Spring Lips, Cheeks & Nails

I can't say that spring colours are completely my natural territory. I can't imagine anything looking more awful on me than some light peachy nude lip gloss! However I had a look through my collection and actually found a whole load of shades that I love and that are perfect for this time of year. I hope you enjoy my take on spring shades.

Lips

For lips I tend to go for rose or pinky nude shades. I do like something sheer and hydrating but to go a little bit bolder, I still opt for a matte finish.

NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream in Zurich | £5.50

This is a peachy-pink nude but it still has that brown undertone, which I think is what makes it wearable for me. If it was a tad lighter it probably wouldn't suit me but luckily it isn't, making it one of my perfect shades for spring. Although it's a matte finish it isn't drying in the slightest, however it's still got some impressive staying power - you get the best of both worlds, really!

Clinique Chubby Stick Intense in Curviest Caramel | £17

This is similar to Zurich but slightly more subdued, making it a great My Lips But Better colour. I also love the formula (I would 100% recommend the Chubby Stick Intense over the original version) as it's so creamy and pigmented. 

Fresh Sugar Lip Treatment in Petal | £19

I couldn't not include a shade called 'Petal' in a Spring-themed post! This is a nice, sheer, rosy wash of colour and the formula is so hydrating on post-winter lips. I also think the pigmentation is great for this kind of product.

Charlotte Tilbury Matte Revolution Lipstick in Amazing Grace | £23

This is a bit of a hard shade to describe: it's sort of bright, sort of muted, sort of nude, sort of colourful... Charlotte's website bills it as a 'vintage tea rose' (inspired by Grace Kelly) and I'm inclined to agree! I'm a big fan of the Matte Revolution formula; it really is unlike anything I've ever tried. It glides onto the lips without clinging to any dry patches and feels almost hydrating.

Nars Velvet Matte Lip Pencil in Dolce Vita | £20

I know it's slightly odd to have so many mattes in a Spring post but whatever! My final pick is one of my absolute favourite lip products. It's a kind of dusky rose with this little hint of brightness to it. Again, I love the creamy and non-drying formula of this and the fact it applies almost like a stain so looks natural and pretty.

Cheeks

I love to go for a peach-toned or coral blusher with a pretty, dewy highlight on the cheeks. Depending on my mood, with blusher I might go for something fairly bold and matte or something quite subtle and highlighting. For both I've included powder and cream formulas.

MAC Mineralise Skinfinish in Soft and Gentle | £24

If you want to get a gorgeous, dewy highlight without the potential face-shine issues of a cream formula then the MAC Mineralise Skinfinishes were made for you! I have a couple of these now but my shade of choice for this time of year is Soft and Gentle. It's a gorgeous champagne tone that's unlike anything else in my stash. It's so easy to apply and gives a natural glow to the skin.

Topshop Glow Pot in Gleam | £9

For dry skin I recommend using a cream formula to get that pretty glow. My favourite for spring (and one of my favourites overall) is Gleam by Topshop. It's a sort of champagne-gold with a slightly iridescent sheen. It looks absolutely amazing dabbed on the tops of the cheekbones.

Milani Baked Blush in Luminoso | £6

Bridging the gap between blusher and highlighter is Milani's Baked formula. I love the peachy shade Luminoso for spring as it just adds a gorgeous hint of colour and a subtle glow to the cheeks. It's so easy to apply and seems to suit a lot of different people.

Nars Blush in Orgasm | £23

Another highlighting blusher is the famous Orgasm. It's a more pink-toned peach and has a gorgeous golden shimmer running through it. It looks so beautiful and subtle on the cheeks and again I've seen a range of skin tones wear this and look amazing!

Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush in Luminous Flush | £32

This is still a highlighting blusher but doesn't contain shimmer in the traditional sense and is much more pigmented. Luminous Flush is a vibrant coral shade and, despite containing no glitter at all, it gives your skin this amazing 'glow from within'. I've said many times how much I love the a Hourglass blush formula as they're so easy to apply and don't wear off or go patchy during the day.

KIKO Shade Fusion Trio Blush in 03 Abricot | £10.90

Although it doesn't look like it, I actually don't find this KIKO formula dissimilar to Hourglass's, though it isn't quite as glowing it does still give that 'perfected' look (it looks a little 'Chanel Les Beiges' to me). The shade is a sort of vibrant peach-coral-apricot and has a matte look, which is why it's impressive how dimensional it looks on the skin.

Tarte Amazonian Clay12-Hour Blush in Captivating | $28

The Tarte formula is my favourite for matte blushers I think, as it's just so long-lasting and again applies really nicely in the first instance too. Captivating is a vibrant peach shade that gives such a pretty, healthy look to my cheeks.

Rosie for Autograph Cream Blush in English Rose Flush | £14

This is already a firm favourite with me as it's so hard to find cream formulas that give that healthy, natural, dewy look to the skin without disappearing or going greasy by lunchtime, yet this does! It has a slightly thicker almost mousse-like texture which probably helps it stay in place without looking too shiny. It's so easy to apply and is a nice, natural rose shade that's perfect for this time of year.

KIKO Velvet Touch Creamy Stick Blush in 02 Golden Peach | £7.90

My second cream formula has been a firm favourite for a long time and it's actually the best I've ever tried for combination skin. As the name might suggest; it's a peach shade with a subtle golden shimmer running through. This genuinely lasts all day on on me and looks so natural on the skin.

Nails

Finishing up with nails, I've gone for a mix of nudes and coloured pastels for spring.

Barry M Speedy Quick Dry Nail Paint in Pit Stop | £7.99

Ok, I definitely wear this all year round but it was released as part of the Spring collection last year. It's a really light pastel grey shade that's just perfect for everyday wear. I also love that it dries quickly, though that means the formula is a little more brittle and this doesn't stay chip-free for as long as their standard formula. I apply two coats of this to get it completely opaque, which isn't too much effort with this formula as by the time you've applied the first coat to all of your nails, the hand you started on is almost dry.

Barry M Gelly Nail Paint in Butterscotch Sundae | £3.99

I think this is still my favourite Barry M formula as I love the super-shiny finish. Butterscotch Sundae is a gorgeous light nude (on me) with warm caramel undertones. This is a little more chip-resistant but still needs two coats.

Essie Nail Polish in Eternal Optimist | £7.99

Is 'my nails but better' a thing? Because I honestly think this is my perfect natural nail shade. It's described as a 'tea rose' and I think if I had to wear one nail shade for the rest of my life it might be this because it just seems to work with any look. You can also get away with one coat of this, which is always a pro!

Topshop Nail Polish in Parma Violet | £5

I had no idea if I'd be into this but, as one of Topshop's most popular beauty products it was released in a gorgeous rose gold edition to celebrate the collection's 5th anniversary last year, so I decided to see what all the hype was about. I've really fallen for this colour; it honestly is the exact lilac shade of Parma Violets and surprisingly it seems to really suit my skin tone. I was impressed with how opaque the formula is and you get a good few days of wear before it starts to chip around the edges.

Soigné Nail Polish in Canneberge* | £11

This is a gorgeous petal pink-lilac pastel shade that I really love! It's that perfect spring 'just that bit more than a nude'. If you're into the sheer look, you can wear one coat but personally I like to wear two to make it completely opaque. I really love this shade and it stays for 3-4 days on my (admittedly very weak) nails before it chips.

Soigné Nail Polish in Eau* | £11

This isn't a shade I'd have picked for myself and I'm still not sure if it's quite 'me', however it is really pretty and sometimes it's nice to step a little out of your comfort zone, right? I also can definitely see a lot of you guys loving it! It's a brilliant aqua blue that's lovely for this time of year. I find the formula to be the the same as Canneberge.

What are your favourite lip, cheek and nail looks for spring?

 

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*DISCLOSURE - PRODUCTS MARKED WITH AN ASTERISK ARE PR SAMPLES/GIFTS. ALL OPINIONS ARE MY OWN. PLEASE VISIT MY DISCLOSURE PAGE FOR MORE INFORMATION.