Spring Collections 2012 – What is Wearable for Women Over 40?

Spring Collections by makeup brands this year are vibrant, fresh and full of color.  Some of them you can determine right away if they are wearable for you or not, but others are so vibrant you wonder who can actually pull off these looks?  I’ve taken a look at many of the new Spring Collections for 2012 and here are my favorites on what women over 40 can pull off in these vibrant shades.

     

While the eye shadow palette in the new Chanel Spring Collection is lovely, it feel like a repeat to me.  However, the Blush Horizon is a beautiful stripe that ranges from vibrant pink so a bright coral with a tone of neutral in between. I love the stripe pattern, so fresh and fun.  It’s not too highly pigmented so it is easy to blend on the cheeks.  The powder compact in Jasmine is a beautiful golden tone shimmer that can be used to highlight or even tone down the blush if you like.

 

While the Bobbi Brown Spring Collection named Neon and Nude may scare you off by the name alone, don’t be afraid. You might want to veer away from the neon lipsticks, but the glosses are pretty sheer and a fun way to get some color.  The blushes are vibrant and fun and will add a punch of life to your cheeks.  You may want to stop from applying the neon eye shadows all over, but with the nudes palette, the neon blush and neon sheer glosses will balance out nicely.

The Laura Mercier Lingerie Collection for Spring 2012 is one of my favorite of the season. The palette is a perfect balance of subtle eye colors and a punch of color on the cheeks.  It’s a gorgeous set that I’m sure will sell out quickly. If you already own some basic nudes or neutrals in eye colors, then get in style this spring with one of the creme cheek colors and a punch of color on the lips with the Lip Shine in Tempting Coral.  It’s spring-like without going overboard.  This collection is a must-have for the woman over 40!

Lancome’s Spring Collection is fresh and spring-like with pinks and bright greens. The 5 pan green shadows may be a bit more difficult to pull off than the more wearable Rose  Romance eye shadow palette and the face compact with the rose imprinted is actually more subtle once the top layer is used.  Instead of being pink and cream it’s more like peaches and cream.   The Le French Touch Absolu Nu lipstick is a light shade of pink and the L’Absolu Rouge Nu lipstick shades are more vibrant.  Again, it’s all about balance.

Trish McEvoy Ready-To-Wear makeup planner puts the emphasis on bold with the vibrant lavender planner.  Classic bronzed face with classic navy, grey and nude eyes get a punch of color with the brightly hued blush.  She also takes the lips natural with the Flawless Lip Pen in Infatuation, a bronze tone lip color.

Not nearly as vibrant as other lines, the Estee Lauder Topaz collection is a mixture of bronze, goldens, peaches and striking teal. If you’ve loved the Illuminating Powder Gels in the past few seasons, you’ll love the new bronze one this season as well.  The eye shadow palette Topaz Mosaic is a mixture of bronze, golds, plummy browns and neutrals. The lipsticks are also coral which isn’t real vibrant, nude and bronze shades too.  The punch of color in this comes from the chubby stick and nail polish in dramatic teal.

If you like these shades but aren’t sure how to wear them without looking like a clown, be sure to ask a sales associate to teach you the best way to use with subtlety.  Correct brushes and application are important when using these vibrant colors, and never wear vibrant colors on the eyes, cheeks and lips all at the same time.   Which ones are your favorites?