Cupid’s arrow is poised to strike with Valentine’s Day just around the corner, making it the perfect time to curate a look that will capture hearts. From romantic makeup to sensual scents, we’ve got you covered with all the romantic inspiration to make this Valentine’s Day your most stylish yet.
With Valentine’s Day fast approaching, love and romance are definitely in the air. Named after the Roman martyr Saint Valentine, it is believed the holiday truly became associated with love through the work of 14th century poet Geoffrey Chaucer. In modern times, it’s been christened as the day for lovers, associated with intimate candlelit dinners, chocolates, flowers, and grand gestures of affection. Nonetheless, it’s also become a day to celebrate the special people in our lives, be it a paramour or a cherished friend.
Of course, part of this annual homage to love is looking one’s best and indulging in a bit of self-care. Be it a hot date, or a Galentine’s girls’ night out, now is the perfect time to add a bit of glamor to one’s look. Finish off your ensemble with heart-themed accessories, or spritz on a flirtatious scent. Not to be forgotten, the season’s makeup looks are romance-coded with dreamy pastel hues for lips and lids. Equally covetable are the limited-edition capsule collections from our favorite beauty brands, set to make this Valentine’s Day a truly unforgettable one.
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Love in Bloom
Set hearts aflutter this month with radiant skin, eyes tinged with a wash of color, and cheeks touched with a rosy glow. Get this loved-up look with Chanel’s Camélia Futura makeup collection, which draws inspiration from Gabrielle Chanel’s favorite flower. Witness as this feminine, yet surprisingly resilient bloom, finds itself embossed onto the Création Exclusive Camélia Futura blush, which features a vibrant gradation from tender pink to apricot. Finish off with the Les 4 Ombres Utopia eyeshadow palette, giving lids an ethereal sparkle through pearly pastel pigments.


For kissable lips there’s nothing quite like Dior’s Lip Glow, which nourishes and smoothens puckers for ultimate comfort. The tinted lip balm works with the natural pH of your skin to enhance your lips’ natural color and imbue it with radiant shine. Now made with a revolutionary new ingredient, it has expanded its shade palette to include warmer tones, further emphasizing its custom color identity.


If you’re keen on a more statement lip, look no further than Laura Mercier’s new Caviar Smoothing Matte Lipstick. The velvety lippie glides on effortlessly, depositing rich saturated pigments that wear down well, perfect for a romantic dinner that goes well into night. Lines are blurred and lips are given a sculpted look. Pair it with the brand’s Caviar Perfecting Lip Liner – a must for creating clean lines for those darker rouge shades.


Another must-have for this amorous occasion is Teviant’s Velvet Drop, a tinted mousse you can use all over the face. It’s enriched with Vitamin E, sunflower seed oil, rosemary leaf extract and other skincare ingredients, making it a dream to apply. They’re great for giving cheeks that lit-from-within glow, and can even be used to brighten the eyes. On lips, gently dab with your fingertips to give it that soft, but lovely pop of color.


Love is In the Air
What’s Valentine’s Day without a bevy of captivating scents, perfect for setting the mood and giving you that extra boost of confidence. Naturally, nothing conjures notions of romance quite like a bouquet of gorgeous blooms, distilled into complex, yet alluring blends.
Those who gravitate towards light and bright scents are certain to fall in love with Lanvin’s Sweet Jasmine. The green floral is an homage to the lyrical sweetness of jasmine, with its sharper facets softened with magnolia, orange blossom and other white blooms. The resulting fragrance is effervescent and sweet, and exactly what you’d imagine a springtime floral to be.
Equally feminine but with a playful juiciness is Kate Spade New York Bloom. The delightful perfume blends its fruity and floral aspects to great effect, opening with the crispness of Granny Smith apple, sweet orange, and lemon. It then reveals a heart of white camellia, orange blossom, and ylang ylang for that decidedly girly feel.


Another sparkling favorite is Coach the Fragrance Eau de Toilette, which enthralls with a heart of Bulgarian rose, white rose, and jasmine sambac. It’s sweetened with notes of lychee, pear, and pink grapefruit, with a sensual cedarwood dry down. Just as romantic, but with a whimsical quality, is Kayali’s Eden Sparkling Lychee. The luminous fruity floral opens with its titular note – lychee – its watery sweetness, mixed in with the richer aroma of blackcurrant and apple. It then reveals a heart of rose, jasmine, and violets, giving it a feminine quality.


Perfectly Paired
Since February is the month for lovers, what could be more precious than matching perfumes for him and her. It’s a beautiful way to connect on a deeper level, with the added boon of complementary bottles looking stunning on your vanity.
One such pair is Karl Ikonik Pour Femme and Karl Ikonik Pour Homme, in rose gold and silver chrome sculptured bottles of the legendary designer. The feminine version takes flight with a bouquet of jasmine and tuberose, tinged with the aromatic undertones of geranium. It bursts with a raspberry opening, before revealing notes of hazelnut macarons and creamy sandalwood. The one for men, on the other hand, is an ambery fougère with fresh top notes of sage, Madagascaran ginger, mandarin leaf, and orange blossom. The star of its composition though is tonka bean, expressed with a salty, gourmand quality. Coconut wood and sandalwood cream balances the composition, giving it a fresh modernity.
Another sublime pair comes in the form of Rabanne’s Fame and Phantom perfumes. Made for chic, cosmopolitan ladies, Fame comes in a stylish silver and gold bottle inspired by the designer’s emblematic chainmail dresses. It captivates with a succulent blend of mangoes, jasmine, and incense, capturing avant-garde Parisian flair. On the other hand, its masculine counterpart is Phantom Parfum, an aromatic composition of lavender, cardamom, rhubarb, vetiver and geranium.


Men, of course, enjoy perfumes just as much as women. And neither is it a bad idea to give your significant other a gift you both can enjoy. Take for instance the Ciel D’Hiver from the Les Sommets Moncler collection. The luxurious skin scent combines freshness, flowers and wood harmoniously, creating an elegant, unisex perfume. It opens with neroli, pink pepper, and mandarin, reminiscent of mountain peaks bathed in sunlight. It is then completed by musky notes of Ambroxan and hints of sandalwood, encased in a gorgeous apothecary-inspired bottle.
On the same note, Ferragamo’s Red Leather is another superb olfactory potion. The masculine scent hinges upon its leather and sandalwood base, giving it a sophisticated old-school feel. Think of escapades in libraries with the most covetable leather-bound books, ensconced in a gorgeous country estate. To keep it fresh and interesting, the scent begins with notes of ginger, bergamot and mandarin orange, as well as a heart of rosemary, orris and jasmine.


La Vie En Rose
Of course, no conversation about Valentine’s Day would be complete without a proper homage to the rose. It is a bloom most closely associated with the holiday, and in ancient Greece was often associated with Aphrodite, the goddess of love and beauty.
Start off with a quintessential rose scent, like Guerlain’s Rose Cherie. A vivacious profusion of Damascene roses from Bulgaria and Turkey, mixed in with Centifolia roses from Grasse, France gives this perfume its voluptuous touch. Smelling this scent is like experiencing a rose garden glistening with dewdrops, or enjoying a bouquet of freshly-picked blooms. Exhibiting both a tenderness and a quiet grandeur, it is complemented with notes of violets, heliotrope and tonka bean.
Then, swathe lids with alluring shades of rose, from blush pink, to rose gold, and even a rosy burgundy as seen in Tom Ford’s Rose Exposed Eye Color Quad.


And while roses are traditionally famed for their fragrance, they’ve also been discovered to have nourishing qualities perfect for skincare. One rose in particular, the Rose de Granville, has been cultivated by Dior specifically for this purpose because of its resilience. It grows in beauty despite the strong cliff winds of its original habitat.
The bloom’s potent extracts were combined into the brand’s exclusive Rosapeptide complex, to create highly revitalizing potions. One such marvel is the Le Nectar Intégral, a concentrated serum that helps reactivate skin connections to encourage regeneration in the service of lifted skin. The Le Baume de Minuit, on the other hand, is a luxurious night cream infused with a special molecular complex harvested from roses at night. Like humans, these majestic blooms also follow a biological clock, making the nighttime extracts specially potent. These precious components then help by reenergizing the skin to accelerate visible nocturnal regeneration.


Treat lips to the nurturing powers of rose oil extract and get them in luscious shape with Nuxe’s Very Rose lip balm. It’s got a non-sticky texture that helps hydrate puckers, while illuminating them with a light pink glow.
Finally, make sure your sanctuaries smell just as inviting with Diptyque’s Roses and Baies (Berries) candles. These cult favorites likewise get a special Valentine’s Day makeover, and are great when lit together.


Romantic Motifs
Hearts and kisses are of course de rigueur for the occasion, with these playful and flirtatious motifs finding themselves in everything from minaudières to makeup. Starting off with Nars’ limited-edition collection which features their bestsellers in red and pink heart packaging. Brighten your complexion with the Blush, while giving dimension to eyes with the Quad Eyeshadow.


Make an impression with the sensual and addictive aroma of Dolce & Gabbana’s Devotion Intense. This new flanker features the same floral, gourmand notes of the original – vanilla and orange blossom, making it just as addictive. However, this version is reinvented with the addition of hazelnut, giving it a nutty sweetness.
Then, give pouts a lacquer-like shine with Pat McGrath’s Lip Fetish Divinyl Totale. Combining that glossy sheen, with a buttery feel, and amazing color payoff, they’re sure to get your lips noticed.


Purses likewise get a Valentine’s makeover, decorated with the season’s most inimitable motifs. Gustoko Lisboa’s Mick clutch features an embroidered lip, replete with studs, on a base of abaca tinalak or buntal fiber. The cheeky bag is sure to be a conversation starter, and lends a whimsical touch to summer looks.


You can also of course carry your hearts, so to speak, with Alaia’s Le Coeur bag. The adorable three-dimensional heart bag adds a playful touch and goes effortlessly from day to night. Equally precious is Self Portrait’s crystallized heart clutches, sure to liven up your date night looks.


And when all is said and done, and you’re ready to relax in your tub, there is Lush and its trove of sweet bath bombs. Indulge in a cocoon of bubbles scented with strawberries, sweet orange, or candy after a fun day out celebrating. These tiny treats make great presents as well, and can be counted on to give that fizzy loved-up feeling all year long.


Banner photo courtesy of Chanel Beauty and Rustan’s.