A Paler Shade of Black
The cat eye shape and winged liner you perfected by New Years Eve doesn’t have to be retired – use the same practiced technique with gel eyeliner in jewel tones of blue, emerald, or purple, such as Extreme Wear Gel Eyeliner in Strut from Ulta, or Liner Design 402 Indigo Darling by Lancôme. Because the liner is the focal point, I pair it with a soft pink or champagne neutral eyeshadow on the lids, like NYX Cosmetics eyeshadow in Reckoning, or any of the lighter shades from the Coastal Scents Revealed palette I reviewed in my last column, adding white highlighter to my brow bone and lengthening mascara. Right now, I’m loving Maybelline’s Illegal Length and L’Oreal Voluminous Miss Manga formulas. For a wide, doe-eyed look, I simply line my lower lash line with white pencil eyeliner, skipping mascara on my lower lashes, and just a tiny smudged line of matching blue liner in the outer corner.

Blushing Beauty
A gorgeous springtime flush is light and airy, and can be recreated with cotton candy pale shades of pink, or a pinkish bronze for darker complexions, in a small amount to accentuate the cheekbones. To create more contrast, I use a tiny amount of pearl-toned highlighter – my favorite is a travel-sized tube of Benefit’s High Beam that I received as a gift and has lasted me forever – on my cheekbones.

Two-Lips in Bloom
Your choice of lip color creates completely different looks. If you have a hard time not reaching for your bright red holiday staple, go for a punchy shade of fuchsia or orange. I recommend NYC Expert Last Lip Color 405 Blue Rose (the $1 price tag only adds to its appeal!) or Maybelline’s Colorsensational 880 Electric Orange.  To play up your eyes, try a nude or barely there lip look with matte lipsticks or shiny glosses. When I want to play up my inner Bardot, I dab a very light coat of pastel purple, NYX Extra Creamy Round Lipstick in Castle.