‘Florals? For Spring? Ground-breaking.’ (Opening a fashion article with that quote? Ground-breaking.) Except, Miranda Priestly’s eviscerating dismissal (coupled with a withering stare) is perhaps not quite right. Floral colours in spring can be pretty exciting if done differently, as Spring 2019’s makeup trends reveal.
I know I’m not alone in having the sudden urge to run scantily clad around Port Meadow whenever the first signs of Spring begin to show. There’s something so exciting and refreshing to see some sunshine and blossom after a long, cold Hilary term. It’s no surprise then that unshakeable from spring makeup trends are soft, pastel florals; and whilst these colours are still cherished this season, they are also turned on their heads and amped up a little as evident through the top 5 makeup trends of Spring.
- Dewy skin
When perfected this doesn’t have to look like you’ve just emerged into Bridge smoking area following an enthusiastic boogie to ‘Dancing in the Moonlight’ somehow remixed with ‘Dance Wiv Me’ (God, I miss Bridge). The key is ensuring skin is cleansed, exfoliated and blotted beforehand, before applying a moisturiser or skin oil- Moroccanoil Treatment Light, for instance, is a lightweight, moderately priced option. Then, plenty of highlighter. I always find a liquid one has the most pay off, and adds to the dewy look, in a light colour like Nars Copacabana, in strategic areas of your face (ie: cheekbones, brow bones and cupid’s bow). Some pinky blush will also add to this youthful look.
- Metallic/glitter eyes/ lips
See, this is where the inversion of classic spring trends comes in. Nothing looks cooler this spring than contrasting a flowery dress and kitsch accessories with harsher, colder, metallic eyes (or lips!). This can be done to any level of extremity, from a dab of silver or gold in the corner of the eye, to full-on metallic pink lids and lips. One of the best mid-range product to try this on your lips is Too Faced’s Melted Matte-Tallic liquified lipsticks that come in 13 shades; their Magic Metal Transformer can even be applied on top of this to amp up the colour to holographic levels. For eyes, Stila has various liquid eyeshadow offerings to bring a harder, shinier element to your spring makeup, and any form of loose glitter can easily be applied anywhere (!) with enough Vaseline (!!!).
- Bright eyes
A bright pop of colour on the eyes adds an edgier look to your spring ensemble, especially when coupled with otherwise minimal makeup. Opt for bold, primary colours like reds, deep greens and blues; dark pinks are also allowed. Eyeshadows with high pigmentation levels are best to achieve this look, I find Sleek’s palettes offer a huge variety of colours with really good pay off, and usually for around a tenner. Make this look even punchier with a slick flick of liquid liner, black or neon colours would be my suggestion, with NYX offering some really cool liquid colours (from bright red ‘Fire’ to one called ‘Envy’, ooh!) for only £6.50.
- Glossy eyes/ lips
I think this is quite a 90s/00s trend because it almost invites you to use all those lipglosses you got free in Shout when you were ten. You can wear this look on either your eyes, or lips for a subtler approach, or both for a high impact look. What’s best is that it can be easily achieved by simply putting your eyeshadow colour of choice on and then glossing over it with lip balm or coconut oil. I recommend pinks, reds and oranges coupled with a berry or rose stain on the lips. Wear this around golden hour, catch the light and there’s a banging Instagram shot in that.
- Blush, lots of blush
Finally, for those days when you really don’t have time for any of the above because, let’s face it, you go to Oxford, blush is a great bet. Depending on your mood you could opt for a more out-there red, a peach or a pink. If the rest of your makeup is minimal to non-existent, you have a bit more license to go wild with a brighter colour. Be liberal in your application- it’s spring after all!!
