Red rules: Pops of color dominate fall's makeup palette

By Pamela Sitt
Seattle Times staff reporter

	Prescriptives lipstick in Cabaret is a deep red with a shimmer. It's part of the line's wide range of reds.
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As nude lip gloss and hint-of-color shimmer go the way of long summer nights, makeup artists and designers are embracing color in an unprecedented fashion this season.

"The J.Lo thing is over. Rather than seeing the glowy, natural look for fall, we're definitely exploring different textures and pops of color," said Victor Cembellin, a senior artist for MAC cosmetics. "It's really a return to the culture of makeup."

Chanel is doing purples. Shiseido offers corals. Clinique is thinking pink.

And then there's red.

"Red lipstick, in itself, of course, is not new, but the way it's being worn is new," said the aptly named Poppy King, color designer for Prescriptives. "Red lipstick paired with minimal eye makeup is a kind of minimalist glamour, with a really modern edge."

King, who says she wears only red lipstick, reminds the skeptical J.Lo devotee that anyone can wear red because it comes in so many textures and shades. The Prescriptives line alone offers a wide range of reds, from China Red ("it's a very glamorous, Marilyn Monroe red, like a deep rose-petal red") to Cabaret ("a deep 1940s red with a metallic shimmer") to Lullaby ("a sheer cranberry-red gloss").

"Red does not have to be opaque," King said. "You'll see that red can look very polished, but almost casual. I feel like you can wear it to work and certainly wear it in the evening."

The return to rich color on the lips is perhaps partly an homage to the late Kevyn Aucoin, the makeup artist to the stars who became something of a celebrity himself before his untimely death in May 2002.

Shiseido lip gloss colors include Apricot Nectar, Bare Berry and Lavender Loud. Each is $20 and can be purchased at Nordstrom.

"Kevyn made that particular look quite famous: light on the eyes, light on the cheeks, with a really pouty lip," said Misha Alexander, a makeup artist at the Sephora store in University Village. "I'm not seeing people being as conservative as they were last year. ... People want to get back to colors."

While fall tends to favor a more muted approach to makeup, this year, "it's almost as if we've performed CPR on your typical fall," said Cembellin of MAC.

MAC this month launched its beauty icon series with the Liza (as in Minnelli) collection, which was developed with input from its namesake.

"In the Liza collection, there's a color called 'Kicky Blue.' It's turquoise with a gold shimmer overlay," Cembellin said. "I think turquoise on the eye is really a color you're seeing quite a bit of, but also violets. Violet seems to be the black of 2003."

Bright eyeshadows from Smashbox are influenced by the splashy '80s.

The return to vibrant colors in makeup is a nod to fashion houses that peppered fall runways with rich tweeds and heavy influences from the 1960s and 1980s.

"You cannot wear a tailored suit with textured hosiery, which is so popular, and have a messy looking face," said local makeup artist Dwight Wayne. "Before, it was, 'Let's look natural. Let's let our freckles show,' and not even touch powder. Now it's really chic to look groomed."

Fashion for the face has shifted from a sheer, natural-looking foundation to more medium to full coverage, Wayne said. And lush eyelashes are making a comeback along with the mod look of the 1960s.

"Mascara is really big, and that hasn't been the case for a long time," Wayne said. "It's definitely become a really big accessory for the face."

In a nod to the splashy, colorful '80s, Los Angeles-based Smashbox Cosmetics — which hosts an L.A. Fashion Week every year — offers eye shadows like Scan (matte fuchsia), Digital (ocean blue) and JPeg (golden green).

"These looks portray a more decadent, luxurious side of life," said Holly Mordini, vice president of global artistry for Smashbox, which is available at Nordstrom's new Alderwood store. The line will launch in Nordstrom stores at Southcenter and Northgate Nov. 7.

"Everything is in excess. It sounds like a real return to the '80s to me."

That's another thing about makeup — it's driven by fashion and celebrities, sure, but it can also be hooked on a feeling.

"There's a very primal need to see color in your own life. It's kind of a way of brightening your day," said King, the Prescriptives color designer. "At a time when the world is uncertain, there's often a return to color. The '90s were a time of prosperity, and very neutral makeup."

Little known fact: In wartime, Mordini says, lipstick sales go through the roof.

"Makeup is a mood," she said. "A lipstick can make you feel better about yourself."

Pamela Sitt: 206-464-2376 or psitt@seattletimes.com

Copyright © 2003 The Seattle Times Company