Ignore the jellybeans and chocolate eggs. You can have something sweet this Easter season that is not sugary: trend-right, candy-colored makeup. The cheerful hues give off a youthful, happy vibe while definitively moving your look from winter to spring. Spring is a season of change. Everyone wants a new look or a pick-me-up, says Erin McCarthy of the beauty brand Make Up For Ever. These pastel colors work really well for that. It s a pop of something fun, but it s not too much, not too scary. It s a safe experiment. McCarthy says she saw a lot of peach and pinks on the fashion runways, and they already have made it to the street. It s a very girlie, feminine look. And the best part? No sugar high. Some tips from makeup experts on how to wear these shades: Eyes Pick one area to play up, either the eyes, lips or cheeks, says Dominic Driguglio, Stila celebrity makeup artist, but do not do it all at once. You will get the brightest pop on your eyes, he says. Use a bright blue or green shadow on the lid, no eyeliner and lots of black mascara, he says, or, alternatively, you can do a mix of pink, purple and blue shadows; the pink goes in the center of the lid, purple to contour the corners, the blue at the inner corner, with purple eyeliner applied in a subtle cat-eye shape. Jean Ford, co-founder of Benefit Cosmetics, says light purple and light green are universally flattering and wearable, and McCarthy says she likes a mint green for women with brown eyes, which brings out their natural yellow or golden specks. Think watercolors, adds Achelle Dunaway, creative director at E.L.F. Cosmetics. You ll get that softness. Colors will appear even brighter if you prep the eye area beforehand with a neutral primer. A concealer, applied both around and on top of the lid, would do, according to Ford. Cheeks A creamy product is easier to blend than a powder, says McCarthy, Make Up For Ever s education manager. It also will look more natural. She recommends applying blush with the fingers. (You can do the same with cream blush on the eyelids, McCarthy adds, noting that a little stain of pastel pink or peach at the center of the lid makes for a very flattering look.) But no neon blush, says Benefit s Jane Ford, who likes a multicolored blush-powder compact. Swirl together with your brush flattering shades of peach, soft plum, shimmering pink and rose, then make sure to tap off any excess and sweep the brush upward from your cheekbone to temple to hairline. But just as with the eyes, you need to even out the skin tone first, says Driguglio. If your complexion has traces of green or yellow, you risk looking sick if the cheeks are very pink, and pink makeup on very pink skin can make you look tired, he explains. He does, however, recommend sticking to the same color family for lips and cheeks. It s not so much about a trend with these colors. Nude lips, for example, was a trend but was not flattering on everyone. But a natural pink glow? You just look prettier, says McCarthy. Lips Any lip with a lot of color, be it pink, red, purple or fuchsia, is best complemented with an otherwise neutral face, says E.L.F. s Dunaway. (Think Sandra Bullock at the Oscars, she says.) The candy-colored lip would go well, she says, with another seasonal must-have, the little white dress. For newbies to the world of brighter lipstick, Dunaway suggests starting with a pink that has a noticeable purple undertone. It probably is going to be lighter, sheerer and more wearable than you are expecting, she says. Another way to tone down a deeply pigmented lipstick is to apply a layer of clear gloss on top, Dunaway says, which acts as a filter. Stila s Driguglio s favorite shades right now are a youthful watermelon lip gloss or a flirty bubble-gum pink called Giggle that is offered in a lip enamel (which he promises is not as sticky as a gloss, so blowing hair in the wind is not a problem). They both will announce a new playful, fun-loving attitude, he says. I think pastels are synonymous with brunch or sundresses. There are no places you can t wear them, you just have to wear them right.
