Got a hot date coming up? Most guys prepare by planning out where to go and what to wear. You spend hours searching for the right outfit and romantic restaurants, but you’re forgetting one thing. Your face! You can actually enhance your date-night look by adding mens makeup into your grooming routine.

You might be cringing right now, but it’s really not that bizarre. Some of the hottest celebrities use mens makeup to perk up their faces before a red-carpet event. It’s just not publicized the same way we glorify women’s beauty. Even online trendy menswear stores – like Differio – are getting in on the trends in mens makeup by providing men with cosmetic essentials, such as guyliner, tinted moisturizer and lipstick for men.

Since mens makeup is still very new to the men’s grooming products world, don’t feel out of the loop if you have no clue how to implement these items in to your get-ready routine. Here are the best tips for prepping your face with makeup for men before a big date.

Achieve a clean slate.

Have you ever wondered what’s the secret to achieving a flawless face? While shaving is always a good start, it actually begins with your skin. By achieving a clear complexion, you’re not only prepping your skin for men’s makeup, but also treating your body’s largest external organ with a glamorous boost.

There are actually a couple things you can do the night before to prep your skin. For starters, men’s face masks are highly underrated among men, but they shouldn’t be! They’re basically your secret weapons for enhancing your skin with hydrating ingredients that can help reduce dry skin, redness and even pimples. When you’re done getting your mask on, you should follow up with a night cream to lock in moisture.

At the very least, you’re guaranteed to wake up looking refreshed with brighter skin. If you’re a guy with a lot of blemishes and pimples, you should look into tinted moisturizer (also known as BB cream) for lighter coverage or foundation for men for heavier coverage. For those that get the occasional pimple, concealer stick is enough to hide specific spots.

Enhance your best features.

Since it’s a date, you probably want your best facial features to shine. In order to do this with makeup for men, it really depends on what area of your face you’re trying enhance.

Eyes:

Your eyes are one of the most common features that people notice based on first impressions. There are a few ways to enhance your eyes without making it obvious that you’re wearing eye makeup for men.

First, don’t underestimate your eyelashes. By simply lifting and volumizing your lashes, it can literally be an eye opener for making your eyes appear bigger and brighter. You can use a mens eyelash curler to curl your lashes; followed by a layer of mascara for men. For the most natural lash look, you can use clear manscara to maintain the curl.

 Lips:

It’s time to upgrade your lip-balm-and-done routine. You can make your lips stand out by using mens lipstick to add a pop of color. It’s applied just the same as any other lip balm, but be careful not to go outside your lip line.

For guys that want something more natural looking, you should try color-changing jelly lipstick for men. It’s kind of like a hybrid between lip gloss and tinted lip balm. These color-enhancing lipsticks brighten your lips depending on your skin’ pH level while providing a subtle shine.

Keep it you.

Most importantly, you want your date to get a sense of who you are, which also affects the way you should apply makeup for men. If you feel like wearing less or more mascara will boost your confidence, then go for it. You shouldn’t feel obliged to wear a certain amount and abide by rules. Some guys feel more comfortable wearing a full face of makeup with heavy guyliner. Some guys prefer going for the no-makeup makeup look. Do what feels like you!