Valentine’s Day comes with a flush of stressors – booking your besties (and going all Nicole on the plans) in advance, waiting to see if your newest catch will lock down your night – but of the hundreds, your red dress makeup look shouldn’t be one of them.
While a red dress is a full statement in itself, the look can meld just as effortlessly with the classic smokey eye or black winged eyeliner as it can with the tomato girl aesthetic or softy dewy look. Oh, and the viral bleached eyebrow look is also a head-turning option.
So below, we explore the best and jaw-dropping makeup looks to pair with a red dress this Valentine’s – because you should spend time worrying about how much dessert you’ll stuff your small tummy with, not scrambling to find the perfect last-minute red dress makeup look.
Red Stained Lips
Rihanna’s iconic Fenty Beauty red lip paired with a face card that never fails and voluminous eyelashes would complement any red dress.
For this look, which she elegantly paired with a cool-toned red ensemble, Rihanna chose the blue-based lip color, the Fenty Beauty Icon Velvet Liquid Lipstick in The MVP ($29).
If your dress is warm-toned red, opt for a warm red lippie like the Fenty Beauty Icon Semi-Matte Refillable Lipstick in Kissin’ Kutie ($20).
If yours is neutral, any red lippie or stain will be flattering.
Smokey Eye
We’re smitten with this celeb-approved Valentine’s look, from the softy-smudged smokey eye to the deep, dark red dress, matching earrings, and beautifully executed high bun. It’s got all the star-quality elements and is bound to keep your date hooked all night.
To achieve it, go with the Juvia Place The Berries Eyeshadow Palette ($15) and pair it with the About Face Cheek Freak Blush Balm in Rosy Red ($18).
As for the lips, the NYX Professional Makeup Butter Gloss in Spiked Toffee ($6).
Fierce & Fresh Skin
Kelly Rowland’s face card never fails, and so does every red dress look she pulls. The RnB Queen paired a lacy, out-of-this-world red dress with the prettiest and most flawless ‘no-makeup’ makeup look for this one.
To lock this in, Kelly went in with the Pat McGrath Labs Skin Fetish: Sublime Perfection Foundation ($69). She also focused on the eyes, making them dramatic and soul-piercing with the Elora Lane False Lashes ($7) and the Pat McGrath Labs PermaGel Ultra Lip Pencil ($29).
Tomato Girl Aesthetic
The tomato girl aesthetic grew like wildfire in the summer of 2023. And like its name, the fruity look embodied a washed-out tint of red on the lips, lust-worthy, blood-rushed cheeks, a sun-kissed bronzer, and a sultry eye look that’d make your Valentine’s-approved pasta sauce red with envy.
For the look, opt for the Fenty Beauty Cheeks Out Cream Blush in Daquiri Dip ($16.80) and the Honest Beauty Tinted Lip Balm in Blood Orange ($10).
For the sexiest and most defined eyelash look, go with the Too Faced Better Than Sex Volumizing Mascara ($29) and the Benefits Cosmetic Badgal Bang! 24-Hour Waterproof Eyeliner ($22).
Bleached Brows
A red dress in itself is a statement, but if you’re like Keke Palmer here and are not too scared to go bolder, you should consider pairing your look with some bleached brows and bleached hair.
However, unlike the other red dress makeup looks, you need to book an appointment with your stylist for a professionally done finish. Keke here went with bleach blonde hair from root to end. She styled it in a Marilyn Monroe-approved updo – a voluminous, messy bun sat at the crown of her head with layers of loose waves cascading down her face.
The brows were the same light yellow-blonde shade but with a subtle ombre effect – light on the inside, thicker towards the ends.
If you’re not confident enough to commit, don’t worry; you can easily fake the look with temporary hair color and tinted brow gel + root cover-up spray for a fake bleached-out brow finish.
Dewy Skin X Red Dress
The contrast of a statement-making red dress like Victoria Monet’s here with minimal makeup and dewy skin is glamorous. The skin-popping makeup looks flattering on dark skin and ensures that your overall ensemble isn’t overdone.
For this, @erika_lapearl_mua used Pat McGrath Labs. The Black-owned makeup brand offers light to medium buildable coverage that allows for a beautiful, dewy finish. She paired this with the i. Envy 3D Flick’d Lashes #04 ($4) for a lifted-eye look.
Primed And Prom-Ready
@_angelique.terese Replying to @Nithusha roll out the red carpet babyyy? lmk what colour your prom outfit is!! #makeuptrends #prom2023#prommakeup #promglam #gradmakeup #vira #reddress #redlipstick ♬ original sound – ?Angelique Terese?
And finally, for that fierce but primed and proper prom-ish Valentine’s look, follow @angelique.terese’s lead here and pair your red makeshift dress with some flushed cheeks, red x golden sparkly eyes, and a bold red lip.
Isn’t she gorgeous? Color us swoon!
