Hasta La Ideas

The occurrence of the words “festive” and “beauty” in the same sentence may stir up a few painful memories of that time you went to school on St. Patrick’s Day in head-to-toe green, complete with clover-colored eyeshadow and lipstick (it’s okay – you sooo did not look like a leprechaun). And yeah, that time you showed up at a Halloween bash with a full-on clown face (only to find out the hard way that it wasn’t a costume party) wasn’t too hot either. But seriously, no matter what bad experiences you’ve endured and beauty faux pas you’ve committed in the past with occasion-coordinated makeup shades, a festive face doesn’t have to be obnoxious, nightmarish, or costume-y! With the right products and tints (and the correct doses of them!) you can look great for your Valentine’s Day date without resembling a page off the calendar. For one, it’s vital to remember subtlety – with Philosophy’s candy heart-inspired lip gloss and Sephora Valentine’s chocolate-scented bath scrub and body butter, the whole world may not be able to read all your V-Day enthusiasm like a sign on your forehead, but you and the one you’ll be cuddling up to will get to enjoy the celebratory scents! Also, while bright red lips and harsh fuchsia blush may set off a warning alarm in your brain, don’t shy away from the right shades of pink! With the Laura Mercier First Blush Palette, you’ll be surprised at how far a gentle rosy glow can go in creating a softly feminine and flirty look. For the perfect pucker-upper, take a look at Clinique’s Kissable Six set of lip plumping glosses, complete with six different pink, plummy, and nude shades, so you won’t have to spend hours in the store trying to pick the perfect tint! And, if you’re feeling just a tad bit bold, try for a more season-suitable smokey eye in a plum-pink shade like Make Up For Ever’s Plum 39 (just make sure to go nude on the lips for balance!). As long as you don’t try to use all eight festively fabulous products at once, these candy-colored goods are bound to help you look cuter than Cupid… and way sexier too, I hope. Check out the slideshow for the rest of the Valentine’s Day-influenced beauty sets and shades!