Fresh and Flirty Makeup for Spring

Spring has arrived in Boston — time to exchange sweater dresses for pastel chiffons, textured maxi dresses, and bold neon accessories. But, how do you pair makeup with this season’s colorful looks? Keep your makeup basic with clean, feminine brows, a dewy face, simple eyes, and a soft yet playful lip, says Sarra makeup pro Jennifer Opeka.

Brows: While masculine brows are par for the course in fall, “power brows” in the spring are “more shapely — a little more groomed and a little softer and more feminine, but still confident,” Opeka says. When you have great brows that are nicely groomed and symmetrical, you don’t need much more to make eyes pop, she adds.

Use an eyebrow pencil to fill in your brows with an emphasis on your arch. Opeka uses small strokes as she glides the pencil through the brows. She recommends keeping the color one shade lighter than your normal brow color. Filled brows help frame the face.

Eyes: For a look that works with bold wardrobe colors, Jennifer recommends a combination of “Taupe Tan” and “Vanilla” eye shadows from Sarra’s in-house makeup line. Try a light color (like “Vanilla) to highlight your brow bone. Make your crease pop with a matte tan shade (like “Taupe Tan”). Finish by swiping a bit of rose blush across the lid for a subtle glow.

Use an eyeliner gel and a flat brush to line the underside of the lashes as close as possible to the lash line.

Draw a line on the top of the lid, close to the lashes, with a retractable eyeliner. Smudge it with a small brush, extending the color past the lash line and up towards the tip of your eyebrow to create a winged look. Top it off with your favorite mascara.

Face: Start by putting on your favorite moisturizer. I prefer Laura Mercier’s tinted moisturizer — I use it as my concealer. Snag a tube at Sephora for $42.

Get the dewy look by strategically placing shine on the highest point of the face. “A lot of products deposit sparkle and shimmer too heavily. You just want a real beautiful, subtle sheen … you don’t want to create a lot of texture,” Opeka says. (She uses Sarra’s illuminating stick.)

Apply a small amount of sheen across the high partof your check bone, stroking upwards towards the temples. Also add a small amount to the bridge of the nose. Finish with a rosy blush on the cheekbones.

Lips: Keep the lips simple and sheen, so your pucker doesn’t clash with the bright neons trending this spring. Opeka recommends a rosy matte pink — stay away from sparkle. Use your fingers to really draw the pigment onto the lips for a splash of color.

The Final Look:

Sarra, 840 Summer St., Boston, 617-269-8999; and 104A North St., Hingham, 781-749-5599; sarraboston.com

— Mehry Sabet