How to GLOW this Valentine's Day

What does “glamour” mean to you? To me, glamour is the attractive, enticing, heightened quality that makes someone really stand out. It’s all about allure, fascination, charm, mystique and maybe even a little bit of magic. It’s that quality that makes every girl feel red-carpet ready. Everyone should feel glamorous every day, and especially on a romantic Valentine’s Day date.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again- everyday beauty is about simplicity and economy. My philosophy doesn’t really change all that much when it comes to Valentine’s Day. If anything, it’s a night to reinforce the most important feature of all…a feature that is timeless and will never go out of style. I’m talking about clear, radiant, youthful skin. It’s the look of health, and the look of optimum beauty. Your complexion is always the most important foundation and accessory to your overall look and it’s key to looking like a million dollars on Valentine’s Day, and every day of the year.

Get started with my six favorite steps:

Moisturize

Locking in moisture to nourish your skin is the number one priority for a beautiful complexion. It’s something I believe in and value above everything else, and that’s why I designed my own luxury skincare line, RAGS II Riches.

Banish dark circles

You never want to use more concealer than necessary, or your skin will become cake and heavy instead of light and fresh. Choose a creamy formula for under eye circles and make sure to match your skin tone. The last thing your want is raccoon eyes in your Valentine’s Day Instagram photos, so make sure not to pick a concealer that’s too light for your skin.

Pick a luxurious, airy makeup base

Again, avoid makeup that’s too heavy. Use a wide brush to paint lines on your cheekbones, the sides of your nose, and above the brows, then blend.

Correct and perfect

After you’ve applied your base, add a touch more concealer to any blemishes that are still showing through. Just dab a teeny drop right on the spot, then avoid the cakey-ness by using your fingers to pat the perimeter outward until it’s smooth and completely covered.

Powder power

For that added staying power, apply a powder over the top of your base to absorb any oil and to lock your makeup for longer wear.

Use a highlighter

This is to create dimension and emphasize the features that you really want to bring out, especially for a more dramatic look on Valentine’s Day. It’s the key to adding a shimmery, glamorous glow to your look. You can really alter the shape of your face, downplay certain features and accent others, like your cheekbones. This is how to make certain features stand out and pop. You’ll want to emphasize certain high points of your face; along the cheekbones, think temples, brow bones, the bridge of the nose, the apples of your cheeks and the jaw bone. A few strokes can sculpt your face and balance your features while giving your skin a natural, glamorous, beautiful glow.

When picking your colors, you want to create a barely there, natural look. To do so, create a skillful balance between your foundation, liquid highlighter and blush. Use the same brush that you used for your foundation to apply your highlighter. It’s a good idea to choose highlighters that contain shimmery pearls with many different shades of beige, gold, brown, pink and orange.

It’s not about transforming into someone else, it’s about elevating your look to the next level and feeling beautiful. I hope you look and feel fabulous and that you have a wonderful Valentine’s Day!