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, makeup artist at Bella Via Spa in Toledo, agrees.
"I would say the biggest thing is to start with one thing: Switch to a different lipstick or a different eyeshadow," 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 2004.
"Everybody has a pink they can wear, and pink is so big right now," Ms. 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.
"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. Frigid Great Lakes winters can leave many people's skin dull, flaky, and dry.
Not only should you be cleansing your face regularly, now's 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, our experts caution.
If money's tight, you can do a home chemical treatment with buttermilk, Ms. 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 - Ms. White usually does household tasks while she waits - then rinse it off. The lactic acid in the buttermilk will act as a chemical peel. "It makes the skin feel marvelous," Ms. White says.
And the final key to successful spring skin is sunscreen. "It's really imperative that people protect themselves," Ms. 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," Ms. White says.
And after a long, gray winter, that's exactly what a woman wants.
Vanessa Winans can be reached at vwinans@the-blade.com or 419-724-6103.
First Published March 11, 2004, 1:13 p.m.
