Nordstrom Proves You Can Create the Perfect Valentine's Day Look With Only 3 Products

Published on 2/11/2019 at 3:09 PM

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I don't have any big plans for Valentine's Day. With my wedding less than a month away, I'm looking forward to doing something on the low-key side: dinner and a movie, a casual night in . . . you get the drill. And while I'm fully on board with this low-maintenance Valentine's Day, I don't want to throw all romance out the window. Whether we end up at our local pizza joint or stay in watching episodes of Shark Tank, I'll still make an effort. I may not be putting on an LBD and cat eye, but a great pair of jeans and a clean makeup look that's taken up just a notch will do the job.

I hung out with Derek Miller, Nordstrom's East Coast beauty director, to get his advice on how to achieve an easy but elevated makeup look for my low-key night ahead. What I learned? It's not about the number of products but the quality of them and, of course, how you use them. Miller proved to me that with just three key products — a great lip product, a brightening blush, and some sort of eye makeup — you can look like a million bucks.

If you're planning on doing something a little more "extra" this week, have no fear. You still can just use these three products. Just go deeper, darker, and more dramatic.

Yves Saint Laurent Volupté Plump-in-Color Plumping Lip Balm in Mad Nude

I could wax poetic about how great this lip balm is — the perfect nude/pink shade, the delightfully tingly sensation it brings, the fact that it's SO. MOISTURIZING. But the truth is, the only thing you need to know about YSL's Plumping Lip Balm ($39) is that Global Beauty Director Tom Pecheux created a little black heart center, which provides serious nourishments. Valentine's Day. Hearts. Come on!

Plumping Lip Balm

From

$39

Charlotte Tilbury Pillowtalk Cheek to Chic Blush

This may be cheating since this is basically two products in one, but since it comes in a compact, I say it counts as one. Pillowtalk Cheek to Chic Blush ($40) has two colors, providing you with the ability to play around quite a bit. For my look, Miller first used the darker shade (the outer rim) and used a flat brush all the way up my cheekbone. Then, he used a blush brush in the inner circle color and highlighted the apples of my cheeks.

Pillowtalk Cheek to Chic Blush

From

$40

Tom Ford Crème Color for Eyes in Caviar

I told Miller that with my eyes, I wanted to be sure to have a product that was visually impactful, but not heavy. A Crème Color Eyeshadow ($46) was instantly what he went for. In a beautiful deep blue (called Caviar, which I find very romantic), Miller used a brush to apply the cream. "What's great about this eye shadow is that you can apply it any way you like," Miller said. "Use a brush for a more sheer precise application, or use your finger for a quick on-the-go smoky look. Apply a light wash for a soft look, or build it up for a more intense look. Another way to use it is with an eyeliner brush right in the lash line for an eye-opening, tight-lined effect."

Crème Color Eyeshadow

From

$46