Ahhhh, Spring...a time that brings us Cadbury's Creme Eggs, a chance to ditch our winter wardbrobes and a whole host of pretty new makeup collections! I love Springtime because there's loads of products around that look (and make you feel) fresh and pretty. It's all about pastels, peaches, pinks and generally shades that are associated with springtime flowers. I'm loving the simplicity of lilac shades or pale blues with a slick of thick black eyeliner.
I am not a fan of the Nars Orgasm Blush but I DO love the Nars Orgasm Nail Polish! It's a sheer peach polish with lots of gold reflects that would look great against any skintone. It's delicate enough to just work for anyone. I like to apply two coats to get the right amount of intensity and have found it lasts really well. It's a very natural and pretty shade so if you are more into vamp nails then this obviously won't be your thing.
I never thought I would wear an Orange nail polish but RMK's Nail Colour in Orange really works for me and it will look perfect in the summer months too. Its more of a pastel orange that verges on a strong peach shade and it's definitely accentuated with a tan! Once again, you need two coats of this to get full coverage on the nail but it dries quickly so no need to worry about smudges (my personal pet peeve!).
There's something about pastel lilacs that just scream SPRING to me and this Illamasqua Nail Polish in Jo'Mina is the perfect bright pastel shade to put a smile on my face at this time of year. This shade is just so unique and only a hardcore brand like Illamasqua could deliver it. It looks beautiful on fingernails and toenails and I will be wearing this non-stop in the next few months. Love it!
I am officially addicted to peachy toned blushes and they are more than perfect for Springtime because they make your face look bright, luminous and radiant. Peachy tones go perfectly with my lightly golden skin (with the help of gradual fake tan!) and as soon as I apply it, my skin comes alive. A great brightening peach blush is Topshop's Blush in Rosy. I don't think the shade name is appropriate since I associate 'rosy' with more dusky pink shades. Also I'm never keen on the sponge applicator blushes because they can be unhygenic and messy. I often prefer to pull the sponge off and just apply the product with my usual blusher brush. This blush is a wonderful sheer veil of colour for your cheeks with very slight shimmer (akin to Benefit Coralista). It's a really pretty shade that would look great on fair to medium skintones but I don't think it would show up so well on darker skins.
I adore this next blush/highlighter product and it's the much talked about Estee Lauder Signature 5 Tone Shimmer Powder for eyes, cheek and face. The peachy pink shades in the pan are just so flattering and look gorgeous on the skin, PLUS it doubles up as a fantastic highlighter too! You can either choose which shades you want to apply or swirl your brush over the whole pan. I find myself just sitting looking at the pan because it's so beautiful. It has a very illuminating effect on the skin and is subtle enough to be worn in the daytime because the shimmer is so finely milled with no chunky pieces of glitter (I hate having glittery cheeks so I would never recommend anything that has that effect). I love that this is two products in the one compact and although I thought I wouldn't deviate from Benefit Coralista for anything, this compact has tempted me away!
I never wear strong coloured lipsticks/glosses during the day because I prefer to look a bit more natural (well, as natural as you can look with a full face of makeup!ha ha). I always gravitate towards pink and peach tones for my lips because they always compliment my skintone and hair colour. One multi-taksing lip product I have been using and loving lately is the Clarins Instant Light Natural Lip Perfector in Apricot Shimmer, which is a lip care product and lipgloss in one tube. It's a tinted gel formulation that nourishes and moisturises your lips as you wear it. I love the practical tube packaging with the mess-free sponge applicator and the way it makes my lips look nice and plump!
Pale blue eyeshadow worn in the wrong way can look cheap and tacky but if you do it right, it can look really fresh and current. The first rule of thumb is to NEVER apply the pale blue eyeshadow above your crease. The second tip is that when you wear pale shades on the lids, it's important to either add a contour to the crease for definition and/or use an eyeliner to add definition to your lashline. I like wearing this RMK Crayon & Powder Eyes in Light Blue all over my lid (crayon as a base first, then powder over that). I then add a thick line of black liquid eyeliner all along my top lashline. I love the contrast between the pale blue and black and because the look is so simple, it's hard to get wrong. It's important not to wear a shade on the lips that is too pale or frosty or you will run the risk of looking washed out. I love this RMK product because it's quick and easy to use, the colour is gorgeous and the packaging is really practical.
I have heard so much controversy online and on TV over Rihanna's new raunchy video for her single 'S&M'. I'm not entirely sure why anyone is surprised that Rihanna's went down this route because her image is, and has been for some time, very sexual! I mean pop stars have always been controversial in this respect (hello Elvis, Madonna and Lady GaGa) and the fact that alot of people are outraged and have been talking about it just makes people want to see the video EVEN more. So Rihanna can sit back and enjoy all the publicity! I personally love this song but the only problem is, I find myself singing the lyrics out loud, then pray that no one has overheard me!ha ha. I do think it's a dodgy one for Rihanna's younger fans because you certainly wouldn't want your kids watching the video! What do you think?
Also, on a MUCH more serious note, my heart goes out to all those poor people in Australia who are being affected by the floods and now a hurricane/cyclone in the next 12 hours. They are in my thoughts and I'm praying that it passes without any fatalities.
