Valentine's Day looks for ANY relationship status.

Images: Cherry Beale (supplied)

You would think Valentine’s Day style requires only red lipstick and lingerie, but real life isn’t like that. Is it just me, or is red lace itchier than the other colours? We women live nuanced lives, and there’s no such thing as a one-size-fits-all makeup look for Valentine’s Day.

No matter what your relationship status, you can be assured that one thing will never let you down: a top-quality lipstick that is capable of surviving anything, whether you are making out, bitching about your ex, having a long, comfortable chat with your partner of ten years, or all of the above.

For my top lipstick pick and more, check out these three different Valentine’s Day beauty looks. I have actually worn each at different relationship stages of my life.

Single & ready to mingle

As a single girl, Valentine’s Day was a special sort of torture. Not only did my ex-boyfriend break up with me a week before Valentine’s Day (and just after I had major surgery!), I worked in the greeting card section of Myer. That meant hours upon hours of glaring at horrific cardboard cupids and blood-red hearts.

You can understand why I began to treat my makeup as my warpaint and armour. I would heap on the black eyeliner to convince myself – and others – that I was a total tough girl, and not at all a blubbering, heartbroken wreck.

To all the single ladies out there. You are not alone.

Perfect your angry glare with a black, smokey eye, using hints of sparkle for extra fire. I start with a swipe of Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion in Sin, which is a shimmery champagne-coloured primer that can also be used as a highlighter for the inner corners of your eyes. Definitely buy it when Mecca Cosmetica brings it to our shores.

Why wear only one black eye-makeup product, when you can have three? By combining both matte and sparkly black eyeshadows, as well as a kohl eyeliner, you can take your smoky eye to the next, badass level. My spangly black eyeshadow of choice is L’Oreal Color Infallible eyeshadow in Eternal Black. Sweep it over any eye shadow or liner, and you will become a glamorous, cold-hearted babe who NEVER has her heart broken, I promise.

Shimmery, powdered bronzer should be smudged between the eyelid crease and browbone, to add extra warmth. Waterproof Maybelline The Falsies Volum’ Express mascara to complete this look, and all of the others featured in this story.

I use smatterings of pink to keep this look fresh and a tiny bit romantic. At the moment, I love wearing hot pink lip balms, because they add a jolt of youthful colour to the face, whether worn alone or with a heavy eye look. Here, I’ve used Fresh Sugar Tinted Lip Treatment in Tulip, but Maybelline Baby Lips Electro Pop in Pink Shock is also great. A sheer, peach-pink wash of Bourjois blush in Rose Coup de Foudre on my cheeks, and the world is reminded that I am still alive, despite my heartbreak.

Quick tip: How to make your mascara and eyeliner last longer

Sally Hansen Hard as Nails Xtreme Wear Nail Color in Fuchsia Power is the perfect, heavy-duty, pinky-punk accessory for when you are ripping up those stupid cardboard cupids, and/or flipping the bird at your ex.

The first date

The first flush of a relationship is always a romantic time, ideally filled with dinner dates and sensual, subtle makeup. For this Victoria’s Secret-inspired look, there are three things to remember.

One, emphasise everything. When you’re in love, all of your facial features are your best feature. And don’t give me any of that, “But I hate my lips!” or “My eyes are weird!” You’re a total babe, and your new boyfriend or girlfriend thinks so, too. The trick is to use colours that are soft and earthy, with lots of blending, so that each feature is very gently defined.

Which leads me to rule two: stick to a palette of pretty pinks and baby-bunny browns. No black eyeliner needed here, folks! Three, add shimmer and glimmer, so that your makeup perfectly catches the candlelight. I use my Urban Decay Naked 2 palette on my eyelids, and then sweep Laura Mercier Shimmer Bloc in Golden Mosaic on top, for extra sparkle. I warm up my cheeks with Bourjois blush in Rose D’or, a camellia pink shot with gold.

The 3 best blushes for people who hate blush.

The lipstick I’m wearing is Christian Dior Rouge Dior, in Evening Pink, which is extra romantic, as it’s the lipstick that I wore on my wedding day. I got married in 2008. Is it disgusting that I still wear the lipstick? Well, love is kind of disgusting when you think about it – I mean, think of all the bacteria you swap when you’re kissing – so if wearing an old lipstick is wrong, then I don’t want to be right.

Married, with children

My husband and I have been together for ten years, and we’ve been married for seven of them. We haven’t been on a date since October 2013, which is when our daughter was born, but I think we’re even more in love than ever before. This Valentine’s Day, I think we’ll probably just hang out at home together and talk, after our daughter has gone to bed for the night. And I can’t think of a better way to spend time with the love of my life. I need an easy, bright look for our homebody romance.

“How I knew my husband was The One.”

My approach to makeup is different these days. Basically, I’m very tired all the time, and I'm always trying to disguise that fact. I gravitate towards products that pack a lot of punch, with minimal effort. Anything bright and light is a winner for me.

The hero of this look is my NARS Audacious lipstick, in Grace. The NARS Audacious formula is everything you could ever want in a lipstick. It’s long-wearing, but still feels soft and light to wear. It’s perfect for those long nights of talking and laughing. My skin can look dull sometimes, due to my lack of sleep, so I used L’Oreal Lumi Magique Light Infusing Foundation to fake a radiant complexion.

On my eyelids is only one product, the Maybelline 24 Hour Color Tattoo gel eye shadow in Bad to the Bronze. All you have to do is dab on some of that highly-pigmented magic with your fingers, and boom! Your eyelids are all shimmery and fascinating, and last for hours without creasing. That timeless favourite, NARS Orgasm powder blush was swept across my cheeks. The peachy-golden blush instantly warms up the cheeks and complexion.

But really, there’s no point in pretending that I can bewitch my husband with makeup; he has seen a baby emerge from my vagina, after all. And that, to me, is true love.

Are you doing anything for Valentine's Day, or completely ignoring it?