Despite still feeling like it's about minus fifty outside, we can officially say goodbye to winter as spring is just around the corner. Winter is the time of deep, dark berry shades, or reds to match the season of festivities, but as spring gets closer, I've been ditching those hues in favour of something a little more subtle. I'm not quite ready for perky brights and pastel nails, so I've been reaching for more muted shades in subtler finishes. Here's my rundown of the best lip and nail shades (Lips 'n' Tips) to help bridge the gap and transition from winter to spring.
To be honest, my first pick for lips means my above statement reads a load of bull... It's the uber-bright Bourjois Rouge Edition Velvet (£8.99) in the shade Olé Flamingo. I've worn the shade Nude-ist to death and wanted something a bit more fun to wear on a girls night out. Olé Flamingo was perfect; a fun, bright pink that always reminds me of sunnier times. It is the perfect shade to say "see-ya" to the dull winter weather!
Moving on to the nude lip shades, one of my go-to's is the Maybelline Color Drama Intense Velvet Lip Pencil (£4.99) in Nude Perfection. These pencils are fab; creamier than a lip liner, but wear just as well, and the nude shade is literally perfection. Another nude combo I've been rocking is the Essence Lip Liner (£1) in Wish Me A Rose topped with the Chanel Coco Rouge Shine (£25) in Boy. I know I bang on about it all the time, but Boy is just the most effortless lipstick. Basically a balm (but oh so luxe), it provides some much needed moisture and works with just about any nude/pink lip liner.
I'm not normally the hugest lover of lipgloss, although I've been reaching for them a lot more in the last few weeks when I've wanted something a little more subtle on the lips. One of the cult lip glosses that I was desperate to try was the Clarins Instant Light Natural Lip Perfector (£18 full size), so when I got one with a Christmas GWP, I was really chuffed. I have the original shade, Rose Shimmer, which is a lovely pale pink. These are non-sticky and give a lovely sheen which is really perfecting, true to the name. Plus they smell and taste like candyfloss, which is always a winner.
The Maybelline Color Sensational Shine Gloss (£6.19) is possibly my all-time favourite drugstore lipgloss formula, it's just so good! I have the shade Glorious Grapefruit, which is a gorgeous peachy coral, and is a nice way to introduce a bit of colour into your makeup. These are so creamy and not at all sticky, and this shade is one I'll be wearing a lot this spring.
My most recent gloss purchase is from Smith & Cult, who are best known for their nail polishes. The Lip Laquers (£20) are their first foray into makeup, and have a beautiful formula, enriched with coconut water. I picked out the shade Flesh Riot, which is a lovely nude pink with that makes your lips look so juicy and plump. This would be beautiful over the top of a neutral lip liner for an everyday look.
Moving on to nails, winter is usually time for dark shades and come spring, the pastels come out to play. I don't feel fully ready to whip out the baby pinks and minty greens, so have chosen a muted colour palette. Leighton Denny Crushed Grape (£11) is a muted deep raspberry, perfect to wear all year round. Leighton Denny is one of my favourite nail polish brands as they are really easy to apply, the formula is fab and the colours are stunning too, definitely worth the extra couple of quid.
Essie Cozy in Cashmere (£8.99) is such a flattering taupe shade. It is part of their Cashmere Matte collection and has such a unique semi-matte finish with subtle purple shimmer beneath the surface, giving a flattering duochrome appearance. Sometimes taupes can be a bit dull and unflattering on the nails, but this one is lovely, especially if you add a glossy top coat which really brings out the lilac shimmer.
The most pastel out of the three is Tanya Burr Cosmetics Duvet Day (£4.99). This is in a pale blue/grey tone, not quite a spring time bright, but slowly edging that way. This kind of shade is really flattering; neutral but a lot more interesting than a nude. I don't own many greys, but I'm determined to change that this year!
Which lip and nail colours are you loving for this time of year?
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