I will be the first to admit that I am not exactly the most adventurous when it comes to makeup. I am so predictable at times. It’s basically always the same thing. Brown liner, several coats of black mascara, a bit of bronzer. Red lipstick if I have a shoot or something fashion-y, clear lip gloss if I have a date or am seeing friends. (My besties still make fun of my love of gloss, but I can’t help it. I adore lip gloss, and I’m not ashamed to admit it.) Alas, lately I’ve been feeling just a little bit more creative. A little bit. Baby steps. I’ve mastered highlighter and here are five beauty trends for Spring that I actually feel comfortable trying. How about you?
ONE: Colored Mascara // I am LOVING a colored mascara for Spring. Blue is so fresh right now. When I went to London with Sisley, I learned a better (read, more adult) way to wear this trend. Apply two coats of your regular black mascara, and then, while it’s still wet, add a couple coats of blue (or your color) to just the tips. I’ve found it very hard to find a great colored mascara at the drugstore (a pain as this isn’t something you necessarily want to splurge on!) but that is changing with Katy Perry’s new collaboration with Covergirl. There’s a blue mascara in the line and it is amazing. If you want a bolder, even more colorful. look, try a white primer first, like this… or the white primer that comes in this duo.
Splurge Pick: Sisley So Curl Mascara (I realize this is very pricy, but if you can afford it, it’s an incredible product).
All Natural Pick: W3LL People Expressionist Pro Mascara in Blue (as an aside, this is the best all-natural mascara I’ve tried).
Save Pick: Katy Perry Mascara in Perry Blue. It’s not hitting stores til July, so in the meantime, try this.
TWO: Pastel Nails // I am boring when it comes to my nails. In the Fall/Winter, it’s always a dark purple or black. In the Spring/Summer, it’s Ballet Slippers or white. I’m branching out. I recently found myself obsessed with OPI’s new pastel polishes… specifically “I am What I Amethyst.” The look brings me back to one of my first beauty obsessions (in high school) – Hard Candy’s pastel polishes. Remember those? They came with a ring around the cap. I wanted a bottle desperately but lived on Cape Cod and online shopping wasn’t a thing yet, so I (literally) would add a tiny drop of food coloring to a bottle of wite-out to attempt to get the look (yes that really happened and no I would not recommend it!!)
Splurge Pick: OPI I am What I Amethyst
All Natural Pick: Butter London in Kip, RGB in Dew (both are not entirely natural but better than most)
Save Pick: ULTA Lilac-ing You
THREE: // A Bright, Matte Lip. This won’t win you any points with the boys, but matte is so in right now. My personal favorite is actually the “save” option… L’Oreal’s Infallible Pro-Matte Gloss is pretty amazing. It’s more of a demi-matte – it leaves your lips looking matte but it still feels good and hydrating (the formula contains jojoba oil). The only downside is that they don’t have a good coral/red-orange yet… but the red and fuchsia are pretty major. Stila’s Stay All Day Lipstick is great too… I’ve been using it for years but it does leave my lips a bit dry. Carina is the perfect coral. Same goes for the all-natural option.. Bite’s Cashmere Lip Creams are a bit more hydrating than Stila but also last all night long without fading. I wear “Sherry” quite a bit… it’s the perfect poppy-red-orange!
Splurge Pick: Stila’s Stay All Day Lipstick in Carina.
All Natural Pick: BITE Beauty Cashmere Lip Cream in Sherry.
Save Pick: L’Oreal Infallible Pro-Matte Gloss in Shanghai Scarlet or Aphrodite Kiss.
Image sources: 1, 2 (June/July ’10), 3
FOUR: Face Gloss Okay, hear me out. I was skeptical to this trend (I initially found it to be way too editorial for the average person – me) but it is just so beautiful on. A bit of shine down the bridge of your nose, your temples, your cheekbones, or even your eyelids. The result is fresh, radiant and very pretty for Spring. It’s next-level dewiness. My pick for getting this trend is Pat McGrath’s new Skin Fetish Set (it also includes a beautiful highlighter which is one of the best I’ve tried, along with the coolest iridescent powder) but it is pretty pricey, so I would also recommend MAKE’s Face Gloss. And on a budget, just use Aquaphor!
Splurge Pick: MAKE Face Gloss, Pat McGrath Skin Fetish Set
All Natural Pick: RMS Living Luminizer (this has a pearlescent finish but it’s so pretty… for a straight gloss, try a bit of this balm).
Save Pick: Good Old Fashioned Aquaphor!
FIVE: A Glint of Colored Liner: Note: I would not recommend mixing this with trend number one. The key to mastering colored liner is to keep the rest of your look simple and straightforward. A few coats of mascara, a bare face, and a neutral lip… (or maybe clear gloss). Then, as carefully as possible, apply a thin, (very precise) line of your chosen color to the lash line. It helps if the liner is extra sharp… that will ensure you get a perfectly straight line. As a blonde with blue eyes, I love turquoise or teal. But I think purple looks so pretty with green eyes, and cobalt looks great with brown eyes. You want a little contrast so that the color can really pop.
Splurge Pick: Sisley Eye Twist in Emerald or Amthyst
All Natural Pick: INIKA Liner in Peacock Blue
Save Pick: L’Oreal Silkissime Liner in Cobalt or Teal
I love doing an intense blue eyeliner! I use the Arabian Nights color in the intense gel eyeliner pencil from Trish McEvoy. Great pick!
Love all of these!
Also, currently loving the Buxom’s Wildly Whipped Soft Matte lip color!
Alexis
http://theenabler.us/
What a great article! I’ll have to give some of these a try.
Carrie
http://www.wearwherewell.com
I’ve been rocking blue lashes for a couple years now…Chanel had colored mascaras well before the trend jumpstarted but they weren’t my fave. Now I use Benefit’s They’re Real and the color is much more defined.
I actually think one is either a gloss girl( me) or a lipstick girl( my sister). She never seen wears gloss, I never wear lipstick . No matter what I do, lipstick is alway too drying. She also has bigger lips which look better with lipstick. Just preference. I want to be a lipstick girl, but it never seems to take. Thanks for an update on the new trends. I recently bought an Urban decay gel pencil ( the best and great color range! )in the same color as the outline of my eye ( don’t know what that’s called. It’s a beautiful blue-green and really makes my eyes pop!
I love all of these! Thank you for the gorgeous inspiration.
Love! I’m really into bright eyeliner lately. I’ve been wearing it on my inner rim (just the bottom lid) for a fun pop!
Ahhh pinning all of these! Such great inspiration!
This is such a fantastic post! I’m super into a bright matte lip right now. I don’t know if I could do fuschia but I love red-orange.
Love it! I’m a bit nervous about the idea of face gloss but the editorial examples make it look so pretty!!
I’m all here for the vibrant matte lip.
Happy Tuesday
http://www.lovecompassionatelee.com/
I’ve always wanted to try coloured mascara it looks so fun to experiment with!
Great post!
http://www.mauveovermatter.com
I love that you included a splurge, save and all natural recommendation!