Spring Beauty: Looks You’ll Love
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Spring is the flirtiest season and it’s the perfect time to lighten up. Think gauzy fabrics, shorter hemlines, and a more streamlined approach to beauty. Here are my top picks to toss in your bag for low-stress, no-fuss spring beauty.
Tinted Moisturizer With SPF
As the temperature heats up, skin can get a little shiny and the temptation is to pile on the powder. But you’ll look a lot more natural if you don’t try to fight it and create a semi-dewy face to begin with. A tinted moisturizer is a great place to start. Look for one with a bit of luminosity. This will soften fine lines and even out skin tone by bouncing light away from imperfections. Apply just like you would a moisturizer. Don’t waste a minute blending, it should smooth on effortlessly. The SPF provides an extra layer of protection. Because it’s so sheer and light it should layer over your daily sun block without feeling greasy or sticky.
TRY:
Stila Illuminating Tinted Moisturizer SPF 15
Sheer Lights Illuminating Tinted Moisturizer SPF 15 By Elizabeth Arden
Becca Luminous Skin Colour Tinted Moisturizer SPF 25
Powdered Bronzer
The great thing about powdered bronzer is that it offers you complete control. The best formulas are silky with a hint of shimmer (the opposite of the matte, terra cotta look of early bronzers). The key is application; the goal being to mimic the sun. First, sweep it over the tops of cheekbones (above where you would normally place blush), blending outward to the temples. Then, with what’s left in the brush, sweep over the high planes of the face – a little across the forehead, down the bridge of the nose, even a touch on the chin. The result is natural, sun kissed and a lot less one-dimensional than a fake tanner.
TRY:
M.A.C Bronzing Powder
Origins Sunny Disposition Powder Bronzer
A Beigey Shimmery Eye
This is about emulating the wide-eyed glowy look that was all over the spring runways. It’s created by placing shimmery white shadow in the inner corner of the eye (in a little sideways V like this >). But unless you have completely ivory skin, you should avoid a stark white. You can create a much more flattering version with a soft beige shimmer. I like to apply it with my finger, but you can use a fine tipped brush to paint the > and then buff it with your finger to soften.
TRY:
Nars Cream Eye Shadow in Corfu
Anastasia Eye Lights Shimmer in Sand Shimmer
Lush Lashes
Spring fashion is all about little mod frocks. But you want to avoid a literal interpretation of the mod look when it comes to makeup. The key is to create lashes that really pop. Rather than weighing them down with heavy mascara, try eyelash extensions. Once a secret of top models, they’ve become more affordable recently. When done well they last for a month or more and look extremely natural. So even if you choose the extra-long lashes – chances are nobody will know.
TRY:
LA: Le Petite Retreat Day Spa (331 N. Larchmont Blvd, 323.466.1028). Lashes last up to 6 weeks and cost $250
NY: The deal of the century can be found at Dop Dop Salon (170 Mercer, 212.965.9540). Leora does an amazing job and prices start at just $45.
A Sheer, Nude Mouth
Forget those chalky nudes from the past. For spring, look for a rosy or plumy nude in a sheer, conditioning formula. I’m a fan of lip color that comes in pots (I love anything that you can apply with your finger). Spring is a time to be intensely active, so avoid a super glossy mouth – there’s nothing worse than having your hair drag through a really sticky lip gloss when a little gust of wind comes along.
TRY:
CARGO Lip Gloss Duo
Pout Lip Polish
Too Faced Beauty Balm
Hair Care That Protects From Sun, Chlorine AND Ocean Damage
Almost every woman I know colors her hair, and that color doesn’t come cheap. So it makes sense to protect it from spring elements and make it last as long as possible. Look for products that contain SPF which can stave off brassiness and keep hair from drying out.
TRY:
The best choices out there come from Rene Furterer, Phytoplage, or Kerastase.