It’s time for another installment of Just Singles – Dating Essentials! Today, beauty blogger Ambi (otherwise known as Bombay Rose) talks us through her top tips for date night makeup…

Date makeup is one of those things it is oh so easy to get wrong.

It’s one of those times a girl will suddenly decide it’s a great opportunity to try out something completely different with their makeup, but my philosophy is to play it safe and stick to what you know looks good on you… after all, you’re wanting to look your absolute best on a date!

… so I thought I’d share what I think is a perfect date night makeup look… with dewy, fresh skin, shimmery golden eye (complete with feline flick, naturally) and a pop of sheer pink lipstick.

I’ve specifically created this look to require no thought once it’s been put on … dates are nerve-wracking as it is, and the last thing you should be wondering about is what your makeup is doing!

First up is skin.

Make sure you prepare your skin properly and apply a good amount of moisturiser, leaving it to sink in for five or ten minutes before moving onto your foundation… speaking of which…

You want your skin to look like skin, not like skin covered in foundation. 

I opted for the lovely Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum Foundation and applied it using the Real Techniques Expert Face Brush to really buff the product into my skin. This foundation has medium coverage, so if (like me) you still have a few little flaws you need to hide, touch them up with a light bit of concealing – I love the NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer.

It’s worth taking your time over your base to make sure you’ve concealed everything you need to, and also to double check it’s all been blended in properly. Bad blending is an easy giveaway to all your hard work (and yes, even a clueless boy will probably notice it) so make sure you take time over your foundation and concealer!

I then dusted my very well-loved NARS Casino Bronzing Powder over my temples, nose and jawline – I didn’t contour my face in any way, as I think it can look a little harsh… date makeup should be kept soft and pretty, so I’d think twice before aiming for Kim Kardashian’s razor sharp cheekbones on this occasion…

I then moved onto another very well-loved product  – the Daniel Sandler Watercolour Blush in the shade Spicey (a beautiful shimmery peach-pink) which I applied with a Real Techniques Stippling Brush over the apples of my cheeks… if you’d like to see exactly how I put it on, watch my Everyday Makeup Tutorial.

Next up, a sultry, shimmery feline eye…

I prepped my eyelids with the NARS Pro Prime Smudge Proof Eyeshadow Base and then used The Body Shop Shimmer Cubes in 06 Warm. I took the copper-gold colour (bottom row, left) and pressed it onto the lids with my ring finger for a more intense ‘pop’ of shimmer, followed by the lightest pink-gold shade (bottom row, right) which I applied to the inner corner.

I lined my waterline with L’Oréal Paris Infallible Eyeliner in Chocolate Addiction for some subtle definition – I would steer clear of black eyeliner in the waterline as it’s far too heavy for this look! Instead opt for a brown shade for a soft but defined eye.

I traced on some winged liner with the L’Oréal Paris Perfect Slim Super Liner in Intense Black* – this is my new favourite liquid liner, with an ultra fine nib to make it super easy to draw a precise, neat feline flick… the formula is also really pigmented and lasts all day long.

If you’re not too confident with applying liquid liner, you can use a black gel liner at the base of the upper lashes instead… don’t worry about applying it too neatly, as you can smudge the line out a little with a cotton bud for a soft, smudgy look.

I then curled my lashes and applied several coats of L’Oréal Paris Volume Million Lashes Excess Mascara in Black – if you like false lashes, feel free to add those in at this point… I would probably opt for individual lashes like these if I weren’t completely useless at applying them.

If you are similarly cack-handed, just apply lots and lots of lengthening mascara for full, fluttery lashes.

My brows were lightly filled with a matte dark brown powder, followed by a quick comb-through with Maybelline Brow Drama to set and define my brows.

Last up: lips.

Boys don’t really tend to like the whole brightly-coloured lip thang us girls love so much… plus lots of lip colour = lots of having to run to the bathroom retouch it… your date might start to think you’re a bit strange.

… so it’s probably safer to just opt for a sheer wash of colour rather than something loud and overpowering.

The L’Oréal Paris Rouge Caresse Lipsticks are a lovely hybrid of lipstick, ‘gloss and balm, and I love the shade Rock ‘N Mauve for a fresh-looking pink lip.

And hey presto, you’re all set for date night! 

And when it comes to the actual date don’t forget to accessorize all that beautiful makeup with a big ol’ smile…

To read more from Ambi, check out her blog Bombay Rose here. She’s on Twitter too, go say hello!

Until next time,

The Just Singles Team.

About the author…

“I’m Ambi, a medical student and makeup enthusiast. I blog about all things beauty at www.bombayrose.co.uk.”