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What's New In Makeup This Season

By JILL WENDHOLT SILVA, Kansas City Star, Scripps Howard News Service

This season makeup is, in a word, neutral. But neutral doesn't mean naked. Indeed, women are using more makeup to achieve a polished and sophisticated face. The emphasis, cosmetics companies say, is on mysterious eyes in smoky, earthy shades countered by brighter shades of lipstick. The idea is to enhance a woman's features without looking overdone. If you're looking for ways to update your dressing table, here's a quick look at the face of fall:

Shiseido: This season's theme is Les Suprematistes, inspired by an artistic movement that flourished during the early part of the century. The philosophy is to reduce makeup colors to simple triads.

Just as artists of the period responded to the chaos of color by creating works of simplicity and strong definition, Paris image creator Serge Lutens chose the colors red, black and white to paint a subtle face.

"Instead of offering a palette with five or six colors, the offerings are very edited this season," said Mari Chihaya, director of public relations and advertising for Shiseido.

For the eye, a single shadow package featuring three earth tones is offset by three intensities of black eye shadow liner. New lip colors involve three shades, including matte red, neutral and satin red. Overall the look is natural, with eyes and mouth well-defined. "Designers are showing more colorful outfits, and if you have very brown, totally neutral makeup, the face will look washed out," Chihaya said.

Prescriptives: Last year Prescriptives introduced "Exact Color," a "minimalist" approach, to color based on basic skin-tone groups. The latest fashion plan centers on lips, carefully penciled and colored: with a soft matte rouge.

Makeup personnel are emphasizing techniques used to plump up "„ or round out thin or imperfect lips, according to Anne Greenberg, public relations coordinator.

Yves Saint Laurent: The matte face is the perfect foundation to: emphasize lips and eyes. Although such a neutral look is new for many cosmetics companies this fall, Yves Saint Laurent always has favored a porcelain face with eyes and lips" defined by fashion colors found in the French designer's Rive Gauche collection. There is more color for day, with mysterious eyes and bright lips." And if you're looking for shimmer, surely you'll find some here. A hint of bold color such as orange, burgundy or purple is blended with smoky charcoal on the eyes. A bit of pencil in the far corners and burgundy mascara add a dramatic touch.

The total look is sheer and meant to enhance rather than mask a woman's features, said Jan Gelling, director of marketing.

Chanel: "Les Contrastes" plays light and dark shades off of each other. A matte face accentuates bright lips and dark, smoldering eyes.

"(The look is) taken directly from the runway," said Susan Duffy, director of public relations: for beauty and fragrance. "We found that our models photograph best when they are wearing matte makeup." Lip colors are the most vibrant in the collection, and eyes feature earthy tones such as teak, bisque and smoke.

Estee Lauder: With Estee Lauder's fall collection "Neutrality," neither lips, eyes nor cheeks commands a power position. Eye colors offer monochromatic shades such as gray and camel, along with muted blues and greens if a woman prefers drama. Eye pencils are recommended for a softer, more contoured effect. Lips are more vivid in shades of red brick, smoky rose and Russian red." Cheeks are shaded the same color as lips. A new product is a liquid-to-powder blush dotted along the cheekbone that dries to a light, powdered finish.
"The look of the face is dressed and defined without a lot of bright color," said Nancy Swenson, director of training and development.

Elizabeth Arden: Definition is the keyword here. Eye shadows with a hint of shine, black eyeliner and plenty of mascara will put the emphasis on eyes. If the look seems reminiscent of the '60s, remember that blues or bright, vivid green eye shadows are long gone. Color takes a softer approach this time around. Beauty director Glenn Roberts favors earthen tones such as camel, granite and brown in what Arden calls "Cashmere Collections." Meanwhile, lips get a dose of bright color with shades of scarlet, blued berries, burnt reds, russets and neutrals with metallic accents.  As in almost every collection, cheeks are understated, with just a wisp of blush for a healthy glow. "A woman should look as if she had a good breakfast and a vitamin pill," Roberts quips.

Lancome: "Fashion is not like it was 10 years ago when there was the look. (Now) there is a choice," said Tony Michaels, vice president of marketing and advertising. The company chose that "whole tweed-sort-of-suit look" as inspiration for the "Cafe Couture" collection. Shadows are muted, but the eye receives more emphasis with liquid eyeliner. Most women will be wearing liner around the entire eye, Michaels said. The company discontinued its eyeliner earlier in the year but since has brought back the product because of popular demand. Meanwhile, lips get more color than last season. Two of the bestselling shades are a true red and claret, a plum-toned brown. Lipcoloring pencils finish the look.  The Frederick Post, Frederick, Md., Monday, November 12, 1990