Beauty
11 Pink & Red Makeup Looks For Your Valentine's Day Mood Board
From vinyl lips to soft glam.
Whether you're celebrating via Zoom or having a romantic night in planned with your partner, you can still play with pink and red makeup looks for Valentine's Day. From bold lip colors to romantic and glowy cheek and eye combos, there are more ways to use the two shades than you might think. To get some extra inspiration ahead of the holiday, Bustle reached out to makeup artists for their take on Valentine's Day makeup so you'll have enough ideas to do a different look for the entire week (if you're so inclined).
To get ideas for the romantic occasion, top pros — including Urban Decay's global makeup artist Steve Kassajikian, Lady Gaga's longtime makeup artist and global director for Haus Laboratories Sarah Tanno, Ulta Beauty pro team member and makeup artist Deney Adam, and more — for recommendations. Their tips included a range of both soft and vibrant glam looks that include different hues of V-Day's signature pink and red. Whether you love playing with eyeshadow colors or always prefer a bold lip, there's something in these Valentine's Day makeup styles for everyone.
If you need a little inspiration for your virtual dinner date or just want to play around with makeup in a self-love sesh, here are 11 gorgeous pink and red makeup looks for Valentine's Day to choose from.
1Classic Red Lip
For those looking for something classic, a red lip and winged black liner is a great choice. Both Kassajikian and Sephora Beauty Director Myiesha Sewell recommend the look for Valentine's Day.
Sewell recommends starting with your lips rather than your eyes, as having your bold red in place helps you not go overboard with other areas (like with your eyeshadow or complexion products). For Kassajikian, a winged black liner perfectly with a red lip for extra definition. He recommends using a fine-point pin eyeliner to get the perfect wing and adding a pencil liner for a tight line.
2Soft Pink Eyes
Bold doesn't always have to be the way to go for Valentine's Day. Makeup artist Brittany Lesli uses soft pink tones to create a more subtle look she calls "flirty" and "mysterious."
To try it yourself, use a small crease brush and blend a warm pink shade into the crease and along the bottom lash line. Then, use a dusty mauve shade and blend it from the corner of the eye toward the center to create a gradient effect. Next, with a shimmering shade, press a highlight gently onto the center of the lid with your finger and blend it toward the crease and outer corner. Then, use a dark brown and a detail brush to define the lash line on the top and bottom and line the waterline. Finally, finish with mascara.
3Glossy Pink Lip
Makeup artist Lauren D'Amelio recommends rocking a defined and shiny pink lip, which you can do with a defined lip line, pink-nude base, and glossy finish. While your exact shade will vary based on your skin tone, this lip look pairs with soft and sultry eye looks as well as defined smoky eyes, so it's a versatile V-Day style.
For this particular look, D'Amelio recommends a brown-toned lip-liner applied around the entirety of the lips. Once done, apply a nude pink-toned lipstick all over. Keep in mind that the exact shade for this lip will vary based on your skin tone, but make sure the undertone is pink. Finally, top the look off with a neutral pink gloss.
4Flushed Cheeks
CoverFX educator and makeup artist Megan Curtin recommends a monochromatic flushed cheek and lip for a fresh and romantic Valentine's Day look.
To try it, she recommends mixing your foundation with a glow-boosting product like CoverFX's Customer Enhancer Drops for a dewy finish. Then, use a pink shimmering blush and apply it to the apples of the cheek before blending it back and upward in order to create a wash of color (à la the draping technique). Once done, use a matte pink shade and apply under the cheekbone and blend up to create dimension (kind of like contouring but with blush). Apply a dusting of a shimmering pink shadow over the lid for a minimalist eye. Finally, finish with a rosy-pink lip that coordinates with the shade you used on your cheeks and spritz everything in with a dewy setting spray.
5Bold Lashes & Lips
Tanno also recommends a bold red lip, but rather than a softer eye, she suggests pairing it with an undone smoky liner and equally bold lashes (shown here on Lady Gaga).
To get the look, she smudged out a black pencil eyeliner in the outer corners of the eye. Whether you're a strip lash or individual lash person, you can use either to get voluminous eyes. Finish things off with a bold red lipstick.
6Red Vinyl
Another way to rock a smoky eye and bright lip? MAC makeup artist Michelle Clark is all about a "red vinyl" look, which pairs a high-shine red lip with a smoky eye for some edge.
To get the look, Clark recommends starting with a kohl pencil to create the shape of the eye that you want. Apply it to the top and bottom lash line then smudge it up onto your lid. Clark says the look is customizable, so go as dark and smudgy as you want. Next, set the liner with a dark shadow color and add a few coats of mascara. For a punch to match the glossy lip, add some eye gloss in the center of the lid for some drama.
Finally, finish the look off with the red vinyl lip. Apply a red-based orange lip color first and then add another red shade using a high-shine liquid lipstick.
7Colorful Eyeliner
If you're not feeling a bold eye and a bright lip, you could opt for softer but still impactful eyeliner and shadow look. Clark crafted a soft and romantic Valentine's Day glam using shades of pink eyeshadow, a bright red eyeliner, and a soft, matte lip.
To get the look, start with a sheer, baby pink color all over the lid and into the crease. Next, using a light glitter or shimmer shade and tap it into the center of your lid using your find. Once done, move on to the eyeliner. Clark recommends an eggplant or aubergine shade to give the look "edge" without overshadowing the softness. Then, finish by adding a few coats of mascara or some individual lashes.
8Monochromatic Rose
Makeup artist Kate Synnott is all for wearing everyday looks for Valentine's Day. She calls her look a "modern English rose," which features a soft wash of pink over the lid that's amped up with a touch of glitter.
According to Synnott, the skin is meant to look hydrated and healthy, so keep things light and dewy when doing your base. She recommends a cream blush (specifically Glossier's Cloud Paint) for creating a glowing pink cheek, which you apply over the apples of your cheeks and bridge of your nose — use any excess as a lid primer. Synnott also says to go with cream shadows for the lid, such as the Róen 11:11 Eye Shadow Palette. A wash of the glittering pink shade over the eye is perfect for this soft but sparkly look. Finish by applying a pink-hued lip balm on the lips to seal your dewy glam.
9Pink Ombre
Makeup artist Cara Lovello suggests a soft pink makeup look that features various shades of shadow paired with a pinky-nude lip.
To get Lovello's horizontal ombre eye, choose four pink eyeshadows in a gradient of light to dark shades. Quads like Charlotte Tilbury's Walk of No Shame or NARS' Orgasm Eyeshadow Quad are a great way to take the guess work out of choosing your own colors. Keep the lightest tone of pink all over the lid before going in with your mid-tone shade and blending it through the crease. Finally, take the deepest shade and deepen up the outer "V," moving into the lash line to create a faux liner with a pencil brush. With the lightest shade, highlight the inner corner of your eye.
Keep the cheeks and lips in the same color family for a monochromatic effect. Lovello recommends Buxom's Wanderlust Blush in Havana paired with its White Russian highlighter for a soft glow. Finish off the look by lining your lip and applying a creamy pink gloss.
10Dramatically Natural
Celebrity makeup artist Robert Sesnek's "dramatically natural" option, which he did on his client Lucy Hale, is a perfect lighter V-Day makeup style.
Sesnek says to start the look by prepping your eyelids using a concealer. This will help to hide discoloration and brighten the lids. Then, set it with a little powder. Next, use a bright pink metallic eyeshadow shade and blend it close to the lash line before buffing it out. Use a metallic rose gold along the lower lash line before going in with a lighter shade of pink to blend out any harsh lines. Add a rich red-brown into the crease to create depth. Finally, curl the lashes and add mascara.
11Berry Eye
You don't have to stick with traditional reds and pinks — Adam says berry tones are great options for your V-Day makeup look, too. His take? Focus on a bold, cherry-colored eye that's complemented by beautifully dewy, satin skin and a shiny nude lip.
To get the look, use a metallic cherry tone all over the eye and into the crease. Use a slightly deeper shade and blend it into the crease and the outer portion of the eye for dimension. Apply a matte aubergine hue along the bottom lash line. Finish the eyeshadow look by tapping a shimmer gold shade into the center of the lid. Next, define the upper lash line with a liquid eyeliner and create a small wing. Finally, finish things off with a few coats of mascara.