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Orange Crush

For women who have resisted the bob and the bangs, the look is Breck Girl. On the runway, this was shown as a dead-centre part: hippie chick. In real life, the look is more an ode to Cybill Shepherd circa Last Picture Show: the 1970s superblonde.

"It's a warm honey blond," says Eric Del Monaco, a L'Oréal hair expert who works at O Sole salon in Toronto. "Tone on tone is another trend, so a solid blond with reflexive highlights."

As to how to style it, "the flat-iron look is dead, dead, dead," says makeup artist David Goveia, who created the looks on these pages. Every woman should now have rollers.

"But that is for special days. If your cut is good enough, you should be able to air-dry your hair and let out the natural wave. Hair is not overdone for spring." The hairstyle shown here was created with a large-barrel curling iron; it is great on all hair types — straight, wavy or curly. "And it is great the next day, too," Goveia says.

With this dewy look, we've paired an orange lip. Women fear orange, but it is flattering to all skin types, says L'Oréal makeup artist Eddie Malterre, who is based in Montreal. "Stay sheer, but especially for spring a hint of orange brightens up your whole face." Try Covergirl Fruit Spritzer in Guava Splash.

Pink Lady

At first, we thought all the hairdressers were tipsy on Oscar night. On second thought, who are we to argue with any easy updo? For big nights out or for long days at the office, pull hair back in a ponytail, secure with a pin, then wrap the hair around the base like a chignon.

The beauty of this look is that it can become a bit askew. Not as askew as the "messy bun" of two years ago, but a few wisps gone astray are fine. The trick is to artfully remove the right amount of short bits from the front. You can do just a little, or you can have half your hair out, but nothing in between.

 Match dressy hair with a lip in shell pink — the new nude. Take a tip from international makeup artist Pat McGrath: "Pat colour in centre and blend out. There is no hard, defined line."

But why stop there? Matching lipstick to clothing is fun, L'Oréal makeup artist Eddie Malterre says. "But it is not necessary to go to that trouble every day" Now that the focus has moved to the mouth, eyes are simpler all around. Take it easy on the lashes.

And round up all your three-colour eyeshadow kits: Graduated colour on the lids is the trend runway makeup artists loved best. As for blush, it's barely there, more peachy than rosy.

Purple Haze

Fringe is the word for spring. The poster girl for the look is actress Rachel Bilson: Her new bangs were the snip heard round the gossip sites. With a simple cut, she went from pretty to smokin'.

 "This trend hit hard and fast," says Howard Barr, a Toronto hair stylist who coifs both bank tower types and their hipster counterparts. "It's been across the age range. Bangs flatter most faces, though the really long bangs are best on a young woman. It's a very trendy look. But the line isn't, or doesn't have to be, as severe as it looks."

The most modern look is dead straight in front and then falling with some wave at the sides. "And you can play with colour, darkening the ends for more drama."

To heighten the mood, purple lips are a lark for a night out. Try MAC's Martooni, a blue lavender that works for all skin tones. "Brighter lips look just as good on darker, Asian and olive skins as on blondes," Goveia says. "The lipstick should be creamy rather than high shine. But the modern girl is less high maintenance than the matron of the past, so eyes should be neutral and softer, with no matching nail polish needed."