Earth tones, hot lips put the zing in spring 2011

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Wednesday, 23 March 2011 00:00

Photo credit: DesignsByJK, Ikeya Kismet, Makeup

Marcus Geeter: Natural faces, but lips, eyes pop with color

By Nichole Nichols, My Salon Scoop writer

Ready to shed your winter makeup colors for lighter fare? Add some zing to your spring by paring flirty and surprising colors to the earth-tone palette touted for this season.

"Spring will be the season of earth with a splash of color," says celebrity makeup artist Marcus Geeter. "You'll see rich bronze, chocolate, gold, peach, plum and the hottest color of the season will be orange! Yes, orange lipstick makes a comeback!"

The makeup direction for spring will definitely complement the clothing color preferences that designers showcased in their lines that debuted during Spring Fashion Week 2011 in February. Berry-colored dresses, like the ones seen on the runways of Max Mara and Cacharel, will go nicely with the bright and cheery lip colors of spring. Meanwhile, the bronzy, earthy look will complement nude-colored dresses, shorts and slacks like the ones seen on the Chloe and Nina Ricci runways.

"The face will be natural, but stated eyes and mouth. Natural-looking foundation with an earthy, smokier eye and bright lips," says Geeter, who is based in Chicago and counts Academy Award winners Jennifer Hudson and Halle Berry among his clients.

Although the eyes and mouth will be defined and bright, Geeter warns that color usage should blend in with the overall natural theme of the spring face.

Estée Lauder Island Oasis EyeShadow Palette

Mary Kay beauty consultant and makeup artist Carla O'Neil notices some of the same trends that Geeter points out, but she adds that spring mainstays like pastels and "sandblasted" colors are making a comeback as well.

"Light colors, nice corals, light blues, sandblast colors, light browns, and taupes," says O'Neil, adding that turquoise and shades of green are popular colors for eyeliner.

Like Geeter, she recommends keeping the overall face neutral, but she also likes to experiment with vibrant eye shadows. Lemongrass (chartreuse green), Azure (turquoise), and Iris (smoky jewel-tone purple) are some of the newest Mary Kay eye shadow colors ($6.50 each) that O'Neil says her clients are requesting.

O'Neil emphasizes that nailing down the basics is the key to pulling off any look—whether classic or trendy. Although a color might be hot for the spring, don't forget to find a shade that works with your complexion.

"Make sure that you have the basic colors that you normally stick with, but if you want to interchange you still would need to buy the colors that compliment your skin tone. I wouldn't suggest buying a whole bunch of colors without paying attention to what compliments your skin tone. Start out with one or two (new colors) to interchange," O'Neil says.

Both artists emphasize the need to keep colors as natural as possible as well as to pay close attention to the quantity of product being used and the technique with which it is applied.

"I caution women not to saturate the mouth with heavy-looking lipsticks, but use a lighter texture lipstick with a lip gloss," Geeter says.

O'Neil agrees opting for a clear lip gloss instead of lipstick.

Revlon's ColorBurst in Papaya

Color match up
Ready to give the newest and chicest spring looks a try? Geeter recommends Estée Lauder's Bronze Goddess collection and Pure Color lip gloss. Try the Sea Star Bronzing Blush ($34), Island Oasis EyeShadow Palette ($42) and Pure Color Gloss in Blazing Coral ($20) for a look that's soft and natural yet vibrant with color! All products can be found at an Estée Lauder counter at a department store near you or at esteelauder.com.

Hairnistas on a budget can try NYX's Black Label Lipstick in Citrine ($7.50), Revlon's ColorBurst lip gloss in Papaya ($7.49, www.drugstore.com) and Revlon's CustomEyes Shadow and Liner in Metallic Chic ($8.99, www.drugstore.com).

Whether you choose a bronzed face with orange lips, or shimmery eyes with a rich chocolate or plum lip, have fun and be fierce!

Nichole Nichols is a freelance writer who has written previously for MySalonScoop.com as well as Pink Magazine. Check out her blog, Reasons and Roses. She is based in Greensboro, N.C.