Spring Rules for Beauty

There's a new sophistication in spring makeup this year. It is neither softly feminine nor is it hard edged. There's a flash of metal but it is offset by pale softness. Make-up is minimalist this season that hints at purity, but it is far from perfect.

FRESH SKIN

Give your skin the perfect finish and ditch the bronzer for once. Spring clean your skin and give it a dewy freshness with a mist of sheer foundation to conceal the flaws. Prep your face with a makeup primer. Dust your face lightly with translucent powder to get a clean finish. Dab a little shimmer cream on the high points in your face to reflect light for a dewy look.

OLD BROWS

Thin, over-tweezed, brows are passe. During the fashion weeks, international makeup artists worked on thick, well defined, arched brows to frame the face. Well-defined brows add character to the look. Get yours done to match the shape of your face. The winged look and the arched shape are the popular choice for the make-up artists this season. They claim that thicker brows add glamour to the otherwise low-key make-up of the season.

FULL LASHES

Recreate wide-eyed innocence with some fake lashes. You can go a little overboard with it without feeling guilty. Instead of attaching the whole lash strip, makeup artists cut little lash clusters and glued them in between the real lashes at equal distance. Then piled on mascara to set the eye look. They enhanced the look with a dash of beige or gold eye shadow. If you are not ready to go for falsies, then use a double dose of lengthening and volumising mascara. Use a lash primer before you apply the mascara to build the volume. Go easy on the eye shadow though.

ELEGANT EYES

Metals are hot for spring eye make-up. It adds that edge to the spring's soft makeup. In almost all the major international shows, whether it was Chanel, Prada or Donna Karan, models sported variations of gold and silver shadows. Wear yours as a layer over a beige, khaki or brown shade to create an intense look. Ditch the black eyeliner this season. Focus on using dark colours like, silver grey, midnight blue or chocolate brown as a liner. In case you cannot live without the staple black eyeliner, then use it to draw a thin line to rim your upper and lower lash lines without extending it at the corner to highlight the eyes. To get a soft, spring maiden look, use a peach, pink or lilac shade on your lid close to the lash line, then blend in silver or gold shadow till the crease.

CORAL CHEEKS

A dash of peach, coral or subtle red blush on your cheekbones is the way to enhance spring's fresh face trend. Makeup artists put the coral and red blush where bronzers used to sit last season. To get your blush right, start with a peach blush from the lower apple of your cheeks going up to the temple. Then blend in an intense coral or red colour half way from the cheekbones till the hairline to create a subtly graded look. Pick a blush with a pearly accent to it rather than one that gives a matte effect.

LUSCIOUS LIPS

Neutral and pink lips are back again this season but with a little twist. Instead of hi gloss, the texture is sheer or creamy matte. When choosing a nude shade, go for the ones that have a warm undertone with a hint of gold or terracotta. To get a healthy look, try a peach lipstick or a beige pink gloss. If the rest of your face is muted, then give your lips a full dose of colour with a bright pink lip colour, be it rose, pink or fuchsia. For a more glam night out, pick a bright coral; it is the new red for the season and complements skin tone beautifully. To get a soft matte finish, use a lip pencil dipped in lip balm to fill in your mouth. Or use a gloss and gently blot away the shine. No harsh lip line if you want to look hip.

HIP HAIR

Like rest of the look, hair this season is fuss free and off your face. Low buns, high ponytails, pulled-back braids, loose waves and headbands define tress trend for spring. Slick back your hair and twist it around to form a low bun at the nape. Pull out a few strands to soften the hairstyle. To add glamour to this style, simply make a side part and then pull back the hair into a low chignon. Pull up your hair into a really high ponytail and wrap the base with hair to give a sophisticated look. To dress it up, use a wide silk or organza ribbon to tie up a large bow around the ponytail. A headband is no longer a schoolgirl hair accessory. It adds femininity to adult hair dos as well. Ornate or stretchy bands are a fashionable way to keep hair off your face.