Love is in the air. The romantics are now racing to find perfect ways to celebrate this most dreamy day. I must confess that I have great respect for men who make an effort to celebrate this most romantic day of the year. Men should know that most women look forward to this supposedly very memorable day. This one day, if made very special, will remain unforgettable to any woman for as long as she lives. As for the skeptics, if you are wondering why people fall in love, then maybe you have not experienced the euphoric feel of real and unconditional love. If the gods fall in love, then so can mortals. Cupid is a god who fell deeply in love with a mortal princess. The beautiful princess was named Psyche. Their story is indeed one of the greatest unconditional love stories one could ever dream of.
In Roman mythology, Cupid was the god of love. The name Cupid is a variation of Cupido (desire), and this god was also known by the name Amor (love). It was commonly believed that Cupid was the son of Venus (the Roman goddess of love). Cupid is also known as Eros in Greek mythology. Psyche is the youngest daughter of a mortal king. Psyche was so stunningly beautiful that her appearance rivaled that of a goddess. All the simple people of her county were so in awe of Psyche’s grace, charm and beauty that they stopped worshipping Aphrodite (the real goddess) and paid their honors instead to the daughter of a mortal king. In Psyche’s defense, it should be noted that she was a modest girl, and she resisted this improper attention. Aphrodite took this as an insult and decided to punish her rival. She asked her son Eros to do the dirty work for her but as fate would have it, Eros instead fell deeply in love with Psyche. Loving the mortal girl meant disobeying his powerful mother and making Aphrodite angry and no one wanted to anger a goddess. But alas, love would find a way.
Red is a color that symbolizes love. Red rose is dedicated to Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of love and daughter of Zeus, and also to Roman goddess Venus. The red rose is the symbol of love and fidelity. In Greek mythology, red rose was a symbol for the cycle of growth and decay, but also for love and affinity. Even Neolithic cave painters ascribed magic powers to the color red. These are just a few reasons why the color red remains as a staple look in the beauty industry.
Red can change a look from romantic to fresh and, of course, to sexy. This simple color can transform different looks to a goddess. Season by season, the look is updated by adding shades or textures to it to redefine and keep red trendy and yet classic at the same time.
A way to wear red is by first applying your foundation on your lips. This way, “the true color shows up,” says Pat McGrath, Global Color Cosmetics creative design director for Max Factor and who created the look for the Bottega Venetta Spring 2008 Show in Milan. After applying your foundation, “load” your lip brush with your red lip color. As a guide, use shades of blue red for cool skin tones and orange red for warmer skin tones. Finish your look by updating your red with a touch of coral or a light glossy topcoat.
Here are some tips:
1. Shades for skin tones: blue red for cool skin tones; orange reds for warmer skin tones.
2. Play with intensity. Once you have found the right red for your skin tone, you can lightly dab the color for your day look and then really apply the entire lip area with a few layers to intensify the red for a different look at night.
3. For a simple but a definite chic look, wear red with a very clean bare face and eyes. Just curl your lashes and choose the right red lipstick for you.
4. To make sure your red stays all night, make sure to apply long-wearing lip color on newly washed lips with no lip balm before finishing up with the moisturizing gloss.
5. For long-wearing lipstick, make sure to line the lips with a nude lip pencil first before applying the red lipstick. The pencil will hold the lipstick in place preventing it to “bleed” out of the lips. Then “kiss” the facial tissue and make a mark of your lips on the tissue. Then reapply the red lipstick.
6. Models trick: Always remember, when you’re done with your makeup and before you leave the house, make an “O” with your lips like you’re breathing out with pouting lips. Then put your index finger in between your lips, put it in, then slide it out. Notice how your finger will get the red color from the inside of your lips. This will prevent the red color from going onto your teeth or leaving a mark on the glass.
Get the look:
1. Cleanse the face well.
2. After brushing your teeth, exfoliate your lips by also brushing your lips with your toothbrush.
3. Tone and moisturize your face if needed. Lightly apply lip balm on your lips.
4. Groom eyebrows.
5. Even out skin tone with foundation.
6. Apply foundation on the lips.
7. Set foundation with loose powder.
8. Use earth spirits in golden sahara on the eyelids up to the brow bone.
9. If you have small eyes, curl lashes and apply one coat of mascara in black.
10. Line entire lips with nude lip pencil.
11. With a lip brush, use lasting color lipstick in rio red.
12. Lightly make a mark of your lips on a facial tissue.
13. Apply color perfection lipstick in flame.
14. Finish with lipfinity color and gloss in gleaming coral.
Red truly is an exquisite ambassador for love in more ways than people may realize. It is also a fine metaphoric mate for the complexity and contrariness of love — believe it or not. It is the most emotionally intense color. Red stimulates a faster heartbeat and breathing. Dr. Nicholas Humphrey, a philosopher at the London School of Economics and the author of Seeing Red: A Study in Consciousness, says, “If you want to make a point, you make it in red.”
Who says you can’t look like Venus or Aphrodite? Perfect this look, capture and captivate your own Eros and be transformed into his Psyche.