The season of change is in the air. While buds come to bloom, glowing natural beauties come to the forefront of makeup trends with effortless and classic makeup and hair looks featuring pops of colour including bold blue eyeliners and moody plum polishes.

In tune with the season’s “bare is better” motto, nearly nude nails are on trend for day and night. We like to see this paired with an equally “natural” makeup look that goes sheer on the face. For a pinch of fun, go for shades of pink on the lips in the day and save vampy red or plum tones for aprés work drinks.

Versatile and gorgeous, we love this season’s bare essentials philosophy. To get the look at home, sample our recommendations for the best of this spring’s latest beauty products.

Runway looks for spring are sheer and nude, so caking on concealer to cover up a problem areas is not the best solution. To achieve the dewy fresh glow in trend this season, you’ll have to go skin deep.

Clear, well-moisturized skin is the best makeup primer. Masks are an effective way get to the root of skin issues, and remove any dulling debris. If your skin is lacking lustre, try Shiseido White Lucent Power Brightening Mask, which uses ion force technology and brightening ingredient to refresh, highlight and tone skin.

Or should it be fines lines that plague you, turn back time, and repair the damage done to your skin by winter with Fresh Lotus Youth Preserve Face Cream with super 7 complex. This must-have skincare product is composed of lotus flower extract blue-green algae extract, hibiscus fruit extract, fig fruit extract, with a dose of vitamin C and E — every heathy complexion needs its vitamins. When applied twice a day to clean skin, this concoction is age-defying thanks to its secret ingredient, maca root, a noted trigger for high cell turnover.

Another pick for all ages is Nuxe Nuxellence Jeunesse. The flower power in this one not only lends the product its subtle fresh fragrance, but helps repair and protect skin DNA with passion flower, anchusa and poppy petals, while also relying on the strength of the popular maca root to activate skin rejuvenation.

When talking about beauty sometimes we can get caught up in the bigger picture and miss the details that define us. The eyes don’t lie; the area around your peepers reveal everything from how much sleep you’ve been getting to how much water you’re not drinking. To combat telltale lines, circles and puffiness, try Shiseido Bio-Performance corrective eye cream. The formula’s anti-aging super-bio yeast extract, rosemary extract and vitamin A acetate help soothe tired eyes, while also minimizing the look of wrinkles.

Now that you have primed your face, it’s time to create the almost-nude look that dominated the runway this season. (We personally loved the retro-inspired take on the trend shown at Alice + Olivia’s Spring 2013 presentation.)

As most of us don’t have naturally flawless skin, to glow like the models of Rag & Bone’s spring runway or go bare like Balmain’s au naturel lovelies, start with M.A.C Mineralize Moisture foundation. Or, should you prefer powder to liquid, we recommend Chanel’s Les Beiges Healthy Glow Sheer Powder. Next, apply a warm glow to the cheeks with Bobby Brown Retouching Powder in rose or peach. Use with Bobbi Brown’s sheer brush to avoid heavy handed strokes colouring your cheeks.

Fear florescent lighting no more (or at least less) with Benefit’s Fake Up. The product’s crease-control hydrating concealer will hide your secrets, and afford nurturing vitamin E and apple seed the time get work on ridding dark circles and lines from your life to keep your eyes looking youthful and awake.

Finish the look with NARS Light Reflecting Setting Powder, a translucent solution to keeping your face fresh, or add shimmer with Chanel Illuminating Powder for an added healthy glow.

With the bright and the bold in trend this spring for lips, keeping your pout moisturized is imperative for smooth application. We trust in Fresh Sugar Lip Polish treatment to pamper lips, ultimately preventing against lipstick settling into unsightly cracks and crevasses.

Our heart skips a beat for the luxurious deep red lips that rocked the runway at the Spring/Summer shows for Burberry and Rochas. Get the head-turning look yourself with Chanel Rogue Coco Shine in Dialogue. Once you have that shade on your kisser, the boys will turn speechless, unable to take their eyes away from your lips — the irony behind the name. If you prefer something with more pizzazz Chanel Rogue Coco Shine in Fiction is a royal red with gold flecks, or if like Prada you prefer poppy, we give you Shiseido Perfect Rouge lipstick in Day Lily for a subtle sparkle punch.

For Rocker gals, look to Haider Ackermann’s Spring/Summer models for beauty inspiration and head to the dark side with a deep metallic purple pucker. Dramatic as it is, this runway look works, though it may come off seeming a little extra…as in extra-terrestrial to some. Get a toned down version of the look with Chanel Rogue Allure Envoutante, a cross between dark purple and deep red, or BITE Beauty’s Matte Crème lipstick in Pastille Violet.

And girly girls need not fret; a fancy for the softer shades of the rainbow will not make you a trend outcast, subtle pinks and peaches remain divine this season. Just see the peachy pout of the models on Calvin Klein Collection’s Spring/Summer runway, then reach for Dior Addict Vibrant Color Spectacular Shine in Cadide or Sephora + Pantone Universe in Georgia Peach to replicate it.

For lip gloss fans, Benefit Ultra Plush Lip Gloss in A-Listed will have you giddy for girly colours, while BITE Beauty’s in Pastille Lilac clothes your lips more conservatively with an opaque pink hue. For those with no interest in looking pretty in soft pink, bolder variations come in the form of Lancôme Baume in Love‘s Urban Ballet, a sheer hot pink.

And then of course there are the nudes. Alexander Wang’s nude on nude look is a must this Spring, dare you go beauty naked. There are so many product options available currently to achieve this particular look, but we’re personally obsessed with Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics’ collection of nude Lip Tars, perfect for mix matching and customizing your own brilliant shade of bare. The smallest dot of its liquid lip formula offers a highly pigmented matte finish, so no need to worry about running out of this one too fast.

Another favourite of ours is Butter London’s Lippy Starkers Collection, which offers a choice between metallic and matte in Old Bill and Tea with the Queen respectively.

Should you still be worried about flaky lips, look to the creaminess of  M.A.C Mineralize Rich lipstick in Posh for a dose of colour and nourishing lip care.

And the final touch after you’ve found your idea lip shade: BITE Beauty Plumping Lip Oil available at Sephora to add a glossy finish to matte looks with a zip of cinnamon. Derived from all-natural ingredients, as are all of BITE’s beauty products, we dare you to try and not lick your lips.

This spring may be all about the nudes, but colour finds a home on lids ready to be center stage.

Orange burst! Chloe and Balenciaga added a strip of rusty tangerine on models’ eyelids for a a punch of glamour, and we suggest doing the same with NARS Matte Eyeshadow in Persia, or opt for the vibrant blue of Lancôme in Love collection’s Jade Crush. For a variation on the shade, Lancôme Color Design Infinite 24h in tremendous turquoise adds aqua shimmer to your look, ideal for a first date when fluttering eyes help to increase the chance of a fluttering heart. Stay in the shades of green with Sephora + Pantone Universe Smooth Pencil Stick available in Emerald.

Glimmer was on designers’ brains as much as bursts of colour this Spring with both Marc by Marc Jacobs and Lanvin outlining eyes with liner and subtle grey shimmer. Try M.A.C Glamour Daze Extra Dimension eye shadow in Metallic Extra for a stop-them-in-their-tracks look. Add an outline of Dior Diorshow Mono shadow in Khol — which can go on wet or dry — to create a sense of mystery with a black shadowing effect.

For a more demure daytime look, Dior Chérie Bow eye shadow duo color stick and blending powder in Grey Sigh is perfect, and is a handy tool for on the go touch ups i.e. controlled application even in a moving cab.

Going for the barely there look of course is also an option this season. Sephora + Pantone Universe Color Theory Shadow Block in elemental allows you the options of creating two of the season’s most popular looks: go nude or dress your lid with the emerald option as designer Derek Lam did this Spring/Summer. Make the most of the palette and use the nudes to tone down the green to your desired intensity. There’s also Benefit Creaseless Cream Eyeshadow/Liner in Bikini-tini for an ultra natural shade, while Lancôme Color Design Infinite 24h in Persistent Peach offers the subtlest hint of colour to perk up your look.

With most things in life you want a good base to build upon, and then you want a perfect finish. And, when talking about nails, what could be a better start and more perfect finish than a basecoat and topcoat that boasts non-toxic and natural ingredients? Nothing! Enter Butter London’s Nail Foundation Flawless Basecoat and Hardwear P.D. Quick Topcoat, tops on our list of toxic-free formulas to keep nails beautifully glossy…and healthy!

Keep it in the family with the Butter London’s Starkers Collection, a great option to cheat the effect of elongated nails. If you’re in the mood for some fun, we suggest trying on the highly talked about 3.1 Philip Lim spring nail: choose the Crumpet shade from Butter London and pair it with Dior Nail Lacquers in Dris Tianon for a tasteful and on trend two-toned nail.

If you’re like us, you like to match lips and nails — not all the time, but definitely sometime, and with the season’s selection of colours, this Spring is that perfect “sometimes.” To get this look, simply look to Chanel Le Vernis nail colour to find the colour that will best accent your lip. Try the Cinema shade should your pout be red, or pair a seductive plum lipstick with Provocation’s irresistible allure, or for the girl in the floral print and pink lips, there’s the Emprise in pale pink for a sweet finishing touch .

Don’t let your perfect manicure go to waste. Tuck Body Shop Absinthe Purifying Hand Cream into your purse for a ready moisture perk throughout the day. Bonus, it promises to conceal any odours that your oh so yummy panini left lingering.

Before we talk about hair style, lets start at ground zero.

After winter your ends are split, your layers blend, and your straw like hair is beginning to make you look more homebody than social butterfly. Nip your problems at the source with Redken’s All Soft line of shampoo and conditioner, which uses argan oil to combat dry brittle hair.

Before you condition, we suggest an extra moisture boost with Giovanni 2Chic Avocado & Olive Oil for dry and damaged hair to repair and prevent splits and breaks. However, Spring is a busy time what with all the change in the air, and sometimes we can’t spare 10 minutes for a hair mask, but that’s not to say we don’t want healthy locks. Redken understands the difficulty of juggling a busy schedule with a time consuming beauty routine, which is why it developed their leave-in Soft Argan-6 Oil treatment, which instantly smoothes frizzy split ends.

Now on to style, this spring, the hair trends are on our side; we’re looking at effortless waves as seen at Diane von Furstenberg or the floppy half-in-half-out bun showcased at Chloe. Get your own Valentino-esque voluminous low bun to hold in place with a spray of Redken Control Addict 28 High Control Hairspray. The texture added by the spray is enough to perfect this under five minute hairdo.

A more formal hair trend this season is Vera Wang’s take on an up-do. Models on the designer’s Spring/Summer runway opted for a bird nest style that avoided adhering to any of the usual negative connotations associated with the phrase. To get the look, take the hair from the right side and cross it over to the left, do the same thing on the left side (feel free to add mini braids into the mix), finally pin in place with bobbies, and hold ‘er down with more Redken Control Addict 28 High Control Hairspray. Like we said, the trends on our side this Spring.

 

 

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