International romance: special nights and the makeup to match, part 1

February is the month of love, not just in the US but around the world. We talked to some of our international jane iredale distributors about what they do for a romantic evening out in their culture and we’re feeling so inspired! We hope it gives you some ideas for you own night out with your special someone.

Muriel from Belgium and France: You’ll find plenty of romantic places in Belgium. Starting from Bruges and the Belgian coast cities to Brussels.

Most travelers agree that ancient Bruges, with its scenic canals, cobblestone streets, human-scale buildings (some are more than 500 years old), and horse-drawn carriages is the most romantic place in all of Belgium.

Another romantic idea is a weekend in Brussels. Starting at Brussels’ central square, the cobble stoned Grand Place is lined with ornate gothic and baroque structures that centuries ago housed members of Belgium’s powerful guilds. Some of the buildings are decorated with gold leaf; all surround you with a sense of the ancient city.  A UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Grand Place is a must-see. In the evening you can have a dinner in a typical Belgian restaurant and on Sunday Go Antiquing at the Sablon Market. Held on Sundays, it’s one of the oldest in Europe. You’re likely to see a lot of old silver pieces, jewelry, Art Deco pieces, and less-expensive items easy to take home such as prints, corkscrews and kitchen items, lace handkerchiefs, and other collectibles.

France: Could there be a more perfect place to be than Paris for Valentine’s Day? Are you in town with your hubby, your lover or the guy you just met? Here’s a list of ways to ensure a moment or two on Valentine’s Day that you’ll never forget.

Only in Paris: Put a lock on the bridge between Notre Dame and the left bank on the Pont de l’Archevêché. The Pont de l’Archevêché (Archbishop’s Bridge) is a bridge crossing the Seine river in Paris, lovers started to place their ‘love padlocks’ on this bridge.

In your hotel room : sip some Veuve Clicquot champagne, then crunch on some Ladurée macarons. Go shopping at Colette, then have a cup of tea and stare into each other’s eyes at Mariage Frères. You can buy beautiful French lingerie at Chantal Thomass. And last but not least, climb to the top of Sacré Coeur and watch the Eiffel Tower sparkle at dusk.

To be at your most beautiful you do not have to wear dramatic make-up. We go for a soft, not too shiny base color and earth tones to create a romantic look. The black liner on the eyes gives that extra intensity. Finish with a passionate red lip because you have to admit, who can resist and not kiss them?

French Valentine’s look: Choose your own foundation. Apply PurePressed Blush In Love to your cheeks. Apply Cream PurePressed Eye Shadow to your eyelids and Double Espresso PurePressed Eye Shadow to your crease and outer corner of your eye. Shape and fill in your brows using the Bitty Brow Kit. Line your top lash line, extending slightly outward to create a wing look using Black Liquid Eyeliner. Apply Black Ice Longest Lash Thickening and Lengthening Mascara to your lashes. Finish your look with Passion Lip Fixation.

Jacqui from Australia: We love the great outdoors Down Under. We love open skies, clean air, wide horizons and glorious sunsets. We love being amongst it, nothing is more powerful in creating a memorable moment than spending a romantic evening together, amongst the beautiful Australian settings that surround every city and town. Whether you live at the beach, in the mountains, the city or the desert, the Australian landscape provides plenty of opportunities for romance.

Many couples head outdoors for intimate al fresco meals and cosy walks. Restaurants are always popular and booked out well in advance [for Valentine’s Day]. With candle-lit tables for two and plenty of fresh Australian produce to enjoy, loved up couple’s get pleasure from spending an intimate night out.

Some prefer a more private evening, our headlands and city parks provide great areas for strolling arm in arm, or star-gazing as a backdrop, it is easy to shine and look your best on Valentine’s Day.

Sweep your partner off his feet with this naturally radiant makeup look.

Soft, sweet, dreamy eyes that pop with clarity and a classic tangerine lip creates a romantic look that suits everyone. Apply Dreamy Pink PurePressed Eye Shadow to they eye lid, blending into the crease. Then line the upper and lower lash line with a soft brown liner, Mystikol in Dark Topaz. Next, a sweep of Longest Lash Thickening and Lengthening Mascara in Black Ice. Add definition to your brows with PureBrow Brow Gel in a shade to compliment your natural brow colour. Using a peachy blush, add a touch of radiance to your skin with Copper Wind PurePressed Blush. Finish with Liz PureMoist Lipstick and a dash of Tangerine PureGloss Lip Gloss for oh-so kissable lips.

Asha from the Middle East: Dubai is synonymous to luxury and this city knows how to celebrate in its own unique way and Valentine’s Day is no different than any other occasion. The city starts to get in the mood for this day from the start of February with elaborate “love” theme decorations in shopping malls, restaurants and hotels.  On Valentine’s Day one can see beautiful roses and delicious chocolates getting delivered from the morning at offices or at home. Not only do girls get pampered this day but also men get surprised with swanky gadgets and other “manly” presents. Around 80% of Dubai population is expat so the majority celebrates this day just like any other city.

Dubai offers a variety of options for couples to pick and choose from on Valentine’s Day like beaches, resto-bars, dhow cruise, hotels, yachts, desert getaway or movies.

Zahra was invited by her Husband to enjoy a romantic dinner at Horizon Lounge, Grand Habtoor Resort. This beautiful Pool Deck Bar has an amazing sea view where one can lie back, unwind and watch the sunset and listen to some chilled music. What’s more you ask? They have Sushi stations, live barbeque grill, dedicated Champagne lounge, Mojito station and Shisha; all in all everything one could want for their evening.

In Middle East the makeup look for Valentine ’s Day is soft and subtle smoky eye with hint of pink, red and orange shades.

Zahara’s look: To achieve this look Tahereh Jafari , make-up artist from Vita Lita Salon, used jane iredale Liquid Minerals Foundation to diminish the appearance of lines & wrinkles followed by PurePressed Base Mineral Foundation in Warm Sienna. For the eyes, she used Eye Shadow Kit in Perfectly Nude with Double Espresso PurePressed Eye Shadow to give that subtle smokey look, after which she applied generous coat of Longest Lash Thickening and Lengthening Mascara in Black Ice. For the lips she applied PureMoist Lipstick in Sharon.

Tatiana and her boyfriend started their romantic evening at Al Manara-Beach Bar – a beautiful location right on the beach that makes this the ideal place to enjoy a few sundowners and watch the Dubai skyline light up. After few cocktails and light meal they headed down to “XL Beach Club”. This is one of the hottest clubs in town with amazing Dubai DJ’s, private cabanas with glass fronted swimming pools and perfect place for a fun & sensual beach party.

Tatiana’s look: For this look make-up artist Tahereh Jafari  first used Absence Oil Control Primer to control excess shine then applied PurePressed Base in Golden Glow to even out skin tone. For the eyes she used Smoke Gets In your Eyes Eye Shadow Kit and applied Liquid Liner in Black. She completed her eye look with a generous coat of PureLash Lengthening Mascara in Jet Black. For the lips she chose PureGloss Lipgloss in Pink Candy.

Stay tuned for more stories of international romance coming later this month!