Pretty Makeup Look For Spring: Glowing Skin & Glossy Lips

As soon as the weather starts to feel slightly milder, blue skies are a more regular occurrence and the sunshine starts to creep through the clouds, I can't wait to change my makeup. In Winter, I tend to go for more matte finishes, so in Spring I like to amp up the glow factor and go for more dew. I don't want anything heavy, but I want to look polished and still need a little more makeup than I do when summer has fully flourished.

For this look, I start by priming my skin with the Smashbox Photo Finish Primer, which works really well to smooth any areas of enlarged pores and uneven texture. I'm not usually a fan of slippy silicone-based formulas, but I can't deny that this one helps to boost the longevity of my makeup and keeps it looking perfect for much longer. For foundation, I reach for my trusty Illamasqua Skin Base, which I apply with my beloved Beauty Blender. This is perfect when I want a flawless coverage that's still got a slight sheen to it, as it has a thick, creamy formula that doesn't dry down to a totally matte finish. Being so concentrated, a little really goes a long way with this base.

When the weather gets brighter, I never want to go crazy with contouring as I find it can look too harsh and fake. Instead, I stick to some non-touring, using a very light concealer pencil to highlight areas without the need to create shadows. My favourite product for the job is the Nudestix Concealer Pencil in Light 1, as it comes in pencil form which makes it quick and easy to precisely draw on where you want it, without dragging. As it's the palest shade in the range, it highlights amazingly and the creamy texture just melts on to the skin and blends in seconds. To cover any imperfections and redness around my nose, I pat on some of the Becca Ultimate Coverage Concealing Creme. This has a similar finish to the Illamasqua foundation and looks really natural on the skin, despite having such a high coverage. I love wearing this concealer alone on really lazy days!

To set my foundation, without blotting away all that sought after glow, I use my favourite Hourglass Ambient Lighting Palette. These powders are just incredible, creating a lit-from-within effect on the skin that's so flattering even in harsh sunlight. To add a bit of colour back into the face, I simply sweep some of the Soap & Glory Solar Powder Bronzer across my cheekbones, forehead, nose and chin. Having such a finely-milled texture and neutral hue, this bronzer is totally fool-proof, giving a subtle colour and almost airbrushed finish. On the back of my cheeks, rather than the apples, I dust the smallest amount of MAC Love Joy. This Mineralize Blush is a warming mauve shade which is gorgeous for this time of year, but it's so strongly pigmented that it needs a delicate hand to apply it. Be warned! For my highlight, I first apply a creamy base in the form of Illamasqua Lies, for a super glossy, wet-look shine. Seeing as this is more of a daytime look, I then tone down the shine slightly by dusting a little of Hourglass' Incandescent Light over the top.

Moving on to the eyes, I use a mixture of eyeshadow shades (All About Eve, Fez, Coconut Grove and Bali) from the limited-edition Nars Narsissist Eyeshadow Palette, keeping the lighter shades towards the inner part of the lid and the darker towards the outer third. Although it's been discontinued, it contains a lot of the shades still available in the permanent collection. To line my eyes, I use my new discovery, The Body Shop's Skinny Felt Eyeliner, to create quite a thick line and mini flick to gently lift the eyes. I find the finely-pointed tapered pen so effortless to use, but it does need a vigorous shake to avoid the pen drying out halfway through application. As always, I curl my lashes with my trusty Kevyn Aucoin Eyelash Curler, before slicking on a few coats of the Chanel Inimitable Intense Mascara. Although it's expensive, this mascara creates amazing volume and length, all whilst keeping the lashes well separated, so I don't feel the need to wear falsies when I use it.

For my brows, I simply groom through them with a spooley, before letting my Hourglass Arch Brow Sculpting Pencil do all the hard work. The chunky slanted tip allows you to fill the brows in thoroughly, but as it's not so fine, it prevents you from being too precise. I personally love that, as it helps your brows to stay looking natural, rather than overly defined and sharp. 

On my lips, I first line them with my beloved Laura Mercier Natural Lip Lip Liner, which is the perfect shade for lighter skin-tones, when you want to subtly enhance the shape and volume of your lips without the colour looking too ashy or dark. Layered on top of that, I slick on some of the Essence Lip Lacquers, which are essentially a creamy, highly pigmented lip gloss. I picked up two shades on a whim, Beauty Secret (a light dusky pink) and Make A Statement (a rich raspberry). Considering how much of a bargain these glosses were at just £2 each, I was intrigued to see how they'd perform and I've been pleasantly surprised by them. They don't feel sticky whatsoever and last for a few hours before fading evenly. They're have an opaque colour payoff and leave behind a slight stain on the lips once the gloss has disappeared. I can't seem to find them online, but you can pick them up in Wilko stores.

Are you excited to mix up your makeup for Spring?

AGB X