Make-up secrets for MAKING LOVE

BEAUTY is said to be in the eye of the beholder, but it never hurts to make sure you’re a sight for those eyes, especially on special occasions.

Whether you are staying in for a romantic evening or going out to paint the town red — or as much of it as you can before the start of the curfew — you definitely want to look your best on Valentine’s Day.

Follow these pro make-up tips from Penda, our certified in-house beauty magician (IG: @Brushed_ by_penna), to ensure that you glow this weekend, even if it’s in the dark...

Go light

Looking great does not mean going overboard on make-up. This V-day, use minimal make-up to achieve ‘the look’. Plus, a light, polished finish will make intimacy less messy when you and your partner get to kissing and touching. You don’t want your make-up transferring to yours or your date’s clothing or furniture, especially if the colours are not light.

Spend a little extra time on your eyes

They say the eyes are the window to a woman’s soul, and chances are you will be locking stares a lot, so you want to make sure that your windows are open and inviting by giving them a defining feature.

Using a little black eyeliner and adding a little volume to your lashes with mascara should be perfect. If you want to add eyeshadow for a little more finesse, choose neutral tones.

Glow... but not to the gods

Instead of going in on a full contour — unless you want to slim down a few places — choose a subtle highlight. This will give your skin a dewy, luminous look. You can add your highlight to your cheekbones before or after your powder foundation, depending on the intensity you are going for. Penda’s recommendation, though, is that you go for a soft shimmer and apply gently, because it’s easy to go overboard. Leave the heavy glitter and heavy glow for the

club and your girls’ night out.

Pro Tip: The places you want to highlight are your cheekbones, down the bridge of your nose, and above your Cupid’s bow.

Go for matte lips

Not only are matte lips in style, but they are perfect for weathering the rigours of eating a three-course meal and the other events of the evening (smooch smooch!). Matte lippies provide a stain-like coverage, which makes them last longer than their glossy counterparts. If you go matte, even at the end of the evening you can still look great for pictures, should you decide to capture some memories.

Complete your look with setting spray

Whether you are going to use a rose water solution or a branded concoction, using a setting spray is an important final element to achieving your perfect Valentine’s Day look. The spray will hold the products together so that your make-up foundation doesn’t look patchy and your mascara doesn’t run, for example. Not only does this final touch enhance the glow on your face, but it also prevents the products from smudging and creasing, and transferring easily to other surfaces.

Have yourself a beautify V-day!