Spring is in full swing and so are frilly, feminine sundresses, and fresh looks for face, hair and even nails. This spring, uncover those nails and strip off the dark colors of fall and winter; we are going lighter - shimmering pastels to white, french manicure to barely-there pinks.

Some recommended products:

* Sally Hansen Star Opal Nail Glaze - wear alone or with a french manicure. Eight pastel shades that glide on shiny and smooth in just 1 coat. Real crushed opals to give that iridescent shimmer.

* Revlon’s Sweet Nothings Radiant Lacquer - pearls of pigment in luscious pastels that add shine and dazzle. Six pastel to sheer shades. DBP, Toluene and Formaldehyde free.

* L’oreal Bijou Facets collection. Pastel shades with optic fibers to create a dimensional and unique look. Try Hopeful, Pure, Innocent and Sweet shades for a girlish, spring look.

I bought this product two weeks ago and it has taken me all this time to work up the courage to try it, so mysterious are the warnings on the package.

A topcoat for lipstick that would make any lip color last 8 hours sounded like a great idea. I was confused however by both the claims that it has a fresh, minty taste and the caution that you should seek medical attention if ingested. How can you apply anything to your lips without the possibility of some of it being ingested?

The label says you will feel a tingling sensation as the topcoat sets and this is true, it’s almost a stinging effect but it doesn’t last long. The caution to only use over lipstick makes sense as it is a topcoat, as does the advice to never use on cracked or chapped lips. I can only imagine what it feels like on a raw lip…ouch!

Once set, there is no tingling and after a few more seconds I found that I wasn’t able to easily smudge my lipcolor - and believe me, I tried. On the down side, it’s a little sticky even after the product is set and you feel like you burst a bubble on your lips and didn’t get all the remnants of the gum off.

Pros: it does what it says, sets lipcolor and makes it smudgeproof and transferproof.

Cons: I wouldn’t dare test the contention that it is kissproof, because of the warning against accidental ingestion; in fact, I don’t know if I dare eat or drink my coffee.

The French Manicure is a popular look for nails because it looks natural, only better. The white tips and neutral beige or pink topcoat leaves the nails looking clean, bright and shiny. It’s a great everyday look.

The French Manicure can be easily achieved at home, especially with the use of one of the many kits on the market. Usually the kit will supply the white polish and either a beige or pink topcoat. This kit by Sephora has three polishes in a clutch bag for easy storage.

For help in applying the white polish at the tips you can purchase stick-on stencils to give you a guide and prevent mistakes. The French Manicure is also great for hiding minor length differences in nails. Just place the stencils at the same distance from the end of the nail regardless of how much of the real white edge you have.

Sally Hansen makes a kit that comes with an easy-to-apply white nail polish pen. The 5 Minute French Manicure Pen Kit comes with the nail pen, nail guides, sheer blush or sheer natural polish and a growth treatment for nails.

I keep reading Angelina Jolie’s name anywhere lip augmentation injections are mentioned. But you don’t have to subject yourself to surgical lip enhancements or the possibility of injections “going wrong” and leaving you with unsightly lumps and clumps.

Instantly plumper lips can be yours with any one of many plumping lip glosses on the market. Most use natural ingredients that are irritants, such as cinnamon and peppermint oils. These cause a local reaction to the irritant and the lips basically swell. Lips look fuller and tiny lines disappear.

Sally Hansen’s Lip Inflation uses peppermint oils, ginger and cinnamon to stimulate the plumping effect while moisturizing and smoothing ingredients include Vitamins A and E.

The plumping effect lasts only a few hours but the vitamin-enriched formula will leave your lips hydrated and softer. Available in three tints or a clear formula. Overall, a very nice product for a drugstore price.