The Origin of Valentine’s Day
Valentine’s Day is one of the most celebrated occasions that is acknowledged all over the world. In the United Kingdom, it has been observed for thousands of years and is believed to originate from pagan fertility festival during the pre-Roman times.
It was said that the story of Valentine’s Day begins with some medieval birdwatchers, who concluded that birds begin mating in mid-February and came up with a specific date which is the 14th of February. During that period it was normal for the Catholic church to assign a saint to every day in the year and Feb. 14 was dedicated to one or other two early Roman martyrs that were both named Valentius.
TRIVIA: A poem was written by Charles, Duke of Orleans, dedicated to his wife while he was imprisoned in the Tower of London. This day, the greeting makes up the collection of manuscripts at the British Library in London, England.
While there are already different folktales and customs that surround the celebration of Valentine’s day in the UK, it has become more of a commercial venture today. According to researches, £1.3 billion is being spent by a huge population in the United Kingdom to celebrate Valentine’s day. Every year, the commercial aspect of the occasion appears to grow especially with the increasing number of gift ideas that can be availed by enthusiastic consumers.
VALENTINE’S DAY STYLING BASICS
Date night is a special night and most of you would love to create the best impression for the person you chose to be with especially in important occasions like Valentine’s day.
Valentine’s Day may put more pressure for you to look your best. As much as you want to be yourself, you’d surely want to add a touch of glamour to get that perfect look on this special day.
To help you overcome this dilemma flawlessly, here’s your Valentine’s Day styling guide that can bring out the best in you! (By the way, the following tips would work well even on ordinary days 🙂 ! )
BEAUTY TIPS TO WOW YOUR DATE
STICK TO YOUR LOOK
One of the secrets to perfect date nights is being yourself and feeling liked because you are who you are. When choosing makeup, find the one that will reflect the real you. Aside from making sure that the correct first impression will be created, this will also be the way for you to feel comfortable all throughout your date night.
What to try?
Ellis Faas Foundation pen offers a range of shades to complement your skin tone. Its natural ingredients help you achieve porcelain skin that glows without feeling or looking like a mask.
MOISTURISE
Pamper your skin and maintain a fresh look throughout the day. Use natural body moisturisers or serums after taking a bath and don’t forget to apply it on areas that need focus including your elbows and feet.
What to try?
Replenish skin and maintain natural moisture levels with Zelens Aka Shiso Reviving Mineral Shower Gel. It’s a lightweight gel that replenishes and maintains the skin’s natural moisture levels, leaving it soft and mildly scented for a healthier complexion.
APPLY MAKEUP CORRECTLY
A fresh natural skin never fails to impress and you might want to know that a heavy foundation is one of the biggest ever turn off for men. Choose a makeup that can enhance your best features and make your complexion glow.
What to try?
Here’s a multitasking foundation that helps you achieve a flawless skin. RMS Beauty ‘Un’ Cover Up is a mineral concealer and light foundation in one that evens skin tone and reduces skin imperfections without leaving it dry.
CREATE SEXY LIPS
Want to create a sexy look? then start with your lips. Use gloss sparingly. Keep in mind that adding light shine on your lips is sexier than lips that look thick and sticky. Don’t use lip gloss too much to make sure that you will get a kiss on your lips by the end of your date night!
What to try?
Get natural finish for your lips with Kjaer Weis Lip Tint. It has a creamy texture and vibrant reddish pink tone that instantly lights up the face. Perfect for people with light to dark complexions.
MAKE YOUR EYES HYPNOTIC
Create eyes that talk and hypnotise. Use false eyelashes to make eyes come alive. Find false lashes that provide good coverage for the best results. Look for those that are easy to apply to get your lashes done without so much fuss and in lesser time!
If you prefer to use mascara, find one that is smudge proof and observe proper application. Wiggle the wand to and pro at the roots to deposit as much of the mascara as possible before pulling the wand straight up.
Additional tip: Using eye drops for your eyes will make them look extra sparkly!
What to try?
Create beautiful, longer, lifted and combed lashes with Ellis Faas Mascara. It has a rich and creamy formulation so that with just one coat, you’ll get well defined and flawless lashes.
GET THAT PERFECT BLUSH
Don’t underestimate the power of a good blush in making you look beautiful. When choosing your blush, look for one with a cream formula that is natural and easy to blend. To know how you can find your best shade, pinch your cheeks gently and find the blush that matches the color you get.
What to try?
Try this exquisite blush with a subtle texture. The Rouge Bunny Rouge ‘For Love of Roses’ has a rich pigmentation that can naturally make your complexion glow. Use it to achieve a natural 3D look without any contouring required.
GO FOR PASSIONATE NAILS
Valentine’s Day is associated with love and passion and red is the color that is perfect for this special day! Paint your nails red. Getting a manicure or pedicure will create a sexy impression and will send signals to your date. There is a wide range of red nail colors to choose from and you can be sure that on Valentine’s Day, you just can’t go wrong with a red nail color!
What to try?
Strange Beautiful’s Anglican nail polish has a dual-glassed mash-up of deep reds that you can actually see its richness even before applying it to your fingernails or toenails.It would be the perfect accent to complete your Valentine’s day look!
MAKEUP APPLICATION ERRORS THAT CAN RUIN YOUR DATE NIGHT
#1. WRONG USE OF CONCEALER
You will probably buy concealer to hide those dark circles. However, you have to keep in mind that proper application of concealer is a must. Wrong use of concealer could be disastrous! Apply it in an upside-down triangle shape below the eye to achieve a natural look with a brightening effect at the same time
#2. LIP LINER DONE WRONG
Lip liner applied on the edges is not flattering especially these days! This might be the trend during the 90s, so much has changed since then. Never apply lip liner on the edges because even if you will apply lipstick on top to cover it up, once the lip colour fades, what would be left is an unflattering ring around your mouth. Most likely, you won’t be able to keep the look that you want before your date night ends!
#3. OVERUSE OF FOUNDATION
Using foundation all over your face is not ideal and could even create unlikely results. Doing so could make you feel as if you’re wearing a mask or trying to hide your imperfections. Ideally, focus on trouble spots including the T-zone, the area around the nose and under the eyes, to conceal your imperfections while leaving the rest of your skin fresh.
#4. DOING YOUR BLUSH THE WRONG WAY
Getting a good blush is not achieved by simply swirling two clown-like spots on your cheeks! To look great the technique would be to manage a smile before applying blush from the apples of the cheeks along your cheekbones to your temples. Finally you have to make sure that the colour you apply is perfectly blended.
#5. USING WRONG LIGHTING DURING MAKEUP APPLICATION
It is never ideal to apply makeup in a dark place because this could create disastrous results even before you know it! Blending errors can happen in dark areas and to avoid this, make it a habit to apply makeup in areas where there is good lighting.
CELEBRITY INSPIRED VALENTINE’S DAY HAIR AND MAKEUP
ROSE GOLD EYESHADOW A LA JULIANNE HOUGH
Wear eye shadow that is perfectly suited for the occasion. Rose gold hue can brighten up your eyes. This shade is also romantic, soft and sexy to give you a look that is especially suited for Valentine’s day. Also perfect to go with gold and silver jewelry!
RED LIPS A LA TAYLOR SWIFT
One of the classic Valentine’s Day look is a red lip. It seems that nothing can look more romantic than to dab a touch of red on your lips. As Taylor Swift is one of the celebrities who are looked up to because of her style, you can achieve a lovelier and a more elegant look with red lips and a soft, low twisted bun.
SHIMMERY LINER THE VANESSA HUDGENS WAY
Amp up the drama of your Valentine’s Day date by adding a shimmery liner the way Vanessa Hudgens did it.If you are up for a dark smoky eye, you can achieve a more flattering effect by adding a touch of silver eyeliner.
BIG AND BOLD BROWS A LA ZENDAYA
As big and bold brows remain to be a huge trend, you might want to achieve the look of a celebrity who is able to nail this look all the time. Get beautiful eyebrows like Zendaya. Fuller brows can be achieved by filling in scant areas with an eye brow pencil or powder. A clear gel can be applied to keep hairs in place throughout your Valentine’s day date.
KATE MIDDLETON’S NATURAL LOOK
Make your date fall in love with your natural look. Copy Kate Middleton’s look by getting bouncy curls and donning that au naturale way to look beautiful. Do Kate’s look well and you’re sure to receive the love and pampering as if you’re a royalty!
This Valentine’s day you can be in your best element and make this occasion more memorable and fun. You can look great especially with the styling basics that you should not miss, as well as the beauty essentials that you can never go without especially on important occasions like Valentine’s day.
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