Valentine's Day Inspired Makeup Looks

By Kristina Goldberg 

After the glitz and glam of the holiday season, I suggest to start the New Year off with a fresh updated look with your makeup.  Something simple, clean and romantic is in order as we celebrate the winter's end.  Valentine's Day is the perfect time to tone it down as we cozy up and get romantic.   Whether  you are going on a red hot date night or simply taking it easy with your true love, one thing is certain, guys don't' like a lot of makeup!  So if you want to woo him or leave a lasting impression on this special day, please tone down the makeup.

Study after study by magazines such as Cosmopolitan, Allure and In Style have researched, diagnosed and dug deep into men's psyche to discover why men don't like makeup.  Here is my theory on why a woman wearing makeup can be so distracting to the male companion.

My belief is, and please don't share this with my husband, that too much makeup confuses the guy you are so intimately having dinner with.  Guys are simple.  SIMPLE.  The color added to your face and the style of makeup is what he sees first, you second.  Guys don't like the confusion it causes and they are just wanting to see your pretty face as is.  Never put on makeup to impress a guy.  Big mistake.  Wear makeup for you, for fun and for your own confidence.  I know I feel much more put together when I have at least a little makeup on to go out for the day.

Scenario:  He sits across the table with the sparkle of candlelight in your eyes and all he can see is the dark color around you eyes, that intense cheek or bronzer you are wearing and the heavy sparkly gloss coving your lips.  It makes it hard for him to see you thru all that glam makeup. He is searching for you and all he can see as you talk are your lips moving and the light dancing off your heavily glossy lips.  

 Don't get me wrong, I love a beautiful glam makeup look, just not for a romantic dinner.   Now I am totally confident that you have applied a beautiful application of makeup, however, he is much simpler than that.  Guys like a clean face, without all the "dark stuff" as my husband puts it.  They are a different breed we all know, and the beautiful makeup you just applied that took an hour getting ready is not going to impress him.  Save that look for your girls night out.  Your friends will appreciate your makeup talents much more.

Keep it simple, soft, and romantic.  Not distracting, try to think like your man.  If you know he loves a smokey eye, then try a softer version.  If he loves red lips, then do the red lip and keep the eyes to just mascara, and soft contour. A nude, matte contoured lid is best.  He will see you and not the makeup. 

My best tip for keeping it simple is to stand 2 ft. from your mirror and apply your makeup.   This gives you a better understanding of how your makeup enhances your features, not distracts from you.  When you do your eye makeup so close to a mirror ( I understand some women need to for sight purposes) you can get heavy handed and end up with too dark of application. Standing back from the mirror allows you to see how other people see you and you'll achieve a more symmetrical look.  It feels odd at first, but you will soon see how much better things will look.  If you need the 5x magnified makeup mirror, just keep standing back and checking on your work.

For those of you who are a classic romantic, look at portraits of european woman from the 17th century.   Rosy cheeks, bitten red stained lip, soft skin , a nude eye and deep brows.  A really romantic makeup look should include rosy cheeks.  This is scientifically proven for stimulating his romantic side, it mimics the flush of blood rising to the skin out of passion, this is why women started pinching their cheeks and wearing blush in the first place!  To attract the opposite sex.  

***For the coming of Spring, everything is coming up blossoms, bright colored blossoms.  go bold on the cheeks and lips, keep the eyes soft.  A sheer wash of gold or coral on the lid with a soft taupe liner and mascara, perfect for the bold statement in the fashions.

Here are a few looks and products I suggest:

1 Ferro Mineral Radiance foundation, soft stained Red lip Stila lip and cheek stain  (no gloss), nude eye with thin liquid liner Lancome Artliner in Black at the lash base, full lashes Dior Show mascara, and a defined  brow MAC brow pencil for a more youthful  
lifted eye and Jouer Mineral Powder blush Dusty Rose $24.00 

2 fresh face, smooth skin Boscia BB cream with Laura Mercier tint moisturizer , romantic pink and grey smokey eye Dior Pink Idol pallet $60, soft pink lip Yves St. Laurent Rouge Volupte sweet honey $34 sheer lip, flush rosy cheeks NARS stick blush sheer 

3 Jouer Luminizing Moisture Tint $38 7 shades, for defined liquid liner MAC Blacktrack gel liner and nude lip, sheer Cheek tint Jouer sheer rosy nude $20

Take Control of Your Hunger and Lose Weight Fast

In today's world, hunger is often the last reason why we eat. A variety of factors—from processed foods, to environmental toxins, to social conditioning—have disrupted our body’s natural hunger and satiety cues and re-engineered our bodies for hunger, cravings, and weight gain. But many of us are crying out: Enough is enough! It’s time to take control and kick the overeating cycle.

BEAT OVEREATING NOW! [Fair Winds Press, June 2012 $16.99 US/$18.99 CAN] by Dr. Scott Isaacs utilizes the latest research on what reallycontrols our appetites and provides a step-by-step plan for fixing faulty metabolism and appetite controls while working with the body's natural hunger and weight loss triggers to beat overeating easily and permanently. Throughout the book Dr. Isaacs provides helpful tips and suggestions for changing eating patterns which include:

• Turn down the thermostat to boost metabolism – Turning down the thermostat by just a couple of degrees forces your body to burn more calories to generate body heat. You can burn an extra 100 calories per day.
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• Spice up your meals to boost metabolism – Chili peppers contain capsaicin, black peppers contain piperine, and other spices contain substances that boost metabolism and aid with fat burning
• Get better sleep –There is a growing body of research linking poor sleep to weight gain.
• Ditch the diet soda – Artificial sweeteners cause increased hunger and sugar cravings hindering weight loss.

BEAT OVEREATING NOW! just may be the game changer that will help readers finally break their poor overeating habits and get back on track to a healthy, responsible eating schedule.

Photo Courtesy of Google Images

About the Author

Dr. Scott Isaacs is on the faculty of Emory University School of Medicine and is considered one of the leading weight loss experts in the country. He was referenced several times in Jillian Michael's NYT bestselling book Master Your Metabolism. He has been profiled onCNNHealth.com and WebMD.com, and has been featured in countless national publications including Ladies Home Journal, Better Homes and Gardens, Fitness, Shape, Men's Health, Good Housekeeping, Glamour, Prevention, Women's World, and First. He has provided expert commentary on CNN Health and National Public Radio. He has received a research grant from the National Institutes of Health for his work on endocrinology and metabolism and won an award from the American College of Physicians for his research on diabetes and obesity. He is the author of The Leptin Boost Diet andHormonal Balance: Understanding Hormones, Weight, and Your Metabolism. He lives in Atlanta, GA.http://www.intelligenthealthcenter.com/