Spring clean your beauty regime

Spring has sprung and what better way to celebrate than to dab on some cheeky blusher, a splash of pretty eyeshadow and some vibrant post winter pick-me-up lippy. Here we take a peek at the new season make-up trends, the must-have hair products and the essential skincare buys to update and freshen up your look in an instant.

Flirty Florals

Spring fashion is awash with fresh, flirty florals and really pretty girly looks. Romantic charm and dreamy frocks are everywhere this season and makeup too has taken its inspiration from all things floral. Think pretty shades of pink, purple, lilac and coral to freshen up your looks.

Natural glam gal Katherine Heigl looks anything but grey and she’s a fan of uber chic beauty brand Christian Dior whose limited edition Dior Flower Blossom powder and eyeshadow is bursting with pretty girly springtime colours. You too can bloom this spring with a dash of colour from Dior, though this very pretty compact looks almost too good to use!

Add Some Fizz!

For an explosion of fresh, vibrant colour and punchy pastels check out Clarins new Spring 2008 Colour Fizz collection. This fun bright, radiant collection screams energy and freshness. Light up your eyes with beautiful sparkling shades that are funky and fun – eyeshadows (€18) come in 12 shades with a matte, satin or pearl effect. Katie Holmes has embraced this bright bold look this season opting for purple coloured eye liner to add sparkle and contrast to her hazel eyes. You too can instantly look and feel bright eyed this spring by adding a dash of coloured liner on your eyes. For best effect don’t match the colour of your liner to your eye colour and let the contrast make a statement.

Barefaced Chic

For a natural, sexy look this spring opt for the barely there look from Bobbi Brown’s new Nude Lip and Eye Palette collection. These shades are subtle, yet flattering as they complement your own natural skin tones and freshen up your look with sophisticated, understated glamour. Jennifer Aniston is a fan of this natural, sophisticated look and she perfects this barely there makeup on the red carpet with minimum fuss.

Bobbi Brown is renowned for her preference for natural looking makeup and this new limited edition double decker beauty palette from Brown combines some of her favourite shades, which is a must have for anyone who wants to look ultra chic and sophisticated this spring. It has four nude colours for eyes and lips with mini brushes for easy application – what we’re loving about this collection is that you can slip it into your bag for a weekend away, a business trip, a beachy holiday or a night out with the gals and it’s really all you’ll need for cheeky barefaced chic.

Cheerful Yellow

Yellow is the ‘it’ colour this spring – Ashlee Simpson is looking mellow in her yellow bikini on hols in Jamaica recently and this bright, cheerful colour is making a splash in dresses, shoes, accessories and even makeup. Give yourself an instant spring time make-over with a dash of Spring Yellow eye colour (€13.50) from The Make Up Factory. Just make sure you don’t overdo the look and only add a small dash of yellow! Also check out the Make Up Factory’s new Lip Shine in ‘Sweet Orange’ (€13.50) and Blusher in ‘Rose Blossom’ (€13.50).

The Make Up Factory range is available at Arnotts, Debenhams Cork & Blanchardstown, Shaws of Limerick and Drogheda, McCauley Pharmacies and Spas and selected leading pharmacies.

Luscious Locks

As makeup makes a return to romance, so hair does too. Golden beauty Sienna Miller is always bang on trend and her sexy, dishevelled locks are perfectly fashionable this season. Wavy hair is really the big fashion trend this season and it’s one of the easiest looks to achieve – the key is in the prepping and finish. Wash hair and when still wet apply L’Oreal Tec spiral splendor and simply let it dry naturally. Say Yes to Carrots!

Queen Cleopatra maintained her exquisite complexion and legendary beauty by adopting a regime which included bathing in milk and honey and this beauty diva even travelled to the Dead Sea to build the world’s first spa there. Today the beauty secrets and healing properties of the Dead Sea are harnessed in many products around the world and Hollywood royalty such as Catherine Zeta Jones slather on creams rich in nutrients from its salty banks. It’s scientifically proven that the minerals in the Dead Sea help to detox and energise the skin and people travel from all over the globe to soak up its healing properties.

Now a new product, Yes to Carrots combines the anti-oxidant and anti-ageing power of Beta-Carotene from organic fruit and vegetables, with the cleansing, purifying and moisturising properties of 26 minerals, harvested from the Dead Sea. These products really smell delish and good enough to eat, but best of all they are packed with oodles of good for you ingredients like carrot juice, carrot oil, sweet potato and dead sea mud. The line includes products for the face, body and a spa treatment for the hair so you can detox, detangle and de-stress those tresses, naturally. Check out the C Through The Dry Spell Body Butter which will whip your skin into post winter shape in no time. Yes to Carrots are also paraben free, using certified organic ingredients and extremely affordable with prices .

Bright Skin

Let’s face it, we all want to keep our youthful looks and this spring we can revamp our skincare regime with the latest editions and must-have formulas to help keep that youthful glow.

Check out the new Dove Pro Age face care range, which are designed for women who want to look their best, regardless of their age, at prices they can afford.

Dove Pro Age Day Cream with SPF 15 (€16.99). The advanced triple optics system instantly ‘boosts luminosity and makes fine lines disappear’. According to Dove experts the result is radiant skin with visibly reduced fine lines and wrinkles. The range also includes a night cream, a serum, eye treatment and facial cleanser.

Look Good The Morning After!

There’s nothing like a good night’s sleep to help your skin look radiant and healthy. We all know how late nights can take its toll on our complexion leaving our skin looking dull and sluggish. Studies have also shown that over 60% of women regularly experience problematic sleep. But now Elizabeth Arden has added a new powerful anti-ageing cream to its popular Prevage range – the PREVAGE Anti-ageing Night Cream which accelerates the skin’s natural repair process while you sleep, leaving you with a fresh, rested look in the morning.

PREVAGE® Anti-ageing Night Cream is available at Arnotts; Brown Thomas Cork, Limerick and Galway from March 2008 and at Elizabeth Arden Counters nationwide from April 2008. NEW PREVAGE® Anti-ageing Night Cream costs €140.00