At last, spring has arrived, and with it comes a flurry of new beauty launches and fresh looks for the months ahead. While in previous years we might have looked to fashion shows or peeked behind the scenes at runways to predict the beauty trends that we'd all be wearing for spring and summer, this year, we've gone directly to the makeup artists themselves for the inside scoop. And I have to say, I'm incredibly excited.
From skin that's so glossy, you could see a reflection in it to eyes awash with pretty pastels, spring's makeup trends are feeling fresh, fun and full of life. Even better? We asked each of the eight makeup artists to create their own take on the trend for us so we can see how to genuinely make these trends work at home. Keep scrolling for all of the spring makeup inspiration you need.
"A big trend I have seen this year is glassy skin," says Rachel Hardie, lead artist at Nars. "It's a trend that I hope is here to stay as I love the freshness and youthfulness the look gives! The key to this look is preparation and creating the glow from within. I like to give a facial massage before applying any makeup. This will wake up the skin and bring the blood to the surface ensuring an internal glow."
Get the look:
"Drench the skin in moisturiser as your first step. This one is enriched with beech bud extract to boost collagen production for a youthful, dewy glow."—Hardie
"Next, add a glow enhancer, my favourite at the moment is this Nars Euphoria Face Dew. It has the best consistency and glow to achieve glassy skin."—Hardie
For extra luminous skin, layer this lightweight skin tint under foundation or wear alone for a bright, radiant complexion.
"My number one beauty trend for spring is gorgeous glossy, dewy skin paired with a soft pastel smoky eye," says Kelechi Onuoha, pro artist at Charlotte Tilbury. "I love this because it's super flattering and so versatile—it can be adapted to a suit a variety of skin tones and ages. My top tip for creating the soft pastel smoky eye is keeping the shades matte so that you can add dimension and depth to the eyes."
Get the look:
"My go-to palette is Charlotte Tilbury's Pillow Talk Instant Eye Palette. Charlotte created this palette to suit every skin tone, and it really does! It has 12 dreamy Pillow Talk inspired hues and the matte shades are so buttery soft, making the application effortless with an intense colour pay off."—Onuoha
"To dial up the gloss on the complexion, everyone needs Charlotte's Beauty Light Wand—it's like a diva light for the skin and there's a colour to suit everyone! Apply to the high points of the face for skin that looks instantly glowing and gorgeous."—Onuoha
"Finish your pastel smoky eye with a couple of coats of glossy mascara," says Onuoha. This one lengthens, separates and volumises for a really lifted lash look.
"I'd say the key spring makeup trends for 2021 are softly flushed cheeks on glowing, glass-like skin, full feathery brows and stained lips." says Cher Webb, Pro Makeup Artist at BareMinerals. "Everything should be looking and feeling fresh, and with a wash of monochrome colour."
Get the look:
Radiant spring skin starts with skincare, so apply a good hydrating serum to boost the glow from within. I like applying one or two drops of BareMinerals SkinLongevity Long Life Herb Serum to protect and nourish, followed by a light sheer coverage using the iconic BareMinerals Original Loose Mineral Foundation (£29) to naturally smooth out imperfections and create instant luminosity.
For cheeks and complexion, I'm loving the ease and glowy results of the new BareMinerals Gen Nude Blonzers. Cleverly combining blush and bronzer for an instant boost and adding a heavenly glow to the skin. Available in three shades, I've used shade Kiss of Rose on the cheeks, and I also used it to gently sculpt the face.
Try a less-is-more approach this spring by using your face products on the eyes, this keeps the look monochromatic and effortless. I love the sheer, radiant glow from the BareMinerals Endless Glow Highlighters. After applying this to the higher points of the face, apply a touch to the eyelids for a wash of subtle gold or peach.
"This spring, it's all about the brows," says Angela Barthel, beauty expert at Chantecaille. "Gone are the over sculptured, over-perfected brow, and in is the fluffy, laminate brow."
Get the look:
"The best way to achieve the laminate brow without having to visit a salon tech is to grab the Chantecaille Full Brow Perfecting Gel and start by brushing the hairs up."—Barthel
"Next, go back in with colour and definition with the Brow Definer to add shape and colour where needed."—Barthel
"Since the focus is on the eyes these days add some subtle brown colours with a pop of the monochrome in green, either on the ball of the eyelid or the inner corners of the eye. Then, no eye is complete without mascara. My go-to is Faux Cils Longest Lash Mascara (£63) because who doesn't need some extra length and conditioning on their lashes?"—Barthel
"For me, trends this season have been dictated by the events happening around us. People want to reclaim control and break free from the mundanity that we have become accustomed to over the last year, and makeup has become a great outlet for that. I've seen a rebellious approach to makeup this season and a need for expression and excitement," explains Carly Utting, national artist at MAC Cosmetics.
"There's been a huge resurgence of wearable colour—those shades that are usually kept for the catwalk have made a brave appearance on the everyday makeup wearer. Colours like pale raspberry and muted clover green are prominent, as well as pretty peaches and delphinium blues. Now is the time for adventurous statements, so dig deep, dust off your coloured shadows and have some fun."
Get the look:
"This is a super easy trend to DIY at home. What makes this trend unique is that it is paired with very little faff: no black eyeliner, no smoky under-eye, just a simple wash of poppy colour on the lid with lashings of your favourite mascara."—Utting
"Pat your chosen colour onto the eyelid with your finger or a firm brush, then use a fluffy brush to softly blur the edges."—Utting
"Pair your statement spring eye with a swipe of lip balm and a stained creamy cheek, and et voilà!"—Utting
"My number one spring makeup trend is all about framing the eyes: a trend that translates perfectly from the runway to real life," says Nick Lujan, director of artistry and education at Kevyn Aucoin. "With face masks now an everyday accessory, our eyes are more on focus than ever before. Our eyes are the windows to the soul, and the best way to frame them is with a balanced, naturally feathered brow and some indecent lashes."
Get the look:
"For a feathered-brow look, use the precision marker end of the new Kevyn Aucoin True Feather Brow Marker Gel Duo to sketch one hair at a time and fill in any sparse areas of the brow. The goal is to have a microblade brow that looks natural, versus a solid, filled-in brow. After sketching in the individual hairs, lock everything in place with the clear gel. Start by brushing the hair straight up, then direct the hairs outward and extend through the tail. For this trend, the look is keeping the hairs at the front of the brow more lifted and separated to create a feathered look."—Lujan
"The next step to framing the eyes is a full and dramatic lash. Start by curling your lashes, and then comb through the lashes with a clean lash brush."—Lujan
"For feathered, separated lashes, avoid wiggling the brush side-to-side while applying. Instead, apply the brush at the root of your lashes then stretch the brush upward without wiggling—this will keep the lashes separated. If you prefer more dramatic, spidery lashes then wiggle the brush side-to-side as you stretch the brush upward from the roots to the tips of the lash. This pushes the lashes together, making the lashes look more dramatic."—Lujan
"My number one spring trend has to be the lived-in matte eye with pared-back skin. This look is so rock and roll, and the gorgeous, fresh skin keeps it modern," says Zoe Taylor, makeup artist at Chanel. "It is so easy to re-create and perfect for that effortless, cool-girl look."
Get the look:
"I always use a liner as a base when working with matte eye shadows. Boy De Chanel 3-in-1 Eye Pencil in Brown gives great colour that isn't too stark against the skin, and it's super creamy to blend out."—Taylor
"Next, pat in a matte grey eye shadow. I have used a grey from Les 4 Ombres in Blurry Grey, rather than black, as I love the '90s vibe. Eye colour should only be applied to the upper lid, as this will give lift to the eyes. Pressing a white, pearlescent eye shadow along the waterline will help to open them up too."—Taylor
"Prep your lips and coat in a pale neutral. I love to leave the shine on the lips to keep it modern. The new Chanel Rouge Coco Bloom gives such great long-lasting colour and hydration. The shade Chance is the perfect shade."—Taylor
"This spring, the colour palette is all about soft variations of winter white and other washes of neutral shades and textures like glitter. Lashes are playing a strong part as the continued wearing of masks encourages people to play up their eyes, brows and lashes," explains Matin Maulawizada, international makeup artist at Lashify.
"Lashify is a brand I've been using more than ever before because it creates a dramatic lash look while remaining beautiful and elegant."—Maulawizada
Brush through lashes with a comb to separate and lift for a fluttery finish.
Everything you need to apply Lashify's innovative gossamer lashes is in this kit. Forget extensions—you can create whatever lash look you like at home.
Up next, I'm a beauty editor and I never used these basic makeup skills until now.
