SPRING BEAUTY HEROES ON OUR RADAR
FRESHLY BAKED:
Serving up the season’s most irresistible beauty icons.
POV: Winter is (almost) starting to feel like a distant memory. Heavy coverage gives way to lighter finishes; brief spells of sunshine cut through the grey - and suddenly - everything feels a little fresher.
This shift calls for a refresh, and that’s where we come in. The search for the perfect skin tint. A blush shade that completes the look. Or that makeup bag essential you’ll never be without. Whatever you’re looking for, we’ve already thought it through - the FLANNELS way.
1. PAT MCGRATH: SUBLIME PERFECTION SETTING SPRAY
There’s a reason Pat McGrath is often called the mother of makeup. For decades, Mcgrath has spent decades shaping how beauty looks on runways and beyond - from major magazine covers to the glass skin moment at the Maison Margiela Spring/Summer 2024 show that everyone was still talking about weeks later.
Her line, Pat McGrath Labs, follows suit: high-impact formulas that deliver without too much effort.
The Skin Fetish: Sublime Perfection Longwear Blurring Setting Spray sits right at the end of your routine. A light mist helps blur the finish, locking everything in place and keep makeup looking fresh for longer.
2. BOBBI BROWN: BRONZING POWDER
If spring calls for anything, it’s a touch more bronzer - and Bobbi Brown is ensuring skin still looks like skin. Her Bronzing Powder is an easy route to that just-been-away warmth.
True to her usual approach, the powder is lightweight and blends in without much effort, leaving behind a soft-focus matte finish that warms things up without looking flat.
Emollient-coated pigments keep the texture silky and easy to build, while a touch of coconut oil helps skin stay soft rather than powdery. Genius.
3. YSL: THE SLIM COUTURE MATTE LIPSTICK
Yves Saint Laurent’s The Slim Couture Matte Lipstick is a good reminder that matte lipstick doesn’t have to be high maintenance.
The slim, square bullet makes application straightforward, helping you get a clean line without needing much precision. The payoff is bold, long-wearing colour that holds for up to ten hours, but still feels comfortable.
That’s down to a care-based formula with ceramides, rosehip oil and jojoba oil, which keeps lips feeling soft rather than dry - it wears like a perfectly tailored second skin, right on time for spring.
4. CHARLOTTE TILBURY: BEAUTIFUL SKIN SUN KISSED GLOW CREAM BRONZER
Often dubbed the Fairy Godmother of beauty, Charlotte Tilbury has another glow-maker up her sleeve: the Beautiful Skin Sun Kissed Glow Cream Bronzer.
The idea is simple - that slightly smug, just-back-from-the-beach warmth, but without the flight.
Inside, there’s a mix of vitamin D3 to boost radiance, light-reflecting pearls for a bit of lift, and hydrating hyaluronic acid so skin looks healthy rather than flat or muddy. The cream glides on easily thanks to elastic polymers that give it that comfortable, second skin feel, while soft-focus silica gently blurs things out.
5. MAC: MINERALIZE SKINFINISH
If you know your way around a makeup bag, you’ll know the MAC Cosmetics Mineralize Skinfinish has been delivering glow across the globe for as long as we can remember. It’s a velvety, dome-shaped face powder that gives skin a soft, radiant lift rather than anything too shimmery or obvious.
The formula is slow baked, which gives it that silky texture and subtle sheen. It’s also made with MAC’s 77-Mineral Complex and vitamin E, so it feels light on the skin and blends in without fuss.
You can sweep it lightly across the whole face for a gentle glow, or buff a little onto the high points - cheekbones, temples, the bridge of the nose - where the light naturally hits.
6.PAT MCGRATH LABS: SKIN FETISH HIGHLIGHTER AND BALM DUO
If you’ve finished your makeup and it’s still looking a bit… flat, there’s a backstage trick from Pat McGrath that’s worth knowing.
The idea is simple: light, but make it deliberate.
For a soft glow, blend the stick in with your fingertips, or buff it out with the Buffer 003 Brush (sold separately). If you want something a little sharper, swipe it straight from the stick. You can stipple it on to build intensity, or use small circular motions to sheer it out so it melts into the skin.
There are two ends to play with. Use them separately if you’re after a clean, high-shine gleam. Or mix the balm and the highlighter together for a more diffused, runway-style glow.
And placement matters. Try it on the tops of the cheekbones, the centre of the eyelids, the brow bone, down the bridge of the nose and along the Cupid’s bow. If you’re feeling generous, add a bit across the shoulders and décolletage too.
7. NARS: AFTERGLOW LIQUID BLUSH
NARS’ Afterglow Liquid Blush is a quick route to a flush of colour that actually looks like skin, only a bit better. It’s silky, lightweight, and comes with a hit of hydration, so your cheeks don’t feel dry while you glow.
The texture is ultra-creamy and buildable - you can start with a soft wash or go all in for a stronger hue. Sodium Hyaluronate keeps things hydrated for hours, and Vegan Collagen keeps skin looking bouncy.
For a natural, second-skin finish, dab a little on the back of your hand and tap onto cheeks with your fingers. Layer a second coat for a gentle boost, or apply two dots directly and blend for a more intense glow. You can even sweep a powder blush on top to give it extra lift.
The result? Colour that stays put, feels light, and has that just-right radiance without fuss.
8. DIOR: ROUGE BLUSH HOLOGRAPHIC FINISH
Dior has given its iconic Rouge Blush a refresh, keeping everything you love but adding a few clever updates. It delivers a long-wearing, healthy glow to the cheeks, with intense couture colour.
It comes in four finishes - matte, satin, shimmer, holographic - and right now, the holographic one feels most sensible for spring. The formula is mostly natural origin, infused with floral skincare, so it’s comfortable all day rather than drying or stiff.
Shades take cues from the legendary Rouge Dior range: soft pinks, corals, richer reds, beige, plum. Build it lightly for a gentle flush, or layer it for a stronger payoff.
9. DIOR: ADDICT LIP GLOW OIL
If you’re after something that toes the line between lip-care and makeup, the Dior Addict Lip Glow Oil is worth knowing about. It gives a glossy, luminous finish, with shades that respond to your pH to reveal a natural flush.
Plus, the cherry oil keeps lips nourished, and hydration lasts a full 24 hours, with smoothness that sticks around for eight.
The applicator does the heavy lifting. Cover the lips evenly, or dab here and there for a ‘just bitten’ effect. Either way, you get smooth, shiny, radiant lips - which, especially in spring, is a win.
10. BOBBI BROWN: VITAMIN ENRICHED SKIN TINT SPF 15
One for the backstage kit: Bobbi Brown’s Vitamin Enriched Skin Tint. Sheer, believable coverage with a few extra credentials.
Vitamins B, C and E help keep skin nourished, while Pro-Vitamin D and Cactus Flower lend a hand to the barrier. There’s SPF15 too, so you’re getting a bit of sun protection along with the glow.
Pigment-Flex Technology helps the formula adapt to a wide spectrum of complexions and undertones. Wear it as a light sweep across the face or build it slightly where needed. The overall effect is simple: fresh, even, and radiant skin.
1. NARS: SOFT MATTE COMPLETE CONCEALER
Want a fresh-faced look without having to reach for your foundation? NARS Soft Matte Complete Concealer has you covered.
Use your fingertips or a small stippling brush to blend and watch dark spots, under-eye circles, redness, and blemishes melt away with that iconic HD blurring formula.
Behind the scenes, it’s doing more than covering. Peptides, hyaluronic acid, and a protective cocktail of Vitamins A, C, and E work to smooth and support the skin over time. Retouch where you need it for natural-looking matte coverage that lasts. Soft Matte has everything covered.