Your Ultimate Spring Beauty Guide

The warmer days are upon us and excitement is building for the summer sun that will be so gloriously good, so as we start to say goodbye winter and hello spring, our beauty look may need a little update – hello freshness.

Image via Zimbio

Gone are the days of set beauty looks for each season, as modern times mean lines are more blurred when it comes to shades we use with makeup.

More than ever our daily looks are layers of neutral shades creating depth and highlight to bring out features of the face and in some ways, we are more inclined to use makeup to enhance, re-shape and sculpt our face, than to just look pretty.

SPRING SKIN

During the cooler months a lot of us feel our skin getting a little dry in areas and/or tighter, this is because the cold air constricts our pores, so less oil becomes present. We also tend to have hotter showers, and heating is up high, which can really dry out our skin.

So, if you didn’t switch to a rich moisturiser, a softer cleanser, or perhaps added in a moisture mask to your routine, there is a good chance your skin may still be not at a balanced level with moisture.

The warmer days mean oil will start to slowly creep through, which can be a good thing after winter, but it’s also a great time to freshen up our skin.

Add some water-based moisture and foundation to create a sheer glow.

Try to use a highlighting/illuminating primer underneath your foundation, on the frontal bones, as this will make foundation appear transparent and more like real skin.

Focus only on areas that need coverage, areas that don’t, let them breathe and shine through as real skin. Sometimes a little concealer under the eye and through the centre of the nose, eliminating redness and dark circles is all you need to look super fresh.

I am loving the M.A.C Strobe Cream (RRP $55 under foundation)

Image via MAC cosmetics

SPRING EYES

As Meryl Streep states in ‘Devil Wears Prada’ – Florals for Spring? Groundbreaking. Everything doesn’t have to be so predictable.

Play around with shades, have fun with it.

My advice is very simple; know your eye shape and what it needs to be enhanced.

Is it more shading and depth to recede areas like puffiness, or a heavy lid?

Or does it need a little pop of metallic on the lid to bring forward a deep-set eye?

These types of thoughts should be priority when applying makeup, more so than just seeing what is on trend and what is a traditional seasonal colour.

Spring is the time we traditionally start wearing lighter fabrics, brighter colours and even more prints, dare I say it, maybe even florals.

If your outfit choice is busy with colour and print, then we shouldn’t be going all out there with makeup choices – one must have balance.

Winter saw lots of cat eyes and outer wings; lets now smudge these a little, to create a softer smokey eye line effect, thickening up the lash line.

Matte neutrals were big this winter, especially in caramels and chocolate shades, spring means we can bring some copper, gold, rose gold and even peach shades to the eyes.

A touch of metallic will lift your eye look, reflecting the spring sunshine and creating a 3D eye effect when you contrast against a matte socket shade. Mobile eyelids and the lower lash line are great for a metallic pop

Try a creamy texture (if your eye shape hasn’t got too many creases) on the mobile eyelid. Eyeshadow sticks with a dash of metallic through them are my new fave.

Try the Charlotte Tilbury Colour Chameleon Eyeshadow Pencils (RRP $37)

Image via Charlotte Tilbury

SPRING LIPS

Winter months can see us rugged up and wearing dense fabrics and dark shades in fashion, therefore lips are a great way to break up the depth and use bold colours like reds and wines.

Spring can also be the perfect time to experiment with bold shades, but just a tad brighter than what we would see in the colder months.

The ombre style lips are also fantastic for spring. Slightly deeper shades used to outline lips and the centre being a brighter or contrasting shade to add extra plump.

Lift your winter shades. If you wore matte neutrals, try a peach. If you wore rich reds, try a cherry/watermelon shade. If you wore plum, try a reddish wine, or ombre it so the centre of your lip shade is brighter.

Stain your lip shade to the lips by using your ring fingertip to dab on the colour, this will create a great bond, less transfer and longevity.

Add a small dab of lip colour to the apple of your cheek and massage in, this gives ultimate spring freshness to your lip.

Don’t over define the lip edges. Apply lip colour to the lip, then (if needed) use a lip liner to sharpen up any edges, but nothing too obvious or contrasting in colour.

Don’t be afraid of shine. Spring is a great time to add a dash of vinyl volume to your mouth.

These new YSL Vinyl Cream Lip Stains (RRP $55) are bright and creamy, perfect for spring!

Image via YSL

SPRING HAIR

When it comes to hair, I feel it is less seasonal as shades are not involved as much as makeup, but we can still dress up or play down or styles for the right balance of your overall look.

Spring is warmer, so relaxed hair starts to show with beach waves, topknots and very simple texture.

Hair has become less done, not as placed, a little relaxed and more realistic, making it easier for everyone to have a ‘cool’ edge to there look.

Use less styling products, especially hair spray, as your look can look too placed and hair spray doesn’t allow for natural movement. 1-2 max can style, but still appear effortless.

Dry Wax spray is my new favourite. Use to texturise beach waves, smooth wispies and to create a smoother finish for up-do’s.

Think simple. A low pony, textured wave, top knot, low messy bun, hair down with slick front – any of these take little to no time and by changing your part, you have many looks that change it up.

The right tools! We all see looks we like, sometimes understand how to get them, but like makeup needs brushes, hair needs its tools. There is a big difference between a curl and a wave and the correct size/shape of your hair tool will achieve different effects.

My go-to hair tool for relaxed, textured waves is the Ghd Curve Classic Wave Wand (RRP $230)

Its rectangular shape gives a looser wave than a curl, perfect for relaxed wave texture. Always face tip down and wrap hair away from face for best results.