Reality: Nude lips are one of this season's hottest trends. Just pick up a tube of lipstick labeled "nude" and you're good to go, right? Wrong. Products categorized as "nude" and "naked" are meant to mimic the natural color of lighter skin tones. To avoid looking like you're severly dehydrated, you should look for nude shades with rose undertones and utilize other lip products in your makeup bag, says Fine. "Nude shades worn without liner or gloss can get lost on brown skin, so always begin with a brown liner to add definition to lips, then dab with a cocoa gloss to make it come alive."

Try:
Lancome Rouge in Love Lipstick in Delicate Lace, $8.50
Maybelline Color Sensational Lipcolor in Sin-A-Mon, $7.49
CoverGirl Queen Collection Lip Color in Nude Attitude, $5.94
bareMinerals Marvelous Moxie Lipgloss in Dreamer, $18

Reality: This spring, the pastel trend is moving from the closet to the makeup bag. For black women in particular, super-light pinks, blues, lavenders and whites risk making you look ashy and washed-out, so it's important to keep your undertones in mind when choosing a color.

If you have reddish undertones, try pinks and yellows; if you have yellow undertones, try blues and purples. If you skew neutral, pick peach-y shades. Be sure to prime your lids with a cream-based primer, like Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion, $12, to make the color appear more vivid. Lastly, Fine advises applying dark liner (in a complementary color or black) and mascara.

Try:
Black Opal Beauty Color Splurge Eye Shimmer in Racy Maven, $6.95
Urban Decay Eyeshadow in ABC Gum, $18
CoverGirl Flamed Out Shadow Pencils in Ice Flame, $4.89