The One Color That Looks Good On Everyone

There’s no denying that red lips are a classic beauty look — thank the Mesopotamian women and Cleopatra, the original purveyors of the fad who used crushed semi-precious jewels and carmine beetles as pseudo lip stains. Worn solo, a scarlet lip is a statement. Paired with a flick of black liquid eyeliner, it's a total come-hither look. But, when worn with pink eyeshadow and a pink cheek to boot, the super-femme tones make for a deliciously pretty monochromatic look — just in time for Valentine's Day dinner with the girls or your S.O. should you be so lucky.

We've been seeing this “Valentine’s Day on your face” trend everywhere from celebs on the red carpet to the spring 2015 runways. Makeup artist Ashleigh Ciucci says the trick to wearing the girly hues without looking like a kid dipping into momma's makeup stash is varying the shades. Since this look is all about the bright lip, use soft pink hues on the eyes to balance things out and really put the focus on the kisser.

To start, dust a shimmery pink shadow on the lids with a dome brush, and run a darker pink shadow along the lashline with an angled brush for definition. Then, make your cheeks pop with a satiny blush, and dust your cheekbones, browbone, nose bridge, and Cupid's bow with a highlighter for maximum glow. Now, for the good stuff: Line your lips with a red pencil and swipe on a matching lipstick, like COVERGIRL LipPerfection Lip Pencil in Passion paired with Colorlicious Lipstick in Garnet Flame. To make your color stay put, blot your lips lightly with a tissue, then reapply the lipstick.

Time to grab your heels sneaks and get to dinner — your date's waiting.