When it comes to my overall look, I have spent the last 4 years of my life going to every possible extreme to achieve one thing- long hair.  Not just long hair, but full, luxurious, head-turning bombshell hair.  Which is ironic, since I spent most of my life with that very thing.  And yet, all it took was one chemical cut to quickly (and quite dramatically) humble what I had taken for granted.  If you have ever been through a chemical cut, I promise, I will buy you a drink the next time I see you.  Because after my experience, it is my firm belief we deserve a badge of honor to survive an experience so horrifying.  Or, at the very least, the phone number to a support group.

But back on track here.

Fast forward to these last few months.  Finally, I had long hair again.

And I couldn’t stand it.

I felt like a prisoner to it.  Everything revolved around it.  And the time it took to maintain it.  Or rather, the time LOST to maintain it.  Now, to be fair, most of the excessive maintenance was due to extensions.  Which, if done right, are an awesome way to grow out your natural hair while maintaining its integrity.  Which is exactly what I had done.  And will probably do again.  But when the time came to tighten my extensions, I found myself eagerly anticipating their removal.  For good.

Not only did I need some simplicity back in my already overwhelming schedule, but I wanted people to actually see ME.  Because when you have a long, full mane of silver hair, the attention tends to go there.  And that was no longer okay with me.

I needed to be free.

So I chopped it.  Not quite all of it- I’ll always be more Barbie than G.I. Jane.  Instead, I opted for an angled bob- a bold cut that would still scream “bombshell”, thanks to a few well placed curls, and would work well with my signature side part.

What can I say?  There’s just something mysterious about a long bang that swoops mischievously over one eye…

And the final result was nothing short of love at first site.  It was short, but still sexy.  Provocative, but still chic.  And not to mention hella flattering.

But more importantly, it was SIMPLE.

So that got me thinking about the rest of my routine.  If longer doesn’t necessarily mean better, then maybe less really can mean more, too?  For instance, is contouring really all that necessary?  Does a smokey eye always have to be dark?  Fortunately for me, my questions came at the perfect time.  Because after seeing the beauty trends dominating the runways for the upcoming Spring season, I already had my answer.

So get excited dolls.

Because we’re about to lighten things up.  Without losing impact.

Too good to be true, right?  Well…. read on and decide for yourself.

And with that, lets get in to the good stuff.

So if you’re an avid pallet collector, you already know peach will be major for Spring (Kylie Jenner pretty much slayed the entire game in this area).  And for good reason.  This light and playful shade is the perfect alternative to the bold red lip you’ve been rocking all winter.  But don’t stop there.  Because of its barely there tone, this is the perfect shade for the monochromatic look we all know and love.  Pick three different shades and go from dark to light, starting from either the bottom or the top.  Lids, cheeks, lips.  Gorgeous, flattering AND low maintenance- can I get a “Hell Yeah”?!  And of course, the monochromatic trend is perfect for any shade (as seen on Gigi below with violet), so get busy experimenting.  Just not right now.  Because I’m only getting warmed up.

So while we’re on the subject of pastels, its time to talk about what’s probably my favorite trend to look forward to- pastel eyes.  Remember my question about smokey eyes?  Someone was already ahead of the game here.  And while a brooding smokey eye will always be sexy, you can pack away the black- at least, until fall.  Same for the Cat Eye.  Instead, I present the Kitten Eye in its place (see what I did there?).  Same concept, yet totally refreshing.  And playful.  And romantic.  Candy pink, peach, lemon, baby blue- they all work.  Which means there are literally endless ways to express yourself through color.  Besides, I already know you’re a badass.  But that shouldn’t make you afraid to show your girly-girl side too.  And this is literally the perfect combination of BOTH.

But lets say you DO want a dark smokey eye.  I get it.  I understand the power of it.  Like date night- nothing says “come hither” like a sultry and smoldering lid.  Just lighten up with it to keep with this trend.

But enough with the eyes.  Because its important to note that a simpler routine doesn’t always have to mean a simple statement too.  Which is why I’m so excited about this next one, which is all about playing up your cheeks.  But in a fun, yet totally unique, yet incredibly show-stopping way.  And if you are anything like me- then you like that shit.  So you’re going to love what is being referred to as the “blush bomb”.  Simply put, this trend is all about keeping the rest of your face neutral, and adding a bright burst of color on and above your cheeks.  I know, right?  Just when we thought we’d run out of things to try.  Now I’m not suggesting this one for the office, but I AM begging you to give it a trail run on your next girl’s night out.  Lavender and bubblegum pink tones are perfect for a playfully shocking punch, but coral or red will knock them dead.  Fortunately, you’ve got plenty of time to try them all.

And with that, my next Spring trend takes us from one end of the spectrum to the other.  And while I’m not necessarily as excited about this one as the previously mentioned ones, I do have to admit that it grabbed my attention.  If you’ve already looked at the image below, you can tell something is… missing.  Mascara.  And its oddly beautiful.  Somehow the bold lip makes up for it, and balances out a bare eye, making everything look effortlessly beautiful together.  And with that, I’d say its definitely worth a try.  Especially if you’re running late one morning.

And that leads me to another adored trend.  I almost didn’t add this one because while it LOOKS simple, it also happens to be the most complicated one (in my opinion).  I’m talking about No-Makeup Makeup.  Also referred to as the biggest lie you’ve heard since you were told Santa wasn’t real.  BUT, it does look amazing.  And also tends to be a favorite with men.  And lets face it- while its sweet to hear, we really don’t care if they still love us without our makeup on.  And, actually, come to think of it, that might be the biggest lie since Santa Clause…

But back to the point.  So while this look is far from “simple”, its certainly stunning.  And the perfect excuse to go all out with your favorite highlighter.  Not that you ever needed one anyway.

And remember- anyone who looks flawless, yet says they’re not wearing makeup, is a dirty, dirty liar.

And finally, it wouldn’t be fair now to talk about nails.  I know all too well how easy it is to gravitate to electric colors.  For me it seems the higher the temp, the brighter the shade.  And that’s okay.  But here’s a unique little twist to try with your next mani.  Simply put the focus on your beds instead, and leave the actual nail itself nude.  Its literally the perfect metallic pop that will pretty much work for any occasion- and that itself is worth loving it for.

But regardless of what trends you want to try, its important to remember that Spring is the season for rebirth.  And maybe that’s why I love it so damn much…  After all, its hard not to be inspired to try something new when there’s so much new around you- from baby birds hatching to new flowers budding.

So don’t ever be afraid to reinvent yourself.

And don’t ever be afraid to bloom.

And take a few minutes to look at not only the beauty that is around you, but at the beauty that is inside you.

Whether you do that through pastel eyes is up to you.

Till next time, dolls…

X