It's time to put away the neutrals and unearth the blossom-inspired brights
Spring is finally here, and with it comes an influx of color everywhere. To help navigate the transition from icy winter into a season that's all about blossoms and new growth, we asked celebrity makeup artist Jenn Streicher to weigh in on the products that get her ready to celebrate. "While the spring makes us naturally lean toward the light and bright, I think this season will take it to a new level," says the cosmetics talent who regularly makes up actresses including Emily Blunt, Claire Danes and Ginnifer Goodwin. "I have seen so many new bold mascara and eyeliner colors and lots of new flower-inspired lipstick hues."
But all that vivid color needs an appropriate base. Says Streicher, "Those bright hues always look best on a nice bronzed, sun-kissed face." Her trick: adding a bit of St. Tropez Instant Glow Face Lotion to her moisturizer in the AM, enhancing it with a hint of color that washes off at the end of the day. "It's perfect on everyone -- even my grandma uses this trick!" An alternative is good old bronzer. "Tom Ford's Beauty Bronzing Powder is so beautiful everyone should be bronzing with it. I love that it comes in two formulas -- one provides just a hint of golden shimmer and one has no shimmer at all. Perfection."
Once your skin is nice and golden, you're ready to introduce color to the rest of the face. There are more or less two choices: emphasize the eye or emphasize the lip. When it comes to the latter, Streicher is slightly obsessed with -- Hourglass Opaque Rouge Lipstick, a matte liquid formula that "could last you an entire pool party and then some." The tangerine-red Riviera shade is her ultimate fave. Additionally, Streicher considers Tom Ford's new semi-transparent, high-shine Lip Shine lipsticks to be a must, especially in the electric pink Ravenous.
If bold eyes are more in your comfort zone, the makeup artist advises that brows are still a big thing to place emphasis on. "I love this look. For a more spring-y [version] try pairing it with less or no mascara, or rub a little Aquaphor between your fingers and apply it to the lash tips for a little definition." For more color, Streicher looks to the shade of the year -- and the theme of spring. "Green is the new black this year, so I'm excited to rock Chanel's waterproof Stylo eyeliner in Jade -- a beautiful metallic minty green that is surprisingly versatile -- this spring." So take a cue from nature -- after all, spring has sprung.
This post was originally published on Beauty Bender.