Experts reveal first date beauty tips that men love… and why you should never wear a red lip or glitter

Women are constantly flocking to social media pages to ask about the best first date tips, whether it’s what to wear, the right questions to ask, or how to style their hair. 

Many times, women take to Reddit to ask for advice ‘on how to look and smell great without being too over the top,’ with fellow daters weighing in – telling them it’s best to do ‘medium make up [that’s] not too heavy.’

Commenters even get into specifics, telling singles they should make sure they don’t go ‘too heavy on the eyeshadow,’ and opt for ‘a clean girl aesthetic so your true beauty shines through.’ 

They also suggest avoiding any type of harsh red lip and instead using a lip tint or oil because ‘even when it wears off from eating or kissing you know you’ll still look cute.’ 

FEMAIL reached out to beauty experts to find out the easiest ways to guarantee your glam stays put and looks natural on a first date – and why avoiding a red lip and loads of glitter is the way to go. 

From swapping heavy contour for dewy, natural skin to experimenting with a sexy smokey eye, this is what celebrity makeup artists and beauty brand founders guarantee will lead to a confident glow. 

Makeup artist Carmindy Kathryn Bowyer, 54, suggests a natural look with ‘no contour, no big fake lashes and no over-lined lips’ and explained exactly how to scientifically mirror the look of love. 

When the MUA artist went on first dates, she opted for Carmindy Beauty 5 Minute Face 5 Piece Collection, which was specifically ‘created to mimic the look of love.’

The collection includes mascara for eyelash batting, highlighter for a radiant glow ‘as your energy shifts,’ blush since ‘your cheeks flush on a cellular level’ and lipstick because ‘your lips get engorged with blood.’

‘Leave your glitter at home as it will be too distracting and also could transfer everywhere by the end of the date including onto them,’ Carmindy advised. ‘Stay away from bright bold lip colors and goopy sticky gloss.’ 

Instead, she suggested using tinted lip balm for a hint of color and hydration ‘so lips look sexy, but it won’t deter your potential love from wanted to come in for a kiss.’

‘Do not use heavy contour as it shape shifts your face and looks dirty especially when it’s on the tip of your nose or ringed around your face. It looks like you are trying too hard and reads insecure,’ Carmindy explained. 

Celebrity makeup artist Steve Kassajikian told DailyMail.com, ‘a more glowy, natural look is always a safe bet for a first date.’ 

Steve, who’s the Head of Global Artistry at Urban Decay, is a fan of a natural beauty look that lasts, advising using lightweight foundation to conceal and even out the skin before defining the eyes by tight lining the lash line and accentuating with a warm shadow in the crease and a light shimmer shade on the lids. 

‘Keep the look fresh and monochromatic by using the blush shade on the lips as well, then add gloss on the lips to keep them hydrated and kissable,’ Steve advised. One no-no? ‘Stay away from doing a heavy eye with a bold lip so the focus can remain on one to give the overall look a better balance.’

Laura Geller said when she was dating, ‘it always depended on the type of date, but one thing I never skipped was my three Es — eyebrows, eyeshadow, and eyelashes.’ 

For casual first dates, she’d keep it simple with Quench-n-Tint Tinted Moisturizer, concealer, blush, and mascara for a fresh, natural glow. ‘But if it were a dinner date or something a bit more special, I’d go all out with a full-coverage foundation and a little extra glam,’ Laura said. 

Celebrity makeup artist and RMS founder Rose-Marie Swift confirmed that it’s best to stick with the basics and cautioned that ‘first dates are not the time to experiment with trends.’ 

‘You want your skin to look like skin and your lips to look kissable — not like they’ve been shellacked,’ the natural beauty guru quipped. She suggested using Living Luminizer on the high points of the face for a lit-from-within radiance, along with Lip2Cheek on the cheeks and lips for an all-night glow. 

Rose-Marie, who was the makeup artist behind the famous Victoria’s Secret Angel beauty look, also cautioned against wearing any type of glam ‘you’ll be worrying about all night.’

‘If you’re terrified your cat eye is going to smear or your shadow will migrate to your chin, skip it,’ she insisted. 

When Rose-Marie dated she opted for her ‘sexy smudge,’ which is what she nicknamed her ‘smokey eye that’s a little on the wrong side so there’s a sexiness about it.’ To get the look, apply eyeliner straight onto the lash line, with a little lift on the edges, then smudge it out. 

Lex Smith, 30, the global pro tarte makeup artist, recommends ‘a fresh, natural look with a touch of soft glam – think radiant skin, flirty lashes, and a kiss-proof lip (tarte’s maracuja juicy lip is perfect for that kissable pout)’ for first date, adding that it’s all about ‘low-maintenance’ beauty looks. 

‘Making sure whatever makeup you are wearing will stay in place is key, lately I’ve been obsessing over the tubing lash primer, it elongates my lashes while ensuring my mascara won’t smudge or flake,’ Lex, who’s based in Jupiter, Florida, advised. 

Lex’s personal go-to first date look ‘is all about glowing skin and soft, romantic touches,’ including a ‘ soft bronze eye, light contour, and a juicy lip (always maracuja juicy lip plump – trust!) never failed me.’ 

‘I’d steer clear of anything that might need constant touch-ups – like super glittery eyes that can transfer or bold lips (like a red) that you might worry about smudging on your glass or your teeth,’ Lex said. 

‘You want to focus on enjoying the moment, not checking a mirror every five minutes.’