Nature’s awakening from its winter sleep cannot but affect people’s emotions. Although winter is already over, it is only now that spring has really gained momentum. At this point we start feeling uneasy. Why? Because we are filled with the irresistible desire to change ourselves and everything around us. This includes beauty, fashion and our general lifestyle.

To begin to really enjoy spring, you first need to develop faith in your abilities. And, naturally, personal image comes first. Luckily, this is not really a problem given the abundance of new beauty products and techniques. Take Nivea Beaute, for example. It gives many recommendations on how to do your makeup so as to be both stylish and original. For this spring, Nivea Beaute accentuates rosy and violet colors: two shades of moisturizing Colour Pleasure lipstick, Violet Tulip and Perfect Pink; two shades of Colour & Calcium nail polish, Violet Tulip and Pink Maniac; and finally, Double Design Duo shadows with a Purple Glow tinge.

"The characteristic feature of the coming season is a very strong Eastern influence," makeup expert Natalia Pavlova said, "hence the popularity of rosy and violet colors. These colors let you create a very feminine style. Besides, violet is perfect for evening makeup."

Next on the list is wardrobe, which, of course, needs to be updated in line with the season’s new trends in fashion. New collections have arrived in Moscow’s boutiques and are selling fast. Nice blouses and cotton and cashmere knitwear and trendy men’s suede jackets are available at the Patrick Hellmann Collections boutique. The spring/summer collection at Traffic features womenswear, footwear and accessories from Yohjiki Hishinumo and Zinco – you’ll find shirts, blouses, skirts, dresses, breeches and knitwear.

Now it is time to do some rearranging at home. First of all, you should get rid of the old stuff you no longer need. This is where the art of Feng Shui helps. Feng Shui is very practical. Judge for yourself: A simple rearrangement of furniture at home may not only help you find love, but also help you get rich!

If you think your life has hit a dead end, or is going to pieces, call upon the Dragon for help. Yes, the Dragon – the symbol of luck, wealth, status, power and development. To do this, you need to place a jade statuette or a picture of a dragon in the easternmost corner of your apartment. Also, you will need to drape the eastern windows of your apartment with blue or green curtains and find a place for houseplants beside the east wall. Near the latter, you can arrange a small fountain or aquarium, because water is what every plant needs to grow.

Next comes the Tiger, the Dragon’s counterpart. The Tiger symbolizes protection from burglary, and its place is directly opposite to the Dragon, in the westernmost spot of your apartment. A live cat would also work here. If all this intrigues you, head to the Feng Shui studio to acquire a more comprehensive knowledge of Feng Shui.

Finally, you need to become master of your own body. A good way to do this is to take dance lessons. The dance teachers at the Club Latino School will get you into the secrets of mamba, salsa, merenge and cha-cha-cha. This is something you can’t miss. First, the Cuban dancer Roberto who teaches their Latin dances is one of the sexiest dance teachers in Moscow. To make things even better, an unlimited monthly pass to the school is only 1,500 rubles. If you prefer disco, house or funk, the place to go is the School of Modern Dance. Of course, learning will take some sweat. But, if you persist, you may become a disco queen in short order – or, at least, a queen of the Propaganda dance club.

Now you can say in all honesty that spring is finally here. No one can keep you from enjoying yourself now, especially not when it’s just the time to anticipate all those new colors, scents and images out there.

Locations:

Patrick Hellmann Collections

24/1 Bolshaya Nikitskaya Ul. Tel: 935-7797

Traffic

17 Nikitsky Blvd. Metro: Arbatskaya Tel: 290-1271

Feng Shui Studio

13/17 Derbenevskaya Nab., Bldg. 1 Metro: Paveletskaya Tel: 797-5797

Club Latino School

28 Talalikhina Ul., Atlan sports and health complex Metro: Volgogradsky Prosp. Tel: 277-0211

School of Modern Dance

31a 1st Botkinsky Proyezd, school No. 698 Metro: Tel: 945-4981

Propaganda

7 Bolshoi Zlatoustinsky Per. Metro: Kitai-Gorod Tel: 924-5732