Welcome the sunshine, and stay optimistic, by embracing brightly coloured make-up, writes Phyl Clarke
I always look on the bright side of life, and this season make-up colours couldn't be brighter. With the upturn in the weather and glorious days that herald the start of a long, hot summer, let's look at some new colours to refresh your make-up palette. Although these new colours can scream from the counters with their parrot brightness, don't dismiss them, as many are not as unwearable as they first may seem.
One of the easiest ways to update your look is with a new lipstick. It used to be a ritual of mine to buy a new lip colour on the way home from the hairdresser: new haircut, new lipstick, new me - what a confidence booster. The power of a good haircut and a fresh lippy shouldn't be underestimated. The right colour will make your eyes sparkle, your cheeks glow and your teeth appear whiter.
Of the new brights, pink is certainly the most wearable, and there is a shade to suit any age. The modern way to wear pink lipstick is with a tinted moisturiser base (you can use a concealer or stick foundation to even out areas that need a little more coverage first). This tint will give a natural glow to the skin and avoid the matte effect which kills the fresh zing of the pink.
Then the depth of pink is up to you. If you are going for a full-on lipstick, it must not be pearly or you're back in the 1960s. No 7Stay Perfect in Sweet Lips is spot on for just €11.50. It's a cream finish which you can apply and blot back to a stain if you so desire, and I do. If you prefer a gloss, the ever popular Lancôme'sJuicy Tubes come in some great brights at €18.50, and you will never walk away from the MACcounter without a shade to suit you from their stock of 250 lip colours at €18. Bobbi Brown'sRosy deserves a mention at €22.
The brights for eyes are a bit trickier. Givenchyare renowned for their clever and wearable palettes, and they have come up trumps again with Prismissime Eyes - a paintbox of nine colours in matte, pearlescent and metallic shades of summer, guaranteeing gorgeous eyes for €45. Stilaare a great brand for eye colours and their shade Ray (€19) is bright without being garish. You would be hard-pressed to leave the counter with just one of their fabulous eye duos. The bright trend is covered beautifully for €34. A dinky little set from Isadorathe brand ticks all the boxes, including good value. Available at pharmacies throughout the land, they are offering a triple eyeshadow set in the Funky Roses set for just €10.99. It's a great way to try this look.
A wee tip on bright eyeshadows. If you want the vividness of the new bright colours, but don't want to look as if you've had your face painted at the local fete, simply apply bright blue, green, orange or even pink eyeshadow as a base for paler grey, white or brown eyeshadows. Layered like this, you will get a hint of both warming and bright colour.
Of course the easiest way to work this trend is on your nails, and toenails are going to be on view a bit more, we hope. Visit your favourite counter, as they all have a myriad of colours to choose from. This is possibly a good time for the bright orange, which can be difficult to wear, but looks great with tanned feet (brush on a bit of bronzing powder) and your new metallic sandals.
Here comes the sun.