After the dark, dreary days of winter, spring is the perfect time to freshen up, and this year’s make-up trends reflect that.
“This season’s trend is a romantic revival inspired by nature,” says Roxana Da Costa, Vice-President of Operations/Senior Educational Administrator for the Aveda Institute Victoria.
This season’s colours range from vibrant to nudes with a great selection of product offerings to satisfy the discriminating tastes of both the “chic and hip” and the sophisticated professional woman.
In a reflection of what we’re seeing on the fashion front, “on one side we are seeing glowing skin with extreme highlighter and neutral lips (but) we can also enjoy the popping colours of green and blue with emphasized blush and red hues on lips.”
Just as spring fashion offers the opportunity to “lighten up” for the office – bearing in mind professional requirements – spring and summer make-up can do the same. At the same time, “stay flexible to the idea of making some adjustments to transform your look to suit a special occasion,” Da Costa advises.
The easiest transformation from a subtle style to a more vivid or “dramatic” look is by focusing on the lips. Bare eyes with just mascara and well-groomed eyebrows and a glowing complexion can be transformed with a vivid or darker colour for the lips (consider using a lip liner for more definition) and emphasized blush.
“‘Fresh-faced’ is one of the trends of this season and this look, with a cared-for hair style, appropriate professional attire, along with a great smile and positive attitude, will make your look not only current, but naturally attractive and beautiful,” Da Costa says, emphasizing that “balance is key – if you prefer a more bare or fresh-faced approach with makeup, then please pay attention to your hair. Bare face and unkept hair can make a woman look sloppy and unpolished.”
“The best tip I can give you is that if you are not makeup savvy or have never worn makeup, set up a lesson with a makeup artist or salon professional,” Da Costa says. “Most hair stylists and aestheticians also have make-up training. A private lesson will offer you a personalized tutorial to suit your own needs and wants.”
Mature women want to remember is that “less is more” and to be careful with the use of shimmer and frosted base colours, which tend to accent lines and wrinkles more. “A well-hydrated skin with cream-textured products can create a beautiful fresh and glowing complexion, thus bringing out a more youthful look,” Da Costa says.
And remember, proper skin care includes a daily sun-protecting lotion, which can include a tinted moisturizer with an SPF, like the Aveda Inner Light Tinted Moisturizer.
Additional products worth considering include those high in anti-oxidants like vitamins A, E and C, along with naturally derived ingredients like astaxanthin (25 times more powerful than vitamin E) alfalfa and algae, Lycopine (tomato extract), bilberry, blueberry and cranberry, resveratrol from the Japanese knot weed. “These are all antioxidants to help fight environmental aggressors and protect skin against free radical damage,” Da Costa says.
