5 Spring Favourites: More zesty goodness for SS12!

Ah, spring: all sunny days, cherry blossom and fluffy clouds in a bright blue skies... Well, a girl can dream. Meanwhile, back in the real world, our unreliable Irish weather means my new spring shoes (suede, taupe. D'oh!) are relegated to the wardrobe and I'm back in my scarves, cardies and boots.

Thank God for makeup, eh? Slap on a few new season colours and suddenly, the zing's back in spring. I've swapped my Naked Palette for these pretty and colourful products and feel instantly lighter and fresher as a result. Not as in-yer-face as some of spring’s brights, they've been light on the pocket, too - apart from the first polish I’ll show you, everything here was snapped up in my local chemist or supermarket.

NAILS

I was sent Greige Gardens from Sally Hansen, which, along with Nude Now, a peach-toned 'mannequin hands' sorta shade, is new for SS12. A lovely lavender/grey creme, this applies and wears well - just like the rest of the Complete Salon Manicure range, in my experience.

This bottle of Fashion Nails polish, €4.09 from Barbara Daly at Tesco, could easily be mistaken for the new Max Factor Minis, but I much prefer Barbara's shade choice: I bought three, but this one, Forever Green, is my favourite. It reminds me of Essie's light green shade for SS12, Navigate Her, and seems just a touch more sophisticated than mint.

EYES

And from my local chemist, these two sweet treats: NYC's Color Instinct eye palette in Cupcakes & Coffee, and Stay With Me Longlasting Lipgloss from Essence in My Favourite Milkshake.

I'm loving both: pastel shadows aren't always great with my colouring but, grounded with black mascara, these lilacs and pinks should work nicely on most skintones. There are 4 colour combos and, at €3.49, these are definitely worth a shot.

LIPS

As for the gloss, Essence's Stay With Me is just great: smooth and non-sticky, with a lovely, balmy texture.

But you'll need to hurry - I got this for half price (€1.25) because for some inexplicable reason, they're discontinuing the line!

SCENT

Finally, a spritz or two of this Roger & Gallet Citron scent, €17 for 30ml, is the perfect spring fragrance - fresh, clean and energising, it's a world away from the heavier perfumes I wore all winter long.

What bargains have you snapped up this spring? Share ‘em in the comments!