Our top 7 Beauty Tips will get you ready for Valentine's Day
1. Bare-Faced Beauty
Did you know that wearing heavy makeup every day and only taking it off before bed, can cause your pores to get blocked and lead to excessive breakouts?
Not only that, but the chemicals often found in makeup remover (even the ones labelled “gentle”) can strip your skin of its natural oils, leading to dryness and sensitivity.
The best way to prepare for a beautiful, glowing complexion for Valentine’s Day is to give yourself a couple of makeup-free days. When you go bare, your skin can rest and your natural oils replenish.
2. Masking in Chocolate
While you’re already giving your skin some down-time, why not also try a DIY chocolate masque to prep your skin on the day of your special date?
A chocolate face masque will not only enhance your complexion immediately, it also has long-term skin benefits – yum! Raw cocoa has high levels of antioxidants that promote cell repair, help to firm your skin and prevent wrinkles.
The high levels of vitamins and minerals found in raw cocoa powder assist with increased hydration and UV damage. Coconut oil has antiviral, antibacterial and anti-fungal properties.
It also penetrates deep into your skin, providing long-lasting moisture that doesn’t feel greasy or clog your pores, perfect for maintaining clear and glowing skin.
Before you get started slathering on the chocolate goodness, it’s important to prep your skin so that all the nutrients from your chocolate masks can get delivered and absorbed.
Start with a gentle cleanser to remove all impurities, dirt and grime. For example, something with activated charcoal will refresh and rebalance the skin, and visibly firm and brighten the skin.
Ingredients for your Chocolate Masque:
2 tbs raw cocoa powder
1 tbs coconut oil
Directions:
- Use a small microwave safe bowl, gently soften the coconut oil in the microwave for about 5-10 seconds.
- Add cocoa powder and stir until well combined.
- Continue stirring until creamy.
- Apply to your face with a brush or your fingers.
- Let your skin soak up the nutrients for around 10- 15 minutes.
- Rinse off with a warm, wet cloth or steamy hot towel.
3. Square, Dark and Delicious
While you’ve got your chocolate masque on and you can smell all that goodness, you’re going to want to indulge in some dark chocolate!
Consuming dark chocolate is actually good for your skin (yay!).
Cacao beans contain flavonoids which are a type of antioxidant, as well as caffeine, which stimulates the skin.
Choose dark chocolate with a higher percentage of cocoa (70% or more) to reap these benefits for your skin.
Coat strawberries in dark chocolate for a double hit of skin-loving antioxidants!
4. Fairytale Pout
Get creative and create your own lipstick shade based on what you plan to wear, and whatever hue really makes you feel like a princess!
With a Q-Tip, grab a combination of reds, pinks, oranges, and nudes, and get mixing. Alternatively, if you already have the perfect shade, grab a lipliner in a similar colour, and some gloss.
Practice creating the perfect pout by lining your lips, filling in with a lipstick, stain, or laquer of your choice, and then applying clear or shimmery gloss right at the centre of your bottom lip.
If you’re wearing a red (which can be tricky to apply evenly and keep flawless throughout the evening) – use some pressed complexion powder or concealer with a small, flat brush along the edges of your lips to correct, clean and seal.
Voila! Kissable lips.
5. Get Glowing Skin
There is nothing more mesmerising than glowing skin! No amount of makeup can substitute for a healthy skin, it can only compliment it.
So rehydrate and super-charge your skin with a light-weight moisturiser that contains natural ingredients, such as native botanical extracts and anti-oxidants.
Alternatively, if you’re prone to dryness or dehydration, use a facial oil or hydrating serum, both morning and night.
The right face oil will never make your skin feel oily, it will simply add hydration and glow. You can further enhance the effect by using a liquid highlighter mixed into your foundation, or a cream blush and highlighter on the tops of your cheeks. For a more natural and believable result, try mixing a variety of shades (pinks, golds, peaches, etc.) rather than sticking to one shade.
6. Don't Skip The Zinc
This one is especially important if you’re celebrating Valentine's Day outdoors, but it should always be an essential.
Zinc acts as an enzyme co-factor, which means it assists in collagen synthesis and DNA repair – both natural processes which help keep your skin looking younger and healthier.
It can play a vital role in getting clear skin as it reduces the production of dihydrotestosterone (DHT) which can clog pores and increase pimple-causing inflammation. Your skin will love you for it!
A mineral-based sunscreen, foundation and/or complexion powder will also usually contain zinc oxide which is an effective natural sunblock, creating a physical barrier between your skin and the sun’s UV rays, and protecting you from sun damage.
So look out for this amazing ingredient, and try to incorporate it into your beauty routine.
7. Scents and Sensibility
There are few things as powerful as scent in triggering a memory or emotional response. Science shows us that our smell is directly linked to the limbic system of the brain which controls mood, behaviour, emotion, and most importantly, memory.
Whether you want to fall in love all over again, or simply be a sweet-smelling reminder to your partner of your unique beauty, supplement your signature fragrance with a delicately scented body lotion.
Choose something with the same or complimentary key notes to your perfume, or skip the perfume. (Many people are sensitive to artificial fragrances without even realising it).
Ideally your body lotion should contain natural essential oils rather than heavy synthetic ingredients to moisturise your body.
However you decide to celebrate Valentine’s Day this year – take some time out for yourself, and honour your true and individual beauty.
Not sure what you should do this Valentine's Day? Check out our Valentine's Day Date Night Ideas here.
This article was originally published on Beauty by Neha