Spring beauty

Aaaahh, the sound of fresh rain against my bedroom window—spring has defi- nitely sprung. And as the rain washes away the snow, it’s time to wash that winter grime off our faces and start anew. The fall/winter season starts out with such snuggly promise, rich merlot lips and snuggly cowl neck cardigans disguising my pasty white flesh. The snow queen look is fairly easy for me to achieve, being Scandinavianly pale with no desire for the early wrinkles brought on by the tanning bed. But along comes February, and the glamour of winter has turned into dry wan skin and sad limp hair, weighed down by too much conditioner. Throw in a few grey days and you have got me in a shapeless hoodie and sad ponytail feeling as though glamour is a foreign country. I have had enough. Bring on the spring!

First on the docket for me was a trip to the salon. So needed. A recent ad for a line of hair care products proclaimed, “Inside every blonde is a blonder blonde just waiting to get out.”

Truer words have never been spoken. I had my stylist Laci take me up a few notches on the bombshell scale, and I feel like a whole new gal. You might just want a fresh cut, or a few highlights to brighten up the winter dullness that has accumulated, but shock and awe is the easiest way to shake up your life whether it’s blonder or darker that you go. New season, new you.

After mousiness was washed down the salon drain, it was time to scrub away that flakey winter skin. Dry brushing is a great way to invigorate the blood flow while exfoliating that dull layer. It’s done before you shower in circular motions from your core outward, head to toe. You can find these online, or sometimes where sauna supplies are sold. It’s a fantastic way to give you a bit of energy, and if you are like me in the a.m., you need all the help you can get. After jumping out of the shower, don’t forget the moisturizer, it won’t be long before short sleeves and skirts free your skin from turtlenecks and tights, so let’s get that skin in shape!

Now that the body is in order, time to address the face. For exfoliation, I really love the Neutrogena Wave. You use a fresh pad on the device each day, which eliminates the spread of bacteria, and the pads come in Deep Clean, Gentle Exfoliation, or Shine-Free Blemish Free. In the am, always apply a moisturizer with SPF and don’t forget your neck! As far as the rest of the skin care regime goes, I am currently in the process of figuring out a new system for spring. Magazines have been consulted, and a retinoid must be in the mix, but a bit more research is involved before I can make a final call. As I am traveling this weekend, I will put the plane time to good use, and do some investigating—stay tuned.

Now for the fun part! The makeup! It’s a great time to do a little spring cleaning on your medicine cabinet and makeup stash. If something is over a year old, toss it! Especially if you use products that are more natural, they can sometimes be the fastest to break down. Creams are more susceptible to bacterial growth than powders, but it’s a great time to clean house across the board. Start with a sheer, dewy foundation. Dewy, not greasy, and if your skin is more oily, add a powder to that mix. I need a little brightening, and since the temp is not hot enough to melt things yet, I go with a bronzer instead of a self tanner in the spring. Easier to apply and you can just wash it off and start over if you make a mistake. Don’t overdo it, or you will look like a cast member of “Jersey Shore,” and we are NOT going to go there, even if I like to fist pump every once in a while. (And I DO own a bump-it, but that’s a whole other story.)

If you have the skin tone and the personality to pull it off, now is a lovely time to break out the bright red or pink or coral lipstick. It’s just the thing to freshen up your look, and easier than trying out the bright trend on your eyes. As far as the eyes go, if you are keeping your lip look simple, the eyes are a great way to express your creativity. I almost feel like a kid with a box of new crayons when I pull out the eye brushes and pots of brightlycolored paint. If you are adventurous, try greens and blues and saturated lavender. If not, gold and peachy shadows are a great way to update if brown is your usual palette. Add a swath of blush and a swipe of the mascara wand and you are ready to open that door and step out into the fresh air of spring.

Just don’t forget the rain boots, or you’ll get that stiletto stuck in a puddle of muddy goop—like I did this morning.

Suzanne Rian is a fashionista and the owner/operator of Moxie boutique in the Reed Building on First Avenue in Hibbing