COSMETICS Pink really packs the power as makeup color for spring

Keep changes small at first with a new lipstick or different eye shadow.
SCRIPPS HOWARD
Now that the crocuses have bloomed, it's time to think about switching from winter to spring makeup.
"One way to transition into spring is to add some color to your lips," says Patrice White, owner of Patrice Cosmetics Studio in Toledo. "Just get a brighter lip color."
Joy McKarus, another makeup artist, agrees.
"I would say the biggest thing is to start with one thing: Switch to a different lipstick or a different eye shadow," she says, adding that women should keep changes small at first. "If you do too much at once, you're going to get overwhelmed and you'll feel uncomfortable with it."
As in fashion, pink is the cosmetics industry's major color for spring.
"Everybody has a pink they can wear, and pink is so big right now," White says. "Pink hasn't been this big since the late '70s and '80s."
Another trend for spring is sheer, not solid, coverage, with glosses, washes, and translucent products taking the stage.
Sheer look
"The emphasis for makeup -- the whole purpose of it -- is that when someone sees you, they're not saying, 'Whoa, look at that makeup,' but instead they're seeing your beautiful face," says Madonna Fong, owner of La Luna Salon in Sylvania.
But before you start wearing lighter colors, make sure your skin is in top condition. Winters can leave many people's skin dull, flaky and dry.
Now is a good time for acid peel or microdermabrasion if you can afford it. Either treatment should be performed by someone trained and licensed to do it.
Home treatment
If money's tight, you can do a home chemical treatment with buttermilk, White says. Wash your face, and apply four or five coats of buttermilk, leaving enough time between coats for the buttermilk to dry slightly. Let the fluid dry completely then rinse it off. The lactic acid in the buttermilk will act as a chemical peel. "It makes the skin feel marvelous," White says.
Another key to good skin is sunscreen. "It's really imperative that people protect themselves," Fong says.
Fortunately, many cosmetics companies add sunscreen to their liquid foundations. But for folks who want a sheerer look, it's possible to find tinted sunscreens to use instead.
"It's extremely sheer, but it heightens their coloring," White says.