Hannah Betts Better…Not Younger: Want to thrive in spring?face a new brilliance

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After a long, dull winter, today is the vernal equinox. The day when day and night are of equal length. Light, warmth and flowers are ahead.

On Sundays, the clocks change. The loss of an hour of sleep is made up for by the freshness of the new broom at the start of the season.

Here in the Northern Hemisphere, March means regeneration, renewal and enthusiasm. Even a vampire like me finds summer difficult, but the spring harvest sings.

Naturally, this means that I have a job for you. Now that the light is changing and we feel open to change too, I want you to slap yourself and challenge yourself. Test your limits and break them.

This does not necessarily mean a new purchase. You might find yourself simply attractive but somehow determined to dig out cosmetics that are “not me” and prove otherwise.

For myself, my spring fling offered an opportunity to think pink, and I was taken care of by Milanese heavyweight Diego Dalla Palma and their My Dreams Eyeshadow Palette (£34, lookfantastic.com).

This six-pan array has two mattes (Shocking Pink and Pale Peach). Two pearl shades (Metallic Golden Silver and Rose Gold Foil). Plus two satin textures (luxury old rose and brownish burgundy). However, it is hot pink that dominates.

Now that the light is changing and I feel we are embracing change too, I want you to slap yourself and challenge yourself: test and violate your limits.

Cool tones, I always use some kind of pink on my lips and cheeks, and use Mac’s Extra Dimension Eye Shadow from Ready to Party (£18.50, maccosmetics.co.uk) for a rainbow of pale shades. It often makes pink eyelids.

But hot pink? Surely this puts pink eye (i.e. conjunctivitis) in pink eyes? Or it looks as if I’m stuck in the 1980s, when no one batted an eyelid at Schiaparelli’s pink or royal blue peepers.

Diego Dalla Palma offers advice on how to keep pink under control. Apply fuchsia along the crease and blend upwards. Apply a neutral all over the eyelid. Apply one of the pearl shades on top.

good. The point here, though, is to push yourself. So I took the bull’s horns and covered the whole member with bright pink. And what do you know? When the glow was far from what it is now, it looked amazing, making my green eyes pop and my complexion glowing. For this hot shot in-situ color, I didn’t need to accentuate the shading or liner, so I just added mascara to keep it modern.

Mii Amplifying Lash Lover Mascara (£18, miicosmetics.com) is amazing: a practical, ultra-blackening, enlarging, fanning formula for naturally enhanced-looking lifts and curls.

I need glowing cheeks to offset my glowing eyes. Go on Parade’s The Body Shop Freestyle Multitasking Collar (£12, thebodyshop.com).

I can honestly say this is a complete pain to use and tends to squirt and stipple from the tube.

But once you get the hang of it, the payoff for the pigment is fantastic.

If all of this is over your bandwidth, dip your toes in Trinny London’s new Eye2Eye Cream Shadow. Rejoice, sparkling flower. Passion, Gold-Flecked Plum (£18 each, trinnylondon.com).

But basically, I say shock myself. Break boundaries and embrace change. It’s a youthful mindset that keeps you young.

Go to a Byredo, Mac, Nars, or (cheap) Kiko counter and ask what shade the artist ostensibly recommends for you.

Or invest and play with Brights’ NYX Professional Making Ultimate Eye-shadow Palette (£16, superdrug.com). There are 16 eyeshadows in rainbow shades to boldly suit all skin tones. By the time summer arrives, you’ll be a great pro.

Race you on it!

Charlotte’s Magic Cream is the beginning of her myriad brands. It was an instant her facial fixer, with makeup blended by her artist herself and ready for the model’s catwalk.

Now, Charlotte Tilbury’s Magic Body Cream (starting at £20, charlottetilbury.com) promises head-to-toe glow, hydration and firmness in eight weeks.

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My icon of the week – Jamie Lee Curtis

My Icon of the Week: Jamie Lee Curtis. Anastasia Beverly Hills cosmetics were applied by Grace Ann for the 64-year-old Oscar-winning face.

Anastasia Beverly Hills after using FaceGym’s Multi-Sculpt Contouring Tool (£50, facegym.com), Hydro-Bound Daily Serum (£68), and Active Blast Instant for the 64-year-old’s Oscar-winning face of cosmetics applied by Grace Ahn Releases Vegan Collagen Booster (55 lbs in 7 days) – Gives Hollywood Stars an Ultra Glow.

craving for cosmetics

The latest launch from Provoke, the UK’s best-selling purple shampoo, received exceptional reviews from my testers.

The Provoke Blonde Rehabilitation Bond Repair System (now starting at £3.33, boots.com) consists of a pre-wash treatment, a strengthening shampoo and conditioner, a smoothing serum and protective oils, enriched with bond restorers such as keratin and hyaluronic acid. I’m here.

“The results are amazing,” says my 80-year-old blonde bombshell. More lift, more bounce, and even a little more shine than just the day I washed it. It really adds luster and volume.

On sale — and at a very favorable price.

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