Beauty / How To Rock The Icy Spicy Y2K Beauty Look This Valentine’s Day

How To Rock The Icy Spicy Y2K Beauty Look This Valentine’s Day

Beauty Feb 05, 2025

by Meena Khan | Features Editor - Beauty

The iciness of the Y2K look with its infusions of silver and cool pink, appear to be antithetical for the brown skin tones that compose the rainbow of South Asian beauty, but I assert that brown beauties are born to be icy spicy. If we can learn anything from the icy beauty of the Indian born, late British actress Julie Christie in the classic Dr. Zhivago, is that iciness is more than snow deep, it is an Arctic smoulder that requires only a few products to achieve and is perfect for Valentine’s Day!

Step One – The Eyes

The eyes are a bit tough because dark circles are a common beauty bane, and when you apply cooler-toned shades such as grey and mauve, they emphasise the darkness – even when the circles are neutralised and covered by corrector and concealer, respectively.

To achieve a cool, crisp look that make your eyes look fresh like the driven snow, you must remember to :

1. apply all eye shadow with a light hand, think quick taps and light blends;
2.reserve the inner corner of the eye for a bright, cream coloured shadow; and
3.curl the eyelashes to expose a maximum amount of sclera.

In my research I discovered two palettes that flatter that rainbow of South Asian skin tones, and can achieve the Arctic smoulder.

For light-to-medium skin tones, the Wander Beauty In Neutral Eye Shadow Palette a decade of neutral shadows which are mixed with matte and shimmer finishes, includes shades of soft mauve, pink brown and grey. For Valentine’s Day, a shimmery look will look stunning by candlelight, so the palette can be used in this manner:

Apply Haze on the mobile lid using a stiff, duckbilled eye shadow brush;
Using a blender brush mix Fawn and Blossom to create shimmery mauve shade and apply in the crease, making sure to not go past the centre of the eye;
To add luminescence to the area, take a precision smudger brush and tap Blossom in the inner corners;
Wet a stiff angle brush, tap it into Smoke and create a softly defined line along the upper lash only.

How to Look Icy Spicy for Valentine's Day — **How to Look Icy Spicy for Valentine’s Day. Wander Beauty In Neutral EyeShadow Palette**. Photo Credit: www.wanderbeauty.com

For dark skin tones, the best neutrals are those that veer towards mauves and purples because they possess the pigment intensity to show up on the skin and to attract light to the area. The Clinique Best of Black Honey palette, an octet of deep neutrals that will make brown peepers vibrate like the Aurora Borealis. The palette can be used in this manner to create an Arctic smoulder:

Apply Sahara Sun on the mobile lid using a stiff, duckbilled eye shadow brush;
Using a blender brush mix Light Shade from Strawberry Fudge Duo and Chocolate Covered Cherry to create a soft, shimmery reddish brown shade;
To add luminescence to the area, take a precision smudger brush and tap Lightest Shade from Teddy Bear Quad to the inner corners; and
Wet a stiff angle brush, tap it into Jute Brown and create a softly defined line along the upper lash only.

In both cases, finish the look using a volumizing mascara such as the Benefit BADgal Bang! in Intense Black, because the conical shape of applicator ensures that each lash is coated in product, and the unforgiving obsidian shade will add definition to the area. The mascara’s strength will serve to both define the eyelashes and act like a black eyeliner, without the heaviness of liner.

Step Two – Flushed Cheeks

The cheeks are not about being sculpted, they are supposed to look flushed, as if you exerted energy by having walked through a snowbank to get to your car or… well it’s Valentine’s Day.

Consequently, the application is diffuse and designed to attract the light.

On deeper skin tones, soft pink shades will either fade or look doll like because you have to apply several layers of product, so I recommend using a cool-toned, pinky – red cheek stain such as Benefit Playtint. The stain sets into the skin and delivers a pigment pay off. You only need to apply a 1-2 millilitres of product per check to create a flush. I suggest tapping the applicator on the cheek and using freshly, cleansed fingers to immediately spread the liquid across the cheek area until it is diffuse.

To keep the look crispy cool, add a few taps of the Ctzn Cosmetics Globalm, described as a lightweight balm that creates a glow and also adds a hint of pearl. This universally flattering product adds a hint of moonlight to the cheeks and creates an ethereal glow that is perfect for a crisp winter night.

For light-to medium skin tones, a soft coloured balm such as the Milk Lip + Cheek Cream Blush + Lip Color in Werk and Enigma are excellent choices. The balm which blends seamlessly into the skin is non-comedogenic and can be used to colour the lips. I suggest drawing two small-sized circles, and using freshly cleansed fingers, disburse the colour throughout the cheek area. Once this step is complete, apply a dot of the Ctzn Cosmetics Globalm to the tops of the cheeks to add a wintery peck to the area.

Step 3 Nude Lips, Anything But Neutral!

To complete the softly-shaded look that is completely spicy, apply a nude lipstick that works perfectly with your skin tone. I enjoy the Ctzn Cosmetics Nudiversal line because there are lipsticks and matching lipliners that can be selected for you, after you complete the quiz.

I did the quiz and was matched with Lahore lipstick and lip gloss and Chaar lip liner. The double ended lip component is brilliant because I can choose to create either a strictly matte or glossy looks, or create a matte look with a glossy centre. The lip liner glides on easily and blends easily with the lip product. The pigment payoff is considerable because the colour looks uniform, and it has staying power.

Icy Musings

The nude lips harmonise with the neutral icy eyes, and the cold flushed cheeks, which is an ultimately romantic look because the softness allows your features, your skin tone to shine. The look is not sexy like red lips but more coquettish and fresher, as if you are walking through film set of a romantic Yash Chopra film set in Switzerland.

Featured Image: Melinda Leanna Shankar @mindyshankar

Meena Khan | Features Editor - Beauty

Author

Meena (@meenalaregina) always loved the idea of exploring the non-conventional idea of beauty. Having grown up as a pimply chubby teenager, she wanted to see the change in the world that best reflected your uniqueness as well. Her well-received collection of blogs where she tries on various beauty p...

COMMENTS

Is 2025 Pantone's Color ‘Mocha Mousse’ a Wash for South Asian Skin Tones? Here is the Beauty Scoop!

How To Rock The Icy Spicy Y2K Beauty Look This Valentine’s Day

by Meena Khan | Features Editor - Beauty

Meena Khan | Features Editor - Beauty

COMMENTS

YOU MAY ALSO LIKE