Beauty: Seven of the best pastel makeup products

There’s no surer way to refresh your makeup look for spring/summer than shifting to a palette of pretty, playful pastels. Afraid of looking like a toddler let loose with her mum’s makeup bag? Keep it simple, says Alice Ryan

Kiko Milano Beauty Essentials All Shades of Eyeshadow Palette in Rose Touch, £17.99, Kiko Milano, Grand Arcade, Cambridge and kikocosmetics.com
Kudos to Kiko Milano on the new Beauty Essentials collection. Containing everything a makeup bag needs - including both an impressive 12-hour mascara and a nifty four-in-one brush, the extra heads hidden in its ergonomic handle - it exemplifies everything the Italian-born brand stands for: budget-friendly, fashion-conscious, age-inclusive and lovely quality. This nine-pan shadow palette is perfect for those who want to tap into the pastel trend but keep it classic; set against a smudge of smoky mattes, a finger-pat of metallic pigment, either in the inner corner or centre of the lids, gives eyes an instant lift. The lilac and peachy rose-gold are especially pretty.

KimChi Chic Beauty Sweet Candy Kisses Lipstick in Gummie Drop, £14, beautybay.com
As you’d expect from a brand developed by a drag queen with legendary makeup skills - KimChi found fame on season eight of Ru Paul’s Drag Race - this lipstick is a real performer. The sugariest possible shade of pastel pink, it packs a pigment punch from first swipe and, despite being pleasingly creamy to apply for a matte, has unrivalled staying power too. Vegan and free from cruelty and chemical nasties, it’s also enriched with moisturising Vitamin E, making it comfy and crease-resistant. While the shade isn’t for everyone - if you’re aiming for a no-makeup-makeup look, steer clear - for those wanting a properly pastel pink lippy, it can’t be beaten.

Pixi by Petra On-the-Glow Blush in Fleur, £18, pixibeauty.co.uk and Boots stores
London-born brand Pixi is known for products which “create a naturally radiant ‘just had a good night's sleep’ look” and On-the-Glow is a case in point. Properly defined as a ‘tinted moisture stick’, the twist-up blush delivers both a natural-looking flush of colour and a fresh, dewy finish in one sweep. I treat it as a multipurpose pigment; formulated with hydrating extracts of ginseng, aloe vera and fruits, it’s lovely for lips as well as cheeks. Fleur is the perfect cherry-blossom pink for spring - not too blue, not too orange, it’s a genuinely suits-all shade.

Iconic London Lip Plumping Gloss in Lovestruck, £21, iconiclondoninc.com and Boots stores
If you only have one lip gloss in your makeup bag, make it this one: Iconic London’s formula ticks every box. The finish is mirror-shiny yet non-sticky; infused with a biomimetic peptide to support collagen production, it has a plumping effect; thanks to moisture-rich aloe vera and toning coffee oil, it softens and smooths. Plus it’s vegan and free from cruelty and parabens, has a pleasing minty taste and tingle, and comes in the loveliest palette of nudes and pinks. My pastel pick is the peachy Lovestruck, its warmth promising to flatter all skin tones.

Lottie London Coloured Stamp Liner in Lilac Heart, £5.95, lottie.london
My admiration for budget beauty brand Lottie London - not only affordable, but also genuinely innovative, proudly inclusive and consciously formulated - continues to grow. This double-ended liner, classic felt tip at one end and cute heart stamper at the other, is an ideal entry point for anyone wanting to experiment with a pastel eye look. The felt tip is flexible yet firm, making it a pleasure to use, and the stamper works brilliantly; both produce clean lines and dense colour. Inviting play - try a single heart stamp on outer eye corners or, if you’re feeling extra, a whole row along upper lids - it screams festivals and summer holidays.

Milani Gilded Palette in Pastel, £28.25, milanimakeup.co.uk and Boots stores
Having tried and tested so many brands over the years, I’ve become a bit of an eyeshadow snob: if the pay-off’s poor, if there’s fallout, if it flakes or creases, it doesn’t matter how attractive the price-point, it’s off my list. Which is why I am so impressed by Milani’s eye palettes. For less than £30, a snip compared to other high-end brands, you get a full 15 pans of seriously good shadows: the pigments pop, the mattes are silky, the metallics are soft, and all are both beautifully blendable and wear really well. Spanning shades of cream, peach, lavender, mint and dove grey, this pastel iteration of the signature Gilded Palette is a beauty; keep it simple with a single colour theme or go all out and blend a rainbow.

SODA #rainbowrave Unicorn Mascara in Purple Rain, £6.25, beautybay.com
Don’t let the name fool you: this is no novelty product. Yes, the packaging is cute - each tube comes with a dinky sticker sheet for customisation purposes - but the mascara inside means business. Applied with a full, fluffy brush, it coats lashes like a boss, lifting and curling them as it goes. And this parma-violet shade is really pretty: having worn purple mascara daily for the bulk of the late Nineties/early Noughties, I may be biased, but I think it complements any and all iris colours. Anyway, for six quid, even sceptics can buy and try (and prepare to be won over).