Date Night Beauty Tips for Valentine's Day

Love it or hate it, Valentine’s Day is one of the biggest date nights of the year. With the holiday of love around the corner, it’s time to start prepping for a romantic night out with your beau. In our opinion, the best thing to pair with your date night LBD is flawless-looking skin from head to toe. That’s why we’re sharing helpful tips on how to get your skin in tip-top shape for Valentine’s Day. Some of these steps should be done in advance (start spot-treating those pesky zits early!) while others are to be completed the night of. Without further ado, here’s how to beautify your skin before Valentine’s Day date night. 

BEFORE VALENTINE’S DAY

1. Address Blemishes

Blemishes aren’t part of your date night reservation, so let us help you kick them to the curb ahead of time. Since acne blemishes can’t disappear overnight, it’s best to be proactive to help keep them at bay. Start with cleansing your skin with a medicated cleanser formulated with salicylic acid or benzoyl peroxide morning and night to help remove pore-clogging dirt, impurities, dead skin cells, and excess oil. If mild acne may be hanging out on your complexion, show them who’s boss with a powerful acne spot treatment. Apply a thin layer of La Roche-Posay Effaclar Duo formulated with benzoyl peroxide nightly leading up to date night to help reduce the severity of acne blemishes.

2. Apply a Face Mask

Getting ready right before heading out the door to meet your S.O. can be a bit hectic, leaving little time to pamper your skin with a face mask. Take advantage of free time you have before the big night to apply your favorite hydrating, brightening, or purifying mask. Choose one based on your  main skin concerns, be it clogged pores or lack of radiance. For an undeniable glow, apply Decléor Intensive Brightening Sheet Mask a few nights per week. Formulated with a “White Focus” plant complex, the mask helps to brighten the appearance of skin, even the look of your complexion, and moisturize the skin—all in 10 minutes. Check out our ultimate guide to face masks for additional product recs!

3. Pamper Your Pout

Why give your man a smooch with rough, cracked lips when they can be buttery soft and smooth? Exfoliate your lips the night before date night with a gentle lip scrub or scuff, like The Body Shop’s Lip Scuff. Removing these dead skin cells will not only soften your pucker but also improve the look and application of your date night lipstick. Just don’t forget to hydrate your lips with your favorite lip balm, salve, or conditioner after exfoliating.

ON VALENTINE’S DAY

1. Cleanse Your Skin

The day has come! After brushing your teeth in the A.M., cleanse your skin as you normally would. For a deeper clean, reach for an exfoliating cleanser like La Roche-Posay Ultra-Fine Scrub. Unlike other formulas, this one is safe for all skin types—even sensitive!—and features ultra-fine particles to gently remove excess dead cells while respecting the skin’s pH balance.

2. Hydrate with Moisturizer

Moisturizer comes immediately after cleansing, but you already knew that (right!?). Reach for a formula that can hydrate your skin and provide long-lasting makeup hold. Giorgio Armani Prima Glow-On Moisturizing Balm helps skin look plumped with hydration and retextured, while creating a flawless canvas for easy makeup application. After your shower, moisturize the skin on your body with your favorite body butter, cream, or lotion. If you’re wearing a skirt or dress, pay close attention to your legs! Dry, scaly legs will not complement any outfit…trust us. 

3. Hide Imperfections

Some blemishes may still be visible come date night despite your best attempts to address them ahead of time. Don’t fret! Conceal them in a pinch with concealer. Whether it’s dark circles, imperfections, or age spots, the right concealer can help temporarily camouflage their appearance. For medium to full coverage, reach for Dermablend Quick-Fix Concealer. 

4. Be Bold with Makeup

Makeup is by no means a date night must, but if you want to wear some, why not go full glamour girl? You can’t go wrong with flirty lashes, winged eyeliner, and a smokey eye. Also not to be missed is a coat of sultry red lipstick and a sweep of highlighter—like L’Oreal Paris True Match Lumi Powder Glow Illuminator—along the bridge of your nose, onto your cheekbones, in the corners of your eyes, on your upper and lower brow bones, and to your cupid’s bow.

As a last step, touch up your nails, smooth your strands, and spritz on some perfume. You’re ready to go!