Spring fling: From edgy pastels to undone lips

We don’t know how to act as the warm weather ushers in the hottest new trends.

Makeup: Gritty pretty

From edgy pastels to undone lips, soft makeup trends get a bold, rebellious refresh.

Just bitten: It seems the best shade to wear this season is your lips’ natural colour — or something close to it. At Max Mara, lips took inspiration from freshly smooched pouts or blurred, “just bitten” lips with a subtle flush of colour diffused into the skin. Keep an undone quality to lips by way of a lipstick, lip tint or gloss in pink, red or berry shades, lightly tapped onto the centre with the fingers.

Try: Benefit Plushtint Pillow Play Velvet Lip Tint in 28 Teddy, R495; H&M x Chupa Chups Scented Lip Balm Duo, R129.

Spiked arches: If you’re a fan of feathered or soap brows, you’ll be happy to know that brows are only getting spikier. At Dior, brows took inspiration from fairy-tale romance and punk subculture, going dramatically spikey when brushed up using a clear brow gel to create a laminated-brow finish with faux hair-like strokes drawn into the brows.

Try: Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Pen in Medium Brown, R500; MAC Pro Locked Brow Set Gel in Clear, R550.

Cloud skin: Step aside glass skin! The ultra-dewy, glazed Korean staple takes a backseat to TikTok viral, matte-dewy hybrid “cloud skin”, as seen at Ermanno Scervino and Marco Rambaldi. Think luminous matte, soft-focus, satin skin with a radiant, cloudy texture. Minimize pore appearance with a blurring primer and apply a luminous-matte foundation. Finish off with a blurring setting powder.

Try: Huda Beauty Easy Blur Primer Sheer Bronze, R620; Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk Foundation in 13.25, R1 250.

Pastel punch: Pretty pastels are no longer just for spring, as the runways show that these delicate hues can be groundbreaking. Bold and punchy, pastels are given an edgy treatment when paired with dark lips or bleached brows — or applied as a graphic liner. At Etro, baby blue and lilac looked futuristic when used as a wash over eyes, temples, and cheekbones.

At Genny, lilac made a statement over the lids as a chunky graphic.