by Alisa Gafur

Don't you just love spring!  It gets a little warmer (although with global warming I'm not sure about that anymore), birds start to sing, you may even start to see some sun again.  I've been checking out some of the new spring collections and have been trying to think of a word that can translate what the colors and feeling is, and I finally think I got it.........FRESH.

The colors and feel of all the collections can be described as being, well, like I said, fresh!  Soft beautiful pastel pinks, yellows, lilac and blues, or milky, uplifting neutrals define alot of the collections. 

Shu Uemura, Yves Saint Laurent, and Guerlain all went for the softer pastel color tones of lilac,soft pink,mint green and light blue on eyes, paired with soft pink, lilac or neutrals on lips. 

Lancome and Armani had pastel shades of pink as a central theme.  Shades of pink were either soft on eyes with deep rich, intense lips, or intense on the eyes with soft romantic lips.  If you're more of a natural woman, then fear not, both Dior and Chanel were more about milky, soft neutrals on eyes, paired with stronger reds and pink on lips.  Skin in all the collections, tended to be more dewey and fresh faced, as opposed to the matted nature of winter 2009.  

Here is a sneak peak at two of our favorite collections:

Shu Uemura's Mirage Collection:

There really is one word to describe Shu's spring collection-beautiful.  The colors are gloriously romantic, but best of all wearable!  The colors and textures of the palettes were chosen such that they actually give a unique optical phenomenon-up close colors look randomly placed, yet far away the effect gives a defined dimensional image.   

For Eyes:

Eye Shadow Palette ($40,00 US/$$52.00CDN):Utopia (mint green/burnt orange/eggshell blue), Fantasia (pastel pink/light grey and lilac)

Drawing Pencils ($19.00US/$$28.00CDN):14ME Light Blue and15ME Lilac have a hint of metallic in them, 04ME Pink is a highlighting shade to attract light

For Lips:

Rouge Unlimited ($23.00US/$$30.00CDN):PK347 (intense pink), BG934 (beige), and BR768 (raspberry)

Lip Duo Tint and Gloss ($32.00US/$$40.00CDN):Rouge (matte/intense pink) and Gloss (translucent/pale pink)

For Cheeks:

Defining Cheek Palette ($38.00 US/$$48.00CDN):Misty Glow (pale orange/pastel pink) and Orange Phase (burnt amber and deep orange)

Lancome's Pink Irreverence:

Inspired by the Piha Volcanic beaches of New Zealand and the femininity of the rose, this collection gives a punkish freedom to the color pink.  This collection can be layered up for a punky, edgy look, or layered down for a feminine everyday look.

For Eyes:

Color Design ($40.00US/$52.00CDN):Irreverent Madame (whitish pink, pastel pink, pink-fushia and sparkling black), Mademoiselle Sass (creme, burnt tan, creamy brown and dark brown)

Laque Liner ($25.00US/$29.00CDN):Pure Black, Pure Sparkle

Le Crayon Kohl Waterproof Eyeliner ($23.50 US/$26.00CDN):Irreverent Brun (deep brown), Rebellious Berry (purply pink), Blanc Audacity (white), Confidency Noir (black)

For Lips:

Color Fever Lipstick ($25.00US/$31.00 CDN):Rock Icon Fushia

La Laque Fever ($26.00US/$32.00CDN):Furious in Fushia, Pink My Ride, Marilyn Beige

Color Fever Gloss ($25.00/$29.00CDN):Piha Black 

For Nails:

Le Vernis ($18.00US/$20.00CDN):Sassiness (pearl), Piha Black (shimmering black)

We just loved the edginess you could get out of this collection and the wearability of it.  If you don't think you can do pink-think again!

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