Adorn your eyes with the Dior Couture Colours & Effects Eyeshadow Palette in shade 156 femme-fleur. We love the sweet shades of the colour palette that adds a sweet and soft touch to your look! Not to forget, match your lips and cheeks with the YSL kiss & blush which can used as both blusher and lip gloss!
Complete the look with Balayage curls
Here’s an option for ladies that refuse to settle with subtle. If you love looking like a mythical goddess straight out of a storybook, this head of hair is going to get you lots of attention and envy. You might have heard of the term ‘balayage’ from your last visit to the salon, or came across it in a magazine. This is one revolutionary beauty technique that will be not fall out of trend anytime soon. ‘Balayage’ means to sweep in French, and that’s exactly what it is - gentle, natural-looking highlights are applied to the hair for added dimension and shape. If you want an extra sultry look, try an ash colour scheme and create big, sexy curls with a curling iron - you’re sure to have your date mesmerized.
Our Salon Pick: J7 Image
If the words ‘eccentric’ and ‘hair’ go hand in hand for you, book your next hair appointment at this salon, because you’re going to be gleaming wide eyed like a kid in a candy shop. We’re talking bold colours, edgy undercuts and all things daring and experimental. Dare to be different? Check out those dreamy Balayage ombre curls!
The Elegant Look: Sultry makeup and Updo
As pulled off by Cara Delevingne, this look is all about looking stylish and chic. The point here is to use a dark lip colour with strong contours to create a defined look. Here’s how you can create the look:
Instead of using common shades like red, pink and orange why not, pick a dark shade like plum to give a mysterious and chic look. Our recommendation for this shade has got to be the NARS Audacious Lipstick in shade Vivien. Trust us, we love this shade!
Nonetheless, if you are not a fan of matte lipstick, then the MAC Mineralize Rich Lipstick in shade Lush Life is your go-to lippie! This formula instantly nourishes lips with maximum moisture in a lightweight, non-sticky formula. Work on some contouring to give your face a more defined look, take a contouring/ fan brush and swipe the bronzer on your cheekbones, T-zone, the sides of your nose and jawline. Our recommendation for one of the best bronzers in town is the YSL Les Sahariennes, a wonder with the revolutionary balm-to-powder healthy formula which delivers the most amazing natural sun-kissed glow.
Complete the look with Updo
Bold cuts and colours aren’t for everyone. In fact, many ladies prefer a natural look and are stunning that way! For these ladies, a pretty hairdo on special occasions can go a long way in spicing up your look. One hairstyle you can never go wrong with is the classic updo. Despite being spotted on red carpets and wedding aisles time and time again, it remains one of the most elegant styles that you can’t quite nitpick on. It’s versatile, it’s wearable. You can style up with a sophisticated braid design, or style down with a simple twist or a bun. There are a million ways you can wear an updo, so be creative and rock the style!
Our Salon Pick: Kim Robinson
Kim Robinson has got us drooling over their gorgeous, intricate updos. You’ll be amazed at their creativity - no two updos are alike and they each boast their own charm! This salon is where you can sit back, have a nice chat with your stylist and just trust him to create a hairstyle that has your personality all over. You’re likely to be more than pleased with the results, wink wink!
The Classy Look: Glam makeup and Chic lob
As seen, this look rocked by Gigi Hadid is all about looking glamorous and fuss-free at the same time. Just a swipe of glitter and highlight around the eye area coupled with a good coverage base to achieve a classy effortless look. Well, this look is perfect for the bob hair goers. Here’s how you can create the look:
Brighten up your face with the Cle de Peau award-winning brightening enhancer base that smooth the skin with touches of luminosity to provide a dramatically improved foundation finish. After layering on the brightening base, use a correcting and illuminating foundation like the Guerlain Parure Gold Rejuvenating Gold Radiance Foundation for a radiant look. After applying mascara to your eyes, the very last step is to highlight the inner corners of your eyes as well as on the eyelids to enhance the classy and glam look. Pick this white shimmery shade from MAC Eyeshadow in shade White Frost.
Complete the look with Chic lob
Then there are the ladies that look effortlessly chic with short hair, and many that don’t realise they actually belong in this blessed category because, well, they’re just too used to keeping a long mane and never had the chance to see how good they look with short hair! If you’ve been feeling a little daring lately, trade those locks for a dressy C-curl bob - you might just be one of them. It’s the perfect mix of feminine and edgy, and complements soft Asian features perfectly. What’s more, if your partner’s fun and adventurous, this might be a nice surprise!
Our Salon Pick: Monso Hair Design
This Japanese salon is a favourite for the minimalists - think cosy zakka interiors and sleek, modern hair designs. They also do excellent blow outs, so if you want to look and feel light and breezy this Valentine’s, here’s a temporary fix for flat hair!
The Minimalist Look: Dewy makeup and Hair contouring
To achieve the dewy look like Song Ji Hyo, the trick here is to use an illuminating base or foundation. Go minimal on the eyes and cheeks. A layer of mascara and a sweet pink or red lippie will just do enough for the no-makeup makeup look. Make sure you hydrate your skin with a sleeping mask the night before to maximize the effect of the foundation. Go for BB cushion with brightening effects like the Sulwhasoo Perfecting Cushion Brightening that comes with a refill that provides a clearly brightened and purified complexion.
Apart from the cushion type foundation, another recommendation is the Cle de Peau Beaute Brightening Powder Foundation which is capable of transforming skin by brightening its tone! Remember to achieve this look, sweep your lips with with a pink, red or orange shade to prevent looking pale. You’ve got to try this Guerlain La Petite Robe Noire Deliciously Shiny Lip Colour, a moisturizing jelly lippie that leaves your lips soft and supple! Last but not least, enhance your eyes with a lengthening mascara like the Chanel Infinite Length and Curl Mascara to get those eyes talking and flirty (just right for date night)!
Complete the look with Hair contouring
How about a hairstyle that draws your date’s attention to your best features? That’s a big yes for us, you don’t want your date’s eyes on anything but you! You’ve probably seen or at least heard about the hair contouring technique by now - it was one of the biggest hair trends of 2016, and is definitely here to stay. Developed by L’Oreal Professionnel, the technique was inspired by contouring makeup and works the same way, just without the hassle of reapplication! Your hairdresser will customise a hairstyle that brings out your best facial features by strategically framing them and positioning highlights and shadows to emphasise and deemphasise specific features.
Our Salon Pick: Kimage
No stranger to runway and flashy fashion editorials, Kimage is a household name in the local hairdressing scene. They’ve worked with numerous actors and influencers, and have earned themselves a base of dedicated young clients that relate to their youthful image. Wispy cuts and all colours imaginable… if you’re one to follow the latest trends, this is our pick for you.
All BF readers get $20 off first booking (min. spend $40), with the code VANIFRESH20 (Valid till 31 March 2017).
