8 Little Ways To Get Your Beauty Routine Ready For Spring

There is something so beautiful about spring. The days are longer, the sun is shinier, and the weather is warmer. We are all happy to say goodbye to months of gloomy skies. Though #COVID19 may not be the ideal welcome to spring this year, we can all take a few minutes to appreciate the extra time we have been given to take care of ourselves.

Let’s use some of our quarantine time to switch things up, and try 8 little things to get our beauty routine ready for spring:

1. “Swap out heavier moisturizers for more lightweight ones.”

Actual words of advice from NYC dermatologist Dr. Shereene Idriss. As much as I love plastering my face with heavy creams in the winter to keep my skin hydrated, I am always excited to switch it up to something lighter. My favorite spring moisturizer is Embryolisse.

2. Add some stars around your eyes.

Eye embellishment aren’t just for music festivals. You can add little sparkly star stickers, pearls or Swarovski crystals around your eyes to brighten your whole look. You can start practicing with tweezers and eyelash glue, and a tiny spritz of hairspray to make it stay longer (just make sure to keep your eyes closed when you do that). Who knew you only needed yourself to put that ‘sparkle’ in your eye?

3. “Lighter and brighter hair for the spring.”

According to Erin Hubbard, a hairdresser in Chicago with 13 years’ experience, spring hair is all about cutting your hair shorter and brightening up the color because everyone is ready for a change as the season changes.

I have fine, straight hair and my personal favorite is Redken’s Fashion Waves 07 for an effortless beachy look with some volume.

4. Neon cat eyes.

There is no arguing with the classic cat-eye to add a little oomph to your look without doing a lot. Most people stick to black but this spring we will be seeing a lot of colorful variations of the classic look. Whether you are a fan of liquid or gel liner or pencil, experiment with some whites, turquoise, and fuchsia, and have a little fun.

5. “Rain or shine, never leave the sunscreen behind.”

We have all missed the sun, but according to Dr. Anisha Joshi, MBBS specializing in dermatology, we should find a sunscreen that has both UVA and UVB blockers and reapply 2-3 times a day if you plan on being outside. Even on cloudy days, the sun’s harmful rays penetrate the ozone layer and can cause sunburn and premature aging. Unless you want to speed up your skin’s natural aging process, avoid direct and long exposure to sun and if you are out, always use sunscreen.

My girlfriends who used sunscreen regularly look much younger than those who did not, and the difference is becoming very apparent in our 30s.

My new favorite is CeraVe AM Facial Moisturizing Lotion because in addition to having SPF 30, it also has ceramides, niacinamide and hyaluronic acid. Instead of using a moisturizer and a sunscreen, it does the work of both.

6. Naturally-flushed, gradient-diffused lips.

One of my favorite lip trends is the gradient-diffused lips that started in Korea a few years ago. You basically focus on a darker color in the inner lip area and fade the color out towards the outer lips. Various shades of pinkish-brown work best based on your skin tone. For inspiration check out K-Pop band Blackpink’s Jennie, who always has the perfect pout.

My everyday go-to is Sephora’s Rouge Lip Tint in Brown. I apply it all over and then smudge the outer corner of my lips with a q-tip to keep the color more concentrated in the center.

7. “Mainly focus on dewy healthy-looking skin with peachy pink tones”

That is makeup blogger Surabhi Raj Bhandary’s spring beauty advice. She likes to keep it minimal around the eyes with some mascara and recommends switching to liquid or cream products over powder for her face. Some of her favorite spring products are cream highlighter by Nudies Glow in Hey Honey and Fenty’s Gloss Bomb Universal Lip Luminier in Fu$$y.

The secret to my ‘dewy’ spring skin is Laura Mercier’s Tinted Moisturizer, and it has SPF 30.

8. Address and resolve your everyday health concerns.

This is a personal one, because for years I thought I had allergies, which got worse in the spring and fall. I always had more trouble breathing than others and I was heavily dependent on nasal spray and antihistamines. Although spring is a peak time for allergies, it was not until I saw an ENT surgeon, Dr. Sarina Rajbhandari, that I found out some people who have a deviated septum or an internal nasal valve collapse have a harder time breathing regardless of allergens.

Realizing that I have a condition that is affecting my ability to breathe freely, I should get it fixed as it will greatly improve my quality of life. If you have a minor health issue affecting your everyday life, you owe it to yourself to take care of it sooner than later to prevent it from getting worse.

I hope you will take some time to show how much you love and appreciate yourselves and others, as we all try to stay safe and hopeful. Take care!