dazzle 'n' sparkle

March is officially the start of Spring, but in Chicago it always feels like the season directly jumps from Winter to Summer with few happy days and whole lot of rains! I keep seeing all these colorful looks and spring friendly outfits on Instagram and here I am still stuck using my winter care products and cardigans! The sun is out to fool us. The windy Chicago is always windy!!! Even in this unpredictable weather, a light, dewy makeup with a little pop of color on the cheeks, bright shades for lips and nails can give a very fresh clean look, which is enough to cheer me up.

I don't necessarily need water proof makeup just yet, but I still prefer using multi-purpose products. Few of my beauty favorites and essentials for spring.

BASE MAKEUP: It is good bye heavy foundation and welcome lighter base. Any product that moisturizes and gives light to medium coverage is my choice for Spring-Summer. SPF is an added bonus. It eliminates the need to apply an extra layer of regular sunscreen.

FAVORITE BASE PRODUCTS: 

bareMinerals COMPLEXION RESCUE™ Tinted Hydrating Gel Cream, Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer Broad Spectrum SPF 20 and BURBERRY Fresh Glow - Luminous Fluid Base (full size is on the way!)

CREAM BLUSHES AND LIQUID HIGHLIGHTERS: Cream products tend to look more natural on me and work better for my dry skin. A cream blush literally melts into the skin and gives that wonderful flush of color, while a cream or liquid highlighter gives that perfect dewy glow and luminosity. Peach colored products don't work for me. A little hint of pink is a must. Peachy Pink works just perfect! I do use powder highlighters and blushes, but I enjoy using the cream ones more.

FAVORITE CREAM BLUSHES: 

Bobbi Brown Pot Rouge For Lips And Cheeks in Powder Pink, Chanel Cream Blush in Revelation (discontinued) and NARS The Multiple in Riviera

FAVORITE HIGHLIGHTER/ILLUMINATOR: 

Edward Bess All Over Seduction in Afterglow, Becca Shimmering Skin Perfector in Moonstone, NARS Illuminator in Hot Sand

LIP PRODUCTS: I am not into matte, liquid lipsticks. Full coverage, opaque lips are much enjoyed in colder weather. For spring and summer I love medium coverage lipsticks or sheer tinted lip balm kind of products. Also, I love to fill my lips with lip liner and apply gloss on top of it. I have a bunch of favorites in this category.

FAVORITES LIPSTICKS AND LIPGLOSS

NARS Dolce Vita, MAC Luster finish lipstick in See Sheer, Marc Jacobs Beauty Sheer Gel Lipstick in Role Play and Lip Liner in Prim Rose 304 from the same brand and Burt's Bees Lipstick in Lily Lake.

Chantecaille Brilliant Lipgloss in Lucky, Buxom Full On Lip Cream in Creamsicle, Yves Saint Laurent Volupté Tint-In-Oil in #5 and MAC Cremesheen Glass 

EYE PRODUCTS: For the eyes, it is just a wash of color along with pencil liner that is smudged to give a soft look and a good coat of Mascara.

FAVORITE EYELINERS

Marc Jacobs Matte Gel Eye liner, Urban Decay 24/7 Glide on Eye Pencil (all time favorite) and Sephora Waterproof eye pencils (new favorite) are amazing for both spring and Summer. 

FACIAL MISTS AND SPRAYS: A must must must have! Nothing soothes the face like a cooling, calming facial mist. It is more necessary for summers and places that have hotter springs. A setting spray is something that I use year around to keep the makeup in place, while these Facial mists are cooling, comforting and soothing. They give the complexion much needed glow and freshness.

FAVORITE SETTING SPRAYS AND MISTS

Urban Decay All nighter makeup setting Spray and MAC fix Plus as Setting Sprays (all time favorites) Caudalie Beauty Elixir and Kiehls Cactus Flower & Tibetan Ginseng Hydrating Mist are beautiful ones to spritz throughout the day.

These are my current favorites for spring and few of these will transition into summer too. What are your Beauty Favorites for Spring-Summer?