Spring Shadows

Dress your eyes in a bouquet of fresh new hues

April showers bring May flowers, and with that a shift in wardrobe colors. With hues like honeysuckle, coral rose and lavender as the hottest fashion shades for spring and summer, it's time to swap bisque and brown eye shadows for a brighter palette. "Winter neutrals will seem drab and dull under sunny skies," says New York makeup artist Donna Gianfrancesco. "You want a look that's crisper, cleaner and fresh."

Here, from Gianfrancesco, are tips on how to wear four of spring's eye-opening spring color trends:

Limes
Who needs tinted contact lenses? When you wear lime-green eye shadow, green eyes look emerald, blue eyes blue-green, brown eyes will appear hazel and hazel eyes will turn green. For a sultry nighttime look, brush a bronze shadow from the lash line to the lid, then apply NYX Single Eye Shadow in Lime Juice in the crease. "You'll have a sexy, smoky eye," says Gianfrancesco, "with that vivid hint of color peeking out."

Peacocks
Strut your eye-popping stuff! The mauve, royal blue, violet and sea-foam green shades in CARGO The Color Palette in Barcelona complement all eye colors. Remember, blending is the key to working with bright pigments.

Using a flat shadow brush, apply one of the two lighter shades from the collection on your eyelid and a contrasting deeper color in the crease, then blend with a fluffy shadow brush with loose bristles. Play around with the palette to find the combinations that are most

flattering for you—there will be more than one. Don't be scared; it's only eye shadow, ladies!

Roses
Think of roses as your spring and summer neutrals. "Beiges and browns complement the charcoal gray, you wear in winter," says Gianfrancesco, "but rose hues work much better with white, coral, light grays and the sherbet colors you'll be wearing this spring." Laura Geller Baked Marble Eyeshadow in Starburst features multiple infusions of color. Sweep your brush over the marbleized pot and apply to your entire eyelid for a subtle wash of mosaic hues. Or, dip your brush into different shades within the table and apply them individually on your eyelid, using a deeper shade as eyeliner.

Denims
Like your trusted jeans, denim shadows can be dressed up or down. Urban Decay Cosmetics Eye Shadow in Goddess has a touch of sparkle to it. Use it during the daytime in the outer corner of your eyes to give a little drama to a lid that's washed with a soft peach or pink. At night, apply over your lid with a dense brush for a more intense pigment payoff, then dip a wet liner brush in the pot and line your upper and lower lashes; smudge softly.