It’s spring finally and under a warming sun that is creeping higher in the sky each day your makeup looks tired and out of place. Time to shake off winter routines and go for something light and breezy, something that lets the real you shine out.

Metallics are fine for nighttime wear but if you’re going to be out and about in the sunshine, you might feel and look more natural in mattes and neutral colors.

Eyeliner should be dotted in between the lashes, not a drawn line. Eyeshadows can be neutrals, pinks, sandy beige or earthy. Maybelline Expert Wear Eye Shadow Duo in Cocoa Delight or Indian Summer have neutral shades that are suitable for most skin tones. Try brown mascara if you have light brown or blonde hair, you can use black if your hair is darker.

When you get to lips, it’s okay to stay neutral but forget the matte and go for a moisture-drenched gloss. Gloss in barely-there hues will give you a fresh look and a hint of color. I like Revlon’s Super Lustrous Lip Gloss in Nude Lustre.

Maybelline’s new Shine Seduction Glossy Lipcolor is a gloss with a unique delivery system.

A twist of the wand produces just the right amount of gloss and the shaped tip ensures perfect application. It seems a lot easier and less messy than the traditional sponge-tipped wands that you dip into the tube of gloss. They increase the risk of bacteria being introduced into the product as well as sometimes leaving you with a huge glop of gloss to try to spread evenly.

Shine Seduction is enriched with vitamin E, aqua-botanical extracts, algae and lotus flower extract so that it is truly good for your lips and you get a fresh and healthy dose of gloss with each application.

It comes in both cream and shimmer shades, 20 different shades in all. From Nude Glow to Cherry Drizzle, all are rich in color and shine.

Avon’s Beyond Color Lip Recovery Cream promises softer lips with allantoin, vitamins, jojoba oil and beta carotene in a formula with a “Moisture Lock System” that even contains a sunscreen.

The lipcolor delivery system is something like the one they used on a liquid eyeliner that “exploded” on me, so I was a bit wary of that. This twist-up color works a bit more smoothly so perhaps they have ironed out the kinks in the system. The color is dispensed via a brush at the end of the tube through which it seeps as you twist the wand. The two remaining difficulties with this delivery system is that you don’t know how much product is in the brush until it comes through in a large blob and that the product remaining on the brush gets hardened bits in it after a time of no usage. You do get used to the wand and after a few applications you will no longer get either too little product or a goopy blob.

This lip cream does have very intense color for a liquid formula and it is creamy and smooth-feeling on your lips, much thicker than I expected. I tried Creamy Nude which was a lovely neutral but not invisible. The color wears a decent length of time, making the need for reapplication less frequent. It has a nice, fresh scent reminiscent of cucumber and melon, which lasts a short time after application.

I noticed a bit of exfoliation of dry skin the first time I used it, which worried me about getting into a cycle of use such as you get with medicated lip balms, but this dissipated with each use until it was no longer noticeable. The allantoin in the formula promotes new, healthy skin growth and this may have been a by-product of that process.

After three days my lips definitely feel softer but I think I would continue wearing this just for the color, which I love. It comes in a host of shades, so finding one you like is not a difficult task. One caution is that I would definitely recommend that you apply lip liner first to keep the color where you want it.

Overall, I liked this product and will continue to use it. I have added it to my little bag of essential neutrals.

The experts all agree that for Spring 2007, glamor is back.

The look for skin is flawless and matte, but not heavy or caky. Sheer foundation lightly set with translucent powder will achieve the most natural look while covering imperfections. Lips will be pale and neutral, barely-there colors are in.

Eyes will be dramatic and smoky. Eyeliner is all-important to bring out eyes and liner on the lower lid will be seen more. For eyeshadow, smokey greys and metallics, pinks, golds and shimmers are the color choices. Brows are definitely thicker, not pencil-thin. They will create the dramatic frame for the eye area. To help the eye stand out even more, lash extensions rather than full false lashes will be the rage. These can be done professionally or you can buy false lashes that are individual sprigs that you glue to the base of the lash line to create a lush, full look.

Blush, if used, should be as close to a natural match color as possible or you can try bronzing powder. The goal is seamless, flawless skin, so any color applied to skin must be lightly applied and blended well to highlight cheekbone structure.