They color themselves happily.

With spring in full bloom and summer on the horizon, makeup lovers in New York City are shaking off their cold weather blues and putting on the color.

Lots and lots of color.

Think bold and bright shades like neon green, hot pink, electric blue and DayGlo orange.

But Gen Zers and millennials say the pumped-up priming isn’t for shock value — it’s for their mental health.

“It’s dopamine makeup,” Susan Angel, 31, a TV production set designer from East Harlem, explained to The Post. “It’s all about boosting your mood, change your negative thoughts and to have fun expressing yourself through makeup.”

Thousands of women are posting the eye-catching trend under the TikTok hashtag #DopamineMakeup, which has garnered more than half a million views. The bold glow is thought to provide a jolt of the “feel good” hormone, which evokes a sense of pleasure and satisfaction in the brain.

There might be something to it. A June 2020 Quinnipiac University study it looked at YouTube’s beauty influencers and self-esteem found that makeup “has participants who are internally motivated to
use makeup and/or have a strong sense of mastery, bodily agency, and relatedness to their subscribers who view cosmetic use as having a positive effect on self-esteem.

Decorating her face with creepy pizzeria was a creative outlet for Angel, who first tried the dopamine look in December 2022 when her now-deceased mother was battling cancer. And last month, the brunette resumed the polychromatic look for fun, on the three-year anniversary of her father’s death in April 2020 from COVID-19.

She tells The Post that artistic cheer gives her a surge of joy.

“The dopamine glow is more than makeup. It’s therapeutic,” said Angel, who uses splashy eyeshadows, eyeliners and lipsticks from brands like NYX, Fenty Beauty and Tarte.

“When I experiment with these bright colors,” she said, “I feel as if my parents, who were really positive and uplifting people, are here with me.”

And similar to the viral #ChromeMakeup mania, which saw daredevil divas adorn their faces with 3D glue gun designs, in the dopamine makeup trend, anything.

The cheerful style was first created in Spring 2022 by celebrity makeup artist Sir John – who has masterfully showcased the likes of Margot Robbie, Zendaya and Beyoncé.

And just like the Fashion-forward #DopamineDressing craze, a post-COVID movement that inspired people to find happiness through vibrant over-the-top outfits, Sir John tells The Post that his cosmetics craze is also meant to igniting a psychological spark of joy and self-expression.

“People have a very strong emotional connection to color. It’s primal,” said John, a Buffalo native. “Dopamine brilliance is about finding yourself in the little pockets and moments and choices you make. [make] as you get ready.

“Color can liven things up,” he added. “It can bring a little drama to an otherwise mundane day.”

Incorporating striking hues into everyday looks, he said, can facilitate stress relief and comfort.

“It’s a little bit of adding pops of color, painting your nails neon or using a Kelly green liner [way] to show up for yourself.”

And for apprehensive newbies to the trend, who fear the excessive glamor might take them too far out of their comfort zones, the A-list esthetician recommends starting with the basics.

“Coloured eyeliner is the best way [to begin embracing color]. Buy as many colored pencils as you can,” said John, a creative director of L’Oreal Paris. “Don’t be afraid of a statement lip either – try orange or magenta.”

“Use colors that make you happy.”

In February, Manhattan-based beauty tastemaker Rene Rossman dolled herself up to look “happy” rather than “pretty” while struggling with a bout of seasonal depression.

“I can literally trick my brain into feeling good by making myself look good,” Rossman (25), a cosmetic production developer from Kips Bay, told Die Pos.

She shared her first dopamine rush with her 2,000 TikTok followers just before Valentine’s Day.

“When I’m feeling down, I can put on cool makeup, and I’m pushed into a creative headspace,” Rossman said, adding that she often gets the job done with duo-chrome eyeshadows, neon pigments, holographic glitters and baby pink blushes.

“Doing my makeup is my favorite part of the day,” she said. “So the brighter and more delicious I can make it, the happier I am.”