10 hot beauty trends for spring 2010

Instant vacation

Forget “San Tropez tan”-or “Oompa Loompa orange,” as we like to call it. This spring the look is a “luminous baby glow,” says Physician’s Formula star artist Joanna Schlip. “Focus on looking natural and healthy instead of just piling on too much dark bronzer.” Schlip touts the brand’s new Bamboo Wear Bamboo Silk Bronzer (pictured, $14, refillable compact $10, drugstores) and recommends using a fluffy brush to “sweep bronzer on the cheekbones, on your temples, and under your chin for a natural effect.” Also try: Nars Orgasm Illuminator ($36, Holt Renfrew in March).

Go nude

Barely-there lip colour was a hit at recent Calvin Klein and Vera Wang runway shows.  But how to wear the nude lip without looking like a card-carrying member of the undead? Choose shades with a hint of warming colour and avoid all matte textures. Chanel’s new Rouge Coco in Perlé (pictured, $38, Chanel counters, March 1) has a hint of warming pink and meadowfoam oil for moisture, while Rimmel’s new Royal Gloss in Cookie ($7, drug and mass retailers) adds subtle shimmer to its tranquil paleness. Voilà-nude with zip.

Make nails pop

Used to be simple, if so predictable: dark shades for fall, pink for spring. But as OPI’s artistic director, Suzi Weiss Fischmann, observes, “Now, strong colours are a year-round staple.” Lancôme’s Pop Petrol Vernis (pictured, $21) is an exuberant oil-slick of iridescent blue while OPI’s Jade is the New Black is a deep, powerful green ($10, salons). For a more subdued but equally unexpected colour, Chanel’s new mushroomy taupe Particulière ($26, Chanel counters) is as statement-making as a Chanel jacket, but costs roughly $4,974 less.

Pick a new flower

First violet syrup started showing up in trendy cocktails and now the fragrant flower itself stars in a clutch of new fragrances. Victor & Rolf’s Eau Mega (30 mL, $90, selected Bay stores) blends violet leaf with pear and basil for zest, Bulgari’s BLV D’été (30 mL, $58) is a sparkling mix of wet violet sharpened with mint while Balenciaga (50 mL, $110, Holt Renfrew) adds mossy woods to violet for a darker, unexpectedly sensual fragrance. Also try: Guerlain Insolence Blooming Edition (pictured, 50 mL, $84) and Yves Saint Laurent Parisienne (50 mL, $70).

Strong brows

“Put the tweezers down,” implores makeup artist Troy Surratt. The new modern brow, while not an unruly 1980s “Brooke Shields,” is lush yet groomed. So if you’ve overplucked your brows to tadpole thinness, let them grow in, and fill in sparse areas choosing a brow pencil in a lighter-than-expected shade (even on dark brows) using short, quick, upward strokes.  Try: Giorgio Armani Beauty Eyebrow Defining Pencil in #2, ($29, Holt Renfrew) and Benefit’s Instant Brow pencil in light to medium (pictured, $24, Shoppers Drug Mart Beauty Boutiques).

Get the blues

Break out of that “smudged brown eye pencil” rut with a shot of blue eyeshadow. Clarins Cotton Flower Collector Eye Palette ($42, drug and department stores) is a totally wearable blue with a touch of smokiness while Quo Renaissance Eye Quad in Michelangelo (pictured, $20, Shoppers Drug Mart) showcases exuberant aqua shades. For a subdued version, L’Oréal Paris makeup artist Eddie Maleterre suggests “layering your blue shadow over a white base so it becomes a pastel.” L’Oréal Paris HIP duo in Animated ($10, drug and mass retailers) pairs shimmery white with richly pigmented blue.

Lash out

Intense eyelashes make a statement this spring and with each new mascara formulation comes a new style of brush. The spiked ball wand on Givenchy Phenomen’eyes ($32, Sephora) promises to find those hard-to-reach corner lashes (L’Oréal Paris Telescopic Explosion is the mass-market version, $13, drugstores). Lancôme Hypnôse Drama ($30) has an oversize corkscrew brush to easily build volume. And going smaller and narrower, Clinique’s High Lengths (pictured, $18, department stores) sports a gently arched, slender wand that promises to seek out, coat and lengthen even your stubbiest micro-lashes.

Rich girl hair

Repeat after me: Fried, stripy highlights out; plush, glossy hair in. Give your god-given mane a boost with a new demi-permanent haircolour. Ammonia-free with lower peroxide levels, these new-generation colorants are safe for even damaged, colour-treated hair and wash out gradually without telltale roots. Luis Pacheco, consultant colorist for Clairol, recommends staying within one to two shades of your real colour for the most natural effect to amplify your colour, not dramatically alter it. “Living through a Canadian winter, with the lack of sun, your hair darkens. This is a quick pick-me-up.” Try: Clairol Natural Instincts Rich Colour Crème (pictured, $9.99 – $11.49), L’Oréal Paris Healthy Look Crème Gloss Colour ($11.99) and Garnier Herbashine ($10.49), all in drugstores.

Always appear salon fresh

Looking for more mileage from that salon blow-out? Dry shampoo is your newest ally.  As Luis Pacheco of Toronto’s Blown blow-dry bar explains, “dry shampoo can prolong a blow-dry so you use less heat on the hair, which means less damage.” Tresemmé’s new Fresh Start (pictured, $6.49, drugstores, beginning in March) and Kevin Murphy Fresh Hair (pictured, $22, salons) use micronized clay particles that absorb oil and give instant oomph to a flattened hairstyle while citrus oils add a subtle, freshening scent. Also try: Rene Furterer Naturia Dry Shampoo ($30, Sephora).

Show some skin

If you covet this spring’s barefaced look, but need to hide blemishes, follow CoverGirl pro Greg Wencel’s tips of the trade. Prep skin with as little foundation as possible or even just moisturizer. Then, “use a brush to merely detail imperfections with concealer, not mask them. Stipple on a sheer layer, then pat it in with your finger.” His best and most surprising tip? “Choose half a shade darker than you think you should go, or your concealer will look too light and obvious.” Try: CoverGirl & Olay Simply Ageless Concealers and Correctors (pictured, $15 each, drugstores) and Marcelle concealer palette ($16, drugstores).

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