There are a lot of things to love about Valentine’s Day. Whether or not you’re in a relationship, it can be a celebration of love itself, in all its many forms. So if you’re planning a romantic date night, a Galentine’s day with your best friends, or simply taking the time to treat yourself to some TLC, we’ve curated some fabulous clean beauty ideas to get you in the mood for love!

A little self-care goes a long way

A great way to begin any night – or day, for that matter – is by treating yourself to a little beauty boost in the form of a mini-facial at home. Start with a little gentle exfoliation using your formula of choice – we love Tailor Skincare’s Polish for baby soft skin – then apply a plumping hydrating mask that will get your skin really glowing. Trilogy’s Very Gentle Hydra Mask is suitable for even the most sensitive skin and delivers a serious hydration boost that lasts. Apply a thick layer to a clean, dry face and neck, allowing it to absorb for 10-15 minutes (enough time to enjoy that glass of champagne while you wait) before removing the excess.

Don’t forget to do your beauty prep

The role of a great makeup primer is similar to that of an undercoat – allowing the colour that follows to look its best and last the distance! We are huge fans of Aleph Beauty’s Serum/Primer for doing exactly that, plus plenty more. An effective multi-tasker, it’s a highly concentrated formula that delivers potent active ingredients to deeper levels of the skin than a cream or a lotion. It’s packed with a high concentration of deeply nourishing ingredients like macadamia and oil-free jojoba extracts, antioxidants, milk thistle extract, and an innovative plant stem cell complex that boosts your skin’s metabolism and collagen production. So, you could say it’s a pre-foundation necessity.

Keep it classic, but cool 

Create the ultimate power look for Valentine’s Day with a classic bold red lip, flawless base, and lashings of lashes. Or swap out to a softly romantic pink lip and opt for a sulty, smoky eye.

Start with Aleph’s Concealer / Foundation, which comes with skincare properties to enhance the health of your skin over time. Made in New Zealand using 100 per cent natural ingredients, Aleph products have been formulated to protect against environmental toxins, regenerate cellular energy and work to increase collagen production. And the fact that you can use this little number as a foundation and concealer makes it great for touch-ups on the go, too. For an extra date night glow, mix it with a little of the brand’s Radiance: Moon, which is also the perfect highlighter when applied to the high points of the face. 

For a signature bold lip, make sure your lips are soft and exfoliated before application. Polish them with Henné Organics’ Lavender Mint Lip Exfoliator, then slick on some lip balm and let it settle for a few minutes before you blot, then apply your colour of choice.

A red lip screams date night in the sassiest way possible, and Aleph’s Cheek / Lip Tint in Sangha is a true signature red that never fails to impress. Alternatively, play up your eyes and go a little softer on the lips with Aleph’s Rêve, which was inspired by the ethereal pink hue of a child’s flushed cheeks. A captivating pretty pink-but-not-too-pink lipstick, it also looks beautiful on the cheeks.

If you want a subtle smoky eye with zero effort, reach for Aether’s Rose Quartz Crystal Gemstone Palette and apply the shade Grounding (a charcoal matte) or Aphrodite (a violet grey matte) across the lids. Then, add a little drama with Aleph’s Lift/Lengthen Mascara for perfectly defined, natural lashes. Designed to lift, define and add volume to lashes on each application, you can also rest assured that this clean formula uses only the best ingredients for eyes destined to mesmerise