Plus, an updated makeup look will improve your client's image and help define their personal style!

WINTER
This is a festive time of year so encourage your clients to indulge with richer, deeper colors, such as wine, chestnut and dark violets. Deep shades of eye and lip color give the skin warmth and are ideal for the winter months. Remember, the most fabulous look is a balanced one. When choosing rich shades for the eyes, it is best to go with a lighter lipstick. Medium to dark jewel tone colors are great for lips but carefully select the shade that is right for your client. Medium berry shades are better for small lips and darker shades (like crimson) are more complementary for full lips. A couple celebrity examples are Scarlett Johansson and Jessica Alba who both look amazing in dark red lipstick. Winter is actually the best time of year to wear a bold-red sexy lip shade. It is my theory that there is one perfect shade of red for every woman. The best tip is to try on as many as possible and never give up! For a daytime look, tone down the classic neutral eye look with a deep brown liner instead of black and pair with a deep brick red lipstick. A true brick red (not too much brown or blue) is best for most complexions. To jazz up an evening look, use a deep chocolate red paired with a bright gold shadow that has a hint of shimmer – this is an ultra classic look. This is also the perfect time of year to add dimension to lips. For example, add a shimmery gloss over any darker shade to give more edge to their holiday-glam look! Also, recommend moisturizing lipsticks because they will provide comfort to chapped or dehydrated lips during the winter months.
Get creative with eye looks this time of year. Deep chestnut browns look good with almost any eye color and can be worn with any berry or jewel-tone lipstick. Charcoal grey and metallic earth shades are excellent choices for winter because they help to bring warmth to the complexion. The darker eye shades work especially well for nightlife. It is still appropriate to wear a rich lip shade during the workday as long as it is complimented by a lighter eye shadow. For daytime, try a champagne cream-to-powder finish eye shadow or icy slate grey – this will softly define the eyes.
During the winter months, the skin is constantly fighting dryness and dehydration due to indoor heaters and environmental elements. Be sure to boost hydration levels with serums containing hyaluronic acid and always use a moisturizer before applying foundation. Recommend to your clients, cream blush and liquid (or cream) foundation because they comfort the skin and are easy to apply on the go. Many cosmetic companies now formulate cream-to-powder finish products that can be used on eyes, cheeks and lips which makes it convenient to create a quick holiday look. Most importantly, be creative and have fun with makeup during this time of year.

SPRING
This time of year is all about renewal so use this as an opportunity to create looks that are fresh and light with colors that really pop. Start with a neutral eye shade swept over the entire lid area – a champagne pink color or even a sheer gold color with a hint of shimmer will help create the desired effect. For a whimsical spring look, try earth-toned shadows that create a soft smoky eye and pair with a peachy-pink or nude color with a hint of pink. Earth tone shadows complement all eye colors and are easy and quick to apply. If a client prefers pastels, a soft lavender shadow is a great choice and looks best with black or grey eyeliner. For cheeks, use a soft pink or rose color. A rose color blush with a hint of a berry is a great choice if wearing a light pastel eye shadow. Whereas, a lip shade with a plum or mulberry hue gives a very youthful look.
Whether you choose a light or medium shade, lips need to pop in the spring. To achieve that vibrant spring look, use bright pinks with a hint of red or berry. Pinks can be tricky so be mindful when selecting a shade. Warmer skin tones need a peachy pink or a pinkish brown color. Cooler skin tones can do almost any shade of pink – especially the more vibrant – true pinks. Many cosmetic companies now produce lip and cheek stains that help create the freshest, fastest spring look.
One of my favorite bold spring looks is a dark dramatic lip. Application of this look can be tricky at first, but with some practice this edgy spring look can be mastered. In order to maintain balance and avoid a harsh look, it is best to choose light eye shadow. Then, use a thin layer of bronzer all over or a nude pink blush for subtle definition on the cheeks. Make sure lips are prepped (exfoliated, then primed with lip balm). A great trick of the trade is to outline the entire lip line with a medium to full coverage concealer, set with translucent powder and then use a neutral liner and fill in. After following these steps, you can apply the bold lip shade. If your client has a cool skin tone, select a burgundy with more of a berry hue. If they have a warm skin tone, it is best to choose a burgundy with more of a brown hue.
Another idea for a bold spring look is a light grey shadow smudged on the lower lid paired with a bright coral lip. This look complements fair complexions and is ideal for day or evening. To enhance the evening look, simply add black eye liner to the lower lash line and smudge additional liner to the top lash line.

SUMMER
During the summer months, the skin typically has an improved skin tone because of increased sun exposure to UVB rays. Although many enjoy a warmer skin tone, be aware that any darkening in the skin is an indication of damage (even if you do not experience sunburn). It is important to protect the skin with foundation that contains broad spectrum UVA/UVB sunscreen throughout the entire year to decrease the chance of skin cancer. Mineral makeup lines specialize in formulations that offer blending, foundation, concealer, powder and sunscreen to provide you with the most convenient protection and coverage. The best mineral makeup lines provide foundations that exclude preservatives, dyes, talc and fillers which can irritate the skin. Do your research so that you can help clients pick a brand that is best for their skin.
Summertime provides the perfect opportunity to define skin with bronzers that give the skin vitality and a healthy glow. Bronzers can help create a sun-kissed look without harmful UV damage. A simple guide to using powder bronzer, is to apply with a large dome brush with light strokes to the areas of the face that normally get the most sun exposure, such as the outer cheek area, temples and lower jaw line.
This is also a good time of year to use bronze, peach and gold colors on the eyes. A khaki green eye shadow applied to the lower lid creates a fresh and fabulous summer look. Be sure to smudge your client's eyeliner with a sponge tip blender which helps to soften the eye look while leaving her eyes defined. Follow up with a sheer neutral blush and a berry lip gloss.
Defining lips in the summer should be fresh, easy and effortless. Skip lip liner and indulge in gloss or long wearing liquid lip color. Bold coral liquid lip colors are good for the beach and look amazing on sun-kissed or bronze complexions. Sheer lips are fantastic if you have already defined the eyes with shadow, liner and mascara. Peachy-pinks and apricots are excellent this time of year and complement almost any skin tone. Berry pinks also look great on most skin tones. If the client is persistent on using a lip liner, select a nude shade that is similar to her actually lip color – this will look more natural and fresh.

FALL
This season is all about warmth and depth of color. The leaves and landscapes are changing so it is time to update your makeup colors. Emerald green and burgundy eye shadows are excellent choices for fall. For more of a daytime look, pair these shadows with lighter liquid eyeliners, such as metallic gold and wine. For evening looks, dark brown/black or true black liner looks best with warm eye shadow shades. One of the most beautiful shades for fall is copper. A copper cream-to-powder eye shadow looks amazing with almost any skin tone and eye color – particularly light brown eyes. Even if your client has green or blue eyes – copper is a beautiful contrast and looks fabulous day or night! If you choose a copper eye shade, try a warm pink or peach color on lips and keep the blush neutral or warm. Emerald eye shadow looks beautiful with rich berry lipsticks or gloss. Burgundy eye shadows look amazing with a variety of lip shades such as: wine, berry, plum and ballet pink.
Fall is also an ideal time of year to introduce quad bronzers. These bronzer sets are found in almost any major cosmetic product line and offer various shades for contouring the face. If the client has a large forehead, it is best to use the darkest shade of bronzer on this area. If the chin area is small, use the lightest shade to open up this area. The lightest shimmery shade is also great to use as a highlighter on cheek bones or in the corner of the eyes for an extra pop. The medium shades can be used on the cheeks instead of blush. Quad bronzers provide makeup artists and consumers with many options.
Each season presents immense opportunity to help change a client's look and introduce new and exciting color into their life. If your client has had the same makeup routine for years, then it is time for them to book a session with you, their makeup artist. Introducing new looks and mastering the application techniques is imperative. If your client is having problems achieving an eye look, show the steps to achieve this new look on one eye and then instruct her on the other. For additional inspiration, find special segments in most major fashion magazines on seasonal makeup; this is a wonderful way to grab new ideas and learn new techniques. Remember that a great look is achieved through experimenting with color and technique, so let your creativity flow! A fresh new look can lift the spirit and give confidence both personally and professionally!

April Zwick is a L.E. with 10 years experience in the industry. She has worked at Blow Salon for the nine years as a full-time aesthetician and makeup artist. As a makeup artist for 15 years she has gained experience with Clinique, Origins, COLORFLO and Jane Iredale Mineral Cosmetics. Zwick attended The University of Oklahoma where she earned a B.A. in Journalism in 1993 and a Master of Human Relations in 1999. As an aesthetician at Blow, Zwick enjoys providing a variety of services. She specializes in microdermabrasion, chemical peels and other advanced skin care treatments. She has worked extensively in the arena of special event makeup and enjoys the creative outlet. She also enjoys her residency in East Dallas and likes working in the Lakewood area.