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12 Gorgeous (and Easy!) Makeup Looks to Try for Your Next Date Night

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Published on Dec 19, 2024 • 9 min read
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Photo by Theo Wargo/Getty Images

Don’t have any Friday night plans? We think you should make them. After all, you’ve had a busy week and you deserve a little fun fling. Whether it’s a night on the town with your significant other, a movie night with your besties, shopping with your mom, or even a dinner at home with your favorite person, there are many ways to define Date Night. But regardless of what your plans are, the goal remains the same—to create a date night makeup look you are obsessed with that deserves to be seen (whether it’s for a first-date or a chill night in).

Believe us, we know how easy it can be to fall into a rut, recreating the same makeup looks, swiping the same five-pan eyeshadow palette and lip gloss on repeat. So we did a deep dive to serve you some seriously gorgeous makeup ideas that you don’t need to be a makeup artist to pull off. These 12 date-night makeup looks and tips bring on the fun, flirty, and romantic feels so you can star in your own love story, whatever that may be.

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1. Brick Red Lips

A bold lip that’s extra plump and juicy? Screams date night. This moody red shade that’s gone tiktok viral (it’s FENTY Stunna Lip Paint Longer Fluid Lip Color in Uncensored) is a total vibe, whether you’re looking to amp up the romance or turn heads out on the town. Look for something that’s long-lasting, matte, and won’t feather like this formula, to keep touch ups at a minimum throughout the night. Pair it with a red lip liner one to two shades darker to add some definition to your cupid’s bow.

2. Pretty in Pink Date Makeup

Who needs flowers when you can be the flower? This petal pink palette is giving us girl-next-door meets cold girl makeup and it's a date night look that’s beyond pretty on all skin tones. Keep your palette monochromatic with a rosy pink toned blush, eyeshadow, and highlighter. Top of your eyes with a shimmery pigment (we love the COMPLEX CULTURE Rosy Outlook Eyeshadow Palette for this). Follow up with a dewy setting spray to lock in your glowy look.

3. Shades of Gray Date Makeup

It’s no secret that cool-toned neutrals are having an eye makeup moment. This sultry gray eye look proves that a smoky eye doesn't have to be dark and stormy to make an impression (and it’s beginner-friendly). The key? Swipe a gray pigmented eyeshadow across your lids and add a touch of shimmer to your inner corners. Then, add some voluminous falsies or two coats of a volumizing mascara for a doe-eyed effect. Keep your cheeks and lips neutral to keep the attention on your gorgeous gaze. Need a gray shadow rec? This PATRICK TA Major Dimension III Matte Eyeshadow Palette is all you need to recreate the look.

4. Glowing Skin Date Makeup

While everything about Selena’s look here shouts “timeless,” (we’re losing it over that flirty cat-eye), it’s the glowing skin that made us stop and stare. Beaming, flawless, and lit from within looking skin always starts with hydration packed skincare as a base whether you’re going for a glowy date night look or an everyday makeup look. Start off with a rich moisturizer like FIRST AID BEAUTY Brighten + Glow Moisturizer + Vitamin C and a brightening tinted moisturizer or skin tint for a dewy, fresh-faced effect.

5. Date Makeup With Pops of Color

Pre-gaming for a fun date night? What better way to show off your personality (and creativity) than with rainbow-themed eyes that’ll keep the party vibes high. First prep your lids with an eye makeup primer like our go-to, VISEART Seamless Eye Primer or a neutralizing concealer. Then, glam up your eyes with bright pops of colorful eyeshadow (no makeup tutorial needed, just let your creative juices flow!), and follow up with a black kohl eyeliner on your upper and lower lash lines to define your eyes. If you’re new to kohl liner, this TANAIS Kajal Pencil is super easy to apply and has a long-wearing finish.

6. Soft Double Wing Date Makeup

This is almost a blink-and-you might-miss-it eye moment, which is exactly what drew us in. Lupita’s look here pairs a soft, smoky eye flick outlined with a mahogany-toned shadow above it, allowing the two layers to blend together at the outer corners of her eyes. It’s sultry, subtle, and mysterious—just like you.

7. Neon Pink Pout Date Makeup

Whether you’re heading to a party or grabbing dinner with your bestie, a bright, colorful lip is something you’ll have fun planning any outfit around. This high-pigment look takes a hot pink lip and kicks it up several notches. We chose MAC COSMETICS Matte Lipstick in Candy Yum-Yum and applied two layers with a lip brush for a flawless finish.

8. Holographic Skin Date Makeup

While radiant skin is always on trend, this holographic makeup look takes glowing skin to new, otherworldly levels. After prepping your skin, apply MILK MAKEUP Holographic Stick to your temples, cheekbones, upper lids and inner eye corners. Looking like you’ve been dipped in the cosmos is a surefire way to make a lasting first date impression.

9. Gilded Gaze Date Makeup

Speaking of otherworldliness, can we take a second to appreciate the powerful, bronzed goddess that you’ll be after trying this gold-chrome graphic eyeshadow look. Two words: Literal royalty. All you need is a bronze chrome eye paint and a skinny eyeliner brush to create your exaggerated cat eye shape and fill it in.

10. Date Makeup With Faux Freckles

All right babes, on date nights we wear freckles. If you aren’t naturally blessed with these beauties, it’s so fun to fake them. Besides, faux freckles look insanely cute on anyone. Our freckle faker of choice, FRECK BEAUTY Freck OG, creates the most realistic looking spots that won’t smudge (even if it looks like it's going to be a late night).

11. Sun-Kissed Cheeks for Date Makeup

A sun-drenched glow is always in, no matter the season. To show up to date night looking like you’ve been lounging by the pool—or just hopped off a plane after a tropical getaway, top off your cheeks with GIVE THEM LALA BEAUTY Cream Blush in Brand New. It’s sheer and buildable so it’ll give your cheeks a natural, sun-soaked wash of color.

12. Date Makeup With Bambi Lashes

We’re not gonna lie, we got lost in Ella’s eyes for a minute here. Want your date to get lost in yours? Make your lashes the focus of this makeup routine for a doe-y, wide eyed look. First, curl your lashes and apply a lifting and separating mascara like Ipster fave, BENEFIT COSMETICS Fan Fest Mascara. Holding the wand horizontally, wiggle it at the roots of your lashes and shimmy it to the ends in an upward motion to coat even the shortest lashes. Before the first coat dries, hold the wand upright and use the tip to separate your lashes into sections. Now let your eyes do the talking.

Want in on all the IPSY fun? Take our Beauty Quiz now to get started with your own IPSY beauty subscription. Already an IPSY member? Refer your friends to earn points, which you can use toward products. Either way, don’t forget to check us out on Instagram and TikTok @IPSY.

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