How To Recreate the Look of Love

There are few wintery pleasures that trump cuddling up with a coconut cream hot cocoa with Mr Darcy as your date. Of course, the second best is coveting the beauty of the heroine lead and that immutable look of love. But you don’t need a damp-shirted man to dip you into a kiss to replicate a flushed-cheek flirty blush, or long-lash flutter. Here are our top beauty inspirations from our favourite silver screen leading ladyloves.

1. Elizabeth’s cheeky charm in Pride and Prejudice

Although Ms Knightley is genetically blessed with incredible cheekbones, you can emulate her structural win with a little sneaky contouring. Place your index finger along your cheek with the tip reaching the closest part of your ear, angling down 45 degrees to find your contour line. Apply your chosen colour tribe of blush and using a soft medium brush, sweep along the line of where your finger was, getting softer with your pressure as you go toward the temple. Blend a light bronzer from the temples to the edge of the brow to create dimension, then use a highlighter to accentuate the upper temples. Use the same bronzer or a face powder to shade under the blush line.

KEIRA KNIGHTLEY AS ELIZABETH BENNET

CHANEL TAN DE SOLEIL CHANEL

NARS BLUSH IN ORGASM

HOURGLASS BLUSH BRUSH

2. Summer’s girly pony in (500) Days of Summer

Technically, her look was a little closer to musing curiosity than eternal love, but we were all swooning for the doe-eyed Deschanel and those bangs. If you have the face structure and volume in your mane, by all means cut and copy for your next salon appointment. But for the essence of Summer without the daily blow-dry commitment, create a sweet and substantial pony by halving hair from ear to ear along the crown. Tie the top section right on the part in the centre and secure the bottom section right below (so the two sections are stacked). Then either use a third band, an under strand of hair or (to be authentic) a ribbon to bind the two sections together.

ZOOEY DESCHANEL AS SUMMER

BOP BASICS SOLID VINTAGE HAIR TIE SET

EYEKO FAT BRUSH MASCARA

BUMBLE AND BUMBLE PRET-A-POWDER

3. Bonnie’s battering eye in Bonnie and Clyde

It wasn’t just the tale that was given a romantic poetic licence; Bonnie’s iconic beret clad bob, perfectly traced lash-line and ‘til death love story was quite the departure from the middle-part finger wave bare-face of the real Bonnie Parker. But the 60s’ twist on Faye Dunaway is beatnik beauty at its best. Her clean-line cat-eye flick can be achieved by cleansing the lid and pressing with concealer for a clear canvas. Gently pull eyelid taught from the outter edge and using a high-pigment pencil or smoothed brush liquid liner draw along the lash-line starting above the iris. Sweep toward the temple varying the length depending on how dramatic you want the end result, but always drawing past the outter corner. Blend a light, taupe shadow over the lids and up to the brow bone. Curl lashes and apply a few coats of mascara. Fix smudges with ear bud dipped in makeup remover.